Chapter One
Jamie's POV
I sat on the bench, waiting for my bus to pull into the Los Angeles Bus Station. In the meantime, I sketched a new invention in my notebook.
"Brilliant," I muttered to myself, erasing a stray pencil mark. "Mick'll be impressed."
I was going to go live with my older brother, Micky. I was his favorite sibling, even though he had too much heart to admit it in front of the others. He often denied that he had a favorite, quoting that ever-popular phrase, "I love you guys all equally."
A bus drove into the station and I prepared to board. I picked up my two suitcases, closed my notebook, and stuck the pencil stub behind my ear. Covering up my ears with my naturally-wavy brown hair, I climbed up the stairs on the bus.
Jemima's POV
"Darlin', whenever you feel like you wanna come home, you just do that, alrighty?" my mom cried into my ribs. How a short little momma like that could give birth to giraffes like me and my brother Mike I had no idea.
"You just stay outta trouble and keep your chin up," my dad drawled. "It's the Nesmith way."
"Yes, Daddy," I smiled. I managed to pull away from Mom and I latched my arms around my dad's neck.
He was even taller than Mike, standing at a full six feet seven and a half inches. In my opinion, he was quite handsome, but that might just be because he's my dad. Mike was nearly his spitting image except Mike had dark brown hair and Dad was a redhead.
I waved to my family before picking up my suitcase and walking off to the bus stop. I was taking a cross-country trip, from Texas to California, to go live with my brother. I couldn't wait. I hadn't had one-on-one time with him in such a long while.
Emily's POV
I buckled my seatbelt and waited for my airplane to take off. While I waited, I pulled out a magazine and started flipping through it.
Grandfather had finally decided that I was allowed to accept Davy's invitation to live with him in America for a while. I was so excited to see my younger brother again. It was strange, having to get Grandfather's approval to go see family. But, he loved us both, and I suppose that's all that really mattered.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the soft English dialect of the captain whispered through the speakers, "we are about to take off. Please fasten your seatbelts and enjoy your flight."
I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes. It felt so good to be on my way to see Davy. I wondered how he was faring. The last letter he sent to Grandfather said that he was doing quite well and was very successful. Secretly, I hoped that he wasn't. I knew my brother like a book and fame would easily go to his head.
Kaylee's POV
I ran my fingers through my blonde hair, trying to untangle the mats. I knew that Peter wouldn't care because of my long journey, but even so, I wanted to make a good impression. I heard that he was living with three other boys.
I'm not boy crazy. I never was. I just get paranoid about what people think of me. So it wasn't really the boys themselves that were freaking me out. It was that they would judge me negatively if I didn't straighten up.
As I leaned back into my seat, I tried not to think about where the train was rumbling. I concentrated on going to see my baby brother. I missed him. When he left Connecticut, I thought I would die of loneliness. Peter was not only my brother, but my best friend as well. I tried to picture him now that he was older. He looked so young and innocent the last time I saw him. He was eighteen at the time. I was nineteen.
I was suddenly stricken with worry about how Peter would see me now that I was older. I was twenty-two now. I started panicking about whether my fashion was too dull for California living. What if I was an embarrassment to Peter? I would never forgive myself! I felt my pulse quicken and I tried to keep myself contained. But it wasn't working. I tried taking deep, even breaths. That seemed to help for the time being.
"Sleep, Kaylee," I commanded myself out loud. "You'll feel better if you forget about it."