Runaway Chapter 7

Brian nodded. "Marcus, this is Tyler," Brian introduced the guard. "Tyler, Marcus is one of our security guys. They keep us safe from the mobs."

Tyler shook Marcus' hand. "So how do you know the guys?" Marcus asked, never having seen the boy before.

Tyler glanced at Brian, as Brian laughed. "Tell him, Ty. It's okay."

Tyler looked at Marcus. "I snuck onto the bus in the last city and they found me sleeping on Brian's bunk," Tyler said quietly.

Marcus laughed, thinking Tyler was joking. Then he looked at Brian. "You're serious?"

Brian nodded and Marcus took another look at Tyler. Where first he'd just seen a young man, now he noticed the bruises and wariness. Something had obviously happened to the kid.

"We decided to keep him, Marc," Brian said, interrupting Marcus' thoughts. "So watch out for him too, okay?" Brian said, his voice becoming serious. Marcus looked at Brian and saw the intensity in his face. The boy meant something to Brian, so he'd try to keep him safe as well.

Marcus nodded. "You got it, boss!" he said with a grin. Brian hated being called 'boss'. By then, the three men had reached the stage in the middle of the arena.

Marcus headed over to the rest of the security team. Brian turned to Tyler. "You gonna sit and watch Ty?" he asked.

Tyler smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I'll make sure no lights are about to fall on ya," he said lightly.

Brian grinned. "Thanks!"

He walked over to the stage where the other four guys were talking to the tour manager and their dancers.

Tyler walked a couple of rows into the stands and sat down. He'd never been to a concert before and found the entire production interesting. His eyes flickered from the stage to the lighting crew, to the dancers to some businessmen standing off to one side. He recognized the one management guy Jeff, in the group.

He smiled as he saw Nick jogging towards him. Nick was grinning. "Hey Tyler! B said you're going to stick around for a while," he said. Tyler nodded. "Cool. Maybe after the concert tonight I can show you some of the games I have. I know you'll like them!"

Tyler couldn't help but grin at Nick's enthusiasm. "I bet if you weren't a singer you would play video games for a living Nick," Tyler commented.

Nick laughed loudly. "You better believe it."

"NICK!" a loud female voice echoed through the nearly empty arena.

Nick winced. "That would be Fatima. You haven't met her yet have you?" Tyler shook his head again. "You're lucky!" Nick commented with a sigh and a smile. He turned and jogged back down to the stage.

Tyler watched as the woman, obviously the choreographer, began going over some steps for the singers and the dancers. He found himself smiling as he watched Nick and Brian goof around.

"Tyler?" a voice said suddenly from beside him, making him jump.

Tyler turned quickly to find Jeff and another man standing in the aisle, watching him. "Yes?" he replied warily, wondering what the men wanted.

Jeff and the man sat down in the seats in front of Tyler and turned to him.

"Tyler, we met yesterday, I'm Jeff Smith," Jeff reintroduced himself. Tyler shook his hand.

"I remember," Tyler said quietly, still wary around the men.

"Tyler, this is Steve, he's in charge of the stage and lighting for the concerts," Jeff introduced the other man. Tyler nodded at him.

"Well, because of the accident yesterday, we fired a couple of the guys who were so careless. There was no excuse for such sloppy and dangerous work," Jeff continued. "I've explained to Steve how it was you who noticed the problem and saved the guys from serious injury."

Tyler looked back and forth between the men, wondering what they were getting at. He glanced past the men to the stage and saw Brian and Nick staring up at them. He felt better knowing they were watching out for him. Tyler returned his attention to the men in front of him.

"What we were wondering, is if you would like to help out setting up the stage and lighting for the rest of the tour? We know you're just hanging with the guys. Its not the best paying job...mainly hard labor, with an attention to detail. But it would save us having to interview and hire someone for only a month of work."

Tyler stared blankly at the men for a moment. They were offering him a job? He'd never had a job before. "I...I'm not sure," Tyler finally replied.

"You can still travel with the 'Boys'," Jeff said, looking at Steve for approval for that suggestion.

Steve nodded. "Sure, that's no problem. Why don't you think about it, Tyler," Steve said as he stood up. "We do need an answer by the end of the day though, because we have to fill the spot by tomorrow night."

Tyler looked up at the two men. "Okay, I'll let you know," he paused. "Thank you for offering me the chance," he added.

