Chapter 60
“Yes! I finally get to get out of the hellhole. This sucks. Remind me never to drink that much again. Hell, they could have at least put a sexier nurse in the room with me. But no...they had to put me with an 80 year old grandma who thought I was some devil worshiper!” AJ exclaimed as he signed the last of the paperwork.
He noticed on the bottom of the form....”Patient appears to be stable and in healthy condition. No further psychiatric treatment is necessary. Patient does not pose a risk to himself or others.”
“Well, gee...I’m glad to see that these wacko’s in white jackets have figured out that I am not a deranged lunatic!” AJ complained. “72 hours of shear hell and that is all they could say.”
“Well AJ, at least they didn’t put ya in a straight jacket!” Brian joked.
“Hey, those things are more uncomfortable than you would think.” AJ remembered.
Everyone looked at him and then remembered his silly photo of him stuck in a straight jacket. They all giggled.
“Now, we are all to go to Nick and Heather’s house to talk things over. Dee is there and they all said that they are ready for us.” Howie said as he hung up his cell phone.
After finally checking out, Howie, AJ, and Brian rode to our house together. “I wonder if Kevin has spoken to Dee since the other day?” AJ asked.
“Well, I am not sure...but I will tell you all one thing. If New Years is ruined cuz of this...I will never forgive you!” Howie said. “This is the new Millennium guys...we can’t fight on New Years.”
“I am so glad to know that you are so concerned for us bro. Glad to see that you would rather be partying than fighting with us.” AJ grumbled.
“Hell ya...I’m not going to miss it this year. Every year we have to perform...and finally we don’t and now look at all this. AJ, I will beat your ass if you all ruin my New Years...” Howie finished.
“Oh yeah...like you could kick his ass.” Brian joked, as he drove.
“Oh man! I forgot to call Katrina! I promised to call her...and I haven’t talked to her since we went to Hard Rock!” Howie panicked.
“You know she is going to be mad, don’t ya.” Brian said.
“Oh yeah....she had invited me to go out tomorrow night for New Years.” Howie said, feeling bad.
The three of them drove on in silence the rest of the way. Howie was worried he had mad Kat mad, and Brian was just concerned that all this wasn’t going to go too well. AJ, well, AJ was just his usual self.
*** *** ***
Nick and I had gotten the house set up for the meeting. We didn’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable, so we moved furniture around to accommodate them. Dee helped me clean so that no one was appalled at my house. We hadn’t been home all that long, and all the wedding gifts and our luggage from the honeymoon were still all over the house.
“Dee, could you help me please?” I asked from across the room.
“God Heather...what are you doing?!!” Dee fussed when she saw me trying to carry boxes and everything to the back room. “You know you are supposed to take it easy. Let me get those for you...and Nickolas! Come and talk some sense into your wife! She thinks she is superwoman!”
Nick came around the corner and started complaining about me doing too much and insisted I sit and rest. I shot a mean look at Dee for ratting on me and then sat down on the couch.
After about 20 minutes of watching Dee and Nick clean up, I heard the doorbell ring. Dee stood frozen in her place as she started to worry about who it was.
“Hey Kevin, come on in. You’re a few minutes early. The guys are on the way. They had to go and pick up AJ at the hospital. Come over and sit here with me. I want to talk to you.” I said as I escorted Kevin to the living room.
Dee walked into the kitchen to help Nick. She was nervous about being in the room with Kevin until it was time to talk.
*** *** ***
“Kevin, I want you to know, I know you probably didn’t mean those things you said to me, but I know that you were hurting. But you need to understand that it hurt me...and it hurt me alot. I am not sure what you think of me anymore, but I hope that we can still be friends.” I said, getting up and walking to the kitchen, leaving him thinking.
Kevin sat dumbfounded as he sat alone in the room. He could only sit there with a frown as he soon realized that he could possibly lose my friendship. Although Kevin and I had always had our differences, we found a way to get around them and agree on things. However, he had hurt my feelings...and I wanted him to know that it wasn’t a simple “I’m sorry” and then have it all go back to normal. I had taken the insults and the humiliation from him before...but never again. Kevin soon got up and wandered towards the kitchen, to apologize to me.
“Heather...” Kevin said. “Heather?”
“Yeah Kevin?” I said, sitting at the counter, sipping a glass of apple juice. “Did you want something to drink or eat?”
