Chapter Three: Kristy

June 19th

It's ten-thirty at night, but it feels like it's one-thirty. That's the one bad thing of being in California, the time change.

So this is the California Vacation Journal of Kristy Thomas. I can hear Stacey writing in her's. She, Claudia, and I are in the rec room. She's on a the couch, Claudia and I are on the floor in sleeping bags. Mary Anne's in Dawn's room, but Dawn isn't in there, why should she be? It's only ten-thirty. Who goes to be at ten-thirty on their summer vacation?

Everything was kind of boring until we landed in California. We got off the plane and went through our gate and Dawn was standing there. She looked very tan, wearing jeans and a t-shirt that said "Fish Are Friends, Not Food." (From Finding Nemo. When you have as many little siblings as me, you've seen that movie more times than you'd like to count.) The shirt is SO Dawn.

Mary Anne was squealing and hugging her, and Stacey and Claudia were gathered around her too. I was noticing the guy standing behind her. He was obviously with her, unless strangers just stare and smile fondly at everyone. Doubtful. I knew he must have been Dawn's older guy friend. I couldn't remember his name. Goosey? So I just went up to him.

I stuck out my hand. "I'm Kristy Thomas."

"Ducky McCrae," he replied, shaking my hand. "Your chauffeur for the evening."

"More like bellhop. Stacey and Claudia packed a lot."

"I'm super friend," he replied. "It's all good."

"Kristy Thomas, aren't you going to give me a hug?" Dawn shouted. Her voice echoed in the terminal, but she didn't seem to care. Neither did I. We hugged, and then Dawn introduced everyone to Ducky. Then we spent forever picking up our luggage. Well, Claudia and Stacey spent forever. I had one duffle bag and that was it.

We went out to the car which was a giant SUV.

"Is this yours?" Claudia asked Ducky.

"No, it's Dawn's Dad's," he answered. He heaved one of her giant suitcases into the back. "My car's too small for all of you and all your stuff."

"Your dad has an SUV?" Mary Anne asked, looking at Dawn. She made a face.

"I know. I told him how much pollution they create, but he said it was safer for Gracie, you know side airbags and everything, but right now he's in Carol's car with Gracie, so I don't know why he had to get the pollute-mobile. I tried to get him to change his mind, there are plenty of eco-friendly cars with side airbags, but he just bought it anyway."

"I'm sworn not to drink and drive, or drive like a maniac," Ducky said, smiling. "Or change the radio stations."

Dawn laughed.

I put my own bag in the trunk. Then we piled into the car.

We went back to Dawn's house, and flipped coins to see who got the couch in the rec room (Mary Anne didn't, opting to bunk with Dawn). Then her Dad and Carol came home with Gracie and Jeff, and we all said hi to Jeff, and had a group squeal over Gracie. Even Dawn, and Dawn sees her everyday. It was contagious.

Then Ducky, in his own car that rivals The Junk Bucket for ugliest and loudest car I've ever ridden in, drove us to Rico Chavez's house for a Vanish rehearsal. Vanish is the band Maggie's in, and they were really good.

Dawn introduced us to Amalia, whom I liked right away. She seemed like a take-charge, head-on-her-shoulders kind of person. Like me. During the break, I met Rico, Bruce, Patti, and Justin. And we all said hi to Maggie, who looked really different than the last time I saw her. She had her natural hair color and was wearing khakis and a t-shirt.

"No more green hair?" I asked.

She laughed. "Not anymore. That phase is over. I think I passed it onto Sunny, though. She's into the black clothes, weird makeup thing now. It's an expression."

I didn't really know what she meant by that, but I just nodded. I didn't really know what to say. Dawn had warned us not to mention Maggie's weight (Anorexia? I had no idea that people my age dealt with that), or Tyler Kendall, her boyfriend and mega-movie star. Apparently mega-movie star. I'd never heard of the guy, but Mary Anne about passed out at his name.

The band started playing again, and Stacey and I talked to Amalia.

"How long have you lived here?" I asked.

"Almost a year now. It's weird. I met my ex-boyfriend, and he introduced me to the band, and I met Dawn and Maggie and everyone, and all of a sudden I felt like I knew everyone in the world."

"Which one's your ex?" Stacey asked.

"Oh. Um, none of them. He, uh, left the band. Well, they kicked him out for being an abusive asshole." She stopped, looking shocked at herself. "Did I say that? High school has had it's effect on me. Anyway, Justin took his place."

Speaking of Justin, in between songs, he tapped his mic. "Hey, guys, I have an announcement to make."

"Don't tell me you're leaving the band," Amalia called. Everyone laughed, including Justin.

"No, nothing like that. I just thought I should tell my friends- and friends of friends- first." He paused and gathered himself. "I'm bisexual."

There was a silent sort of buzz in the room, and then Rico started laughing.

"What's the big deal?"

Justin looked relieved, but he wasn't looking at Rico. Before I could see what he was looking at, he then looked up at the band. "So it's cool."

"What does Nancy think?" Patti asked. She was grinning. I guess Nancy's his girlfriend.

"Nancy dumped me," Justin said, looking tense again.

"Good Lord," Amalia said. "I thought this was a liberal town."

Maggie had a funny look on her face, and Dawn told us later that Maggie and Justin sort of dated, but after rehearsal was over, she and Justin were talking and laughing together like they were best friends. I guess it was okay.

After that, Ducky drove us back to Dawn's house, and we saw Sunny getting out of some car, and the guy driving the car peeled away (I hate that sound).

"Sunny!" Dawn called to her.

Sunny turned, and ran over to us and hugged all of us (She has a NAVEL ring!) and rambled on about all sorts of stuff in one breath that I didn't nearly catch any of, but Dawn seemed to.

"Want to come over for dinner?" Dawn asked.

"No, Dad's actually home for dinner tonight. I figure he'll want the company," Sunny said. She was smiling.

I sort of freaked. Was I supposed to say something? Apparently not, because Dawn acted like this was normal, and we went back into her house, and Sunny into her's.

Already tired (It was seven/ten), we ate dinner and watched Pirates of the Caribbean, the only movie we could all agree on, balancing cute guys, action, and love stories.

Which brings us to now and Stacey stopped writing a long time ago, and Claudia is snoring lightly. I guess I should go to bed now.