Oreos for Breakfast: Chapter 28

Oreos For Breakfast: Chapter 35
By the Paperbag Princess and Pumpkin Coach

"Let's go out tonight. Celebrate," Vinnie said.

I just shrugged, shoving some stuff in my bag. "Nah," I said. "I'm going to head home."

It was the last night of the tour, and we were in Miami. I could be home by daybreak and sleep in my own bed.

Not that I had any great attachment to my bed in Marathon, since I slept in it about three weeks out of the year, but… being in one place for more than a day would be nice. Besides, it was nearly Christmas and I needed to shop and stuff.

It was going to be a lousy Christmas. Everyone was fighting. Aaron called me ten times a day talking about Mom and Dad. Mom thought Dad was having an affair. That might be true, knowing my dad.

"Dude!" Vinnie said, stepping in front of me. "You just finished a fucking tour. Let's go out and celebrate. Pick up some hotties. There will be a million girls just begging for you at the radio station party."

"Radio station parties suck," I said, moving away from him to get the last of my stuff. I'd been in this dressing room for like six hours. How had I made such a mess already?

"So, we make an appearance, you sign some autographs, I find the best looking girls and we take them out for some real fun. It's Miami! All of the beautiful people are right here!"

I considered him for a minute. I could go home tomorrow.

An hour later, I was standing at the bar at the lame radio station party. It was just station people and contest winners here. I'd signed some autographs and posed for pictures, but I wasn't taking any of these girls back to my hotel. A couple of them were even cute, but I wasn't taking my chances with fans after Cori.

"Never hook up with anyone at a radio station party," a voice said next to me and I turned to look at JC. He had introduced me at the show tonight, but I hadn't really talked to him.

I didn't really want to. He was an okay guy, but he was dating James and I didn't want to think about Rachel right now.

"Yeah, I know," I said. "Vinnie thought this was a good idea."

"You'll have better luck down the street, away from all the fans. There are a couple of cool clubs down there."

"Thanks," I said.

"Good show tonight," he offered. I wasn't sure if he meant it or not. I thought it was a good show, but you couldn't believe what anyone told you at a party. It was just small talk.

"Thanks. Good introduction."

He laughed. "Chatting with DJs in front of thousands of people is harder than what you did."

I had to smile at that. "You're right."

"I like the album," he said sincerely. "It's great, getting to do whatever you want, instead of what everyone tells you to sing."

"Are you working on something?"

He shrugged. "I like not working right now. Seeing my friends, remembering what my house looks like. I don't know how you and Justin just jumped right back into the studio."

I didn't know what else to do. Maybe if Rachel hadn't been working when the last tour ended, I would have taken the time off. But she was working, so I felt like I had to. I wanted to. I loved my album and how it was all mine.

If I hadn't made the album, and followed Rachel around on tour, would we still be together now?

That was a question I'd asked myself about a million times. I was tired of thinking about Rachel.

"This party sucks," Vinnie complained, joining us at the bar.

"JC, this is my friend Vinnie. Vin, JC."

"Hey, man," Vinnie said, shaking JC's hand. "You didn't have any luck either?"

"Never pick up anyone at a radio station party. You can't fuck contest winners. They're psycho."

"I know a great strip club not far from here," Vinnie said. "You should come with us, JC."

"I thought we were going to a real club!"

"Why work that hard?" Vinnie answered.

He had a point there. But JC wouldn't want to go to a strip club.

Well, not a girl strip club. Did they have gay strip clubs? I knew women went to places where guys stripped, but where did gay guys go? I didn't think they went to Chippendales and places like that.

"Strip clubs suck," I said.

"Since when?" Vinnie sneered. "You wanna come, right?" he asked JC. "I swear, this place is great. Really hot girls."

"Sure," JC said, and I nearly dropped my drink. JC wanted to go to a strip club?

"They're all fake," I tried, to give JC one more out. "Plastic breasts."

"And the problem with that is?" Vinnie asked and I didn't have an answer. Fake breasts were fine.

