Ch. 2

Brian Littrell walked close to his cousin's side guiding his newfound companion along the crowded streets of the small town of Lendon. Nick glanced up at the teen studying his face. "Why do you look so scared?"

"This isn't the best part of town," Brian answered quickly hurrying his footsteps as a drunken man a feet away began cussing out his girlfriend publicly in their front yard.

"I've seen worse," the kid said with a shrug.

"Like what?"

Kevin faced his younger cousin. "Brian, let's change the subject, all right?"

"Okay. What grade are you in school, Nick?"

"I don't go to school."

"You skip?" Kevin wondered lifting his brow as he shifted the extra soup he carried in his hands.

Nick sniffled. "It don't make much sense to go to school when ya' don't even got a home to go to."

"Considering all of grammatical errors in that sentence I believe school would be a good idea," the oldest man stated turning the corner.

Brian visibly relaxed as he walked down the new street. A small dead-end corner, with only two houses occupying the space. "Kevin, you're only twenty-one and already turning into an old geezer."

"I am not," the other defended pulling his house keys out of his pocket.

"Which one is yours'?" Nick asked Brian pointing to the homes.

"The old yellow one," Brian answered. He sighed looking at the old house. "It's ugly, isn't it?"

The home was barely standing anymore. The yellow coloring covering the sides was fading, the old roof barely keeping the pouring rain from flooding the inside. It was amazing the small building had not been condemned or clasped into the muddy ground below it.

"I don't think it's so bad. It beats living in a cardboard box or curlin' up in a corner somewhere," Nick replied.
Brian frowned regreting his complaint. "Yeah, it's fine."

"Who lives there?" the young orphan wondered pointing at the old blue house across from his new friend's home that appeared to be in the same condition.

Brian looked back at his neighbor's home. "Howie Dorough and AJ McLean. You'll meet them later. They always join us for dinner."

"Why?"

"Well, they have a rough time just like me and Kev. Besides, it's great to have the company. AJ's only a year or so younger than me and Howie and Kev are about the same age."

"They always eat what you bring from the restaurant?"

Brian nodded brushing his wavy bangs away from his eyes. "Yep. If Kev and I didn't bring it home, the owner would just throw it out." He lowered his voice. "Anyway, money is real tight for all of us, so, it's one less meal to worry about buying. So, we're more than happy to share our luck at the diner with them. And they do the same for us when they can."

Kevin opened the door leading them inside from the cold. He shivered removing his wet jacket. "Brian, take Nick to your room and try to find something that might fit him and clean him up a little. You need to change too before you end up with pneumonia. I'm gonna' heat up this soup. Howie and AJ should be here soon."

Brian nodded. "Follow me, Nick."

The blonde followed behind the teenager into the new room.

"Well, this is my bedroom," Brian said turning on the lamp.

"I like it!" Nick exclaimed looking at the small bedroom as Brian stepped into the bathroom across the hall. The bedroom made have only been big enough to hold a bed and a small shelf to keep clothes on and a tiny radio; but in Nick Carter eyes it was breathtaking. "It must be cool to have a room all to yourself!"

"Yeah, it's nice to have your own space, even if it little," the owner of the room agreed as he returned carrying a washcloth and basin filled with warm, soapy water. "Here, clean yourself up a little. Brian turned away from the small 13-year-old as he searched through his small collection of clothing. "Hmm...these are a little too small for me now." He stated lifting up a faded t-shirt and jeans. "Try them on."

"Thanks," Nick replied accepting the clothing. He slowly began cleansing his skin still observing the room. "You like the Wildcats?" he questioned noticing the poster on the back of Brian's door and the baggy sweatshirt he was changing into with the mascot printed boldly on the front.

"My favorite team!" Brian beamed. "Kev got me this shirt and the poster for Christmas!" He paused. "Kev can be a real pain in the ass, but it's nice to have him around. He's really all I have in the world."

Nick frowned pulling the t-shirt over his newly cleaned small frame. "I wish I had someone like him even if they could be a pain in the ass."

"Should you be swearing?"

He shrugged. "You did."

Brian blushed. "Well, just don't swear in front of Kevin."

"So, what's the story with your neighbors?" Nick asked struggling to roll up the baggy legs of the worn jeans.

"Well," Brian began with a sigh helping Nick roll up the pant legs, "AJ's mother passed away. And when she did his guardianship was left to his uncle. Who's..um not a very nice man. Howie had always been very close to the family, and promised to help watch over him and since he's alone he offered for AJ to live with him."

Nick's jaw dropped. "The courts know about that?"

"Well, not exactly. They still think AJ's with his uncle, but in reality he just stays with Howie. His uncle doesn't care and prefers to not have to take care of him anyway. So, Howie doesn't have to be so alone and AJ's safe. It's a good deal."

"Cool," the blonde whispered. "I wish I had been that lucky."

"I wish you had been, too," Brian echoed.

Nick looked around the room. "Um..may I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Do you have a TV?"

