Long Way Home

Chapter 3

I woke a couple of hours after I fell asleep with my head leaning on Luke's shoulder and someone's jacket draped across my lap.

"Hey" said Ashton looking at me through the mirror from the drivers seat.

"Hey. How long have I been asleep for?"

"Only a couple of hours and literally right after you fell asleep the rest did."

Sure enough all the other boys were fast asleep.

I peered out the frosted window at the now very rural landscape.

"Do you want me to drive?"

"Nah, I was just gonna pull into one of these motels for the night if that's ok with you."

"Yeah that sounds good."

Ashton pulled the car into a cheap motel. I nudged Calum and Luke and they slowly woke up grumbling. Luke's quiff was now flat and pushed to one side and Calum's hair was sticking up in all random places.

I sat in the car while Ashton and Michael went to enquire about rooms.

"So," began Luke "Where are you from anyway?"

"I was born near Melbourne, and when I was little I moved to Canberra and now I'm living near Sydney."

"Exotic!"

"Yeah, you could say I get around a fair bit."

At that Michael came jogging back to the car.

"They only have two rooms available. One with a queen bed and a single and the other with just a queen so......yeah. It looks like we'll be sharing with each other.

Ashton came back over with the two motel room keys and then drove the car in front of the two rooms.

Number 2 and Number 3.

"Let's sort out who's sleeping where."

"I'm telling you now I am not sleeping in the same room as Luke."

"Michael stop picking on Luke." Ash said exhaustedly. "What about this, Calum and Luke and Grace can go in one room and me and Mike will go in the other. Deal?"

"Whatever."

"Fine."

"Ok."

"Cool."

I stumbled out of the car and grabbed my backpack (the only luggage I had) while the rest of the boys hauled suitcases and instruments out of my car.

"I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow." I said farewelling Ash and Mike for the night.

"Goodnight! Don't have too much fun tonight. You don't want to tire the boys out before the big shows!" laughed Michael winking at me.

I stuck my finger up at him before retreating back into the room.

It was pretty average. Nothing special. A bit like me really.

There was a queen bed and a single next to it with linen from 1000000 BC and a small TV on the opposite wall. The bathroom was tiny and painted a lovely shade of shit and the shower curtain was bright green with pictures of umbrellas on it.

I flopped onto the single bed and then had a stress wave so I sat straight back up again. I got up and started pacing the room.

"I don't have any undies or shirts or pants or makeup or a toothbrush or deodorant or a hairbrush or..or..or."

Calum rushed over grabbed me by the shoulders and dragged me over so I was sitting next to him on his bed.

"It's fine. You can borrow some of our stuff."