Chapter 40:
On the Move
AJ woke with a start, his elbow dislodged
from supporting his head. He stretched, noticing that the smooth highway road
had turned into a bumpier local street. He nodded in satisfaction, glad that
they were near their destination. He glanced at the softly-glowing luminous
dial of his watch, noting the time. Not bad. Even with their detour to the
airport to drop D off, they had made good time. Happy to be soon sleeping in a
hotel bed, AJ stood up and walked over to Nick, tapping him on the shoulder.
"Hey, sleeping-ugly, wake up."
Nick popped his eyes open instantly.
"Speak for yourself." He sat up. "We’re here?"
"Almost. Wake Kev, okay?" Nick
nodded, and turned in his seat to give his bandmate a not so gentle nudge.
AJ peered over towards Brian’s direction,
debating on whether or not to go see him. His anger had subsided, now that
Howie had departed, and a mixture of interest and worry filled him. Brian had
been asleep for an incredible amount of time and no one seemed to be the least
curious. He paused, glancing at Xavier, who was asleep, his face turned towards
the window. Fuck it, he thought, angry at Xavier’s ability to intimidate
him, even when sleeping. He slipped past Nick, giving the bodyguard a quick
once over before turning to check on Brian. He reached to open the small
curtain only to have it pull away by Brian himself. AJ stepped aside to let him
exit the compartment, watching Brian with a critical eye.
The young singer struggled to leave his
bed and AJ instinctively reached out to steady him. AJ felt Brian grab his
hand, felt the unsteadiness of his grip, and held onto him until he knew Brian
could stand unsupported.
"Hey," Brian croaked, his voice
barely above a whisper.
"Hey yourself," replied AJ,
frowning, not liking what he saw.
"Mind moving?" Brian pointed.
"The bathroom."
"Oh, sorry." AJ turned sideways,
letting him pass. He watched as Brian held onto the sides of the bus, making
his way slowly down the aisle. He stood there a moment, lost in thought, then
turned to find Xavier standing behind him, blocking the passage. AJ stood
before him, keeping a bored look on his face. He stuck his hand out, motioning
Xavier to move so he could pass and go back to his seat.
AJ sauntered down the aisle, flopping down
in Howie’s vacant seat. He turned a second to view Xavier wrestling with some
type of bag, then turned his attention to Nick and Kevin. "Bri’s up. He’s
in the bathroom. Doesn’t look too good."
"Hmm. Okay. Well, I’m glad we didn’t
have a show tonight. What’s the matter?" questioned Nick.
"What am I, his mother?"
"Alright, Bone, cool it," warned
Kevin. "We’ll just ask when he gets out."
* * * * * *
Brian almost laughed when he saw his face
in the mirror. That is, if he could laugh. His throat hurt like hell and he
reached for the faucet handle, turning it on. He cupped his hands, drinking the
cool water, grimacing slightly as the water coursed down his throat. He forced
himself to drink a lot, aware of how long it had been since he swallowed any
liquid. Finally sated, he splashed the cool water onto his face for several
moments, trying to ease the puffiness around his eyes. I look like I have
allergies, he thought. Yes! He realized it would be a good excuse
for the way he looked. He stayed in there for several more minutes, trying his
best to clean himself up. Knowing that no more could be done, he left, stiffly
coming up the aisle towards the guys. He ignored Xavier, and sat down next to
Nick.
"Jesus!" reacted Nick, in
surprise. "What the hell happened to you?" He bent over to look at
the splotched face of his friend. Brian held up his hands to ward off the
curious stare.
"I’m not feeling too good," he
said, his voice just above a whisper.
Kevin eyed him suspiciously. "Just
how sick are you?"
Brian shrugged. "My throat. It’s
killing me."
AJ jumped up, paranoid. "Oh God, just
great. Is it strep?" He shoved his hands in Brian’s direction. "Don’t
get near us!" The idea of everyone coming down with strep throat filled AJ
with fear.
Brian flashed him a look, irritated by
AJ’s paranoia. "No, it’s not strep, I promise," he answered hoarsely.
"Most likely allgeries. I’ll be okay."
"Even for tomorrow?" asked his
cousin, concerned.
Brian nodded. "Yeah." He looked
at AJ, a slight smile crossing his face. "Don’t worry, Bone. Besides, I
can sing you under the table, even at my worst."
AJ snorted, now on more familiar joking
ground. "In you’re dreams, Rok."
A wave of pain cramped Brian’s stomach and
he flinched from the ache. Nick was quick to notice. "Bri?" he asked,
worried.
Brian smiled weakly at his friend.
"I’m starving! Any chance Harry might hit an open fast-food joint?"
Xavier cut in. "Fast food?" He
eyed Brian and AJ found himself annoyed that Brian needed the bodyguard’s
approval. He watched, curious, as Brian and Xavier looked at each other, fascinated
by the way the two seemed to communicate without speaking.
Xavier turned to give AJ a glance, making
AJ feel as if he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He mentally
cursed himself for being so obvious, vowing to himself never to let his guard
down again when scrutinizing Xavier.
Xavier gave him a tight grin, turning back
to Brian. "Fast food, huh? Well, I guess once in a while couldn’t
hurt."
AJ was amazed at how quickly the tension
in the bus dissolved. Nick laughed, yelling for Taco Bell, Kevin wanted KFC. AJ
caught Brian’s eye, and Brian shrugged, happy with anything they picked.
"Okay, let’s make Harry crazy. We’ll
hit them all. KFC, T-Bell, and I want you-know-what." AJ gave a smirk
towards Xavier, then turned to Brian. "And you?"
Brian tried to ignore the cramping in his
stomach. "I’ll have them all," he said truthfully. The other three
laughed and Brian smiled, casually but strategically holding his stomach.
Hurry, he pleaded silently.
***
