The roaring sound of the plane speeding down the runway fills my ears. I am immediately filled with a sense of excitement as the plane makes its way to the end of the runway and seamlessly lifts off the ground. Subconsciously I lean over Shawn to look out the window as we increasingly fly higher, the cars on the highway become dots and the farmers fields look like a patchwork quilt.
"Are you sure you don't want the window seat?" Shawn teases. I jerk back, realizing that I'm practically on his lap.
"Sorry." I apologize, my cheeks grow hot as I blush with embarrassment.
"He doesn't have a girlfriend." A voice behind me says quietly. I whip around to see Johnson leaning forward as far as his seatbelt will let him, gabbing the back of my seat.
"Are you serious?" I hiss. He gives me a knowing look and I follow his gaze over to Shawn who is innocently putting in earphones and scrolling through his phone, completely unaware that Johnson and I are talking about him.
"Come on, I could see your blush from back here." Johnson raises an eyebrow. I roll my eyes and turn back around. I hear him laughing so I dig around in my backpack for my earphones. But I'm not safe yet, for when I sit back up Aaron is smiling expectantly at me.
"Oh you too?" I groan, plugging my earphones into my phone.
"You like Shawn!" He exclaims. I clamp a hand over his mouth.
"Shhhh! We don't need the whole plane to hear you! And no I don't, I don't even know him." I snap. He pulls my hand off his mouth.
"Your secret's safe with me." He reassures me with a smile.
"There's no secret Aaron." I say, putting in my earphones.
"Sure, and that's why you blush when he smiles." Aaron says, nonchalantly reaching his hand behind him, which Johnson slaps in a high five.
"I do not blush." I insist, even though it's a huge lie.
"Okay okay we believe you." Aaron shrugs and pulls out his phone. I sigh in annoyance and turn on my music.
......
"Miss, would you care for a beverage?" The stewardess asks. It's the same woman with the perfect teeth who stamped my passport.
"I'll have a cranberry juice please." I say, taking out my earphones. She pours me the drink and passes it to me.
"You have a really pretty smile, did you have braces?" I ask politely, catching Carter's eye from across the aisle.
"Well thank you! No I didn't, just naturally straight!" She gushes, blushing slightly. I'm glad I made her so happy. She gives Shawn and Aaron their drinks and right after she walks away, I stick my hand out over the aisle towards Carter.
"Pay up Reynolds." I smirk. He rolls his eyes and slaps a five dollar bill into my waiting palm. I blow a kiss and tuck the money into my backpack.
"Man, that stewardess looked about as happy as you did when you met Shawn for the first time." Johnson remarks from behind me. I am seriously considering throwing my cup of juice at him, but I don't because that would be a waste of juice.
"Aw c'mon Johnson. Lay off the poor girl." Gilinsky defends to my surprise. "She can't help how hopelessly in love she is." He adds. I mentally take back what I thought earlier about him not being obnoxious.
"I can't believe I was about to thank you." I glare at the two of them.
"Don't mind them, they always do this." Shawn says. I blush, earning a laugh from Johnson, G and Aaron.
"They always do what?" I ask, ignoring the other three.
"Every time I even talk to a girl, they tease her or me so hard that we can't even be friends." He sighs.
"Aw don't be like that! We're just testing to see who's willing to put up with us, the girl who does will be the right girl!" G explains. I look to Shawn.
"Well it would be nice if you didn't scare off every girl I talk to." He laughs, looking at me. I laugh too, thankful that I didn't have to hide their teasing from him. I don't know why they just decided I like Shawn, and now I just blush because they make me self conscious of the fact that I will blush.
Besides their teasing, I have some fun getting to know the four of them through out the duration of the plane ride. I would have talked to Matthew too but he slept the whole way. By the time our pilot announces our landing in two minutes, I feel like I may have made some new friends. Maybe this summer isn't going to be as bad as I thought.
"Ugh I despise the altitude change." Johnson groans.
"Does he always talk so smart?" I whisper to Aaron. He laughs and hands Johnson a stick of gum. I look out the window as we descend onto the runway.
"I can't wait to land, I need to stretch my legs." I hear Cameron say. I agree with him, I'll be glad to walk around.
At last the plane comes to a stop and the seatbelt sign flashes off. Everyone unbuckles and stands up, digging their bags out from under the seats or the overhead compartment. When I go to grab my duffle bag, I find out that someone has shoved it to the back, and because I'm only 5"4, I can no longer reach it. I stand on my tiptoes and try to grab it, with no avail. I realize I must be holding the line up. I look around for someone to help me.
"Jack, could you help me grab my bag?" I ask.
"Okay."
"Sure."
Oops.
"Never mind, Cameron? Could you grab my bag for me? Someone shoved it to the back." I say quickly.
"Sure thing shorty." Cameron teases, reaching above me and pulling down my bag.
"Here you go." He says, handing it to me.
"Thanks so much. Short people problems." I joke and begin filing out of the plane. In the airport, I stand with Cameron and wait for everyone else to come out of the plane.
"So, what's life like as Bart's daughter? I take it you've been forbidden to date any of us?" Cameron asks.
"Actually no, he hasn't said anything. But don't get your hopes up." I warn. He grins.
"I wouldn't speak so soon. We're pretty irresistible." Cameron says cheekily.
"Oh I bet you are." I reply sarcastically.
"Hey guys." I see that Matthew has joined us.
