"WELL," KEVIN SIGHS, SETTING DOWN HIS PHONE. "A.J. AND DIANA ARE ON THEIR WAY RIGHT NOW." HE LOOKS OVER AT LAURA AND HOWIE, WHO SIT THERE SILENTLY. "WE NEED TO FIND BRENDA AND NICK, BUT IF THEIR PHONE IS TURNED OFF,
THEN..."
"WE CAN CALL BRENDA ON HER BEEPER!" LAURA EXCLAIMS, GRABBING THE PHONE FROM THE SEAT. "WAIT. OH CRAP, WHAT'S HER NUMBER?!"
"I KNOW!" HOWIE SAVES THE DAY, AND GRABS THE PHONE FROM LAURA'S HAND. HIS FINGERS QUICKLY FLY OVER THE BUTTONS AS HE DIALS AWAY AND BRINGS THE PHONE UP TO HIS EAR.
SUDDENLY, HIS BEEPER GOES OFF AND HE'S QUICK TO LOOK DOWN AT IT.
"WHO'S BEEPING YOU?" LAURA ASKS, LEANING OVER THE SEAT TO SEE.
HOWIE SMILES SHEEPISHLY AND PASSES THE PHONE BACK OVER THE SEAT TO LAURA. "UM....... I AM."
"WHAT'S IT LIKE TO BE YOU?" KEVIN QUIPS, GLARING AT HOWIE.
"WELL," HE SIGHS IN REPLY. "KINDA LONELY."
"OKAY YOU GUYS, BE QUIET." LAURA DEMANDS, PRESSING IN THE RIGHT NUMBER. THEY WAIT IN SILENCE TO SEE IF SHE CAN GET THROUGH.
JARRED FROM HER SLUMBER, BRENDA OPENS HER EYES TO SEE NICK LOOKING AT HER EXPECTANTLY. SITTING UP, SHE TAKES OFF HER HEADPHONES. "DID YOU SAY SOMETHING?"
"YEAH. I WAS WONDERING WHAT YOU'RE LISTENING TO." NICK REPEATS, SCOOTING TOWARDS HER. "I MEAN, YOU'VE HAD THAT SONG SET ON REPEAT FOR OVER AN HOUR!"
"OH, UH, "BRENDA STUTTERS, TURNING HER BACK TO HIM. "IT'S UH, NOTHING."
"NO REALLY." NICK PERSISTS, TAKING THE HEADPHONES FROM HER HAND. "LET ME LISTEN." BRENDA KEEPS HER EYES ON THE FLOOR AS NICK PLACES THE HEADPHONES OVER HIS EARS. INSTANTLY, HE HEARS AN ALL-TO-FAMILIAR VOICE ECHOING THE BALLAD, "I NEED YOU TONIGHT". HE LOOKS UP AT BRENDA, A SMILE ON HIS FACE.
TAKING OFF THE HEADPHONES, HE SAYS, "I THINK I'VE HEARD THAT SONG BEFORE TELL ME, WHO SINGS IT AGAIN?."
"OH SHUT UP."
"WHY ARE YOU LISTENING TO IT?"
NOT LOOKING UP, BRENDA STUTTERS, "I LISTEN TO IT WHEN I'M, UH, UPSET ABOUT SOMETHING. IT....IT....." HER VOICE TRAILS OFF. SHE QUICKLY TURNS TO LOOK OUT THE WINDOW.
"WELL, GEE." NICK SNORTS, PLAYFULLY SLUGGING HER SHOULDER. "WHY LISTEN TO THE CD WHEN YOU CAN HEAR THE REAL THING?"
BRENDA TURNS WITH A SMIRK ON HER FACE. "WHAT? ARE YOU WILLING TO SERENADE ME OR SOMETHING?"
"SERENADE YOU? FOR FREE? HA HA, YOU'RE FUNNY!" NICK SCOFFS, SHAKING HIS HEAD. "NICKOLAS GENE CARTER IS NOT ONE TO SERENADE FOR FREE. YOU'D HAVE TO PAY ME FIRST!"
"SO MUCH FOR MY DREAMS..." BRENDA CRIES MELODRAMATICALLY. SHE PRETENDS TO WIPE AN INVISIBLE TEAR FROM HER EYE AND COVERS HER FACE WITH HER HANDS.
THEY JUMP WHEN THEY'RE INTERRUPTED BY THE SOUND OF HER BEEPER GOING OFF. ACTING QUICKLY, SHE LOOKS DOWN AND UNCLIPS IT FROM HER JEANS POCKET.
"WHO IS IT?" NICK ASKS, CURIOUSLY PEERING AT THE BEEPER.
"IT'S... IT'S KEVIN?" SHE QUESTIONS, STARING HARD AT THE MESSAGE WINDOW OF THE BEEPER. SLOWLY, A MESSAGE APPEARS IN THE WINDOW.
HEAD TOWARDS KENTUCKY A.S.A.P.
"HE SAYS TO GET TO KENTUCKY A.S.A.P." BRENDA RELAYS TO NICK, DELETING THE MESSAGE FROM THE BEEPER. SHE LOOKS OVER AT NICK, WHO'S PONDERING THE INFORMATION.
"WHAT'S IN KENTUCKY?" HE ASKS.
"I'M FIGURING THEY FOUND BRIAN AND ESTHER." SHE REPLIES SIMPLY, GLANCING OUT THE WINDOW.
"MAYBE WE SHOULD CALL THEM AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON?"
"WE CAN'T." SHE HANDS THE PHONE TO NICK AND EXPLAINS, "THE BATTERIES ARE TOO LOW."
"SO, WHAT DO WE DO?"
"GET OFF AT THE NEXT STOP AND CATCH A BUS TO KENTUCKY." SHE LEANS OVER THE SEAT IN FRONT OF HER AND ASKS A WOMAN PASSENGER, "EXCUSE ME? COULD YOU TELL ME WHERE OUR NEXT STOP WILL BE?"
"UH, I BELIEVE THE NEXT STOP WILL BE IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA." THE WOMAN REPLIES, TURNING TO FACE BRENDA.
"DO YOU KNOW WHEN THAT MIGHT BE?" BRENDA INQUIRES, EYEING HER WATCH.
"I'D SAY, IN ABOUT 5 MINUTES." THE WOMAN ANSWERS, TURNING AWAY FROM BRENDA.
"THANKS." BRENDA SAYS HASTILY, AS SHE STARTS GATHERING HER THINGS TOGETHER. "WE'RE GETTING OFF IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA."
"HEY, ISN'T THAT WHERE HANSON LIVES?" NICK QUESTIONS SKEPTICALLY, SMILING AT BRENDA.
"HEY, YEAH, IT IS!" BRENDA EXCLAIMS, ZIPPING UP HER DUFFEL. "MAYBE WE'LL SEE THEM."
"OH GEE," NICK MOCKS IN A SHRILL GIRLIE-VOICE. "GOOD THING I REMEMBERED MY CAMERA!"
