AJ was sitting next to him playing with a lace that went through the hood of his jacket. It was the little things that amazed AJ.
“JC, are you having anyone come in to talk to for step nine?” Marilyn asks making JC’s head snap to the side to look at her.
Shit he had forgot about that.
“Uh I’m not really sure yet,” JC says, “I didn’t really talk to anyone yet.”
“Ok,” Marilyn says, “but when you find someone you need to tell me ok.”
“Ok,” JC says.
“You know it’s easier if you get a close friend to you,” AJ says as he reaches into his jacket pocket pulling out a small bag of Cheez-Its, “That’s what I did.”
“Yeah I know I remember,” JC says.
He did remember it though. It was only yesterday that AJ had Nick come in and the two of them talked in front of the whole group about things JC would never want to talk about period. By the end of it after the arguing and the apologizing both Nick and AJ were in tears. JC didn’t know of anyone that he could think of that he would want to bring in and talk that personally to. Honestly the whole step nine scarred the shit out of him.
The rest of the group therapy session was spent like the others ones before it talking about how they were all coming along personally and what anyone could do to help. JC just wanted to go up to his room and sleep.
Of course that didn’t happen because the others all followed him into his room and soon enough he was trying to sleep while Chase was flipping through TV channels, AJ was yelling at him to slow down and Derek was doing crunches. He swore that Derek worked out more then half the day.
“What about a band mate?” AJ says.
“No,” JC says.
“Why not?”
“I didn’t really talk to them that much when I was on drugs, so why would they care.”
“Ok what about a family member?” Derek asks.
“You have never met my family.”
“Derek’s right,” AJ says, “Get a family member.”
“Like who?” JC asks.
“What about your little brother?” Chase says.
AJ motions his head towards Chase and nods.
“Yeah,” Derek says.
“Guys that is a bad idea,” JC says, “I have been so horrible to him over the past two years. It amazes me that he even talks to me now.”
“Perfect candidate then,” AJ says.
“Yeah,” Derek says, “I had my dad come in for me.”
“When you getting out Derek?” Chase asks.
“A week,” Derek says.
“Oh,” Chase says and focuses his attention back on the TV screen.
AJ looks at Chase and frowns.
“Well go call your brother,” AJ says to JC.
“Guys…”
“GO,” they all say.
“Fine,” JC mumbles getting up from his bed and walking out of the room.
He wanted to kill all of them now.
JC sits in the middle of the group circle the next day with an empty chair across from him bouncing his leg up and down. Where was Tyler? Tyler was supposed to be here by now. What if he did come? What would he do then? Why was AJ constantly eating Cheez-Its now? Why did Nick come perfectly on time and Tyler wasn’t? Where the hell was…
“Tyler?” JC says standing up as Tyler walks through the doorway into the room and all eyes turn towards him.
“Josh,” Tyler says stopping dead in his tracks and staring at him.
“You must be Tyler,” Marilyn says walking up and shaking his hand, “I’m Marilyn. I am the counselor for this group. This is Derek, Chase, Mary, Tommy and I’m sure you know ho AJ is.”
“Cheez-It?” AJ asks holding up his bag of Cheez-Its to Tyler who stares at him oddly, “Ok, be that way,” AJ says taking the bag back as Mary puts her hand in it taking one then smiling at AJ as he glares at her.
“Ok Tyler,” Marilyn says, ‘Did JC tell you how this is going to work?”
“Kind of,” Tyler says looking back at his brother.
“Ok have a seat please. Take the one across from JC please,” Marilyn says as Tyler sits down in the seat across from JC, “Ok JC why don’t you tell Tyler why you brought him here.”
“Ok,” JC says letting out a deep breath of air, “ Ty, I’m sorry for all the shit I put you through the past couple of years I’ve been doing this shit.”
Tyler stares at him.
“Tyler?”
“You brought me here to tell me that?”
“Well yeah…”
“What the fuck is wrong with you. It took two years for you to apologize to me. Why me first off? Don’t you think you put mom and dad through enough let alone your group?”
“I just thought it would be easier to talk to you first.”
“Josh, you put us through hell. Do you hear me HELL? We thought you were going to fucking die. Then you go and pull shit while your high that you don’t remember. What about Bobbie? Jesus you owe her so many apologies it amazes me you aren’t talking to her now. Oh wait that’s right you used her.”
“I didn’t use her.”
“Fine even if you didn’t you still put her through hell.”
“She won’t talk to me ok!”
“I wonder why?”
“Listen Tyler you are making this really hard.”
“Oh I’m sorry Josh because it is all about you isn’t it. It is always about you.”
“Tyler…”
“No, listen Josh! You put us all through hell worrying about you, so you better clean up your act. This all happened because of your own stupidity. This is all your own fault. You always say this all happened because of what you did to Polly. Make peace with Polly and then maybe you can stop this shit.”
