Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2001 22:09:33 -0400 From: Jessica Taylor <midnight_violet18@hotmail.com> Subject: Picking Up the Pieces 12 Author's Notes-- Wow, didn't expect this did ya? It's been at least four months since I sent in a chapter for this story... long time huh? But it's also a nice long chapter, my longest one to date, so have fun... Well this is the long awaited Chapter 12, where we all find out how bad Jess can be *snicker*. Last time we left the lovely crazy boys, they just found out that Kevin had 'killed' his best friend Kyle... find out what actually happened right now. Disclaimer-- I'm a bad bad girl who should be locked away for a long long time... with only Josh, James, Nick and Kevin to amuse me... But really I don't know anything about the sexual intercourse of the Backstreet Boys, and if Kevin *ever* had a friend when he was younger named Kyle, then I am one physic bitch...and I do mean the bitch part... Chapter 12-- The Story of Kyle To say that the other four members of the Backstreet Boys were floored would have been an understatement at that moment. Too shocked to form actual sentences, the four were completely silent, which made Kevin even more uncomfortable than he was at that moment. His cousin was the first one to try and form actual sentences, "Kevin... wow... um... what happened?" Kevin looked to his cousin. "You don't remember Kyle do you?" "Nope." Brian said, as his eyes were still locked with his cousin's. Kevin sighed. "Kyle was my best friend, hell he was practically the only friend I had in elementary school. He used to come over everyday to play with me, and sometimes him, Tim, Jerald and I would play touch football while you were banging pots and pans outside with our moms." Brian couldn't help but blush slightly when Kevin mentioned what he used to do as a child. And if anyone was of their right mind right now, especially a certain tattooed bandmate, Brian knew that he would be teased mercilessly for it. He just hoped no one really remembered it when this whole story was over. "Wait a second... Did he kinda look like Nicky?" Brian said, remembering faded images of a kid about Kevin's height at the time, with short, spiky dark blonde hair and deep brown eyes. Kevin shook his head in the affirmative. "Yeah." "I had wondered what happened to him. But I kinda forgot him." "I wish I could." Kevin sighed as his head was still in his hands. "Okay... for those of us *not* of the Littrell-Richardson bloodline, can someone please tell us who this Kyle was?" AJ asked. "Like I just said, Kyle was my best friend. We lived practically down the street from each other and did everything together. We were in the same kindergarten class, same gym classes, practically the same everything. But when we got to the summer of sixth grade, things started to change..." ********** "Hey mom! We're back." Twelve year old Kevin Richardson yelled out into his house as he let his best friend of 10 years, Kyle Roberts, into the house and closed the door. Both Kevin and Kyle were the same height, and contained the same intense personality, but that's where the similarities ended. Kyle was the older one of the duo, by ten months, and he had dark blonde spiked hair and expressive deep brown eyes, while Kevin had dark brown, almost black hair, and sharp emerald eyes. Ann Richardson walked into the foyer. "Did you boys have fun at the pool?" Kevin and Kyle had just gotten back from spending almost five hours at the community pool, and their towels were around their necks, soaking up the stray water droplets that dripped from their still damp hair. "Oh yes Mrs. Richardson, it was great." Kyle said. "Now Kyle, you've known me long enough to stop calling me Mrs. Richardson. Call me Ann or mom." Mrs. Richardson smiled. "Here boys, give me your towels. I'll go dry them." She said as she took the towels from around their necks and left to go downstairs to the laundry room. "Come on. Let's go play Nintendo in my room." Kevin said as he started stampeding upstairs to his room. "Sure." Kyle agreed as he raced his friend up the stairs and down the hall to Kevin's room. Collapsing onto the plush dark blue carpeting, Kyle asked Kevin, "So what are we gonna play?" "Do you wanna play Mario Brothers or Zelda?" Kevin asked as he untangled the wires for the controllers. "Mario Brothers. I finished Zelda last week." "Okay." Kevin said as he threw the controller to Kyle. "Are you gonna be Mario or Luigi?" "Luigi." Kyle said as the game finally started. About two hours later, as they were going through the third world of the game, with Kevin jumping over the Koopa Troopa that blocked his path, Kyle asked him, "What do you think of girls?" "Disgusting." Kevin said mindlessly. "What about guys?" "They're not that bad." He stated calmly as he bashed in a block. "Would you mind if I kissed you?" Kyle asked Kevin. Slightly shocked, Kevin dropped his controller, causing Mario to jump to