"C'mon, Nick," JC said. "It'll be fun."

It was fun. JC was really funny when he was drunk, and since we'd done about half a bottle of tequila, he was really drunk. Vinnie was right. The girls were hot. They kept offering me a lap dance, but I couldn't decide which one I liked better. The blonde? Or the other blonde? Or that blonde… she was really hot. Her breasts were just the right size… not too big, but not too small, either…

"I'm getting a lap dance," Vinnie said. "Who's in?"

"Later," JC said. "I like to develop a relationship first."

Vinnie just gave him a look and turned to me. "Nick?"

"I'll hang with JC. Enjoy."

Especially because I knew it was going on my tab. After tonight, I'd only have to pay for myself. No wonder Vinnie wanted to go out tonight. He wanted one more night where I paid for everything.

Vinnie disappeared and I turned to JC. "Sorry, dude."

"For what?" JC asked, pouring us both shots.

"I know this isn't your scene."

"To new scenes, man," he said, holding up his glass.

"New scenes?" I questioned, but he just clinked his glass against mine and drank. Who was I to argue?

"New scenes?" I repeated after we drank. "Isn't-"

He interrupted me. "No names," he instructed, and I nodded. Not that I thought anyone around us was listening to a word we were saying with Precious or Pussycat or whoever it was up there on the stage wiggling around and… damn, how did she get her leg behind her head like that?

"Still," I went on, shaking my head and looking back at JC. "Isn't someone going to be pissed off that you're here? With me?"

Because I was sure that James hated me. Not a doubt in my mind.

JC shrugged, looking at Precious or whatever her name was. "No one cares about what I do. I am a free agent. Free to play the field. Any field I want," he stressed, looking back at me.

He didn't mean me, did he?

He rolled his eyes, reading my mind. "You wish," he said. "I meant I'm on the other side of the fence now."

Oh. JC liked girls now? And he wasn't with James? When did that happen?

"But I thought-"

JC shook his head. "Over. It was stupid anyway. It wasn't ever going to go anywhere, so why continue the charade? It was too hard. Vinnie's right. Why work that hard if you don't have to? This is easy. Precious!" he yelled, waving some bills in the air. "Over here, baby."

She fell to her knees in front of us and JC slipped a twenty in her G-string. "How about a private dance later?"

"Your wish is my command."

"Lose the bra, then," he commanded, and she unhooked it, making the guys behind us yell their appreciation.

Twenty bucks for bare breasts? That was a fucking bargain.

Someone else yelled her name, and she smiled at JC, then moved across the stage.

"That's what I call developing a relationship, Nicky," JC said, and I cracked up. Straight JC might be a cool guy.

I mean, I wouldn't be in the bathroom listening to him throw up if he wasn't a cool guy. Even if he was throwing up after his lap dance. I'd been enjoying mine from… I didn't remember her name, but she was blond and extremely flexible and liked to kiss Precious, JC's girl and… our time was up and I was just about to give them whatever they wanted for another dance when I realized JC was looking pretty green.

"You okay, man?" I asked, when the sounds of retching stopped.

He just moaned.

"Dude, do I need to come in there after you?"

"Go back to Misty," he said, his voice weak. "She was into you."

"I just paid her a hundred bucks to be into me," I told him. "Whatever. I'm not leaving a man behind."

"What the hell is going on?" Vinnie asked, slamming into the bathroom.

Vinnie hadn't even noticed we were gone. Some friend he was. "JC's sick," I said.

"Get it out of your system, dude," Vinnie said, checking his hair in the mirror. "Then you can drink more."

"Never drinking again," JC said, whimpering a little.

"Okay, we're going," I decided. "We'll go back to the hotel. We need water. And snacks."

"Not food," JC said, emerging from the stall. He looked like hell.

"Food's a good thing, man," I told him. "Soaks up the alcohol. We'll stop somewhere and get supplies. Doritos. And Twinkies. We need Twinkies."

JC gave me a look. "Munchies? You holding out on me?"

"No. But that's a great idea! Everyone knows pot helps a hangover."

