Fame Happened
I was the first one up, walking into the main room and opening the curtains wide to expose the beautiful day. Having a baby changes your whole sense of timing, now to wake up at 7 in the morning almost felt late to me. Sleep did not come easy last night, all I did was toss and turn and I admit it was because my family was so far away from me.
Leighanne called me three times just so that Baylee could hear my voice. See whenever he was sick, it was me he’d cry for. I know that’s weird because most of the time it’s the mom but in my case, my son only wanted me when he didn’t feel good. I’d sit him on my lap and sing songs to him.
Singing over the phone didn’t have quite the same effect, but it did help to calm him down. The last call I got was at around 4 so I took it as a good sign that he finally went to bed and gave my wife some much needed sleep.
I plopped myself down on the couch with the paper that was left outside our door and opened it up, not really reading but still feeling like an adult just flipping through the stories that should have interested me but didn’t.
Nick came staggering into the room almost comically, his hair shooting out all over the place in every direction. He was still wearing the same thing he had thrown up in last night and I shook my head at him. I don’t think he even saw me sitting there because he walked over to the blinds and shut them, “Light bad.” He groaned like a caveman which made me laugh.
He turned around and placed his hand to his heart, “Oh my God you scared the crap out of me.”
“Sorry.”
“I didn’t see you sitting there.” He walked over towards me and sat on the coffee table.
“I’m kind of surprised you’re up this early. I didn’t think I’d be seeing you until noon at the earliest.” I placed my newspaper next to him and took in his disheveled appearance. He was a mess, his eyes puffy and red and his face a little pale.
“Yeah me either, but I couldn’t sleep last night. I tossed and turned the entire time.”
“Me too, maybe it’s from being so far from home.” I admitted.
He shrugged at me, “I doubt it, for me anyway. Is that why you’re up this early too?”
I nodded, not really feeling the need to go into explanations. For some reason I didn’t think he was much interested in hearing it anyway.
“I need to brush my teeth, my breath smells like ass.”
I cracked a smile on that one; Nick along with AJ had this natural ability to say the funniest things. The kid always cracked me up, he was my sole source of entertainment sometimes, at least when we were all younger. I caught him staring at me, so I gave him one of my trademark looks, “Yes?”
“Nothing, just looking.” He shrugged.
“You mean staring, why are you staring at me Nick?”
“Maybe because you’re so sexy.”
“Well sorry young man, I am already taken.” He laughed and brushed his hand through his hair.
“What time are we having our meeting today?”
“At noon I believe.”
“Okay, I think I’m going to try to go get some more sleep then.” He stood up and yawned.
“Nick?”
“Yeah?”
I wanted to ask him if everything was okay but for some reason I didn’t want to bring up what happened yesterday, even though it’ll stay in the back of my mind for quite some time. The truth was I did worry about Nick a lot. Whenever Leigh and I went shopping late at night at our local supermarket, we’d go to the checkout aisle and see his face plastered all over the tabloids, mostly concerning his messed up family but many times just him seen with a beer in his hands or drunk with his arms slung around people that Kevin had warned him to stay away from.
It disgusted Leighanne, but worried me. He used to be such an innocent little thing. I remember having to explain to him why men liked boobies. Nick sat there with wide eyes and blushed, back when he was all of fourteen I believe. Wonder what happened? Never mind I know the answer to that already…
Fame happened.
“Nothing, have a good rest.” I finally said after deliberating whether or not I wanted to open a can of worms this early in the morning.
He nodded, “Thanks man. If I’m not up by 11 can you wake me?”
“Sure thing buddy.”
And with that he turned and staggered back to his room, leaving me once again alone and now in a darkened room with the shades drawn. I lay down on the couch and flipped on the television, wondering how my son was doing and still having Nick live in the back of my mind.
I walked into the living room at ten o’clock, proud of myself to be the very first one awake and ready for the meeting. I wasn’t going to disappoint these guys at all this time around. In fact, I wanted to be the one to set the standard of how things should go while doing this album.
