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The Infamous Birthday Cake incident…






Everything was peaceful for a while after AJ asked Nicky to stay at his place. They had come out of the room arm in arm and instantly I knew that for the time being the blonde wasn’t going anywhere. We had pizza, drank root beer and just hung out and laughed. It was a fun night.



According to Nicky, Paris took the news of him not staying with her very hard, almost breaking down and crying. Personally I think he’s full of crap, she doesn’t seem like the type of person to care about anyone one way or another. I didn’t even believe that she would willingly take him in but I know for my part, I’m probably being irrational about that.



The bad thing that happened over the span of the next few weeks which led up to Nick’s birthday was her presence became almost smothering. She was with him at all times. We’d be in the studio hard at work and then she would waltz in and demand he get a break so they can go out for coffee or walk her little annoying dog.



So many times I thought Kevin was going to tell her off, he made it more than obvious he wasn’t pleased with how she seemed to take our youngest band mate away and boss him around. I know we all wanted to sit Nicky down and have a talk with him but I was the one that decided it might be a bad idea. I told them that he feels like we always talk about him behind his back and now if we were to sit him down and tell him that Paris needs to let him work, we would once again only prove his point.



Everyone listened to me, which was foolish…hello? It’s Howie no one ever listens to me. Why start now?



The other thing that alarmed all of us during this time, was his almost constant all nighters. The boy never slept anymore. She would come and get him straight from the studio (before he was done by the way) and then they’d go out clubbing and partying all night long.



The whole issue of he and AJ living together almost became a moot point because the kid was never there anyway. And yes, we were all really worrying about him, even more than usual. HE became her Barbie Doll, seriously. She was dressing him in what she wanted him to wear, making him hang around people SHE wanted him to be with (which most were drug addicted crack whores…did I just say that?) She even had HER stylist start doing his hair. It was all a little ridiculous.



So it was no great surprise when on the morning of his 24th birthday, he showed up very late…wearing sunglasses as usual.



“Hey guys.” He said slowly making his way into the studio. He had gotten so used to the routine that he opened his check book the second he sat down, “So who’s getting my money today?”



“Put your checkbook away Nick…since it’s your birthday your lateness is on the house.” Brian said, walking over and giving him a huge hug.



“Yeah, besides at this rate, you’re going to have to sell your truck to keep paying all these late fees.” AJ decided to add, doing the same as Brian just did, “Happy Birthday Kaos.”



“Thanks…” He looked at the table that housed our usual breakfast of coffee and donuts and seemed a little disappointed that there was no cake there waiting for him, like AJ’s birthday.



I looked up to see him staring at me, that’s when I realized I hadn’t said anything yet, “Happy Birthday Nicky.” I winked at him.



“Thanks D…do you have something in your eye?” He mocked me by removing his sunglasses and winking back…Smartass.



“Where’s Kev?” He asked after he made his way over to the donuts and helped himself to a jelly one.



“He had to run a few errands; he’ll be back in a little bit.”



“Once he gets here I’m sure I’ll have to pay someone something.” We all laughed, because he was probably right. Secretly I was hoping that maybe Kevin was out getting Nicky a cake because suddenly I felt so guilty for not thinking of it myself.



I worry far too much; I mean I bet he doesn’t even remember when my birthday is. Sometimes it’s questionable whether he even remembers my name. For being so young, Nicky has many senior moments.



He sat beside AJ and started playing around with the console, “So what’s on the agenda today?”



“Nothing too much, we are only recording one song I think but we do have an important band meeting today to discuss the album direction, remember?”



“Shit…thanks for reminding me. It’s not happening later or anything right?”



“No, I think it’s a lunch meeting.” I offered as Brian looked over at me biting his bottom lip.



“Okay good, because I know I have many plans tonight.”



“Oh yeah? What are you doing? And why wasn’t I invited?” Brian asked once again looking my way.



He was really worried about Nicky too. He confided in me at lunch just the other day, he felt like Paris was changing him in some way. I thought the conversation was a bit on the ironic side since Nicky and I had that very same conversation about Leighanne right before he married her, but still he had a point.



“She is having a party for me at one of her hotels. She didn’t invite you guys?”



“I know I wasn’t invited.” AJ said shrugging his shoulders. “Maybe she just hasn’t gotten around to it yet.”



Yeah…right AJ, you go on thinking that.





