Bogus

My shoebox was packed and I was ready to hopefully never see my home again. I dressed in black to stay unnoticed as I made my departure from the safety and comfort of my neighborhood. I knew exactly where I wanted to go but, not exactly how to get there.

"Bogus Tour, here I come," I said slipping outside my window and gracefully landing on the ground. I had my shoebox tied with a thick black ribbon and tucked firmly under my arm. I had two days time to get to my destination but, I knew my journey would be much longer. I planned to be away for a year to escape my current reality and live another one. I just hope Miffy's okay, I thought.

Within my shoebox I had a large sum of saved up Christmas and birthday money, Miffy my beloved bunny doll and confidant, my mother's blackberry which I stole, my baby blanket, a small notebook, a pen, a pencil, a photograph of my favorite, a homemade glitter-fied bookmark, charger for the blackberry, pocket dictionary, and the book I was currently reading.

I ran off into the night to find my way to Sayreville, unfortunately I didn't know whether it was north or south of my location. Luckily, I spotted a bus headed to Sayreville and boarded it. Paying the fee I trudged to the back of the bus past the night owls who were either stoned or drunk. They all were sitting carelessly on the bus, some laughing at nothing others staring into space.

I knew it was going to be a lengthy ride so I decided to take a nap. Once I was awake again the bus was at a stop and the scenery had changed. I stood up feeling stiff as a board and began to make my way to the front of bus. When I reached the front I asked the driver where I was. He responded, "Sayreville, New Jersey miss." Smiling, I thanked him and hopped off the bus. Still holding my shoebox I began to walk where I felt was right.

"Miffy, we made it to town! Now we just have to find the venue and get in," I laughed. Miffy knew how much this meant to me. I lightly began to dance down the empty street, sun rising casting a beautiful glow upon the landscape. I heard the roaring of a loud engine coming down the road and my head turned back.

My eyes fell upon large headlights that were connected to a large tour bus. I jumped up with joy and watched the bus pass. "It could only be them," I spoke into the air. I started to run toward the moving bus with my box. Gaining momentum I neared the back of the bus. There was a shining silver ladder hooked onto the back. Taking a grand leap I jumped onto the ladder gripping it with my right hand and clutching my box with my left. "Hang on Miffy! We are in for a bumpy ride!"

I stuck to the ladder as the bus bobbed and weaved down the streets of Sayreville. A large building came into view as the bus slowed. We turned right and pulled into a driveway the size of three parking lots combined. I stayed latched onto the ladder for I had a plan.

"Land! Sweet, sweet land! Oh how I've missed you my darling," yelled a voice I recognized from many episodes of TAITv. I leaned to the side to see none other than the Butcher kissing the pavement. I giggled to myself at his silly action and went back into hiding.

"It's not that bad riding in the bus, it's like a plane ride with extra turbulence," said the voice of Sisky Business.

“Come on you fools, we have to set up and do a sound check,” Tony Touch said. Such a tour manager, I thought. I listened carefully as the rest of The Academy Is… and crew filed out of the bus. Once I was sure the coast was clear I hopped off the ladder and ran inside the bus. Making my way to the back I fell back onto a small yet, plush bunk.

I untied the ribbon on my shoebox and opened it pulling out Miffy. “Miffy, look at where we are! This is so amazing! Better than the snippets I see of the bus on TAITv! It’s gorgeous! I don’t know whose bunk we’re in but it’s comfortable and that’s good enough for us,” I said happily to my doll. Miffy always understood me even when my parents couldn’t, which was often. “I think we should have a well deserved nap! How about you, Miff?”

Miffy didn’t answer me verbally but, I knew she agreed with me. My head fell onto the pillow in the bunk and I drifted off into dreamland.

╪ ╪ ╪

“Holy Mi-Lanta, Bilvy we’ve got a stowaway! Come quick,” shouted Sisky’s voice, awakening me from my peaceful rest.

“You’re so loud,” I said sleepily, rubbing my eyes. I took a hold of Miffy and squeezed her tight.

“Who are you?” Asked William when he reached us.

I didn’t want to use my real name. It was too risky. “Wednesday,” I stated, “Wednesday Hargreaves Way but, please call me W.”

“Interesting,” Sisky commented.

“Hey, what’s going—Crikey! Who are you?” Chizzy asked letting his true Australian nature show. He was holding “the toxic death” otherwise known as Vegemite in his hand.

