The summer passed and Brianna was able to visit Nick a few times before school started back. Even though she eventually broke up with John, Nick continued to notice changes in Brianna. She had definitely taken to the partying scene and he began to worry about her. Living away from home, on a college campus she was getting a taste of freedom. He didn’t really say much, because he figured that maybe it was just a phase she was going through. But every time she came to visit she wanted to party with the other guys.

Even after school started Brianna, now living under her own rules instead of her parents, and therefore was free to come and go as she pleased, would come and visit Nick on long weekends. Every time she was there she wanted to do something, party, get drunk. She said she was having fun and had everything under control. When he would try to say something either AJ or Howie would step in a tell him she was okay; how could anything happen to her when she was with the 3 of them, or 4 or 5 if Kevin and Brian went. So he would let things go. Besides, he and the others were starting to notice a pattern with AJ and they were concerned for him and for the upcoming tour.

It was the day after Thanksgiving. The guys were exhausted from the Around the World in 100 hours promo tour. Nick was spending Thanksgiving with AJ. Partly for him, since his family was busy. And partly to keep an eye on AJ, though AJ didn’t know that. Both men were sitting on the couch talking and watching football when Nick’s cell phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Nick, this is Mr. Kinadle. Hope I’m not disturbing you?”

“No, just sitting here. Tell Bree thanks for the card and care package. How she always manages to get one to me on the holiday’s I’ll never know.” Nick was smiling thinking about all the funny things she would send him. When they first met she had told him she thought the holidays must be kind of sad for him since he was always on the road. That first Thanksgiving she sent him a care package with some pictures of Aaron. He found out later that she had been in cahoots with his mom on that one. She also had enclosed homemade cookies, a Madlibs book, an obnoxiously loud Oscar the Grouch alarm clock, and a stuffed dolphin that played “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid when you squeezed it.

“Actually, Brianna’s the reason for my call. She was arrested last night and is in Detox right now.”

Nick jerked sitting completely upright. “She’s what? What happened? Is she okay? What was she thinking?” His mind was going a mile a minute. He knew she was partying a lot but he didn’t think it was out of control.

“I’m not sure. She refuses to talk to either her mother or myself. We didn’t even realize she was drinking. I’m not even 100% sure she was JUST drinking. Since she’s not a minor they won’t tell us anything, just she was picked up at some big party that was raided by the police after numerous complaints. I hate to do this to you, but I was hoping, since you’re in Orlando and close, maybe you could come and talk with her. Find out what’s going on?”

Nick heard the concern in Mr. Kinadle’s voice. “I’ll be on the road in 15 minutes. Where is she being held?”

Nick was able to get Tony to come with him on short notice as pseudo security and made his way to see Brianna with all sorts of thoughts going through his head on the 2-hour drive.

<~ Chapter 5 or Chapter 7 ~>

In the End

Karina 2003