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Chapter 24
The Next Day
On The Tour Bus
Brian's View
I was on the bus listening to my CD player trying to take a nap when I felt someone sit next to me. I opened my eyes and saw Howie. He was sitting next to me reading a magazine. I turned my head and closed my eyes once more. A few moments went by and I finally felt someone tap my shoulder. I opened one of my eyes and found Howie sitting there staring at me. I opened my eyes and sat up taking my headphones off.
"What?" I asked.
"I need to ask you a question," he said.
"Couldn't you have asked me later?" I asked.
"No, I gotta ask before I forget," he said.
"OK, what is it?" I asked.
"It's about Danielle," he said. My full attention was now directed to him.
"Why? What's wrong? Is she OK? Did something happen?" I asked concerned.
"No no no no, she's fine," Howie said. I sighed relieved and said, "OK, what about her then?"
"I was kinda wondering...do you like her?"
I stared at him taken aback on his question. I didn't see that coming.
"I...uh...well...uh..."
"Well, do you?" he asked. I just stared at him not knowing what to say.
"Bri, it's a yes or no question," he laughed.
"Why do you ask?" I asked.
"I've just been wondering," he shrugged.
"You've BEEN wondering? How long have you been wondering?" I asked taking my headphones completely off and setting them to the side.
"For a while now...it's just not me either," he said.
"Does Beth think I like her?" I asked.
"I don't think she does...I was talking about me and the rest of the guys," he said.
"Oh...does Danielle think I like her?"
He just shrugged.
"Can you just answer the question?" he asked. I looked at him and then around to see if anyone was around to hear. I then looked back at him and sighed.
"OK, if I tell you, do you promise to not tell anybody? Especially Danielle," I said.
"I promise, you know you can trust me," he said.
"All right..."
"So...do you like her or do you not?" he repeated.
I slowly nodded my head.
"You do?" he smiled widely.
"Yeah but shhhh! Please don't tell anyone!" I said.
"Chill Bri, I'm not going to tell anyone," he laughed lightly. "When did you start to like her?"
"A while ago. I've just grown to like her, I mean how can I not? She has the greatest personality and she's so beautiful. I know she's young...but I can't help but love her," I said. Howie stared at me wide eyed.
"Wait...what did you say?" he asked.
"What?"
"Did you just say you can't help but LOVE her?" he asked again.
"Um...did I say that?" I asked.
"Yeah..." he smiled. "You did."
"Oh gosh, this is wrong isn't it? It's wrong to love someone other than Elizabeth isn't it?"
Howie just smiled at me widely.
"Howie you're the one supposed to be lecturing me but you're just sitting there, smiling at me like you're cursed and can't stop smiling!"
"It's not wrong..."
I looked at him oddly and said, "You usually would think it's wrong. You would tell me I shouldn't have proposed to Beth because I'm being untruthful with my feelings."
"Well, the guys and I don't approve of you proposing to Liz but it's not wrong to love someone else...in this case anyway," he said.
"What...I'm confused here," I said.
"Come on Bri, think about it. You are the type of guy that could never love two women at the same time. You're a one women type of guy and when you love one girl...you would and could never love another."
"What are you saying?"
"What I'm saying is you don't really love one of them."
"But...why do I think I am then?"
"I don't know. You care for both of them a lot I know that but I'm telling you that you care for one of them more than the other."
"Which one though?"
He shrugged and said, "How should I know? I'm not you. You're the only one that could tell me that. Although I do have an idea of who you actually do love."
"Which one do you think?" I asked.
"I'm not going to tell you," he said.
"Why not?"
"Because if I told you what I thought it could screw up the truth and just make you think that you love that girl. I'm not going to tell you which one you love until you figure it out for yourself."
"But I'm thinking I love both of them D! I can't just pick one!"
"Why not?"
"Because, it's not right! I just can't do that. This is all just so confusing."
"I would think about it for a while. Think about which one you have more fun with, which one you have a better friendship with, which one you connect with better, which one you think about most...you get what I'm saying?"
I nodded my head and said, "Yeah, thanks D."
"You're welcome," he said and then began to get up.
"Hey Howie?" I said. He stopped walking and turned around.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"Can you give me a hint on who you think it is?" I asked. He stared at me for a moment and then said, "If I did that...you would know who it was right away."
"That's OK," I said. He laughed lightly and then walked to the back of the bus.
"Howie! Howie! Come on man!" I yelled after him. I just got no answer. I slumped back on the couch and closed my eyes. He sure got me thinking. Who did I love? Danielle or Elizabeth? At least I know the question...the hard part is trying to find the answer.
Danielle's View
"Hey Colleen, Hey Dar," I said entering the entertainment room and sitting in between them on the floor. They were playing a video game.
"Oh hey," they both said together.
"What's new?" I asked.
"Oh nothing, Nick is just off with Manduh some place," Colleen mumbled. I stared at her for a moment and then said, "I'm gonna go talk to him."
