Stacy shoved the newspaper aside while looking for her friend’s number. "Come on. Where is it?" She found her address book and double checked the number. Now is not the time to be dialing wrong numbers. She dialed the number and waited for an answer.

"Hello," the voice on the other end answered groggily.

"Drew? It’s Stacy."

"Stacy?"

Stacy looked at the newspaper in front of her. "Did I wake you?"

Drew pulled his sheet around his chin and sighed. "Yeah, but it’s all right. What’s up?"

Stacy took a deep breath. "Well I was just reading the newspaper and I was looking at the obituary section and saw something I thought you should know about."

"What? Who died?"

"Connie Taylor."

Drew sat up quickly and, forgetting he was in his bunk on the bus, hit his head on the bunk above him. "Connie Taylor? What does it say?"

Stacy gulped, trying not to cry. "It says; Constance M. Taylor, 26, formally of the Cincinnati area, died on Saturday at the Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. She was 26. Mrs. Taylor (nee Dale) worked at Hara Arena in Dayton since 1993. She is survived by; her husband, Josh; her parents, Herb and Nancy Dale, of Middletown, Ohio; and three sisters residing in Cincinnati." Emotions overcame Stacy and she could no longer read.

"Stace, you okay?"

Drew heard a few sniffles on the other end of the line. "I’m sorry, Drew."

"It’s okay. Does it say how she died or anything about the arrangements?"

Stacy searched the page for more information. "I don’t see anything. I just picked this up myself. I don’t know much. I’m sorry to tell you this now but I knew you had to know."

"It’s okay. I’m glad you called me. I have to go now but I’ll call you later."

"Okay. Bye, Drew."

"Bye, Stace." Drew hung up his phone and was startled when his curtain opened.

"You okay, bro?"

Drew held his finger to his lips and led Nick to the middle of the bus. "I will be. I just found out that someone we went to school with died."

"Who died?"

"Connie Taylor."

"Who’s Connie Taylor?"

Drew and Nick turned to see Justin walk into the area.

"You might remember her as Connie Dale."

Justin sat next to Drew. "Connie Dale? She died? How?"

"I take it you remember her."

Jeff heard his bandmates talking and climbed out of his bunk. "Who’s Connie Dale?"

"Someone we all went to school with but Drew was very close to her."

Nick put a comforting hand on Drew’s shoulder. "What happened?"

Drew shook his head. "I don’t know. Stacy called me as soon as she read the obituary and it didn’t say. Let me call Brian and see if he knows. Excuse me." Drew brushed past Jeff and went into the back room, slamming the door behind him.

Jeff turned to Justin and Nick. "Who’s this Connie person?"

Nick sighed and sat next to Justin. "Connie Dale, now Taylor, is someone Drew got very close to but they never actually went out. We all went to school with her and she graduated in ’92."

"What does ‘very close but never actually went out’ mean?"

"It means they did everything you do when you go out with someone but actually go out. I found them kissing a few times."

Jeff nodded. "I think I’m catching your drift. And she died?"

Justin nodded. "Yup. Drew’s calling another old friend to see if he knows how."

Jeff nodded in understanding and the three of them waited for Drew to reappear.

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

Drew sat on a couch in the back lounge area for a few minutes before picking up his phone. I can’t believe Connie’s dead. How could such a thing happen? She was so young. There’s only one way to find out. Drew picked up his phone and pressed the memory button and five. He unconsiously held his breath until someone answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Brian, it’s Drew."

"Hi, Drew. I’ve got some bad news for you. I’m sorry to have to tell you this but-"

"Connie Taylor died. I know."

"How do you know?"

"Stacy just called me after she read the obituary. She was too distraught for me to ask any questions so I thought you might have some answers."

"I’ll do my best."

Drew took a deep breath. "Do you know how she died? Stacy said the paper didn’t say."

"Well Erica Powers’ mother called earlier and said that she heard something was slipped into her drink at a bar. That’s not a complete definite but that’s what I heard."

"Someone slipped something into her drink? People are really sick out there. Have you talked to any of her family?"

