Date: Sun, 10 Mar 2002 20:46:07 +0000
From: James
Subject: Boy Bands - On The Streets - Part 27

	Ok, I don't know the BSB nor do I make any suggestions about the way they
live their lives, for instance whether or not they prefer men or woman as
their sexual partners. Frankly, I really don't care if you don't like
reading my story, but if you are offended by the sort of relationship which
is implied by its appearance on a gay site, then please don't read on. Also,
you shouldn't read this if you are under 18, though I think that is a really
stupid rule as it's not like we can tell whether you're 18 or not can we?

	I am English, so if you don't understand anything in this story, then
tough, we invented the language first and you nicked it, so it's not our
fault, lol. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, I'm sorry if the
cliffhangers are getting boring, but once again, my story, so there.

	Also I'd like to say that if writerboy69 (author of JC's hitchhiker) is
reading this, then please, please, please start writing again, I'm really
missing your work, and I love the dramatic twists that you take, even if
some people don't. Please don't stop writing it, just because of some nasty
emails!!!

On The Streets - Part 27

>From Kevin's point of view.

	I left Jared after breakfast this morning to 'go run some errands'. I know
Jared knew I was lying, but getting his Christmas present counts as an
errand right?

	I was originally going to get him a ring, but then I remembered that I
already gave him one shortly after we got together, and besides considering
Jared's views on getting hitched, maybe that wasn't such a good idea.

	I thought about getting Jared a few books, but then I remembered Brian
already got him that, and besides, although I knew more about some stuff
than Jared, like business, or technical stuff, I would never know what books
to get him. Brian had had the right idea: be the one to buy him all the
basic books, and then you can't get it wrong.

	I thought about clothes, but no, AJ had already got him that.

	I even passed a car dealership, and thought about getting him a new car,
but then I remembered that that would mean he would have to get a licence:
he only had an EU licence.

	What would Jared really want that I could get him? What did Jared need in
his life? Well, he always said he needed me, but it's not like I can give
him anymore of that is it? He always told me he didn't need things. He liked
having little, and he always went on about how much more of everything there
seemed to be over here: everything was bigger, people had more, and to him
it seemed to be excessive, but that didn't help my problem. He did however
say he always liked to go to new places, to experience things, as he'd never
really travelled much. That was it, so I drove off towards the travel
agents. Once there, I dealt with my business, then headed back in the
direction of home. After five minutes, I passed a squat, grey building on my
left at a set of traffic lights. Looking around as I waited for the lights
to change, I saw Nick's car waiting in the parking lot. Come on - how many
people do you see driving around Jags? Besides, I recognised his licence
plate. So, I cut off the driver in the next lane and swerved into the
parking lot. I couldn't see what type of building it was, so I got out the
car, and walked towards the building. That's when I saw the sign: HIV
center. My heart stopped.

>From Jared's point of view.

	"Huh?" I muttered again. My face scrunched up with confusion.

	"What? What is it?" Nick got hysterical.

	"Ummm, no the results aren't here." I flicked the page, once, twice. "Ah,
here they are." I stated. I scanned my eyes over the page.

	"Well?" Nick asked, a frog catching in his throat.

	"You're clear." Nick hesitated, then broke into a huge grin. His face lit
up, and he jumped towards me, his arms wrapping around my shoulders.

	"Whoa!" I said, pulling my arm out from between us.

	"Oh, sorry Jared." Nick said with an impish grin.

	"It's ok. I'm happy for you Nick, just please, don't forget next time ok?"
I said looking earnestly into his eyes. He nodded and looked solemnly at the
floor. "Cos if you don't die of something nasty then I'm gonna beat you
silly next time ok???" I said with a smirk on my lips. Nick snickered as we
walked out the room together.

	"What do you mean that information is unavailable? For fuck's sake where is
he?" I looked down the corridor, and there was Kevin shouting straight into
the face of the woman behind the counter. I started running, intending to
get him to stop shouting. I guessed he somehow had found out Nick was here,
then I remembered the car outside, and he probably saw it.

	"Kevin!" I shouted. He looked straight at me, and then saw Nick catch up
out of breath. He looked back at me, and I saw his face visibly pale.

	"Jared?" Kevin said, then I saw him gulp, and he turned on his heels and
ran out the door. I turned to the woman behind the counter and mouthed
'sorry', then followed Kevin out.

	When I caught up with Kevin, I saw him leaning up against the wall round
the corner from the entrance. He looked sick. "Kevin? What's wrong?" Kevin
turned to me with a frantic worried expression on his face.

	"Jared, what are you doing here?" He asked too quickly to be understood.