his death in a pit. "I guess I wouldn't mind that much." "Good." Kyle said as he placed a very quick kiss on his lips. Kevin saw stars in his eyes as soon as Kyle pulled back. "Wow, um, can you do that again?" Kevin asked softly. "Sure." Kyle smiled as he approached Kevin for another kiss. ********** For the rest of the summer, Kevin and Kyle shared quick little kisses here and there. After getting together to play around, they'd kiss behind the bushes for a quick kiss, or Kyle would give Kevin a quick kiss right before he'd leave for the weekend to visit his cousin Brian, with Kyle always reminding Kevin that they had to keep their kisses secret. As the summer was coming to a close, the two friends were sitting in their treehouse, about to open their envelopes that stated what teachers they were having for their next year of school. Both of them were hoping that they were in the same classes this year. "On the count of three. One... two... three..." Kevin said as the two of them opened their schedules for the year simultaneously. "Math?" Kyle asked. "Mrs. Evans, second period." Kevin stated. "Me too." "English?" Kevin asked. "Mr. Wallen, fourth." "Damn it. I have Mrs. Anderson instead." Kevin sighed. "What about Science?" "Ms. Graner, seventh." "That's two." Kyle counted. "Social Studies?" "I have Mr. Thompson ninth." "Three." Kevin continued. "Phys Ed?" "Mathers." Both boys said simultaneously. "And that's where the similarities end I bet." Kevin sighed. Kyle took Kevin schedule. "Yup. When you have chorus I have art... when I have computers you have health... but we have the same off period." Kyle smiled. "Woohoo." Kevin smiled back. "Boys!" Ann yelled from down on the ground. "Yeah ma?" Kevin asked as he poked his head out. "Kyle needs to get back home. His mother just called, and said that even though she let Kyle come over to find out what classes you two boys have together, Kyle needs to come back home for dinner." "Okay Ann, I'll be out in a minute." Kyle yelled from inside the treehouse. "So I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Kevin sighed. "No you won't. Remember I'm going to see my aunt in Memphis tomorrow?" "Oh yeah. I won't see you till school starts. I forgot." "Don't worry about it. You'll see me in no time." Kyle smiled as he quickly kissed Kevin and started to climb down the nailed in boards to go back down. "Yeah no time." Kevin said to himself as he too climbed down the boards and walked into the house to the smell of his mom's home baked apple pie. ********** And Kyle was right. In no time at all, Kevin was getting up for his first day of school. As he was rummaging through his closet for his school clothes, he heard his father yell, "Kevin, Kyle is here!" "Okay dad, I'll be down in a minute." Kevin screamed back as he dug out a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. Quickly putting them on, he ran out the door, stomping down the steps in a hurry. "Hey Kev." Kyle said as Kevin zoomed pass. "Hi Kyle!" Kevin yelled as he went down the hall. He could already tell that he was going to make both him and Kyle late for school if he didn't hurry. And it wouldn't look good if both him and Kyle were late on the first day of school. Stopping in the kitchen, Kevin smiled to his mother who was spreading some strawberry jam on a piece of toast. "Morning Mom." Kevin said politely as he drained a glass of milk. Ann laughed at her son's hurriedness. "Will you ever wake up on time Kevin dear?" "Don't think I ever will mom." Kevin smiled as he took the piece of toast from his mother and kissed her on the cheek. "See you after school mom." "Good bye Kevin. Have a nice first day at school." "Okay mom." Kevin said as he holstered his book bag with his brand new school supplies over his shoulder. "Let's go Kyle." Kevin said as he rushed out the door. "Sure thing Kev." Kyle smiled as he closed the front door, yelling a quick "Goodbye!" to Kevin's parents. ********** "I hate Mrs. Evans." Kyle sighed as both him and Kevin walked towards the gym for their phys Ed class. "Yeah I know. She isn't called Mrs. Evil for nothing. A quiz every day and extra random pop quizzes once a week? That just plain out sucks." "No really?" Kyle laughed. "Yes really." "Oh lookie what we have here boys..." Kevin and Kyle heard a voice say as they pulled open the door for the boys' locker room. "You know Brandon, you can just shove it already, alright?" Kyle said vehemently. Brandon Wells, an ninth grader and all around bully to practically everyone in the school except his `posse', was a boy who had been harassing both boys ever since they had entered the middle school. And now that he was in the highest grade in middle school, Kevin and Kyle knew they would have their work cut out for them. "Well what if I don't want to? You gonna do something about it?" Brandon taunted. "Yeah, shove my foot up your ass." Kyle said. "Oh a threat. That'll get you really far blondie." "Brandon, can you