There is something exciting about road trips. Despite travelling with my school, a eight-hour bus ride with eight of my best friends wasn't something I was about to refuse. I had my iPod packed, a great book and a reserved seat next to the girl I've proudly called my best friend for over fifteen years. I was looking forward to sleeping, listening to music, reading, and having girl talk the whole ride to Stratford, Ontario.
I've known my best friend Shane since we were two years old. Her mom and my mom met at a daycare center while they were both pregnant with their second child, and looking for a place to keep their two-year old girls occupied. They soon found out that they lived four streets away from each other, and since then Shane and I have been inseparable. Same pre-school, same elementary school, and now same high school. I refused to go anywhere else than St. Matthew's High School for girls. I loved that it was a private school, I loved wearing the uniform, I loved seeing my best friend everyday. And now, I loved the idea of spending two nights with her and three other of my friends in a hotel room in Stratford during the Theatre Festival held there every year.
We arrived at the Holiday Inn in Stratford, Ontario at four o'clock in the afternoon. The eighty girls in my grade filed off the greyhound bus, grabbed their luggage and wiped the sleep from their eyes. We eagerly approached our teachers, who were to assign our rooms for the trip.
Along with Shane, I was also sharing a room with Jenny and Alice, two girls Shane and I have gotten to know and adore over our high school careers. Jenny was Italian, with darker skin and curly brown hair. She was of medium height, slim, and athletic. We called her the "mom" of the group - always looking out for us, the most responsible one. Alice was the shortest of the four of us, barely over five feet. She had died her hair an audacious red colour a few years ago. She had a pleasantly round face, a gorgeous smile, and a spunky personality to match. Shane had the features of the Irish; dark hair and pale skin. She was tall, and always made everyone laugh. She was the most friendly person I knew. She could light up a room. My name is Anna-Jane, but everyone calls me AJ. I'm tall, slim and blonde. I'm always positive and sympathetic, looking for a good time. Personally, I think the four of us were the best girls around.
I took our room key from our English teacher and made our way down the corridor to our rooms. After unpacking, our teachers gave us until dinner to walk around the town. It was a small, quaint neighbourhood with old-looking buildings and a friendly atmosphere. We decided to make our way to the corner store for some snacks and magazines to keep in our hotel room.
We made our way down the main road, giggling and chattering. Upon turning a corner, we saw a boy, about our age, sitting on the sidewalk with a guitar and singing.
"Hey, let's go check him out." Alice grabbed my hand and pulled me along towards him. The other girls followed.
His voice was like silk. It flowed softly from one note to another, with a powerful control and a maturity beyond his years. When he looked down to the neck of his guitar his chestnut hair fell into his eyes, only to be swept away by a quick, well-practiced flick of his head. I giggled. He was pretty cute.
We applauded after his song finished.
"Thanks. You guys here for the festival?" He asked. His voice was unexpectedly boyish, though with a deep undertone.
"Yeah, a seven-hour drive away." Jenny replied. He smiled.
"I love this time of year. I get to meet so many people just by sitting on the side of the street and playing my music."
"You're out here everyday?" I enquired.
"Yep. How else am I going to meet pretty girls like you?" I scoffed, giving him a half-smile. What a ladies man. "You girls want to hear another song? I wrote it myself."
"Sure." Shane said, and we became the audience to the boy sitting on the sidewalk in the small town of Stratford, Ontario.