“Twenty-four hours, my kid is damn super
star! A celebrity! He could have been kidnapped!” Bob was yelling at the
airport security who had informed him that if he called the police any search
for his missing 12 year-old would begin after 24 hours. “What is wrong
with you people?!” He suddenly looked thoughtful, “Alright, how about if
I pay you. Yes, I’ll give you...”
“Sir,
my advice to you is to let us do our jobs. We will search the airport and find
out if anyone has seen your boy. You call your wife and let her know where you
are. Maybe your son has contacted her...”
“Of
course!” Bob’s eyes were wild, “He’s called Jane. She’s probably had
someone sneak over here and take him! She wants me to worry, she likes it
when I’m upset!” By then the airport personnel were looking at him strangely,
“Um, sir? Do you still...”
“No,
I have a pretty good idea of where my son may be,” Bob’s eyes had narrowed,
“Thank you for your help.” He walked away from the puzzled personnel.
He pulled out his cell phone and rapidly punched in Jane’s cell phone
number.
“Pick
up woman, I know you’re there.. Laughing at me...”
“Hello?”
“Where’s
Aaron?” Bob demanded into the phone, “Who did you have come get him?”
“Aaron...?
Bob? What are you talking about? What the hell do you mean where’s Aaron?
You lost him?! You stupid moron how do you lose a 12 year old?!!” Jane’s voice
vibrated through the phone.
“Oh
no, you’re not about to play this game with me Jane. Where is he going?”
Bob demanded into the phone. He ignored the looks he was getting from people
around him.
“I
don’t know Bob, you had him this week... He was your responsibility! Just
wait till I get you back to court, you’ll never be able to spend time with my
kids again! How can you lose...?”
“You
really don’t know where he is do you?” Bob was finally calming down, and his
previous feelings of panic were returning, “Damn.. You don’t think he was
really kidnapped?”
“Damn
it Bob, knowing Aaron he probably just took off. You should have been watching
him! But then paying attention to your kids is exactly what you don’t do best!”
Jane was yelling.
“Oh
like you did any better Jane! Nick spent more time with you than anyone,”
Bob muttered angrily, then sobered quickly, “Did you see him?”
There
was silence on the other end as Jane seethed over his words, then she replied,
“Yeah, yeah I saw him. He looked bad Bob, and you know what... He hates
me... He hates me, but he hates you more, I know it!”
“Jane
must you be so childish! Ok, now where would Aaron have...” he paused as he
thought deeply about what he was going to ask himself, “Jane, where is Nick?”
“I’m
not telling you that,” Jane snapped.
“Jane,
wherever Nick is, is where Aaron is going! Now where is Nick?” Bob demanded.
“I
don’t have to tell you a thing, and if Aaron went where Nick is then I’ll deal
with him,” with that she ended the conversation leaving a stuttering Bob
disconnected in the airport.
“Damn
that women. Fine if she wants to play hardball, then I’ll just have to let her
know just who and what she is up against,” Bob narrowed his eyes as he muttered
to himself. He gathered his baggage and his rental car key, once he got
to his hotel he had some very important phone calls to make.
“The
guys are going to kill me,” AJ uttered cutting the engine, “Aaron wake up, get
your bags.”
Aaron
was wide awake sprawled out in the backseat. He sat up in an instant and
grabbed his two bags, “Will Nick be asleep?”
AJ
winced, “He may be...” I hope he is, who knows how he’ll react to this one...
AJ
approached the door slowly with Aaron walking closely behind him. Slowly
he put his key in the door and turned the lock... Please don’t let them kill
me.
“AJ,
you’re back. Where’s my... AARON!!” Howie’s eyes were practically bulging out
of his head and his mouth was scraping the carpet, “What... How... When?” He
looked to AJ wildly for an explanation, a good one.
“He
came into town with Bob. Bob’s looking for Nick, and Aaron wanted to get
here and warn us before he came.”
“Great,
that asshole in town is all we need. Bad enough Jane’s been here. I
don’t wanna see how Nicky’ll react to Bob,” Howie grumbled running his hands
through his curls, “Aaron you hungry? You need something to drink?”
Aaron
shook his head, “I just wanna see my sister and brother. Can I?”
“I..
I don’t think that’d be a very good idea...”
“Howie
bring up some more trash bags, the kid’s pukin’ again,” Kevin announced jogging
down the stairs. He dashed past Aaron straight into his laundry room,
never noticing him. He emerged with fresh sheets and... and, “What the
hell? Aaron?” his gaze turned to AJ, “Alexander?”
“He
begged,” AJ said lamely, “Here, I’ll get the trashbags.” AJ ran into the
kitchen, excusing himself from the troubling scene.
