"Please donīt fuck with me," he begged feeling the panic setting in when no one was anwering on the other line. 'Dammmit donīt do this to me. I donīt have any more money on me.' The thought of having to run and beg one of the guys for some money didnīt sound too tempting. They would tease him badly, calling him a momas boy and that he kept calling home all the time. The other reason was that he had to go to the other side of the building and this was not something he could take. Not in the shape he was today!
His back as well as his stomach was giving him trouble. There were a lingering feeling of nausea in the back of his throat and he had a headache the size of Texas. On top off all of this he was in a bad mood, especially since after the last urgent bathroom visit he only managed to squeeze out a little, not at all sufficent from what he needed too and it had done nothing to lessen the pain either.
Wincing he folded over slightly as a stinging sensation shot through his lower regions. Damn this urinary infection really sucked raw eggs. As soon as he would reach American soil he would talk with his parents about seeing his family doctor and not some kind of quack that Lou seemed fitted.
Wiping the sweat off his forehead, althrough he felt a bit chilled, he gazed briefly ever so often at his watch. Shit! Time as well as the coins were ticking away. Fast. There were little time to spare and heīd go back to the others in a few. They were at a local radiostation down in Rome and he was about to go on air soon, to do a live interview with some fans that were going to ask them questions. The schedule was packed as always and he had to do both a tv show, a pressconference and a few interviews before ending the night with a meet and greet, a concert and a PR afterparty. The bad part was that he didnīt feel for any of it!
Instead he wanted to get to bed, sleep the misery away and wake up well and rested for tomorrows flight back home. He couldnīt wait to board that plane going home and spending time with his family and friends. Nick was desperatly homesick, and feeling like shit all the time didnīt exactly help the situation either. Being away two months from the one he loved and cared about was more than e could ever bare, no matter how much he enjoyed touring.
Mandy had called him the other night and after talking for hours ( Lou threw a tantrum finding out the phonebill) they had decided to get back together again. Still Nick felt at unease, mainly beacuse he never knew what Mandy would be up to. She could accuse him of being unfaitful one sec to the next telling him that she wanted them to be able to spend time with others. She was too unpredictable.
'Ok this wonīt work,' he thought defeated when he noticed that no one was at home. He didnīt have any more money so all he could do was to hope that he could at least have a few seconds, in case that they answered so they could get his phone number and call him back. Usually when he called back home it was collect call but he didnīt have any money on his refill card either to the mobil phone so therefore that option was out of the question too. Calling collect call was great and his parent could very well afford that kind of luxery since heīd supported them with an steady income. But even if his parents were well situated the same couldnīt be said for himself. He was always broke. Not that he shopped as much as AJ or Howie, no it was more that his assets were frozen and heīd recieved a small allowance each week. The Wrights and Lou were the ones that controlled his money and even if he earned alot more than others his age he was just as poor. But he didnīt complain as long as he was being able to a new videogame ever so often. His demands were not high at all.
He was about to hung up the phone when a shrill girls voice could be heard, saying his family name. It was his sister Angel. Not wasting anytime he said quickly, "Hi baby, itīs me. I dont have time to talk can you go and get mom?"
"Nick?" the tone was filled with surprise as well as a mixture of happiness and concern. "Is something wrong? Why do you wanna talk to mom?"
"Itīs nothing. I just wanna talk to her about someting. Now go and get her." He knew he sounded impatient yet he couldnīt help it as stress was starting to set in. Stress and lack of money as well as feeling like shit.
But Angel showed no signs of obeying him instead she said a bit suspecious, "What did you do now? Are you in trouble or what?"
Nick felt irritation setting in since he was in no mood of playing a game like this. Not today, not ever! A bit harsher than he expected he barked, " Jeeze how hard is it to understand? I said go and get mom!"
"God you donīt have to sound so upset," Angel said, sounding hurt. He felt bad. The last thing he wanted was to make his sister sad and he had no business being this rude but the situation was starting to get to him. Muttering something he could hear her leave the lure to go to get his mother.
Feeling in his pockets he pulled up the last of spare money he had on him and waited for the time to run out. "Please hurry," he groaned, hoping that his sister wouldnīt be too slow. When he least expected it his mothers voice filled the lure, "Nicky is that you?
Upon hearing his mother so many emotions suddenly rushed upon him. They ripped through him making it heard to breath and had to bit back the tears that threatned to spill over. Wiping away a single tear with the back of his hand he did it as fast as he could afraid that someone would see what a nerd he was. After all he was eigteen and crying just beacuse you hear your mothers is voice is NOT something a guy in his age would do. But then guys in his age was not away from home for several months in a row and lately he thought that the calls that his family made to him was becoming less and less often.
"Ye..yes...mo..mom!"
"Sweetie how are you?"
