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Where’s Nick?
Part 4.

As the boys rehearsed later that day, getting ready for the night’s show Brian couldn’t help but wonder if Nick really who he said he was. Brian noticed that this Nick wasn’t dancing or singing like the Nick fans knew and loved.
I wonder what’s up with him, Brian thought as he grabbed a chair to start rehearsing for the “All I Have to Give” routine.
“Hey rok, you’re quiet today,” Nick said walking up to him and throwing an arm around his friend. “What’s up?”
Brian shrugged himself away and looked at Nick, “Nothing man just worried about the show tonight.” Brian tried to give him a small smile but it didn’t work.
“Are you sure rok?” Nick asked, “Coz you’ve been acting odd like D.” Nick gave Brian an odd look.
“Don’t worry about D,” Brian said, and noticed his words came out rather harshly, “Just worry about perfecting your dance moves. They’re not as good today.”
“Whoa!” Nick replied taking a step back. “Take a chill pill rok; I’m just a bit sleepy that’s all it’ll pick up.”
Brian glared at him, “Yeah well I hope it doesn’t cost us a show!” And without saying much else, because he was too damn ticked off, Brian walked towards the rest of the group.

Kevin frowned as he watched his cousin yell at Nick, it was not usual that the two of the fought like that.
“Hey cus, what happened?” Kevin asked as Brian strode towards them. Brian turned and gave Kevin a huffy look.
“That Nick!” Was all Brian said and he turned to Howie, “You were right D, I agree with you I don’t like that THING.” He whispered the last part just so he wouldn’t be heard, but AJ caught it.
“Hey dude, don’t talk about Nicky like that! He’s our brother, not a thing!” AJ snapped. He was the only one of the guys who believed that Nick was who he said he was. Even if he’d thought otherwise, AJ would have still treated Nick as a brother, because it was the right thing to do.
“Oh come on Bone!” Brian said in a low tone, “I mean look at it, you really believe that is the Nick we know and love?”
AJ glared at Brian through his sunglasses, “Yeah I do. He may not act normal, but to me that’s Nick.” Brian snorted in reply, was AJ kidding? But then again AJ had been spending a lot more time with this new Nick than any of the others, maybe he was trying to show Nick a compassion that the others refused to.
“Yeah that’s exactly it, he’s not normal,” Brian replied, and looked at Howie for back up.
“Yeah man, he’s not acting like Nick,” Howie said and they didn’t argue with that, which was not how Nick would usually act. “He doesn’t even sing like Nick,” Howie added in a hushed voice.
AJ looked at them both with disbelief, then to Kevin. “Kev do you agree with them?” He asked and Kevin threw his hands up in defense.
“I don’t know,” Kevin replied with a bit of uncertainty in his voice.
“You guys are acting ridiculous. Nick is most probably just not feeling well, you guys should just let him be,” AJ replied once he realized Kevin wasn’t going to go against his cousin’s views.
“Bone, I think we should at least talk to him. Air our concerns,” Kevin replied, trying to calm AJ down.
AJ nodded, “Yeah then once we do you can all stop being silly about this and we can get a move on!” He looked at Brian and Howie who nodded in reply, they wanted to get a chance to show AJ the truth.

“Hey Nicky!” AJ yelled after a while and the new Nick looked over to them from the other side of the stage where he was busy talking on his phone.
“What is it Bone?” the new Nick asked with a bit of irritation in his voice that only Brian, Howie and Kevin caught.
“Get your skinny ass over here, we have to have a group meeting!” AJ yelled back and Nick nodded.
Nick mumbled something into the phone and walked over. “Yeah guys what is it?” He asked with a bit of curiosity in his voice. The guys eyed him suspiciously.
“Rok, D and Kev wanted to know why you’ve been acting so off lately,” AJ said coming straight to the point. Nick looked at them, and Brian could swear he saw a bit of a glare in his eyes.
“Yeah?” Nick asked, with a slight coldness in his voice. “Well I told you, I’ve not been getting enough sleep.”
“That’s what I said,” AJ replied with a hint of satisfaction in his voice, he turned to face the others. “Happy now?” They nodded in unison.
“I’m glad at least one of you guys supports me,” Nick snapped, “I would like to have a bit more support from the rest of my brothers.” And without saying another word he and AJ walked off.
“He’s not our brother,” Howie grumbled under his breath as they walked away, and Brian nodded in agreement.
“You’re right there D, he’s not.”

Later on, after the show, when they were all back at the mansion an unspoken tension hung in the air. AJ was still mad at the others for thinking wrong about Nick. Yes, Nick wasn’t acting right, but he was still Nick, no matter what.
“Nicky?” AJ asked looking up from the magazine he was reading at Nick who was sitting at the table munching on some cereal.
“Yeah?” Nick replied though mouthfuls not looking up at AJ.
“Is there any reason for the others to be acting oddly around you? I mean, you’re not even bothered by it,” AJ said, Nick shrugged his shoulders and continued eating.
“Why should I be? Let them believe their own delusions,” Nick replied, finishing off his cereal he got up and put the bowl in the sink.
AJ looked at him skeptically, “But there’s no reason why they should be thinking like that right?” He was beginning to act doubtful himself. Nick nodded, and walked over to AJ sitting next to him on the couch.
“Bone, there is no reason why they should be worried. Why are you starting to believe them too?” Nick asked, he cackled at the absurdity of AJ’s thought.
AJ shook his head, “No of course not. You are my brother, why would I think of you like that?” Nick looked at AJ and smiled, but it was not a usual Nick smile. There was something that sent chills down AJ’s spine about it.
“You know how D is like; he’s always trying to say things against me. He’s even turned rok and Kev against me, I always had a feeling he never liked me,” Nick said quietly in case the others heard.
AJ looked at him doubtfully, “That’s not true Nicky. D has always liked you, we all have.”
Nick looked at AJ and smiled, “its okay Bone, no need to make me feel better.” AJ sighed, giving up.
“If you say so,” he replied and picked up his magazine again. “I just want you to know that I don’t think like D, I believe that you truly aren’t just feeling well,” AJ added as he began to read again.
Nick smiled, “Yeah you’re right Bone. I haven’t been feeling well. Not at all.”