~*~
"Well sit your rich ass down Banks. The bus seat isn't going to bite."
I look over at Josie. She either has no conscience or doesn't care what her parents think about her.
She sighs and grabs my sleeve and slams me into the seat next to her as the bus begins to lurch forward leaving behind my hometown and taking me towards the state line. "No turning back now." She laughs, reading the worry on my face like a book.
"So other than a cemetery; what is in Wisconsin?"
She looks over at me and smirks. "My rink, my home, my secrets."
"Secrets hmmmm . . ." I say looking at her.
She nods. "One secret in particular but you'll find that out later today." She winks playfully. "What about you Mr. Banks: any secrets?"
"No."
"I wish I were like you then." She scoffs.
My jaw drops. "And why would you want that? My dad is a control freak. My entire life is hockey and school and I'm not so great with the whole dating thing. You don't want to be like me."
She shakes her head. "My dad is a control freak so I know exactly where you're coming from. My life used to revolve around the rink and it was torn away and the whole dating thing, as you put it, isn't easy for me either." She looked outside the window. "So don't even try the whole 'poor me' thing."
We are silent for a few moments until I break the silence. "Were you guys a couple?"
"Who?" She said, popping out of her dreamland. I can tell she knows by the way she reacts to the look I send her. "Oh, Peter and I? No. Never. He was like my big brother, even though he was barely a year older than me."
"You love him?"
She sighed. "I would say 'til death' but that seems a little ironic doesn't it?"
"Just a little." I nod.
She takes a deep breath and flashes a quick uncomfortable smile.
I yawn and look at my watch. It's barely 2 am. I shake my head. This was the last place I wanted to be, this early in the morning. "I thought you said something about lunch." I murmur at I stretch trying to keep myself awake.
"Oh! Yeah!" She reaches into the backpack in front of her and pulls out a thermos and hands it to me. "You like hot chocolate right?"
I roll my eyes. "I basically live in an arena. I thrive on hot chocolate and stale pretzels." I laugh getting a nod from her.
~*~
My eyes flutter open. I groan and shift positions in my bed and realize that my bed feels rather unusual right now and I wonder what Averman has put under my arm because it is heavy and warm.
I almost scream when I realize that it's Josie. I rub my eyes sleepily with my free hand and look down at her. She looks so innocent cuddled up next to me sleeping. I have to admit, that she is better company when she isn't throwing angry words at me.
I finally hit me. I'm on a bus on my way to Wisconsin. It wasn't a dream. I really am crossing state lines and I'm skipping classes. My dad is going to kill me.
"Josie." I say rubbing her shoulder stirring her from her peaceful sleep. "Thanks."
She opens her eyes and yawns, sleepily covering her mouth. "For what?"
"Loosening me up; I guess."
She shrugs and gets back into the position she was sleeping in before. "Anytime." She murmurs into my shoulder. "What time is it?"
I look down at my watch that glows a green colour. "4:05."
She immediately becomes alert. "We reach our stop around 4:10!" She says excitedly.
"It's a good thing that I woke you up then isn't it?" I replied shoving the thermos by my feet into her bag.
She nodded in agreement as the driver over a load speaker, that I'm surprised didn't wake me during our trip said in a bored monotone. "Next stop; Hudson, Wisconsin."
~*~
I looked around as we stepped off the bus. "You're from a place called Hudson? I would have thought you were a big city girl like, New York or something."
"It serves you right, for stereotyping me." She said sharply walking toward the gas station across the road.
I jumped and followed her towards it and realized it there was a dumpy looking diner beside the dumpy looking gas station. "We aren't actually going in there are we?"
"Of course we are." She called over her shoulder. "It's Dina's Diner. We have to; its part of our . . . excursion."
"But it looks . . . unsanitary."
She grabbed my wrist and began to pull me along. "It's perfectly sanitary. I've worked here and it's my favourite place to eat." She explained rather shortly. "Now come on. I don't want to have to drag you in."
