I had ended up spending some overdue time with him and began to bond again, only to leave for Europe. "AJ! Nick! St-aw-op!" I yell, trying to talk between chortles.
Nick swings a leg over my mid section to straddle my waist and continues to tickle me, the two of them laughing uncontrollably. "Say mercy!" AJ demands, tickling more and his fingers dig in deeper.
I laugh a few more minutes before Nick begins to recognize the signs of an anxiety attack, something I haven't had since I was 11. "AJ, stop! She's about to have an attack!" Nick shouts, pushing his bandmate off me and quickly turns to Kevin as he sits on his legs beside me again. "What do I do?"
Kevin looks up as I begin to wheeze, my hand on my chest. Brian strides over and pulls me up to stand, positioning my arms to make them perpendicular to my body. "Take deep breaths as well as you can," he tells me, guiding me by showing me.
I begin to become frightened, I can't catch my breath! I'm going to fucking die?! Dammit!
~~~~~
"Tenía un pánico intenso o ataque de ansiedad," an unfamiliar voice says, Howie talking to him in another language. It's late July 11/early July 12 and I quickly recognize the look of an ER.
"Howie! Howie! She's awake! Guys!" Nick hollers, the other four guys' response was to barrel ass into my room and fire off too many questions at one time.
"Slow down," I weakly say. "I'll be fine soon. Can I dance and perform mañana?"
Howie translates it into Spanish for the doctor and looks at me, listening to the doc's orders. "Only if you rest for the next 24 hours and can make it through one rehearsal without being too short of breath. He gave you a prescription for an inhaler if it happens again. You need this break."
"I'm fine," I assert.
"Yeah, right and I'm your real dad," AJ says, being facetious.
"That means you would have had me when you were five or six! Anybody have the number for Guinness on hand?"
"Hahaha! Really?" he says, hanging his head.
"You scared the shit out of us!" Kevin announces.
"Not losing you," Nick tells me.
"Maybe it's time for you to choose," Brian suggests.
"Choose what?" I sourly demand.
"Which one to do or to stop altogether."
"No way! I'm locked into the one with you and I'm not bailing on Aaron!"
"Like when ding dong broke your heart?" Aaron asks.
"Yeah, you know everything."
"I did those dates with these guys to promo my album."
Jane walks in and hugs me, kissing my cheek. "Are you feeling better?"
"Now that I can breathe, yes."
She gives me a half smile, sitting on my bed and taking my hand in hers. "Hon, you need to take it easy before you exhaust your self beyond healing and be hospitalized away from everyone or get sick, taking forever to bounce back."
I drop my head back on the pillow in the hospital bed. "Is Aaron staying home?"
"He was only scheduled to perform a few times and we have to head back home to do tv promotions."
"Oh, so it looks like someone chose for me. Maybe between dates I can fly out and see you or my guys," I offer Aaron.
~~~~~
After the five of the Boys had that scare, I've been on bed rest with Nick and AJ keeping watch on me. Nick knows the signs and AJ is just there to talk. "So what songs describe me on your album?"
"You mean Millennium?" Nick asks, I nod in response.
AJ blows his cover, proverbially shoving him off the cliff. "It's Gotta Be You, Spanish Eyes, I Need You Tonight, Don't Wanna Lose You, No One Else Comes Close, The One, Back To Your Heart and, of course, I Want It That Way," he says, counting them off on his fingers.
"Thanks, man," Nick dryly remarks, glaring at AJ and AJ just gives him the cheesiest shit eating grin I've ever seen.
"You're welcome!" he chirps, obviously in asshole mode.
I need to call Justin and James, to prevent a group freak out session. I dial the number while Doofus and Dinkus have their ridiculous disagreement or whatever they call it. Three and a half rings and then, "Sam! How have you been?"
"Uhhhhmmm, good."
"What happened?"
"Anxiety attack got me, KO'd me."
"I told you over stressing yourself would cause it," he tells me.
"Ok, you were right and I should've remembered the one that happened when I had to study for my finals last year."
"Too much on your mind makes more than necessary stress, causing an attack. It's been that way with you since we met a long time ago back home," James reminds me.
"I know, I know! I just wish I didn't have to worry about that!" I shout, causing Nick and AJ to turn their attention from their argument to me.
"Worry about what?" they ask at the same time.
"Jinx, you owe me a meal," Nick tells him.
"About anxiety attacks and too much stress," I reply.
"Jazzabee, don't worry about anything tonight because we have the night off," Nick reminds me, smiling as his thumb strokes my cheek.
I place my hand over his and smile back. "Are you seriously seeing him?!" he screams through the phone.
My instinct was to pull it away from my ear, jumping a little.
"No, of course not. We're just friends and hanging out. You should be thankful for him recognizing the attack," I softly chastise him.
"Well, don't do anything dumb." I hear Wade and Caylei calling his name. "Have to go do these interviews and rehearse. Call JC tonight, about 4ish."
"That's…" I say counting off the time difference between Spain and wherever they are, realizing I didn't ask. "Where are you playing?"
"Pennsylvania."
"That'd be around 10pm here," I announce, setting my watch for the time specified.
"Alright, Justin and the others will know once you talk to JC before the show, you're fine and I won't say anything about that. No need to cause uncalled for panic."
"Thanks. Text you later."
"Ok. Love you, girl."
"Love ya, too," I say, disconnecting the call.
~~~~~
We talked alot over the past few hours, Nick and I. We also played video and board games. We both started talking about the times I stayed at his parents' or his house. "No, it was BJ," he argues.
I start searching my suitcase until I find the ziplock bags filled with photos, handing him one of Angel and Leslie shoving him into the pool together. "No, it was Les and Ange," I counter argue.
He looks it over and shrugs. "Ok, so are you the one who keeps all the evidence?"
"Maaayyybbbeeeee," I say, dragging the syllables out.
My watch shrieks at me and I grab my cell phone to call my brother. "What's up?"
"Calling Oshai." I dial the number and curl to his side as AJ enters the room.
"I want to do an experiment," he declares, saying it just before I press the button to begin the call.
I give him the most confused look, worry apparent on my visage. "What the hell would that be?"
"Nick should give you a jersey he wore the other day to bed and won't spend the night in here with you. He's going to get you to sleep and then head for his bed in his room. I'm tired of one of us having to let you cuddle one of us to sleep," he rambles on.
"Fine. Nick, could you please go get the jersey?"
"Use the one I threw on to get you checked earlier," he tells me, peeling his favorite jersey off his back. It's an Orlando Magic basketball jersey.
"Thanks," I reply, sliding it over my head and cover the summer clothes I have on before snuggling back up to his side. "Can I call my brother now?"
"Sure," AJ says as he shrugs and leaves the room.
I press the button to call him and smile as he picks up, yelling at Justin and Chris for pulling pranks. "Sorry, Oshannie."
"It's fine, used to it," I say, smiling. Our silence speaks for us for a couple minutes before agreeing that texting is the easier way to talk. We spend the next hour talking that way before I tell him that Sandman is using his super sleep sand on me.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Final chapter... Next is Inquiring Sanity in this set/series. THANKS FOR READING & FEEDBACK!!!
Completed
Kaotyk is the author of 47 other stories.
This story is part of the series, Trivial Times. The previous story in the series is Orlando, Another Wasted Move?. The next story in the series is Inquiring Sanity.
This story is part of the series, Trivial Times. The previous story in the series is Orlando, Another Wasted Move?. The next story in the series is Inquiring Sanity.
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