Hidden In The Attic: An AJR Fanfiction

Chapter One

↤↤↤↤↤ Jay ↦↦↦↦↦

I sit cross-legged on the floor of the spare bedroom of my house-- the only room from which I get a clear shot of the driveway. I'm waiting for Adam, Jack and Ryan to pick me up to take my friends— Kib, Danny, Julie, Hanna— and I all to a big cabin near a lake about three hours away. I don't know how we'll all survive, eight adults in one car for three hours, but I guess there really isn't much of a choice of transportation.

Sunlight reflects off of something shiny outside and I see a huge red van pull up outside of my driveway. I stand up to get my shoes on and go to the car, receiving a text from Kib that says "we here fucker". I pull on my boots, put my phone in my pocket and leave the house, kissing my cat goodbye on her forehead.

I wave, jogging out to the car. After putting my suitcase in the trunk with all of the others, Hanna opens the back door for me and instructs me to climb over the seat to get to the back, where Kib is sitting to the left and Jack in the middle. Oh, God. I have to sit next to Jack for three hours. Maybe he showered today. At least his shirt looks clean.

"Alright," Adam says from the front seat. "We're all here?"

A few of us offer scattered confirmations and yesses.

"Okay, let's get going, then." He starts up the car again and I smile with excitement as we begin our journey to the cabin.

"You're quiet again." The conversation had died down for a second in the car and I hear Julie say something quietly to Hanna. They're both wrapped up in a huge blanket-- Danny indignantly left out and sitting beside them-- and one seatbelt stretched overtop of them, holding them into one seat.

"After knowing me for quite some time, you should know I'm not much of a conversation starter," Hanna responds. Julie gives a little smile and looks away, promptly stopping the interaction. I guess neither of them are avid talkers.

"Hey, keep it down back there," Adam says jokingly, leaning slightly to the side to look at the two through the rearview mirror. Hanna returns the look with a groggy middle finger, then stuffs her arm back under the blanket when Adam chuckles and returns his eyes to the road.

"This is so... BORING!" Someone yells suddenly. Not extremely loud, but too loud for a silent car, and too loud for when the voice is right beside me.

"Jack, you asshole," Kib says angrily, taking their pillow and hitting him with it as hard as possible in this confined space.

"I'm just saying," Jack states defensively, elbowing the pillow away from his face, "it's so quiet in here I might go insane."

Kib sighs. "You're already insane, rat boy." They take back their pillow and put it back in position to continue their nap.

"Don't call him that, Kib," says who I assume to be Julie from deep within the blanket.

"I can call him what I want, Jukie, he's a rat."

"Okay, would you guys just please shut up?" the driver sighs. "Jack, just listen to music on your phone."

"I've already been through my playlist four times, dad," he replies.

"You need more music," I say. "We've only been driving for two hours."

Jack flashes me a look of contempt before looking back to the driver's seat for a response from his brother.

"Please, don't call me dad," Adam requests.

Jack laughs. "Dad-"

"Stop."

"Dadam-"

"I will turn this goddamn car around."