“Umm, no...no thanks. I came to say this in front of Nick and Dee. I wanted to say I am sorry. I didn’t mean the things that I said. And worst of all, I never meant to hurt you. I never meant to make you sick and collapse like that. Oh God, I know you probably can’t forgive me, and I don’t expect you to either...but, just know that I do apologize.” Kevin said as he sat down at the table.
“Kevin, you have to realize something. Heather has always been friends to all of you, no matter what. But she can’t be going through this nonsense and stuff, not right now. I will not tolerate you treating my wife like shit. If you ever say anything like that again, I can guarantee our friendship will end too, and you will never be welcome around here again.” Nick cut in.
“And Kevin, I forgive you...but just remember...what comes around, goes around.” I finished.
Dee just looked at Kevin, trying not to feel sorry for him. However, her heart felt nothing but sorrow and pain for him. She had betrayed him, and he had just lashed out because of it. The two of them looked at each other from across the room, and then Kevin slowly got up and walked back into the living room.
Within minutes, the rest of the gang arrived. They had stopped to pick up Leighanne on the way, and then come straight over. I greeted them at the door with hugs and then escorted them to the living room.
“Please, everyone. Have a seat. Heather and I would like to say a few things first, and then you all can do what you have to do.” Nick said.
“I want you all to know, we are not leaving here until this is worked out. I am not saying that we have to leave as friends or enemies...but, we will have this resolved one way or the other. Now, our house is open to you all for as long as you need it. Nick and I will be out on the back porch if you need anything. Thanks...and good luck.” I said, and then left the room.
For several minutes, we heard nothing but silence. Leighanne, Brian and Howie sat back and just waited patiently until someone spoke. They were basically there just to keep things calm, but not to intervene.
Finally, AJ broke the silence. “First of all, I am taking blame for this all. It was my childish stupidity that did this. For that, I am sorry. I never meant to hurt anyone, least of all two of my best friends.” He finished and let his head drop down. Everyone looked at him, astonished that he would have the guts to admit it was his fault.
“Well, it is my fault too,” Dee started, “I could have just pushed you away and said no. But I didn’t...and I was wrong.”
“You two act like it was just a game or something! Don’t you realize that you have both broken the trust I had in you?! Don’t you realize that you have ruined a relationship...and two friendships over this?! NO! All you both thought about was what your hormones wanted! What a bunch of children!” Kevin yelled as he stood up.
Brian immediately stood up in front of his cousin and said, “Sit back down and relax...now.” Brian was not about to sit here and listen to Kevin put all the blame on everyone else. He knew that Kevin’s temper was out of control, and someone had to keep him in line. Kevin shot Brian a look, but immediately sat back down.
“That is all you can think about is yourself! You aren’t even listening to us!” Dee yelled back.
“You’re just an asshole Kevin. If you aren’t even going to try to get Dee back....you’re just a fucking jerk! You have no idea what you are throwing away!” AJ yelled back at Kevin.
“Fuck you AJ!” Kevin yelled.
“No thanks! I wouldn’t fuck you if my life depended on it!” AJ yelled back.
“You two just need to shut the hell up!” Dee yelled at the both of them.
“Fuck you Dee!” the both of them yelled.
“Haven’t you both already done that??!!” she snapped back.
I heard all the commotion from outside...and came back into the room.
“Please...calm down.” I said gently.
The three continued to yell back and forth at each other until they were in each others faces. I couldn’t take it anymore, and finally got myself all worked up.
“I SAID TO CALM DOWN AND SHUT UP....NOW!”
Everyone in the room turned and looked at me with concern. Nick came in and tried to get me to calm down too. He didn’t want me to get all stressed out.
“Honey, it’s okay...please...baby...just calm down.” Nick tried to say as he held me.
“No...I am sick of this nonsense! If they want to kill each other...fine! But they are not going to do it in OUR house! I am NOT going to sit by and watch you destroy your friendships and your careers because of this! I WILL NOT SEE YOU ALL SAY HATEFUL THINGS AND DESTROY ALL THAT YOU HAVE WORKED FOR!” I said as I ran off crying.
“That’s great guys...this is exactly what I was trying to avoid.” Nick said, in disbelief that his friends couldn’t be civil. Nick then excused himself to come and check on me.
Dee, Kevin and AJ just stared at each other when they realized what they were doing. “Oh God...what have we done?” the three said together.
Brian finally spoke up, “Look, decide right now...are you three going to wipe the slate clean? Or is this the end of the group?”
They all looked at each other...waiting for an answer...