"It does?" JC asked, splashing water on his face.

"Do we have any pot, Vin?" I asked him. He was the keeper of the drugs. Occasionally he was useful.

"We're at a strip club, Nick. I'm pretty sure I can get some."

I handed him some money. "Go, then. We'll meet back at the car."

Thank god we had a limo and a driver. None of us were in any shape to drive. I'd just gotten JC into the car when Vinnie reappeared. With a girl and some pot. He threw me the weed and started making out with the girl as we pulled out of the parking lot. JC slumped down in the seat, staring at them.

"Shouldn't we be the ones with the girls? Aren't we the rock stars?"

I pulled a joint out the bag and realized I didn't have a lighter. "Want a girl? Vinnie can get those, too."

The girl came up for air and smiled at JC. "I have friends."

He started to answer her, then shook his head. "No thanks. Tell Precious I'm sorry I almost threw up on her."

The girl waved him away. "Almost is no big deal. We've had worse."

"Do you have a lighter?" I asked, and everyone shook their heads. "You suck, Vin."

"I got the weed!"

"What good is it without a lighter? And how come you only got one girl?"

"You didn't ask for a girl. You asked for pot."

"Whatever. Just remember to get a lighter when we stop for supplies."

I didn't really want a girl. Strip clubs were about looking, not touching, and I was just drunk now. I wanted to hang out and get high with JC and maybe find out what had happened with James. Vinnie had a girl, so he'd leave us alone and JC could tell me.

I made Vinnie and the girl- I really needed to find out her name- buy the junk food, and he managed to remember the lighter. I was just about to light up when we got to the hotel, so the four of us stumbled into the hotel and into my suite. "Why did you get a suite?" JC asked, looking around before he fell into a chair. "I didn't get a suite!"

"I have an entourage," I said, lighting up the joint. "He gets the couch."

"I was wondering where he slept."

"I don't swing that way," I told him.

"Neither do I," he agreed, but he sounded like he was lying. Vinnie was too busy making out with his friend to notice.

I passed the joint to JC, who took a hit as he watched Vinnie. "Is that supposed to turn me on?" he asked.

"Vinnie or her?"

"Candy," he said, and I offered him our bag of snacks, which made him laugh.

Oh. Was that the girl's name?

In a couple of minutes, JC and I were cracking up, and Vinnie and Candy weren't even paying attention. There was a pounding on the door, and we all jumped. JC put out the joint, then ran to open a window, waving the smoke out.

I tried to look sober when I went to the door. But it was only Anna. "It's two in the fucking morning, people. What is going on?"

She sniffed the air, then stepped inside, shutting the door behind her. "Are you holding out on me? Who's the girl? Is that JC Chasez?"

"What did you do with the joint, JC?" I asked, then answered Anna's other questions. "That's Candy. And yes, that's JC Chasez."

"Are you allowed to hang out with him? Aren't you mortal enemies or something?"

"No!" I said, whacking JC's shoulder in a display of affection and almost making him drop the joint. "JC's cool. We went out, watched some girls dance, got a little drunk-"

Anna considered Candy, who was kissing Vinnie again. "Is she a stripper?"

"Exotic dancer," Candy corrected, coming up for air.

"Totally different, yeah," Anna said, turning to JC. "I'm Anna," she said, holding out her hand.

"You're the chick bassist!" JC said, obviously just realizing who she was. "You're hot."

JC thought Anna was hot?

"You should date!" I said, and Anna and JC both looked at me. "You can save each other!"

"Save each other from what?" Anna asked, taking the joint from JC's hand.

"Vinnie, take your friend back to the bedroom," I said, and they didn't even argue. I waited until the door shut to finish my thought to JC and Anna.

"You can save each other from being gay!"

"Hey!" they said, almost in unison.

They'd be a great couple. They thought alike!

"I'm not gay."

"He is. Sometimes. And it's been a while for you, babe."

She threw a pillow at me. "It has not! I got laid in London while you were getting dissed by Paris Hilton."

