"All right let's crack this puppy up?" They had safely returned all the pillows to their rightful owners.
"OK." Chris opened it up to some page in the middle. He cleared his throat. "Dear Diary~ It's me again. Tonight was an awful night."
"Oh that's too bad."
"You don't know how it feels to want something so bad and you know you just can't have it. That's the way it is with JC."
"Intriguing, Zo never told us that."
"I honestly think we would just be perfect for each other, but then there's Mallory. She's a doll I really like her, I'm just so jealous. JC and her have been going out to long for my liking and I would love to break them up, but I can't do that he seems so happy with her."
"Well that's sweet of her."
"They danced together all night, a couple of people asked me to, but they weren't really my type. I want a relationship with one of the guys and JC would be my best bet, maybe Joey he's a cutie but he probably has a hard time staying committed."
"That is such a lie, I'm about the most commited guy there is."
"Uh-huh, sure you are."
"Hello children!" We walked back onto the bus and Joey and Chris quickly threw the diary over their shoulders. They didn't say anything about the diary cause Justin would get mad. I went to reside in my bunk, with my artic blue slurpee and my snickers bar, I needed solice. I lied there for a while slurping away I had nothing to do so I reached under my pillow to write in my diary. I felt around and I couldn't find it.
"Oh crap, that ain't good." I picked up my pillow and nothing. I stuck my head out and looked in the back. There it sat on the floor in the corner no one touching it. All by itself. "At least no one has read it." I breathed a sigh of relief and just hoped I could get it back before someone got a chance to. I jumped down and walked back there. They were all sitting there not paying attention I walked over to it and slyly picked it up.
"Don't touch that!" I immediatly dropped it and looked at Joey.
"What?" He walked up to me.
"That's Zoë's, and if Justin finds out we have it, he'll be pissed." He whispered.
"Oh, well than I better put it in a safe spot." I picked it back up.
"Nope, you can't hide it, I will." He snatched it out of my hands and placed it in an overhead compartment. "There safe and sound, now no one will get it."
"But everyone just saw you put it there."
"Shhh, don't blow the secret." He walked away. Dang it, so close yet so far. I'll have to wait til they're asleep before I can go get it. Then someone's phone rang and Justin answered it.
"Hello, oh hi Zoë, so you realized you made a mista...Oh it's for you." He stared at me as I took the phone and went into another area.
"Hello."
"Hey,sweetie. How's life?"
"Not that good."
"Why?"
"Justin got mad at me, because you left. I think Kyle is upset that I wouldn't hug him and Somebody found my diary and I think someone has read it."
"I didn't know you had a diary. How come you never let me read it?"
"That's not the point, the point is someone found it and may have read it and may now know everything. Plus I really miss you."
"I miss you too, but I can't come back."
"Why?"
"I've told you time and time again. If I come back to be with you Justin will turn it around and make it all about him. Like I came crawling back and I'm not gonna subject myself to him rubbing it in my face that I let him go."
"Then crawl back to him. Tell him you made a mistake cause he's just as miserable whether he'd like to admit it or not. Besides, you left General Potts. You need to get him back right?"
"The General isn't that important."
"Maybe not, but please come back. If it helps Justin has already moved on."
"Now, how does that help?"
"Well, I guess..."
"Cause it doesn't, it just makes me feel worse. Now, he's got someone else and I'm still upset over him. How could he have someone else?"
"Mallory's friend and I kinda told him he should."
"You what?!"
"I just thought he wouldn't be so mad at me if he ya know had somebody. Actually you know what we could do you could come back to help me out and you can make Justin jealous and fin..."
"No, I'm not coming back. How come everything has to be about you?"
"Well, I..."
"Don't answer that."
"It was a question I was going to answer it."
"Just shut up. This whole time all you've been able to think about is how this affects you. You're a very minor part in all of this. Why don't you start thinking about someone else besides yourself and what's gonna happen to you if something goes wrong in another person's life."
"I don't..."
"I just got out of that." I couldn't get a word in. "Justin pissed me off cause he only thought of himself and I don't want to be mad at you too for the same reason."
"I'm sorry, it's just a lot has happened to me."
"A lot has happened to me too. I can't just make myself miserable to make you happy. I'm not gonna be around forever you might as well learn how to do it without me."
"I want you to be happy. You're not right now are you?"
"No."
"Then what's the point of staying there where you're not. If you come back maybe you could be."
"It's not that simple. You don't know what it's like to know you let something get away and not be able to tell that person how you feel. I admit we didn't have a great relationship, and most of the time I hated him, but I guess that's what I loved about him. That probably made no sense to you."
"No it did, you don't remember do you? About my thing with JC, so I do know how you feel in some aspects."
"Even if you do understand, I'm not coming back."
"Please, don't make me beg."
"I'll think about it."
"Yeah."
"But I'm not going to."
"I don't want to talk to you anymore."
"Fine." She hung up on me. I wanted to say good-bye, didn't even let me do that. I walked back out to where the guys were.
"What did Zo want?" Justin asked abruptly.
"Nothing."
"Uh-huh."
"Really she just wanted to talk about how things are going with her Uncle and everything."
"You didn't ask her to come back did you?"
