Laval, Montreal

Bouvier Residence

Same Day

11 AM

“You okay now, bro?” Jay crouched by Pierre as he sat on the floor clutching a glass of water in his right hand, kneading at his temple with his left.

“Yeah…” He shook his head. “I think so…”

“What the hell happened?”

Pierre shook his head again. “Not sure…just blacked out…”

Jay turned and sat next to him leaning his back against the vanity. “Maybe you caught something on tour?”

Pierre’s nostrils flared faintly. “Could be…” He frowned as a light aroma of chocolate floated around him. “Uh…you got chocolate on you?”

His older brother blinked. “Um, no.” He tilted his head. “You sure you’re fine?”

Pierre grimaced. No…I think I’m going crazy…why the hell am I smelling things…and what the fuck is that whooshing sound?

The sound of liquid rushing through pipes had come back stronger; it appeared to be extremely close, but he had no clue as to what that was. Maybe there was something wrong with his inner ears. He pushed up slowly from the floor, bracing his hands on the vanity.

Jay watched him carefully not wanting his younger brother to collapse on him. “Uh...maybe you should go see a doctor?”

Pierre shook his head. He stopped when he realised that caused his vision to spin. “Nah, I’ll be right...nothing a little rest won’t cure...” He glanced at the pack of aspirin sitting on the shelf. “Oh...and one of those.”

Jay rolled his eyes as Pierre grabbed the box and emptied one pill into the palm of his hand, tossing it back with the last of the water in the glass.

“I guess we shouldn’t mention this to Mom and Dad?”

Pierre snorted. “Yeah, that’d go down well. Mom would probably make me go to the doc.” He smeared a hand across his face, and then turned the tap on, splashing water onto his face. Straightening he dried his face on a small towel then turned to exit the bathroom.

Jay followed him out scratching at the back of his neck. “So, what’re you gonna do with yourself?”

Pierre looked back at him and smirked. “Not much. Chuck might pop round later.”

Jay folded his arms and leaned against the wall. “You’d think after touring for months together you’d be sick of each other.”

“They’re my only friend’s, Jay. We never get sick of each other...sick of living on top of each other sure...but at least here we can go home and have that time away from each other.” Pierre scuffed his shoe against the carpeted floor. “Anyway, touring may be fun...but it’s work. Spending time together at home...it’s purely pleasure.”

Jay chuckled. “Speaking of pleasure, you heard from Chelle?”

Lachelle Farrar was Pierre’s fiancée. They had met at an art gallery opening four years ago; Lachelle was an art student in Toronto and had been hosting an exhibition for one of her school peer’s. During semester, she was in Toronto and kept in touch with Pierre via phone and e-mail. She came home during the festive season and her larger breaks.

Pierre shook his head. “Not yet. I haven’t checked my email since I got back.”

“Uhuh. Well, maybe you should...” Jay smiled slightly then pushed away from the wall and left his younger brother staring after him in bemusement.

Noon

“Pierre!”

Pierre popped his head out of his room, where he’d holed himself after grabbing a bite to eat. “Yeah?”

Louise appeared in the hallway purse slung over her left shoulder. “Your father and I are off to the mall. Do you want us to get you anything?”

Pierre sucked on his bottom lip; a dull pulsing thrummed at the back of his eyes again as a whiff of roses floated towards him.

He shook his head. “Uh...no thanks, Mom...I think I’m all set.”

She smiled, nodding then turned to head out. Jay popped out of his own room as she passed it and caught hold of her purse muttering something to her. Pierre didn’t hear because he had ducked back into his room.

He plopped himself down in front of his desktop computer and switched it on. As it rumbled to life, he frowned as the noises of his parents’ car filtered into his room.

“That’s weird...” He muttered quietly. He stood and went to the window. It was shut tight. He scratched at his head. “Why can I hear the car?” He closed his eyes for a moment then opened them again.

A loud rhythmic buzzing caught his attention then and he turned his head staring at his bag that lay open on his bed.

What the... He walked over and dug around until he pulled out his cell phone, which was vibrating furiously. He glanced at the caller ID and grinned faintly.

Flipping it open and sliding back onto his swivel chair, he answered with a slight smirk. “Hey, Chuck...missed me, eh?”

His best friend and band mate laughed at the other end of the line. “Yeah, how long has it been, buddy?”

Pierre pretended to think for a moment. “Um...one night?”

Chuck practically cracked up laughing. “Fuck, we just can’t get enough of each other.”

Pierre rolled his eyes. “Indeed. What’s up?”

“Well, I know you’re probably sick of all of us...but David called and said we should go bowling. Bring the girls along too...”