Being sober with the guys this go around will be refreshing for me, I never realized how much I missed out on until I found myself reading about some of our adventures. It’s embarrassing at best.
I walked into the main room and pulled open the huge set of curtains. It looked gorgeous outside, maybe after the meeting someone would want to hit the beach with me.
“Light…bad!” I almost screamed like a little girl as I put my hand to my heart when I heard that come from the couch.
“Rok? Good lord you scared the holy crap out of me.”
He sat up and ran a hand through his hair, “Sorry I must have that effect on people.”
“Did you sleep out here dude?”
“No, I was up early and then must have dosed off while watching TV.”
I walked towards him with my good old ‘made this in the bathroom with the fake creamer’ coffee the hotel always included in the suites. “I didn’t even see that the television was on. No wonder you fell asleep how on earth can you even hear that, it’s on so low?”
Brian yawned and made a stretching groan as his arms shot out over his head and his feet extended in front of him, “We’re used to being as quiet as possible nowadays. I swear I can hear the thing on mute now. What time is it?”
“A little after ten.”
“Wow, is anyone else up?”
“I hear the shower so someone is, just no clue who.”
“Oh.”
“Did you hear from Leigh at all last night?”
He nodded at me, “Baylee was crying for me all night so it was kind of rough.”
“Sorry man, that must be the hardest thing in the world.”
He rubbed his neck and crossed his legs, “Yeah it sucked pretty badly, but enough about that. How are you holding up? Did you sleep well?”
I nodded and showed him my watered down and powdery coffee, “I slept like a baby but after all the driving I did, I knew I would. Has Ralph woken up yet?”
“Ralph?” He asked me all confused before I had to reenact what Ralph I was talking about by fake vomiting on him. “Ohhh, hehehe… that Ralph, actually he was up a while ago but went back to bed.”
“Has Kevin got his hands on him yet?”
“I think he’s been dodging Kevin.”
“Understandable…” I admitted, doing a fair amount of dodging Kevin myself when I was younger.
“Who’s dodging Kevin?” Kevin asked while walking in with his own powdery coffee and head wet from getting out of the shower.
“Hey man.” I said extending my coffee to him in a salute.
“This coffee is putrid, now who is dodging me?” I laughed at him as he walked over to the sink and threw his entire cup into it while wiggling his brows in disgust.
“Sometimes I think those brows of yours have a life of their own brother.”
Brian thought that was an absolutely hysterical statement, but Kevin just flipped me the bird, deciding not to acknowledge my statement at all, “So, room service?” He asked browsing through the menu, “Not that we can get anything overly unhealthy, if we are doing the whole dancing thing again.”
“Are we going to dance?” I asked hopeful yet not about the idea. Dancing is something I have always enjoyed and was lucky enough to know that it’s always come easy to me. Some of the others not really but to me, it was a very natural thing. With age though came a little bit of fear about not only touring but dancing night after night. It was no big secret that we were all a little out of shape.
Brian kind of looked like a stuffed teddy bear nowadays, not making fun of him or anything, it kind of looked good on him actually; you know someone is happy when they plump up at home.
“I don’t know but even if we don’t, we should really watch what we’re eating don’t you think? I mean some of us can stand to lose some weight.” Just as I knew he was going to do, Kevin shot his cousin a look.
“Oh hush, I’m working on it.”
Kevin laughed and then passed the menu onto Brian, “You’re talking about Nick right? He’s the one you think is dodging me?”
Yup, he was still on that. Another thing about Kevin, he is not one to just let something go, like most normal people. You know the ones who realize they have caught someone saying something they shouldn’t have only to pretend like maybe they didn’t hear their name in the first place? Yeah Kevin doesn’t do that.
“Yes who else would we be talking about? Howie?” Brian used just the right amount of sarcasm in his voice to answer his cousin. Good for him, which was his way of getting Kevin back for the weight remark.
“Is he up and avoiding me or something? What he thinks I’m going to rip him a new asshole? He got sick it happens.”