"What? Why!?" she asked pausing the game and looking at me worried.
"Just to talk," I shrugged.
"Oh...OK, sorry," she said sheepishly.
I laughed and said, "Catch you guys later."
They mumbled something and just went on playing with their game. I got up and went to the front of the bus were Mike, the bus driver, was eating a cup cake and looking out the windshield.
"Hey Mike," I said.
"Oh hey cutie, what are you up to?" he asked.
"Nothing really, I was just wondering where Nick was," I said.
"He's over on the other bus with Manduh. She dragged him on there before we left this morning."
"Oh I see, hey when's our next stop?"
"Right now, it looks like," he said pointing to a gas station up ahead. "Why do you ask?"
"I'm just hungry for some M&M's and we're all out," I said.
"All right, buy me a pack while you're in there OK?" he asked.
"Okie dokie, be back in a few," I smiled at him. He opened the door and I hopped out. The other guys and Colleen and Darlene soon followed. I made my way inside the store and over to the candy section. I grabbed a few bags of M&M's and headed up to the counter. I paid for the candy and on my way out of the store I ran straight into Nick.
"Ow, sorry Dani," he apologized.
"That's all right, I should have been looking where I was going," I said. "Hey can I talk to you alone for a couple of minutes?"
He stopped walking and turned around looking at me oddly.
"You aren't going to rape me are you?" he asked.
I looked at him weirdly and then burst out laughing.
"Hey I don't know what you women do when you want to talk 'alone'," he said.
I laughed and said, "You're kidding right?"
"Yeah, I'm just playing, where do you wanna talk?" he asked.
"On the side of the building would be fine," I said. He nodded and followed me to the side of the building.
"OK, what do you wanna talk about?" he asked leaning against the wall.
"Nothing, strip your clothes before I hurt you," I said staring at him in the eyes. He got wide eyed and started to back away. I started to laugh hysterically.
"I was kidding Nicky! Jeez," I laughed. He sighed relieved and said, "You almost gave me a heart attack."
"Sorry but I couldn't resist," I giggled.
"All right, all right, what do you wanna talk about?" he asked crossing his arms over his chest.
"Colleen," I said.
"Colleen? What about her?" he asked.
"You like her don't you?"
"Well...yeah," he said.
"Then why aren't you with her?" I asked. He stared at me for a moment and said, "I can't just ask her out, it's more complicated than that."
"How so?"
"I'm with Manduh! What do you expect me to do? Dump her and go out with Colleen?"
"It sure seems reasonable to me," I shrugged. He looked at me and said, "You are nuts Dani. I can't do that!"
"Why not? Jeez Nick, do you have any idea how much you hurt her?" I asked.
"I hurt her?" he frowned. I nodded and said, "What? You didn't know you did? She's barely been around you and she's acting so different."
"How did I hurt her?" he asked.
"Well...let me think. You took her out on a date, you kissed her, admitted to liking her, and then two days later you're with your old girlfriend.,so technically you led her on and pretty much used her. Does that make any sense or do I have to repeat it?"
"Used her!? I didn't use her!" he exclaimed.
"Then what do you call it?"
"A simple date with a friend!"
"So you only think of her as a friend?"
"No...I didn't say that."
"What are you saying then cause you are getting me all confused here."
"Look...I like...I like Colleen all right? I admit it! I like her a lot but...she doesn't like me back," he said quietly.
"Huh? She doesn't like you back?" I asked surprised. He just shook his head and looked at the ground.
"I mean, if I knew she liked me...which I know she doesn't...I would have asked her out but she doesn't like me so there was no point," he said. I just stared at him.
"What? Are you telling me she does like me?" he asked.
"Duh!"
"Oh..."
"Now that you know, what are you going to do?" I asked.
"I don't know!"
"Well I would figure it out because there is one great girl that likes you over there and you're passing her up. If you don't go talk to her and tell her how you feel now...I'm telling you she would never go out with you again."
"But...what about Manduh?" he asked looking from Colleen to Manduh by the buses.
"What about her?"
"I can't just dump her out of the blue and go out with Colleen! I'm not that mean."
"She sure seems to be," I said. He just stuffed his hands in his pockets and stared at the ground.
"I'm just telling you Nick that your chance to have her for yourself is passing up...quickly. You have a wonderful girl over there who likes you for you and treats you like an actual person. Tell her how you feel before it's too late," I said and then turned around and started to walk to the bus.
"Hey Danielle?" Nick called after me. I turned around and looked at him.
"Thank you," he said.
"You're welcome," I smiled. He smiled back at me and then looked over to Colleen. He walked over to her and grabbed her arm gently. He said something in her ear, she nodded, and the two of them went off around the bus...I'm guessing to talk. I smiled to myself and opened my bag of M&M's popping a few in my mouth. I'm not such a bad match maker after all.
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