"Isn't there a saying that you shouldn't work at your favourite place to eat because it ruins it and you will never want to eat there again?" I ask.
She rolled her eyes as the bell above the door chimed gleefully as she stepped over the threshold. "I don't know. But this place is great and the food is better." She then walked to the nearest booth and pushed me into the seat. "Besides," she said reluctantly, "I kind of have to pay my tab off."
"You have a tab? How long have you had it?"
She bit her lip and frowned. "Um. . . Jake took me here when we first starting going out which was . . . 3 years ago I think . . . I got the tab about 5 months later so about two and a half years I have had it."
My jaw dropped. "You have two and a half years of food on that bill? Do you know how expensive that will be?"
She smiled and pulled her wallet from her back pocket of her jeans. "Don't worry Banks. I got 'daddy's' platinum card."
I shivered as she mocked her father. It bothered me that they had a crappy relationship. I couldn't help but wonder if quitting skating was what ruined it or if it was something before that and the whole accident and skating thing just made it snowball.
The server walked to our table gnawing on a piece of pink bubble gum. I shook my head. I felt like Josie had transported me to the 1950's or something. The woman, who I guessed was in her early thirties looked over her glasses at Josie in awe. "Joe?"
Josie smiled and nodded sheepishly.
"Awww! Joey! Your back! Oh! Stay right here. Dina will want to see you! I'll just get you two the regulars ok?" The woman said excitedly skipping towards the kitchen, her blond ponytail bouncing, bumping into confused customers.
"There is actually a Dina?" I ask as the woman crashes into the swinging doors excitedly yelling to the cook.
Josie nodded. "Yup."
I look towards the kitchen wondering how much more time I have to interrogate Josie. "Who was that?"
Josie grinned. "Oh that's Caroline. She's a little eccentric but she's the sweetest person you'll ever meet."
"Oh." I say smiling. "Well then, what are the regulars?"
Josie grinned. "Oh, Peter and I used to come here after morning practice and we would order the same thing every time. I think it was pancakes, bacon, hot chocolate and a chocolate chip muffin."
I grin, that reminds me; I'm starving and I try not to drool at the thought of all that food.
"Where is she?"
I turn around looking at pump woman with red hair being escorted by the loony blond waitress, Caroline, skidded out of the kitchen excitedly.
"JOEY!" She yelps running over to the table, grabbing Josie's hands and pulling her off the seat. "Oh Joey, I can't believe it; your back! You're home with a new beau." She said looking over at me. Her expression turned from excited and bubbly to surprised and breathless. "Lord Almighty." She breathed, making the sign of the cross, her eyes not straying from me. "He's a spitting image of Pete, God rest his soul."
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat hoping that people weren't going to react to me like that all day.
Josie sensed my discomfort and cleared her throat. "Dina; that is my . . . friend, Adam Banks. Adam this is Dina Farrell, the owner of this diner."
Dina forced a quick smile and gingerly shook my hand. "It's a pleasure." She murmured.
"Dina, I was hoping I could pay off my tab and have a quick breakfast." Josie whispered. "I have to get back to Minnesota."
Dina's hand went to her chest and her eyes locked with Josie's. "Joslyn Abigail Best! I think not! I told you that; that tab of yours was wiped clean, besides, what are you doing in Wisconsin if you live in Minnesota. Last I heard you were at some special private school. Joslyn, you better not be sneaking off again." Dina's tone was rather motherly and comforting in the fact that someone was worrying about Josie.
"I wasn't sneaking; I'm visiting."
Dina sighed and shook her head. "Let me guess. She dragged you along for the ride, am I correct Andy?"
I swallowed suddenly not feeling so hungry. "Kind of, and its Adam."
"That's what I thought." Dina said rather exasperated. "Here is the deal Joe. I let you eat here, you visit whoever you need to; say your goodbyes and you get out of here. I mean it. Your father doesn't need you to go around bus hopping or however you got here over state lines." Dina said seriously. "And you stay in school. No more skipping. I don't need you to come back here asking for your old job here because you dropped out. I refuse to let you make my mistakes."
