Sorry for the wait! One day I was too tired to write, the next FF was down or something, because it would not let me update, and yesterday I went and got drunk, so yeah… kind of hungover today… sorry :o
DAVE: Be Dave from 24 Hours Ago
"What do you want, kiddo?"
Dave tensed up as Bro turned to look at him. Dave was standing in the archway between the living room and the hallway. Bro was sitting on the couch, playing some game about Doritos and Skateboarding, but like always, his ninja-skills sensed Dave lurking behind him.
"Nothing." Dave spat.
"Its nine in the morning on your first day of Summer Vacation." Bro stated, turning back to his game, "What are you doing up?"
"I did not know it was a crime to get up before noon when there is no school. Might as well get up while the day is still young." Dave shrugged.
"You never lurk in the living room unless you want something. So out with it. What do you want?" Bro snapped.
Dave sucked in a deep breath. His hands were in his pockets, hiding the fact that they were nervously balled into fists, "Rose invited me on a vacation with her and Mom to India for a month."
"Is that so?" Bro asked.
Dave could hear the emotion in Bro's voice, but Bro did not turn around. He finally released that breath, "Yeah so…"
"When are you leaving?" Bro cut him off.
Dave frowned, "Sometime today."
Bro still did not look at him, "Whatever."
"So I can go?" Dave asked,
Bro did not respond.
Dave sighed, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets, "I'll pack then?" When Bro still did not answer, he turned around and walked down the hall towards his bedroom.
He started to throw some clothes into a suitcase, absentmindedly. He was almost hoping that Bro would say no… tell him that no, he could not go on a vacation with that She-Devil and her spawn. But unfortunately, Bro was no help whatsoever.
Dave threw a shirt roughly into his suitcase. He had been planning a road trip with John for months. Of course, neither one of them could drive yet, but that did not mean they could not take the greyhound out across the country or something? Mr. Egbert even promised them that he would take a weeks vacation, and the two of them would drive out and go camping or something. But John seemed to have completely forgotten about all that the moment Rose offered a vacation to India.
He sighed and plopped down on his bed. Could he blame Egbert? Its not like someone was ever going to go up to them again and offer him a free, all expense paid, trip to a foreign country right? Dave shook his head and went back to packing. John was right… they could go on that road trip after they got back, and Dave could suck it up and spend one month with Rose and her mother…
Maybe he could catch up with them? Oh god, this was sounding worse by the minute.
The call box to the apartment started ringing. Dave froze as he heard Bro swear and could hear footsteps over the creaking floorboards. He got up and looked out the window. Down at the street below was Ms. Lalonde's ugly pink limousine.
"DAVE!" Bro called out from the living room.
Dave bit his bottom lip, and quickly zipped up his suitcase.
He really did not want to go…
By the time Dave got out to the living room, Bro was already sitting back down on the couch.
"See you in a month." Dave said. Good-bye's were not all that formal in the Strider household, but since Dave was going to be gone for so long, he thought he should at least say something… and give Bro a chance to say he could not go.
Bro did not turn around and look at him, his eyes were still glued to the television, but at least he nodded. Dave sighed and gritted his teeth, before slipping from the apartment. Looks like he was no help at all!
When he exited the apartment, he was glad to see that no one was at the front door to greet him. Whoever had rung the callbox, had returned to the limo. He walked over, and saw the trunk was popped, and he threw his luggage in there, before climbing in.
To his relief, it was not Ms. Lalonde in the driver seat. Even better - she was not even in the car.
"Mom decided last minute that she could not get the time off work." Rose stated, "She has prebooked all the attractions and destinations we are to explore, so we should not have to worry about money, thought we do have a couple grand spending money. "
Dave sighed. That made things SO MUCH better.
"Hey Dave!" John cheered. Dave jumped and looked beside him. John sat on the bench beside him, grinning ear to ear and waving.
Great, the She-Cow went and picked him up last.
"We are taking a plane over to Indonesia." Rose stated, "From there, we shall take a ferry over to India."
"This is going to be so awesome!" John cheered, "Isn't it Dave? This will be so much fun!"
Dave rolled his eyes, forgetting that John could not see them behind his aviators, "Yeah. So much."
"Of course, when we get to India, the first thing we will have to do is book into the hotel. I have a private room to myself, mother did not want me staying in a room with a couple of guys - even if one of them is my brother." Rose stated, "The second room is a two bedroom suite."
"And then what?" John cheered,"Well, then we have the rest of the day to ourselves, to explore and such." Rose explained, "And then the next day, we start visiting some of the many attractions."
'None of which I am looking forward to' Dave thought bitterly, but he kept it to himself.
The limousine started and Dave buckled himself in as the car rolled away from the apartment building, and off towards the highway. The airport was not too far away, though he knew he should not be too excited about getting there, because after he was there, he'd be stuck waiting in the airport, before being stuck on a plane. John vibrated in his seat with excitement the entire way there, and even after they arrived at the airport, checked their luggage, and then arrived in the waiting room, he was still going 'a mile a minute'.
While they were sitting waiting to board their plane, John and Rose caught up. They - well more like, John - talked on and on about their school life and their hobbies and everything. Dave rolled his eyes, happy to be momentarily forgotten. He was in a sour mood.
For some reason, he had a really bad feeling about this trip… but he told himself it was probably just because he was being stubborn. Rose's Mom was not coming, he should be grateful about that. It was not Rose he had a beef with, at least Rose tried to stay in contact…
A message over the PA snapped Dave out of his thoughts. It was the announcement they have been waiting for - their plane was finally boarding.
"I can't wait!" John sang, "Where are we sitting? Do I get the window seat? Can I please have the window seat Dave?"
Dave shrugged, "Be my guest Egbert, and when the plane crashes, and the windows pop out of the sides, you'll be the first sucked out."
John's face fell, "You don't really think the plane is going to crash… do you?"
The moment Dave heard the change in John's tone, he instantly felt bad, "Um… no. Fuck Egbert. You can have the goddamn window seat."
"Yes!" John cheered, the happy tone back in his voice.
Dave let Rose and John lead the way onto the airplane, before following after them. He sighed, "Time to get our vacation on."
JOHN: Be John from 12 Hours Ago
We're getting closer to the part things start to fall apart : D Hmmm… I wonder what went wrong? *evil cackle*
