Chapter 2

Kayla rushed around getting her things together, and hoping she wouldn't leave anything important behind.

What will I tell mom and dad? Kayla worried not knowing if they would let her go. She had told them about the tour, and they just waved it off carelessly. What she hadn't told them was how soon it was, and now she would be telling them as she left.

She dragged her suitcase down the stairs as quietly as possible not wanting to wake her parents if they were still sleeping. Kayla set her suitcase on the porch, and went back inside to prepare herself.

After a hot shower Kayla dressed in skinny jeans and nice fitting green shirt, and pulled on her sneakers. She put in some bright earrings and her Jonas Brother guitar pick necklace.

When she had grabbed her purse she headed downstairs trying to figure out what to say to her parents.

"Where are you going?" Gary asked from his spot on the couch. Kayla coughed at the smoke from his cigarette-thankfully she stayed in her room most of the time so wasn't used to the smoke.

"I'm going on the tour that I told you about…" Kayla said warily. "Remember?"

"How long will you be gone?" he asked not taking his eyes off the TV.

"Uh…I don't know…Dad, tours are long things. It's a career." Kayla said trying to get him to understand. He stood up abruptly with a scowl.

"Did we give you permission to go?" he demanded.

"Yes." Kayla replied firmly. Or they didn't say I couldn't… Gary was raising his hand to strike his daughter when the doorbell rang. Kayla took that moment to escape and answered the door to see Hick standing there.

"Ready to go?" he asked hurriedly.

"Yeah. I'll be out in a minute." Kayla replied running up the stairs. When she reached her room she took a few pictures of the room with her digital camera, half happy to be leaving the familiar place.

When she returned downstairs her father was waiting for her with a furious glare.

"You shouldn't have agreed to go on this…useless tour without permission." He said.

"I'm going to be a singer, Dad, just like I've always wanted." Kayla said confidently.

"You'll just end up a failure." Gary's stinging words came quickly. "You'll be no good, and no one will like your singing."
"Goodbye, Dad." Kayla said coldly wishing she hadn't said anything about singing.

Gary shook his head and kicked Kayla very hard as she went out. "You disrespectful, idiot child!" he called after her as she fled the house. "Good riddance! Who'd want you around anyways? You're nothing important. You're useless!"

Kayla's eyes stung as she fought back tears from the painful words. No matter how many threats he threw at her, she couldn't just shake them off-they always came back to haunt her.

Kayla got in the car in silence and looked out to see the grubby house, and her father standing on the porch looking furious. As her leg ached she took deep breathes to help calm herself down. She would now have more bruises to add to her already abundant collection.

Kayla felt the anger well up inside her. I will never go back. Even if I become a failure and have to live in a dumpster I would be better off then at home. Never will I go back. Never.

The flight was long, but peaceful. Kayla slept part of the way and felt more free then she could ever remember feeling before. Whenever someone would walk by she almost flinched by habit, knowing that if it were her father, and sometimes her mother, she wouldn't be passed without some sort of pain and a retort of some kind.

The plain landed bumpily, and Kayla was soon in another car on her way to where she would meet the Jonas Brothers after their concert.

She became fidgety when she was informed the brothers were performing the last song of the night. She could hear them singing "When You Look Me in the Eyes" and knew that they would be joining her soon when she heard the song end.

Kayla was in a small sitting room that had drinks and refreshments for the performers, and two sofas. She drank a little bit of water, and started pacing until she heard the Jonas Brothers' voices from behind the other door.

The boys were talking, but became quiet right before entering the room. In came Nick, Kevin and Joe.

Kayla looked at each of them as they introduced themselves, even though she knew them each. She introduced herself after a moment, and tried to calm down and not act nervous.

"Excited about the tour?" Kevin asked to break the silence.

"Yeah, I can't wait." Kayla replied with a smile.

"We are going to Virginia tomorrow." Joe said smiling.

"I've never been to Virginia before." Kayla said trying to make conversation, and trying not to stare at Joe.

"Where are you from?" Nick asked.

"Pennsylvania. This is my first time leaving the state."

"Wow, so you like, never traveled before?' Joe asked with surprise.

"Nope." Kayla said.

"Well I hope you like it, because that's what touring is all about." Kevin said with a smile.

They chatted for a few minutes about things about themselves before the managers came in and started talking them through what would be happening the next day. Kayla found that she would be having a tour bus, courtesy of the Jonas Brothers' "people", all to herself.

After having dinner with the Jonas brothers and a few of the people that worked for the boys, the brothers decided to show Kayla her bus before turning in for the night.

Kayla was surprised at the nice tour bus she would be staying in. It had four bunks, a kitchen area, bathroom and little activity room at the back. She became even more excited when the brothers said things about her singing.