Megan had almost finished cooking the bacon when Sam came into the kitchen, freshly showered. "Did you have a nice run?" Megan asked.
"Oh, it was great," Sam replied as she got out the ingredients to make pancakes. "I love going for early jogs, it's so relaxing. Aaron wants pancakes, right?"
"Yup." "All right, I'll make him my special Mickey Mouse shaped ones. They are so cool looking, I swear. So, how are things between you and Nicky?”
Megan shrugged. "Pretty good. How about you and AJ? Have you recovered from your fainting spell last night?" she said with a laugh.
"Ha, ha, very funny. You would have, too if Nick had looked as hot as AJ last night."
"Honey, Nick looked HOTTER than AJ last night."
"Um, no."
"Um, yes."
"No he didn't, and anyway, it doesn't really matter. Who cares?" Sam said.
"I guess you're right.
"I'm always right, you know that. Now, lets call the boys in for breakfast."
* * *
"Are you guys almost ready to go? The bus will be here any minute," Brian said to AJ, Nick, Kevin, Howie and Aaron. They had all gotten packed, and now they were waiting for the tour bus to come and drive them to their first destination: Orlando, Florida, where their first concert was scheduled.
"Almost," replied Howie. The boys were playing "Zelda" again, and they didn't want to be bothered.
"Where are Meg and Sam? You'd think they'd want to say goodbye to us..." Brian wondered out loud.
"Here we are," Megan said as she and Sam came down the stairs holding duffel bags and suitcases. "Why? Is the bus here yet?"
"Uh, Meg, what are you doing?" Brian asked her.
"I'm waiting for the bus to come, same as you," she said as she put down her bags. "Why do you ask?"
"Um, Meg, you aren't coming, sorry dear."
"Um, Brian, yes I am, sorry dear to you too."
"No you aren't."
"Yes I am."
"Megan, no, I said no," Brian said through clenched teeth, his face red from anger.
"Brian, give me one good reason why I shouldn't come," said Megan, who was just as angry as Brian. He opened his mouth, and then closed it again, looking bewildered. "That's what I thought," she yelled. "You just don't want me to come. You think that you can control me, like you are my father or something. Well, I've got news for you. I am seventeen years old, and you have no power over what I do. I'm coming on tour with you guys, and that's final!" And with that, she picked up her bags and stormed out the door.
"Wow, Brian, she's a feisty thang," Nick said as he watched Megan slam the door behind her. "She knows what she wants and she gets it."