just like, go away?" Kevin asked him from the other side of the door. "No I can't just, go away." Brandon sneered. "Wells, Richardson and Roberts, cut that out and get to class." A large booming voice stated from the gym office. "Yes Mr. Mathers." All three boys stated, while Brandon ran off with his little `posse' and Kyle and Kevin ran into the boys' locker room. "Friggin idiot." Kyle muttered as he opened his locker. "Yup." Kevin agreed as he piled his gym clothes in. "Come on, we gotta get to the gym." Kyle stated as he grabbed Kevin's hand and started dragging him towards the gym. ********** One month later, both Kevin and Kyle had settled into their regular school routine once again. Both boys would get together for homework at either of their houses, helping each other out, then the other boy would leave to go for dinner, but not before they shared a quick little kiss. Their days got so routine, that both boys expected that kiss by the end of the day. "God damn it." Kevin cursed for what seemed like the hundredth time in the last twenty four hours. Both boys had a science test next period with Mr. Graner, and Kevin just couldn't remember the functions of the circulatory and nervous systems for the life of him. Every time he thought he had it, there would always be something else he had forgotten. Right now they were sitting far away from everyone else in a corner of the field, Kyle trying to help Kevin study one last time. "Kev, you just gotta remember that the right side of the heart pumps blood to the lungs and the left pumps blood to the rest of the body." "Got it. Right, lungs; left, body." "Right." "Lungs." Kevin smiled. "Okay smart guy." "I'm still gonna fail this test, I know it. I hate science." Kevin sighed as he collapsed into the pages of his textbook. "No you won't. Graner said it's just multiple choice and some fill-ins. You can ace those easy." "Yes I will." Kyle sighed. "What's it gonna take to make you realize that you aren't gonna fail this thing?" "Some extra incentive." Kevin said. "Like what?" "Like ice cream?" Kevin said hopefully. "Okay fine. You don't freak out on this test and I give you ice cream. You happy now?" Kyle asked. "Yeah." Kevin said as the bell rang to signal the end of the period. "Dun dun dun." He intoned. Kyle laughed. "Don't worry. You'll do fine." He said as he gave Kevin the briefest of kisses and then pulled him up from his sitting position. "Lets go take this test." "Okay." Kevin said cautiously as both boys grabbed their bags and ran towards the building, neither noticing the eyes that watched them through the bushes. ********** "Got some juicy info for ya Bran." One of Brandon's lackeys, Cory, said later that afternoon. "And?" Brandon said from his place on the corner of the school building. "Seems our friends Richardson and Roberts are a couple of fags, kissing on the field." Cory said. "Interesting." Brandon trailed off. "Now what do we do with these poor misguided boys?" he pantomimed. "I say we beat some sense into `em." Steve, another one of Brandon's lackeys, said. "Sounds like a good idea Steve." Brandon agreed, smiling devilishly. ********** "Yes! I passed!" Kevin jumped in the air, holding onto his newly graded B test paper from the science test two days ago for dear life. Kyle laughed from his place on the street. "And you thought you would fail miserably. Goes to show ya what studying can do for ya." "And I have you to thank for it." "Why thank you." "Now where is that ice cream you promised me?" Kevin asked sweetly. "No, that ice cream was for you not freaking out during the test. Not for after." "Oh please?" Kevin asked. "Okay fine." "Okay fine I get ice cream?" "Yes you get ice cream." "With your mom's hot fudge and everything on it?" "Yes with my mom's hot fudge and everything on it." "Good." "Aw isn't this sweet." Both boys heard a voice pantomime from down the street. "Crap." Both boys chorused. Brandon was coming straight for them. "If it isn't our faggy friends from school, Kevin and Kyle." Brandon smiled evilly. "We don't know what you're talking about Brandon. We didn't do anything." Kevin said. "Of course you do. Cory over here saw you two faggots kissing on the field two days ago." Brandon said, indicating to his right, where the brown haired boy stood. Kevin and Kyle swallowed the dry lumps in their throats. "Now the question is, what do we do about this little situation we have here." He said as he started to circle the two boys. "We can't just let you two go on with your little queery ways now can we?" "No way." Several boys from Brandon's `posse' chorused as they closed in on the circle around Kevin and Kyle. "And we definitely need to deal with situation before it gets out of control." Brandon continued. "And the only way for us to do that, is for the both of you to see the light." "Take `em." Brandon said as several of the boys took hold of both Kevin and Kyle's arms holding them in place. "Now the only way that