12 Bullets to the Head

Before heading back to the hotel, 12 Bullets decided they wanted to stop for a bite to eat at one of the restaurants in the city. After having some troubles deciding where to eat, they decided just to head back to the hotel and come out a bit later to explore the city and find food. Aiden was particularly happy with this decision. He wasn't going to be put on the spot of telling his band mates that he didn't want to eat, that he really didn't feel like being around food at all.

"We should play pool," Brenden suggested as the four of them stood in the elevator, waiting for the doors to open and let them off on their floor.

"When?" Aiden asked, fiddling with his bracelet.

"Why not now?" Ryan softly spoke from the other side of the small elevator.

"Levi?" Brenden asked, looking at the silent bassist. "You want to join?"

Levi barely glanced at Brenden when he extended the invitation. Would he join them in a game of pool? Hell no. He had more important things to do that sit around playing a stupid game. He told Brenden almost as much, leaving out anything that would anger the drummer at this point. All he wanted to do was get onto his laptop. He wasn't about to start something that would prevent that.

Shrugging it off, the other three went on to plan out what the wanted to do. Sure, a game or two of pool sounded fun, but so did a swim in the hotels pool. Congregating in Ryan and Brenden's hotel room, the three decided to go down and play pool first, as that was what they all wanted to do most.

"We can come back up for our trunks," Ryan shrugged as they left the hotel room again.
In the hotel room Levi currently occupied, he pulled out his laptop, turning it on and leaving it on the desk as he quickly went to the bathroom. Feeling much more relieved, Levi settled down in the luxurious chair in front of the desk and opened up his messenger. Scanning his list of friends, he searched out her name on his contact list, but he just couldn't seem to find it. Sighing in anger, he sat back, thinking of what he could do.

A thought hit him. He pulled out his cell phone, quickly punching in her number, hoping that she would be at break or out of school already. The phone rang and rang. Levi almost hung up, thinking that she wasn't going to answer, when her voice, hushed and breathless, answered.

"Levi..."

"Sorry," he lamely apologized. "Did I call at a bad time?"

"Kinda," she sighed, "Mr. Bud almost caught my ring-tone..."

Levi's eyebrows burrowed, confused as to how she got out of the class, but he pushed that aside, getting straight to the point. "Did Miku talk to you 'bout tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Eight at the school, right?" she responded.

"Yup."

Back with the other three members of 12 Bullets to the Head, the conversation was much less mysterious and secretive. Actually, there seemed to be no conversation going on as they racked up the pool balls and began the first of the games that would occupy them for quiet some time.

A few girls that happened to be hanging out at another pool table, though across the arcade room, couldn't help but notice the guys' silence and quietly question it amongst themselves. They tried not to get too excited at seeing the three playing pool normally. When they all left, though, they could suppress their excitement any longer. They quickly headed to the girls bathroom and squealed happily.

"Oh my God!" they exclaimed together.

After some games of Pool, Brenden came up with a good idea that would entertain them. As planned earlier, Brenden felt like getting out and exploring the city. But what he really wanted to do was a difficult to approach topic with Aiden. As they headed to the elevator that would take them to the right portion of the hall that Brenden and Ryan's room was located, he treaded lightly around the topic suggestion.

"So, I was thinkin' that we could go explore the city since we're here," he began. "Go get a bite to eat and everything."

Ryan and Aiden nodded at the idea as he pressed the up button on the elevator. They filed in and Aiden pressed the respectful numbered button.

"Sounds good," Ryan stated. "Any places you had in mind?" Ryan thought he knew what Brenden was up to and tried to help him out. Brenden gladly took ahold of this opportunity as they waited.

"Actually, I did," he paused. "I was thinking that... uhm..."

Aiden looked up at Brenden, who stood on his left side, with raised eyebrows. What exactly was Brenden thinking?, he thought.

"We could go see... your parents, Aid."

Aiden froze. His heart almost stopped for a split second. Go see his parents? He didn't know how to react to this suggestion. Should he reject it and possibly regret doing so later on down the road? Should he accept, but live the pain he's worked so hard to suppress? Aiden bit his left snakebite, his eyes shifting to the elevator floor as he thought. His eyes watered slightly at the thought of his parents and seeing their photo's on the board once again.

A warm hand rubbed his shoulder, it's owner trying to comfort the distressed singer. "It you don't wanna," Brenden began. "I mean that question on TRL made me think and since we're in New York and everything..."

"No," Aiden interrupted, lifting his head once again. "Let's go."

Both Ryan and Brenden nodded as the elevator dinged and the doors opened. The three filed out and quickly entered Brenden's room. Ryan immediately snatched his phone up from the desk. Aiden took a seat on a bed and stared at his reflection absentmindedly in the floor length mirror across from him.

"Hey," Ryan greeted. "Is there anyway we can get someone to come with us to walk around the city for a bit and stuff?" He paused, listening to what James was telling him. Aiden zoned out briefly, his vision building and blurring so there were two Aiden's in the mirror, both with blue-grey eyes. Aiden blinked, his vision clearing p instantly and turning to Brenden who had flopped down on the bed, causing Aiden to jump in surprise.

"Jeez!" Aiden laughed at Brenden who was sprawled out on the bed, his hair splayed out on the pillow. "Fling me right off the bed, why don't ya!"

Brenden chuckled. "You sound like Gran'ma."

Aiden huffed, crossing his arms and Brenden sat up, crossing his legs. "I do not."

"Yeah," Brenden assured, nodding. "You do."

"But I haven't been 'round Ma as long as you have," Aiden pointed out. "How's that work that I should like her, and you don't?"

"I never said I didn't sound like her, merely pointing out that you did," Brenden covered. "Besides, you're younger, so you pick up on those things easier."

"Oh, playing the young card!" Ryan butted in.

"What'd James say?" Brenden changed to subject, as to not get cornered.

Ryan rolled his eyes, "Frankenstein is coming to retrieve us."

Aiden stifled a laugh at the fake English accent, rolling his eyes.

Frankenstein was one of their security guards who got her name from both her real name (Francesca) and her Halloween costume a few years ago. Although she was only about Aiden's size and Brenden's height, she was one good security member.

All too soon in Aiden's opinion, Frankenstein was at their door waiting to take them. As usual, she had on this stone like look, standing at a good foot or so taller than Aiden and dressed in a simple outfit that suggested she meant business but not a boring 9 to 5 business. The three of them left the room, not even bothering to ask if Levi wanted to come. He'd probably snap at them anyway, so what was the point?

Leaving the hotel after making sure to grab hoodies and sunglasses, the four of them walked down the streets of New York City, taking in all the sites to see. Aiden wasn't as excited to see the city as his band mates were. He spent most of the walk to Ground Zero looking at nothing in particular, just thinking about keeping the mounting emotions in control as they neared the site of the attacks five years ago.

"Wow," Brenden breathed, taking in the site of the mostly cleaned up Ground Zero.
Aiden had to agree. When he had come here after the attacks to look for his parents, he wasn't even aloud to get anywhere near Ground Zero. Now, the streets had been cleaned up, the wreckage mostly cleared away, and business was back in order.