Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2001 00:39:35 -0700 From: Aaron . Subject: "Specter" Ch. 3 lol......*taps the mic* I know you're out there, I can hear you breathing! Is anyone reading this??? Hmmm........well anyway, ENJOY! :) *screams* HI NIMMY!!!!! Disclaimer: No no no...............Nope, Nada, Non, Nyet, and so forth....... This story, in whole and in part, is copywritten 2001 Aaron R. DeLorean All Rights Reserved "Specter" Aaron DeLorean *Chapter Three* ___________________________ I'm Haunted. By the lies that I have loved, And answers I have hated, I'm Haunted. --POE ___________________________ Nick dropped the newspaper on the bed as I was getting dressed to leave the hospital. "Whoa, dude! You're still here?" He smiled, "Yep" He nodded to the paper, "Guess who's on the front page?" I gathered up the paper and gazed at the front page. Jesus Christ, it was me! I sat down hard on the bed. "Shit...they've even got a picture of me and Holly." Nick nodded. I went on, "Do you know how old this picture of me is? I was wearing Gucci. I haven't worn Gucci for years-I wonder where they got this from." Nick SMIRKed again. Nurse Kyle picked that moment to show himself. "Akira," he began, "There were reporters in he hall. We had to call Security to run them off. They all congregated in the lobby downstairs." I put my head in my hands. Nick spoke up, "Akira if you want I can have my PR people take care of them." I looked at him. "PR people?" He nodded. "What do you do exactly, Mr. Nick?" I asked again curiously. SMIRK "I'm a vocalist. The Public Relations are from my label." I nodded. I noticed Kyle standing by the door eyeing Nick suspiciously. Interesting, I thought to myself. Nick's face suddenly lit up, "Oh my god Akira, I totally forgot to properly introduce myself!" I nodded. "I'm Nick Carter." I smiled, "Nice to meet you Mr. Nick Carter, I'm Akira Maxwell." We both shook hands and laughed. Kyle turned his head and stomped out of the room abruptly. We both noticed his hasty retreat. "What's his problem?" Nick asked. I rolled my eyes, "Who the hell knows? Men, I swear." Nick laughed, "Aki you ARE a man." I whipped my head around to face him. "What did you just call me?" I asked, shocked. He looked surprised, "Uh, I called you Aki?" I searched his face for an explanation. "I know...Holly is--was the only person that called me that." "Oh. I know," Nick said, "I have to confess, the walls in our building are a bit thin and sometimes I've heard bits of your conversations." Interesting, I thought to myself. I nodded. "Oh." Kyle came back in the room with my discharge sheet. His mood seemed improved. He was an interesting one. He smiled and handed me the papers. "Alright Akira, sign here and here." He said, indicating the lines I was required to sign, "And we can get you out of here." I signed and Nick spoke, "So Akira may I take you home, since we DO live next door?" I laughed, "Sure Nick." I said, smiling. I noticed that Kyle was scowling again. JEALOUSY. Well, Nick was simply treating me as a friend and here my NURSE was already getting jealous. I rolled my eyes. MEN. I walked over to Kyle and thanked him for his help--BOTH times. I hugged him lightly and he embraced me fully. I felt a tingle in my stomach and a little tinge of excitement as he held me against his warm, solid chest. ACK. No, I was NOT falling for my nurse. I rolled my eyes at myself. Sometimes I hate being a man. I twinkled my fingers at Cute Nurse Kyle as Nick dragged me and my bag down the hall to the bank of elevators. Nick opened the door of a clean, red, Dodge Durango. I turned to him, "Oh, so this is YOUR car that I park next to every day." "Yep," he said, "And that black Ferrari 328 GT-S is yours." I nodded surprised at the things this man seemed to know about me. He went on, "How did you afford such an expensive car?" I rolled my eyes. Nosy Nicky. "Well, It was my dad's. I got it when he--when he died a few years ago." Nick turned his head and looked at my eyes as we merged onto the freeway. "Oh, Aki--Akira, I'm sorry. Me and my big mouth, I didn't mean to pry." I shook my head. "No, it's fine, really Nick. It's ok now. I would have rather gotten the car a different way, but it's okay." Nick continued to snatch long glances at me as we made our way back to