"Good nap?" I ask teasingly.
"Fantastic." He replies enthusiastically. Next I see Johnson and Gilinsky come off, followed by my dad and Shawn. Thank goodness Johnson isn't here to bug me about Shawn again. Lastly I see Aaron, Taylor, Nash and Hayes join us.
"Alright boys and Lauren. Follow me and we'll get into the shuttle that will take us to where we are getting our tour bus." My dad says, walking away. Everyone follows obediently. Nash falls into step with me.
"Want me to carry your duffle bag for you?" He asks. I'm taken by surprise so I don't answer right away.
"Um sure? Thanks..." I stumble out my words. I don't know why I stutter so much, I guess I'm just not used to a guy being to courteous. Nash slides my duffle bag off my shoulder and onto his own.
"I see Nash has already turned on the charm." Hayes remarks, walking beside us as well.
"I just happen to be a gentleman. You could learn something from me." Nash replies. Hayes sticks his tongue out at him. We walk out of the airport and to where all the shuttle buses are parked. We follow my dad to a big white and blue one.
"Alright guys, everybody inside. Say goodbye to LAX." He calls out so everybody hears. Everyone climbs onto the bus and finds a seat. I go sit beside my dad and Matthew comes and sits beside me.
"So are the boys behaving decently for you so far?" My dad asks.
"So far they're not as bad as I expected."
"As bad as you expected? Excuse me?" Matthew exclaims dramatically. I laugh.
"Set your expectations low and be pleasantly surprised. " I say. He grins.
"I like you." He says with an approving nod.
"I'm honoured." I reply mock sincerely, hand over my heart.
"Well don't get used to them being this nice to you, pretty soon you're going to be begging for a separate tour bus after their pranks get to you." My dad warns with a knowing laugh. Clearly he's been a victim of a few of these said pranks.
"Here we are folks." The bus driver calls after our drive. We all thank him and hop off the bus.
"Which one is ours?" Cameron asks, walking up ahead with my dad and I. My dad goes over to a big red tour bus. It's massive and to be honest, I'm psyched to be going on it.
"This one." He gestures widely. In the distance I see a man walking over to us. He must be the owner of all these buses.
"Rob Hanley. Bart Bordelon am I right?" He asks with a southern twang. He is a stout man with a beer belly and he chews on a toothpick.
"Right you are. We registered for this bus right here." My dad says. Rob looks on his clipboard and writes some stuff down.
"Ya driving this thing on yer own?" Rob asks, handing my dad a set of keys.
"No way. My driver and all of our team are meeting us here any minute now." My dad shakes his head enthusiastically. And sure enough, moments later I see a car pull into the parking lot. Well actually it's more like a mini bus. Out of the mini bus climbs a bunch of guys and one girl with wild red curls and a cat ear headband.
"Oh my gosh, who's this? Do I actually get to have female company?" The girl with the cat ears exclaims.
"I'm Lauren. He's my dad." I say, jerking a thumb towards my dad. To my surprise, she throws her arms around me in a hug.
"Nice to meet you! You're beautiful, I love your hair!" She says excitedly. She's borderline annoying, but sweet at the same time.
"And how's Aaron?" She asks, outing an arm around the dark haired boy. He grins at her. Were they... a couple?
"No were not dating, he's just my favourite. I have a boyfriend." Mahogany laughs. Apparently my face represented my thoughts a bit too well.
"Oh nice!" Is all I can think of saying.
"Don't worry, Aaron doesn't have a girlfriend yet." Mahogany winks.
"Oh no not again." I groan, face palming myself.
"Oh yes again." Johnson says, coming out of nowhere and slinging an arm around my shoulder. "Don't fret Lox, she's got her sights set on Shawn." He says, giving me a side hug. Okay he was definitely obnoxious.
"What about me?" Shawn asks, coming over.
"We were just telling Mahogany about you and Lauren." Aaron nudges Shawn suggestively. Shawn gives me an apologetic look.
"Oh my gosh really?! Oh Shawn I'm so happy, she seems so sweet and she's so pretty and you guys look so-"
"We aren't together." Shawn interrupts with a laugh. Mahogany looks confused.
"Seriously? Aw I hate you guys!" She punches Johnson and Aaron in the arms.
"Sorry to disappoint." I laugh. She crosses her arms and shakes her head in dismay.
"Okay everybody ready? Let's hit the road!" My dad calls out, climbing onto the tour bus.
"Are you coming on our bus?" I ask Mahogany.
"For sure! Were you worried you'd be alone with the boys the whole trip?" She asks, getting her suitcase out of the back of the mini bus.
"Well I already survived a two hour plane ride with them." I laugh. We all climb onto the bus and once the last of us are on, our driver pulls out of the parking lot.
"Okay everyone, pick a bunk." My dad calls. I almost get knocked over by the rampage of boys scrambling towards the back end of the bus.
"Hurry! Before they get all the good ones!" Mahogany shouts, grabbing my hand and pulling me after her. We run down the hall and into what looks like another hall but instead of walls, there are bunk beds built into the walls on either side. Right away I spot an empty set of bunks. I jump up to the top one and throw down my backpack.
"I call this one!" I shout, getting into the rambunctious spirit of the boys. Mahogany climbs into the one beneath me.
"Claimed!" She shouts. I lean down and high five her.
So maybe this tour thing isn't going to be so bad. I might actually have fun.