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TROUBLE CHAPTER 2

Eighteen months later, Nick, AJ, Brian, Kevin, and Howie were preparing for their first tour. The boys’ manager had been astounded at Nick’s talent and had immediately signed him to the group. Now as he finished packing his things, Nick was excited and scared at the same time. It would be the first time he had ever been separated from his family.

"Hey Nick," Brian said walking into the boy’s room. Nick smiled at Brian.

"Hey Bri!" he replied excitedly. Brian and Nick had become fast friends after that first night. They enjoyed much of the same things, and had the same sense of humor.

"Ready to go?" Brian asked motioning towards the front door. Nick smiled and tossed his hair out of his eyes.

"Just about," Nick replied shoving the last of his belongings he would need into his suitcase. He zipped it closed and took a deep breath glancing around his room longingly. Brian looked at him in concern.

"Hey Nicky," he said softly, "you okay?"

Nicky smiled and nodded at his best friend. "Ya, I guess so." he replied, "I'm just gonna miss this whole scenario with my family ya know?" Brian nodded in understanding.

"It's always hard the first time you leave." He replied, "but you'll be okay…and you’ve always got me to talk to if you miss your family." Nick smiled.

"Thanks Bri," Nick said.

"No problem buddy, let's go." Brian said standing up. Nick stood as well, hoisting his bag onto his back. Nick walked after Brian down the stairs from his room to where his family was waiting to bid him farewell.

"Hi," Nick said softly. His mother looked at Nick with a sad smile. His siblings looked down at the ground like they would cry. His father meanwhile looked at his son proudly.

Nick walked through the line of them saying goodbye to his siblings first, leaving a special goodbye for his younger brother Aaron, who he was closest to. Nick stooped down.

"Aaron?" he said gently. Aaron looked up at Nick sadly.

"Are you really going to leave us?" he asked.

"Just for awhile," Nick said gently. "I'll be back."

"Promise?" Aaron asked, his wide blue eyes begging.

"I promise kiddo." Nick replied.

"Promise to be careful?" Aaron said seriously. Nick's smile faded a bit before he covered up his surprise at Aaron’s odd question.

"Yes," Nick promised his brother. Aaron smiled and Nick smiled back.

"Kay!" he said launching himself at Nick who laughed, hugging Aaron to him.

"See ya 'round squirt." He said lovingly planting a kiss on Aaron’s forehead. He stood up and turned toward his parents.

"Bye Momma, bye dad." he said hugging each one.

"Bye Son," his dad said ruffling Nick's hair. Nick laughed.

"Bye my little Nicky," his mom said kissing his forehead. "Be good."

"I will! Bye!" Nick said following Brian out of the house and to the car that Kevin was driving. Nick put his bag in the trunk and hopped in.

"Let's go!" he said excitedly. Kevin started the car and drove away towards their manager's building. Kevin pulled up and parked the car. The boys climbed out and walked towards the back of the building where their tour bus was supposed to be.

Nick gasped upon seeing the bus. The bus was huge. "I…is that ours?" he stammered. Kevin laughed.

"Yes Nick that's ours." He replied.

Slowly, Nick's mouth turned up into a grin. "Cool!" he exclaimed.

The boys boarded the bus and walked to the back of it. In the back, there were 6 bunks. One for each of them, and another extra one. The bunks were spacious enough for Nick to stretch out, and had a window for each with curtains if they wanted to sleep. Walking around the bus, they saw a kitchen area, and a living area with a TV, and video game console.

Nick in complete awe. “This is the coolest bus ever.” He murmured. Kevin laughed and sat on the chair in the living area.

“It is pretty nice,” he agreed.

“I concur. This is very nice.” Howie replied.

The boys were supposed to wait on the bus or inside the building until the evening, after their manager had finished up some last minute paperwork, and they would depart. Nick sat down and he and Brian both played video games for the next couple of hours. Finally Brian stood up and stretched. “I’m bored,” he announced. Kevin looked up from the book he was reading.

“Oh?” he asked rather uninterested.

“Ya…” Brian whined flopping flat onto the floor with a sigh.

“Let’s go play basketball then Brian!” Nick suggested

“Can we Kev?” Brian asked. Kevin nodded as he looked at his watch “It’s only 10am right now so you have plenty of time. Just be back around noon”

“Let’s go Nick!” Brian said excitedly exiting the bus with his best friend with his basketball.

Halfway through their basketball games, Nick looked at Brian and grinned impishly. “Hey Briiiian,” Nick said singsong like.

“Uh oh,” Brian laughed knowing the look, “what are you thinking Nick?”