"Nope. That’s why Mrs. Powers’ call is the only thing I can base my facts on."

Drew sat back and rubbed his temples. "Do you at least know any funeral information? I’d like to at least send something if I can’t attend. I’m sure Nick and Justin would like to do that also."

"That’s right both your brother and Justin Jeffre are there with you. And the other guy, what’s his name, is from the north, right?"

"Yup. Jeff’s a Canton boy. Do you know anything about the arrangements?"

"Hold on a second. I believe it says so in the paper. Let me go find it."

Drew heard some papers rustling while he glanced out the window.

"Got it right here. It says arrangements are at Julienne Jupiter Funeral Home at 415 Stewart Street in Dayton on Wednesday. Are you all right, Drew? I know how close you two were?"

"As good as I can be I guess. It’s just so weird. I saw her when we were in Dayton in April and now she’s gone. I’ll never hear her laughter again."

"I know. We all miss her too. Call me if you need to. I’ll keep you up to date on everything."

"Thanks, Bri. I’ll call you later to tell you if I can make it or not."

"Whatever. All of us are just going to be hanging out today."

"Bye, Brian."

"Bye, Drew. Say hi to Nick and Justin for me."

"Will do. Talk to you later." Drew hung up his phone and tilted his head back.

He sat there a few minutes before the door opened. He looked up to see Nick with a worried expression and a phone in his hand.

"Here’s Drew." Nick handed the phone to Drew and mouthed that it was their mom.

"Hi, mom."

"Hey, honey, you doing okay?"

Drew looked out the window. "As good as I can be," he said distractedly.

"I’m sorry about this, Drew. It’s all unexpected. It wasn’t like she was sick or anything."

"I know, mom."

"Do you know how she died?"

"Yeah," Drew ran his hand along his neck, "well at least I think I do. I called Brian and he said Erica Powers’ mom heard someone slipped something in her drink when she was out."

Drew’s mom was silent for a moment. "I’m sorry, honey. I know you two were very close. I always hoped you two would get together."

Drew managed half a smile. "Thanks, mom. I need to make a few phone calls."

"Okay. Give me a call if you need me and always remember that Nick’s there if you need him."

"I will, mom. Bye."

"Bye, Drew. I love you."

"Love you too, mom. I’ll talk to you later." Drew sighed and hung up the phone. When he looked up he was surprised to see Nick still leaning against the door frame.

Nick took a deep breath and sat next to his brother. "So what did Brian have to say? They think someone slipped her something?"

Drew nodded. "Yeah. Hey, guys, I know you’re right there so why don’t you come in here. You went to school with her also, Justin. And you’ve met her before, Jeff."

The other two group members made their way into the area and sat down. Jeff brought his feet onto the couch.

"Wait a sec. Is she the one who worked in Dayton and came to our concert?"

Drew nodded. "Yup, that was her."

"Did Brian know any funeral details or anything?" Justin asked as he came out of his own thoughts of Connie.

"He said there is something for her in Dayton. I was going to see if we could make it but if we couldn’t I wanted to send something."

"I think that’s a good idea, Drew. Let’s see what we can do about that. Does that sound good to you two?"

Justin and Jeff nodded their heads. All three of the guys reached out and touched Drew.

"We’re sorry, Drew. We know how hard this must be."

All of Drew’s emotions caught up to him. He stood up and turned to the guys.

"Why is everyone saying they’re sorry? What can be done about it now? Sorry doesn’t solve anything. Saying I’m sorry can’t bring her back. Nothing can."

The other guys withdrew after Drew’s outburst. They knew better than to stop their friend and brother while he was on this emotional high. They sat in silence as they heard him tear through his bag and upon finding what he wanted he laid in his bunk and quickly closing the curtain. The other guys just sat there not knowing exactly how to comfort him.

Drew laid back in his bunk and slipped his headphones over his head. Soon Connie’s favorite song came blaring into his ears. At first he began to laugh at the memories of her and this song but soon the laughter turned to tears and he rolled over to face the wall of his bunk.