Party
Planning
**Two
Days Later**
"Brianna!"
a voice called across the airport. She turned to see a short, thin girl with
long blonde hair walking quickly toward her.
"Holly!"
she hugged her.
"Girl,
I'm so glad to be off that stupid plane," she said with a sigh. "So
where's Bean, and where's that cutie, Brian?"
"Bianca
is doing sound check and Brian is getting ready to, so they're back at the
venue."
"Okay,
that's cool. Let's go get my luggage. I'm so ready to see everybody," she
grinned.
**After
The Show**
"Who's
that?" Holly asked looking at Cassie, who was carrying on a friendly
conversation with Brian.
"Don't
worry," Bianca smirked. "She's not competition. That's Cassie, A.J.'s
girlfriend.
"Oh,"
she said relieved. "Well, I think I'm gonna go say hi to Brian."
Brian
looked over and saw Holly headed his way. 'Great,' he thought.
"Hey
Brian," she smiled. Looking at Cassie she added, "Hi, I'm
Holly."
"Cassie,"
she replied. "Well, I'm gonna go find A.J. Bye."
"Bye
Cass," Brian said wishing she wouldn't leave him alone with Holly.
It's
not that he didn't like Holly. She was a really nice girl, but she was a little
too up front.
"Hey,"
she smiled standing close to him.
"Hey,"
he forced a smile. "How are you?"
"Oh,
I'm fine now," she smiled, locking her arm in his and kissing him on the
cheek.
Brian
looked over at Brianna standing with Kevin. When she met his gaze he gave her a
helpless look. Brianna just laughed and rolled her eyes. Brian could see
already that his life was gonna be hell until Holly flew home.
**Later
That Night**
"Okay,
everybody, listen up!" Brianna shouted over the noise backstage. Everyone
was waiting together to go to the hotel. Bianca, Nick, A.J., and Cassie were
all sitting together on the couch; Brian was in a chair and Holly sat on the
floor beside him; Howie was sitting on the loveseat watching t.v. They all
stopped what they were doing when they heard Brianna's yell from atop the
table.
"Kevin's
in the shower so we have to make this quick. His birthday is two days away.
What do you guys wanna do for him?"
A.J.
spoke first. "A party!"
"Yeah,
dumbass. That's kinda what I had in mind. What kind?" Brianna's sarcasm
was thick and Cassie rolled her eyes.
"A
REAL party. Something I'd go to," A.J. shot back.
Brianna
thought for a moment, "A.J., no strippers!"
Bianca
added her input from her spot on the couch, "Wait! I know! Brianna, why
don't you pop out of a big, huge birthday cake in a bikini! That could take the
place of the stripper. You're the only entertainment he seems to want
anyway."
Brianna
turned bright red as everyone else erupted into laughter. "Seriously guys.
He'll be back any minute and we haven't gotten anything done."
"Well,"
Bianca started again, "let's have one huge party. All of us will be there,
some other people we know, we'll have food."
"Food's
always good for a party," Nick added.
Brian
said, "I could call his mom. He hasn't seen her in a while. I'm sure he'd
want her there."
"Good
idea," Brianna said. "Tell her the party's gonna be at the Four Oaks
Country Club on Saturday, 2 p.m. Everybody else call anyone Kevin would want to
have there. I'll take care of the food and the club rental. It's a surprise so
y'all make sure to keep it on the d.l."
Everyone
agreed, excited about planning for Kevin's birthday. The door opened behind
them and Kevin walked in. He looked at Brianna, who was still perched on the
tabletop, with a confused expression.
"Why
did you guys get so quiet? And, Darlin', why are you standing up on the
table?" Kevin picked Brianna up and sat her down on the floor. "Come
on, everybody. Let's go to the hotel."
**On
Bianca's Bus**
Bianca,
Brianna, Holly, and Cassie all sat on the floor of the entertainment room.
Cassie listened in as the three other girls caught up on the things they had
missed while they were apart.
"I'm
thirsty," Holly said between gossip. "Bean, go with me to grab a
drink."
The
two girls sat down at the kitchen table sipping their cokes and talking about
nothing in particular.
"When
we get to the hotel, you'll probably have a room to yourself, Holly."
"Really,"
she asked a little disappointed.
"Yeah.
I stay with Nick, Cassie will stay with A.J., and Brianna will sleep with
Kevin."
"Speaking
of Brianna, have you noticed that she doesn't act like she used to?"
"No.
She's usually with Kevin," Bianca said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
Smiling she added, "She's still crazy as hell."
"I
guess you're right. C'mon, let's go back in there," Holly got up and
walked to the entertainment room.
***