Opposites Attract.

Chap 5

The rain lashes onto him, his hair becoming damp, Nick has always liked the rain, so did Andy, something they both actually had in common, another good thing he discovers now is that no one can notice his tears in the rain.
He doesn't exactly know where to turn now, where to go from here, he knows he's going home now, maybe tomorrow. But that's not his home, his home is Andy, it's always been Andy.
He spots a telephone box, he feels a small spark of relief, the only person he would rather hear right now is John, he needs to hear a comforting voice.
"Hello?"
"Hi, John." Nick mumbles, almost ashamed, he only left  hours ago.
"Nick? Is everything okay?" John asks, he sounds so genuine, it's sweet.
Nick takes a while to respond, he's still crying, he can't stop his tears.
"Y-Yes, everything is fine." He stutters, his voice breaks slightly.
"Are you- crying?" John asks, confusion fills his voice.
Nick wipes his tears and clears throat, almost as if he can see him through the phone.
"N-No. I'm just tired." Nick lies, biting his nails, his conversation with Andy is still replaying in his mind.
"Where are you?"
"America."
Nick hears John's small gasp, he didn't expect him to go so far.
"Jesus, Nick. Why?"
"I don't know, it was a mistake. I want to be home now, I'll catch a flight tomorrow."
"Yeah, you should come home. We'll sort things out then."
Nick doesn't respond, he just nods, forgetting John can't see him.
"Would you be a dear and pick me up tomorrow? I don't want a taxi."
Nick hears a small laugh coming through the phone, he smiles slightly.
"Of course, just give me a time tomorrow and I'll come get you."
"Thank you, darling."
"Stay safe, Nick. America is crazy."
Nick laughs softly.
"Will do."
He hangs up the phone, leaning back, watching the rain fall. He didn't understand why it has to end like this, it shouldn't, he feels there is so much more he and Andy were yet to say to each other. All the memories are flickering behind his eyelids, from the perfect start to this unwanted ending, this chapter has come to a closing. Yet Nick still can't stop reading over the pages, he can almost make out his laugh attempting to escape his ears, and the photos that remain of them fill Nick to his core with sorrow.
He is now made to fall asleep with the realisation that he wouldn't be there when he woke in the morning and that all of this is for nothing, that smile he had placed on his face and all their late night talks would simply be pointless, because he didn't mean any of it.
So he questions why he still wanders across his mind, or why his face appears when he closes his eyes, why every memory is begging him to stay.
Why he can practically hear his voice and all of the promises he once made, or why he feels more alive when he rereads the over the old chapters of their story.
He wishes he had the courage to skip past this chapter, because Andy was the dearest part of the book.

Nick sets his bag to his feet in John's car, it's quite filthy, John never looks after his cars, Nick knows that if he could drive he would. He finds space to place his feet down, pushing away the rubbish beneath him. John looks to him, he already knows he's tired.
"You okay?" He asks, starting the car. Nick looks to him, brown meets green and he sighs, nodding at him.
"Are you sure?" He asks, he knows he isn't, but Nick isn't prepared to say no.
"Yes." He mumbles, looking out the window.
"I've got uh- news for you." John says, hands on his wheel, they still haven't left.
Nick looks to him, he's sick of needing to hear news, he's had to pack in a lot these past few days.
"Go on." He says, turning his attention to him.
"Well- Simon got in touch with someone, a guitarist."
Nick looks down, biting his lip, Andy goes back into his mind, this is the news he has been dreading, they've already found someone else.
"Jesus, I was only gone for a day." Nick mumbles, rubbing his head.
"I know, but- he sent us a recording of his playing, he's good. Very good."
Nick turns around to roll his eyes, he should be happy about this, someone to replace Andy so they can make their album. But the word 'replace' never sits right with him.
"Go on then, what's his name." Nick asks, he just wants to get this over with, he just has to face reality now, this is the band now, but whoever the new guitarist or drummer is, they'll never be apart of Duran Duran, they'll only be touring members.
"His name is Warren, Warren Cuccurullo? From Missing Persons."
Nick's eyebrows furrow, the name is recognisable, he's surprised it's him.
"Oh...Okay." Nick says, he can't help his voice from sounding upset, he's done with hiding his emotions.

