Kidnapped

“Okay, so here’s how it’s going to work.” Brian said seriously.

They looked at each other nervously. They were lying on the floor, their bodies comfortably tucked into their sleeping bags, in a circle round Brian's bed.

“I’m not expecting to know everyone’s life stories by tomorrow morning, but it won’t hurt to know just a little more about you guys. So…hence this sleepover.”

“Wait, we’re crashing in your room tonight?” Lance asked, turning rather pale all of a sudden.

“Yep. What do you think the sleeping bags are for? It’ll be great. We’ll talk, we’ll play games, we’ll drink, we’ll eat – look, I’ve made all these food, just in case we get hungry in the middle of the night.” Brian said eagerly.

“I know, I’ve been staring at them since I first came in…”Alexis said, eyeing the bowl of cheese dip and chips. “Can we start eating now?”

“You just had dinner an hour ago,” Brian said, staring at her. “But sure, go ahead…” Alexis pulled herself out of the bag, got up and skipped off happily to the small table next to the window.

“Get me a beer,” Lance called out.

“I don’t think I’ve been to a sleepover since grade school,” Lauren said. “The last one I went to, I stayed up all night braiding this girl’s hair because of a dare…it was hell.”

“And I’ve never even been to one. Sleepovers are for girls,” Jake said.

“Look, Brian, I know you mean well.” Natalie said quietly. “But don’t you think this is a little…premature? I mean, obviously we’ll share when we’re ready. Now I’m kind of feeling like I’m being forced to…to be honest, I think we’re all pretty uncomfortable talking about ourselves at this point.”

“I don’t know. I just thought it could help us become closer friends…”Brian mumbled. “Every time I want to talk about how much I miss home, or - for lack of a better word - just how scared I am, you guys make up some excuse and head off to somewhere. You act like this isn’t affecting you at all, but - let’s face it – I’m the only one who hasn’t gone off the rails yet since we got here. My theory is that it’s because you’re all still denial. You tell yourselves that nothing's wrong, that you’d rather be here, that you don’t miss a thing from your…’old life’, to escape from the cruel, harsh reality – that you’re being kidnapped. That you’re stuck here.” Brian finished triumphantly.

“’Escape from the cruel harsh reality?’ You really read too many novels, Brian…” Luke joked.

“And anyway, it’s not true. I miss all my chicks back home,” Lance grinned.

“Okay, let’s start with this then. We’ll go in a clockwise direction, and we’ll take turns. When it’s your turn, all you have to do is tell us one thing you missed from back home.” Brian went over to the snacks table and started throwing beers at each person. Everyone caught theirs except Jake (who subsequently turned red with embarrassment).

“And you think we’re going to listen to you because…”Lauren said.

“Because if not you’d have to cook your own food for the rest of the week.” Brian smirked. He climbed back onto his bed and sat down at the edge so that he could be closer to the rest of them. “Come on. You’ll feel better once you get it off your chest, I promise.”

“Has it ever occurred to you that maybe we really don’t miss a single thing? That maybe we don’t want to talk about it because we don’t want to bring those memories into this house? That we’d really rather be here, because life was that shit?” Adrianna pointed out.

“It can’t be THAT bad…”Brian replied.

“Seriously, Brian, have you even gone to high school? Haven’t you seen how things are like there?” Lance said.

“Actually, you’re right, I haven’t. I was homeschooled.”

“But…why?” Lauren asked, stunned.

“I lost my dad in a car crash when I was three. My mom had to work all the time to support the both of us. Unlike everyone else, I didn’t have anyone to pick me up after school, or make me homemade lunchboxes, or take me to the games. According to my mom, I invented an imaginary friend. No one would talk to me after that, and the bullying got so bad that whenever anyone mentions the word ‘school’, I would start crying. So my mom decided I should be homeschooled.”

“I’m sorry,” Adrianna said softly. Lance patted his shoulder sympathetically.

“Nah, it’s okay. I had a great teacher at home, one who became almost like a father to me. And if high school’s really as shit as you put it…” Brian shrugged. “Then I guess I didn’t actually miss out on much. Still,” Brian smiled. “Now that you’ve all heard my sob-story – it’s your turn. I don’t care how shit it was, there has to be something you missed.”

