Chapter Four
Feburary 6, 2008
Joe's POV
"Pass the syrup."
I wrapped my hand around the sticky bottle and passed it to Nick, before licking the syrup off my fingertips.
"What are we doing today?" Alli asked and squirted ketchup on her scrambled eggs. I rolled my eyes.
"That is so gross," I told her. She stuck her tongue out at me.
We were at IHOP, eating breakfast before we got back on the tour bus and headed to Dallas.
"What are we doing today?" Alli repeated. I shrugged my shoulders since I was currently chewing a bite of pancake. Once, I swallowed, I reached over the table and thumped Kevins's ear.
"OW!" he said and turned away from the waitress he had been eyeing.
"What are we doing today?"
"Riding on the bus to Texas," Kevin said, before draining his cup of black coffee.
Alli sighed and bit down on her thumbnail. She slipped her feet out her flip-flops and stuck them under the hems my jeans. "My feet are cold," she said when I looked at her. I laughed and pulled her feet up on my lap, gently rubbing them. She smiled and closed her eyes.
Suddenly, a little girl about eight or nine years old walked up to the table and tugged on my sleeve. I smiled. "Hey sweetheart, what's your name?"
"Janie," the girl said and giggled. "Can I have your autograph?"
"Sure," I said and took the notebook and pen she held out to me.
"Do you want my brothers and Miley to sign it too?"
The girl nodded eagerly. I signed my name and then passed the book to Nick. Nick smiled at the little girl and signed his name. Once Kevin and Miley signed it, too, I handed it back to the girl.
"Thank you," she said.
"You're welcome."
She hugged the book to her chest and ran off to her table.
A few minutes later, the waitress came with the check and then we headed out the door and piled onto the tour bus.
Next stop: Dallas, Texas.
--
Allison's POV
"And I keep bleeding,
Keep, keep, bleeding love,
Keep bleeding,
Keep, keep, bleeding love,
Keep bleeding,
Keep, keep, bleeding love,
Ohh, you cut me open."
I sang along with the radio that was currently playing Leona Lewis' top hit "Bleeding Love."
Not until the song finished, did I notice Joe standing in the doorway, gazing at me. There was something in his eyes. I'd never seen it before. It kind of reminded me of lust.
"Joe, what are you staring at?" I asked him.
"Huh?" Joe shook his head. "Oh. Nothing. Just listening to you sing."
I nodded and stood up. Joe steeped closer to me and hugged me. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him back.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you, too."
I kissed his cheek and then walked towards the front of the bus.
"I'm really seventy years old...see, I have a mole!" I watched as Nick pulled his shirt off and and turned his back to Miley. "See?" he said and pointed to the spot where a small, brown spot was.
"Nick, that's just a freckle," Miley said gently.
"Ohhhhh," Nick said and put his shirt back on.
I rolled my eyes and walked over to Kevin and sat on his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck.
"Hey Kevy," I cooed in a breathy voice.
Kevin laughed and kissed the tip of my nose. Kevin has always been like a big brother to me. I love him to death.
"You're awesome," I said.
"You're awesome, too."
"Stop and stare,
I think I'm movi--"
Kevin grabbed his ringing cellphone.
"Hello? Uh-huh. Yeah. Sweet. Okay. Bye."
"Who was that?" Nick asked.
"Dad. He said we can eat at McDonald's."
"YES!!"
--
Nick's POV
"I can't breathe,
The world is spinning,
My heart aches for you,
I wish you could see the truth,
We're meant to be,
If only you would open your eyes and see me."
I stared as Joe strummed the final few chords on his guitar.
"Taht was good, man."
Joe looked up, startled.
"Did you write that yourself?"
"Uh, yeah. I did."
"It's cool," I told him.
"Thanks."
"Who's it about?"
"Oh, uh...no one in particular."
"Cool. Look, it's time to eat. We're at McDonald's."
"I'm not really hungry. Go without me. I'll get something later."
I staref at my older brother in disbelief. I had never seen Joe turn down a chance to eat at McDonald's. Not once. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just not all that hungry right now."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"Okay."
--
Kevin's POV
"Kevin, wait up!"
I turned around and saw Nick running towards me.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Can I talk to you for a sec?"
"Sure," I said. "What's on your mind?"
"Have you noticed how Joe's been acting all spacey lately?"
"Yeah, but I thought he was just going through one of his moods."
"I did, too. Until today."
"What happened?"
Nick told me about a song Joe wrote.
"Whoa," I said. "It sounds like Joe has a crush on someone."
"But who?"
"Well, it's not Miley or Allison,"I said.
"That's for sure."
--
Miley's POV
"Don't you feel like crying,
Come on, come on,
Cry to me,
Ohhhhhoooo."
I stared at the screen where Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey did what can only be described as "sex-dancing." Nick pressed his lips to my forehead and I smiled and nestled into his warm embrace. Everyone else had gone to sleep but Nick and me. I was getting kinda tired, though. I could feel my eyelids slowly flutter shut and the last thing echoing in my mind before I fell asleep was: I wonder why Patrick Swayze sounds kinda British?
Pretty soon, I felt myself being picked up wedding-style. I could tell it was Nick and I let out a sigh of contenment. Nick gently placed my body down on his bunk and I felt him crawl in beside me and pull the covers over us. I went back to sleep, safe in his arms.
--