Josie nodded solemnly. "Yes Dina."
"Good." Dina said glad to have her way. "It was good seeing you though kiddo." She said pulling her into a quick hug. "I'm still expecting letters from you."
"Yes Mam'." Josie said as the woman walked towards the kitchen.
I swallowed nervously as Josie sat down in front of me. "Are we going to meet other people who knew Peter really well because I don't know if I can handle anymore greetings like that."
Josie shook her head. "Nope. After breakfast we have one more stop and then we can go ok?"
I nodded. "So your nickname was Joe?"
She rolled her eyes. "When they ordered my nametag the markers made it so it said Joey instead of Josie. After that it kind of stuck and then it got shortened to Joe."
Caroline sauntered up to us with a pair of large plates and sat them in front of us. "Here you go, Josie and Adam. It's good to see you Joe." She said leaning down and squeezing Josie extra tight. "Aw . . . jeez . . ." Caroline said wiping her eyes with her little white apron. "I'm getting all misty."
"Sweetie. It's ok." Josie replied getting up and hugging the woman.
Caroline quickly sniffed and relaxed her shoulders. "I'm okay. I better get to work."
Josie nodded as the woman walked away sniffing uncontrollably.
She sat down across from me and smiled. "Sweet woman. A little emotional though."
I nodded grabbing the syrup from the end of the table, pouring it over my pancakes. If today was going to be anything like breakfast, I was going to be in for a lot of odd greetings.
~
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A/N: WOW!! I'm really proud of myself right now! I got this chapter done in one day! It was lots of fun to write because, mainly, I only had to write one person in character so it isn't too hard. However, from now on, no more of my own characters, I swear. I will try to get back to Eden Hall A.S.A.P. ok? I think next chapter I'll have Adam find out what the rest of the Ducks think of his little trip. Ok! Until next Chapter . . .
REVIEW!!!!
~Toodles!
"Well sit your rich ass down Banks. The bus seat isn't going to bite."
I look over at Josie. She either has no conscience or doesn't care what her parents think about her.
She sighs and grabs my sleeve and slams me into the seat next to her as the bus begins to lurch forward leaving behind my hometown and taking me towards the state line. "No turning back now." She laughs, reading the worry on my face like a book.
"So other than a cemetery; what is in Wisconsin?"
She looks over at me and smirks. "My rink, my home, my secrets."
"Secrets hmmmm . . ." I say looking at her.
She nods. "One secret in particular but you'll find that out later today." She winks playfully. "What about you Mr. Banks: any secrets?"
"No."
"I wish I were like you then." She scoffs.
My jaw drops. "And why would you want that? My dad is a control freak. My entire life is hockey and school and I'm not so great with the whole dating thing. You don't want to be like me."
She shakes her head. "My dad is a control freak so I know exactly where you're coming from. My life used to revolve around the rink and it was torn away and the whole dating thing, as you put it, isn't easy for me either." She looked outside the window. "So don't even try the whole 'poor me' thing."
We are silent for a few moments until I break the silence. "Were you guys a couple?"
"Who?" She said, popping out of her dreamland. I can tell she knows by the way she reacts to the look I send her. "Oh, Peter and I? No. Never. He was like my big brother, even though he was barely a year older than me."
"You love him?"
She sighed. "I would say 'til death' but that seems a little ironic doesn't it?"
"Just a little." I nod.
She takes a deep breath and flashes a quick uncomfortable smile.
I yawn and look at my watch. It's barely 2 am. I shake my head. This was the last place I wanted to be, this early in the morning. "I thought you said something about lunch." I murmur at I stretch trying to keep myself awake.
"Oh! Yeah!" She reaches into the backpack in front of her and pulls out a thermos and hands it to me. "You like hot chocolate right?"
I roll my eyes. "I basically live in an arena. I thrive on hot chocolate and stale pretzels." I laugh getting a nod from her.
