Sorry that I haven't been on in a while. I've been busy and just had writers block. However I reread my stories and remembered how much I loved How To Rock. So I'm going to try to get back into the groove. And I feel like crossing it over a little bit in some parts but I'm not going to move it into the crossover category because I just don't think that it's going to be that iconic.
The plane ride was long and for the most part uneventful. Thanks to our uber-rich father, we all got first class seats. Me on the window and Alex with the aisle seat, whereas Lissa and Ella were on the other side of the aisle. The flight was a good four hours, but thanks to my teenage hormones went quickly due to the fact that I was asleep the entire time. I kept thinking about my last moments with my friends, with Fang. The only good thing about going to Cali for as it turns out, 6 months due to court policy was the warm weather and the surfing. I would have said L.A boys but I've got Fang.
"Ladies and gentlemen you can now unbuckle your seatbelts and retrieve your carry-on items from underneath your seats or in the compartments above your seats. Thank you and enjoy your stay in sunny California." I gagged at the perky blonde flight attendants attitude but never the less got my converse all-stars bag out from under my seat. It was a plain blue and white canvas bag that I had stuffed my pillow, my iPhone, a book and a couple of movies in. Alex slid out of our row and held out his hand to help me up. I took it only because I was tired and too lazy to get up by myself. As I stood up I hit my head on the overhead compartments and swore, not so subtly, to myself. An elderly couple a few rows in front of us glared at me with a disgusted look on their faces. I turned away and rolled my eyes.
I had dressed smartly for the weather in California. In just a pair of black skinny jeans and a black tank, I was warm yet cool at the same time. To stick true to my band's bad-ass look yet still innocent, I had straightened my purple and blonde hair, put two silver studs in each year, was sporting black and blue converse, and had layered on some dog tags. Ella had gone a bit more rock-chic, in a long-sleeved, mid-thigh, navy blue dress with a floral print going down the side, a leather vest, some chunky jewelry, heeled boots and her hair up in a messy yet sophisticated bun. Lissa was sporting a light floral spaghetti strapped dress with a red letterman's jacket overtop and a pair of platform heels. Alex was just in a white t-shirt with jeans and a denim jacket, his dark hair messy in a way some girls would call "smoldering".
My purple skull-candy headphones were still in my ears blaring Avril Lavigne as we walked off the plane. I looked around as the small claustrophobic hallway ended opening into the gate area where I caught sight of my dad. He was standing near the window looking out his sandy hair slightly tousled. His dark blue polo contrasted with his khaki shorts. He was sporting a pair of new Nike shoes that were a neon green color. His hands were stuffed deep in his pockets.
"Dad!" Ella called and he turned to us at the mention of his name. He grinned and opened his arms welcoming hugs. We all ran into his arms squeezing him tight. Even though we had to go all the way to California to see him, we all still love him. I took in the smell of his cologne as I buried my head in his shoulder. I had missed him. He pulled back and looked at us still grinning.
"How are my favorite kids doing? He asked us his eyes sparkling with excitement. We all grinned and the endless chatter began from Ella and Lissa. I swear, the more time those two spend with Nudge, the more they become like her. I looked at Alex and we rolled our eyes. I pulled out my IPhone to check my messages and laughed out loud. My family looked at me and I shook my head.
"Nothing," I clarified looking back at my phone. I had 15 new messages from Dana, 10 from Fang, 13 from Jojo, 4 from Angel, 19 from Nudge, 3 from Brett, 2 from Cam, 1 from Kyle and 32 from Igg, his consisting of mostly odd pictures of himself and 'Hello' 'are you there yet' 'maxipoo!' and so on. I replied to Dana first because she was my best friend.
Hey did your plane land yet?
Yeah we just got off and are going to our car. How's the Iggster? : P
He's been crazier than usual; you have to find a day for us to come visit
Yeah I'll ask that'd be…interesting. All of you on the same plane…
I don't think there would be a plane left ;)
Yeah well I've gtg, dad calls! Ttyl brat! : P
C ya brat!
I grinned down at my phone as I slipped into the backseat of my Dad's silver Infiniti. Sadly I was squished in the backseat with Lissa and Ella because Alex, being a boy, got the front seat. I rolled my eyes for just about the fiftieth time today as Ella and Lissa jostled around trying to get comfortable.
"So how's Ohio?" Dad asked and we grinned looking at each other.
"Well the schools nice and we've learned a lot. It's also pretty close to the like town square place so sometimes we walk downtown with the gang. The house is nice and we've got the coolest neighbors." Ella told him her eyes lighting up as she spoke fondly of our home in Ohio. Dad raised an eyebrow.
"Who's this gang?" He asked bemusedly and Ella flushed for some unknown reason. This is where I came in.
"The gang is our group of friends, it's easier to just call us that instead of our two separate band names," I started before dad cut in.
