Chapter 5
In the silence of his room, Howie could hear a faint ding as the elevator door opened, and someone stepped out onto their floor. He knew it was AJ, and he listened as the soft footsteps came closer to him. Suddenly they stopped, right outside his door, and he held his breath, he didn't think that he was composed enough to deal with AJ yet, and he was frightened that AJ would push him for answers that he wasn't willing to give.

Then he heard the footsteps move away, and a moment later the sound of a door opening and closing. Howie let out the breath he was still holding in a long whoosh. 'Thank God AJ is so understanding.' He thought. Howie knew that AJ wouldn't push unless he really had to, and as long as Howie appeared to be doing okay, then he would respect Howie's right to privacy. Howie resolved to himself to make an effort, and to make sure that AJ stopped blaming himself for Howie's problems.

In his own room, AJ slumped down on his bed. He had wanted to go to Howie, to demand answers, but he just couldn't. He had stood outside Howie's room, hand raised, ready to knock, but he just couldn't make himself do it. He knew that  unless Howie was willing to talk, it would only make things worse, and Howie seemed to have enough problems without fighting with AJ as well. No, AJ needed to support Howie through this... this whatever it was, and make sure that he was the best friend to Howie that he had obviously failed to be recently.

Yet again AJ looked back on his past behaviour with disdain, when he looked back on the way he was, and how he had been acting, he couldn't believe what a complete bastard he had been to everyone, especially Howie. AJ shook his head. He had been so horrible to him. Howie had always been there for him, right from the start, and no matter what AJ said or did, he knew that Howie would always be there. Yet looking back on the things he had said to his friend, he couldn't believe that Howie hadn't turned his back on him. Hell, even he wouldn't have put up with that much shit.

That was just Howie, he was special. AJ sighed, yeah, Howie was really special, and he deserved better than what he got. Howie was the sweetest, kindest, most loveable person he knew; yet even he, supposedly his best friend, had dumped on him on more than one occasion. Woah there, hold up, did he just say that he thought Howie loveable?? "Man I need some sleep, or else I'm going crazy." Reluctantly he decided that he wasn't going to solve anything tonight, and he was going to have to leave it till morning. Maybe one of the guys would know what the problem was, maybe all he needed was a good nights sleep and everything would be better.... Maybe. He eventually drifted into a restless sleep, thinking of his best friend.