But We're Not Normal

Explain

The air in the room was stiflingly tense. No one wanted to break the relative silence that had overtaken them ever since they'd arrived at the house and so they each sat or stood listening to Nick pace back and forth in seething anger. Finally, a voice cut it's way through the suffocating atmosphere. Everyone quickly wished it didn't.

"Where's George?" Clay asked quietly, still recovering from Nick's initial outburst at the café. Nick rounded on him with a fire in his eyes.

"Where's George? You didn't seem to care before, don't start now just because you've been caught." Nick scoffed in return, standing still but tapping his foot rapidly. Jethro shuffled minutely to sit on the edge of the couch, preparing in case Nick chose to lash out again.

"Nick, I-" Clay tried but Nick was quick to interrupt him.

"No. You don't get to pull this shit. After everything you put him through you have the audacity to act like you have always cared." He snapped, stepping towards Clay. Jethro shifted his weight to his feet in anticipation of Nick's next move. "All because George loved you so much that he'd take a nine hour plane just to make sure you're okay when you ignored him for a week and now you feel guilty. Well too fucking late." He growled lowly. Clay kept his mouth shut but his heart ached loudly.

"Can you go someplace else? Another room? And take her with you, I can't stand to be around either of you right now." Nick more instructed than asked, pointing an accusing finger at Keres. The two all but scurried from the room.

Geo stood, taking the few steps it took to reach Nick, and gently rested his hand on Nick's upper arm. Nick looked down into Geo's calm brown eyes and took a deep breath, focusing on dampening down the fire that threatened to engulf him from his lungs outwards.

"You better have one damn good explanation." Nick said, turning to analyse the three remaining band members, who were tucked tightly together on one of the couches, pretending they weren't cowering. Vincent was the first to speak up.

"Do you remember the nights I used to complain to you about a man called Damien?" He asked tentatively. Nick nodded, unsure of how that was in any way related to what he'd asked.

"He's our manager- was our manager." Vincent explained when Nick didn't speak up. "And he got it in his head that George was a distraction to Clay and, therefore, a distraction to the band as a whole." He continued.

"So, what, you just dropped the both of us because Damien didn't like George? Wow, glad to know how much I mean to you." Nick bit, crossing his arms and glaring.

Vincent shook his head profusely, standing and taking a step towards Nick. "Damien is the kind of person to never stop until he gets his way. He threatened consequences if he found that anyone had talked to George or anyone George knew."

"Oh no, not consequences!" Nick pretended to tremble, voice a mocking few octaves higher, as he took a step away.

"You don't understand, Nick. This guy knew his way around everything, there was no telling what he'd be able to get away with." Vincent tried, desperate for Nick to just understand.

"So, what, if you hadn't listened then he'd get rid of George himself like some kind of mob boss?" Nick joked sarcastically.

"Yes." Vincent replied earnestly. "The man was a psychopath with no sense of humanity. I wouldn't doubt that he'd hurt George if he thought George was in the way of his income." Vincent saw something shift in Nick's slightly blown eyes.