Alice

Temporary homes

After the birthday breakfast, Nadia drives me and spencer to the venue to get back on our buses.

"hey guys, good timing!" Chris says. Everyone is standing in a group, almost sorted into three smaller groups.

"What's going on?" Spencer asks as we approach the group.

"getting a few air bnb's for us because the hotel flaked on us." Ricky says. He points at something on chris' phone.

"im guessing we'll need 3 at least. I don't think we'll find on big enough for all of us" spencer says as we doing the group.

"we are getting three, and splitting into our own groups. I know ours is Chris, Justin, me, Patrick, vinny, Andy, and August." Ricky says.

"we may also get Noah, depending on what he decides." Justin says. Him and spencer share a glance, I think I know what that glance means.

"I heard my name?" Noah says, turning around from another group.

"who are you staying with?" Chris asks.

"I don't know, actually. I just assumed whoever had space would take me up." Noah says.

"we got you then, I think everyone else has a full house, we have an extra room." Ricky says.

"without Noah there's 9, the place we found has 9 beds, how do we have an extra room?" Andy asks.

"Chris won't let me have my own room." Ricky jokes. Andy looks at him sideways.

"shush!" Chris jokingly jabs Ricky with his elbow.

"gay!" Ryan shouts from a few feet away with another group.

"you wish!" Chris shoots back.

"ill stay with you guys, just makes it easier." Noah says.

We all get the places rented out and divide the busses based on the houses. Chris, Ricky, Justin, vinny, andy, August, Patrick, spencer, and I all get on the ice nine kills bus and start the drive to the next state over.

"so, most of the guys stuck with thier band, any specific clique here I should know about?" Noah asks about halfway through the drive.

"oh, yeah kind of. I've known Justin forever so I just hopped on with him. Plus mikey and August are pretty close so that adds to it." Spencer says.

"And I'm unfortunately glued to spencer" Patrick jokes.

"its a little suspicious that you guys have your own little meet ups, and you guys host the cookout when we have time to have them." Noah says.

"well actually, spencer is a serial killer who kidnapped mikey but mikey actually found it easier to live with a serial killer than his old family. We're all technically acomplices because we know but haven't called the cops so its kind of a cult around a kidnapped already traumatized teenager." Ricky says flatly.

My heart sinks in my chest when he starts out, but I slowly realize that Noah is laughing, and Ricky is telling it all like a joke. I look over at spencer who starts laughing at the same time Noah does.

"Did you just pull that out of your ass? That's fucking great!" Noah manages to get out between laughs.

"I've been working on my improv" Ricky says, laughing.

"speaking of mikey, how have you been kid? We haven't talked a whole lot." Noah asks once he's calmed down.

"been doing good, tour stuff is kind of always going, so I try to help out whenever I can" I say.

Everyone's phone rings at the same time and they all check it. "shit." Jistin muttered under his breath.

"what's going on?" I'm almost scared to ask.