Pierre sucked at his lip and swirled around on the chair, absently noting a fly that was crawling across his desk. Its footsteps sounded like tiny pins tiptoeing in sand.

He blinked at that thought and shook his head returning his focus to his phone call. “Bowling?”

“Yeah, it’s that thing you do with a heavy ball and a set of pins...”

“Hah, you’re so funny.”

“I try...so, you in?”

“Sure...I’ll come along. When were you thinking?”

There was a rustling at Chuck’s end as he was scrounging for something then he answered, voice muffled slightly. “Uh...in an hour. The old joint in town.”

Pierre shrugged even though his friend couldn’t see him. “Sounds great. Oh, by the way...I guess I’ll be girlfriendless...Lachelle’s still in Toronto.”

“Right. Of course. Oh well, you could bring Jay.”

“Yeah, like he’s any substitute for my fiancée...”

“He needs to get out of the house...”

Pierre sighed; he knew his friend was right. His older brother had been sick for quite a long time; he’d had non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and it had been touch and go there for a while. He was in remission now and Pierre prayed that that was the end of Jay’s illness. Their elder brother, Jon, had visited from Toronto during the past two years wanting to see how his two younger brothers’ were coping. But, with Pierre being away on tour Jay hadn’t left the house much.

“Okay, I’ll bring Jay with...”

“Great. Will see you at one then.”

“Yep, see ya...” Pierre clicked off his phone and tucked it into the back pocket of his jeans.

Then he glanced at his desk again where the fly was now perched on his computer keyboard, cleaning its front legs. He scowled at it. It flew off with a high-pitched squealing buzz. The sound assaulted his ears and rang for many seconds after the insect had disappeared.

Pierre frowned and wriggled his finger in his ear hole. Then, laughing at himself, he turned to his computer and settled down to read the gazillion emails that he’d left unopened whilst on tour.

Downtown Laval

12:55 PM

Patrick Langlois sat in his car fiddling with the rear-vision mirror. He had only just recently bought the car from a friend and already he had found several things wrong with the vehicle. A dickie mirror was the least of his problems, but right now, it was the easiest to fix.

Sucking on his tongue, he twisted the joint slightly.

“Come on, fucker...” He muttered under his breath as he finally clicked it into place.

“Who you calling a fucker, Pat?” A disembodied voice floated through his open window. He jerked his head around just as Pierre poked his head through the window. Their foreheads collided.

“Ow...” Pat backed up, pressing his hand to his head. “Jesus...”

“Nah, it’s just me.” Pierre grinned, rubbing at his own forehead, but then his nose wrinkled up as a strange scent wafted toward him. “Jeeze...did a dog die in here or something?”

Pat frowned, his own nose wrinkling as a soft hint of caramel assaulted his own senses Shit...it’s fuckin’ happening... “Uh. No. Last owner never had a dog.”

“Strange...I swear I can smell a dog...”

Pat rolled his eyes. “Right, of course.” That’s not dog you’re smelling...

Pierre looked at him sharply. “You sure you haven’t got Stuey hiding in here?” Stuey was Pat’s girlfriend’s French bulldog.

“No. Mare has him.”

“Oh. Well, you coming in?” Pierre tilted his head toward the entrance of the bowling alley.

Patrick nodded slowly squinting faintly at his friend. “Yeah, give me a moment.”

“Okay...just hurry the fuck up, eh?” He removed his head from the car and ambled across the parking lot to join the others who had just appeared in Pat’s view.

Pat shook his head and looked into the rear-vision mirror meeting his eyes in the reflection. “Great answer, Langlois... ‘right, of course...’ that’s great...” He grumbled angrily to himself. You should’ve just told him the truth... “Right...that’d go down well...not...” Well...it’s not like he doesn’t have his own...issues. “Great, now I’m having a conversation with myself.” Well- “Just be quiet...”

Pat rolled up the window and then got out locking the door and making his way into the bowling alley.

* * * * *

“I call 60!”

“What?” David scowled at Pierre who was standing on one of the chairs a bright pink bowling ball cradled against his chest.

The singer chuckled. “I call 60.”

“What the fuck does that mean?” The bassist looked confused.

Pat came up next to him and slapped him on the shoulder. “He means that you’re gonna lose by 60 points, buster.”

David pouted and glowered at Pierre. “No way! I’m gonna beat your ass!”

The singer chuckled, bounced off the chair and made for the lane to take his first shot. Pat rolled his eyes and flopped in front of the tiny score monitor watching as the numbers flashed on the screen. As he absently watched his friends’ taking turns to bowl, a tiny tickling sensation tingled at the tip of his nose.

