"Gee." said Howie turning to Brian "She's cold isn't she."
"You can say that again" added AJ "she looked at me like I was nuts."
"Bone, you are nuts." laughed Kevin
"Just give her a chance." Nick broke in " she's probably still in shock. Think how you would feel if your Mom died and you were carted off to live somewhere else."
"Yeah," said Howie, "I'd probably be a brat too."
"That was no excuse though!" exclaimed Brian, "She should have at least been polite. I'm going to go and have a talk with her. Would you guys mind staying in here a bit? I think maybe she'll be less defiant if there aren't other people listening."
"Sure," Kevin told him "Just tell us when its safe"
Brian walked out and stood in front of Erin's bunk. The curtain was closed.
"Erin"
"What now?"
"Can I talk to you?"
'It's going to have to happen sometime.' Erin thought 'Might as well happen now.'
"Sure" she answered him. Brian pulled open the curtain. Erin was sitting down with a notebook in her lap. She hurriedly shoved the notebook under her pillow.
"What do you want?"
"We need to talk."
"Fine, talk." G "Why are you so angry at me?" Brian asked G "I did not come her out of my own will. I was dragged here by a police officer and a social worker. Coming here was definitely NOT my choice. To state it briefly, I hate this and you!"
"Erin, I know you didn't choose to come here, but can't you just make the best of it and give me a chance?"
"No! I hate you, I hate your boyband, and I hate this bus!" Erin answered violently.
Brian touched her arm gently and she pulled it away like she had been stung.
"Why are you so scared of me?" he asked her quietly.
"I'm not." she said avoiding his eyes.
"Yes, you are. You won't even let me touch you."
"I don't want you to touch me!"
Brian sighed. He was going nowhere fast. She hadn't really answered any of his questions. He tried again.
"Erin, I know it must have been a shock to have you mother die and then suddenly come to live with me. I don't know what I would have done without my mom. I'd probably be a lot more messed up than you are. If you want to talk about it I'm here." Brian stopped and waited for Erin to say something.
"It was a shock, I'll say that much," Erin told him in a cold voice. "But it was not sad. My mother was a drunkard and a drug addict. She never cared much for me. I am used to being alone and on my own. I am not used to having an older brother who won't get out of my face. Now go away back to your friends and leave me alone."
Brian was shocked. Her mother had been a drug addict? He got off Erin's bunk and slowly walked to the couch. He heard Erin shut the curtain behind him. He sat down on the couch hard. He could barely believe it. Maybe that was why she was so cold. He had never imagined his birth mother was a drug addict. After sitting for a few minutes he got up and poked his head into the enterainment room.
"You guys can come out if you want." he told them.
"How did it go?" asked Howie
"Not so great." Brian stepped in and shut the door. "You won't believe what she told me."
"What?" asked AJ. He was curious about Erin. She seemed so strange.
"Her mother was an alcoholic and a drug addict. She had no feelings for her at all."
"Whoa." said Kevin softly.
Nick was silent. Her mother had been a drug addict. That explained a lot of things. Like why she was so hard and cold. He couldn't imagine his mom as a drug addict. He didn't know what he could have done without his mother.
He remembered once when he was little, his dad had taken a wrong turn and hey had ended up in a bad part of town. They drove around trying to find their way out for about an hour. He had seen people stumbling around and doing strange things. His parents had later explained about drugs and alcohol and what they could do to you.
"Nick, Nick! Earth to Nick," AJ waved his hand in front of Nick's face.
"What is it AJ?" Nick asked
"Man, you were spaced out" AJ laughed
"Oh, I was thinking."
"Uh-oh, we're in trouble now," Howie teased "Nicks thinking!"
Without warning Nick lunged at him. Soon they were all wrestling with each other and making no small amount of noise.