we feel is the right and proper way for you two to realize your fag ways, is for us to make sure you never do them again. And what's the best way for that to happen?" Brandon asked acidly as he stared right into Kyle's dark brown eyes. "This." He continued as he punched Kyle hard in the stomach. "No." Kevin whispered as he too was punched in the stomach, more than once. Kevin watched, bleary-eyed, as three boys punched and kicked Kyle, continuing as Kyle collapsed to the sidewalk and tried to curl into a ball to protect himself. Kevin barely registered the pain that was being racked on his own body, or when he too fell to the ground after the two boys holding him had let go of the quivering mass that was Kevin. The only thing Kevin could hear was Brandon calling him a "Queer, faggot, cock sucker..." repeatedly. And the last thing Kevin did hear before the blackness of unconsciousness blissfully took him was Brandon saying, "That should teach you two a lesson." ********** Kevin was swimming, and trying desperately to reach the air that lay just a few feet above him. He felt like there was a thousand pounds on his back and he would never reach the top at the rate he was going. He swam as hard as he could, the pain almost becoming too much for him. Finally, Kevin looked down at his feet and saw the heavy weights that were tied there. Squatting down and desperately reaching for the knot to untie his feet from the weights in the murky water, Kevin successfully untied the knot that was around each shoe. Going as fast as his fatigued muscles would allow him, Kevin could see the top of the water, and could almost feel the air that was soon to escape into his air-deprived lungs... ********** "Ahhh!" Kevin screamed as he woke up. Looking to his right, he was met with the bright blues of his youngest cousin Brian. "Hi Kevy. You woke up." His younger cousin said simply. "Want my blanket? You look scared." Brian asked in a way that only a six-year old could, offering his worn blanket to his older cousin. "Kevin!" the cousins both heard a slight squeal coming from the doorway. "You're up!" Then Kevin saw his mother come into his field of vision, giving him a large hug. "Ow." Kevin whimpered slightly. "Oh, I'm sorry baby." Ann said as she smoothed out her son's hair. "That's okay mom." Kevin said, shocked at how hoarse his own voice sounded. Then he saw Kyle's mother come into the room. "Kevin, sweetheart, you're awake." She smiled through her watery eyes. "Hi Karen." Kevin said softly. Just as Ann wanted Kyle to call her Ann, Karen wanted Kevin to call her Karen, and not Mrs. Roberts. Jus as his father and older brother stepped into the room, he remembered why he was in the hospital. "I gotta go see Kyle, make sure he's alright." He said, trying to get up out of the bed. "Whoa there slugger." Gerald said as he held his son from getting out of bed. "You shouldn't be getting out of bed yet. You need to rest up." "Dad, let me go. I gotta go see Kyle." Kevin pleaded. All three adults shared a silent communication over the children's heads. "Let him go Gerald." Karen stated softly. "Where's Kyle?" Kevin asked as he wobbly stood up on his two legs. "Room 313, right down the hall." Karen whispered. "But aunty..." Brian started as Kevin left the room and ran down the hall as fast as his weak legs could carry him. "Shh baby." Ann said as she took her nephew in her arms. "Why didn't you tell Kevy that Kylee went away?" Brian asked as Karen continued to cry on Gerald's shoulders. ********** Kevin ran down the hospital corridor quickly, not noticing the nurses giving him questioning looks about his physical appearance and why he was running down the hall in his hospital nightgown. Looking at every room number, he finally found room 313 and quietly opened the door. Kyle was on the bed, looking a deathly shade of white. "Kyle?" Kevin asked softly, still trying to get over how gravelly his voice sounded. Kyle gave no response. Kevin walked further into the room. "I'm so sorry Kyle. We should have never started, I should have never said yes... it's all my fault." He whispered as he came to Kyle's bedside. Taking his friend's hand, Kevin was able to feel how clammy his best friend's hand felt. "Kyle? Answer me please? Come on, you still promised me that ice cream." Kevin said through his watering eyes. Feeling for a pulse, Kevin's eyes teared over as he felt none. "No no no." Kevin repeated softly. "No." Kevin repeated as he collapsed onto Kyle's chest, his unbreathing chest. "He died a few hours ago. No one has had the heart to move him yet." A soft voice said from the doorway. "How... how'd he die?" Kevin asked the figure in the doorway, his head still bowed over his dead friend's body. "Internal bleeding. There was just so much blood everywhere, that when the doctors had first operated on him, they thought they had got it all. They were wrong." "So, he died in here?" Kevin asked. "Yeah." "Did he ever wake up Tim?" Kevin