our high-rise. He didn't think I noticed, but I could see him in the reflection of the window. Strange emotions were bubbling up in me. I was falling for Kyle very quickly--even though I didn't even know his last name. And then there was this strange, mysterious Nick Carter that had lived next door to me for 2 years and I had never seen him once. I had a feeling he liked me as more than just the curious neighbor next door that suddenly trashes their apartment. I also knew I was falling quickly for him just as I was for Kyle. I shook my head mentally and scolded myself for falling for two guys that I hardly even knew. I heard a Smirnoff and Sprite with an Oxycodone on the side calling my name as we pulled into Nick's parking space next to my Ferrari. Nick helped me out of the Durango and I held my hand to my wound as we made our way across the parking garage and into the elevator. I usually took the stair as it was the only exercise I got, but my entire body hurt like a bitch and I could tell Nick preferred to get his exercise in the gym; or maybe playing basketball--he looked like the basketball playing type to me. I unlocked my front door and Nick followed me in. I had almost forgotten my little apartment-trashing adventure the day before, and the appearance of my flat was a bit of a shock to me. I inhaled sharply. "Oh Nick! My poor television!" Nick laughed, "Aww, it's okay, I'll buy you a new one." I narrowed my eyes at him, "No, you're buying several of my designs, Mr. Vocalist. They aren't THAT expensive and I'm sure you can afford it." Nick laughed again, "Yeah, I'll buy whatever you'd like me to Aki." By this time I actually didn't mind him calling me Aki--I still missed Holly badly, though. I slumped down on the sofa and sighed heavily. "What's wrong Akira?" Nick inquired as he came over and set next to me on the long vintage sofa. "Oh God I miss Holly!" I sobbed out as tears began to flow down my face. I felt Nick's arms wrapping around me and drawing me to him as I cried sadly at the loss of my only friend in the world. Later I got up from the sofa and walked over to my plate-glass-on- sawhorses desk. I went through my messages. The first two were from my mother. She was hysterical. Yammering on in Japanese. Looks like Mom saw the news. I sighed. "Goodbye mom, I'll call you later." I mumbled as I hit the DELETE button on the answering machine. The next message was a shock to say the least. "Hi Akira. This is Kyle Randone--you're nurse from the Hospital? Anyway, I know this probably isn't a good time to be asking this, but would you like to get some coffee with me sometime after you're feeling better? Call me back whenever, my number is--" I hit DELETE: I'd get his number off the caller ID. I looked at the fax machine as if it might any moment come to life and tell me what I should be doing. I looked over to the sofa. Nick was laying there, sleeping peacefully. He had fallen asleep after I had cried myself out for the afternoon. It was six PM. SHIT. What was I gonna do about this whole Kyle/Nick thing? At least I knew Kyle's last name now. Nick kept his eyes closed even though he was awake. Kyle wanted a date with Akira? Damn. Now what was he going to do? Nick had loved Akira since the first time He'd seen him come zooming into his parking space in that awesome Ferrari. He sighed deeply, hoping Akira wouldn't notice he was awake. Nick felt so alone now more than ever. They would be going back out on tour again in a few weeks, and then his secret would be out, Akira would know exactly who he was. Nick had spent the last two years with his ear plastered to the wall separating his living room from Akira's flat. He had heard every single thing that had gone on in that apartment. He heard the fights with Akira's traditional Japanese mother, the two of them arguing about some aspect of Akira's life. Nick had also been witness to some of the more private times in Akira's life. Including the times Akira had cried himself to sleep after downing an entire bottle of vodka. Nick's entire being had ached to venture next door and climb into Akira's bed with him and hold him, rocking him to sleep. He knew he could not. A lone tear fell from Nick's eye as Akira sat at the desk, his head in his hands. ........To Be Continued......... www.aarondelorean.com