Luke threw the others a ‘he’s-never-going-to-give-up-on-this-is-he?’ look. They shook their heads. “Fine,” he threw up his hands in surrender. “I missed…the Internet.”

Everyone started talking simultaneously.

“I don’t think I’ve even gone a day without the internet in the past, and it’s been a week…”… “God, how is it possible that this place has everything but not internet connection?”…“I miss my blog! Oh fuck, you just reminded me. It hasn’t been updated in a week…I bet I won’t have a single follower left by the time I get home.”...and even ”I miss Runescape!”…”People still play Runescape?!”

“STOP!” Brian held out his hand. The excited buzzing didn’t die away until a minute later. “I get it. You miss the Internet,” he said weakly. “Of all the things you could pick, you pick the Internet…okay, who’s next? Adrianna?”

“I feel like I’m in a group therapy session,” she muttered. “Okay. I miss…my brother.”

“I miss mine too,” Natalie reached over and squeezed her hand. “His name is Charlie and he’s five. His favourite pastime is annoying the fuck out of me. Last time I saw him, he was drawing a picture using the makeup he stole from my room.” She laughed.

“My brother’s going to be so worried. My dad is a businessman and my mom a socialite – he was the one who really brought me up. He’s the one person who always has my back. All we have is each other – and now I’m gone. As if I hadn’t worried him enough already -” Adrianna broke off, twirling her hair round her finger anxiously.

“Well, I miss my babes!” Lance exclaimed. “I was like, the Gaston in my town. I bet they’re all crying, waiting by their windows for me to come back…”

“Yeah, and you’re never going to get Belle.” Natalie winked.

“I miss…my girlfriend,” Jake said.

“How was she like?” Lance asked curiously.

“She was…a girl,” Jake replied, turning red again.

“Wow, thanks for that detailed description, dude.” Lance rolled his eyes. “Not like I’m going go for her or anything…”

“I miss my best friend,” Alexis said. “I’ve known her since we were six. I mean, I love you guys, but she was the only one who had the magical ability of making me laugh even when I was feeling like absolute shit.” she crammed a couple of chips into her mouth.

“I miss my boyfriend. I was going to visit him in London, and instead…I’m here.” Lauren said bitterly. “He was the most amazing thing that’s ever happened to me. He had these really cute dimples, and whenever he smiled – “

“Yeah, I think we get the point already. Who’s next?” Lance yawned and took a swig of his beer.

“I miss not having to share a toilet. How is it fair that you girls have toilets in your own rooms but we have to share one?” Brian complained.

“C’mon, give us a serious one!” Alexis laughed. “It’s not fair.”

“I AM serious! The toilet’s virtually unusable after Luke’s been in there. The towels are in a mess and there’s water all over the floor…”

“That’s why people invented the ventilator!” Luke said. “It’s my turn again isn’t it? Okay, seriously…I miss my mom.”

“I miss YOUR mom…”Lance joked.

“Oh, ha ha. Seriously, she’s the most awesome person in this world. She gets up at six to walk the dog, finish cooking breakfast by the time I wake up, goes to work from 9 – 5, comes home and feeds me again…and at night she still manages to find the time to talk to me and ask me how my day is.”

“I miss my hairdryer.” Adrianna said, ruffling her hair. “Look at the sorry state my hair’s in since I got here…”

“I think it’s beautiful,” Brian said. She was wearing a tight black tank as pyjamas, and he had been having problems tearing his eyes away from her the whole evening.

“You should’ve told me that earlier, I’ve got my hairdryer with me!” Natalie said. “Just come by my room whenever you need it.”

“Thanks,” Adrianna flashed her a grateful smile.

“I miss sex, drugs and rock’n’roll.” Lance said.

“Come up with a more original one next time, will ya? I miss my cat,” Alexis said. “His name is Panda; he’s black and white.”

“A cat named Panda. Talk about a serious identity crisis…”

"I miss blasting rock music on a highway with my girlfriends during road trips."

"I miss basketball games."

"I miss going to the movies on a friday night."

"I miss Rocky Horror!"

"I miss going to the beach. I miss the sound of the waves, and I miss waiting for the sun to disappear into the ocean."

By the time they were done, they were laughing, crying, and to their surprise, as Brian had guessed - feeling much better than before. Life had sucked, but turns out there was something worth living for after all.