Walking through the back doors of the MTV studios we were surrounded by a screaming mob of girls their high pitched squeals making me wince, their heavy perfume making me sneeze and their long painted fingernails grabbing at me digging into my flesh.
Reaching out to shake a few hands a particularly long set of purple fingernails shot out of nowhere scraping down my forearm leaving a stinging trail in their wake. Looking down I could see beads of blood pushing out from around the five long scrapes.
Glaring up into the heavily coal lined eyes of the girl who had caused the damage, I expected an apology but all I received was a snotty smirk as she pushed a pen at me along with our CD cover.
“Sign it to Claudette.” She demanded.
“No.” I pushed her stuff back at her reaching for another girls’ pen and scrap of paper to sign.
“I said sign it.” Shoving it in my face again Claudette elbowed the girl beside her out of her way as the crowd collectively moved one step to the right.
“And I said no.”
“Nicky, what’s going on?” Kevin shouted over his shoulder. Scribbling his autograph on everything pushed in his face.
“Nothing.” I shouted back.
“Look without me you’d be nothing.” Claudette sneered as the pigtailed blonde girl beside her looked up at me with a funny expression on her face.
“You know technically she’s right.” Pigtails said.
“Huh?” I looked down at Pigtails expecting to see her smile but instead she just stared up at me with a serious look in her big brown eyes.
“Nick just sign their stuff and let’s get moving.” Hustling along behind me Howie slapped me twice on the back.
“You know it’s my birthday and you guys should be nice to me.” Glaring at both of them I grabbed Claudette's pen and CD cover tossing them into the sea of girls before following in step behind the rest of the guys on the way to the waiting limousine at the curb.
* * *
“When did fans start getting so snotty.” I grumbled as security opened the door to the car.
“That’s the problem with getting big Nick, somebody always wants to knock you off of your pedestal.” Standing beside me Brian waved to the crowd of girls with a big smile on his face. “It’s all part of growing up buddy.”
“Yeah well I don’t like it.” Turning I plastered a big dopey smile on my face making the crowd go wild.
“You know when you do that smile you look like you’ve had a lobotomy.”
“A what-totomy?”
Grinning Brian grabbed onto my shoulders squeezing them hard making me laugh as chills ran up my spine.
“You’re one of a kind Nickolas, one of a kind.”
Slipping into the car where the other guys sat waiting I climbed over Howie to get to the window seat.
“Shit Nick.” Howie grumbled as I accidentally kneed him in the crotch.
“Sorry D.” Falling forward I caught myself on the window palms splayed out, looking up into the eyes of the evil Claudette.
“You suck.” She mouthed the words at me through the tinted glass before flipping me the bird.
Leaning forward I pressed my face to the glass making a nasty wet blowfish on the window.
“Nick.” Howie tugged me from behind. As the limousine lurched forward I rolled off of the seat onto the floor leaving a wet saliva trail on the window on my way down.
“Jesus Nick, you’re eighteen not eight.” Kevin nudged me with the toe of his boot as I struggled to the get up off of the floor.
“Keep him down there.” A.J. laughed propping his feet on my back as my face pushed into the floormat. “If he’s down there he can’t cause any trouble.”
“I second that.” Brian answered dropping his feet onto my back along with Howie.
“If only all your fans could see you now kid.” Kevin laughed as the limo turned right taking us back to our hotel.
* * *
“WE’RE LEAVING IN EIGHT MINUTES…..EIGHT MINUTES.” Three hours later Kevin walked through my hotel room like a wind up toy soldier on crack, tapping his watch with the back of his hand.
“Kev haven’t you ever heard of arriving fashionably late?” A.J. asked pulling a tight cow print tank top over his head.
“Did you seriously just use the word fashionable?” Kevin pointed at A.J.’s shirt. “Jay you look like a fool.”
“Mooooooooo.” Pulling on a black velvet baseball cap A.J. grinned.
“Hey Nick are you about ready over there?” Turning around I saw the horror in Kevin’s eyes at my choice of attire for the evening.
“What?”
“Jesus have I taught you both nothing about style?” Turning Kevin walked from the room slamming the door behind him.
“What? I think I look cool?”
“You do man.” Walking to the full-length mirror A.J. and I stood side by side.
“Personally I think you should go back to the bra and heels.” Popping over our shoulders Brian looked slick in a plumb colored blazer, deep yellow shirt and some faded jeans.
“You’re just jealous because all of the ladies are going to be hanging all over me tonight.” Flipping up the collar of my jacket I smiled back at him in the mirror.
“Yeah, that is if they can hang onto you. White leather can be slippery. Oh hey buddy, don’t forget this.” Tossing me my white leather porkpie hat Brian snickered into his hand before heading for the door.
* * *
We pushed through the doors to the club, walking five abreast. Emerging from the colorful smoke into the bright strobing lights causing all heads to turn in our direction with a collective sigh.
According to the magazine articles we were young.
We were talented.
We were good looking.
And it seemed like nothing and no one could get in our way.
Grabbing two drinks from a passing tray A.J. smiled as he handed one to me.
“Happy Birthday my friend.” He said in a faux English accent as I grabbed the drink and tipped it back, green liquid running out the corners of my mouth and down my chin as I nearly puked.
“What the hell is that shit?” I coughed pounding my fist on my chest.
“It’s called Kaos.” A.J. smiled tipping his head at me.
“It fucking burns going down.” I choked out in a raspy voice.
“That’s what makes it so damn good.” Grinning he shot his drink back just as an arm draped around his shoulder.
“A-hem.”
“Oh hey baby.” Grabbing the hand and turning A.J. pulled Sammy into a warm hug running his hands up and down her back making her close her eyes and moan.
“You know you’re in trouble you shit.”
“Me?” A.J. did his best to look innocent as a cocktail waitress passed by replacing the empty glass in his hand with a fresh shot of Kaos.
“Yes you. Your little prank cost me my favorite pair of high heels.”
“Sorry about that Sam.” I piped up handing her the rest of my drink. “But it’s my birthday and-“
“We know, we know… you can do whatever you want.” A.J. rolled his eyes.
“Including looking like a pimp.” Sammy smiled tweaking my nose before leaning in for a kiss. “Happy Birthday Nick, may you have many more. And now my young friend I must leave you because the dance floor is calling my name.” Handing me back my glass of poisonous green goo Sam sashayed onto the dance floor turning once to give A.J. a wicked look that put a twinkle in his eye.
“That chick is pure evil.” Handing me his drink A.J. flipped his baseball cap around backwards. “But in a good way.” Walking in Sam’s direction neither one of them could have cared less that they left me standing there alone on my birthday dressed in glaring white leather with two shot glasses of Kaos in my hands.