Good as Gold // Josh Burrage

Chapter Four

My alarm wakes me up and I have to drag myself out of bed. It's still dark outside. Why do we have to leave for the tour so early? Silently, I get myself ready, opting to wear glasses instead of fumbling with my contacts this morning.
   
The walk to the theater isn't long, but all I want to do right now is go back to bed. I finally reach the bus, load my suitcase, and start for the doors, hoping to find a good spot.
   
"Indy!" Josh calls, spotting me. "Good morning." I don't know how anyone can be so happy this early in the morning.
   
"It's too early to be a good morning," I mumble, walking toward the doors again, but he stops me.
   
"Um, I saved you a seat, if you want it." His light blush might actually be cute if it wasn't the crack of dawn.
   
I want to turn him down and find a seat by myself, but I catch Marlee's eye. She gives me a look and I sigh. "Fine."
   
Josh's smile lights up. "Really? I'll show you where it is." This boy is way too excited to sit next to me.
   
"Actually, why don't you put this in the seat for me?" I take off my backpack and hand it to him. He takes it, not as excited as before, but nods.
   
"I'll be right back." Once he's gone, I sigh again. I don't know how I'm going to be able to put up with him for the whole tour.
   
Just when I think I have a moment to myself, I'm wrong. A young man around my age whom I don't know walks up to me. He smiles. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting. I wonder why."
   
I tilt my head. "I make it a habit to avoid talking to strangers."
   
He stops me before I can leave. "I'm Kade Parker, but most people just call me KP. I run the social media account for the tour." KP smiles. "There, now I'm not a stranger anymore. And you are?"
   
"Indiana Rhodes, assistant extraordinaire," Marlee answers, joining the conversation. "And she's getting on the bus now." Marlee grabs my shoulders and steers me away from KP.
   
"It was nice to meet you!" He calls.
   
Once we're inside the bus, I shrug Marlee's hands off. "What was that for?"
   
"I don't like him." She shakes her head. "You're lucky I saved you from that conversation. Now come on, we should probably sit down."

I search the seats and find Josh. When I slip into the seat next to him, he looks up. "Is this a good spot? I can trade seats with you if you want the aisle seat. If you get carsick we can move closer to the front, though."

I shake my head. "This is fine," I state. Leaning back in the seat, I glance out the window. Stifling a yawn, I say, "I'm gonna take a nap. Don't wake me up unless we stop somewhere."

"Okay." Josh nods, turning to quietly talk to Sky, who's sitting in the seat across the aisle.

After everyone's on, the bus pulls away from the theater, officially starting the Newsies tour. My eyelids grow heavy as I watch buildings pass, and I'm asleep before we're out of New York City.

~ * ~ * ~

The jolt of the bus moving wakes me up. I open my eyes, realize I'm leaning on Josh's shoulder, and sit up straight quickly, hitting my head against his in the process.
   
"Ow," Jush mumbles, rubbing his head and looking as if he had been asleep, too. However, when he realizes the position we had been in, his face turns a dark red.
   
With a groan, I close my eyes, trying to focus on something other than the pain on the side of my head. "No one needs to know about this," I instruct him, and he nods. As much as I hate to admit it, Josh's shoulder is much more comfortable than leaning against the window. And he smells nice.

Shaking my head to get rid of those thoughts, I look out the window, determined not to turn back to Josh until I absolutely have to. Luckily, I find a distraction when my phone buzzes with a text message.

Maya Casey

<< I haven't heard of
any friends yet... >>

<< I know >>

<< You promised me, Indy >>

"Who are you texting?" Josh asks, suddenly very close to me.
   
I jump, surprised at his proximity, and drop my phone. "Geez, don't scare me like that." I sigh, reaching to pick my phone up off the floor. "It's just my cousin, why?"
   
"You seemed tense." Josh rubs the back of his neck. "I was just making sure you're okay."
   
"I'm fine. It's fine," I say quickly, hitting the power button on my phone without responding to Maya. "She's bugging me about making friends. I promised her I would make at least one."
   
"You already have that covered, so that's good." He smiles slightly.
   
"I do?"
   
"Well, yeah. You have me," he says. "We're friends, right?"
   
I look at him, surprised. "I-I mean, I guess so," I stutter. When did we become friends? But, if he considers me a friend, I guess that makes us friends.
   
"You can tell her that." He smiles more as I unlock my phone.

Maya Casey

<< I've made at least one >>