"Measure Of A Man"
Written by Sara(goneplatinum@live.com)
Two Thousand & Eight
---4---
Easing down on the gas, AJ broke any and all residential speed laws as he cruised through the gated community Nick called home. After punching in the code at the gate at the base of the driveway, he revved the engine and eased the black Range Rover back into park.
“Stupid shit,” he mumbled under his breath as he took the steps up to the sprawling mansion two at a time. “Hey, Carter. Open up the door, man!” AJ slammed his fist against the heavy wooden door, and his request was met by crickets chirping. Thinking on his feet, AJ thought maybe… just maybe… and reached to turn the knob to the right. The door popped open.
“Yo, Kaos.” AJ’s voice traveled through the empty house, creating an echoing effect.
A single light shone out from the kitchen, and then a waft of… something came at him in waves, one after another. AJ thought he had stepped into a morgue. Or worse. He covered his nose and let out a groan of disgust as the rank odor penetrated his nostrils.
“Holy shit, what the hell died in here?” He stepped further into the house, turning on a lamp as he went. “Nicky, where you at?”
A million thoughts, most of them not good, ran through AJ’s head as he turned into the living room and stopped dead in his tracks. “Jesus.”
He was immediately thrown back over seven years, the last time he had taken a binge on drugs and alcohol. Sprawled out on the floor of an unknown house, with scattered bottles of all shapes and sizes lying every which way.
AJ promised himself that would be the end of the abuse, the end of what he put himself and his family and friends through. He still harbored some animosity and pent-up anger that he would probably always have in some regard, but now to see his friend… his brother in the same mess, it tore at the deepest strings of his heart.
“Yo. Yo man, you gotta get up,” AJ said as he maneuvered around the drenched portions of carpet. He kneeled down to Nick’s level and gently shook his shoulder. “Nicky, come on. Don’t do this. You… you gotta get up.”
Nick let out a soft moan as he slowly began to come around. He mussed up his already disheveled hair and looked around at his surroundings. He could faintly see a figure. The glaring light caused an aura around AJ’s face as he came closer.
“What the fuck were you thinking?” were the first words out of AJ’s mouth as he stood next to Nick’s crumpled body.
“Oh come on, man. I only had a few… sips,” Nick said as he looked down to see his bare chest. Where were his clothes? Why was he on the floor? What was… that smell? “Did someone let a giant fart rip or something?” he mumbled, chuckling as he lay his head back down.
“That would be the contents of your stomach, genius.”
Red and blue lights swarmed around outside the estate, causing AJ to look up with a start. Three police cars entered through the gate and let a screech as they came to an abrupt halt. A fleet of police officers emerged from the cruisers, and AJ glanced down at Nick who was once again out cold.
“Christ.” he whispered, adjusting his hat as he thought what to do next. Answer the door? Toss Nick’s sorry ass in the pool? Well, that would mean AJ somehow had to get Nick’s rather large body off the floor and out the door into the pool, a feat he himself was not all that eager on trying to attempt. “Hey Nicky. Nicky Boy, time to get up. Hey Nick, get your ass off the damn floor!” he all but hollered.
“Jesus Christ, what the hell?” Nick said, sitting up, his sobriety instantly attained. Somewhat anyways. His eyes flickered to the scene that was quickly unfolding on his front lawn. “Did I kill someone?” he asked, more as a joke than anything.
AJ was not amused. He grabbed Nick’s arm and forced him upright. “What went down between you and Jilly this afternoon?”
“Oh. Oh come on, you didn’t really come over here to ask me a fucking dumb question like that, did you?” Nick said, thoroughly disgusted. He swatted at AJ’s hand and stumbled back over to the hallway leading to the bedroom.
“Where do you think you’re going, asshole?” AJ motioned to the chaos outside. “Me thinks they’re here for you, not me.”
Chapter End Notes:
More chapters soon. Thanks for reading!!
