[edited]
I zipped my suitcase up, pushing my clothes down to the bottom.
"Emmy! Let's go!" Evan yells at me, holding his own suitcase.
I threw on a hoodie and dragged my bag down the stairs, where Evan had beat me and was waiting with Elliot by the front door.
We were going to New York today. Addi's dad, Mr. Peterson, had rented a minivan for us to drive since it wasn't far enough for a plane. He was also the one who had made reservations at the hotel and all the things we would be doing.
"Ethan just texted me. They're ready," Elliot tells us.
"Alrighty then," Evan and I agree.
We said goodbye to Mum and Dad and walked out into the crisp, early, November morning air. There was a slight breeze, and I needed to be in a warm car. Stat.
We made it to the Dolans' driveway, where Ethan and Grayson were loading luggage into the trunk.
Once all the bags were nicely fitted, we all hopped in. Since Elliot was the eldest of all of us, it had been voted that he would take the first driving shift. I did not plan to drive at all. Road trips were exhausting enough just sitting in the backseat.
Evan was in the passenger seat, and Ethan was in the middle row. Addi would join him there once we picked her up. And in the way back, Grayson and I were sprawled on the three-seater, a blanket and two pillows in-between us.
Addi came running out of her house as we pulled up. "Hey guys," she smiled, sitting next to Ethan. He gave her a kiss, making her giggle. I smiled at how cute they were.
"ROAD TRIP!" Elliot shouted, honking the horn loudly and startling everyone in the car.
"Elliot, shut the hell up! People are still sleeping!"
"It's 11am on a Friday," he countered.
"Yeah. The day after a major holiday. Shut it."
We started driving on the interstate, and I was just trying my best to read my book over the annoying rap music the boys were playing.
I groaned outwardly, and Addi turned around to face me from her seat, "I feel you, Emmy. I'm trying to fall asleep, but these skinny jeans I so stupidly wore are uncomfortable."
I laughed, "I personally can't complain about comfort." I was wearing baggy sweatpants and a T-shirt, with a jacket on top. Not to mention my feet were resting nicely on the seat next to me.
When my brothers and the twins got bored with music, they turned the radio off and each turned to scrolling through their phones. Elliot and Evan were talking in the front seats, and Addi was asleep, while Ethan Snapchatted a picture of her.
And finally, Grayson was scrolling through his phone. I was waiting for us to stop for some food, and then I would certainly be going to sleep.
"Who wants to pee?"
All of us except Evan and Addi decided to go. I stretched my arms and legs as I climbed out of the car.
We walked into the convenience, and I broke away from the Dolan twins and Elliot, and went to the food section. I had been told what each person wanted, and grabbed chips, cookies, granola bars, chocolate, and drinks. I met with them at the counter, where we paid and headed back out to the car.
Evan took his turn to drive, and Elliot now sat next to him. Ethan held the bags in the center, divvying the food among us.
I leaned back with my cookies, listening to my music. I felt myself getting drowsy, and my eyes closing more and more until I was fast asleep.
* * * *
I felt someone shaking me, and I groggily opened my eyes.
"Come on, Emmy. We're almost in New York," I hear Grayson's voice says.
I sit up, and find out that my head was in fact resting on Grayson's lap.
"How long have I been asleep?"
"About an hour and a half."
"As in, not long enough," I reply, making him laugh.
"Why did no one wake me up to drive?" I ask, adjusting my ponytail that had gotten severely messed up.
"Well, Ethan was going to, but Elliot advised him against that."
"Smart."
He chuckles, "And since you were sleeping on my legs, I couldn't take my turn."
"Yeah. Sorry about that," I apologize.
He shrugs in response, "No worries. I personally didn't even want to drive. I felt sick to my stomach."
"Too much soda, Gray," I play scold him.
"Yo. Lincoln Tunnel up ahead!" Elliot calls from up front.
"Does that mean we've officially crossed the New Jersey-New York border?" Evan asks.
"Yes, you uneducated idiot!"
"Hey!"
Sure enough, we had entered the dark tunnel. On the other side, stood the Garment District and Midtown.
"Ethan, where's the hotel?"
Ethan began giving directions to the hotel thanks to Google Maps. We pulled up to the destination, and grabbed our bags out of the trunk before parking the car in the underground garage.
After signing in at the front desk in the fancy-looking lobby, we rounded up in the elevator and made it to the 7th floor.
"Alright, so it's Evan and I in 712, Eth and Gray in 713, and Emmy and Addi in 714, right?"