"Bands? I didn't know you guys were in a band."
"Well we aren't all in the same band," Lissa explained, "So in our group there are the Ride siblings; Fang and Dana who are twins like Alex and I, Iggy, Nudge, and then Angel and Gazzy who are also twins. Then there are there are Kyle and Jordan or Jojo Brandon, and finally there are Bret and Cameron or Cam Frampton." Lissa finished blushing at the mention of Bret's name and I winked at her knowingly.
"The guys are in a band called the Outkasts and the girls are in a band called the Rebels. That's why the wonderful ladies in the backseat all have colors in their hair, except for the red-velvet in Lissies hair, which was done before the band," Alex cut in speaking for the first time during the ride. Dad grinned and Lissa flushed an even deeper color than her hair. I looked out the window and let out an audible gasp at the giant buildings and green grass as well as the bright blue ocean. I didn't really know how to surf but I was going to find out. Dad glanced back at me in the rearview mirror to make sure I was alright and then focused back on the road. He cleared his throat to speak.
"So as you kids know you are going to be here for give or take 6 months, so until the end of the school year and then one week of summer. Starting tomorrow you will be going to school at, according to your mother's insistence, Hollywood Arts High School. It is a performing arts high-school. They agreed to take you for the remainder of the school year after your mother sent them a video of your band performance. In fact they'd like to take your friends for a trial run as well. I've already arranged it with their parents and the rest of your 'gang' are going to come stay with us for a month in a couple of weeks. During this time they will be going to Hollywood Arts as well as Exchange Students almost. Only for a month though, then they are going to go back to their regular school. Of course they can come visit as often as they would like." Dad finished quietly, or actually it seemed quiet because Lissa, Ella and I were all screaming in excitement.
"You already knew about our bands and friends," Alex accused and Dad grinned sheepishly. I smiled back at him as we pulled into a large mansion almost. It wasn't really but it was a very large home. It was a glass lined home with a pool in the back and a large iron wrought gate surrounding it. I stared wide-eyed out the window as we pulled in and then turned to my dad in shock. This house was amazing.
"And of course your friends will all stay with you, as this house has a lot of empty rooms and this all sounds pretty cliché I know but it's true and very unusual at that!" Dad proclaimed and I hugged him around the seat. He chuckled. "Your rooms have your names on them if you want to go ahead and look." I grabbed the handle of the car door and wrenched it open jumping out and running in the house followed by my siblings minus Alex who just walked slowly. The grand foyer was hardwood with a large chandelier hanging from it and to the left was the kitchen and dining area and to the right was the family room. I ran up the stairs to my room. It was amazing. One whole wall was Glass and facing the backyard with the pool. It was one sided glass though so I could see out but no old perverts could see in. As you walk in you see the glass wall, and on the opposite wall there were two beds that fold into the wall. Both were dark wooded frames and had black and red and silver comforters and pillows. I smiled knowing that Dana was going to be sharing a room with me. On the wall to the right of that was a huge model style walk in closet where you could sit down and everything, and a desk and a bookshelf. Mounted on the glass wall was a flat screen that came down from the ceiling and on the right side of the room was a small door leading to the bathroom and in the corner there was an odd looking bookshelf. On my pulled down bed there was a remote with a sticky note on it.
I looked around the red painted room with an eyebrow raised before picking up the remote. The sticky note read 'push the open button ;) –Dad' I shrugged and pressed the button clearly labeled OPEN, a small shuffling noise was heard and I spun around to see the odd looking bookshelf swinging open to reveal a secret door. Score! I slowly walked into the hidden room and flipped on the light switch before gasping. It was a game room! There were at least four TV's and 8 beanbags scattered around the purple hard wooded room with an Xbox hooked up to one TV, a Wii to the other, a ps3 to the third TV and to the final one nothing, it was just a TV. There were also several arcade games in this large room and a disco ball on the ceiling. Then I saw it. There was a karaoke machine hooked up to the last TV. This room was awesome! Slowly I backed out of the room and hit the open button again, watching the door close. I walked backward until I felt my bed hit the backs of my knees. I fell back onto my bed and stared at the ceiling grinning. Maybe staying in Cali wouldn't be that bad.
DON'T SKIP THIS PART!
So there you have it everyone! The next chapter to How to Rock! I hope you like it! And as for the crossover part, there will be a little bit but not like a super prominent and it will only be for when they are staying with their dad, not for like the whole story. So I know that I have some great readers so please review! Just take a second and type a quick review of what you liked, what you didn't and what you want to happen because I will take your ideas into consideration. So I'm trying to work as hard as I can on getting my stories back and running. Up Up and Away's next chapter will be up by the end of the week at the latest because I am working on all of my Lord of The Rings Fanfictions too so read those too So read and Review everybody! Thanks for your patience!
-Horsegirl5701