Zap! (M. Clifford/5SOS)

Chapter 28: Wherever You Are

Michael's P.O.V.

The next few days are a blur as everything is finally worked out about the trip. Monica's mum is ecstatic that we're coming along and she promised not to tell her daughter about it until the time comes. My mum has luckily found a room big enough for our family plus Luke and Ashton, since it's New Year's and a lot of hotels are booked up, especially by now. According to Monica's mum, we're on separate floors than them, but at least we're in the same hotel. That's all that matters.

Traveling there will also be a hassle because it takes a good ten to twelve hours by car, which means we're leaving on Sunday morning in order to check in and get to the hotel that night so we can sleep and have Monday, New Year's Eve, to do what we want. We'll be departing from Brisbane on Tuesday afternoon and arrive back home late that night, probably around one or two in the morning. It's a long trip, but hopefully it'll be worth it.

Saturday is spent packing and getting ready and my mum is fussing about since it's a last minute mini-vacation. We're all really excited though and okay, I might not have been too into the idea when Ashton pitched it on Friday, but it's nice that we're actually getting out and going somewhere for New Year's. It's boring when you're just sitting at home watching people celebrate on TV.

Sunday comes around and it's driving day. Ashton, Luke, and I are riding with my parents and we left before Monica's family did because we want to surprise Monica, so we'll be arriving at the hotel before them. The drive is exhausting and I end up sleeping through half of it, which is good. My phone and my mates occupy the other half and honestly, Ashton isn't a bad guy. I knew he wasn't, but this drive forced him to be himself without Monica and I like this Ashton. He's funny, he's caring, he's nice...no wonder Monica chose him. I can never compete with a guy like him.

We finally reach the hotel at around 9:30 at night. Unloading our suitcases, we enter inside the lobby and my mum checks us in. This hotel isn't like one of those big name hotels, but rather a smaller one serving the atmosphere of Brisbane. It's nice and cozy and since it's littler, there aren't too many people bustling about. We're on the fifth and highest floor in one of the larger rooms to accommodate five people, so we cram into the elevator and take the ride up.

"Guys, Monica's here!" Ashton suddenly shouts as we're ascending.

"What?!" Luke and I scream and even my parents are looking at him with a shocked expression.

"Yeah! She just texted me saying she's at the hotel and she'll talk to me when she gets settled in," Ashton explains, staring wide eyed at his phone.

"How is that possible? We left at least an hour before them!" my mum shrieks. If you can't tell, Monica obviously still doesn't know we're here and we're planning on waking her up with our surprise tomorrow morning.

"Well, maybe if someone didn't have to go to the bathroom eighty thousand times..." I hint, nudging Luke.

"Sorry," he apologizes and the elevator comes to a halt, opening its doors for us to walk through onto our floor.

"It's alright, Luke, we understand," my dad says. "Michael had a bladder the size of a peanut when he was younger."

"Dad!" I yell and Luke and Ashton burst out laughing.

"Alright, alright, keep it down. Other people might be trying to sleep," my dad warns but I can hear the chuckle in his voice. I hope he realizes payback is a bitch.

Our room number is 517 and it is halfway down the hall. Approaching the door, my mum takes out the key and slides it through, giving us access into the room. Once inside, I notice there's a small kitchen area with a mini fridge and a counter to the right, a bathroom on the left, and as we continue in, there is one queen sized bed and a twin sized bunk bed facing the flat screen TV, complete with a couch.