Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14:

ALANA:

When I got off the plane in Florida, there was a man waiting, holding a sign with my name on it. I didn't recognize the man, but then again, it could have been my father for all I knew. I hadn't seen him in years. I wasn't sure what to expect. The man told me that he had been ordered by my father to pick me up and take me back to the house. Apparently, my father was working, leaving me to meet his wife and step-son alone. 

My father's house was a big one. A three story, white house, with dark blue shutters and a wrap-around porch. It was perched on a hill, a fence around the yard and a blue-eyed Husky laying on the steps. There was a woman and a boy, who looked to be about my age, standing on the porch.

I got out of the car, watching as the driver took my bags inside. As I made my way to my step-mother, I could tell that she was judging me. I was wearing ripped skinny jeans and a Marilyn Manson shirt. She, however, was wearing a white sun dress with pink flowers and three-inch heels. Her son was dressed in a black tank top that showed off his sun-kissed skin. His biceps were pretty sizeable, and his blonde hair was cropped short. He looked like an a*****e jock. 

I could already tell these people weren't going to like me. And I wasn't going to like them. 

A few hours and an awkward introduction later, I was sitting in my new room. The walls were painted periwinkle. There was a desk in the corner, a laptop and a lamp on it. A dresser sat beside the desk. The bed was against the other wall and the closet was beside the bedroom door. There was bathroom connected, that I was told was just for me. 

I wanted to feel comfortable here, but everything was just so clean-cut. There were clothes already in the dresser and closet for me, but I knew I'd never want to wear them. Unfortunately, though, I only had a duffel bag full of my own clothes. I guessed the next thing on my agenda, after school, was going to be getting a job to buy some more clothes. 

When I had taken a shower and changed clothes, I went back to my room. My step-brother, Bryson, was waiting for me, sitting on my bed. His shirt was off and he was smiling. "What are you doing in here?" I asked him.

He let his eyes check me out from head to toe. "I wanted to come welcome you to our house," he replied. Bryson stood up. "You're cuter than I imagined."

"Thanks." I put my duffel bag in the closet and when I turned around, Bryson was directly in front of me. We were only inches apart.

Bryson put a hand on my waist and pulled me to him. He put his lips close to my ear and whispered, "You know, we're not really related." He sounded amused, but I didn't find it funny. "We could do whatever we wanted."

I pushed him away. "I don't want anything to do with you," I told him.

Bryson smiled and headed for the door. He stopped and turned back to me. "We'll see," he said and closed the door behind him.

ANDY:

It had only been about two days since tour started, and I was already exhausted. Our first was only tonight, but the guys had been partying ever since we got on the bus. I still hadn't talked to Alana; she wasn't answering my calls. I decided that when we got to North Carolina, I would just go by her house. I had to know that she was okay. 

"Hey, Andy," Ashley said. He was getting ready for the show. I should probably have been getting ready, too, but I decided I looked fine in what I was wearing. "Are you wearing that on stage?"

I glanced down. I was wearing a black, cut-off vest and my usual black skinny jeans. I didn't see what the big deal was. "Uhmm, yeah," I answered. "Is something wrong with this?"

"Nothing. You just look like you could use a shower." Ashley smirked.

"Ha-ha. Fine." I grabbed some more clothes and went into the bathroom. Looking at myself in the mirror, I realized that Ashley was right: I did need a shower. 

About an hour later, we were about to go on. The crowd was chanting our name and CC was teasing them with some beats of the drums. I was happy to be going on stage. Alana wouldn't be able to be on my mind if I was distracted. Thankfully, we were given the signal to go on. The crowd went wild. And Alana went out of my mind.