~*~
My eyes flutter open. I groan and shift positions in my bed and realize that my bed feels rather unusual right now and I wonder what Averman has put under my arm because it is heavy and warm.
I almost scream when I realize that it's Josie. I rub my eyes sleepily with my free hand and look down at her. She looks so innocent cuddled up next to me sleeping. I have to admit, that she is better company when she isn't throwing angry words at me.
I finally hit me. I'm on a bus on my way to Wisconsin. It wasn't a dream. I really am crossing state lines and I'm skipping classes. My dad is going to kill me.
"Josie." I say rubbing her shoulder stirring her from her peaceful sleep. "Thanks."
She opens her eyes and yawns, sleepily covering her mouth. "For what?"
"Loosening me up; I guess."
She shrugs and gets back into the position she was sleeping in before. "Anytime." She murmurs into my shoulder. "What time is it?"
I look down at my watch that glows a green colour. "4:05."
She immediately becomes alert. "We reach our stop around 4:10!" She says excitedly.
"It's a good thing that I woke you up then isn't it?" I replied shoving the thermos by my feet into her bag.
She nodded in agreement as the driver over a load speaker, that I'm surprised didn't wake me during our trip said in a bored monotone. "Next stop; Hudson, Wisconsin."
~*~
I looked around as we stepped off the bus. "You're from a place called Hudson? I would have thought you were a big city girl like, New York or something."
"It serves you right, for stereotyping me." She said sharply walking toward the gas station across the road.
I jumped and followed her towards it and realized it there was a dumpy looking diner beside the dumpy looking gas station. "We aren't actually going in there are we?"
"Of course we are." She called over her shoulder. "It's Dina's Diner. We have to; its part of our . . . excursion."
"But it looks . . . unsanitary."
She grabbed my wrist and began to pull me along. "It's perfectly sanitary. I've worked here and it's my favourite place to eat." She explained rather shortly. "Now come on. I don't want to have to drag you in."
"Isn't there a saying that you shouldn't work at your favourite place to eat because it ruins it and you will never want to eat there again?" I ask.
She rolled her eyes as the bell above the door chimed gleefully as she stepped over the threshold. "I don't know. But this place is great and the food is better." She then walked to the nearest booth and pushed me into the seat. "Besides," she said reluctantly, "I kind of have to pay my tab off."
"You have a tab? How long have you had it?"
She bit her lip and frowned. "Um. . . Jake took me here when we first starting going out which was . . . 3 years ago I think . . . I got the tab about 5 months later so about two and a half years I have had it."
My jaw dropped. "You have two and a half years of food on that bill? Do you know how expensive that will be?"
She smiled and pulled her wallet from her back pocket of her jeans. "Don't worry Banks. I got 'daddy's' platinum card."
I shivered as she mocked her father. It bothered me that they had a crappy relationship. I couldn't help but wonder if quitting skating was what ruined it or if it was something before that and the whole accident and skating thing just made it snowball.
The server walked to our table gnawing on a piece of pink bubble gum. I shook my head. I felt like Josie had transported me to the 1950's or something. The woman, who I guessed was in her early thirties looked over her glasses at Josie in awe. "Joe?"
Josie smiled and nodded sheepishly.
"Awww! Joey! Your back! Oh! Stay right here. Dina will want to see you! I'll just get you two the regulars ok?" The woman said excitedly skipping towards the kitchen, her blond ponytail bouncing, bumping into confused customers.
"There is actually a Dina?" I ask as the woman crashes into the swinging doors excitedly yelling to the cook.
Josie nodded. "Yup."
I look towards the kitchen wondering how much more time I have to interrogate Josie. "Who was that?"
Josie grinned. "Oh that's Caroline. She's a little eccentric but she's the sweetest person you'll ever meet."
"Oh." I say smiling. "Well then, what are the regulars?"
Josie grinned. "Oh, Peter and I used to come here after morning practice and we would order the same thing every time. I think it was pancakes, bacon, hot chocolate and a chocolate chip muffin."