"I know this is going to be weird without the rest of them, I'm not going to like it either, but we want to be Duran Duran again, the three of us is better than nothing."
Nick nods, he's sure there has to be something positive about all this.
"Yeah, I know."
"He's coming over today, you and me have already got some writing done, Simon has loads of lyrics."
Nick shoots his head around, this is all happening so fast.
"Today?"
"Yes, I want you to be nice to him, alright?"
Nick groans, he doesn't do well with change, especially this.
"Can we just go? I'm already done with today." Nick growls, resting his head on the window, watching the rain fall onto the glass.
They arrive to where they used to rehearse, it hurts to know Andy won't be be here, he was always so focused on his work, he helped them get stuff done, yes he was pushy, quite bossy, but you need someone like Andy, he keeps everyone right.
"Let's go." John says, clicking off his belt, Nick takes his arm, keeping him still, John turns to him, waiting for him to speak.
"What?"
"This new guy, he's never going to be apart of Duran Duran, right?"
John tuts, as if it should be obvious, although Nick will always need the reassurance.
"Of course not, Nick. He's helping us with this album, then a touring member. That's all."
"Promise?"
John groans, leaning back in his seat.
"I promise, now come on, we're going to be late." He says, opening the car door, Nick soon follows after him, the amount of times he has thought of just leaving, but he knows he can't, he's got no where else to go, and as mad as he is with them, he needs them, they're his best friends, they put up with him and Andy when they argued all the time, and that's already enough.
John walks in first, Nick trailing along after him, like a child with his mother.
He looks up, seeing Simon look over notes, his faces scrunches up in anger, recalling their argument, he almost forgot.
"Thank god, thought you weren't showing up." He says, not looking up from his pages, when he does, his eyes land to Nick, he mustn't have noticed he was there, Nick wondered why he sounded so kind.
Nick shrugs off his jacket, setting it on the table beside him. He lights a cigarette, instant relief floods his body at the first inhale.

Nick perks his head up at the door opening, it's Warren, he almost rolls his eyes out loud, he looks cheesy, full of himself too, Nick almost laughs out loud when he looks up to his hair, still trying to rock a mullet, fair play to him.
Simon smiles at him, Nick isn't surprised.
"This is Warren, Warren, this is John, this is Nick." Simon says, his voice jumpy, Nick doesn't smile, he's not buying into this.
"Nice to meet you." He says, holding his hand out to Nick, his American accent hits him hard, it's very strong, again, he sounds so cheesy.
Nick looks him up and down, shaking his hand, he gives him a nod and a smile, that's all he is going to get.
Simon and John begin to talk to him, already letting him bask in their attention.
Idiots

Nick walks over to Simon's notes, seeing scribbles of lyrics all written down, he can't lie, they sound quite good, but Simon has always been a poet, Nick can't lie about that.
He goes to his keyboard, all his stuff is already set up for him.
He sits down, playing a little tune on it, making sure it's working, it's been a while since he's played, he could be a bit rusty, especially with coming up with new ideas.
An hour passes, and Nick feels like gouging his own eyes out, his skin crawls with how nice they are being to him, he such a dick, so full of himself, just like Nick expected, all he's done all day is talk about himself, what he wants to do.
Yes he's good, he can play, but he's definitely not as good as Andy, Nick didn't expect him to be anyway. The two are just too nice to say anything.
John and Simon are completely under his spell, they look completely in love with him or something, it's sickening, Nick could hardly get a word in without being shushed to 'let Warren speak'.
"You create such a good sound, I'm amazed. I mean our last guitarist could never give us such ideas." Simon says, completely singing his praise.
Nick digs his finger nails into his hands, of course he said that, trying to stay quiet and not say anything is difficult when they're just talking shit about Andy.
He's completely sleazy, he thinks he's ever so cool, Nick had discovered he's been with guys, as he seems to bring it up so often, is it cool now to like men? So does Nick, he doesn't feel the need to go on about it so much.
Nick must have rolled his eyes twenty times in total, he can't help it, he is so annoying.