"I did not get dissed! I'm playing hard to get."

Anna laughed. "You keep telling yourself that."

She looked at JC, who was sorta glaring at me. "You're gay?" she asked, plucking the joint from his fingers.

"No," he answered, and I shook my head.

"You can tell Anna, dude. Anna's cool. She knows all my secrets."

"I'm not gay!"

I gave him a look, taking the joint from Anna before she could take another hit. "James Packard is not a girl. You're gay."

"James?" Anna asked, her voice shocked.

JC sighed, giving up. "Yeah," he admitted. "We sorta just broke up. Not that we were really together."

"A year's together, JC," I told him, handing the joint back to Anna.

"A year?" Anna shrieked, and JC blushed.

"It's not like we were really together. We had to keep it a secret and stuff. It was just… a thing. Now I'm exploring my sexuality. And you're hot," he told her, as she handed him the joint.

She just laughed. "Yeah. You're grasping at straws now. I bet Vinnie will share his Candy."

That made JC laugh. He thought all Candy jokes were hysterical. Things were funnier when you were high.

"Anna is awesome," I said. "You like Rachel, right? Anna's like Rachel Lite."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Anna asked, looking at me.

"It's good!" I clarified. "You're like Rachel, only not as scary."

"Not as many calories," JC said, still giggling a little.

"Considering I have about fifty pounds on Rachel, I'm not Rachel Lite. And Rachel's not scary."

"Yeah, you're way scarier than Rachel," JC said, handing me the joint.

"I'm not as nice as she is," Anna agreed. "Did I scare you?"

"Girls in general scare him," I said, cracking myself up.

"Then how am I supposed to save him?" Anna asked, taking the joint from me. "Since JC and I have established that I am not Rachel Lite and am actually pretty fucking scary."

I think Anna liked being scary. She didn't like to let anyone very near her. Physically or otherwise.

"Okay, you're scary," I admitted. "But JC's nice, and you need a nice guy."

"I'm not in the business of saving boys from their sexuality. Especially when there's nothing wrong with being gay!"

"I know-"

A loud groan came from the bedroom, and we all cracked up. Even Anna was high enough to find that funny. "Let's go to my room," she said, catching her breath. "Let them make all the noise they want."

"They'll be done in a minute," I said, and she giggled.

"I dated him for two years. I know they'll be done in about ten minutes. But just in case they get a second wind."

"You dated Vinnie?" JC asked, swaying a little as he stood up.

"Don't remind me," she said, gathering our bags of snacks. "Can we order room service?" she asked me.

"Sure."

"But we have Doritos to tide us over," she said, leading us towards the door as more moans came from the bedroom. We tried not to be loud in the hallway, but I don't think it worked. Anna let us into her room and shook her head at me.

"You are very loud when you're drunk."

I fell onto the closest bed. She didn't have the suite like I did, just two beds and a little table near the balcony. She got a balcony. She always got a balcony if we were in a hotel that had them. She liked fresh air. Like Rachel. "I think Vinnie was louder," I said, then looked at the other bed. "Did you sleep yet?"

She sat on the other bed, dumping the bag of snacks out. "Yes," she said, opening the Doritos.

"Did you make the bed?" I asked her.

"I just pulled the sheets up."

I cracked up. Anna was way too neat. Her suitcase was already packed and sitting in the corner. "Shut up," she said, pointing a Dorito at me. "Sit down, JC."

He hesitated for a second, then sat next to her.

By the end of the night, they'd be together. I could just feel it.

"Room service?" Anna asked, getting up and finding the menu. "Can I have one last night where I pretend I'm a rock star?"

"Babe, we're going on tour in February! You're totally a rock star," I told her, grabbing a Twinkie out of the stash.

"Tomorrow I go home and have to deal with my family. Rock star is not a permanent state with me like it is for you two."

JC and I both laughed at that. "You know my family, Anna," I reminded her.

"You still get to go home to the compound and everyone treats you like the golden child. I get to sleep on the single bed in my old bedroom that Mom converted to her craft room the second I started college. I like to take advantage of the rock star thing. What about you, JC?"