"Yeah, in the living room."

"Does it work?"

Brian smirked. "That's a matter of opinion. It's a little twelve-inch TV we got at the Salvation Army for ten bucks, we can only get a few channels but they come in okay if you'd like to watch."

"Really? You mean it?"

He nodded standing. "Sure, come with me."

Nick followed behind him into the living room. He tilted his head taking in all the new sights of the room. The pictures on the gray walls, the aging yellow sofa covered in the flowers, the red and blue chair sitting on either of it. A huge smile crept over his face as the small television came into focus.

"I wish this thing wasn't so old," Brian groaned as he manually flipped the dial. "Then, maybe it would have a remote." He hummed as he continued searching through the few channels they have. He paused as he came across a marathon of 'The Cosby Show' episodes. "Looks like this will have to do," he said taking a seat on the sofa beside Nick.

Nick's gentle blue eyes widened intrigued by the sitcom. "He's really funny!" he chuckled watching Bill Cosby making funny faces on the small screen.

"Yeah," Brian laughed. "He is. My mom and I always use to watch this together," he whispered with a frown.

Nick's face displayed the same emotion. "Yeah, me too." The teens were distracted by a knock on the door.

"Brian, get that please!" Kevin called in from the kitchen. "It's probably Howie and AJ."

"Okay!" Brian yelled back walking to the door.

"Brian, my man!" the thin, rebellious looking teen said as the door opened.

Brian smiled giving the teenage boy a high five. "Hey, AJ!" He waved to shorter man of Puerto Rican descent at his side. "Hi, Howie. Come in and get out of the rain," he encouraged stepping out of the doorway.

"Who's this?" AJ wondered pointing into the living room.

Brian grinned. "That's Nick Carter. He's um..a new friend that'll be stayin' with us for the night."

AJ walked over to the small blonde extending his hand. "Hey, kid. I'm AJ McLean."

"Hi," Nick said meakly looking up at the rebel. His thin frame only stood a few inches above Brian's. His skin appeared to be a tanned color and his dark brown eyes were hidden beneath his sunglasses. He wore a red baseball cap, a tie-dyed t-shirt and baggy, old jeans with holes slowly making their way through the material.

Brian's lips presented an amused smile watching Nick eye AJ leerily. "It's okay, Nick. He made look a little weird, but AJ's a total softie."

"Hey!" AJ whispered pulling his cap further down on his forehead. "Don't let that spread around; it'll ruin my rep."

"What rep?" Howie asked mockingly shaking his head. He smiled at the visitor of the home. "Hi, I'm Howie Dorough."

Nick smiled easily seeing the man's kindness Brian had spoken of. He was around 5'6, with gentle brown eyes, curly black hair and a caring grin. He was wearing a white sweater and black jeans and seemed very sophisticated compared to his room mate. He patted his shoulder. "It's really nice to meet you, Nick."

"Thanks," Nick replied.

"Hey, Howie, could come in here for a sec?" Kevin hollered.

"Sure," Howie agreed walking toward the tiny kitchen. He looked over his shoulder. "You brats behave."

"I'm not a brat!" AJ defended.

Howie chuckled exiting the room. "Whatever you say, AJ."

"Aw, cool the 'The Cosby Show'!" AJ commented glancing down at the TV as he took a seat in the red chair beside the couch.

Brian and Nick returned to their positions on the sofa. The blonde turned to AJ. "Your friend seems nice."

"You mean Howie?"

Nick nodded.

"Yeah, Howie D's a great guy."

"What's he do?" Nick wondered leaning back into the sofa's cushions.

"He does some filing at the doctor's office, random office work. And I bag groceries at the super market."
Nick wrinkled his nose. "That doesn't sound like a fun job."

"It's better than working at Tony's Diner with Kevin," Brian grumbled.

AJ sighed. "If it weren't for me Howie would probably be studying to be a damn doctor instead of working in another one's office."

Brian shook his head. "Don't talk like that man. You know that ain't true."

"Yeah, it is," AJ argued. "Howie's real smart and he's only twenty. He shouldn't have to be takin' care of some fourteen-year-old menace."

"You're not a menace." Brian paused rethinking the statement. "Well, most of the time you're not."
"Does he like it there?" Nick asked AJ.

AJ shrugged. "Well, yeah I guess. He likes working with the patients and Dr.Brick teaches him medical stuff during his free time, because he knows that's what Howie wanted to be. The's doc a real nice man. He gives all of us cheap medical treatment if we need it," he said pointing to the group as a whole.

Brian nodded. "Yeah, you and Howie were lucky to find him. Just like me and Kev were lucky to find Tony," he said in reference to the owner of the diner.

Nick drew his knees to his chest resting his head, envious of the good fortune that had found the four others in their desperate situations.

"So, kid you got a girlfriend?" AJ asked slightly tapping Nick's knee.

Brian smirked. "Typical question for you to ask, AJ."

Nick wrinkled his nose. "Girlfriend? Ew, no way." He faced the fourteen-year-old. "Do you?"