	"What?"

	"Jared? Is something wrong? Are you...are you, sick?" Kevin asked, spitting
out the last bit.

	"No, no, I'm not, and I came here with Nick." I answered.

	"What?" Kevin asked, shouting again.

	"Kevin, it's my fault, I came here to be tested, but I'm clean, I'm fine."
Kevin's shoulders slumped back against the wall, and he almost broke down
into tears, only refraining because of where we were.

	"My God, when I saw your car parked here, I was so scared, and then when I
saw Jared in there, it just, well, I don't know, I just almost died in
there. I was so scared." He came over finally and hugged me. He pulled me in
close and rested his head against mine. I could feel him trembling, and I
rubbed his back up and down. Nick joined the hug, and we all stood there for
a moment, before we pulled back. Kevin let out a nervous laugh and we
started walking back to the parking lot.

	"Hold on, Nick, why did you get tested?" Nick and I both tensed up. I could
see what was coming. Kevin had stopped a few steps before us, and I turned
to see him looking at us. "Nick, that guy, did you..." He looked around.
"Did you sleep with him? Unprotected?" Kevin asked, starting to get angry. I
looked over at Nick who had started to get upset again. He nodded. "How
could you? Did you even think about what you were doing? Did you think about
the consequences? Huh?" Kevin shouted.

	"Kevin, please, you don't understand, I mean, I'm so sorry, I didn't think,
I wasn't thinking." Nick shook his head emphatically.

	"Damn right you weren't thinking, did you even think what a risk you were
putting yourself at?" Kevin shouted back. I could see tears forming in
Nick's eyes.

	"Kevin!" I shook my head as he looked over. "Kevin, please. I've already
done this, I shouted at Nick and left him crying in the hallway back when
you had that press conference. He's already apologised over and over again,
he's sorry for what he did, just leave it now ok?" Kevin looked at me, and
then his eyes widened again.

	"What? I'll tell him off if I want to! And what do you mean when you left
him when we were having that press conference? You mean you've known since
Wednesday about this and you didn't tell me? How could you Jared? I trusted
you!" Kevin said as he started walking off towards the car. He looked really
upset, and angry at the same time. I followed after him, and saw him pull
his key chain out his pocket. He pressed the button, and the lights flashed
on his car. He climbed in quickly, the engine started, and he started
driving off, only narrowly missing me as he went past. Suddenly Kevin's car
stopped, and he drove back, stopping so that I was in front of the passenger
door. The tinted window rolled down, revealing Kevin looking over at me. I
stood there with a confused expression on my face. "Jared, get in, Nick,
I'll speak to you soon. I climbed in the car tentatively. What had caused
the sudden change of heart? Kevin rolled the window back up and we drove out
the lot. I looked over at him, scanning his face, trying to understand what
had just happened.

	"Kevin?"

	"Yes Jared." He said in a remorseful tone.

	"What just happened? You looked like you were really pissed, and you were
about to drive off, and then you came back and you were ok."

	"I'm sick of saying sorry to you Jared, I'm really gonna start trying, I
realised that what you did was the right thing, if Nick didn't want you to
tell me, then it was best for you not to say anything. I'm glad you're
making friends over here, even if it is with doofuses like Nicky. Also I
realised that I already owe you an apology for going off like that and
shouting in the parking lot, I didn't want to have to apologise for leaving
you standing there as well." I looked over at Kevin as he explained, and
realised that he was trying so hard. No matter how often his temper got the
better of him, or how much he disliked some things that other people did, he
tried to just brush them off, and not let his anger get the better of him. I
really admired him, not only for his perseverance at getting over his
temper, but also for the fact that he seemed to be managing it, even if he
was occasionally a little late.

	"What?" Kevin asked. I had been staring. "Did I do something wrong?" No.
No, he hadn't.

	"No, Kevin, you did everything right. I just fell in love with you all over
again, you're so amazing, I love you so much." I've never spoken my emotions
so freely, I guess that's what Love does to you. Kevin smiled at me, then
looked back at the road as he continued driving, with a big grin on his
face. I put my hand over his on the gear stick, and just let it rest there,
it was nice feeling the warmth of his hand. I loved Kevin's hands: his
fingers were long and nimble, which explained why he could play the piano so
well, but they felt strong too, like he could hold you tight. Soon, I took
my hand off of his and put it in my lap. Kevin wouldn't have any of that: he
took  my hand and placed it on the gear stick, and put his hand over the
top, so that I couldn't move. I looked over at him, and he was smiling back
at me. I was so happy, it was indescribable. Finally, we reached Kevin's
house, and we had to part. Oh Crap! I forgot to get Kevin a Christmas
present. I was gonna get Nick to drive me somewhere (presuming his results
were negative, hey I'm an optimist!) after we picked up his results, but I'd
just come home with Kevin. As he walked in the front door of the house, I
shouted to him.

