Chapter Two
Seeing Things
"That was tedious." Mark said as the band members went out of the conference room. Everyone obviously felt the same: they all stretched out their limbs as they got out of the door; Brian even yawned widely, rubbing his eyes sleepily. Louis Walsh, being the manager, was still inside the room, polishing and finishing up the contract for them.
"Louis told us we can go on ahead. He'll just call us for updates." Kian said, being the one to be the last to go out of the conference room.
Shane looked at his watch. "It's still early. You lads wanna grab something to eat? It'll be great to get to know each other." He offered to Brian and Nicky.
"That sounds brilliant. I'm starving." Brian said.
"Nicky?" Shane asked Nicky. "Brian already said yes..." Shane looked at him pleadingly, making Nicky chuckle.
"As if I can say no." Nicky said.
"No you can't." Brian said, laughing. The rest did as well.
"Okay then." he decided.
* * * * *
The band decided to eat in a not too fancy diner. They decided to have chicken and beer for the night. Great way to unwind and talk.
"So, how old are you lots?" Brian asked.
"Kian and I are 18" Mark said.
"Hey! I am too!" Brian announced jovially.
"19" Shane said.
"Oh my God." Nicky said, covering his face. "I can't be the oldest one in the group!"
"So you're like 30-ish then?" Brian teased him.
"NO! OF COURSE NOT!" Nicky protested aloud. Everyone laughed at him. "I'm still 20." he said.
"Well that's fine. You look like the youngest one in the group." Shane said.
"Hear, hear!" Everyone agreed.
"And Brian's the oldest." Mark said.
"Hey that's not true!" Brian objected, waving a bitten drumstick in Mark's face. Everyone just laughed at the both of them, causing a bit of commotion in the diner, earning them looks of amusement and annoyance from the diners inside.
"I still can't believe I was chosen, ya know. Being here just felt surreal." Nicky said.
"Yeah? What were your plans then, if you weren't here?" Kian asked Nicky.
"I was gonna be a police officer." Nicky said. "You know my application has been approved and accepted 'n all. Then the call came."
"Congratulations mate. You know, even though you're not going, you are accepted in two things you applied for: here and being a police." Brian said. "You must be pretty adept at everything."
"Adept. You're a man of words, sir." Nicky teased him. Brian just winked at him.
"Well I'm flattered that you chose us." Shane said. "You could've done well being an officer of the law too."
"Are you joking?" Nicky said, "Spotlight and glamour, who'd turn that down?"
"Reasons aside, you still chose us. That's something." Shane answered.
Nicky was not sure why Shane insisted that. He stared at Shane who was looking intently at him. Everyone seemed oblivious with the whole staring showdown. Shane was the first to look away.
"So, London in a few weeks! Can you believe it?" Brian asked them excitedly. Their first debut album, 'Swear It Again' was scheduled to start a few weeks after and the recording will be in London. Everyone was excited when the trip was discussed in the conference room.
"Are you all gonna stay here before the trip?" Nicky asked them.
"We will probably stay here for a couple of weeks." Mark said. "Then we need to go back to Sligo to prep everything up for the trip."
"So where'd ya gonna stay?"
"In a Hotel." Mark answered.
"Hey, just a thought. Would you two wanna hangout with us?" Shane asked Nicky and Brian. "We don't know a lot of people here in Dublin and it would be great to see some familiar faces. We're gonna be here for couple weeks."
"Pssh, just tell them you're gonna miss them Shane and let's get this over with." Kian teased Shane, who told him to shut up and smack him in the head.
"Yeah, of course. That would be good." Nicky accepted the offer.
"I'm in, too. You know, if the invitation extends to me." Brian said, grinning at them. Nicky looked at Brian questioningly, creasing his eyebrows at him.
"He said 'the two of us'" Nicky told Brian.
"Right. Yeah. Of course, I'm in." Brian said, still grinning foolishly.
Nicky shook his head and chuckled. "Yer a bit barmy, mate."
Brian laughed. "Naah, it's not that. Maybe I'm just seeing things." he said. But Nicky didn't have the chance to ask what.