“A...
Oh forget it. This just keeps getting better and better. Aaron, you want a
drink, food?”
Aaron
shook his head, and then looked towards the stairs, “Are Nick and BJ up there?”
Kevin
looked uncomfortable, “Yes, they are. But Nicky’s sick right now, and it may
not be a good idea for you to...”
“I
came all the way here just to see him! I don’t care what’s wrong with him, I
just need to see him,” Aaron folded his arms.
“Aaron,
we understand, it’s just that... that Nicky may not be ready to see you,” Howie
said softly, “He’s in bad shape Aaron, really bad shape.”
Aaron
felt the tears building in his eyes, “Then I’ll make him be ready.. Please... I
have to see him.”
“Aaron..”
before Kevin or Howie could grab him, Aaron was dashing up the stairs.
“Shit.”
BJ
was undressing the bed. She folded the soiled sheets and piled them by the
door. Brian sat rocking Nick who cried lightly on his shoulder.
“Kevin, did you grab some extra trashbags?” BJ asked absently as the door
to the room swung open and someone entered, when she looked up she gasped, “Oh
my God...”
“Hi
BJ,” Aaron said in a small voice, he offered her a weak smile, as she stared at
him. All of the color had drained from her face. She offered no
reply back to him, she just simply stared from him, to Nick. She was
praying with all her might that maybe Nick didn’t hear Aaron’s voice, but her
prayer went unrecognized as she saw Nick’s head raising. He turned to see
Aaron standing in the doorway. They stared at each other for the longest
time. “Hi Nicky,” Aaron began to make his way to Nick and Brian, “I’ve
missed you so much, and I’ve been so worried about you. How are you? Are
you ok?”
Aaron
reached Nick and tried to hug him. He got no response, only the same tearful
stare, “Nick, aren’t you happy to see me?”
Nick
hid his face behind his hands, “Damn it I didn’t want anyone to see me! I
didn’t want anyone to see....”
“Shhh...”
Brian tried to soothe him, “I didn’t know he was coming...”
“I
didn’t want anyone to see...”
“You
started this mess Aaron, so finish it,” BJ hissed in Aaron’s ear. Aaron’s head
jerked towards her, he hadn’t realized that she had come so close.
“What?”
to say he was surprised and hurt by the nasty tone she had used with him was an
understatement.
“Give
him a hug, and let him know it’s ok,” BJ said forcefully in his ear.
Aaron
nodded feeling tears sting in his eyes, his sister did not seem happy to see
him, and neither did his brother. Aaron slowly put his arms around his
brother’s trembling frame again and hugged him. He sat down on the other
side of him and held him, along with Brian, “Nick, it’s ok. I insisted on being
here, I needed to see you. I want to help you. I know you’re sick, and I want
to help you get better. I know you didn’t want me to see you, but I don’t
care what you look like, or what you’ve done. I love you no matter what.”
Aaron laid his head on Nick’s shoulder as his tears fell, soaking
Nick’s shirt. He looked up after a few minutes to see Brian looking at
him, a small smile on his lips, “Hi AC.”
“Hi
Brian.”
The sound of people entering the room made Aaron’s eyes
travel to the door. Kevin was entering holding the sheets, AJ was holding a box
of trashbags. Howie stood behind them holding a heating pad.
He
watched as Kevin and BJ began remaking the bed and AJ began lining the trashcan
with garbage bags. Howie came to sit beside him, “Sorry you had to see
all this AC.”
Aaron
shook his head, “It’s fine. I wanted to see it. I want to help.”
Howie
nodded, “Of course you do.”
“Ok,
bed’s ready,” Kevin announced, “Get him over here.”
Aaron
reluctantly loosened his arms from Nick’s waist. Brian helped Nick up, and
carefully led him to the bed. He laid him down and he curled up on his side.
Howie went to position the heating pad under his back in the bed before
BJ pulled up the covers and tucked Nick in. She kissed him lightly on the
brow and smoothed his hair back. Then she straightened up and turned to Aaron.
Her gaze on him softened the longer she stared at him, and slowly she
smiled. She held open her arms, and Aaron rushed into them, “I’m so sorry
Aaron, for the way I talked to you... I didn’t mean it. I’m not mad at you, I’m
just so worried about Nicky that my nerves are shot... I’m cranky. Can you
forgive me?”
Aaron
almost laughed at her, “Well Beej, I’ll have to think about it...”
“Aaron!”
“Seriously,
you wounded me...”
“Aaron
if you don’t...”
“Just
kidding Sis, now show me where I can put my stuff. Looks like I’ll be here for
a while.” He cast a worried glance at the slight figure buried under the
blankets on the bed... a long while...