“I did make up with Polly. Well she doesn’t hate me anymore to say the least.”
“You made up with Polly?”
“I talked to her. She isn’t mad at me anymore.”
“Jesus Josh. You just scarred us all so bad. The drugs were bad enough and then you go and try to kill yourself. It was just too much.”
“I’m trying to stop honestly I am, Ty.”
“I just wanted a normal big brother when I was little Josh. Just a normal big brother to play ball with once and a while, but you were always doing some shit with the Mickey Mouse Club and then NSYNC came along later. The only person that could actually keep your attention and you let her go. When she left is was like you feel apart. You weren’t Josh anymore. You weren’t anyone.”
“I’m sorry Tyler,” JC says as his eyes start to tear up, “I’m so sorry. I really am.”
“It’s ok Josh,” Tyler says and hugs his brother.
“If we clap for this I say mutiny,” AJ says.
“We clapped when you and Nick hugged,” Chase says.
“Me and Nick did not hug.”
“Yes you did,” Chase and Derek say at the same time.
“Oh both of you shut up,” AJ says putting another Cheez-It in his mouth.
“I hate this show Chase,” AJ says as Chase turns on Dawson’s Creek.
“Well nothing else is on AJ,” Chase says watching the TV sitting on the floor of JC’s room.
“It revolves around Joey not Dawson. Lets see who will date Joey next,” AJ says.
“You know what I always wanted to do,” Chase says, “I want to race a car. Like those professional drag racers.”
“Alright then I am the chief in the pit crew,” AJ says.
“I wanna drive,” JC says.
“JC you can’t drive,” AJ says.
“Why not?”
“First off Chase weighs less.”
“So it is all about reactions and your skills,” JC says.
“Oh quick reactions?” AJ says picking up an orange and throwing it at JC as JC stares at it and it hits him in the chest, “Reactions JC,” he says throwing another over at Chase’s head who is still watching TV.
Chase turns around and catches it, “I get to be the driver,” he says smirking.
“That is so not fair,” JC says.
“What are you gonna do when you’re sober?” Chase asks AJ.
“Me?” AJ says, “Do you even have to ask? I’m gonna go back on tour. Write some songs for our new album. Shoot some more videos. I’d like to do TV or movies too. I always thought that would be cool. Maybe get married soon and have a few kids.”
“I think they’d kick you out of suburbia,” Derek says.
“Oh and what do you wanna be?”
“Honestly? I’d like to be an FBI agent or something to do with investigations.”
“I think you watch to much X-Files and CSI,” AJ says.
“Oh haha,” Derek says.
“What about you JC?”
“I wanna be free,” JC says.
“Huh?”
“I wanna be able to just relax for a little and get my life back in order.”
“That’s too much free time for me,” AJ says, ‘I need to be back up on a stage.”
“I could give it up,” JC says sighing, “I could give it all up.”
“No way in hell could I do that,” AJ says.
“So you’re leaving in a week?” Chase says to Derek.
“Yeah,” Derek says, “Back to the real world for me.”
Chase nods and turns back to the screen.
“When they letting you out, Chase?” JC says.
“I dunno,” Chase sighs, “It doesn’t matter to me. This is my home now.”
“What if someone gave you a better home?”
“Huh?”
“Well I mean my house is big enough for you to live there with me and I live a few minutes from AJ if you ever wanna crash at his house.”
AJ looks at Chase and nods, “Or come by to throw eggs at O-Towns house then spray them with the hose when they come on my property.”
“You guys mean it?” Chase asks.
“Yeah,” JC says, “You deserve a good home.”
“He’s right little man,” AJ says.
“Yeah, I’d like that,” Chase says smiling.
“You can even come on tour with me if you want,” JC says.
“My tours better,” AJ says.
“Oh please.”
“Oh please yourself I hope you fall off that damned mechanical bull.”
JC looks at AJ and shakes his head.
“Don’t trust them they have the albino with the smart ass remarks.”
“Oh and what is Kevin?”
“A Lucifer look a like,” AJ says smiling making his hands form horns on his head, “I’m kidding Kevin is my brother.”
“You know AJ does know Vanessa Andrews,” Chase says.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” AJ says, “I think Vanessa is too high matinence even for me.”
“But your dating Rachel,” Chase says.
“I know and I get hell for it from her group because it sounds like a bad fan fiction come to life,” AJ says smirking.
“I think I’ll stick to racing,” Chase says.
“Yeah,” AJ says.
“I’m getting out of it,” JC says.
“Huh?”
“I’m stopping for a little. I’ve been thinking about it for a while and I want to stop for a break after this.”
“So do it,” AJ says.
“The sad thing is it’s not even my life to control anymore,” JC sighs, “It’s the fans and the group.”
“Too true,” AJ sighs, “Too true.”
