There was almost always someone in there and she tried to avoid the guys as much as possible. She had been largely successful and when she was obliged to something she made it as short and abrupt as she could. She spent most of her time in her bunk writing in her notebook. Erin wrote her thoughts, but she also wrote poetry and stories too.
Some of her writing was about the good times she had had with Keturah, but most was about her life with X in New York. She had been thinking a lot about X lately. Erin had many fond memories of the gang. They had been her family. They had taken her in when her family wasn't there. She had had quite a few friends in X too.
There was Sarah, who had always cleaned Erin up after she had had a fight with her mother or a rival gang member. There was Shelly who could make her laugh. There was Caleb who was always competing with Erin. Even Peter, the leader of X, was Erin's friend.
Not all of Erin's memories were fond though. Such as when Caleb was shot. He had been in a fight with a Black Fear member. The other guy had pulled out a gun and used it.
"Caleb was lying in the alley and there was blood dripping from his side. His usually brown face had gone very white. I was trying to stop the bleeding, but it was no use. Finally an ambulance came and took him away.
Just before he went, he told me to tell his sister he loved her. That was when I knew he was going to die. Maria, his sister, was a Black Fear member. She and Caleb had always been at odds. I had to sneak over to Black Fear Territory to see her. When she saw me she almost shot, but she didn't. Why I'll never know, maybe she recognized me as one of Caleb's friends.
When I told her about Caleb she collapsed. I left her there. I couldn't risk someone else finding me there. I later found out Maria killed the boy who shot Caleb. She fled afterwards and turned herself in to Social Services. She was adopted. I know Caleb would have wanted his sister in a home where she was loved."
Erin put down the pen and shut her notebook. A tear rolled down her cheek. She and Caleb had been very close. It was hard for her to think of him. Erin glanced at her watch and climbed out of the bunk. The bus was unusually quiet. Kevin and Howie were sitting on the couches. Nick, Brian, and AJ were nowhere to be seen. Erin walked to the Kitchenette and started making a sandwich for herself. The door to the entertainment room opened and Brian walked out. Erin hurriedly started eating, hoping to finish and return to her bunk before he could say anything.
"Erin," Brian said before she could make her escape. "We'll be at the venue in a few hours. I was thinking maybe you could come and hang around while we practice."
"Oh joy," Erin answered in a rather sarcastic tone. "Just how I wanted to spend my afternoon."
"Its either that or stay on the bus."
"I guess I'll come."
Brian raised an eyebrow in surprise. He hadn't really expected her to come.
"Okay." Brian told her, "We'll be there by 3 you can stay until 7 when the concert starts and leave, or you can stay and watch the concert."
"Fine," Erin answered. She finished her sandwich and returned to her bunk. She took out her notebook and started writing again.
"Life on this bus is starting to get boring. It seems as if all I do is sleep, eat and write. Maybe it will be nice to get off and stretch my legs out a bit."
