“Stacie?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think I could stay on your bus tonight?”
“Its okay with me, we’ve got a couple of extra bunks. I’ll have to ask Brian of course.”
“Great!” Erin grinned. “I’ll probably ride in the guys bus until we get back to this venue tonight. Then I’ll switch to your bus. “
“Fine by me, I’ll go ask Brian now if you want.”
“Great!”
Stacie got up to find Brian and Erin rose to follow her. “Oh, stay here.”
“But I’m not supposed to be alone.”
Stacie rolled her eyes. “Management is being a wee bit too fanatical if you ask me. Just stay here. But don’t move. I don’t want to get you or me in trouble.”
“Thanks,” Erin sank down into her seat.
Stacie hurried off and Erin fell into thought. Just how was she going to pull this stunt off? It would be a trick that was for sure. It would also mean fooling Stacie. Erin didn’t want to fool her, but it was going to be the only way. Stacie might be really nice and friendly, but she wouldn’t go for something like this. She would say that some fan would see Erin or some such thing. Hmm. Erin had an idea, but the details needed working out. How am I going to get off Stacie’s bus? Erin thought. That would be the big problem. It would be easy enough once she got off the bus, but before that…
Erin sat up with a start. Stacie had just sat down behind her.
“You’re looking dreamy,” Stacie teased.
“Oh just thinking.”
“About what?”
“Nothing in particular.”
“Mmhm”
“So, what did my brother say?” Erin changed the subject.
“He was a little worried that you weren’t with me at first.”
Erin rolled her eyes.
“But he said that you sleeping on my bus would be just fine.”
“Great! Thanks a whole bunch Stacie.”
“Anytime,” Stacie grinned, “You want to go catch some lunch? They have sandwiches and stuff downstairs.”
“Sure.” Erin got up to follow Stacie out of the auditorium.
The rest of the day went fairly well for Erin. It wasn’t too bad not being able to be alone. Stacie was good company. Erin had been a little worried about how she was going to get out of building when the concert was over, but it was all worked out. After the concert the guys would be having a meet and greet backstage for some of their fans. Erin would sit in on that and then join the boys as they headed back to the bus. Erin had even been assigned her own security guard.
“You’ll meet him tonight.” Brian had explained. “His name is Bill and he’s very nice. If you have Bill with you, you can go places without one of us or Stacie.”
Erin had just stared straight ahead and pretended to be deaf, but she was actually listening very closely. This security guard stuff might not be so bad. A security guard probably wouldn’t ask a lot of questions about who she was mailing letters to etc. And it rather sounded like she might have more freedom.
Erin sat in a chair to the side of the stage during the concert. She did her best not to listen or look. Instead she kept her eyes on the lighting people working above the stage. They scrambled like tiny spiders on the framework above her. At long last the concert was over. Erin was escorted by Lonnie to the Meet and Greet. That was were she met Bill.
“Bill, this is your charge Erin, Erin this you security guard Bill” Having made the introductions Lonnie moved away.
“So, you’re stuck with guarding me?” Erin grinned.
“It would appear so ma’am” Bill’s voice was stiff and polite. Everything about Bill was stiff. Erin frowned. She hadn’t wanted to get a guard like this. The guy looked like he was attending a funeral.
Erin edged away from the guard and backed right into Howie.
“Oh, sorry.” Erin looked up surprised.
“Its okay,” Howie looked like he might say something else, but a screaming fan cut him off. Erin scuttled into a corner where she could watch the scene. It was rather funny. All these girls were just dying to meet her brother’s group.
When the last crying girl had been ushered out, Erin followed Brian out to a pair of double doors leading outside. Erin could hear a whole lot of noise outside. Screaming and yelling. It was beyond loud even with the doors between them and all the noise. All the other boys and their security were at the double doors too. Erin noticed they looked rather nervous. Nick was twisting his shirt in his hands and Howie kept running his hand through his hair.
“Okay!” Lonnie had to shout to be heard above the noise outside. “We’re gonna send out Nick first, then Howie, then AJ, after that Kevin goes, then Erin goes, with Brian following her. Your security guard will go with you. Understand?”
Everyone nodded assent.
“Erin”
Erin looked up at her older brother, “Yeah?”
“Stay right behind Kevin, don’t take your eyes off him. Bill will be right beside you, so you don’t need to worry.”
“I’ll be fine,” Erin sounded more confident than she felt. The noise out there was deafening and they were still inside the building.
The doors opened and Nick went out, a split second later they opened the doors and Howie followed. Then AJ, Kevin went and Erin took a deep breath.
