We'd already been traveling for countless hours, when Amanda and I decided it was high time for us to have a girls night... not out, but in.
"Come on, I wanna come too" Brian pleaded as I tried to lock the door to the entertainment room.
"Well, I..."
"Sorry B-rok" Amanda said giddily pushing me away from the door "Girls only!" and to that, she slammed it shut.
"Damn" Brian cursed collapsing in one of the seats.
Howie laughed and made a whipped sound.
"What was that for?" Brian questioned.
Kevin stood up heading to the frige singing "Whip it, Whip it good"
"Hey-hey now" A.J exclaimed "You shouldn't talk Mr. Latin Lover flying solo"
"I told you, I found someone! She's gonna call, I know she will" he protested.
"Yeah, sure Howie" Nick mocked.
Getting more comfortable in his seat, he rebutted "At least I spent time with an attractive person from the opposite sex. Oh, unless you consider Lara Croft a real chick"
"Bite me!"
"Ok guys, that's enough" Brian said breaking in. (Authors Note: Ya, I know, Howie' s the peace maker but...)
Sighing, A.J stood up.
"Where you goin’ Bone?" Nick asked.
"My bunk"
"Good idea" they all chimmed.
**Meanwhile**
Amanda had been observing Eli for a while now. 'She's way too natural' she thought. The girl was always dressed properly, always plain make up, even her P.J's had blue clouds on it, while hers were a silky gold.
"Don't you ever wear nail polish?" Amanda asked.
"Yeah" I answered extending my hands "Can't you tell?"
Amanda shook her head "On your toes"
Curling my nose, I shook my head "Too tacky for the every day"
Standing up, she made her way to my side of the couch "Girl, you're gonna be famous. You have to learn to stick out and create an image for yourself. I bet you haven't ever died your hair"
"No, not really"
"No tattoos?"
"Nope"
"Piercing... aside from one in each ear"
"No"
"See, boring"
"I'm not boring!" I objected "I just don't like exploiting my body"
Amanda let out a snort "Now that's a first!"
**A Little Later**
"Bri, you up?" A.J asked in a whisper to the bunk across from his.
"I am now"
Making sure the others were sleeping, he turned back to his tired friend
"It's about Amanda..."
Surprised that A.J would come to him about girl problems, he lifted his head
"What about her?"
"Well" he started "I know some shit is going down in her life that she doesn't wanna share with me, and I'm getting worried. Maybe you can ask Felicity is she knows anything"
"Sure man. Don't worry yourself about it"
"Thanks"
**At That Time**
"You're serious?"
"Shh" I silenced "You'll wake the others"
Ducking back, Amanda apologized "Sorry. But you know, I can't believe that you and Bri haven't, you know, done it yet"
"Well we haven't!" I said bluntly pulling a cover over my legs.
"What are you waiting for? Don't you love him?"
I thought for a while. Did I love him? "It just, I mean, the time hasn't come yet!"
Amanda let out another snort.
Tucking my hair behind my ears, I scratched my face shyly "Have you and A.J ever..."
"Oh please, this is A.J we're talking about" she said grabbing her sleeping bag.
"Time for my beauty sleep, 'night"
"Good night".
Before falling asleep, I couldn't help but think of how different we were from one another. A.J and Amanda made the cutest couple... she was really sweet. I prayed one day Brian and I would turn out like them.
**The Next Morning**
"Fuck you Alex, get the hell out of my stuff!"
"But, but..."
"Out!!!" Amanda yelled slapping A.J all over.
BANG!!!!!
The others tried to muffle their laughter as he tripped over his own feet. A.J had tried looking through Amanda's bags while she took a shower, but unfortunately she had walked right in on him.
'So much for plan A' Brian thought guiltily.
**Meanwhile**
Stammering around the entertainment room, Amanda threw a hissy fit as she screamed "I can't believe that fucking dick. Who the hell does he think he is, these are my things."
"Don't you think you're over reacting?
I asked, shielding myself from the flying objects.
Deep down, Amanda knew Eli was right, but she was too furious to care
"He had no right!"
"Um, so do you have any clue what we're doing today? Or even where we are?"
I asked trying to change subjects.
"We've been traveling all night, we're probably somewhere in the middle of nowhere....guess we're just going to chill." she answered cooling down a bit.
"Where you going?" she asked as I made myself to the door.
"Gettin' some grub" I said closing the door behind myself.
"Good morning sunshine" I heard Brian chime.
"Mornin'" I said taking a seat on the floor.
All the guys were in their boxers and T's.
Reaching out for the bowl next to Kevin's feet, I grabbed a hand full of grapes.
"Sleep well?" Nick asked.
"Lil' bumpy, but no complaints" Feeling a hand grab my wrist, Brian pulled me to my feet
"Come on" he said dragging me to the other end of the bus.
Reaching the bunks, he fell in and brought me down with him.
"I missed you!" He said squeezing tightly.
Rubbing my head, I attempted to free myself from his grasp "I banged my head" I said pouting my bottom lip.
Kissing the top of my head, he apologized "Sowwy!" he chuckled.
