Nick fished around in his pockets, producing his mobile phone, and his wallet. He discarded these along with his sunglasses and keys onto the coffee table. The items made a clang against the glass. He then mimicked AJ and slumped into another recliner chair. AJ noted over the rim of his glass that Nick's eyes were tired and a little red. He immediately guessed that Nick had had a late night, and that he had been crying. Being in a group for so long made them all brothers, and it was these sorts of things that AJ could observe without being told. He kept his thoughts to himself though. He knew Nick hated the whole "Are you alright?" speech when he clearly appeared like he was not. Nick really didn't like to admit to tears either.
Nick travelled to AJ's when he was feeling this miserable, and AJ, in a state of full understanding after his spell in rehab a few years earlier, rarely turned him away. Sometimes AJ's mere company was enough for Nick. Mostly they would sit in silence for a while, before switching on a sports channel and having a conversation about what was up. Three of AJ's little dogs scampered up to Nick and tugged at his trouser leg. He picked one of them up, and stroked him on his lap. The other dogs soon joined the first by jumping up onto the chair, but Nick hadn't noticed as he was in such a state of concentration and disarray. AJ placed his glass down on the coffee table and observed Nick patiently. They had been through this many times and they were at the stage whereby AJ would just sit and wait for Nick to be stable enough for conversation. The ringing of AJ's telephone awoke Nick from the deep sea of his scattered thoughts and emotions. AJ went to answer it. Nick's anger returned to him when AJ said:
"Hey B-Rok, what's up?" Nick sat in his fury and waited for AJ to tell Brian that he was there. These encounters between himself and AJ were so predictable sometimes that Brian was calling to ask after Nick, knowing that he would be there. "Yeah, he's here." AJ began.
Nick cringed in his seat. "You wanna talk to him?" Nick turned around on his chair violently, the resting dogs leaped from his lap in fright. He shook his head profusely. "You know what `rok he doesn't look like he wants to talk. I'll get him to call you later."
AJ said compromisingly nodding to Nick in a gesture which said "Yes you will call him later" and Nick returned to his previous position on the chair in a child like temper, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, now without the comfort of the dogs.
AJ muttered a brief dialogue down the phone to Brian before returning to his chair, switching on a random football game by the remote as he sat down. Nick burst into unexpected laughter.
"You need to get rid of those paints man!" He told AJ giggling.
"Look, I don't care what you guys say, I'm keeping the pants!" He defended quickly laughing himself. The laughter faded as swiftly as it had arrived and Nick caught AJ's eyes, cheering in the background from the inside of the stadium on the TV filled their brief silence.
Nick knew he would have to confess to what had turned his entire life upside down so quickly.
