Chapter three – ‘one new day, one new person’ Brian heard voice but this time not in his head, and recognized it to be A.J. and Julie. ‘Julie’. He thought as a smile crept up on his cute little face. So he figured, ‘hey why not go start the day off good.’ “Mmooo…rn br…brok.” A.J. greeted with, as you can tell, a mouth full of lucky charms. “Mornin’ to you too Bone.” Brian replied. Julie couldn’t believe Brian had understood him. Even she couldn’t. “Ooh, ooh, frosted flakes!” gushed Brian, taking Julie’s bowl of cereal. He started chowing down. “Yeah, sure you can have my cereal Brian. I wasn’t really hungry anyway.” Julie stated sarcastically. “Aw, gee thanks Jules.” Brian beamed, sliding into the booth beside her. ~ 15 minutes later ~ “I’ll be out in a second.” Codi replied, slipping on her gray T-shirt with ‘Tampa bay buccaneers’ in red ‘broken’ letter across the chest on it. She opened the door to find an impatient Kevin waiting for the bathroom. ‘Must be off his schedule’. Howie, by now had woken up ‘cause of loud laughs and big mouths. Nick was the only one still asleep. Affected none by screams of laughter. “Hey ya’ll. Mornin’.” Codi smiled as she finished tucking the back of her shirt in her jeans. “Morning.” The four replied. “Brian, where does Nick keep his socks and shoes.” Questions Codi with a –yes-I’m-up-to-something-and-no-it’s-not-nice- smile. “Uh, since it’s the first day of the tour, there probably still in his shoes bag.” “Ya mean he has a ‘shoe bag’?” “Yep.” Brian said with milk dripping of his top lip from slurping up the milk from the bottom of the blue bowl. “Yeah, Julie come help me for a second.” Codi said. “Why should I?” Julie replied, enjoying her spot between the wall and Brian. “Please” said Codi with begging eyes and a puffed out bottom lip. “Well…ok.” Julie gave in. “Uh, Brian I get out with you blockin’ me in.” “What if I don’t wanna let you out.” Brian smiled. A.J. and Howie just looked at each other and rolled their eyes. “I’ll help you Codi.” Volunteered A.J. as he stomped over and on Howie. “Owh!” Howie hollered in pain. “Damn it A.J.! That was my hand!” “Aw, you don’t need that hand, you can still sing with one hand.” A.J. declared, jumping down from his standing position in the booth (on Howie’s hand). Howie only snarled as he rubbed his hand. “Thank you A.J.” Codi smiled. “No problem Lil’ lady.” A.J. responded in a cowboy voice, tipping his hat. They searched high and low for Nick’s shoe bag and finally found it. They were running towards the back of the bus to hide the bag when Kevin stepped out from the bathroom and ‘BAM!’ Kevin helped peal Codi and then A.J. up off the bus floor. “Geez Kev, did you play any football?” Codi commented rubbing her head. “Yeah, I played football from the time I could walk- wait- even before that. Then I was quarter back of my high-“ Kevin started in a position like he was getting ready to make a long speech. “Sorry Kev, but we don’t have time for your flashback stories.” Interrupted A.J., him and Codi walked on past leaving Kevin there look very surprised. “Would Nick go through a girl’s bag? I mean, there’d be bras, underwear, tampons-“ Codi started, picking up her bag. “Codi, Codi, I don’t wanna hear anymore. I get what your sayin’.” A.J. blushed at the items she named off. “I don’t think Nick would go through your bag if he saw a… um…the stuff you said.” Codi started unloading Nick 20 pairs of shoes and transferring them into her bag. She set a pair of sandals aside and put the last pair of sneakers into her Nike bag and covered them with her clothes, stuck a few personal items on top just incase he did decide to look in there. “So, why are we hiding Nick’s shoes?” Questioned A.J., following the instruction to put the sandals back in Nick’s shoe bag and return to where they had found it moments ago. “Just trust me.” Said Codi catching up with A.J. “Howie and Kevin wouldn’t let poor little A.J. sit with them so he squeezed in with Julie and Brian, as for Codi, she plopped up on the counter chugging O.J. Codi tried not to make herself look to obvious as she eyed the hall, then he came. Nick came stumbling into the kitchen; he’s not yet awake, with a t-shirt in hand. ‘If Codi leans any further to get a better look of Nick’s muscles she’s ganna fall off the counter and bust her ass. That would be funny though.’ Thought Julie, hoping Codi would fall, just for giggles. "Oh, great ok, so since you have to annoy me you have to dress like me too!?” Boomed Nick to Codi. She didn’t even notice that he had put his favorite shirt on, which happened to be the exact same one like Codi had on. “Good mornin’ to you too Nick.” Codi said sarcastically without a smile. “You’re wrong…if she…if she was ganna dress like you then she’d also have hot pink toenails.” Laughed Kevin looking at Nick’s feet. Now everybody was looking at Nick’s feet, even Nick. “What the hell…who the hell?!” He shrieked studying his feet. He looked up at Codi who smiled at him triumphantly. “You little shit!” Nick was getting ready to pounce on her. He grabbed at her. Codi dove under the table into a tangle of feet. Brian and Kevin set their legs up blocking Nick from getting Codi. A cage of legs protected Codi. ~ 10 minutes later ~ “Geez Brian you got really hairy legs.” Commented Codi who was still under the table. “Oh that’s it, get her Nick.” Laughed Brian dropping his legs and letting Nick grab her feet and pull her out sliding on her back. “Got ya!” He hollered in victory. “Sike!” Codi smiled, quickly got up and ran to the TV room and locked the door. “Hey Benny, where are we at?” Julie asked the bus driver. “Almost to Kansas City.” “Oh, is that where the first show is?” “Yep, but in about 10, 15 minutes we’ll be picking up a new passenger.” “Really, who?” “Yours and Codi’s bodyguard.” “We get a bodyguard?” “Uh-huh.” “Cool, they think we’re good enough to protect.” “That’s the idea.” Laughed Benny. ~ 14 minutes later ~ “Why did we stop here?” We didn’t plan any neighborhood visits in Kansas City did we?” Howie said looking out one of the big-tented windows. As soon as the bus stopped Julie hopped up from her position on the steps where she had been sitting while looking out the window talking and to Benny and ran back to the TV room. She banged on the door. ‘Go away Nick, Codi hollered.” “I’m not Nick you dipstick. Come out, we’re fixin’ to meet our bodyguard!” Julie declared, running her hand through her short blonde hair. “Did you say bodyguard?” Codi popped just her head out the black door. “Uh-huh.” “Well then why are we lolly-gagging around here?” The two girls ran back to the front of the bus. “Where’s the fire?” Questioned Kevin. “Across the street.” Answered Codi. “Hey Benny, is it the blue house?” Julie asked looking through a window. “Uh…yep.” He responded glancing at the yellow piece of torn paper.” But miss Julie, maybe I should go get him instead. It would look kind of funny if ya’ll two were mugged while going to get your bodyguard to protect ya from that kind of stuff.” “Cool it Benny, we’ll be ok, nobody knows us yet. And this doesn’t look like the kind of neighborhood you’d be mugged in.” Codi declared hopping from the top of the steps to the awaiting ground, not believing in using the steps. The two girls, Dumb and Ass (Nicknames given by Codi’s older bro.) walked across the yellow and white lined street. It was the kind of neighborhood like of a –classic-perfect-family-1950’s-all-american-town. They set foot on a porch that was the color of a pale blue sky, like after a rain. “You knock.” Demanded Codi. “No, you!” “Fine, ready, Rock, paper, scissors.” “Hey, rock beets scissors.” Julie smiled in victory. Codi rat-atat-tated on the oak door. A cute blue haired, muscled dude answered the door. ‘wow’. “Um, are you Joe?” Julie asked, eyeing the cutie. “I can be.” He replied as his eyes zoomed up and down the girls. “Who is it?” Questioned a male’s voice from somewhere in the house. “It’s for you.” Blue responded back. “Ya’ll come on in.” “Thanks.” Smiled Codi at the invitation, she and Julie walked into the house just a guy came up to them carrying a bag. “So, are you Joe?” Asked Joe. “Guilty.” Smiled Joe. “Well hi, I’m Codi and that’s Julie.” Julie did a slight wave as Codi did introductions. “And we’re the band you’ll be touring with.” “Ok. So ya’ll are star struck?” Joe asked, reaching for something. “I’m Joe and that freak there is Nick.” “Well good, when they told me I was ganna be a bodyguard for a couple of girls I thought ya’ll would be stuck up bitches. But you’re not. Let’s just say it surprised me when ya’ll came to the door instead of the driver or someone.” Joe said as he found what he was looking for, his lucky thumb ring. Codi stood there. “Codi…Codi, I said let’s go.” Julie informed. Codi blinked a few times as though she never heard Julie’s voice before. “What?” She croaked out. “I said let’s go, what a matter with you?” “Just thinking’.” “Impossible.” ~ At the same time ~ “So, why did we stop?” Nick asked, scrapping the hot pink toenail polish off with Brian pocketknife. “The girls are pickin’ up their bodyguard.” Replied Brian setting across from Nick. “Oh. Like he can keep ‘em under control.” “He’s not coming to keep ‘em under control, he’s coming to protect them.” “Protect them! He, whoever he is, needs to protect the bus from them! They’re, they’re girls. They mess things up and they carry fingernail polish!” “Nick, A.J. carries fingernail polish.” “Ok, you got me there.” With those words, Codi and Julie appeared back on the bus. |
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