"Of course not I'm not that stupid." I didn't know how he wanted the question answered.
"Why not you idiot? I want her back here."
"She said she didn't want you to be all rude to her if she came back."
"I wouldn't be rude." The other three started to chuckle. "I wouldn't."
"We all know you would. So don't try and deny it." Justin pouted.
ðððððð
It was late at night and I was ready to execute my plan I had concocted in my head earlier in the day. I grabbed my flashlight and got my gloves on, don't want to leave fingerprints. I made sure the coast was clear before sneaking out of my room. I crept my way outside and onto the bus. I turned on my flashlight and worked my way to the back. I was scrummaging through the overhead compartment.
"Ah, where is it?" My throat was grabbed from behind. Then I was flipped onto the floor and sat on, it hurt. Then my ski mask was ripped off my face, then my flashlight was shined in my eyes.
"Lance?"
"Yeah, get off of me, fat butt." A huge weight was lifted off of me.
"Well I never." I reconized the voice.
"Zoë?"
"Yeah."
"What are you doing here?"
"I thought somebody wanted me here. I guess I can leave."
"No, don't leave. I want you here."
"Then help me with my bags."
"Hello?"
"Justin!" She ran up to him.
"Hey, Zo whatcha doing here with Lance?"
"Well I came back, to be with you, and I saw someone was on the bus and I came to check it out."
"So Lance, what are you doing here?"
"I was just going out for a midnight stroll."
"It's 11:30?"
"It's 11:30? I gotta get this watch fixed, I'll be seeing you." I walked off the bus. "Man I needed to get that."
"So, Zo, whatcha doing back so soon?" Justin asked.
"If you must know I came back for you."
"What? For me? Zo you shouldn't have."
"See, this is why I was hesitant to come back."
"What?" He grinned.
"This, I made a mistake, but it doesn't mean I have to hear about it in such a snotty way."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you like that and I'd really like it if you stayed."
"How many times have I heard that apology before?"
"I mean it this time."
"You say that everytime. Here's what I'm gonna do. I'll stay, but not as your girlfriend."
"But, Zo, you can't do this to me. Just give it one more chance."
"No, I'm not gonna give it one more chance. Let's just try a little break OK, see if we can at least stay friends."
"Fine, but don't go falling for me again. Cause as far as I'm concerned you ain't getting me back." He left the bus. I stood outside the bus listening to their whole conversation then when Justin left I promptly got back on.
"Hey Zoë." She jumped.
"Lance you scared me."
"Sorry, I really have to find my diary though." I started looking again.
"Oh,so did you..." She trailed off.
"Did I what?" Not taking my eyes away from the work.
"Did you hear what was said in here?"
"Umm yeah I did."
"Oh." I looked over at her for the first time. She was hugging General Potts, which she found on the floor. She was just staring down with her chin rested on his head.
"Are you gonna be OK?"
"Yeah I'll be fine." She looked up at me with tears streaming down her face. I glanced over at the place that housed my diary then back to her. I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her. "It's just not fair." She cried into my shoulder.
"What?"
"I don't know, the whole thing."
"Come here." I released her from my arms and took her hand. I led her to floor where we sat down. "He's not worth it."
"Huh?" She sniffled.
"If he can't see what he's got when he's with you, and he's willing to just push you aside and not even care how you feel then he's not worth all this crying and getting upset. You, need someone who's there for you, and cares about you, and would do anything for you." I wiped her tear that rolled down her cheek. I got up and continued my search I didn't want her to feel she had to say something.
"You're right." She stood up and I turned to her.
"Excuse me?"
"You're absoulutely right. I don't need him, I could have anybody, well except you, but that's not the point. If he's moved on then so must I. Now Lance help me with my bags."
"Hold on." I searched a little more. "A-ha." I pulled it out and walked over to where her bags were.
"So how come you've never told me about this diary?"
"I don't know, it's not your place to know." We got off the bus and headed for the hotel.
"Am I gonna get to read it?"
"I don't think so."
"Are you keeping more secrets from me?"
"You bet." We headed back into the hotel and into my room.
"Where should I sleep?"
"You can have my bed, I'll sleep on the floor."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I just want you to be comfortable."
"Thanks I'm gonna go get my pjs on." She grabbed her bag and hopped off into the bathroom. I sat down on my bed and put my head in my hands. I can't believe this is happening. I have to tell her how I feel. No, wait it's to soon for her. She needs to know how I feel though, no she doesn't, this is the closest you ever been to her don't blow it now. I was literally having an argument with my head. She walked out of the bathroom and crawled into my bed. I watched her get under the covers. "What?"
"Nothing."
"Do I look that bad?"
"No, you look great. Um I have something to tell you."
"OK, shoot."
"OK, ever since that night in New Orleans I've kinda had..." I trailed off, I couldn't do it.
"You've had what?"
"Nothing, nevermind."
"Now, you got me curious, come on tell me."
"No, it's not important. Let's just get to sleep."
"OK, if you say so." I didn't feel like changing so I set up a bed on the floor and lied down in my black clothes and pulled the blanket over my head. She turned off the lamp I could hear the bed creak with every move she made in bed. It kept me up almost all night, but the sound of her pleasant breathing finally put me to sleep.