“Butch, Mike, get your lazy asses over here,” William called. Footsteps sounded and soon I was surrounded by all the members of TAI. “Chizzy, Butch, Mike, this is W.”

A small chorus of ‘hellos’ sounded off. I gave a small wave and helped Miffy wave as well. “I’m sorry whoever’s bunk this is since I’m kind of in it but, I can tell you one thing it’s very comfy.”

“It’s no problem, how did you get here anyway?” Sisky asked.

“I ran away from home only taking my most prized possessions with me in a shoebox. To be extra secure I tied a black ribbon around it,” I replied.

“Why did you run?”

“I wanted to escape reality and I really wanted to come see the show. Parents wouldn’t let me so I made my way down here by my own means.”

“How are you planning to get home?”

“I’m not.”

“So where are you going to go after the show?”

“You’re just full of questions but, that’s a good thing. Personally, I don’t know I guess I’ll just roam around Jersey.”

“Stay with us,” William chimed in.

“You sure you want to do that?” I asked him, pulling a ‘You’ve lost your mind’ face.

“Positive, we’ll kick Tony out and put him on the techie bus.”

“Fine, just make sure he doesn’t get mad and go all tour manager on y’alls.”

He nodded.

╪ ╪ ╪

That night I began to get to know all of TAI and watch their show. We The Kings and Hey Monday were on tour with them. They were all very nice people but, nothing beat the guys from The Academy Is… From there I stayed with them during their tour. Things were all fine and peachy keen until Sisky was kidnapped from the bus.

“Hey did anyone see Sisky?” Mike asked. I looked back at him and nodded my head no. “Darn it, I’ve been looking for him.”

Tony then came crashing into the bus. “Guys! Sisky’s been kidnapped by Travis and his gang!”

I cocked an eyebrow and looked at him like he was crazy. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Rally up troops, we’re going to save Sisky!”

╪ ╪ ╪

“Do we really have to do this?” I asked as we wore red bandanas across our mouths and noses.

“Yes,” responded Chizzy.

I sighed and continued to march on. We stopped about twenty feet away from where Sisky was duct taped to a pole. We all ducted behind a bush and watch as We The Kings returned on bikes and began to circle around Sisky.

“So Sisky, how ya feeling?” Travis asked in a fake sinister voice.

Sisky tried to answer but, it was to no avail since his mouth was duct taped shut. Travis, Danny, Drew, and Hunter just laughed. “I wonder when the rest of them will get here,” Danny said scratching his head.

“Guys,” William whispered, bringing my focus back to our task at hand. “When I say thunder we’re going to ambush them.”

“I’ve got a better idea,” I said, running over to where We The Kings was. They Stopped and looked at me, heads tilted. Here goes nothing, I thought. “Hey,” I sang, “don’t write yourself off yet, it’s only in your head. You feel left out or looked down on, just try your best, try everything you can, and don’t you worry what they tell themselves when you’re away. It just takes some time, little girl you’re in the middle of the ride everything, everything will be just fine. Everything, everything, we’ll be alright.”

We the Kings was dancing by then and I turned around signaling for William and posse. They ran up quietly as I entered the second verse and un-taped Sisky but, that’s when I forgot the words to the next line. We the Kings stopped dancing and saw what was truly going on.

“Brawl,” yelled out Drew and Danny is unison. Then they charged after The Academy Is… I ran trying to escape the fight but, tripped over a bicycle falling face first onto the concrete. It all went black.

╪ ╪ ╪

I woke up sore and tired in a white room. “Where am I?”

“Doctor! Doctor! She’s awake,” screamed a woman. I covered my ears in pain. A man in a long white lab coat came in with a clipboard.

“Good morning Miss Way, you’ve finally awakened. You’ve been out for a long time,” he said, writing down something on the board.

“But, I just fell on my face how could I be just waking up?”

“You don’t remember do you?”

I shook my head.

“You were walking across the street before a concert you were going to and were hit by a tour bus. You’ve been in a coma for over a year.”

My jaw dropped. “A coma? Who in the world hit me?”

“We did,” said the voice Mike Carden walking into the room. The other four men of The Academy Is… followed him inside.

“Where’s Miffy?” I asked franticly looking around for my precious bunny.

“We saved her from the accident. She’s unharmed,” Chizzy said handing me my doll.

“Miffy!”

“Sorry we hit you,” William said sheepishly.

“No hard feelings guys, but next time hit me after the show.”