Lovesick the Series :

2 - The Fan Boy

Mick Googled Nohm. Mick downloaded their songs. Mick even left fan messages for them with pseudo names. He was far removed from the lives of Nohm band. He even wondered if Ohm ever thought about him. The last conversation on the phone didn't end well and Ohm had made deliberate effort to cut off all ties so that Mick could begin a new life sans the 'gay' stigma. Ohm, now riding on the success of their newly released album didn't have time to think about Mick or the past. He was raging forward, to a future that promised music, fans and travel. He had left Mick far behind and Noh & Phun were his secret-keepers. The other two boys in the band had yet to know Ohm better.  

'Noh, are you going for the party at Club 69 tonight?' 

'Yeah, I have to. We are invited by the magazine who is organizing it for all the featured artists and it would look bad if we don't show up.'

'Can I skip?' requested Ohm.

'No, you bastard. You can't. We're in this together. I don't care if you go in your shorts and t-shirts, but you better be there. I will be coming straight from the studio. It's a big deal. I've already told the boys to be there by sharp 9 pm,' Noh commanded over the phone.

Ohm loved the stage. He loved the fan chants. He loved being away from the crowd, not mingle with the crowd. These are some of the prices you pay for success, he thought as he began to go through his wardrobe for the irksome party tonight. His small apartment was bang in the middle of the city and he loved his privacy more than ever, especially now. Every radio channel had their songs on. The band was about 7 years old and they had finally made it, yet he shied away from the limelight and let Noh take the center stage. Noh was good at interacting and negotiating. Noh knew which events were important and which ones could be dropped. He trusted Noh.

The party venue was abuzz as usual. The who's who of the music industry had gathered at the spot. The glitz and glam of such events made Ohm uncomfortable. People were reaching out to touch him, feel him, get his attention and he particularly didn't enjoy unwanted attention. Noh would rescue him every time. Noh was a pro. Ohm was quite the opposite but they formed a formidable team as musicians. They were supposed to meet Mark, the representative of BB & Boys and that's why Noh had to make sure all the boys showed up.

'I have some really exciting news for you guys but am sure you'd love to hear it from the CEO himself. He should be here anytime soon,' and with that Mark left the band to find the said CEO.

Noh and Ohm had their differences when it came to promoting themselves. Ohm believed that good music didn't need promotion while Noh was more pragmatic about how things worked, so when Noh as the leader decided it was good for the band to jump into the 'big label' bandwagon, Ohm wasn't too pleased. He loved making music - pure and straight from the heart, even if meant playing for only a few hundreds who appreciated the rawness of their shows. Noh had a bigger picture in mind and as the leader, he believed it was time for their band to graduate from the indi-band label and play mainstream. Ohm reluctantly let Noh convince him. The CEO spent considerable time at the party with the Nohm band, listening to their dreams as budding musicians, understanding their expectations and also, parted few words of advice to the youngsters. The CEO liked Noh's enthusiasm and appreciated his vision for the band. The CEO had already made up his mind about signing them on and getting them on board. He introduced the band to some of BB & Boys' artists who had gained much popularity overseas and now owned condos, restaurants and clubs in Bangkok. 

That night, Noh and Ohm went back to Noh's apartment in the suburbs. Ohm realized that Noh was a little more drunk that usual. Phun was already in bed. Noh and Ohm passed out in the living room. Phun left for work the next day after preparing their breakfast. They were still sleeping.

Ohm woke up with a pounding headache. He called for a cab and left the apartment. He needed a shower and a change of clothes. The after party smell on him made him nauseous and he couldn't remember a thing. It was only when he turned on his phone he realized about 50 missed calls from Phun and 20 from numbers unknown. He went through the fan page and found out everything he couldn't remember. Noh, Ohm and the boys sure looked like they were having the best time of their lives at the party.

Headline on site 1 : 'BB & Boys' get along with Nohm.

Headline on site 2 : Nohm meets with the CEO of BB & Boys

Headline on site 3 : Nohm to sign with BB & Boys - Promising future for the Nohm boys!

Headline on site 4 : CEO shows keen interest and wants to bring Nohm on board

So on and so forth.. the journalists had done their jobs, so did those nosy paparazzi.

Noh, leader of Nohm goofs around with singer Jane

Ohm gets cosy with the girl group lead vocalist Sheryl

Nohm boys celebrate their success with BB & Boys CEO

Pictures say it all. Ohm wasn't too happy to see his face splashed around in drunken stupor with female celebrities he didn't know. He couldn't remember a single face from the images that mushroomed on every social channel. He had his arms around most of them yet he couldn't recall any of the incidents. 

He rang up Noh and gave him a brief update on what's circling on the internet. Noh fell ill all over again at the ghastly sights of his band members at the party, himself included. The next caller was the CEO himself. The big news was going to be official soon and they had decided on a date to sign them on. 

Mick was going through the pictures of the party in his bedroom. Of late, his obsession over Nohm was becoming more apparent. Mary noticed it too. She heard him play their songs over and over again. He would stay up late night chatting with other fans of Nohm and sometimes, she heard him belt out their songs in the bathroom. The usually quiet Mick was changing every day. Mick had joined 'Nohmmer' - the official fan club of Nohm. He would get the latest updates on Nohm, their schedule, their concerts and news updates. He wasn't too happy that they signed up with BB & Boys. The distance between him and Ohm had widened a little more, in his head.

'