asked as he turned to his brother still standing in the doorway. "No. He died while he was still unconscious." Tim said softly from his place in the driveway. "Who... who found us?" Kevin asked, now staring blankly at his best friend. "Old Mrs. Benson. She was walking her poodle when she saw the two of you lying on the sidewalk. She tried calling to you, but neither of you responded. That's when she noticed the two of you lying in a pool of your own blood. Hell Kev, what the fuck happened?" "We... we got beat up." Kevin said softly as he squeezed Kyle's dead hand. "By who?" "Brandon and his friends." "Shit. What for?" Kevin swallowed. He didn't want to say exactly why him and Kyle had gotten beaten, he was ashamed of it. "No reason, Brandon's just a shithead who hates us." "Kevin, there has to be a reason for it." "That's the reason." Kevin said softly. Tim closed the door to Kyle's room. Kevin heard the lock of the door as Tim walked into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Was it because he saw you kiss Kyle?" he asked Kevin softly. "You saw us?" Kevin asked shocked, backing away from his brother. "Yeah. One time when the two of you were walking towards the back shed to get out the football, I was going to remind the two of you to get the cones too, when I saw the two of you sneak a quick kiss in." Tim whispered. "What are you gonna do to me?" Kevin asked, scared at what his own brother was going to do to him now that he knew. "Nothing." "Nothing?" Kevin looked up to his brother, the tears still in his eyes. "Nothing. You liked kissing Kyle, and I don't see anything wrong with you liking it. Some people do, and those people are just shitheads, like you said." Tim smiled. Kevin collapsed into his older brother's arms. "Thanks Tim." He muttered into Tim's shirt. "You're welcome baby bro." Tim said as he kissed the top of his younger brother's head. "You're welcome." Kevin and Tim sat there next to Kyle's body for a long time while Kevin cried. Cried for the friend he lost and for the innocence he lost as well. "Let's go back to the rest of the family. We don't want to let mom worry anymore than she already has." Tim whispered into Kevin's ear. "Yeah." Kevin smiled as he wiped his eyes. "I'll let you say goodbye to Kyle." "Don't go yet." Kevin said softly as he held onto Tim's wrist. "I'm gonna be right outside, waiting for you." Tim said as he left and closed the door again, leaving Kevin some privacy. "Well I guess this is it huh Kyle?" Kevin smiled through his tears as he looked back down on his best friend. "No more Zelda, or ice cream, studying, and no more kisses. You know those were the best, even though Brandon didn't think so." Kevin said softly as he kissed the top of Kyle's forehead. "But I gotta go, so..." Kevin stopped as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "... so I guess I'll see ya later. In no time at all right?" He whispered. Kissing his best friend one more time, Kevin slowly walked over to the door and opened it, supporting himself as Tim closed the door for him and the two brothers walked back down to Kevin's room, already on the road to putting Kyle behind them. ********** "And what happened to Brandon?" Howie asked Kevin as he finished his story. "We never told anyone else what happened." Kevin said softly. "Me and Tim are the only two who know what really happened. I told everyone else that I couldn't remember exactly what happened, so no charges were ever pressed." "You mean you let Brandon get off scot free?" AJ asked skeptically. "Oh no. Tim had some friends that showed Brandon his own light." Kevin said bitterly. "And Brandon never said what happened to him either." "Wow. Um, woah." Brian said speechless. "Yeah, woah." Nick repeated. Kevin held back a sob as he stood up. "I know right now this is not the best time to do this, but if you four don't mind, I'd like to spend some time alone." "Yeah sure, go ahead cuz." Brian said as Kevin left the four other members of the Backstreet Boys to their own devices. There was a large moment of silence as the four friends absorbed what Kevin had told them. "I gotta go, walk around, clear my head." Nick said as he stood up and walked over to the door and grabbed his jacket. "Okay Frack, just come back here before daybreak." Brian said. "Yeah, whatever." Nick said absentmindedly as he left the hotel room and went into the elevator, walking outside to the dark clear starless night. Don'tcha just hate me? Putting poor Kevy through that. And when he was like twelve no less. That was the reason this chapter took so long, I had to get in the mood to write that chapter, cause DAMN but it was hard to write... --Jess, getting into her little corner to protect herself from the onslaught... INFO: Email-- Midnight_Violet18@hotmail.com Website-- http://insidebubble.cjb.net Side note-- I wanna go see the POPODDESY tour, but i didn't get tickets... waaaaa. And who else is thinkin bout getting 'Celebrity'?