I Still Think You're Beautiful
One
The only thing worse than my boarding school in California is England, and that’s where I’m headed. I have till after Warped tour. Then I’m being shipped to live with my Grandma. I guess this is a last resort to stop me from ending up dead, or beaten up, or in rehab.
But I had one last request for me to agree to moving. To go to Warped tour with my brothers. They’re in a band, by the way. Vic and Mike Fuentes. I told my parents I wanted those last few months with them before I had to leave. Honestly, I just wanted freedom and fun before it was ripped away from me.
My parents knew I couldn’t wait to leave. I zipped up my suitcase and pushed it up against the wall in my room. I pushed dark hair out of my eyes and stood up. I stepped back to admire my work, not hearing someone walk into my room. They poked me in each side and I jumped in the air. I turned away and saw Vic laughing. I elbowed him then flung my arms around him. He hugged me tightly and patted me on the back.
“Your room is still a dive,” Vic commented. “What have you done to it, Alyssa,” That’s me, Alyssa Fuentes.
“Months of boarding schools and touring aren’t going to change that,” I rolled my eyes.
“And you still don’t have a signed PTV poster,”
“I can already forge your signature,”
“That’s illegal,”
“So are a lot of things,” I muttered. “Anyway, where’s Mike?”
“Downstairs loading our stuff into the bus,”
“Can you get mine?” I asked and he nodded. I grabbed my rucksack and hurried downstairs. Outside I saw Mike carrying his case onto the bus. He came back out and I ran at him. I jumped and managed to wrap my arms around his neck – which is an achievement because he’s tall! He shook me from side to side and my legs dangled.
“We’re you always this short?” Mike said when he put me down. I glared at him and he ruffled my hair. I fixed it back into place and he wrapped his arm around me.
“I’m not short,” I protested.
“You’re shorter than Vic,”
“That is short,” I teased.
“I heard that!” Vic called from inside the bus. It’s not that I’m closer to Mike or I love him more than Vic. We just have different relationships. I’ve always been more serious with Vic. But Mike was always the one that brought me vodka and cigarettes when I was sixteen.
“Go say bye to Mama and Papa,” Mike told me. I looked over to the front door and walked slowly over. I hugged my Mama tight.
“Be good,” she whispered in my ear.
“Goodbye, Mama,” I said quietly. Then I went to my Papa.
“You spend time with your brothers before England,” he told me.
“Thank you,” I replied. I turned away and hurried over to the bus. Mike and Vic were saying bye to my parents so I stood on the step. I waved to them and Vic and Mike came over to me. I followed them into the bus and put my rucksack down onto the table. There were people in the back lounge and I looked around as the bus pulled out onto the road. I knew what the buses looked like and they were all the same. There was no point looking around just yet.
There was a guy sitting on the sofa opposite me. He was close to Mike’s height and had brown hair, tattoos and plugs. He was of course Mexican, who wasn’t on his bus?
“Okay, Vic, I don’t want to alarm you or anything. But I swear from what you’ve told me you have four members,”
“We do,” he laughed.
“Shall we do a head count?” I offered.
“Jaime is staying with family. We’re going to pick him up later,” he explained.
“I’m Tony, by the way,” the guy said. He stood up and shook my hand.
“Alyssa,” I introduced myself.
“Our little sister,” Mike added.
“How come you wanted to do Warped?” Tony asked.
“She misses us,” Vic replied flatly.
“Um . . . yeah,” I said and looked away. I guess that’s what we’re telling people. “I’ll go and put my bag in my bunk,” I said and got up.
“I put you on a top bunk. It’s easier to sleep that way,” Vic said and I smiled in thanks. I walked over and found my bunk. I climbed up and sat back with my bag, letting my foot dangle over the edge.
But I had one last request for me to agree to moving. To go to Warped tour with my brothers. They’re in a band, by the way. Vic and Mike Fuentes. I told my parents I wanted those last few months with them before I had to leave. Honestly, I just wanted freedom and fun before it was ripped away from me.
My parents knew I couldn’t wait to leave. I zipped up my suitcase and pushed it up against the wall in my room. I pushed dark hair out of my eyes and stood up. I stepped back to admire my work, not hearing someone walk into my room. They poked me in each side and I jumped in the air. I turned away and saw Vic laughing. I elbowed him then flung my arms around him. He hugged me tightly and patted me on the back.
“Your room is still a dive,” Vic commented. “What have you done to it, Alyssa,” That’s me, Alyssa Fuentes.
“Months of boarding schools and touring aren’t going to change that,” I rolled my eyes.
“And you still don’t have a signed PTV poster,”
“I can already forge your signature,”
“That’s illegal,”
“So are a lot of things,” I muttered. “Anyway, where’s Mike?”
“Downstairs loading our stuff into the bus,”
“Can you get mine?” I asked and he nodded. I grabbed my rucksack and hurried downstairs. Outside I saw Mike carrying his case onto the bus. He came back out and I ran at him. I jumped and managed to wrap my arms around his neck – which is an achievement because he’s tall! He shook me from side to side and my legs dangled.
“We’re you always this short?” Mike said when he put me down. I glared at him and he ruffled my hair. I fixed it back into place and he wrapped his arm around me.
“I’m not short,” I protested.
“You’re shorter than Vic,”
“That is short,” I teased.
“I heard that!” Vic called from inside the bus. It’s not that I’m closer to Mike or I love him more than Vic. We just have different relationships. I’ve always been more serious with Vic. But Mike was always the one that brought me vodka and cigarettes when I was sixteen.
“Go say bye to Mama and Papa,” Mike told me. I looked over to the front door and walked slowly over. I hugged my Mama tight.
“Be good,” she whispered in my ear.
“Goodbye, Mama,” I said quietly. Then I went to my Papa.
“You spend time with your brothers before England,” he told me.
“Thank you,” I replied. I turned away and hurried over to the bus. Mike and Vic were saying bye to my parents so I stood on the step. I waved to them and Vic and Mike came over to me. I followed them into the bus and put my rucksack down onto the table. There were people in the back lounge and I looked around as the bus pulled out onto the road. I knew what the buses looked like and they were all the same. There was no point looking around just yet.
There was a guy sitting on the sofa opposite me. He was close to Mike’s height and had brown hair, tattoos and plugs. He was of course Mexican, who wasn’t on his bus?
“Okay, Vic, I don’t want to alarm you or anything. But I swear from what you’ve told me you have four members,”
“We do,” he laughed.
“Shall we do a head count?” I offered.
“Jaime is staying with family. We’re going to pick him up later,” he explained.
“I’m Tony, by the way,” the guy said. He stood up and shook my hand.
“Alyssa,” I introduced myself.
“Our little sister,” Mike added.
“How come you wanted to do Warped?” Tony asked.
“She misses us,” Vic replied flatly.
“Um . . . yeah,” I said and looked away. I guess that’s what we’re telling people. “I’ll go and put my bag in my bunk,” I said and got up.
“I put you on a top bunk. It’s easier to sleep that way,” Vic said and I smiled in thanks. I walked over and found my bunk. I climbed up and sat back with my bag, letting my foot dangle over the edge.
Haha! Thank you :)
11/12/13