Dawn: Hey!
Laura: How you been? You’re later than usual.
Dawn: Got held up…and here comes my older brother…someone kill me
Laura: Nope, you to good a friend
Just then AJ burst through the door. “Hey, why don’t you come downstairs?”
“Oh I will—when hell freezes over. Now leave I’m talking.”
Dawn went back to chatting.
Dawn: You still coming down this summer? My brother decided to drag me
around the country, and I need some sanity.
Laura: Definably, there ain’t no way in hell I stay in NY.
Dawn: Goodie…okay now my brother is about to kill me if I don’t go
downstairs and meet one of his lame ass friends…pray for me….ttfn!
She logged off and headed downstairs before AJ had to pull her down. Sitting in the living room was a Latino.
“Hello I’m Howie, but I am guess in J already told you that.”
“No he did not. In fact I have never heard your music save for what my darling older brother sings in the shower." Dawn cracked a small smile. “Now if you excuse me, I have the lovely task of homework.” Bounding upstairs she locked the door before her brother could come up and annoy the hell out of her.
“Hey, Sunshine! When did I tell you, you could barrow my clothes?” a raspy voice said.
I turned around and faced my brother, so that is who was talking to Mr. M. “Alexander, why would I want to wear any of you clothes? Heyo Howie.” I reverted my attention to the only other person I knew. “Now unless you came here to get me out of this here hell hole, move. I’ll be late for class.”
“Actually we did come here to as you put it, ‘get you out of this here hell hole’” The tall blonde said. “By the way the name’s Nick.”
“Hello Nick,” I greeted him, I turned me direction to the others. “ My name is Dawn, not Sunshine. If any of you decide to call me that, I will personally make sure they won’t be able to have children. The only reason Alex over here,” AJ made a face at me because I used his real name, “hasn’t given me anything so I can blackmail him.”
“Blackmail’s illegal,” the one who introduced him self as Brian said.
“That’s only if they don’t know about it.” I smiled at him.
“Ok, enough chit-chat. Mom wanted us to get you home so you can finish packing.” Alex intervened.
“Alexander James! Get your little ass out of the bathroom, put clothes on and drive me to the airport! I have to pick up a friend! Now unless you want me to get mugged on the bus get down here!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.
“How long until you can drive?” he asked annoyed beyond hell.
“One year, five months and six days.” I answered promptly.
“Oh are you counting?”
“Yes I am, so move it, I want to see Laura!”
At the airport I waited with a sign that said: “Aqua! Pyro needs aqua!” It was an inside joke because she was an Auarius and I was Aries. Finally a girl that fit the description of my best friend came off the appointed plane. Running over to me we hugged. Then she saw AJ, who was standing over to the side.
“Yes the freak show over there is my older brother Alex. Ignore him, he’s sane. Unlike to two of us, and he would be no fun. Now if we had to hang out with one of his friends, it would be…what the hell are there names…Ryan and Kevin? No, Brian and Nick are the cool ones.” I told her.
“Oh dear Sunshine, we all know you are insane. Now who is your lovely older friend?” He bent down and kissed her hand.
“Dear, dear Alex. The hand you’re kissing belongs to a 14-year-old one, now she is jailbait. Does mom have to go over that with you? Or how ‘bout Kevin? And don’t call me Sunshine.” Getting into AJ’s car I popped a CD in the player before I headed to safety in the back. Both Laura and I started to sing:
Cause I want to live like animals
Careless and free like animals
I want to live
I want to run through the jungle
With the wind in my hair and the sand at my feet
I don't have any difficulties keeping to myself
Feelings and emotions better left up on the shelf
Animals and children tell the truth, they never lie
Which one is more human
There's a thought, now you decide
Compassion in the jungle
Compassion in your hands, yeah, yeah
Would you like to make a run for it
Would you like to take my hand, yeah, yeah
Cause I want to live like animals
Careless and free like animals
I want to live
I want to run through the jungle
With the wind in my hair and the sand at my feet
Sometimes this life can get you down
It's so confusing
There's so many rules to follow
And I feel it
Cause I just run away in my mind
When superstars and cannonballs are running through your head
And television freak show cops and robbers everywhere
Subway makes me nervous, people pushing me too far
I've got to break away
So take my hand now
Compassion in the jungle
Compassion in your hands, yeah, yeah
Would you like to make a run for it
Would you like to take my hand, yeah, yeah
Cause I want to live like animals
Careless and free like animals
I want to live
I want to run through the jungle
With the wind in my hair and the sand at my feet
“Gee, I love you too!” Pulling into the driveway I pulled Laura into the house. We were both halfway up the stairs when the voices came from the living room, good they hadn’t seen Laura and she hadn’t seen them.