~*~*~*~*~*~*






Nick looked at me and nodded, “I’m sure that’s the case. I’d love it if you guys came to the party she’s throwing.” He seemed annoyed and hurt a little that we knew nothing about it, but I didn’t want him thinking we were invited to a party for him and we all just blew it off or something. I’m sure she would love him to think that because she seems to get off on playing mind games with him, but there was no way in hell I was letting that happen.



Maybe we would all just crash the damn thing to be annoying and get on her nerves. I glanced over at the door as Kevin entered. He looked like a man on a mission, although I have no idea what that mission was exactly.



“He’s back…now maybe we can get to work?” I announced, bringing up the song we had been working on.



“Yeah, I’m here sorry. I just forgot to bring something to the studio with me so I had to go back and get it. Then he glanced over at Nick, “Happy Birthday Nick!” He walked over and pat Nick’s back as the blonde tried his best to stifle a yawn.



“Thanks man.”



“So, more of Song for the Unloved then?” Howie asked as the scratch vocals blared through the speaker system over our heads.



“God I hate that song it really sucks.” The birthday boy muttered under his breath.



“Nick, we know, you hate all the songs we have recorded so far, let’s just finish it then okay?”



“Can’t we do the other version of this one? The pop one? I hate this R and B one.”



“We will do both, then we can chose which one we like better okay?”



“Yeah, okay…” Kevin looked over at me and shook his head.



Seemed like someone was going to be in a whiny mood today, Nick rubbed at his eyes almost on cue and once again yawned. If he didn’t fall asleep in our meeting I would dress up as a chicken and do a dance. That’s how certain I was he indeed would be snoring within the first few minutes.



Don’t ask about the chicken thing…



“Why don’t we just start our meeting first and then we can record after lunch?”



I stretched my arms over my head, silently grateful someone mentioned food. I was really hungry and trying my best to stay away from the donuts.



“Wow, it’s already lunch time?” Nick asked no one in particular which for some reason made me crack up.



“Yeah, you showed up at 1:30 kiddo.”



“Really? Wow that’s late, even for me.”



“No kidding…” Kevin said under his breath once again shaking his head as he stood up and led us into a room for this meeting.



We found we worked better when we did stuff like this, closed the rest of the world out and sat in a room with nothing to distract us. No televisions, music, crayons, shiny things…nothing but the five of us. It’s sad that that’s what it took to hold our attention but hey, back in the older days, even that wouldn’t work. We’d always manage to go off on tangents about everything under the sun with Kevin being the one to always lead us back to the main point.



One of my favorite meetings ever was during the time of Millennium before I was always too stoned to care, we had a three hour meeting of which two hours were spent discussing what we thought was the smelliest cheese. I wish I could remember what won…



“Guys, what did we decide was the smelliest cheese?”



All of them looked over at me as if I had just asked the dumbest, most random question ever…and I guess they’d be right.



“AJ what the heck?” Brian laughed, he says I amuse him greatly, I was happy to see today was no exception.



“I was just thinking about our meeting one time at Jive…”



“Oh! God I remember that!” Howie chimed in.



“They were so mad at us.”



“Seriously.”



“I think it was some cheese that starts with an R.” Nick added.



“Oh nice to know you guys remember those meetings but not the ones that count.” Kevin said as we all finally managed to close the door and sit around the giant table. I sat down and instantly started spinning on the chairs. I loved these things.



“Already we’re spinning…” Kevin said sarcastically as he opened up his notebook.



“Uh oh…he’s bringing out the big guns.” Rok whispered and I let out a laugh. We were so juvenile, I love it.



“Okay guys we have to decide a few things…”



“Roquefort.”



“What did you say Nick?”



“The cheese, that’s what it was called.”



Now we all looked over at Nick and yes I admit, I was twirling around in my chair again, until Kevin put his foot in my path and made me stop. What a party pooper!



“You have been sitting here this entire time thinking about cheese?”



“We haven’t been in here that long Kev.”



“You think you can concentrate on what we are going to talk about as much as you just did on the smelly cheese?”



“I can’t make any promises…besides it’s my birthday.”



“What does that have to do with anything?”



“I try not to use my brain on my birthday dude.”



“Wow, than I guess everyday is Nick’s birthday huh?” Howie and I freakishly said at the exact same time! That was scary…



“Hey!”



“You walked into that one little buddy.” I said as I high fived Howie.



“Guys…can we please try to be productive?” Kevin asked but he was also smiling and trying hard to act like we weren’t all amusing him.



“Yes of course…go ahead cousin, what were you about to say?”



“Thank you Brian…I just think that…” There was a knock on the door and Kevin literally banged his head on the table in frustration.



