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THURSDAY - 11.11.04

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Justin was seated at the same seat as he had the previous day. At first he was really nervous because he got out of his last class that just so happened to be biology. He still had the post-quiz high and couldn't wait till Nick got there so he could tell him just how much those charts and stuff helped him to remember things. While he waited Justin figured he might as well get a head start on his homework. 3:00 PM rolled by. Still no Nick. Maybe he got tied up with some after school meetings or something. 3:10 came and went. Maybe he forgot that he was meeting him today. Nah, Nick wasn't like that. Right? He'll wait for a little bit more. 3:20. Justin nervousness turned into concern and worry. He couldn't concentrate on his homework whatsoever. Where the hell was Nick? Maybe he left to go be with Paris. Give it another round or something. Justin sighed. FUCK!

He packed his things and went downstairs to the main office. "Excuse me, Brother Michaels?"

"Yes, son?" The man behind the information desk asked him.

"Could you tell me if Nick Carter is still in school?" Justin pleaded.

He frowned. "Nick Carter, the sophomore boy genius?"

"Uh... yea, the blond with the blue eyes."

"Yah, he did come to school today. He usually volunteers here in the mornings before class starts, that is, if he doesn't have an important meeting with the student council. Was here in the morning but he looked distant and forlorn... a bit rattled and bruised. His mother came and picked him up around 11 this morning. Poor kid, he wasn't feeling or looking all that well."

What? Rattled and bruised? "Oh, do you know what happened?" Justin asked.

"I'm sorry but I don't. Is there something I can help you with?"

"No, it's just that I was supposed to meet him today and when he didn't show up I wanted to know..." Justin trailed off. "Thanks, though." Brother Michaels nodded and Justin distractedly walked down the stairs to the student council office not knowing why but recalling the last time he'd been down there he knew that Brian and Nick were close. So, maybe he'd get answers from him or from someone down there.

Knocking on the door, Justin waited for someone to open it up.

"Uh hey… Justin right? What are you doing here kid?" Scott asked confused when he opened the door to find the sad looking freshman. What's with everyone and looking sad or ill?

"Um, hi Scott. I was wondering where Nick was 'cause he was supposed to meet me in the resource center but he never showed. I thought he might be down here, is he?" Justin asked even though he knew Nick wasn't. He wanted to know what he was going to say to him.

"Sorry kid. He isn’t here. Frankly, I haven’t seen him all day. I heard he came in with Brian this morning so you should ask Brian." Scott suggested as he moved out of the way to let Justin inside. "He just went to do some errands. Should be back any minute so make yourself comfortable or something."

Justin nodded his head. "Thanks." With that he walked inside and took a seat in the chair Nick sat in the last time. "Where's Marshall?"

"He's got hockey practice today. Monday's, Thursday's, Friday's and Saturday's. But only during the winter season," Scott answered as he took a seat across from Justin and continued to work on whatever it was Justin had interrupted.

Justin took that opportunity to look around him. He noticed pictures of all four of them placed around the room. He also noticed pictures with the faculty and pictures from different school activities and parties. "Brian and Nick are really close huh?" Justin asked as he saw that in most of the pictures Brian and Nick were always together or goofing off or something.

Scott looked up at Justin with an unreadable expression on his face. "Ya, really close. They knew each other since they were babies...well, not babies BABIES but since they were young. Brian moved here with his family from Kentucky when he was about 6 or 7. First day of school during recess he met Nick and they both hit it off right from the start. Brian's like a big brother to Nick and Nick is Brian's baby brother. Frick and Frack we call them sometimes. Put those two together and it's a hilarious riot... all the time," Scott finished as he laughed at the fond memories he had of them. "They've been through tough times together, always got each other's back and whatnot."

"Hmm. Wow, I knew they were kinda close but I didn't know how close," Justin stated part of him feeling a bit jealous.

"Didn't know who was that close...what?" Brian asked grunting as he made his way in holding a load of colored paper in his hands. "Sorry," he then stated at the scared looks on both Scott and Justin's faces.

"Eh, don't worry about it," Justin stated trying to regulate his breathing.

"So... who's that close?" Brian asked again placing the papers he was carrying in the center of the table they were seated at.

"You and Nick," Scott stated as he closed his notebook and started looking at the papers in front of him and admiring them. "Oh, these came out really good. Nick did a really good job with the flyers man."

Justin reached out and looked at one of them. "Nick did this?"

"Yea, he's a really good artist," Brian stated then frowned. "Why were ya'll talking 'bout us, anyway?"

"Oh, I came down here looking for Nick when he didn't show up for our meeting. I thought he might be down here but Scott said he wasn't and that you'd know where he was," Justin finished. Then looking up at Brian, directly into his eyes, he asked, "Do you?"