The doors opened and she stepped out into a sea of screaming girls. Her eyes fixed on Kevin’s blue shirt and she made her way through the crowd toward the bus as quickly as she could. Most of the attention seemed to be fixed on Kevin and Brian behind her, but some of the fans realized that she was with the boys. Someone grabbed her arm, but Erin shook it off and tried to go faster. She was aware of Bill behind her making sure no one actually jumped on her. Erin saw the bus just a few yards in front of her. The bus doors opened and Erin scrambled in with Brian right behind her.
The rest of the guys were standing near the door catching their breath. The bus started and pulled out of the parking lot catching them off guard. Everyone stumbled and fell on top of each other.
“Sorry guys.” The bus driver called back, “I didn’t mean to catch you off guard like that.”
Nick started laughing. Everyone looked hilarious. AJ and Howie were caught up in each other. Kevin was sitting on Brian’s head and Erin had fallen backwards off balance into a couch. Nick himself had fallen on the floor.
“Gee Nick, I’m glad we’re all so amusing.” Brian shoved Kevin off and stood up. “I notice nobody fell on top of you.”
“But that’s okay Nick,” AJ stood up too, “Because I can fix that!” AJ grabbed Howie and shoved him down on top of Nick.
“Hey! Let go of me!” Howie’s voice sounded like a chicken squawking to Erin and she told him so in no uncertain terms.
Everyone stopped and stared at Erin.
“What?” She shrugged her shoulders, “Haven’t you ever seen someone talk before?”
“Oh, I’ve seen people talk before.” Nick said staring at her, “But it’s very rarely that I see you talk.”
“Well, now you’ve seen it.” Erin turned around and went to her drawers to grab her pajamas.
“What are you doing?” Brian called back.
“I spending the night on Stacie’s bus, remember?” Erin called back. “I’m going over as soon as we get back at the venue.”
“Oh” Brian said satisfied.
Erin made all pretenses of packing everything she needed for the night. She really wasn’t all that worried about what she brought with her though. What she was worried about was her scheme. She would lose a whole lot of freedom if she was caught. Management will probably chain me to Brian’s waist if they found out about this. Erin thought. I bet Brian wouldn’t be too crazy about it either, Erin thought as she some shampoo in her bag. She felt the bus jolt to a stop in the parking lot. Erin took a deep breath. It was time.
“I’m going over to Stacie’s bus,” Erin zipped up her bag and called down the bus aisle to Brian.
“Okay, there’s security all over the place.” Brian walked over to where Erin was standing, “If you need to come back for something that’s fine.”
“Fine,” Erin tossed over her shoulder as she stepped out of the bus into the night. The auditorium the boys had held their concert at just a few hours ago toured up above her a couple yards away. Erin noted where she was in front of the building. She would just have to walk a little ways around the side…
“Hey you! What are you doing over there?” A security guard turned his flashlight beam at Erin.
“I’m Erin Logan,” Erin shielded her eyes from the bright light, “I’m spending the night on another bus.”
“Oh, sorry,” the guard lowered his flashlight. Erin noted with amusement that it was Bill.
“Its okay,” Erin smiled at Bill. Might as well get on his good side, she thought.
Nick looked out the window of the bus. Erin had been stopped by her own security guard right outside the bus door. As he watched, Erin said something to the guard and the guard walked away. Erin dropped her bag on the ground near the door of their bus and walked over to the bus that Stacie was on. Now that’s weird, Nick thought, why would she leave her bag? Nick pulled on a fleece jacket and stepped out the bus door. He waited in the shadow of the bus for Erin to come out of Stacie’s bus.
“Hi Stacie!” Erin pulled the door of the bus shut behind her.
“Hey Erin!” Stacie stood up; “These are my bus mates, Tracy, Liz, Beth, and Megan.” Stacie indicated four young women sprawled all over the buses couches and chairs.
“Hi.” Erin waved at them. They all waved back and said hi.
“Its gonna be great to have you over-
“I’m really sorry Stacie,” Erin interrupted her friend and made her face look sad, “Brian said I couldn’t stay over tonight. I really wanted to, but management didn’t like the idea.”
“That really stinks,” Tracy spoke up from her position on one of the couches. “I can’t stand management sometimes.”
“I know,” Erin nodded, “Look, I’ve really got to go. I told Brian I wouldn’t be gone too long.”
“That’s really too bad,” Stacie held the door open for Erin, “Oh, well, See ya tomorrow!”
“Yeah, bye!” Erin walked out the door. She hated having to lie to Stacie, but it was necessary. This is probably the only chance I’m going to get to do this, Erin thought as she hurried toward the auditorium. She didn’t notice Nick following behind her.
