Heard it Through the Grapevine

Chapter One

The sunlight tickles my face. I roll over, rubbing the crust from my eyes and stretching my long arms. I yawned and ruffled my messy brown hair. It's still too short to put into a real bun but I try anyway.

I know it's late in the morning. I overslept after playing Chess.com all night. I knew I shouldn't have but I couldn't help it. My band, Car Pool, is going to be upset with me for missing practice again. Hopefully I can just shrug it off like usual.

I get up out of bed and pick up a t-shirt and jeans. My classic look. I figure the band must still be practicing, it's only noon. "I might as well show up for the last part of practice," I say to myself, "how mad could they really be?"

I arrive at our jam spot only to discover my bandmates patiently awaiting my arrival. I am nervous. Usually I am just met with some light teasing but this is new. I turn towards the ginger who sings. He folds his hands into his lap and turns his eyes towards me. After a minute of silence he finally says, "We sold you to the Honeyboys."

"W-w-what?" I stumble to get my words out. What does he mean? Sold me to the Honeyboys? I am a member of Car Pool, how could they just give me to another band!

Kenzie apologizes, "It wasn't supposed to be this way. You have been late one too many times and we needed to buy Shabang tickets. This was —"

Before she can finish there is a knock on the door. It swings open as five men in their twenties walk in and approach me. "We are the Honeyboys," they say in unison.

One reaches his hand towards me while the other hand brushes his golden locks away from his face. "My name is Ari." He smiles, his raspy voice sounding like a whisper. "N-nathan." I manage to stammer out, trying to hide my blush. I have never seen better hair, or a mustache, in my life. I don't know who these boys are but maybe they won't be too bad.

Taking my hand, Ari ushers me out of the room and into a van. The urgency of the situation has finally set in, "Where are you taking me?" I demanded. I wasn't sure what was going to happen to me, I mean these are men from San Luis Obispo and they don't seem like Zach from the Bachelor.

"Don't worry Nate-Baby, we are going to the Hive. We'll explain everything when we get there."