"Actually, Addi and I were wondering if we could share a room," Ethan objects, his cheeks turning a dark shade of crimson. "Since we're, you know, together."
The rest of us shared a smirk. "If it's okay with Emerson, I'm down," Gray says.
Hold up a second. This meant I would be sharing a room with Grayson? Hell yeah, let's go.
"Um, sure. Fine with me," I tried to sound casual about it. While actually, I was freaking out inside.
"Emerson, are you sure-"
"So it's settled then," Grayson interrupted him, "Ethan and Addi in 713, and Emmy and me in 714. Cool?"
Everyone nodded, and we decided to meet back in the hallway in about an hour and a half.
Grayson opened our room door with the key card. We set our bags down, and I went and plopped down out of exhaustion on the bed. THE BED. As in, the ONE bed.
"Do you think we should give this room to the two lovebirds over there?"
Grayson laughs, and we go to offer Ethan and Addi the room with only one bed, but find that they are also in the same predicament. Elliot and Evan were the only ones who had two beds, and there was no way they were going to agree to switch.
"It's okay, I can just sleep on the couch," Grayson proposes.
"No, no, that'll be uncomfortable. We can just sleep on opposite sides."
"You sure?"
"Of course."
He nods, and we set to unpacking. Elliot told us that we would go exploring in the nearby city, and then get an early dinner before heading back here. Tomorrow we would start bright and early for Manhattan.
I changed into skinny jeans, a flowy shirt with a cardigan, and black boots. I braided my hair to the side and put on my heavy jacket.
We met in the lobby downstairs, and began walking on the sidewalk. Damn, it was freezing. Grayson must have noticed that I was cold, because he put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him. I gave him a grateful smile.
We roamed around a little, but there wasn't very much to do on the street that our hotel was on. We finally decided to eat.
We made our way to a little Chinese-Indian place on the corner, and grabbed a table for six.
"So, what should we do tomorrow?" Addi asked as each of us opened a menu.
"Empire State Building!"
"Central Park!"
"Brooklyn!"
"Hockey Game!"
That last one came from Evan, and we all turned to look at him. He shrugged us off, "Hey, it would be fun."
"First of all, how's the weather tomorrow?" I asked. I wasn't going anywhere outside if it was going to be ice cold.
"It's November, and we're in New York City, Emmy. What do you think it's gonna be like? God, and people say you're the smart one," Elliot rolls his eyes.
The rest of them laugh, and I shoot him a glare.
"What about the Statue of Liberty?" Ethan suggests, "Since it's Saturday, we could have the whole day to take the ferry and visit Ellis Island and everything. And on our way there, we'd be driving through most of Lower Manhattan, so we could scout out places we might want to go the rest of the week."
"Good idea, babe," Addi says.
"I agree with Addi, except for the babe part," I joke, making everyone laugh.
"So, it's settled?"
We all nod, and the waiter comes to take our orders. As we're waiting for our food, I scroll through my phone.
As I'm checking Snapchat, something catches my eye on Ethan's Story. There's a picture of an adorable sleeping Addi, but there's also another picture.
It's one of me lying down on Grayson's thighs, fast asleep. Grayson was also sleeping, with his head leaning on the window in a painful-looking position. While one hand was supporting his head under his chin, the other was wrapped around my waist in a protective hold. How did I not feel that?
Ethan had simply captioned it: Off to NYC. Gray and Emmy out.
I was happy that Grayson had put his hand around my waist, but I was afraid of the uproar it would cause with their fans. Speaking of which, did their fans know about Ethan and Addi's relationship? I hadn't seen any tweets or posts of any kind about it, so I assumed they hadn't told them yet. I wonder if they ever would.
Our food arrived, and I closed my phone. I chowed down on my stir-fried noodles, laughing at a funny story Addi was telling.
After dinner, we walked back to the hotel, where each pair went to their room. Grayson changed into only sweatpants, and laid down on his side of the bed.
I changed into my pajamas as well, and settled down with my phone.
"Emmy, did you see this?" he asks, showing me the snap from earlier.
"Uh, yeah. Do you think your fans will say anything?"
"Don't worry. If they do, I'll take care of it. I mean, they know who you are. If you get any hate at all, tell Ethan and me."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome," he smiles.
"Hey, what do you think Ethan and Addi are doing?" I ask, smirking.
"Probably some weird couple shit."
I laugh, and we talk a little longer before falling asleep. After all, we had a long day tomorrow.
~ ~ ~ ~
SONG OF THE CHAPTER: Chainsaw
ARTIST: Nick Jonas
ALBUM: Last Year Was Complicated, 2016