Chris’ laugh rang out loudly through out the tour bus. Justin’s was next; loud and clear as glass. Joey laughed silently slightly bent at the waist. J.C.’s hand was at his mouth but they still heard his laughter. Lance’s head leaned against the window as he laughed.
Chris rolled off the cushions from the table onto the tour bus’ floor. He held his stomach as he rolled in laughter. His eyes were closed. J.C. was leaned over the cushion Chris had just fell out of and sucking in deep breaths. When he felt like he couldn’t hold it in for any longer he let it out in a loud burst of laughter. Justin, who was sitting across from J.C., pounded the cushions beside him. Lance wiped the growing tears from his eyes as Joey kind of pointed and laughed.
Steve laughed a little bit but since they were laughing at him he got over it a lot quicker than the rest. The rip in his pants was obviously their humor for the day. Just another reason to joke with him. This might get good.
“Ok, it wasn’t that funny guys.” They continued to laugh. At first Steve just cracked a smile then he just started to laugh a little bit. Before he knew it he was laughing hysterically with the others.
Lonnie one of the bodyguards came in from the back and looked at Steve leaning against the counter laughing. He raised his one eyebrow at the guys.
“What did I miss?”
J.C. was the first one to speak. “There…There…there…was a…a.” That was all he could say before cracking a bit more.
Lance tried. “There was a bug on the counter when Steve was pouring milk on his cereal. He dropped the box and when…” he started giggling.
Joey finished the story. “He leaned down to squish the bug more his pants split.”
Lonnie smiled at Steve who was rubbing his eyes. “Wouldn’t that be your second pair of pants that you ripped?”
Justin clapped his hands once as he laughed remembering the other incident.
Steve stopped laughing long enough to defend for himself. “The first time, I had a hole in my jean pocket where it was not bothering anyone especially me. But somebody,” Steve looked over at Lance who smiled innocently at him, “had to put his finger in the hole and pull the whole back leg off my pants.”
J.C. laughed. “It wouldn’t have been half as funny if you didn’t have yellow ducks on your boxers.”
Steve held up his hands. “My ex-girlfriend gave me those she thought they would look sexy-“
“Oh sexy boxers,” Justin said in a lisp. Everybody laughed.
Joey came up beside his brother and put his hand on his shoulder. “Woman, they only want you for your boxers.” Everybody cracked up.
Steve didn’t look humored at all. “Look, they were the only clean boxers I had.”
Lonnie looked at him like he knew the real reason. “Yeah sure, you’re just secretly in love with the yellow ducks.”
Steve’s cell phone rang. “Oh no, they’re on to me.” He clicked his cell on. “Yeah?” Steve covered his other ear to hear what the person on the other line was saying over the laughter.
Steve waved his hand and shushed them. His eyes squinting like if he did that he would actually hear well. Growing pale he asked, “Run that by me again?”
Justin had gotten up to get a glass of milk and now he leaned against the counter beside Steve. Everybody grew silent at the breaking of Steve’s voice. They stared at him as Steve’s head fell forward and closed his eyes.
“Yeah, I’ll tell them.” He clicked off his phone. Steve looked up and saw concerning faces of his friends and brothers. How was he going to tell them this news? Right before the VMA’s? They’re be devastated. Especially…
He turned his head to look at Justin first. He shook an image away to prevent the tears, which threatened to fall, not to fall. Why did it have to be him to tell everybody that…that…
Steve sucked in a deep breath as he looked at his feet. “That was Johnny. There’s been a plane crash…” he paused then slowly looked at Justin, “it was Britney’s. They can’t find her, Justin.”