Korina absentmindedly watched the reactions to her arrival play out before her. As far as she could see, the small redhead was almost the death of her brother. From there, she talked to the male she identified from her brother's descriptions as Josh, and it looked like they had a bit of an argument. Then, the redhead stormed off and Josh was heading towards her.

Korina did not enjoy how this was shaping up to be at all. When her parents had refused to take her back in, she'd thought that Ian would just let it go. After all, she could, legally, take care of herself. It was only recommended that she be looked over. Ian had the tour coming up, so naturally she was expecting to be moving back into her own apartment.

And then he'd announced that she was coming on tour with him. She was off to trek across America in a small bus with three males she didn't know, her brother, and an apparently homicidal redhead. This was not going to be fun.

Moving her hair over one shoulder, the girl knelt to pick up her bags. She'd carry them back and then be shoved into the cubby hole on wheelsthat she'd have to live in for the next couple of months. Then from there, she would try very hard to find some way to have some fun, in spite of the fact that that seemed impossible at this point.

"Let me help you with those." Korina looked up-and up, and up-at the owner of the voice, Josh. Apparently, going after the redhead wasn't an option. Trouble in paradise?

"Sure." Korina stood, offering him one of the bags. She wasn't very tall-about 5'3", probably roughly the same height that caused her to call the redhead small-and he was. She wasn't sure that she enjoyed this fact.

He accepted the bags and gave her a friendly enough smile. "So, looks like you're on tour with us."

"I guess." She shifted the duffel bag she'd kept for herself over her shoulder. "Is it any fun?"

"Fun?" Josh gave a pause. "Well, there's a lot of travel. Bumpy roads, confined spaces, hours of nothing to do. But then there are the concerts. I think those make up for it. I'm just happy every man gets his own bed." He shuddered lightly. "Mike's a cuddler."

Korina gave a pout. "That doesn't sound like much fun at all."

"Oh, it's not. He-"

"The touring." She didn't want to know anything about man-cuddling. At all. Ever.

"Just wait. If you stick around for the concerts, you'll see that it's actually a lot of fun." He seemed to be trying very hard to make this work. She didn't like it. "We make up games, too. It'll be more interesting than you think."

"Games," she repeated doubtfully, staring at him. Clearly, he had a very warped definition of fun.

"All right." He shook his head. "What do you find to be 'fun'?"

She gave a small smirk, lifting her brows. "See. That you don't want to know." Was this suggestive? Maybe a little. She wasn't interested in him-she was pretty sure she'd seen glimpses of a tongue ring-but she wanted to see if he squirmed.

He didn't squirm, but he did give a shake of his head. "Right." Running a hand through fringe that was threatening to fall on his forehead, he continued, "So, anyway, the bus is this way." He turned, beginning to lead the way in that direction.

Korina pouted again as she sauntered after him, more than a little disappointed. "You know, it breaks a girl's heart when you completely ignore her implications."

"No, it doesn't." He looked back over his shoulder at her. "I'm sure you're looking for a way to shake things up, and you want to see me writhe. However, I'm a front man. I've had so many bras thrown at me that I don't even blink. One could say I'm immune to 'implications'."

"I could throw my underwear at you if you really want." It came out more joking than suggestive, and Josh gave a snort. She sighed. "All right. I'm not interested in you. I'm bored. And I'm going to be bored for a very long time." They were moving again. Korina managed to keep up with his stride, glancing towards his face for reaction. He seemed…amused.

"You'll learn that we aren't nearly as boring as you think." That expression of amusement reigned on as Josh made the way to the bus at last, sliding open the door. "And here we are. Casa de la road trip."

"House of the road trip?" Korina asked. "And why did you switch to English?"

Josh groaned. "I wanted to feel multicultural, all right? What is it with the female population and language technicalities?"

She smirked. "Do you mangle Spanish often?" She was slipping out of her usual "minx" persona without even noticing.

"Yes. I also mangle French and Italian. I'm multi-talented." Josh gave a nod, before looking at her. "Do you realise that you've just completely shifted personalities?"

"Well, you see, you're a eunuch. Therefore, I have no need for sexiness." That smirk was still on her face as she spoke.