Snuggling myself cozily into his arms, I closed my eyes and thought of nothing. That is, until Amanda's questioned came back to mind: Did I love him?
Ok, so I cared for him. Deeply. I couldn't even believe how physically attached we had gotten over such a short period of time. We barely knew anything about each other.
"Brian?"
"Yes"
"Tell me about yourself"
Stirring a little, I could feel his eyes over me "Excuse me?"
"I don't know anything about you Brian, I wanna know. I need to know if this relationship will go anywhere." I said softly now facing him.
Placing his arm on my waist, he grinned "Ok, well, um, my name is Brian Thomas Littrell. I was born on February 20 Th 1975 in Lexington/Kentucky. I enjoy sports, my favorite being basket ball... Baby, this sounds like a personal add!" he said with a goofy look on his face.
"It does not!" I protested "Look, I'll do it too" Cracking my voice as though I were to make a speach "My name is Felicity Angel Lawford. I was born on June 9 Th. 1979 in New York/NY. I moved to Vermont when I was 15. Then-then...." taking a gulp I continued "Then when I was 18, my parents were killed in a car crash with my baby sister" taking a deep breath, I finished "And nothing much happened after that till you guys came into my life"
Brian didn't know what to say. Could anyone blame him? Of course he already knew about her parents, but this was the first time that she spoken about it with such emotion.
"Hate to interrupt" Kevin said bobbing his head through the curtain "We're at a rest stop. You've got 20 minutes to stretch your legs" and left.
About to roll out, Brian's grip strengthened.
"Do you mind staying in... to talk?" he proposed wanting more than anything to, well, talk.
"Sure" I said grinning and letting my head drop to the pillow.
**Same Time**
A.J watched as his girlfriend made her way to the picnic table across from his where only Nick was sitting listening to his diskman.
He knew that Nick wasn't particularly fond of Amanda, but he appreciated him taking off his head phones to initiated a conversation with her. 'Maybe he'll find out something' he thought.
"What's on your mind?" Howie asked pealing his banana.
"I don't know what to do with her anymore. Something's wrong, really wrong"
Howie nodded. A.J and him were practically best friends, so he had a rough idea of how much this must be bothering him.
"Try asking her?"
"Of course, but she won't admit to anything"
"Don't worry, when the time comes, she'll come to you" Howie said trying to comfort him.
But time was precisely what A.J didn't have.
**Meanwhile**
"We're going to be back home soon. I can't wait to see you"
Sarah sighed "Yeah, it will be good."
Still overjoyed with their recent breakthrough in the phone call domain, Kevin answered anxiously "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that"
**A Few Minutes Earlier**
"Brian, I'm so glad that you're a part of my life" I said as he gently brushed the hair away from my face.
There was no answer. None was needed to understand that the feeling was mutual. We had been talking for, well, I don't know, I lost track of time, but a while. I'd talk, and he'd listen. And that was precisely what I needed. Someone to listen. Listen to me share my woes, my fears, my apprehensions, but most of all just listen. I'd do the same in return. I was surprised to learn that his life was not as I had first assumed.
I was thrilled that we had a chance to be open with each other.
"Eli?!"
"Yes?"
"I hate to interrupt this perfect moment, but I need to take a shower. And I think it would be wise to get dressed, even though you do look cute in those pj’s"
Letting out a slight laugh, I rolled out of the bunk and Brian followed.
Before he could leave, I took him by the wrist and turned him to me. Tilting my head, I shut my eyes and pressed my lips to his. Feeling him press me against him, I spread his lips open with mine and injected my tongue; entangling us in a passion filled embrace.
**That Night**
"So Nicky, let's talk" Amanda said sitting down comfortably in the entertainment room couch.
They were scheduled to arrive at their rendez-vous point by next morning, and she was determined to avoid A.J as much as possible. Her diabolic scheme: Get Nick to be her substitute Eli, since she was with Brian.
"Talk about what?" Nick asked evidently not too thrilled about the situation.
Amanda stuck her finger in the pot of nutela she was curled up with and stuck it in her mouth "You're love life".
He rolled his eyes "What about it"
"Precisely" she giggled.
"It's been on a down word spiral for a while. Recently, more so"
Putting down the pot, she licked her fingers "I know what the problem is Nicky"
"Don't call me that!" He said coarsely.
"Fine" she sighed, lifting her hands up "But I know you like her"
"Like who?"
"Eli!"
Nick gulped. How the hell did she know?
"No I don't. He's my best friends girl!" he lied.
"Sure!" she said sarcastically.
"I don't!" He said standing up angrily.
"I see the way you look at her Nick Carter!" she stated, getting up after him "You don't just like her, you lust for her"
"Fuck off!" he yelled furiously "You have no right to make assumptions. Just because you're bitching with A.J doesn't mean you can pull this type of shit from your ass. Mind your own God damn business." and stormed off.
Amanda stood there in shock. She felt isolated from the world, and she was the one building the wall. Crying, she went to her bag and took out the all too familiar white powder. Locking the door, she sniffed it up to once again escaped reality.