Brian sighed when he saw the worry and concern etched in Justin's eyes but knew that it wasn't his place to blab Nick's business. "Yah, I do. He went home... wasn't feeling well."

Scott looked at Brian for a second then back to the flyer. He could tell from the tone of his voice that Brian was hiding something. When he looked back up he noticed that Justin looked really sad. That's when his eyes spotted the threads on Justin's wrist. Hmmm. Putting two and two together, it didn't take him long to figure out just why Justin was curious about Nick.

"Oh," Justin didn't know what else to say to that. Brian and Scott exchanged a knowing look. "Um, thanks. If you talk to him tell him that I aced my bio quiz and that his advice really helped." Justin sighed and with that he excused himself and left.

* * * * * * * * * *

"Hi Jane," Brian greeted as she opened the door for him.

"Hey Brian," Jane sighed.

"How's he doing?" Brian asked as he walked into the apartment carrying his book bag and two plastic bags.

"Not good. He hasn't been eating and he didn't sleep at all since we got home. He's upstairs now doing his homework for today and tomorrow. The second we got home he’d contacted his teachers and told them he won't be in for the rest of the week. They ended up giving him an outline of whatever he's going to miss as well as just what homework he'd have to do," she paused. "Brian, I almost had a heart attack at the state I found my son in when I went to pick him up. He had bruises Brian, BRUISES. He wouldn't talk to me about what happened. What's wrong Brian? Does it have anything to do with that girlfriend of his?"

Brian softened his features but ended up with a frown. Does she know about what Paris had done to him?

Jane saw the conflict in Brian's eyes. "I don't know what happened between them but it had to be something bad because she kept calling ALL night, that is, until I had to unplug the phone if my family wanted to get some decent night's sleep. Did he sleep well at your place last night?"

"Unfortunately, no. He didn't," Brian paused. "He told me what happened but I don't think it's my place to just say what that was. He'll tell you, I'm sure of it, when he feels ready but until then I don't think we should push for answers."

"Yea, of course," Jane nodded. "So, he didn't sleep at all?"

"Nope, he pretended to sleep but then around midnight or so I felt the bed shift. He must have thought I fell asleep because he quietly tiptoed his way down into my dad's den and played the guitar. When I woke up this morning that's where he was... still playing the guitar and with bags under his eyes. He looked worse than he did when he banged on my door yesterday evening."

"My god, what the hell did she do to him?" Jane said frustrated. "I never liked that girl... she's too spoiled and just not right for my Nickolas."

Brian smiled a small smile. "I didn't like her either but you know how Nick is." Brian then looked up the stairs to the third floor. "I think I better go check on him. I brought goodies," he laughed as he shook the plastic bag he held in his hand.

"I called his father when we got home. I told him what I know and he said he'd be home by 8 or so. That's the earliest he could get out from work."

Brian nodded his head. "That's great."

"Okay, umm, I took off from work so I'll be here if you need anything at all," Jane said as she walked into the kitchen. "I'm making his favorite dinner and dessert. We'll have dinner early today. It's gonna take me a while to prepare the food, though, since I'm starting everything from scratch." She winked at Brian. "Brian? Please make sure he'll at least eat something... and sleep. Please?"

"Ohhh, I'll see what I can do." Brian said then walked towards the built-in elevator shaft by the stairs and rode it up to the third floor. He knocked and then entered Nick's room. When he saw Nick hunched over his desk surrounded by textbooks, his hair in disarray, still in his school uniform, and doing his homework, Brian immediately dropped everything he was carrying, turned on the switch in the intercom box making sure that it would connect to the kitchen, made his way over to Nick, and hugged him. "Nick," he whispered holding him but Nick continued to work on his homework not even bothering to acknowledge Brian's presence. "Nick," Brian said again, taking the pencil out of his hand, and then slowly tilting his head so that the blonde had no other choice other than to look him in the eyes. "Nick, you have to stop this."

Nick clenched his jaw and slightly shook his head.

"Listen to me Nick, please," Brian pleaded. He hated seeing his best friend hurt and looking so lost. Nick had always been one of the most optimistic people he'd ever known. There always seemed to be a glow of innocence that attracted almost everyone to him but as he looked at the boy in his arms... it was as though they were two different people. The Nick he knew was an angel... the one that glowed but this Nick. This Nick was a no glow... there was no light whatsoever. He was all dark and gloomy. "Please. She isn't worth all this, Frack. She didn't deserve you, trust me. She's not worthy of you or your love." Nick started shaking in his arms and Brian immediately held him tighter.