"You make up your mind fast." Josh gave a shake of his head as he took a step back. "After you."

"Thanks, I guess." She gave a sigh as she climbed the steps of the bus. It felt a little like the climb to hell. There was no fun here, most certainly. She stepped back so that Josh could enter, calling over her shoulder, "Have you ever hit your head on the doorway?"

"At least three times." He was behind her as he finished this answer, sweeping his hand in a gesture to the interior. "This is your abode."

Korina noted that this entire area was eerily closed-in, the shape of a square with one corner cut, and blocked in by what looked like a wall. Directly to her right was a bit of a cubby with a comfortable-looking seat and a steering wheel: Driver's area. The cut-off corner of the square, she realised, was a curtained entryway.

Too curious to remember that she hated this, the girl took cautious steps forward until she'd reached the area. The curtains were attached to the ceiling by a miniscule rod, and she slowly slid them back.

She wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but the spacious room in front of her was not it. A couch that seemed to seat at least six with two chairs on either side took up one wall, with a thin oval table in front of the couch and an entertainment centre in front of that. It was somewhat crushed, but there was still room to breathe. To the left of this rectangular room was a sliding door. A door? Was that normal? On the other side of the rectangle was another door.

Lowered eyebrows forming a crease of confusion, Korina turned to face Josh, who appeared…amused. Was that his default setting? That didn't matter. "What…what's this?" she asked slowly.

"The bus. Ellie found it from some private renter guy who designed it himself. He rents it out pretty cheap; apparently he's desperate." Josh stepped into the living area, spreading his arms wide. "Main room." He pointed to the sliding door on the left. "Kitchen area." He pointed again, to the other sliding door. "Bunk room. The bathroom is between the two. The only way to get to it is through the bunk room, which is a bit of a pain-but what can you do?" He shrugged. "It's actually pretty awesome for a tour bus."

Korina shook her head in…awe, almost, before she realised that she was supposed to not be amused by any of this. Tossing her hair back and fixing her expression into boredom, she said, "Well, great. I've always wanted to live in a divided rectangle."

The amusement didn't fade from his face. If anything, it grew. Shaking his head, he said, "The rest of the guys are probably in the bunk room. I can take you there…"

"I can find it myself, I think." Korina held out her hand, requesting her bag.

With a shrug, Josh slid it from his shoulder and handed it to you. "There you are. Your bags will probably have to sit on your bunk while you're not in it. We were going to use the extra bunk, but…" He shrugged again.

"I was dragged on here, and now we're all a faux-family in a faux-house." Korina gave a minute roll of her eyes. "I've got it. You can go chase after that redhead now."

"That…that wasn't what I was going to do at all." Josh scoffed.

"Really?" She raised a brow, utter disbelief on her face.

He gave a frown. "You know, I was beginning to think that you and your brother looked nothing alike. Now, I see it. You both have mastered the same 'Josh, you're an idiot' expression. That's a little eerie."

"Well, when the situation calls for it, the look must arise," Korina reasoned.

"Sure. Go with that." Josh ran his hand through his hair. He was really having a hard time getting that fringe to stay. "I'm walking. And if I happen to run into Ellie, then so be it." She shrugged, that look remaining on her face. Perhaps this was the reason that he backed away so quickly.

She watched him go, and as soon as the bus door closed behind her she gave a shake of her head. What had that been? She didn't talk to people like that. Witty comebacks and sarcasm were not her thing. She preferred to slink and smirk and be fun. At one point, she may have-

No. No thinking about the past. The present is what's in. Forcing herself to not consider any of this anymore-because over thinking led to disaster-she turned and walked with purpose to the sliding door. As soon as she reached it, she could hear lowered voices. One of them was unrecognisable. The other was her brother. He must be in there, filling in the rest of the members. She wondered what he would tell them. "My screw-up sister is tagging along. Try not to give her any drugs." Something along those lines, because he simply didn't understand. None of them did. If they'd only try it…

Well, Ian never would, and there was no use in letting him gossip with his little band-mates. Flicking her hair back, Korina hooked a finger in the hole that replaced a handle and slid the door to the left.

