Chapter One
She
sat staring out the window, listening to her CD player, silently singing along.
She saw more buses just like theirs, one stuck out. It was more of a tour bus
with the sleeping bunks in, not like the tour buses they were in. She was alone
for this part going home from the trip. The band got a superior rating. First, a
tour of Gettysburg. Wahoo. The chaperones asked for everyone to take their
headsets off for a minute. So, Jess did. She fixed her light brown hair and put
her distance glasses over her light blue eyes. She was still humming and looking
out the window as a chaperone told the bus that 5 visitors would be coming on
their bus because there wasn’t another tour guide for their bus, and that they
had 5 extra seats, of course next to Jess there was one.
They started to board, so Jess popped her headsets back on.
She glanced away from the window in time to see three guys pass her and another
one begin to sit down next to her. She looked away from the dark-haired man who
had tattoos on his arm and sunglasses on who was sitting down next to her. There
was another man in the front, sitting next to her other friend who had a
ponytail and looked Spanish. The other three were one blond really tall kid, one
had a Kentucky hat on and underneath his hat you could tell he had curly hair.
Those two had blue eyes from what she could tell. The other man had darker hair
and brown eyes. Of course, The One came on her CD and she smiled to herself,
loving the song. She started singing, loudly but didn’t know because she
couldn’t hear herself and she closed her eyes as she got into the music. Soon,
she was lost in the music, her partner figuring out what song it was and
silently laughed to see a fan get into the music. The song ended and they were
still in the parking lot. She looked down and saw a bodyguard pointing at her.
He mouthed, ‘Next to you. Get him please.’ She nodded and slipped off her
earphones.
She spoke the first few words, “Um, this dude wants to
talk to you.” Swift, Jess. She thought to herself. Good way to get the guy.
“Is he bald?” He asked.
“Yea.” She answered.
He mumbled to himself, “It’s Q.” He looked into her
eyes and said, “Thank you. That is one of my bodyguards. Excuse me.” He said
as he leaned over her to look out the window. She pondered on why he would have
a bodyguard. She remembered the CD she was just listening to. Na, it couldn’t
be the Backstreet Boys, could it? No.. she dismissed it. He had told Q he was ok
and sat back in his chair. “Thank you.” He said.
They looked at each other and she moved her hands up toward
his glasses. “May I take them off?” She asked. The bus began to move as the
guide introduced herself.
He nodded and her hands pulled the glasses away, to see the
eyes of AJ McLean. She gasped and blushed. His hands went up to hers and smiled.
“Please, don’t scream.”
“I…I won’t.” She promised. And she didn’t. But
she giggled. “You, know you’re cuter in person.” Then she blushed and
moved her head away to look out the window again.
“You're very beautiful.” AJ said. And gently touched
her chin, moving it to look at him. “I’m guessing I’m your favorite?”
She laughed and shook her head no. “No?”
“Nope. Brian.” She said, smiling. “Thank you for the
comment even though it isn’t true.” She touched his arm and they both jumped
at the spark they felt.
“Brian always gets the woman.. No that’s Nick..” He
laughed. “Brian always gets the beautiful women.” He sighed. She blushed.
“It’s true. In fact, I gotta get a picture of you.” He pulled his camera
out.
“Wait.. Wait for some better scenery.” She protested.
“Deal?” she questioned, holding her hand out.
“Deal, but only if I’m in it, too.” AJ said, shaking
her hand.
“Of course, I also need pictures of all of you.” Jess
giggled.
“Of course, the guys will love to meet you.” AJ said.
“How old are you?” He questioned.
“I’m uh.. 17?” She pondered.
“Is that a question?”
“Um.. no.. It’s how old I am, silly.” She giggled,
playfully hitting his arm. He said to himself, only four years difference.. Not
bad, boy is she beautiful. The bus stopped so people could climb a big tower.
“I don’t trust myself with that especially in this rain. I got soaked
yesterday in Hershey. I think I had enough rain.”
AJ laughed along as she laughed. “Yea, I don’t trust
myself either.” Right then, Brian stopped by.
“You coming, A?” Brian asked, cautiously.
“Uh, no I’m going to stay here and learn more
about….”
“Jessie.” Jess added in with a giggle.
“I’m guessing she figured it out?” Brian asked.
“I thought she knew my world revolved around her..”
Jess started singing.
“Yea.” AJ answered. “Talk to you later. We got to get
pictures on another stop with this lovely lady, ok?” Only, AJ thought that she
was beautiful.
“Of course. You are right, AJ she is very beautiful.”
Brian said, reading AJ’s mind.
“Yo, B, ya coming?” Nick called from the front.
“Yea! Talk to you later, AJ.” Brian walked down to the
front. By this time, Jess was staring out the window. She was lightly humming I
Turn To You, here and there singing out loud. Suddenly, she switched to The One,
not remembering who was next to her. It reminded her of her mom, these were the
songs she sang when it rained, remembering the last day of her mother’s life.
Just like in I Turn To You’s video, they had been in a car crash. A tear fell
from her eye and AJ caught a glimpse of it and her solemn face. Yet, she
couldn’t turn to her mom, she watched as her mom died, unable to move and do
anything. AJ’s voice coming in with her snapped her out of her daydream and
the tears stopped. He turned her face toward him and gently wiped the tears away
with his thumb.
“Talk to me, Jess. I’m here.” She sniffled and they
put their heads together. Her best friend took a picture, her unknowing why they
did that but knew Jess would want a picture with AJ.
Soon she spoke up, “My mom and I were in a car crash it
was raining. It was horrible, the car hit my mom’s side and I watched her die,
I couldn’t move I was squished. I didn’t help her. I couldn’t!” Jess
quietly screamed.
AJ nodded and spoke, “Jess. You couldn’t move. How long
ago was that?”
“I was a freshman.”
“So four or three years ago?”
“Four.”
“She knows you couldn’t do anything. It isn’t your
fault. Your mom is standing above you, guarding you, and seeing how beautiful
you are now. Knowing your destiny, knowing who you end up with.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Up above Jess and AJ stood her mom, an angel now. She
nodded as she heard her future son-in-law speaking to her daughter. She silently
whispered, “Jess it wasn’t your fault. Please, don’t forget me, but look
at the man in front of you and live your life.” She watched as her daughter
shuddered, partially from hearing her mother’s voice and that it was cold in
the bus.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Jess.. She would want you to move on.”
Right then, Jess heard her mom’s voice saying, “Jess it
wasn’t your fault. Please, don’t forget me, but look at the man in front of
you and live your life.” Jess shuddered but nodded and looked up and
whispered, “I will. I love you mom.”