Chapter 2

 

Brian and Nick trudged through the deep snow until they reached the nearest town. With all the strength they had left, the two slowly approached the front door. Within a matter of seconds, the door swung open, revealing an elderly couple. They appeared to be in their early sixties.

           

“My dear boys, are you two alright,” the man asked, motioning for them to come in.

 

“Yeah, our tour bus got stuck in the snow and our friends are in it,” Nick informed hurriedly.

 

“Oh…well, there’s a telephone there in the kitchen,” the elderly man stated.

 

“Thank you.”

           

Brian swayed slightly. His vision wavering but he kept steady, not wanting Nick to notice.

 

Walking into the living room, Brian and Nick glanced at the walls. They were covered with pictures. They assumed of grandchildren. Covering the walls also were different knick-knacks and vivid decorations, for the holidays.

 

Nick entered the kitchen and picked up the phone, Brian walked towards the couch. His eyes starting to droop again, he tore his shoes off and struggled to regain his composure. He felt dizzy and nauseous. The whole room seemed to be spinning. Brian desperately tried to come to his senses; his mind was too fuzzy to comprehend where he was. Not knowing what else to do, he lowered his body to the couch. Brian lay down and closed his eyes, and drifted off into a light sleep.

 

Nick hung up the phone and searched the kitchen for Brian. Not finding him he headed towards the living room. The couple followed Nick out, obviously skeptical about letting the two men into there house.

 

“Sweetie,” the woman began. “There he is…on the couch.”

 

“Oh, thank you.” Nick bent down to inspect Brian’s sleeping form. He appeared to be okay, he was extremely pale, and that concerned Nick. “Maybe I should call an ambulance, he doesn’t look to good. He passed out on the way over here,” Nick said standing up, and heading for the kitchen. Brian’s eyes immediately fluttered open at Nick’s words.

 

“I’m fine….”

 

“You sure Bri?”

 

“Yeah…just lemme get up.”

 

Brian stood up and turned an ashen color, when he realized everyone was watching him. “I’m sorry, ‘bout that….”

 

The woman smiled and guided Brian into the kitchen. “Don’t you apologize about a thing sweetheart. You boys have been through a lot.”

 

Brian smiled. “Now you boys can call me Laura and that’s George.”

 

They both nodded their heads. “You two are soaked to the bone, why don’t you head up and take a nice warm shower, and I’ll dry your clothes. We have a guestroom, with twin beds, and you two can just lie down until your friends get here.

 

“Okay, thank you…uh Laura, George,” Nick spoke. “Brian you go first, kay?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Laura led Brian to the bathroom, and told him to throw his clothes in the hall before he showered and she’d have them dried in a jiffy. After Brian’s shower Nick took one and walked into the guestroom with a towel tied around his waist. Brian was sound asleep on the bed. Nick walked towards him and bent down eyeing him thoroughly. Once satisfied he was okay, Nick dressed and settled into his own bed. He wanted to stay awake, to wait for his band mates. He couldn’t fight the sleep, and soon he drifted off into oblivion.

 

Kevin, Howie, and AJ were taken to Laura and George’s house to get Brian and Nick. They entered and Kevin immediately asked to see the two. “Where are they,” Kevin brazenly asked.

 

“Upstairs, in the guestrooms,” George informed the three eager young men.

 

Kevin smiled and thanked them before heading to the guestroom. They tore the door open and rushed to check on their friends. “They look okay,” AJ stated.

 

“Yeah, we just gotta wake them up.” They are waiting outside to take us to the hotel.

 

“Oh yeah,” Howie said nodding his head.

 

“Bri, Nicky, you guys ready?”

 

They both let out soft moans. Brian coughed and wheezed for several seconds, as his band mates voices brought him back to reality. “I know man, but we’ve gotta get goin.”

 

Neither of them said anything, Brian changed positions on the comfortable bed. Nick slowly opened his eyes. “Hey, bud how are ya,” AJ asked bending down to meet Nick’s gaze.

 

“Where am I?”

 

“Let’s go we’ll explain it later.”

 

Brian sat up, confused like Nick. “I know, I know Rok, we’ve got to get going okay,” Howie said to Brian, helping him out of the blankets that were entwined around his body. Through the snow it took them fifteen minutes to get to the nearest hotel. They let Brian and Nick sleep all they wished. Not bothering to worry about any obligations they had. All of them feeling somewhat guilty for allowing their friends to walk in the blizzard.

 

They had missed two shows. Neither of them ready to go on the next night. They both had colds and could barely talk.

 

 Nick was resting in his hotel room. Trying to get a little bit more sleep. The phone then  rang on Nick’s nightstand. He reached to answer it.

 

“Hello.”

 

“Nick, hey it’s me Leslie, your still coming this weekend aren’t you?”

 

“What,” Nick asked his voice hoarse.

 

“Nick! You promised me, Aaron, Angel, and BJ that you would be here this weekend, to spend time with us!”

 

“Oh God, Les, I’m sorry. I can’t we had to re-” He didn’t get the chance to finish. Leslie hung up the phone with a slam. Nick threw the phone down angrily.

 

What am I going to do? This is the second time I haven’t been able to see them…they have a right to be angry with me…

 

Nick dialed his family’s number. Hoping desperately that they would answer. His mother answered, her tone angry. “Nickolas Gene Carter! We are getting sick and tired of this. We haven’t seen you in so long! Nick, if you can’t make your way to see us, then fine! But don’t you dare give your sisters and Aaron’s hopes up. Do you have any idea how much they were looking forward to seeing you?”

 

“Mom please! You don’t understand!”

 

Jane hung up. Nick buried his head into his pillow suddenly feeling overwhelmingly depressed.