Chapter 45:
A Surprise Announcement
Brian was getting use to the wind being
knocked out of him. Eyes closed, he lay prone on the padded floor, desperately
trying to drag what little air he could through his lungs. After a few moments
he opened his eyes to stare up into the amused brown eyes of Xavier.
"Not bad," Xavier commented
admiringly. "You remembered that little trick I taught you of dodging
left." He smirked down at the sweating Backstreet singer. "However
you obviously forgot how to do it with your right." Xavier reached down to
haul the horizontal singer upright, pounding him encouragingly on his back with
a gloved hand. "Ready for another go?"
Brian staggered slightly, wondering if he
had any stamina left. Whatever vendetta the bodyguard had against him today, it
was far from finished. He quickly dodged a punch thrown his way, weaving and
bouncing to keep away from Xavier’s long reach. He hated boxing, he hated
everything about it, and as he glanced wearily at the gym clock he wondered how
many more hours Xavier had in mind.
"So, have you finished practicing
that new song yet?"
The question took Brian off-guard. His
concentration broken, he once again fell to the floor, this time grimacing at
the blow to his side. He decided to milk the punch for all it was worth and
stayed down several minutes, until Xavier caught on.
"Cute," said Xavier, dragging
Brian up. "Well, are you done?"
Brian sighed, dropping his gloved hands to
his side. "Xavier, I need a little while longer. It’s not like I can do it
alone. The band’s learning it, we’re practicing. What more do you want?"
Xavier started unlacing his gloves.
"I want it tomorrow night." He stared straight into Brian’s eyes, his
look unmistakable.
Brian slowly picked at his lacings,
frowning. He needed more time, more work for it to go as planned. He wrestled
with the problem, realizing he would have to push the limits of himself and the
band tomorrow to accomplish what Xavier wanted.
"I need you to lay off the exercise
tomorrow," he said bluntly. "No running, no weightlifting, no boxing.
All this "going solo" will be for shit, if you don’t let me
practice."
Xavier studied him calmly. "Fair
enough." He smiled wickedly. "I guess we can add a few more hours
today to make up for tomorrow."
Brian threw his gloves off, smiling sourly
at the bodyguard, not rising to the bait, patiently waiting for Xavier’s next
command. It ticked Xavier off and he motioned sharply to the singer to join him
over on the stationary bicycle. Brian hopped on, hoping he could last the next
few hours without collapsing.
Xavier started his machine, glancing over
to see Brian already running at medium speed. He began also, a smile twitching
the corner of his mouth. "How do you think the guys will feel when they
see you perform your new song?"
Brian bit down on the inside of his lip,
angered at the bodyguard’s intentional rub. Xavier knew damn well what was
going to happen, and so did Brian. He cranked up the speed on the machine,
trying to force the scenario out of his mind.
* * * * * *
AJ heard a small tap on his hotel room
door and he struggled to get up off his bed, craning his neck to watch the TV
as he simultaneously opened the door. He spared a quick glance at the visitor
and grinned widely, blowing her a small kiss and waving her in. AJ closed the
door behind her then ran over to the remote, clicking Jerry Springer off.
"Katie, babe!" he greeted her
warmly, eyeing the coat she carried in her arms. "You were able to fix
it?" he asked, dumbfounded. His favorite leather jacket had received an
ugly rip a few weeks ago and he was sure it was a goner.
Katie rolled her eyes, giving AJ a mock
look of hurt. "Of course. I’m the best, remember?" She handed him the
coat and then curled up in a chair, watching as AJ searched in vain for the
tear. Unsuccessful, AJ shrugged and tried on his coat, admiring her
workmanship.
"You’re awesome, sweetheart. How much
do I owe you?"
She shook her blond head of curly hair,
giving him a half-hearted smile. "Nothing. Consider it my going away gift
to you."
AJ removed the coat and placed it on his
bed, throwing her a curious look and wondering if he had heard her right.
"What? Going away gift? Wassup?"
Katie sighed, wondering if she should say
anything, wondering why she hadn’t just quit outright. It would have been so
much easier to walk out, give no explanation, but her years of association with
the group, especially with AJ, made it difficult, if downright impossible to
do. She studied her hands a moment, examining the abuse that her rough and raw
fingers had endured over the years. She felt a rising anger build inside her,
and anger fueled by the fact that no one had taken her welfare into
consideration, that no one had thought to inform her what was going on. She
looked up into the concerned brown eyes of her favorite Backstreet Boy and gave
a harsh sigh. "I’m quitting. As of today."
