Growing Up Won't Bring Us Down

“Oh my god! It’s so big! I didn’t know they made them this big!” Marco exclaimed, waving her arms and bouncing on the balls of her feet. She stared with mouth agape at the big, silver bus sitting in front of her and Johnny’s home. She had been dropped off to finish packing where she found her lucky Nikes. Johnny chuckled, stepping onto the bus to go put his and Marco’s things in their proper bunks.

“Marco, c’mon. We need to head out now.” Marco looked up to see Thor hanging halfway out the door of the bus. She grinned before running off the sidewalk and skipping up the steps. Once Thor shut the door he sat down in the driver’s seat, taking the bus out of park and starting off towards the highway. As it jerked into motion Marco fell face first on the carpet covered floor.

“Owie,” Marco moaned, turning onto her back. Jimmy, who was sitting in the booth used for eating, leaned over to see her and laughed.

“You okay Markie?”

“I’m fine,” Marco replied, standing to her feet. The bus was set up with two long couches on either side of the front. At a center spot on the left the booth was placed next to the couch. Across from the booth is the mini fridge and cabinets for food and such. A doorway with a black curtain closed off the bunks. Right between the bunk wall and cabinets was a bathroom with thick walls, sink, and toilet. In the front was the steering wheel, obviously, with a passenger seat next to it which was taken by Matt. On one couch, watching some news station above the opposite couch was Brian. The rest of them (Alex, Zacky, Johnny, and the Berry twins) were in the bunks asleep.

“Soooo….” It fell silent as Marco trailed off and no one filled the silence. She sighed, pulling her iPod from the front pocket of her jean shorts that she had replaced before they had left. She quickly changed to the song she was wanted and smiled, dancing around the bus with all the adults, who weren’t driving that is, watching her.

“What are you listening - ” Matt is cut off as Marco’s loud voice crashed through the middle of his question.

“Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase. Hakuna Matata! Ain’t so passing craze.” The adults all began to explode laughing at the teenager.

“There is no way you really have that song on your iPod!” Jimmy exclaimed between deep breaths. Marco continued on as if she couldn’t hear them or notice them at all.

“It means no worries for the rest of your days. It's our problem-free, philosophy, Hakuna Matata!” At the end of the short song, Marco knelt on one knee with her arms in the air, fingers jiggling. Jimmy and Brian were both pretty sure they’re Adam’s apples were close to exploding at the end.

“Why do you have a song from The Lion King on your iPod?” Matt asked since he was the only one calm enough to ask.

“Why would I not?” Marco scoffed as she stood to her feet. “I have lots more. Under The Sea anyone?”

“No, no,” Brian begged, shaking his hands in front of him. “If you sing anymore I might pass out from not being able to breathe.”

Marco sighed dramatically, but sat down on the couch next to Brian, still listening to her iPod, but not singing along to save the adults’ breathing. After a few minutes she let out another sigh, a normal and soft one this time. “I’m so bored!”

“We’ve been on the bus for ten minutes,” Jimmy pointed out.

“I’m going to die on here,” Marco groaned, banging her head backwards onto the tinted window that blocked the outside view inwards. Brian chuckled, changing the channel to Nickelodeon. Marco’s eyes sparkled when a very familiar, talking sponge took over the television set. Brian walked away to sit across from Jimmy as the thirteen year old was ‘taken’ out of this world with her show on.

“Where’s Johnny?” Jimmy asked suddenly.

“I think he went into the lounge. Why?” Jimmy didn’t answer. Instead he stood to his feet, heading through the curtain. Past the bunkroom was another doorway closed off with a black curtain. It entered into a room that had a couch going along the whole room and a table in the middle of it all. Johnny sat slouched on a spot of the long couch, cigarette in mouth and cell phone in hand.

“Hey buddy boy.” Johnny raised an eyebrow as the drummer sat on the portion of the couch across from him. He pressed the ‘send’ button to send out his text message before he placed the phone back onto the tabletop.

“Hey Jimbo. What’s up?” Johnny asked casually, tapping off some ashes from his cigarette into the ashtray.

“Nothin’ much.” It fell silent again from there. Johnny sighed, rubbing his forehead with his empty hand.

“Okay Jimmy, what did you need?” Jimmy smiled, letting Johnny know he had voiced his question ‘correctly’.

“I was just curious, how is this tour going to go?” Johnny’s eyebrows narrowed in confusion. What kind of mind game was this blue eyed, crazy man asking exactly? Just as he opened his mouth to question, Jimmy continued. “Usually you, along with the rest of us, have a new girl every night and are up ‘til the butt crack of dawn drinking. Somehow that doesn’t seem like something we can do with Marco here.”

“Oh.” Jimmy had a point. Johnny ran a hand through his hair and he contemplated his options. “I guess we’re just going to have to make some changes. For example, no one gets laid on the bus unless Marco is off and gone for sure.”

“I think we can live with that,” Jimmy agreed, nodding his head. Suddenly he stopped with a thoughtful expression. “Except for maybe Brian.”

“He’ll understand. Or at least he’d better.”

“And the drinking?”

“Once a week special I guess. Either that or whoever wants to get wasted goes to another band’s bus. Whoever’s left stays with Marco.”

“For once you got some good thinking Johnny boy.” Johnny glared at him, scoffing.

“Please. Don’t forget who had to tutor you for Geometry since you were failing and ended up stuck in my class senior year to graduate.”

“You stole the answers from the teacher.”

“You passed, didn’t you?” Jimmy glared, sending Johnny a short raspberry just as Johnny’s phone went off to signal a reply from Tayler. They had been dating for a year and a half now, and Marco was getting impatient. Her and Phoenix were pretty sure they should get married, but neither adult wanted to rush it.

“Ooooh. Is that Taaaaay?” Jimmy droned with a childish smile on his face.

“Don’t you have someone to text?” Johnny snapped back. Jimmy’s face fell and he automatically began to dig in his pocket in search for his phone.

“I miss her already!” He cried dramatically. All the girls, minus Marco obviously, had to stay home. Each for their own reasons, but it ended in all the guys being quite disappointed. The girls knew about the guys’ ‘fun’ and dealt with it only because they knew they were guys and had their needs. Didn’t mean they liked it. Guilt trips always worked, especially when they were married. Zacky was seeing no ass, but his wife's ever again.

“Well go make kissy faces at your phone somewhere else. My area,” Johnny informed, twirling his index finger around in the air. Jimmy stuck out his tongue but left the room anyway, fingers flying across the phone he had finally found in hand. He finally opened the text message and smiled at the screen.

‘At least you don’t have to be here right now. Phoenix stayed the night and he keeps complaining that Marco won’t text him already. He’s too pussy to do it himself.’

Johnny rolled his eyes and sent how Marco was too busy singing Walt Disney hits. Tayler was still playing matchmaker with the two. Obviously she broke through with Phoenix but he’s too much of a teen-aged boy to admit it. It was a wonder how any guys at Johnny's own school would admit to actually liking a girl instead of their ass or chest. Another text was received which he read with a laugh.

‘Teenage boys are hopeless.’

Don’t you know it Tayler.