Nick grinned again. “Well…it’s been awhile since we’ve pranked our good friend Kevvy has it not?”

“I couldn’t agree with you more Nick,” Brian replied grinning. “Got anything in mind?”

“But of course!” Nick said sounding insulted that Brian would even ask.

“Lead on buddy!” Brian said excitedly. Nick laughed with Brian and they went back to the tour bus.

They climbed up inside of the bus and they found Kevin asleep in the bunk area. Nick stopped and giggled. “Forget my original plan Bri,” Nick whispered, “I’ve got a better idea.”

Brian’s eyes narrowed with curiosity and he followed Nick out of the bunk area into the kitchen area. Once Brian saw what Nick intended, his eyes lit up and he laughed.

“OHHH!” he laughed following Nick back to the bunks.


Twenty minutes later, Brian and Nick left the bunk area snickering and went into the T.V. room in the bus to resume their play of video games. Howie was sitting in a chair in that room reading, and AJ was looking through a magazine. Both of them looked up and smiled at the sight of the two friends.

“What’s so funny?” AJ asked suspiciously, the curiosity finally getting the best of him.

“Noooothing,” Nick said feigning innocence. Brian started laughing hysterically.

Howie looked up as well. “Uh oh…” he said knowing what this usually meant, “who’d you prank? Was it management or should one of us be watching where we’re going?” He asked.

“Prank? How childish do you think I am? Who on Earth would we prank Brian?” Nick asked.

“No one! Pranking is mean spirited and not worth our time…and if we would prank someone, it SURE wouldn’t be Kevin!” Brian laughed.

The pair shared a laugh, while Howie and AJ sighed.

“You’re in for it kids,” Howie told the boys. Nick nodded and laughed even more. Both Brian and Nick’s laughs were cut short when they heard Kevin yell. “BRIAN!!!!! NICK!!!!!” Kevin’s voice boomed angrily.

“Uh oh! See ya!” Nick said grabbing onto Brian before they flew from the room snickering as they disappeared behind the curtain that separated the front of the bus from their living area. Howie and A.J. went back to what they had been doing previously, pretending they had never been disturbed.

Kevin stormed into the room right after the two left. “WHERE ARE THEY?!” Kevin roared annoyed.

“Who?” Howie said not daring to look up from his book, lest he burst into laughter and aggravate Kevin even more.

“YOU KNOW WHO!” Kevin yelled. Howie spared a look up right then and lost control as he laughed loudly. This caused AJ to look up and to the same direction. AJ laughed twice as hard as Howie.

Finally, A.J. pulled himself together to ask, “What the hell happened to you?!”

“I’ll tell ya what happened,” Kevin grumbled, “good ol’ Frick and Frack our favorite evil twins decided it had been a while since they pranked their ‘good friend’ Kevin.”


A.J. and Howie roared with laughter again as Kevin proceeded to look for Nick and Brian. Kevin heard a snicker come from Brian and Nick’s hiding spot and with a growl stormed over to the curtain, pushed through it and then gave a surprised yelp.

Howie and AJ looked at each other curiously until Nick and Brian came dashing from the curtains, laughing like crazy, and clutching silly string canisters. Kevin came from the curtain a couple of seconds later, now donning not only the whipped cream, cherry, and chocolate syrup, but also nice strings of neon green and pink.

Brian and Nick snickered and shared congratulations together. “HA. HA. HA!” Kevin yelled sarcastically, “Well I’m sure glad you enjoyed that Brian and Nick, because I sure ain’t laughin!”

Howie’s eyes twinkled. “Brian and Nick?” he asked feigning innocence, “now what happened to Frick and Frack?” Nick looked confused.

“Frick and Frack?” he questioned. Brian scowled playfully and stuck his tongue out at Kevin.

“Yes Nick you heard right…and NO that’s not a good thing,” Brian said answering Nick’s question before he could ask it.

“OH!” Nick exclaimed putting on his best angry scowl and directing it at Kevin. Nick then turned to Brian when that got boring. “I’m bored FRICK,” he said putting emphasis on the name, “What do you wanna do now?”

Brian grinned impishly. “I don’t know FRACK. Perhaps Kevvy can provide us with some more entertainment.”

“NO!” Kevin exclaimed, “Stay out of my way for awhile! Since you wasted all of the snacks on me, you get to go to the store and buy some more. But be back in an hour because we’re going to leave.”

“Okay Kevvy!” Brian said, “We’ll go. C’mon Frack.”

“Right behind you Frick!” Nick said grinning. Kevin sighed exasperated.

The remaining three groaned. “Why did we call them that?” Howie asked. AJ shrugged.