“Saved by the door…come in!” I said as Dave, one of our engineer guys popped his head in.



“Hey, um…Paris is here.”



Kevin looked up, “Well tell her that we are…” But he didn’t get a chance to finish because within a beat, Paris walked into the room.



“I’m sorry to interrupt, I have a surprise outside for Nick since it’s his birthday…hi baby.” She said blowing him a kiss.



He waved at her but his eyes instantly lit up and I think to Kevin that’s what he needed to see, “Okay sure…go ahead Nick, and we’ll wait for you but try not to take too long okay?”



“Sure…sorry guys.” He stood up and walked over to his girlfriend pulling her into a hug and walking out the door. That just gave me an excuse to twirl around in my chair a little more…whee!



~*~*~*~*~*~*~




Kevin’s constant finger tapping on the table was beginning to get on my nerves. He always did stuff like that when he was impatient. Even when he was a kid, I remember playing Scrabble with him and all the while I would be trying to come up with a word, I’d here that annoying tap tap tap.



“You know, we can start without him.” I finally said, placing my hand on top if his to cease the annoying sound.



“That kind of defeats the purpose of a band meeting, if the entire band isn’t here to meet. Doesn’t it?”



“It’s not like he would be paying attention anyway Kev.” AJ twirled around in his chair every time pushing himself around when he hit the front of the table.



“God, what is taking them so long?” Howie muttered under his breath. I have noticed that lately Howie has been doing a lot of muttering.



A few seconds later Dave knocked again, this time shaking his head at us. That’s never a good sign. Instantly, I had visions of him telling us that Nick and Paris were having sex on top of the console or something. I know that sounds weird coming from me, but damn with those two, you never knew what to expect.



“What’s up Dave?” I asked. I figured I’d be the brave one.



“You won’t even believe it…you guys better come out here though.”



“Uh oh, that doesn’t sound good.” I looked over at AJ and nodded my head in agreement as Kevin stood up and sighed.



As we walked out of the door, there was a flurry of activity up ahead and lot’s of flashing of cameras and bright lights. “What in the world did she do?” I whispered to Howie as we continued into the main lobby.



My question was answered instantly as I saw a camera crew from Entertainment Tonight standing there, lights on Nick and Paris as she was being interviewed. He sat on the table in the background like a deer caught in the headlights. There were also a ton of paparazzi there taking pictures as well of Nick, Paris and a cake that Nick was sitting next to.



“Does that cake have her picture on it?” I asked my cousin who looked amazed and not sure what to say.



“I believe it does.” Howie answered as AJ lightly chuckled in the background.



Tinkerbell was running around the lobby like a chicken without a head, barking at everything that moved so I walked over and grabbed him into my arms. Of course it was dressed in pink and even had its own purse.



Suddenly the camera people turned towards us, which I wasn’t expecting. It’s been awhile since I’ve had a camera shoved in my face. I didn’t look very good today but none of us really did. They started asking us questions about the album which none of us were ready to answer but of course my cousin still managed to say just the right thing. I kept glancing over at Nick who looked uncomfortable and lost. Paris tried to primp him before they once again turned the camera on them. She was yelling at him to try not to look like a slob and not to embarrass her. I wanted to go over there and tell her off, I could tell Kevin was thinking the same thing.



“Okay…let’s sing I guess.” AJ said.



While I was being nosy I guess they had asked us to sing Happy Birthday. It probably sounded bad how unenthused AJ sounded when he said that. It had nothing to do with Nick though; we all love him to death. It’s just that, in that instant, we all realized what Paris was really about and I know it saddened me.



After we sang, the lights turned once again on Paris, who became that girl we always saw on television. She smiled instantly turning from the angry embarrassed girlfriend to the wonderful ‘I’ll always stand by your side’ girl she was trying so hard to portray.



Kevin took that as a great time to exit and pat me on the back to follow him. I walked over to one of the cameramen and handed him the dog as we made our way back into our meeting room.



Once the door was closed we all let out our breath and just shook our heads. “Did you see that cake?” I asked them to which they all nodded. AJ once again started cracking up.



“She’s such a media whore.” Kevin said as he sat down and started tapping his fingers on the table. “Did you hear the way she was talking to him?”



I nodded, “She’s not very good for him.”



“No, you think?” He rolled his eyes at me.



“Hey guys, next year I want you to make me a cake with a huge picture of me on it so this way I can eat myself and say ‘bite me’ and mean it.” I looked over at AJ and laughed.



“Rok, you think our wife will do that for me?” I shook my head, refusing to answer him.