Brian and I looked at each other suspiciously, “Okay cool man. No actually he’s still asleep but I’m sure he’ll be happy to know that.” I finally said, once again giving Brian a look of surprise.
“I’m not his keeper, if he wants to drink until he gets himself that sick, let him.” He tried to sound matter of factly as he spoke but I nodded with a smirk on my face, knowing Carter was going to be lectured by the end of the day.
“Hey Bone, you want to go golfing with me after our meeting?”
Just hearing the word golf made me smile, when I became such a wussy golf boy I couldn’t tell you but if I could golf all day every day I would. Golfing sounded much more fun than the beach anyway. Maybe because I was famous now, wasn’t it an unwritten law that when you became famous you ended up in rehab and then learned how to golf? Hey! Nice to know I was following the rules of fame…go me! Not!!!
“Abso-freakin-lutely”
Brian smiled at me and then threw me the menu.
I woke up to the sweet smell of bacon; I loved that smell even though I wasn’t always the biggest fan of bacon to begin with. Turning in my bed, which of course was so much smaller than the king-sized bed I had graciously given Nick, I almost fell out of it when I looked at the time. 11:30 am! Oops!
I stood up, put on my sweats and ran out into the hallway, where the unmistakable smell of breakfast almost made me salivate. The laughter coming from the center of the suite made me smile, it was nice hearing those guys laughing and joking together again.
“Hey D!” Brian was the greeter as I ran a hand through my hair and yawned. “We got you some breakfast!”
“Nice, I’m hungry.” I plopped down on the chair next to Kevin, who was sipping tea and eating a croissant.
“We got you eggs, sausage and of course requested hot sauce.”
“You guys know me so well.” I said grabbing for the hot sauce and shaking it onto the eggs in front of me.
“So what’s your take on dancing Howie?” Kevin asked me taking a bite out of a piece of watermelon on his plate.
“Dancing?”
“Yeah, we’re trying to decide if we are going to dance.”
“Shouldn’t we cross that bridge when we come to it? I mean we haven’t even recorded anything yet.”
“I know, but we are all kind of porking up, so it’s something to think about early so this way when the time comes we’re ready.”
Of course that made me feel just great, as I was sticking a greasy, fatty piece of sausage in my mouth just as Kevin said that. He found that amusing as well, I could tell by the smirk on his face.
I put the sausage patty down and went for the piece of cantaloupe on my plate instead, “Maybe it wouldn’t hurt. I mean we aren’t getting any younger.”
“This is true!” AJ nodded at me and I winked at him.
“Or we could always stay like this and just rename ourselves the Fat street Boys!” All three of them burst out laughing. I made a funny…go me!
“Guess Nick is skipping breakfast.” Kevin said taking the fruit plate he ordered for the kid and covering it up.
Brian stood up, “I forgot to go wake him up, and he had asked me to do that at 11! Oops!!”
I smiled at Brian, “Good luck.”
Brian replied, “Thanks I’ll probably need it.”
I’m not sure why I didn’t go out there when I heard everyone talking and joking. It was an odd feeling really. I mean I have been up this entire time. I know I said I was going back to bed but it was only because I suddenly found myself in a room, alone with Brian and felt like for the first time ever, we had nothing to say to each other.
It was an uncomfortable feeling, but mostly it made me sad. To think how close we once were and how far we have drifted apart. I never would have imagined there would come a time when I’d feel that way about him. Today was the day, as we kind of sat there in an uncomfortable silence. So I did the only thing I could think to do and that was walk away.
I sat up and immediately crossed my legs under my body just as I heard the other room explode with laughter. Even though I had no clue why they were laughing I found myself smiling and at the same time disappointed in myself.
“Get over it and go out there Carter, my GOD you know these guys better than anyone else on the planet and they know you just as well!”
There was a knock on my door followed by a quick entrance, too fast for me to pretend to be sleeping.
“Oh hello, you’re awake! I thought for sure I’d have to drag your butt out of bed.” Brian said from the doorway.
“Who can sleep with that racket going on out there?”