Brian rolled his eyes. "AJ has a new girlfriend everyday of the week."

AJ rested his hands behind his head. "Nah, right now I'm a single man on the prowl!"

"Yeah, until tomorrow!" Brian replied.

"So, you don't have a girlfriend either?" the youngest male asked the blue-eyed teen.

He shrugged. "No, I'm single and so is Howie. And Kev is...well in a way."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"It means," Brian said beginning to clarify the statement, "that Kevin likes somebody."

"I like her too!" AJ agreed a huge smile gracing his lips. "Kit's hot!"

"Oh, stop that," Brian groaned. "She's too old for you."

AJ crossed his arms. "Oh, she's only nineteen." He turned to Nick. "And man is she fly, kid. Long, light -colored auburn locks, big brown eyes, pale skin, luscious lips and a figure that-"

"AJ!" Brian exclaimed covering Nick's ears. "That is quite enough!"

"Well, it's true!" AJ defended. "And besides, you like Kit's younger sister Patti! The petite brunette in your grade, you're always hangin' around her at school. And I've seen the way you look at her. I can't blame you. She's pretty!"

"Oh, I do not!" Brian said his face turning a bright crimson. "Stop buggin' me!"

"He's living in denial, man," AJ whispered to Nick. "Here, I'll tell you the story."

"AJ..." Brian warned.

"Okay," AJ moaned. "I won't tell him that story. Just how they met." He cleared his throat. "Ya' see, Kevin sang in the school choir when he was a senior and that's how he met Kit. She heard someone playin' the piano so she started singing, Kevin immediately fell in love with her voice. Then, when he turned around and saw the girl the voice came out of he was totally hooked. What can I say? The guy has a thing for redheads."

e paused turning to Brian. "And Brian here has a thing for brunettes, that's why he likes Patti."

Brian covered his face. "Shut up, AJ!"

"What ever happened to Kit?" Nick wondered.

"She sings at The Jazz Note," Brian answered speaking of the town's music club. "She sings there through the week to help support her family. She and her sister live with her grandma who's gettin' up in age."

"Just in case you wondering Kev's favorite hang-out is The Jazz Note," AJ interfered. "He likes to go watch her."

"More like he likes to go protect her from the men," Brian corrected.

AJ shrugged. "Yeah, that too."

"So, she's nice?"

"Yep," Brian told him. "She's real nice. And she keeps Kevin from being a jerk and gettin' all worked up over nothing, so I like her a lot. She makes my life a lot easier."

AJ smirked. "Brian may like Kit, but he loves Patti!"

"We get the point, AJ!" Brian exclaimed pouncing on the rebel beginning a fake wrestling match.

"I will not go down alone!" AJ cried out pulling Nick into the imaginary wrestling challenge.

Kevin Richardson stood quietly in the kitchen watching the boys together. Howie glanced up as he finished setting the small table. "Brian and AJ really seem to like Nick."

Kevin sighed. "Yeah, I've noticed."

"That upsets you?"

He turned to the Latino. "I dunno, Howie. I just don't want Brian gettin' all attached to Nick. I mean, it's not like he's going to suddenly become his new little brother. He's only stayin' one night. Gettin' cleaned up, new clothes, some food and then I call the cops."

Howie shook his head. "So, the kid can become a card in the government system that gets shuffle from deck to deck?"

"I'm not trying to be a bad guy," Kevin replied. "But I can't take care of him. I can barely afford to keep this place for me and Brian. I already feel guilty enough about makin' a sixteen-year-old work at a diner."

"I know what you mean," Howie sympathized. "But it's just the way things are."

Kevin's eyes softened watching Nick easily adapt to the new environment and joining AJ and Brian in their fun. "Well, he doesn't really seem like a bad kid."

"No, not at all," Howie agreed.

"But he does need to get in school," Kevin decided.

"At least he'd have AJ and Brian to help him out," Howie added. "I'd guess him to be in the seventh or eighth grade and the school combined grades seven through twelve in one building because the town is small."

"But how would I get him all set up?"

"Well.." Howie paused thinking for a moment. "I'm sure Kit wouldn't mind helping you. She's a sweetheart, Kev."

"I know she is, but I just couldn't ask Kit to help me. She has enough going on working at The Jazz Note singing to those drunken morons and trying to help her grandmother and help support Patti. I just couldn't ask her."

Howie lifted an eyebrow. "And you still say you're not hung up on her?"

Kevin crossed his arms. "You know, suddenly I know where AJ picked up the annoying habit of torturing Brian about Kit's sister."

A small smile spread over the oldest man's lips as he continued watching the trio tackling each other on the living room carpet. "They seem like The Three Musketeers already."

Howie nodded. "One for all, and all for one. It's not a bad strategy if you ask me."

Kevin shook his head clearing his mind as he set the soup on the table. "Not that it matters, it's only for the night."

Howie smirked. "Whatever you say, Kev."

Next