The men smiled and walked back down to the floor. Tyler watched as Brian and Kevin walked over to Jeff and Steve. The four men talked for a few minutes, with frequent glances at Tyler. He wondered if Brian had asked them to offer him the job. Tyler frowned. He didn't want the job simply because he was friends with the singers.

He stopped. Friends? It was still such a foreign idea to Tyler, but that was what the five singers had become. Admittedly, he knew Brian better than he knew the others, but each of them had talked to him, shown an interest in his wellbeing. It was a strange but incredibly good feeling.

The conversation on the arena floor ended and Brian and Kevin returned to the stage. The sound check had been finished and the singers, with the ten dancers, were going through routines for different songs.

About ninety minutes later, Fatima ended the rehearsal. Tyler slowly walked back down to the floor and approached the five sweaty singers.

"Hey Tyler!" AJ greeted him as he reached the five.

Tyler smiled. "Hi AJ. You're a good dancer," he added shyly.

AJ grinned. "Thanks. It's hard carrying these clods all the time!" he complained. Howie threw a sweat-drenched towel at AJ. AJ began chasing after Howie and Tyler smiled at their antics.

He turned his attention back to the other three as they rested on one of the stage ramps.

"So what'd ya think, Tyler?" Kevin asked as he drank from a bottle of water.

"It was interesting. You guys are all good dancers, and singers of course!" he replied. He turned to Brian. "Brian...um...can we talk for a minute?" Tyler asked.

Brian smiled and nodded. "Sure Ty."

They walked over to the first row of floor seats and sat down. Brian waited for Tyler to speak. "Um...I was wondering...um...Jeff offered me some work setting up the stage...and...did you ask him to offer me the job?" Tyler finally got the words out.

Brian immediately shook his head. "No. I saw Jeff and Steve talking to you so when they came down, Kev and I wanted to know what was going on. That's why we were talking to them," Brian explained.

Tyler nodded. "Okay. Do you think I should do it?" he asked.

Brian shrugged. "It's completely up to you Ty. There are about a dozen more concerts. If you want to do it then do so. But if you'd rather just take it easy for a while then do that instead." Brian leaned forward and looked intently at Tyler. "Ty, this is not about money or payback, okay. Money is irrelevant right now. Make the decision strictly on whether you feel like working or not, nothing else."

Tyler nodded again. He looked at the elaborate stage. "I think...I'd like to try it. I...I've never had a job before, so this would be good experience."

Brian smiled to himself, happy that Tyler was starting to make some of his own decisions. "Okay. I think I'm going to go to the dressing room and shower. They're going to set up a buffet in one of the lounges so we'll go grab some dinner later. Why don't you go talk to Steve and Jeff, and then come back to the dressing rooms? We should be ready to eat by then," Brian suggested.

Tyler stood up. "Alright. I'll see you soon?"

Brian could still hear the anxiety in Tyler's voice. Brian stood and gently clasped Tyler's face between his hands. "Tyler, I am NOT going to abandon you, I promise. We're going to have to be away from each other at times but that does not mean I've left or forgotten you. Got it?"

"Got it," Tyler replied with a slight smile. Brian just had a way to make him feel better.

Brian grinned. "Good. Now go!" he said and turned Tyler around. He watched the boy walk across the floor and over to where Steve was talking to some other crew workers. Brian grabbed his stuff and walked through the exit to the dressing rooms.

Brian found Nick and AJ just getting changed and he could hear the water running still in the showers. "Hey Nick, are you going to spend some time with Tyler?" Brian asked, as he began stripping out of his damp clothes.

"Un-huh. I'm gonna teach him how to play some video games. I can't believe someone would deprive a kid of such simple fun," Nick said in disgust. All of the guys had some anger against Tyler's parents and not just for the abuse.

Brian nodded. "I know. Not that I mind, but I don't think it's good if he depends completely on me. I want him to become comfortable with all of us. He's a good kid."

Nick was dressed and turned to look at Brian thoughtfully. "B, if you haven't noticed, he's not just a kid," Nick said quietly.

Brian stopped walking towards the shower, surprised by Nick's comments. He looked at his younger band mate. Nick smiled. "Now don't tell me you didn't notice Bri! Tyler is hot, but," Nick stopped Brian from interrupting. "I do know what he's been through and I have no intention of making a move on him. Okay?"

Brian nodded. "Okay. I don't want him to get hurt. He's already had more than enough," Brian commented as he walked to the showers, passing Kevin and Howie on the way.