here's chapter 3, hit the review button when you're finished.

disclaimer: The Ducks belong to Disney. We aren't making any money off them, so please don't sue! Fred and Cecilia belong to Cimmy. Lex, Jeff, and their band belong to NYgoldfish54.

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Chapter 3: Home Away From Home
By NYgoldfish54

Goldberg's POV

"Where are we going?" I ask as Lex and Jeff lead us all into the airport's garage some five hours later.

Cecilia had screamed at Portman a good 10 minutes after Fred pulled her out of the fountain. It was pretty amusing. She can be quite scary for a small person. We still had to wait for Julie, Russ, Luis, Kenny, and Dwayne. Russ and Kenny showed up at the same time and only about 20 minutes after we did. It turns out they took the same flight out of San Francisco because Russ had been hanging with Kenny at his place.

"Hi y'all!" Dwayne greeted us about an hour after Kenny and Russ arrived. Luis showed up not long after that.

It was waiting for the Cat Lady that had been the worst. Her flight was delayed out of Maine, and then delayed into Orlando. It took two and half hours longer than it should have. Needless to say I now know why there are so many book shops, other small shops, places to eat, and magazine stands at airports. It's so when you're trapped there for hours at a time you don't get the urge to kill yourself (or your loud, obnoxious, good for nothing friends) too quickly.

"Someone is going to drive us to the hotel, but I don't see the…" Lex said, looking around.

"I don't see the what?" Luis says, his voice urging Lex to finish her sentence.

As if to answer her question, a stretch limousine pulls up a ramp and drives our way.

"Jeff Delricci's party?" the driver asks us.

"Yes," says Jeff, stepping in front.

"Well, I'm the one who's supposed to take you kids back to the hotel."

"There's supposed to be two cars," Jeff says to the driver.

"Oh, you didn't hear? Marty, the other driver, got sick. He's not going to be able to drive today," the driver explains to us. Jeff looks furious.

"What's your name, sir?" Lex asks in a business voice, stepping up to Jeff's side.

"Mike."

"Well, Mike, there are 17 teenagers here. One car isn't going to hold all of us," Lex says patiently.

"You can leave some people behind," the driver says to her.

"Um…no. I'm not leaving anyone behind. Either we all come in this car, or we call your competitor and tell them to come get us," Lex says coolly. The driver looks angry. It's obvious to him that Lex's threat was below the belt.

"If you can all fit, I'll take you," the driver says angrily.

Lex turns to us. "Sorry guys, it's gonna be a tight squeeze…"

The word tight accurately describes a virgin at a prison rodeo. It does not accurately describe 17 teenagers, 13 of which are decent to big sized guys, thrown in the back of a limo.

I'm squashed between Averman and Luis. If we were any closer, I'd be sharing bubble gum with Averman. This really sucks.

We're going over bumps and around corners and down the highways, and let me tell you, I'm getting bruises.

"This sucks!" says Russ, voicing his opinion that I happen to share with him.

"Sorry guys, there were supposed to be two cars," Jeff says angrily and throws a nasty look in the direction of the driver. He's smashed between Adam and Guy and he doesn't look happy.

"Connie, could you move a little?" asks Guy.

"I'm trying, I'm trying!" Connie says.

"Fred, ouch, you're hurting me!" Lex wails as we turn a corner sharply and he falls on her.

"Cecilia, stop touching me!" Charlie hollered.

I can't! Oh! Sorry Julie…"

"The hotel is really gorgeous," Lex says. "They've provided us and our guests with a real nice place. It'll get better, I promise."

We're all silent for a moment.

Then another sharp turn sends us flying. I hear Kenny yell something like, "OUCH, DAMMIT, OUCH! ADAM YOU'RE CRUSHING MY LIVER!"

Thank God none of us get car sick. That would be a disaster, someone puking in a car this crowded.

"I don't feel so well," moaned Portman.

Great. Just great.

***

Connie's POV

I can't believe we're all here in Orlando! It's going to be so much fun! During the day we'll visit the theme parks and have fun and by night Guy and I will be able to spend romantic evenings, in the warm air. Except the night of Lex and Jeff's show, of course.

We're at the hotel now. It's a good thing too. A few more minutes in the car, and Portman would have lost his cookies all over Dwayne and Fulton, and it would have smelled, and it would have been a real mess. I heard Julie next to me, saying, "Please don't let him hurl, please don't let him hurl…"

Lex wasn't kidding when she said the hotel would be better than the ride there. Walking into the red carpeted lobby, we saw there was a grand staircase leading up to our rooms. Off to the side was an elevator and what looked like a dining room.

"Room assignments!" Lex calls, and we sort of stop staring and gather around.

"Ok, Moreau and Gaffney, room 112," Lex says, handing us our card keys. I'm rooming with Julie. What a surprise!

"Room 113, Germaine and Robertson," Lex calls next, also passing them card keys. I figured she would pass them out to everyone.

"Room 114, Banks and Conway," she calls and both Charlie and Adam groan.

"Portman and Reed, room 115."

"Mendoza and Averman, you're in room 116."

"Room 117, Wu, Tyler, and Goldberg," she calls. When they get close to her to take their card keys, she says, "Don't worry guys, it's suite, you've got an extra bed and bathroom." Russ, Goldberg, and Kenny slap hands.

"Fred and Cee, you two get room 118 so you two can do…whatever you two do at night…"

"Where are you two going to sleep?" Kenny asks Lex and Jeff.

"I'm in room 120 with Sammie and Anna, and Jeff is bunking with Matt in room 121," Lex replies.

"And Matt, Sammie, and Anna are…?" Fulton asks.

"Band members. There are two more, Chris and Anthony. You'll meet them all later," Jeff explains.

"Well, let's go put our stuff upstairs, Ducks," says Charlie.

Julie and I walk into our room, dump our stuff down, and look to explore. Two nice beds, a clock, two closets, some furniture, a TV, a radio, a mini-bar…but knowing Lex, who isn't stupid enough to leave us all with liquor in our rooms, has had juice put in it or something.

Julie comes out of the bathroom and says, "Blow dryer, bath tub/Jacuzzi, shower, and two sinks. Yours and mine."

"What? No toilet?" I ask jokingly.

"No toilet," she says grinning, "We'll just have to pee in the woods."

I start to put my clothes away, and Julie calls me from her closet.

"Hey Connie, look at this!"

"What?" I ask joining her through the door I had originally thought a closet. "Oh, wow."

It wasn't a closet. It was a door to a balcony. And the balcony, that has two chairs and a table, is looking over a huge pool area with three separate pools, with water slides and diving boards, and these mushroom things that have water coming out of them. There's also a hot tub.

"Score," I say to Julie.

"Yeah, definitely."

I head back inside. I can just imagine Guy and me, sitting out on the balcony, looking at the pool, making out. This trip is gonna be fun.

***

percussion: yeah, Charlie and Adam DO fight a lot. but they're dumb, horny, teenage guys, so what do you expect? *grins* it's like a constant testosterone battle.