“Sorry, Howie was being funny. We got you some breakfast, so come on out.”
“Okay and did you say Howie was being funny?” That question made him laugh.
“Did you get any more sleep?” He asked me as I moved off the bed and to a standing position.
“Yeah.”
He smiled and nodded, “Good, well come eat. Kevin ordered you a fruit platter.”
“Oh joy, a fruit platter?”
“Yup, he’s on a health kick, just thought I’d warn you.”
“Fabulous, maybe I’ll just stay in here then.” He laughed when I plopped back onto the bed.
“No way, if I have to get it, you do too! Only fair now come on!” He walked over and grabbed my arm the way he used to back in the day.
“Okay I’ll be right there let me go pee first, unless you’d like to come and join me.”
“How many times do I have to tell you Nickolas, I am a married man.” He waved his butt in my face and then walked out of the room.
I missed Brian so much, I really did and after he did that, it made me miss him even more, if that makes any sense? Probably not, because I usually make next to no sense to begin with. I wanted to get everything back, the relationship I had with him before we got super famous and it all went away.
It’s sad what fame and money can do to a person, that person being me not him. Well his wife as well. Just felt the need to add that in there, yeah not a big fan of her at all.
“Here we go.” I chanted as I made my way into the bathroom, making sure I took a few more of Howie’s aspirin before going in to see everyone.
I stirred my tea just to give me something to do when Nick finally decided to grace us with his appearance. He was still wearing the same clothes from the night before and granted, I knew why because AJ had told us the story about how he lost his luggage but still, he looked like a mess. He came in to the room slowly and smiled, I knew he was afraid to make eye contact with me by his long and calculated walk over to the table. He used to do that when he was a child too, so predictable.
“Good morning everyone.”
“Morning Nickers!” AJ said raising his coffee at the blonde who yawned in return.
“I got you a fruit plate,” I uncovered the dish for him and pushed it in front of him along with the now cold coffee I also had sent up.
“Thanks Kev, but I’m not really hungry. I’ll eat something later.”
“Okay suit yourself.” I said shaking my head at him, he needed to eat. He was still pale and looked like death, but I wasn’t about to start nagging…yet.
“So what’s the plan?” He was being very hesitant with everything he said and did, he seemed uncomfortable and nervous. The shy reserved Nick, before you got know him.
“Well, we are having a meeting with Johnny in about ten minutes and then after that we should do some major brain storming.”
“Okay.”
“I have extra clothes if you want to change?”
“I’m good.”
“It might make you feel more refreshed if you took a shower and changed into something else.”
“Kevin, I’m good really. I’m hoping my stuff will show up today.”
“Okay well I do have…”
“Thanks.” Okay, that was a please shut up Kevin, so I did just that, for a few seconds at least.
“How are you feeling? You’re still kind of looking a bit pale.” Hey I did say a few seconds not minutes right?
“I’m okay, and I’m really sorry about that again Howie, I’m sure I’ll never live that down.” He looked over to Howie with those puppy dog eyes of his that worked on everyone but me.
“You might live it down but then you’ll just chuck it up again! HA! I’m freaking hilarious!” We all groaned at AJ and his feeble attempt at humor. Well almost all of us groaned, Brian laughed and high fived him. Great… way to encourage AJ and his stupid jokes Bri.
Nick rolled his eyes at J but then looked over my way, the second my eyes locked with his he looked down at the table. He was always so afraid of me for some reason, well okay I know I gave him reason on many occasions but now he was an adult. I just care that’s all, and I worry. Nick often took that for hatred and anger. I guess I can’t blame him with the things he has gone through in his family though. I’m really going to try to soften up when he’s concerned. Treat him a bit more like an adult and less like a kid but I know it’ll be hard.
AJ it’s been easier because he has matured by leaps and bounds, even though I worry about him too.
Johnnie knocked a few minutes later which happily broke up my little worrying session and we all sat down for our very first meeting together. The first of what would be many!
As always thanks for the reviews! :O) I'll be back on Monday with another chapter!