He looked up from studying the room service menu. "Can we get pizza?

I laughed. "Were you listening?"

"Yes," he said, defensively. "But I really want some pizza."

We ordered a pizza and chicken fingers, then Anna pulled all the beer out of the mini-bar. "So, you went to a strip club tonight?"

"An exotic dance emporium," JC said, making Anna laugh.

He made her laugh! Perfect together. Okay, she was high, but still.

"Whatever," she said, taking a drink. "Why didn't you two end up with strippers, then?"

"I got sick," JC said, turning green again at the memory.

"Are the fake breasts that scary?"

"The breasts were great," I said, eating another Twinkie.

"Can't you get real breasts for free?"

"Too hard," I told her. "You have to talk to them and pretend you're interested and blah blah blah. Easier to pay a hundred bucks for a lap dance and not have to make small talk."

"Yeah, we went to the radio station party. That was enough small talk for the night," JC agreed.

"So you spent a hundred bucks on a lap dance and now you're eating junk food with me?"

"The lap dance was all I needed. You're cooler than any stripper," I told her, making her smile a little, even as she rolled her eyes.

"I should be a stripper. Evidently the pay is better than being in your band."

"Hey! You get perks being in my band! You get room service and pop stars who should date you."

"I'm not dating JC, Nick. No offense," she said, looking at JC.

"None taken. I guess. Why not?"

"Because I'm not going to be your rebound girl where you try to prove that you're heterosexual."

"I am heterosexual!"

"You spent a year with James Packard! I've met him. He's the poster boy for gay."

"Bi, then," JC said, and Anna and I laughed at him.

"Bi is beneath James' standards," Anna said. "It had to be something for him to keep it a secret for so long. He's not into being in the closet."

"I know," JC said quietly, looking away from us. Anna reached over and rubbed his knee.

"Sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to make you sad. Should we start talking about Rachel? Then Nick can be sad, too."

"No!" I insisted. "No Rachel!"

I'd been doing really well tonight. I hadn't even felt guilty at the strip club. I felt guilty a lot when I did things that Rachel wouldn't like. Not that she had anything to say about my life any more, but that guilt still lingered at the back of my mind.

And I was sorta comparing Anna to Rachel. But that was just a comparison because JC knew Rachel. It didn't mean anything.

"Or I'll bring up you and Vinnie."

Anna snickered. "I'm over being sad about that one. Especially when he brings strippers back to the room. Classy."

"She seemed like a nice girl," JC defended, and Anna raised an eyebrow at him.

"Two points. Did you talk to her at all? Seemed like she was way too busy sucking face with Vin to talk much."

"She seemed nice during her routine," he said, knowing he sounded lame.

"Which I'm sure was done to 'I Want Candy." Anna said. "I'm also pretty sure that she spells her name with a 'K' and an 'I' at the end dotted with a little heart."

"Aaron covered that song," I supplied. "That song can never be sexy to me."

"Yeah, that's a totally weird ass video," Anna said, looking at me. "You giving love advice to your eight year old brother."

"We might live in a compound in the Keys, but my family is fucked up," I told her.

"True," she agreed. "And all of your family drama is on film for the world to see."

"The Mickey Mouse Club seems like nothing in comparison," JC said, giggling, and Anna smiled at him.

"Yeah, we can discuss that later. But I was- right. Second point about the stripper. There are no strippers with hearts of gold. If there were, they'd be stripping for charity. No, they're taking off their clothes for money and destroying the feminist movement with every g-string."

"Candy's g-string was made of candy," JC remembered. "Like that candy necklace stuff?"

"Tell me you ate it off of her," Anna said, looking horrified. "No. Don't tell me anything. I don't need to know."

"It was good," I said, just to torture her.

She screamed, just as there was a knock at the door. Pizza!

Disclaimer | Sudden Silence Website
Feedback to Authors | Tragical Fiction (home)

Subscribe to receive an email when this site is updated!

Powered by groups.yahoo.com