Chapter Seven
Two Worlds Apart-Chapter Seven
Several hours later, the busses pulled into their hotel in Atlanta. After everyone was settled in, Brian and Nick came knocking at Kelli’s door. When she saw them, she smiled. “Judging from the clothes you’re wearing and the basketball in your hand, you’ve decided that this would be the perfect time for me to annihilate you, right?”
Nick and Brian exchanged a look.
“Yeah, right,” Brian said smugly. “We,” he gestured at himself and Nick, “are the basketball masters. We could beat Michael Jordan himself.”
Kelli looked at him dutifully. “I thought we were talking about basketball, not trash-talking.” She grabbed the basketball and took off, sprinting for the elevator just as someone got on. As the doors closed in Nick and Brian’s faces, she stuck her tongue out at them. “Suckers,” she muttered.
When the elevator stopped at the lobby, everybody got off, and Kelli left the hotel. Once outside, she looked around for a minute, trying to decide which way to go. “Let’s see here. If I was a park in downtown Atlanta, where would I be?” She had just decided to go left when Brian and Nick came out of the hotel.
“All right, you basketball masters, where’s the nearest park?”
“That way.” Nick and Brian each pointed in opposite directions.
After glancing at Nick, Brian shook his head. “No way, Carter. It’s left.”
Nick looked at Brian as if he had grown a second head. “Nuh uh. Last time we were here, we went left and got lost. I’m telling you, the closest park is that awesome one with the purple backboards, and it’s right.”
“What court with purple backboards? Are you sure you weren’t dreaming when we went to this little park?”
“Dude, don’t you remember that? We played one-on-one for two hours and I won.”
“What are you TALKING about? I have never played on a court with purple backboards.”
“Yes, you have.”
“No, I haven’t.”
“YES, you HAVE.”
“NO, I have NOT.”
“Brian, we all know that you have the memory of a two year-old, so how ‘bout admitting that you’re wrong?”
“How ‘bout no.”
“How about if we decide where to go? By the time you two make up your minds, it will be time to leave!” Kelli said with exasperation in her voice.
Brian and Nick looked at her, then back at each other.
“Right,” Nick said.
“Left,” Brian said at the exact same time.
Kelli rolled her eyes, and after checking for traffic, crossed the street. “You coming or not?” she shouted.
Shrugging his shoulders, Brian hurried across the street, with Nick at his heels.
After they caught up to Kelli, Brian struck up conversation. “Kelli, that was a great set you did last night.”
“Thanks, but I’d rather not be doing it.”
“Then why are you?” Nick wondered.
“The parental units want me to. ‘You have so much talent,’ they say. ‘You can make so much money,’ they say. ‘You will be set for the rest of your life.’ I know that, but I’d still rather be at home. No offense or anything, you guys are really nice and all. I just feel so out of place.”
“You get used to it,” Brian said as he took the ball back and began spinning it on his finger.
“That’s what I said,” Nick agreed.
“Yeah, but you guys really enjoy what you do. Chances are, you’ll be singing like this for a long time. I don’t really like all this, and as soon as I figure out a way how, I’m getting myself out of that contract.”
Nick looked at her curiously. When they had talked the other night, it seemed as if she had just been nervous. Now he realized that not everyone loved singing as much as he did. He had a feeling that she would be gone before the tour was over.
“Look, there’s a park!” Kelli exclaimed. “You were both wrong. HA!” She ran toward the basketball courts. “Come on, you guys!” she called out over her shoulder.
“Nick, this is the place we played at last time. There are no purple backboards. I think you take your dreams too seriously.”
“I’m telling you, we played at a park with purple backboards. It was raining and you pants totally split in the back. You can’t tell me you don’t remember that.”
“Ooohhh, THAT. Carter, that was in, like, Germany and it was two years ago. What kind of screwed-up memory do you have?”
“One that remembers some really funny stuff. Man, that was hysterical. His pants totally split, and there were cameras there and everything,” Nick explained to Kelli.
She started laughing but Brian cut her off. “It wasn’t funny. We’re not here to reflect on all of my embaressing moments. I don’t know about y’all, but I came here to teach athletically challenged Kelli how to make a foul shot.”
“I already know how to make a foul shot. I resent that comment.”
“Whatever you say, hotshot.” Brian tossed her the ball and she walked to the foul line. “Let’s see what you can do.”
Chapter 8
Two Worlds Apart
Email: our_bsb_page@hotmail.com