Nick didn't cry, he wouldn't dare cry but it all hurt too much. He wanted to fold himself into a ball, crawl into a hole, and die. He began physically shaking and Brian took note of this. He knew Nick was holding everything inside and he knew he had to get Nick to open up about his feelings before it eats him up alive. Somehow he managed to carry him to his bed and lay Nick down on it he before he himself got in next to him and held the younger boy in his arms. "Everything will be alright. I promise."

Hearing Brian whisper and reassure him, feeling his hands run soothing circles over his arms, and the comfort and safety he felt, Nick it go. Everything that he was harboring inside, he let it out. Turning around in Brian's arms so that he was facing him Nick started half sobbing and half whispering.

"I went over to her place yesterday, ya know cuz... like the day before she called me... when I was at Justin's place. She was all like, 'I love you Nick' and 'You're the one Nick' and 'I want it to be you Nick,' and I like believed her. I believed her because I love her but anyways. I came home, took a shower, changed, and like went over to her place. I bought flowers and candy... I thought I'd be romantic and all that stuff. When I got there she didn't answer the door when I knocked. Then I tried the knob and the door was opened. I walked in and I could like hear music and moaning and groaning coming from her room. I opened her door and there she was in bed riding some guy with black hair. She was saying things like 'I love you Rick, so much. God baby, you feel so good!' and I didn't want to make a scene, ya know? So I quietly closed the door and threw the flowers and candy in the garbage and left. The next thing I knew I was in front of the subway. I didn't even know how I got there and I didn't know just what to do. I stood there like an idiot for a few minutes until this old lady came up to me and was asking me if I was lost and if I was okay. Then she asked me why I was crying... I didn't realize it until then and after that the tears just kept coming but I had no control over it." Nick paused and Brian nodded. This was what Nick told him yesterday but his gut told him there was something more to it than that. So, he listened keeping quiet... waiting for Nick to start explaining again.

"I needed answers... I wanted to know why she did that to me. I... I went back to her place... getting my act together and pretending like nothing ever happened. I knocked on her door and she opened it wearing nothing but a towel. She looked so surprised and her eyes were like huge. She was stuttering and everything. 'Ni..Nic... Nick? Nick, what are you doing here? I mean, I thought you said you'd be here at like seven. It's only 5:30,' or something like that. I ignored her and I just kissed her. I thought if I kissed her and she feels how much I love her she'd dump the other guy. I'd have forgiven her and everything. I kissed her and pushed our way into the apartment making sure I kicked the door shut. The next thing I knew someone grabbed my shoulder and a fist came flying towards me." Brian stiffened. Nick left this part out yesterday. "The guy was yelling at me and punching me. I didn't hear a damn thing he said. I was in so much pain but I didn't do anything to stop him either. The more he kept punching me... the more the pain I was feeling inside and the physical pain started to balance out. Don't get me wrong I'm not suicidal or anything like that. It's just at that moment I needed something physical to concentrate on. Something that is concrete 'cause emotional pain isn't. I know I'm not making any sense but damn, why did she let him do that to me?" Nick swallowed as the tears started flowing. "Why did she cheat on me or cheat on him or whatever? I really love her Brian. I really did...do! I waited for her and everything. I respected her and treated her the best I could. Spoiled her and tried to be the best I can for her. And what does she do to me? She lied and hurt me. And you know what she said in the end." Nick stated as he sat up and looked down at Brian. "She said, 'you're a fucking pathetic loser. You were just using me because I'm rich. Rick would never do that me because he really loves me. You're so dumb and ugly and ewwww. I can't believe I wasted my time with a pansy BOY.'" Brian sat up straight at this point and hugged Nick. "Then that Rick guy kinda carried me and threw me out of the apartment and all I could hear was her laughing at me. I tried to pull myself together and ran. I ran out of there and over to your place. You know everything from there." By the time Nick finished he was openly sobbing on Brian's shoulder clinging onto him like his life depended on it.

Brian stayed quiet, staring at the white intercom box, and listened to everything that Nick was saying. He tightened his hold on Nick and pulled their bodies close together. Grinding his teeth and rubbing Nick's back, Brian sniffled and managed to say, "Shhh, Nick. Shhh. I can only imagine just how much it hurts but you're not alone. You've got friends here that care and love you. Heck, you're mom is worried sick about you, took off from work and making your favorite dinner and all. Nick, you are not dumb, you are not a... a... pansy BOY," Brian said the latter in distaste. "You are not a pathetic loser, trust me, you aren't. You are everything the opposite of what she said." Brian pulled back, held Nick's face in his hands, and with the pad of his thumbs he began wiping the tears.