“Well, I guess so much for this meeting then huh?” Howie asked no one in particular.



“Yeah, I guess…Jesus…I hope this makes Nick see what she’s really like.” Kevin started rubbing at his temples. Have I mentioned how easily he stresses out about things?



~*~*~*~*~*~*~




Who interrupts a business meeting, brings an entire camera crew, paparazzi and a cake with a huge picture of her face on it? Paris Fucking Hilton…that’s who. Yeah, I’m a bit peeved and not so much about her being here because it’s Nick’s birthday and for whatever reason, he loves her. Yes I cringed when I just said that, but to bring a Goddamn camera crew into OUR studio while WE are tying to work is just too much. It’s not like she even asked us for permission. What if we didn’t want everyone to know we were working on another album? She would have just blown it for us. Ahhh! I hate her!



“Kevin?” I looked over at Howie who was waving his hand in front of my face. “Are you still with us buddy?”



“Yeah…sorry I was just thinking.”



“I can only imagine what’s going through your head.”



“It isn’t pretty.” They all laughed at me, but I was being serious. I had visions and they all involved me strangling a blonde, and for once I’m not talking about Nick. Just thinking his name made my hand go to my pocket where inside I had a letter for him. I almost forgot about it completely, but once I remembered I had to run back home and get it. For some reason, I had a feeling he would need it now.



“He didn’t look happy about all the attention, as odd as that sounds.” AJ finally stopped twirling around in his chair and now sat with his arms on the table and his chin in his hands.



“Do you think he realizes it? I mean, that he is nothing but a boy toy to her?” I looked over at Howie and shook my head. Of course he didn’t realize it.



“I really want a piece of cake…I hope they all leave soon.”



“Is this so you can say you got to eat Paris?” Brian asked Bone.



“Yeah, maybe.”



“Well if the cake is anything like she is, it’ll be totally empty on the inside.” Once again they all laughed at me. “She needs to go away….very very far away.”



“She’ll be taping her show soon I think. So she won’t be around for awhile.”



“Good, hopefully she’ll move on…or he will. Brian don’t we have a cousin we can set him up with?”



Brian laughed at me; the look on his face told me that maybe I was once again over reacting. So, I decided to change the subject. “So, where are we taking him tonight? I thought maybe that sushi place over on Rodeo Drive.”



They all looked at each other, “What?” I asked.



“He already has plans.”



“But, we told him a few weeks ago we were taking him out to dinner then going back to my place for movies.”



“Paris is throwing him a party which apparently we weren’t invited to.” Howie huffed. You know, I have noticed that Howie has been huffing a lot lately.



“She didn’t invite us?” They all shook their heads. “Okay that’s it…” I said getting up out of my seat and heading towards the door.



“Kev, what are you doing?”



“I’m going to go out there and give that wench a piece of my mind Howie.”



“Not today Kev…” Damn, I hated when he was reasonable and made sense.



“Well, then I’m at least going to check and see if she is gone with her little camera crew.” When there was no objection to that one, I walked out the door and back into the main lobby where Nick was sitting all alone staring at his cake. He looked anything but happy, but the instant he saw me he put on that damn mask he thought we knew nothing about and smiled.



“I was about to come and see if you guys wanted some cake.”



I walked over and gave him a hug, “Sounds good…so, were you surprised?”



“Uh…yeah, that’s an understatement. I’m sorry about that. I had no idea she was going to do that.”



“I know buddy.”



“We just had a huge fight…”



It’s sad to say that I saw a glimmer of hope in that statement. “You did? About what?”



“It’s not important…anyway are we still doing dinner tonight?” Instantly I realized that the fight was about us. I could see it plain as day. Nick wanting to know why she hadn’t invited us to the party and her telling him we are losers.



“Of course dinner is still on and a movie at my place…oh and Nick, I brought you something.”



“You did? I thought we all said no more presents.”



“No, this isn’t a present.” I grabbed the envelope out of my pocket and handed it to him.



“What is it?”



“It’s actually from you…” I smiled when it dawned on him what it was. “Happy Birthday Nickolas the Magnificent.” I said, winking at him and then taking a piece of Paris, strategically chopping her head off and smiling as I did it.


Hey there! Just wanted to say that I realize that some of the things going on in this chapter are very different fhan the things going on in the short story I alluded to, but since I was going to his 24th birthday in this one, I had to mention the letter. So just use your imagination lol and if you have no idea what i'm talking about you can find the story on this site. :O) The Magnificent Nickolas Carter? God I suck at remembering my story names lmao :OP