The Jacket Snatcher

Chapter 37- Pingy and the Bridge

A/N

Video of Pingy and their bus antics ;)

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Saying goodbye to Lindsay is bitter-sweet. We promise to keep in touch, and even though I know I will miss her, I'm still very excited to be leaving Sydney. The boys played two nights here, but it's like my new job is actually starting now because I'm going somewhere new with them. I checked out of my hotel this morning, which means I will officially be on the road for the next couple months.

The thought is exhilarating as I exit the back door of the venue and enter the parking lot. I take a deep breath of fresh air and try to calm my racing mind. Just as I think I've soothed myself to the reality of this job, I look up and stop dead in my tracks.

Directly in front of me, waiting in the parking lot, sits one shiny tour bus.

Let me say that again: one tour bus.

Immediately, my thoughts start spinning out of control again. I mean, when I signed this contract, I knew I'd be spending a lot of time with the boys, but I honestly never thought of the possibility that I would be spending all of it with them. Especially not confined to the close-quarters of a tour bus.

"Look alive, Waters!" Ashton calls out, running past me. "It's tour time!"

He makes it to the bus in no time at all, disappearing inside as soon as he reaches it.

"Come on! It's first come, first pick on the bunks!" Luke calls, running ahead. Calum and Michael are hot on his heels. In a few strides, Calum overtakes Luke and knocks his giant stuffed penguin out of his hands, causing him to have to stop to pick it up. There's no way he's leaving it behind, apparently.

I laugh as I jog to catch up. I'm not trying to pick a bunk before the boys. In fact, I feel like it would be wrong of me to try to take a prime bed, but I also don't want to get left out here.

I finally make it to the bus where most of our luggage is already stored underneath. I have a few essentials in my backpack, which I shrug off as I step inside.

I give the driver a quick nod and turn to face the rest of the bus. I'm greeted with a pretty spacious living room set up with a kitchenette. As I continue to walk forward, I come upon the boys setting up their bunks.

"I saved you a spot," Luke says, giving me a wide grin and patting the bed at his shoulder.

"Yeah, usually Luke's a top-bunker, but I guess you've made him soft," Calum says with a chuckle as he swings himself up into the top bunk across from the one Luke saved for me.

I turn to Luke. "You can have the top. I think I'd rather sleep closer to the ground anyway," I say, tossing my backpack onto the bed below, which is currently occupied by Luke's penguin, Pingy. He starts to reach for it to move it out of the way, but I grab it first and cuddle it to my chest. "He can stay."

Luke smirks. "Sure, but you'll have to be his replacement when I need a cuddle."

"Awwww, Lukey, I'll give you a cuddle," Calum says, reaching for his friend and grabbing him around the shoulders.

Their scuffle allows me to duck into my bunk without acknowledging Luke's terms for holding onto his penguin.

All four boys get distracted easily in a play fight, so I decide to get situated in my new home. First things first, I get out my phone charger and plug it into the outlet in the wall of my bunk. Next I grab my phone and send an update text to both Brett and Rachel. I even include a picture of Pingy for Rachel, knowing she'll recognize it immediately.