Chapter 2

 

“Man, the vending machines here suck,” Nick complained. “I have got the serious munchies.”

 

“Stuff your sock in your mouth. That ought to kill your appetite,” A.J. replied. Howie snorted, and Nick shot them both a killer look. 

 

“Are y’all picking on my poor little Frack?” Brian said, looking wounded. He walked over to them and put an arm protectively around Nick’s shoulders.

 

“Thank you Frick. It’s nice to know that someone… hey!” Nick was cut short as Brian reached his hand up to Nick’s head and ruffled his hair, making him look like what one could only describe as a banshee. Brian cackled gleefully.

 

“Whoa,” Kevin said, speaking from the chair he was slouching in. “And I thought you looked scary when you woke up in the mornings.”

 

Nick looked back and forth at all of them, betraying his youth with a pouty lip. “Feeling the love. I am feeling the love in this room. What did I ever do to y’all?”

 

The other four groaned in unison, grinning at him. Brian seized a pillow off of his hotel bed and attacked his best friend. Nick let out a screech and tried to defend himself, but wound up flat on the bed, begging for mercy while Brian stood above him with a look of triumph displayed proudly on his face.

 

“Okay! You win!” Nick yelped. Satisfied, Brian let him up, but as Nick stood he gave him one more thwack for good measure.

 

“I have to agree with him on something. We don’t have anything worth eating on us and I am just as hungry as he is,” Howie said, his eyes sparkling.

 

“How can y’all be hungry at 3 in the morning? You should be exhausted. Go to bed, all of you. That’s where I’m going.” Kevin got up reluctantly from his chair and stretched.

 

“You are getting too damn old, Train,” A.J. said, clucking disapprovingly.

 

“I know where you live and I see where you sleep,” Kevin said threateningly, wagging his finger at him.

 

“You’re too slow to catch me, old man.”

 

Like lightening, Kevin sprang at him, and A.J. escaped his assault by the hairs in his goatee. He actually stopped and checked to make sure Kevin hadn’t gotten any of them.

“Okay, so I was wrong about that,” he said, laughing nervously. Kevin gloated shamelessly. It was Nick’s turn to laugh. Kevin narrowed his eyes at him.

 

“You’re next, punk,” he told him. “Go to bed.”

 

“I’m not a kid anymore. I’ll go to bed whenever the hell I want! We put on a good show tonight and I’m still not off that high.”

 

“I like to have a good time as much of you, but we were out all night last night, and we have to leave at the butt crack of dawn tomorrow. And let me just say that if we are late leaving for Orlando tomorrow, I am not going to be happy. Y’all do what you want, I’m going to bed.” He headed for the door, and called over his shoulder as he left,

“Remember… don’t be late! I want to have as much time at home as possible. It’ll be summer before we have our next break.”

 

As soon as he was gone, Brian and A.J. exchanged glances.

 

“Food?” A.J. asked.

 

“Food,” Brian replied.

 

“Where we gonna get it?” Nick asked. “Like I said, the ven…”

 

“The vending machines suck,” Howie finished. “We heard you the first time.”

 

“There’s a gas station on the corner with an all-night food mart. A.J. and I will go pick some stuff up,” Brian said.

 

“You gonna get a bodyguard?” Howie asked.   

 

“Hell no. Why would we wake someone up? Besides, who is going to be running around trying to mob us at 3 am?”

 

“Stranger things have happened,” Howie pointed out.

 

A.J. waved him off. “You worry too much, D. We’ll be back in a few.”

 

Brian grabbed his arm before he could walk out the door. “Do you have your wallet?”

 

“Why do I need my wallet?”

 

“Because we always end up paying for you. Get it.”

 

A.J. looked wounded. “You can’t be serious.”

 

“Do it,” Brian ordered. A.J. made a face, but complied with his wishes.

 

“Okay, now we can go.”

 

Out of habit, Brian grabbed a non-descript hat. A.J. did the same and put on a light jacket to hide his tattooed arms. They could never be too careful.

 

***

 

 

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