She stepped inside, automatically gaining a sense of the surroundings before the people in it. This was a…polygon. A wall jutted around, probably an expansion of the room because the bathroom interfered. It was shaped, she imagined, like a rather rotund L. Directly to her right and in front of her were bunk beds, nailed to the walls. She was willing to bet that on the tail of this mock L was another set. In the centre was another curtain, which appeared to pull around all of the beds to create a centre space, but was for the moment bunched against a wall.

She stepped further inside, noting as she did that the voices had stopped. They'd probably stopped the second the door began to slide open, but she didn't acknowledge people until everything else was observed. Once you controlled your surroundings, after all, you could control the people inside the.

"Korina." The voice came from the curve of the rotund area. Stepping a bit further, Korina noted that her brother had moved to greet her. "You've found your way in here."

"Josh showed me." The three words were incredibly frosty. She most definitely did not want to make nice conversation with the man who'd dragged her along to this bus from hell. And that was what it was, fascination or no.

"Great. Well…" Ian ran a hand through his tight curls. "Mike and I were about to step out to the gas station across the street, since we're leaving soon." As if on cue, a moderately tall man with dark eyes and a brunette…faux-hawk stepped over Ian's shoulder, nodding in a manner that was clearly supposed to be greeting. "Do you want to come with?"

Come with her brother, spawn of the devil, and his faux-hawk band-mate to a gas station? As entertaining as that was… "I'll get settled." Her voice had not lost any frigidity.

Ian was not immune to the chilled tone. Giving a frown, he shrugged. "Well…suit yourself, then. Oh-have you seen Matt?"

Matt. That was the other member he'd mentioned. He sounded boring-brown hair, brown eyes, "good guy". It was enough to send her eyes skyward. "No."

"All right. Uhm…your bunk bed is that one." He pointed. "It's the one under Ellie's. I wouldn't advise taking the top. She wouldn't be too happy."

Fighting with an uptight redhead about who got the top bunk was even more enticing than going with Devil's Spawn and Faux-Hawk to the gas station. "Whatever."

He winced visibly this time, and then scurried off with his tail between his legs. Korina watched him go, not feeling any pity. How could she? He'd ruined her summer by dragging her along, here. If he felt bad about it, it was only because he should.

Giving a sigh, she moved to the set he'd pointed out, the one in the crook of the mock-L. She tossed her bags on the bottom bed, and then just…stood there.

How had this happened? She'd been fine one moment. She'd had her parties, and her friends, and she was living again, really living, flying like she'd never flown before. And then the next moment…it was gone. Someone not being careful enough, turning the music up too loud, screaming too much, and the party had been busted. It had been in the middle of a nod, so she hadn't been able to get her away and they'd taken her in…and the next thing that she knew she was in a rehabilitation centre for heroin addiction. The centre was miserable. Visiting hours were worse. Withdrawals were hell.

She'd been told towards the end of her stay that she had lost her scholarship. She hadn't been very troubled by this, considering the fact that she hadn't been to class in a month before her bust, anyway. She'd figured that she'd get a job, she'd stay with her friends, she'd go back…

Then they'd told her that she shouldn't be on her own because they feared she'd go back to it. It was only logical that she would, and so she hadn't denied anything. They had then called in her parents, who had stated very clearly that they wouldn't take her. After nearly a week of pleading from the clinic director, they still refused. They also refused to pay for her to stay at the clinic. It'd meant that she was free, that she was going back.

And then Ian had stepped in, and now she was here.

"Damn it!" she muttered, half-heartedly kicking the bed frame. There was no way to get out, and that was all that she wanted. No one would listen, though. No one would even try. They stuck her here, where there was no fun, and that was the end of it.

There was no sense in pouting. She knew that it would get her nowhere, but at the moment, what choice did she have? She was in this stupid mind-frame of-

Alcohol. That was what she needed to get out of this funk. They had some in the fridge, didn't they? They had to. It was a band on tour; why wouldn't they? Smirking to herself, she turned to head out.

Maybe the first day wouldn't be so bad, after all.