	"Hey Kev, chuck us your keys will you?" He turned and complied right away.
I jumped into his car, and reversed out the drive. I was just pulling away
when I saw Kevin running towards me and shouting.

	"But you don't have a licence!" I drove off. I needed to get Kev something.

***

	Finally, I reached a shopping centre, or mall, or whatever they're called
over here. I started looking around at all the shops, we never had anything
like this in England, shops tended not to be so clustered together like
this, well, not to this extent at least. This place was huge. I started
looking at all the shops up and down and couldn't decide what to get, but
then again I had been wandering around for an hour now and had only seen a
quarter of the shops. This obviously wasn't gonna be easy. There were music
shops, and I thought about getting him something from in one of them, but I
realised that anything I bought him, he probably had one better in his home
studio. I was going to get him some clothes, but his closet was already
full, and with more expensive clothes than I could possibly afford. I sat
down on a bench in the middle of the food court. My cast still made me tired
if I did too much - it was difficult carrying it around all the time. I knew
I couldn't keep this up for much longer, looking for a present for Kev. I
was gonna let him down, there was no way I could find a perfect gift for
him, considering how tired I was. I just couldn't make it.

	"What's the matter Jared?" A voice asked me, and I felt an arm wrap around
my shoulders. I looked up, and there was a girl in yellow sunglasses, and a
big floppy fisherman's hat. It was Britney. There were two other girls
standing behind her. I smiled weakly at her and said 'Hi Britney', and I
started to explain about how I couldn't find a present for Kevin, and how
the cast was making me too tired to walk much further.

	"Well, have you thought about something musical?" She asked. I nodded my
head.

	"I looked into the music shops, but everything in there he's either got one
of already, or he's got one better than what they have, or I can't afford
it." I looked at her glumly.

	"Clothes?" One of the girls asked behind.

	"His closet's full, and with clothes that are miles better than I could
afford." The girls nodded.

	"Jewellery?" Britney asked. I looked up at her, I had passed a couple of
jewellery shops, but I wasn't too sure about that. I came to the conclusion
that it was probably my best bet for a present for Kevin, so I nodded to the
girls.

	"I guess that's what it will probably end up being." I commented. "Do you
have any suggestions for which jewellery shop? I don't want to have to go
into too many looking for one thing." Britney looked pensive for a moment.

	"I've got it!" Britney stated. Then she took me by the good arm, and
escorted us to the second floor of the mall. Once there, I saw a small shop
with a window showing a few small exhibits of the merchandise. It looked
expensive.

	"Britney, I'm not sure I can afford this stuff." I said, getting worried
that I'd get in there, and not be able to afford a single thing.

	"Nonsense. Come on." She said, dragging me in through the shop door. It was
dark inside, the showcases had spotlights focused on them, and a tall man
standing behind the counter looked very out of place in the tiny shop.

	"Can I help you Ms. Spears?" The shop assistant asked.

	"Actually, it's not for me today, it's for this gentleman here. Jared, this
is Nathan, he runs the shop. Nathan, Jared would like to get something for a
gentleman friend of his for Christmas." Britney stated matter-of-factly. I
couldn't believe she'd said that, but then realising that she hadn't
actually mentioned it was Kevin who was the gentleman friend, I realised it
didn't matter too much. "And Jared," she said quietly as she pulled me off
to one side. "Don't worry about being able to afford anything, Nathan is
very reasonable, and he'll also allow you to just make payments on it, you
know pay it off over a while if you go for something really expensive."
Britney said quietly, I nodded. It was pretty weird getting advice over
money from someone who was seven years younger than me, but hey she's the
one who's been successful with money right? I spent the next twenty minutes
or so looking at everything in the shop. I looked down at my hand as I leant
on one of the glass casings, trying to get a closer look at something, and I
saw the ring Kevin had given me. It meant so much to him when he gave the
ring to me, and that wasn't even for anything special, he just wanted me to
have it. I wanted to give him something that meant a lot to me, then I saw
it. It wasn't too expensive, but it wasn't cheap either, and I somehow just
knew how much it would mean to Kevin, so I bought it, and headed back out
with Britney and her friends.

End of Chapter 27
To Be Continued...

Yeah yeah, I know, short chapter again, but come on three chapters in three
days? That is pretty good. But, back to school now, no free time, busy busy.