The Great Pretender

37.1: Rock the Joint

The one thing Cherish both loved and hated about Christmas break was how busy and packed it was. Always go, go, go; someplace to be, someone to see, never a moments rest. It made the first day back to school a day that sleeping through classes was not only strongly desired but definitely warranted.

After a packed trip to Montreal, the long trip home and evening of being kept from sleep by the guys, Cherish was just about finished stuffing supplies for her next trip into her car. It would be a long drive, but well worth the fun they'd all have once there.

Audrey had invited all her friends up to her parent's chalet at Blue Mountain. Though they normally rented it out for ridiculously steep prices during holidays, this year they'd finally given in to Audrey's begging. So while they stayed with some friends in a nearby chalet, Audrey and her friends would be having a three day end of year bash.

Cherish stuffed the last of the bags into the back of her car, and watched as they finished doing the same with Seven's truck. With all the stuff they were taking with them, they had to take both vehicles. Cherish was thankful that the long trip would not be made awkward by being Seven's presence. Well technically it wasn't him that made it weird, it was the constant sideways glances and knowing looks from their friends that made it so. That and the fact that they were constantly being asked what was going on.

Cherish had thought that Harper and Delia would ride with her, but she supposed expecting Ian to travel for three hours without his girlfriend was asking too much. She rolled her eyes as he clambered into the back seat of her car beside Delia.

In the passenger seat was Seven's guitar case, strapped in with the belt as if it were a person. He'd even gone far as to tuck a blanket around the case. It had become her traveling companion because there was no space in the cab of his truck for it.

Leaning against the side of her car, Cherish watched as Juss returned from his coffee run. He shoved one tray into Seven's truck at Harper and handed the other to Ian through the open window. Grinning, he hopped in beside Harper as Seven finally closed the truck bed. "See you guys a in a bit!"

Sliding into her car Cherish flicked on the music and pulled out of Ian's driveway. She had a three hour drive ahead of her and she wasn't looking forward to the sweet sounds of lips smacking behind her.

-.-

"So Rish, what's going on with you and Sev?"

Cherish rolled her eyes in answer, glaring at Ian through the rear view mirror. She knew he would ask at some point, surprised it had taken him an hour and a half to get to it. Then again, he and Delia had been a little preoccupied.

"Come on! I know something's going on! Everyone does! Just because you two are so good at making it look like nothing's going on, doesn't mean we believe you!"

Delia giggled as she nodded in agreement, "Ian told me about yesterday- so cute! And Juss told me earlier about the thing at the mall before Christmas."

"The thing at the mall? What happened at the mall?" Ian's reaction was almost comical.

"They were cuddling-"

"You guys are never going to leave this alone are you?" Cherish sighed. "Deals, did Juss also tell you that Sev was trying to get rid of the stalker girls he used to work with? That's why the whole mall thing happened."

Ian banged his head on the seat behind him, "And how are you going to excuse yesterday?"

"Excuse? No excuse. I was sleeping and he was staying out of Jo's way."