A Few Weeks Later...
"I hate being on this stupid tour bus," I grumbled as we drove down a particularly bumpy road. "Why the hell are we driving to Niagara Falls? Why don't we take a plane, or would that be too easy?"
Nick looked at me and laughed. I was sprawled on the couch with a plate piled high with food on my stomach. The bumpiness of the road was making it hard for me to eat, and I was getting frustrated. "What are you laughing at Blondie?"
He smiled. "You look so cute right now."
"Just wait until I get even fatter. Will I still be cute then?"
"You'll always be beautiful to me Amy."
Just then we heard a loud scream. "Oh shit, that sounded like Brian!" Nick and I got up and ran to see what happened. Brian was in our bunk room, his face pale and ghostly, and standing in front of one of the beds.
"What happened?" Nick asked.
"Kari! She's dead!" Brian cried.
I pushed past him and opened the curtain to the bunk. Kari was lying there, her eyes closed. "She's not dead Brian, more like passed out." I pried an empty bottle of vodka from her hands and showed it to the guys. "This is why. She's been drinking again."
Nick looked at Brian. "Dead, huh?"
Brian's face turned red and he looked down at his Nikes. "I guess I overreacted," he said sheepishly.
"False alarm," Nick said as he put his arm around my waist and we turned to leave. "You coming Bri?"
Brian shook his head. "No. I wanna stay here and talk to her when she wakes up."
"Okay." Nick and I walked back to the family room where Kevin, Nicole, and AJ were sitting. AJ was eating my food.
"Get the hell off!" I screamed as I grabbed the plate out of AJ's hands like a ravenous animal. "Find your own damn food!" I returned to my previous position on the couch, put the plate on my stomach, and began to eat hungrily.
"You hungry?" Nicole teased.
"Yes. Hey, not to be nosy or anything, but don't you have to work?" I asked Nicole.
"Nope, I quit my job," Nicole said proudly. "I was tired of getting treated like a piece of meat. That and Kevin was getting jealous."
"I was not!" Kevin said defensively. "I just said that you don't need to work at a strip club when you-"
"Okay Kevin, that's enough," AJ said, making a face. "Spare us the details, please."
"Did you guys hear a scream before?" Nicole asked. "Kevin and I were gonna go see what happened, but we were kinda...busy."
"It was Brian," Nick answered. "He thought Kari was dead, but she's just passed out from too much vodka."
"Again? Damn, that girl really packs it in!" AJ remarked.
I reached over and smacked him. "Watch it."
"Why?" AJ asked. "It's not like no one knows. Besides that, Boozy's getting kicked off the tour."
"What?" I cried.
Kevin frowned. "We haven't decided that yet AJ."
"Oh come on Kevin, the girl's drunk at least twice a week! We've gotta get rid of her."
"How can you let this happen Nick?" I asked angrily.
"Amy, someone who is rarely sober endangers everyone on this bus," Nick said softly.
"How can you say that Kari's a danger? She's my best friend, I know for a fact that she's not!"
"Hey guys," Brian said as he walked into the room. "What's going on?"
"They're planning on kicking Kari off the tour, that's what's going on!" I said angrily.
"You're what?" Brian screamed. "How the hell can you do that to me?"
"Brian, just listen," Kevin said sternly. "We might not get rid of her, as long as she doesn't drink as long as she's on tour with us."
"How am I gonna stop her from drinking Kevin?!" Brian yelled. "She's 18 years old! Why the hell are you doing this to me, I just got back together with her!"
"Brian, I'm sorry but-"
"But nothing!" We all turned around and saw Kari standing there with tears pouring down her cheeks. "I know when I'm not wanted, and obviously I'm dirt to you people. Tell me when we come to the next stop, I'm leaving this tour." Kari turned and ran back to the bunk room.
"Nice job guys!" I got up and ran after her. I found Kari in the bunk room with a bottle of vodka pressed to her lips. "Kari, please don't do it!" I begged.
"I-I can't stop myself Amy!" Kari said, her lower lip trembling. "I need it!"
"No you don't," I said softly. "Please Kari, just put down the bottle."
Kari nodded and dropped the bottle. It fell to the floor, shattering to pieces. Kari sank to her knees and began to sob.
"Kari." I went down on my knees and held her tightly as she sobbed.
"Amy, I don't want to be an alcoholic," Kari said, trying to control her tears. "Please help me."
I nodded. "I promise Kari."