“Hey Sunshine where were you? J won’t tell us so will you?” Nick whined from the other room. I saw that Laura was trying to hold back a squeal. I whispered my plan to her and she nodded. “Oh hey guy. Oh Alex and I just went out. We brought a present for you. Laura why don’t you come in here?” Laura walked in and started to scream and squeal to the horror of the Boys. Laughing I told her to cut it out.
“But I had so much fun, it’s not everyday I can freak out someone this famous.” She pouted.
“They aren’t famous, they’re jack asses.”
“Hey!” AJ protested.
“And I’ll be leaving now…come on Laura!” We headed upstairs before any of them could follow.
I was humming to the first track of Lonestar’s newest album, Lonely Grill when some one poked me. I looked down and saw Aaron Carter.
I really didn’t know him, He had joined the tour only two days ago and I was still wary of him. I really didn’t trust guys. Look what my dad did. I sort of had to trust AJ, it was hard not to. He looked rough and tough on the outside, but in the inside he was soft and cuddly as a teddy bear. I told him all my secrets, the pain of my father not caring, no friends. She never sang in front of anyone, she was to shy. Me shy? I was extremely. I would talk out when I was comfortable with people around me, or when people I knew were around. Even though I had a great family and had friends and was a good student I was insecure. And the only think that made was my stuffed dog.
“Yo Sunshine you there?” the boy around my age asked me, breaking me out of the train of thought.
“My name ain’t Sunshine Nick Jr.!” I shot back at him, wishing to be left alone.
“I guess you didn’t take you Midol this morning.” He then turned to the front of the bus where I guessed AJ sat. “J, please remind your sister to take her Midol in the morning!” Alex and the people in the back of the bus started to laugh; my cheeks became a deep red. “Aww look she’s blushing.” He said loudly, making me blush even more. Then he dropped his voice. “And what’s that? A stuffed animal? Can I see?” without waiting for an answer he grabbed it. I gave him the evil eye. “Oh I’m shaking…” I took a halfhearted punch at him, not really wanting to hit him. “Come and get me,” he challenged.
Jumping off my bunk I landed on the ground, squatting. Without standing up I tackled his legs, sending hum to the floor. Pinning him to the floor, I leaned over him. “Never mess with me. You do not know what I have gone through. So shut your moth, because frankly I don’t want to hear your shit.” I spit on his face and got up. When I was walking to the back he grabbed my ankle, causing me to slip and fall.
This time he was on top, and not letting me go. You would think by all the noise we had made, someone would come see what we were doing. No such luck. Everyone, except for AJ were in the back, with the door closed. And AJ…well he didn’t want anyone to know, but I thought he was looking at porn so…he was to busy.
“I think you owe me an apology.” He whispered into my ear.
“Fine,” I said, my voice tight. “I’m sorry. Now stick your big, fat-assed ego where the sun don’t shine.!” I said the last part loud so I could attract attention, and oh boy did I! I guess not everyone was in the back, because both Howie and Kevin looked out of their bunks. What they saw defiantly surprised them. Here they saw a 14-year-old girl pinned to the floor by a 13-year-old guy.
“What the fuck! Nick, J you might want to see this!” Kevin yelled. Nick opened the door. Even though I only saw Nick upside down I could see his eyes bulging out. “Aaron!” he screeched. The boy scrabbled off the floor while AJ tried to help me up. I shrugged out of his touch and ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. Someone knocked on the door.
“Who is it?” I whispered through my tears.
“Hey, girl can I come in?” Laura asked softly. I was glad it was her and not Alex, if it was I would have started cussing and cursing him. I unlocked the door and Laura slipped in. She sat on the counter and I sat on the toilet.
“What happened?” She asked softly.
“He was pissing me off and then I tackled him and told him what I felt and then he grabbed me and landed me on the floor. He told me to apologize, I did, then insulted him.”
“What he insulting about?”
“My shyness and George.”
Laura knew who George was. She know he was my security blanket...I often told her of the taunts of school and what I went through. She knew what I felt…she wasn’t only a best friend, she was a sister.
“He did that? That little rat. Let me at him, I’ll murder him.” She said imitating the people in the cartoons. I smiled. “Hey I got you to smile! Now can we get out of this bathroom; I think Brian might start to wonder.”
We both got out and went into the front where Aaron was sitting there under the inspection of Nick and Alex. Lectures...I was going to get one soon, if I wasn’t careful. Hey…maybe I can hide in the bathroom again, nope; Kevin just went in.