It felt so good to hear her voice that he thought he would scream. Instead he mumbled, "Iīm fi..fine," he mumbled, before adding, "I really miss you guys." The tears were close.
"We miss you too," his mother said before adding, "Nick itīs been a while since you called us. Why is that?" There were a hint of accussasation in her voice and he didnīt have to answer the question since she filled in, "Everytime we called you were either too busy or asleep."
"I was?"Nick jerked. Had they called him? When? And why wasnīt he informed? He didnīt have to wait long to get the explanation.
"Yes, didnīt you get my messages?"
"Messages?" Now he felt stupid.
"Yes the ones I left to Lou. He said he was going to let you know that I called." His mother sounded surprised, but not as much as he was.
"He did?" Nick felt upset. Lou had neglected to leave him any messages from back home. It was bad that Lou was totally running him, but controlling who he talked to and not letting him know that his mother had called was making im totally pissed off.
"Oh well honey Iīm sure he just forgot to give them to you." As always his mother was trying to find good in everthing, especially if it had to do with his manager.
"Probably," Nick mumbled not being as sure as his pears. Putting in the last coins into the slot he said quickly, "Mom can you call me back? I donīt have any spare change on me."
"Baby I wish I could, but Iīm on my way and I donīt have very much time since I have a plane to catch very soon."
"A plane?" "Yes Iīm going down to LA for a week. Aaron is going to meet some producers and he is planning a new album. Isnīt it great?" His mother sounded so happy that he didnīt want to tell her how hurt he felt about it all. She wouldnīt be there for him when he came home from being away for two months.
A feeling of being small and alone washed over him. He felt left out. Swallowing hard he said weakly, "Bu..but I will be back on sunday.."
"Honey I know that youīre disappointed but this means alot to Aaron. It can be his big break through here in the states and you donīt want him to miss it. Do you?"
"Noooo," God he never would want to hurt his little brother but still he wanted his mother to be there for him. Especially since he was ill and homesick!
"I didnīt think so either. Itīs just for a week anyway and Bob will be there for you and we will be back before you know it." There were a small chuckle, "besides you are always so jetlegged so you will probably sleep the whole week away."
"Mmmmm." There were so much that he wanted to say to make her change her mind, yet he could do nothing but mumble. Maybe if he told her that he was sick she would stay for him. " Mom..you know..I have a pain in my kidn.." A signal was heard, indicating that the money was running low and within seconds the line would be broken.
"Sweatheart I canīt hear what youīre saying." his mother was trying to outvoice the signal.
Thinking that it was futile to tell him how he really felt he instead said, "Mom I love ya and tell the others I love them too." The words were spelled out as fast as he could.
"We love...." The line was broken.
Staring at the lure he was holding in his hand Nick felt despair creep up on him. Why wasnīt his mother going to be there for him? And why wasnīt Aaron who he had missed so much during this tour?
************************************************************************************************************
He didnīt know how long heīd been sitting on the floor, resting his aching head against the wall while staring into space. Thinking about the conversation that just took place.
Suddenly a familiar voice broke the silence, "Nicky there you are! Weīve been searching all over for you. Where have you been?" Looking up through his bangs Nick was met with Howies brown concerned eyes. "Are you ok?"
"Mmmm..just pechy." He made no movement to explain where his whereabouts had been and instead continued to spare into space like he was watching something interesting, or dreaming away. He was spacing out again.
"You sure that youīre allright. You doesnīt look like it." Hunching down beside his little brother the latino took in his friends pale complexion and tired posture. "Did something happend?"
"No should it?" He shook his head, yet didnīt wantn to make any small talks at all.
"No, Iīm just wondering." Howie patted Nick lightly on his shoulder, "If youīre ok we have to go back again. Lou wanted to have a few words with us before the radio interview. There have been some change of plans."
"Oh..what now?"
What had his manager decided this time? Noticing that Howie was fidgeting in the way he always did when he got nervous he asked, intent to find out what it was, "D' what is it? Did something happend?" For a moment heīd forget all about his own troubles.
"Eh..well..uh..weīre going to do a charity basketballgame as well as concert down in Munich. One of the bands werīre going to play against is Nīstink."
"Really?" For the first time things looked up a little in his life. Beside singing, basketball was one of the things he lived for and playing a game together with some other stars would be fun as hell. Especially since he heard that his competitors were the allmighty Nīstink! Man what wouldnīt he do to wipe that smug face off that stupid singer Justin by winning over them..by lengths. " Awesome! When is this? After summer or what?"
" Eh..no not exactly." Howie fidget again.
There were something over the way D' acted that had him in for suspecion. "What do you mean? What do you know? When is it? Spill it!"
Standing up slowly Howie brushed his pants off by adding as causally as he could, knowing that there would be an effect to take place. "Itīs this weekend."
