Howie paced outside the washroom, his bladder to the breaking point.
"Ohhhhh." he moaned, a pained expression on his face.
"Gotta pee, gotta pee. Gotta think, gotta think." He mumbled to himself.
He looked back and forth from the men’s room to the ladies’ room, not sure which one to go into.
He saw AJ coming around the corner with a paper bag in his arms. He leaned casually against the wall as though he were waiting for someone.
"Hey Aje." He greeted his friend, his voice a bit strained from the growing pressure on his nether regions. "What’s in the bag?"
"Uh... Nothing." He gave Howie a suspicious look, as Howie started bouncing from one foot to the other. "What’s wrong with you? Gotta pee or something?"
"No! I‘m uh, I‘m just practicing for the next show." He lied.
"Howie, we haven’t had a performance in over a year."
"I know. That’s why I’m practicing!" Howie smiled at him.
He leaned against the wall, crossing his legs, trying to give the appearance of being cool.
He winked at AJ.
"So, what’s in the bag?"
"None of your business... weirdo."
"Okay, then be on your way." Howie tried to hurry AJ along.
AJ gave Howie one last odd look and hurried off, tightly clutching his secretive paper bag.
Howie poked his head around the corner to make sure AJ was gone.
He pulled his cell phone out of his overall pocket and pushed number 1 on his speed dial.
"I’m glad I put Nick on speed dial" he said as the phone began to ring.
"Yeah?" he heard a voice answer after the second ring. "Hello?" The voice said again through a mouthful of chips.
"Is this Nick or Aaron?"
"Ha! Take that ass clowns!" Nick yells to the Nintendo screen.
"It’s Nick. Damnit!!" He yelled at the screen.
"Whatya want? I’m busy."
"I’m Howie."
"Hey!" greeted Nick. Excitement wavered in his voice. He paused his no longer important video game. After all, Howie was on the phone. Grand Theft Auto could wait. "What’s up?"
"Uh, I got a little problem. Uh... I’m at the mall."
"Okay, the food court is on the lower level, next to your favorite store Slim ‘n Sassy."
"No, I- uh" Howie sheepishly ducked behind a coke machine as he saw AJ approaching with another paper bag.
He waited until AJ was out of hearing and then continued. "I gotta pee real bad. I’m outside the restroom and uh - "
Nick cut him off, knowing exactly the problem. "Remember last time? The painting of the person in a dres-"
"I don’t think that’s a painting, Nick." Howie pointed out.
"The picture then. Whatever. That’s the ladies room."
"Are you sure?" Howie questioned his friend’s wisdom. After all, Nick wasn’t known for being the brightest bulb in the lamp.
"No." Nick admitted.
"Maybe we should call Kevin." Howie suggested.
"Are you kidding?!" Shrieked Nick. "He’ll slap the crap out of me!"
"Over the phone?"
"With those eyebrows? Anything’s possible."
Howie let out a high-pitched scream as his bladder got the best of him.
He dropped his cell phone and ran into the men’s room.
"Howie? Howie? Was that you or a girl? How? Oh my god! I’ll be right there!"
BACK AT NICK’S CRIB
"Something’s happened to Howie!" Nick yelled, to no one in particular.
He ran out the door, tripping over a couple of Pug’s on his way out.
He jumped into his jet black Durango and slammed the car into reverse. His head jerked forward into the steering wheel as he heard the sound of metal hitting metal.
"Goddamnit!" he cursed. That was the 3rd time that week he’d backed into Howie’s Christmas present.
"Howie will never buy me another car!"
He pulled around the Porsche and sped off down the street towards the mall.