I grin, that reminds me; I'm starving and I try not to drool at the thought of all that food.
"Where is she?"
I turn around looking at pump woman with red hair being escorted by the loony blond waitress, Caroline, skidded out of the kitchen excitedly.
"JOEY!" She yelps running over to the table, grabbing Josie's hands and pulling her off the seat. "Oh Joey, I can't believe it; your back! You're home with a new beau." She said looking over at me. Her expression turned from excited and bubbly to surprised and breathless. "Lord Almighty." She breathed, making the sign of the cross, her eyes not straying from me. "He's a spitting image of Pete, God rest his soul."
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat hoping that people weren't going to react to me like that all day.
Josie sensed my discomfort and cleared her throat. "Dina; that is my . . . friend, Adam Banks. Adam this is Dina Farrell, the owner of this diner."
Dina forced a quick smile and gingerly shook my hand. "It's a pleasure." She murmured.
"Dina, I was hoping I could pay off my tab and have a quick breakfast." Josie whispered. "I have to get back to Minnesota."
Dina's hand went to her chest and her eyes locked with Josie's. "Joslyn Abigail Best! I think not! I told you that; that tab of yours was wiped clean, besides, what are you doing in Wisconsin if you live in Minnesota. Last I heard you were at some special private school. Joslyn, you better not be sneaking off again." Dina's tone was rather motherly and comforting in the fact that someone was worrying about Josie.
"I wasn't sneaking; I'm visiting."
Dina sighed and shook her head. "Let me guess. She dragged you along for the ride, am I correct Andy?"
I swallowed suddenly not feeling so hungry. "Kind of, and its Adam."
"That's what I thought." Dina said rather exasperated. "Here is the deal Joe. I let you eat here, you visit whoever you need to; say your goodbyes and you get out of here. I mean it. Your father doesn't need you to go around bus hopping or however you got here over state lines." Dina said seriously. "And you stay in school. No more skipping. I don't need you to come back here asking for your old job here because you dropped out. I refuse to let you make my mistakes."
Josie nodded solemnly. "Yes Dina."
"Good." Dina said glad to have her way. "It was good seeing you though kiddo." She said pulling her into a quick hug. "I'm still expecting letters from you."
"Yes Mam'." Josie said as the woman walked towards the kitchen.
I swallowed nervously as Josie sat down in front of me. "Are we going to meet other people who knew Peter really well because I don't know if I can handle anymore greetings like that."
Josie shook her head. "Nope. After breakfast we have one more stop and then we can go ok?"
I nodded. "So your nickname was Joe?"
She rolled her eyes. "When they ordered my nametag the markers made it so it said Joey instead of Josie. After that it kind of stuck and then it got shortened to Joe."
Caroline sauntered up to us with a pair of large plates and sat them in front of us. "Here you go, Josie and Adam. It's good to see you Joe." She said leaning down and squeezing Josie extra tight. "Aw . . . jeez . . ." Caroline said wiping her eyes with her little white apron. "I'm getting all misty."
"Sweetie. It's ok." Josie replied getting up and hugging the woman.
Caroline quickly sniffed and relaxed her shoulders. "I'm okay. I better get to work."
Josie nodded as the woman walked away sniffing uncontrollably.
She sat down across from me and smiled. "Sweet woman. A little emotional though."
I nodded grabbing the syrup from the end of the table, pouring it over my pancakes. If today was going to be anything like breakfast, I was going to be in for a lot of odd greetings.
~
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A/N: WOW!! I'm really proud of myself right now! I got this chapter done in one day! It was lots of fun to write because, mainly, I only had to write one person in character so it isn't too hard. However, from now on, no more of my own characters, I swear. I will try to get back to Eden Hall A.S.A.P. ok? I think next chapter I'll have Adam find out what the rest of the Ducks think of his little trip. Ok! Until next Chapter . . .
REVIEW!!!!
~Toodles!