Second Chances

“Come on Jennifer, please come with me to the concert,” Randy begged her for the eighth time. Randy was Jennifer’s younger sister by 6 years, and she was a HUGE Backstreet Boys fan. “We hardly ever go out. Have you forgotten how much you love music and going to a live show?”

“Of course, I haven’t forgotten. You know I listen to the radio all day while I’m working. I’m just very busy right now. I am so close to finding the answers I have been looking for.”

Randy was worried about Jennifer. Ever since their parents died in a car accident 3 years ago, she didn’t laugh and smile as much as she used to. She hardly ever dated anymore. Randy couldn’t even remember the name of the last boyfriend her sister had, it was so long ago. It’s almost like she believed that if she worked harder it would bring their parents back somehow.

“I’m sure it won’t affect your work any if you take one night off to have a little fun. Please? I promise I won’t ask you for anything else for a long time. I’ll stop nagging you about your job. I’ll do all the housework for a month.” She said pleadingly. “Pretty please???”

Jennifer grinned at her sister. “Oh, alright. If it will keep you out of my hair, I’ll go. Just don’t expect me to get as excited as you are about it. I refuse to do the screaming and crying thing like all of you teenieboppers do.” She teased her.

Randy stuck her tongue out at her sister.

“Woohoo! We are gonna have so much fun. Oh my God! What am I going to wear????” Randy screeched, throwing open her closet doors.

**************

“Earth to Brian,” Kevin said to his cousin as he took the seat beside him on the plane.

“Huh?” Brian said, gazing distractedly out the window.

“What’s up with you lately? You’ve been acting really strange for almost a week now. Do you wanna talk about it?”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” he said. “I think I’m just a little tired. I haven’t been getting much sleep.” Of course he hadn’t been sleeping. Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was Jenn standing under the hose with water glistening on her skin. And then there was her outrageous story. Brian still wasn’t sure he believed everything she told him. He hadn’t mentioned anything about her to anyone. Not even his mother. Even if he did tell them, they would just think that he was crazy.

“It’s good to see AJ back to his old self isn’t it?” Howie asked them, taking the seat in from of them.

“Yep, sure is.” Kevin agreed.

“I’ve never seen him look so at peace,”Brian sighed happily. “I knew all of that praying would work.”

“Preach on, Reverend,” Nick teased him, from the seat behind him.

Brian flipped him off.

“Keep doing things like that, and you will wind up in hell along with me,” AJ joked half-heartedly.

Brian looked at him seriously. “AJ, you’ve just come out of hell. They didn’t want you and there’s no way that they would let you back in.”

“Thanks, man.” AJ smiled. “I don’t know what I would have done if you guys hadn’t stuck by me.”

“We’re brothers,” Howie told him, “That’s the way it’s always been, and that’s the way it will always be. We love you, buddy.”

“I know. More than ever before….I know.”

“So, what do you have planned for the 2 days we have off after the concert tonight?” Nick asked Brian.

“I’ll probably catch up on my sleep. Do some sight-seeing. Go out to dinner. Write some songs, you know the usual. How bout you?”

“The rest of the fellas and I thought we would check out some of the local night life, do you wanna join us?”

“Nah, I think I’ll stay in and watch movies, just relax ya know?”

“Told ya,” Kevin said to the guys. “Pay up.”

Howie, AJ, and Nick all reached into their pockets and handed Kevin a twenty.

“You bet on what I would say?” Brian asked irritably.

“You know I love ya, cuz,” Kevin laughed. “But you are so predictable.”

“Assholes,” Brian breathed, leaning back and closing his eyes.

next chapter