AJ stared at her. "Quitting? Why? We
need you. I need you! You’re the only one who understands my taste in
clothing!" He crouched down and enclosed his hands in hers, giving her a
winning smile, hoping to hell she wasn’t serious. Katie jumped up, shaking AJ’s
hands away and began pacing, her arms crossed across her chest. She turned to
give him a bitter smile, her eyes glimmering with resentment.
"I guess you don’t need me that much,
otherwise you guys would have told me."
"Told you," repeated AJ slowly,
his expression showing bewilderment. Katie paused, irritated that she had to
explain.
"Yes, told me! After all we’ve been
through, I thought at least you would have warned me."
AJ sighed, throwing his hands up.
"Okay, I give. I don’t have the slightest idea what the hell you are
talking about, K."
Katie gritted her teeth. Men! "I’m
talking about Brian. Does that ring a bell? Now do you know?"
AJ’s face of frustration turned into one
of worry and Katie caught the transformation. She nodded in reply, happy that
she was getting somewhere. "So, when was I going to find out? After I read
the obituaries?"
"Obituaries?" yelled AJ, now
thoroughly confused. He grabbed her arm to stop the pacing back and forth,
placing his hands squarely on top of her shoulders to stare firmly into her
eyes. "Katie, I really don’t know what you are talking about. What’s this
about Bri? Spell it out for me, sweetie." AJ exaggerated the last
sentence, giving her a commanding look.
Katie returned the look with a powerful
one of her own. "Okay. Just when were you guys going to tell me Brian has
AIDS?" The reaction Katie received was one she definitely didn’t expect.
AJ’s hands flew from her shoulders, as if he had received an electric shock.
"AIDS?" he replied, taking a few
steps back, the alarm in his voice making her wince.
Katie nodded, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Yes, AIDS. Don’t give me that bullshit that you didn’t know," she
warned threateningly. She wasn’t sure AJ heard her as she watched him slowly
lower himself to the side of his bed, his hands burying his face. Concern
overcame her feelings of betrayal and she sat down gently next to him. Katie
placed a consoling hand on his shoulder, her throat tightening in apprehension
as she gazed at him, her eyes filled with distress. With a sickening clarity
she understood. AJ knew nothing about it. Shit! she scolded to herself. I
knew I shoulda just left!
"How do you know?" questioned AJ
quietly, the disbelief heavy in his voice.
Katie smiled sadly, her hands nervously
rubbing against each other. "Well, look at him! He’s lost weight, his
color is all gray," she began before AJ interrupted her with a sharp
laugh.
"Katie! Losing weight doesn’t mean
you have AIDS! Bri’s been on a health kick lately."
"AJ! Let me finish. Have you seen his
body?"
AJ shook his head no, afraid to speak.
"Well I have. He gave me some
clothes to take in, to adjust because he’s lost weight and we both know he
doesn't need to. I had him try on some other clothing and when he slipped off
his shirt he had these massive bruises and sores all over his body." She
noticed AJ wanting to speak but waved him off. "Massive, AJ. I just saw
his chest, but I can imagine what the rest of his body looked like. When Brian
saw my shocked expression he kinda laughed, like embarrassed. Said he got them
from exercising. I didn’t believe him. Nobody gets those kinds of bruises! He
seemed real nervous, dressed hurriedly, and asked me not to mention this to any
of you guys." Katie snorted in disgust. "Yeah, right." She
studied her red and cracked hands. "You know, I’m not sure how many ways
AIDS can be transmitted, but I’m not taking any chances. My hands are always
cut, cracked, or bleeding. I don’t need to be touching anyone’s body with sores
on it, ya know?" She smiled sadly at her silent friend, getting up and
placing a small kiss on his cheek. "I could be wrong, but I don’t think
so," she whispered sorrowfully. "I just can’t take that risk, AJ.
I’ve got a six-year-old to think about." She began to leave, but AJ
grabbed her hand before she could. She turned to see the uncertainty, the doubt
that was still written all over his face.
"AJ," she said softly, "ask
him. Find out. He’s lost weight; he looks terrible. If it’s not AIDS, its
something."
AJ nodded dumbly, unable to talk. He heard
the quiet click of the door close as she left and emotionally exhausted he
collapsed back onto his bed, covering his eyes with his forearm. He lay there
for several minutes, sorting the information, his suspicions growing. He sat up
and reached for the phone, his mouth compressed into a tight line.
***