“It was Kevvy’s fault.” He replied nonchalantly returning to his magazine.

“WHAT?!”



Brian and Nick drove their small navy blue sports car down the deserted highway. Nick and Brian were laughing and listening to their music loudly. They were laughing currently about a story that Nick was telling Brian about a girl he had met at one of their public events.

“No, but seriously Bri, this girl! You should have seen the way sh-.”


*****THUD*****

Nick and Brian were lurched forward as a large, gray SUV hit them from behind, its lights flashing. It sped up for another hit.

“BRIAN!” Nick Gasped.

“HANG ON NICK!” Brian shouted back.

The SUV made its hit on the back of their sports car once again, launching both boys forward in their seats. Brian sped up attempting to evade the car behind them. The SUV sped up as well. Both of the cars raced down the deserted highway, Brian trying to dodge the SUV’s hits, and the SUV trying to run Brian out of the road.

“WHAT THE HELL!!” Nick exclaimed angrily and fearfully, looking behind them as the SUV rammed their car once again. Brian watched the road frustrated, every once in awhile glancing in the rearview mirror when he felt the SUV was too close.

But the SUV hitting his car wasn’t Brian’s only worry anymore. Gunshots were heard, and bullets went through the back window. Nick yelped and ducked, covering his head. Brian gasped in fear, and glanced wide eyed in his rearview mirror.

Brian made a quick decision for Nick’s safety, and undid Nick’s seatbelt, pulling the other blonde from his seat. Nick looked at him with quizzical eyes, just before another gunshot came through the back window. “GET DOWN NICK! COVER YOUR HEAD AND CLOSE YOUR EYES!” Brian ordered as more gunshots were heard.

Nick didn’t have to be told twice, and obeyed, cowering on the floor of the car. Brian ducked his head as he drove, and lurched forward when the car was hit again. Nick emitted a loud whimper as he clenched his eyes shut in fear. “BRIAN!” he screamed in fear.

As the SUV went to hit their bumper again, Brian turned sharply to Nick. “GRAB ONTO SOMETHING NICKY!” Brian screamed once again. Nick obeyed and Brian whipped the car onto the side of the road, the tires squealing loudly. The SUV went roaring by honking and flashing its lights.

Brian lay back in his seat panting in terror before turning off the car. “Jerk,” he muttered. Brian then remembered Nick, and turned quickly to Nick who was trembling on the floor of the car, whimpering with his face covered. Brian reached over worriedly and pulled Nick’s hands away. “You okay Nick,” Brian asked frantically, “You aren’t hurt are you?” Brian’s eyes roved over Nick’s body with concern attempting to see any type of serious injury caused by their half crash.

Nick’s pale face stared back at him. Swallowing slowly, Nick shook his head to show he wasn’t hurt. Brian lay back against the seat, regaining some control before he gathered himself together and attempted to start the car. It stalled.

` ‘Of course,’ Brian inwardly groaned. On the outside he sighed and turned to smile at Nick. “Hey Nick? Stay put for a minute while I fix the car okay?”

Nick nodded again. “Want some help?” he asked shakily.

Brian smiled. “Sure!” he replied. The two friends climbed out of the car and lifted the hood. Brian frowned, as he looked it over. After about ten minutes, Brian and Nick fixed the car. Brian slammed down the hood and started the car. This time the engine roared to life.

Brian grinned. “C’mon Nick let’s go,” he chirped. Nick snickered standing on the opposite side of the car.

“You won’t get very far with that flat you’ve got there,” Nick remarked dryly.

Brian groaned. “You’ve GOT to be kidding me!” he exclaimed and went to Nick’s side of the car to investigate. The right, front tire was flat. Sighing, Brian looked to Nick, “I don’t’ suppose you know how to fix a flat?” he asked him. Nick grinned.

“But of course!” he replied. “In the trunk of the car are a spare and the jack. Could you bring me the Jack?” Nick asked.

“Sure,” Brian answered and disappeared around the back of the car. Nick, stooped down to examine the tire, waited a moment and heard a rustling, a gasp, and then…silence…Nick’s eyes narrowed in confusion.

“Bri?” Nick inquired. Silence. “Brian?” Nick tried again. Again no answer. “BRIAN.” Nick tried more insistently. His heart started pounding faster and faster. He stood up from his position on the ground, and gasped. Apparently the SUV from earlier had returned and parked several yards away on the opposite side of the road. .

Nick gulped and took a deep breath approaching the trunk. Praying he’d be wrong, Nick reached out and closed the trunk. The sight before him caused him to gasp.

“You!” Nick snarled.