He growled under his breath. Jesus...not now...gimme a break...

Sorry, Pat...but...um someone’s calling you...

Fuck off, loser breath...

It’s kinda important...

Can’t it fuckin’ wait? I’m trying to have some fun for a change...

It’s about Bouvier...

If it’s about his fuckin’ change...

Well it’s more than that...

What?

Christ needs to talk to you...

Christ? Is he there?

He’s just arrived in the City...and he’s pretty damned upset about something.

Fuck. Not Shadows? He can’t find-

Don’t panic, he doesn’t know. Christ picked up the scent and thought he should contact us.

Not now. I need some time...

Fine. We’ll give you a couple of days. Then you NEED to see Johnny.

Fine, now piss off, you dog. Pat shook his head to clear it and glanced up just as David went barrelling past and almost slid along the lane crashing into the pins. He watched as Pierre cracked up laughing, clutching at his stomach.

He rolled his eyes. “Jeeze, Pierre...it’s not that funny...”

Pierre glanced over at Pat and smirked. “What shat in your corn puffs?”

Pat just grumbled and looked back at the screen. Just you’re fuckin’ puberty setting my nerves on fire... “Nothing. Oh, look. David got a strike for that.”

Pierre got up off the floor and came over, bracing a hand against the back of Pat’s chair. “Oh, look...he did...fucker...”

Pat snorted and didn’t even bother looking around. However, when he heard a soft groan from behind him, he slowly looked back just as he heard David call out:

“Pierre!” The bassist dropped his ball into the rack and dashed over, just as Pat saw Pierre’s body slide onto the floor, his eyes rolling back into their sockets.

“Fuck...” Pat spun out of the chair so fast he almost sent his brain spinning. He got down on his knees next to his friend’s prone figure. “Fuck...fuck...”

Motherfucker...­

What is it, Pat?

Pierre blacked out...

Not good...

Not good? That’s all you can fucking say- you know what, just shut up...I’ll deal with this. Pat blocked off his mind and placed a hand on Pierre’s forehead. “Pierre...Pierre...”

“What’s that gonna do, Pat?” David was kneeling next to him with a bemused scowl on his face.

Pat just grunted. “We need to get him up.”

“He’s out cold!” David groaned.

Chuck came over then, phone in hand. “Should we call an ambo?”

Pat looked up. “No. No need.” He looked back down into his friend’s face and slapped lightly at his cheeks. Pierre...wake up... That was enough.

Pierre’s eyelids dragged open and he stared into his friend’s bright hazel eyes. “Did you just...?”

Shh...don’t ask...I’ll explain later. “You okay, bud?”

Pierre blinked at him slowly gathering his thoughts together.

“Did he just what?” David poked his head over Pat’s shoulder. Chuck pulled the bassist away.

Pierre rubbed the back of his head. “Uh...I think I just fainted, eh?”

Pat nodded slowly. “Yeah. Any idea why?”

Pierre bit his bottom lip. “Don’t know...but it’s the second time it’s happened...”

Great...

Well, of course this is the second fucking time...the first was when Christ sensed the change...

That makes sense... Pat ran his fingers through his hair. “You think you’re gonna be okay?”

The singer grimaced. “I think I need to see a doctor...”

“No!” Pat blurted out before realising. His friend gave him a weird look. He sighed. “I mean...are you sure you need to? You seem fine, now.”

Pierre rolled his eyes. “I doubt blacking out twice in one day is normal...”

Not for a healthy human...but he’s not a human...he’s a fuckin’-

Just shut up, okay? I know what he is.

Yeah, right

...Anyway, the doctor won’t find anything wrong with him...

Then just let him go...no big deal.

Hah, glad someone thinks so... Pat sighed. “Okay, you want me to drive you?”

Jay, who had been just sitting watching everyone, glanced over. “I’ll drive Pierre’s car back.”

Pierre nodded to him. “Thanks bro.” He turned his eyes back to his friend. “And, thanks, Pat. Might be an idea...”

Pat stood and helped the singer onto his feet. “Okay...let’s go.” He waved to the others. “Sorry, guys...you’ll just have to go on without us.”

David pouted, “No fun...”

Chuck rolled his eyes. “Well, you might beat me at any rate...”

The bassist giggled, grabbing his bowling ball and making for the lane. Pierre and Pat both rolled their eyes and left the alley in silence, neither male noting the intense heaviness that settled in the atmosphere above. There was a storm coming and no one knew it.

Notes

NB: Bold italics is a second person speaking to Pat in his mind ;)