~ Chapter 9 ~
"KEVIN!" The shrillness of Fatima's shout startled the guys. Kevin stopped dancing abruptly causing AJ to bump into him. The guys looked at Fatima as Leighanne and Shae-Lyn watched curiously from the side.
Fatima charged towards Kevin with a "I mean business" look in her dark eyes. She grabbed his wrist. "We need to talk-alone!" she said, and pushed him out the door.
"Oh no. Kevy's in trouble," AJ snickered.
Brian looked glum. "I think I know what Tima's pissed about," he told them. They looked at him curiously. "Did you notice how Kevin messed up again last night?"
"We all mess up every once in a while," Howie said. "What's the big deal?"
"The big deal," AJ began, "is that this isn't a once in a while f**k up. Kev's been f**king up for over about a year now. I've noticed it, my mom's noticed it. Heck, even Tyke's been staying away from him. You guys aren't blind. We've all been pretending that everything is fine and dandy when we know it's not. Something is wrong with Kevin and I think we all know what it is." He let out a breath and sagged to the floor.
There was a moment of silence as Brian looked from Howie to Nick and finally to AJ. "We don't know that," he said quietly.
"Guys, I don't think this is the time or place to be discussing this," Nick said, shooting a glance in Shae's direction.
Right," Brian agreed. He caught Leighanne's eye.
She took the hint and stood up. "Shae, I'm starving. Let's go grab some lunch at the cute restaurant down the street."
Shae nodded and stood up. She knew why they didn't want her here. Some personal BSB business that she shouldn't know about. But she was insanely curious to know what was wrong with Kevin. Loreto had mentionned noticing something, too. She decided that she would ask Leighanne about it over lunch.
As soon as Shae was out of earshot, the guys resumed their conversation. "We gotta be careful now that we have fans around," Nick said.
Howie said, "Nick, I doubt Shae's going to sell us out to a tabloid. She's a nice girl."
Six pairs of eyes looked at him, their male curiosity piqued. "Oh? Exactly how nice is she, Howie?" That was AJ and he was grinning like a cheetah.
"Guys, it's not like that!" A round of "yea rights" were exchanged as Howie let out a sigh. "Look, all I did was spend an hour or so in her room..."
"In her room?" Brian repeated. "You dirty dog. The girl's only been here for a day."
"Nothing happened!" Howie shouted. "We just talked."
"I'm disappointed in you, D," AJ said, feigning a sad look. "I thought I trained you better than that."
Howie shot AJ a dirty look. "Funny J, real funny. Anyway, I didn't get anywhere. It seems Miss Shae-Lyn has it bad for our young blond friend here." He looked at Nick. Nick rolled his eyes, but said nothing.
Howie continued, "It may take some convincing, but when I'm done with Shae, she won't even remember your name. I can treat her way better than you ever could." Howie looked smug. Nick couldn't believe what he had just heard.
"How you gonna do that, Howie? Huh? Are you gonna dye your hair blond and grow some looks?"
"Hey!" Howie objected, pissed off. "That was uncalled for."
"About as uncalled for as you saying that you can treat her better than I can."
"Why do you care?" Howie argued. "You don't even like her. Do you?"
Nick was silent for a few seconds. He ran a hand through his hair. "No, I don't like her. She's your type Howie. You always like chesty, well-rounded women."
Howie moved closer to Nick. "If that was a crack at her weight..."
Brian felt the tension come to a breaking point. He stepped between them. "Alright you two five year olds. Knock it off." He turned to his best-friend. "There will be NO insulting Shae-Lyn, understood? She is a guest and we will treat her with respect. Do I make myself clear?"
Nick was surprised at Brian's firm tone. "Yea, Frick."
AJ stood up. "Fine by me. I like her. She seems sweet and she's got some booty on her. Baby's got back."
Howie's jealousy surged. "Don't go looking too hard, AJ. You may go cross-eyed."
"Why don't we finish talking about Kevin?" Nick suggested, hoping to steer the conversation away from Shae. He didn't want to argue with Brian or fight with Howie. However, Howie's comment left him seething.
"Yea, what are we going to do about Kevin?" AJ asked.
"Nothing," Howie replied. "There's nothing wrong with Kevin. He's probably burnt out from last year's tour. Not too mention all the stress we were under due to management problems, as well as Brian and Nick's health issues."
"Are you freakin' blind?" AJ asked Howie. "Kevin's way f**ked up. WAY! He can't remember the words to a damn song that we've been singing for five damn years. He can't remember easy steps to choreography that we can do in our sleep. He oversleeps, forgets appointments and interviews, and half the time he looks like a walking zombie. The only time he looks alert is...." he stopped short and bit his lip.
"Is when?" Nick asked the question they all knew the answer to.
"Is when he's high," AJ finished. He felt sick to his stomach. Brian's jaw hit the floor, Howie looked at him like he was nuts, and Nick looked like he was going to break down.
"Are you f**kin' insane?" Howie yelled. "Kevin is not on drugs! Go get your eyes checked!"
AJ's shoulders slumped. He looked at Brian. "Rok, what do you think?"
Brian's eyes welled up with tears. "I don't want to believe it, but the signs are there."
"What signs?" Howie yelled. "There are no signs! I would see them!"
"When did this start?" Nick asked. "When did you guys start noticing this change in Kevin?"
"Around mid-May of last year," AJ answered.
Brian and Nick looked at one another. "That was right after I had my surgery," Brian said sadly.
"And not long after I got out of the hospital," Nick added.
Howie stared at them incredulously. "You guys are freakin' nuts! Wait until Kevin comes back here with Tima and see what she says."
Meanwhile, in the dressing room....
"How long have you been doing the shit, Kevin?" Fatima asked angrily.
Kevin stared at her blankly. His head hurt. He wished she would just shut up.
"I SAID, HOW LONG?" she repeated, yelling.
He still didn't answer. Fatima came closer. Kevin looked up just as her hand connected with his cheek.
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