Breaking the Rules

"Tom Parker! Get back here!" I yell like he is a stupid dog who ran off.

Once the boys had gotten re-ready, they asked to go everywhere, I mean everywhere. First it was Starbucks, then it was the beach, then it was the mall, then it was the mall's food court, now it was the park. Tom got really excited and ran ahead. Which would be find, had he have any idea how to get to the park?

"No! You get up here!" he yells back.

"Oh I will," I say dangerously. He fakes fear and runs off. Luckily I wore my running shoes, so I chase after him. I have always been I great sprinter. I catch up despite his huge head start. I push my luck and jump on his back. Fortunately, I make it.

“Gotcha,” I giggle in his ear. He is panting, but doesn’t let me go.

“That you did,” he responds while turning toward the boys. “Mates! Look what I got! I think it’s a girl!”

“No way!” Max calls.

“That’s amazing,” Nathan says.

“Wow, that’s new. Tommy boy getting a girl? Woah,” Siva jokes. Jay laughs with him.

“Yep. Love ya to Seev,” Tom says filling him the bird.

“Ah huh,” Siva agrees.

“Tom you can put me down, ya know,” I tell him.

“Nope. I got ya babe,” he says. Such a flirt.

“Alright. I’m tired anyway. Can’t believe you guys tricked me into this,” I say.

“Tricked you! How dare you say such a thing! You wanted to come.”

“No, I wanted to sleep. You guys begged me to come.”

“When you say it like that, we sound desperate.”

“You were.”

“False!”

“Nope. But it’s okay. You guys are a pack of lost puppies and I just so happen to be the person who found you.”

“I don’t get it.”

“You guys are cute and utterly confused. I am the amazing person who saved you.”

“Aww,” he says as he turns around to look at the boys. “She called us cute!”

They all laugh and Tom turns around again.

“Turn right,” I tell him.

“The park!” he cheers. He runs to the park which is momentarily empty.

He put me on the tiny animals that rock back and forth. Yep the ones for kids 70 pounds and under. I sit on a duck while he gets a dog.

“Wow, Tom,” Siva says shaking his head. I’d nominate him to take care of me if I was ill. Him or Nathan, but only cuz he’s beautiful.

Max sits on the kangaroo that is next to Tom- doing something with each other’s ears-, Nathan and Jay took over the see-saw, and Siva and I are on the swings.

“How is it possible that out of the five, you are the only collected one?” I ask him.

“I’m not always like this, neither are they. Everyone’s just really excited to be in America,” he responds.

“So they will calm down?” I ask hopefully.

He laughs. “Yes. They go back to normal in about two days’ time.”

“Quick question, are you from the same area as the rest?”

“Nope. I’m Irish.”

“Good to know.”

“Merry-go-round!” Tom and Max scream far louder than necessary.

“Really?” Jay says getting of the see-saw while Nathan was still in the air. Nathan flails and falls to the ground. No one seems to notice besides Siva and I.

“Nathan!” I yell out of habit. I turn to Siva. “I’ll get him, don’t worry.”

“I’m not, you are. We’ve been attacked by fans,” Siva says jogging to the merry-go-round. I run to Nathan who is laying on the ground moaning.

“Hey Nathan. You alright?” I ask.

“I’ll survive,” he says smiling. I move his hand and see an already-formed bump. I touch it gently and he winces.

“Where’d you hit you head?” I ask. He points at the see-saw. “Oh. Well you gotta get up. Don’t wanna miss all the fun.”

“M’kay,” he mumbles.

We walk to the merry-go-round silently. The boys stopped it for us and Nathan leads me onto it.

“Sorry Nath,” Jay apologizes.

“No big deal. I’ll see tomorrow,” Nathan says.

“Ready?” Tom asks preparing himself for some fast runnin.

“Yep. On three. 1… 2… 3!” Nathan says. Even if it’s just the four of them, they are real fast. I laugh hysterically and get really dizzy. I reach across the center to grab Nathan’s hand and squeeze hard. I can feel the boys get on by the disk slightly moving. But no, they won’t let it slow down, not one bit. I get so dizzy by the end of the torturous five minutes.

“I’m going to be sick,” Nathan jokes.

“You shoulda been runnin! That’s hard work, mate!” Tom accuses. What is with the word “mate”?

“Bet cha it is,” I say. I look at my hand which still has a death grip on Nathan. My knuckles have actually turned white. “Sorry,” I say taking my hand back and messaging it.

“Does anyone know the time?” Max asks.

“Seven o’clock,” Nathan says. The handiness of a watch.

“Should we be heading back?” Siva asks.

“Yeah. Good idea,” I say as I stand.

“Do we work tomorrow?” Tom asks.

“Don’t think so. Well, I do, but no one said anything about you guys,” I say.

“You work tomorrow?” Jay asks. I just realize now that the runners took of their shoes and ran barefoot.

“Guys!” I explode.

“What?” they say worried.

“You took off your shoes! Do you know how filthy LA is!” I scream.

“No.”

“Not really.”

“Filthy?”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. Real dirty. Now we really need to get back,” I say.

“But it was fun.” Oh look at Tom seeing the upside to everything.

“Well, remember that when your feet are tortured by murderous infection,” I say. They all make a face.

“I’m tired,” Nathan complains.

“Honestly, me too. We should get a cab,” I say.

“Not happening,” Tom says from the front of the group. I suppose it is just a five minute walk, but what’s wrong with a cab?

We all small talk on the way back to our rooms.

“Guys,” I say.

“Yeah?” they say.

“Go wash your feet,” I laugh. And Jay, Tom, Max, and Siva head into their rooms.

“How’s your head?” I ask Nathan when we’re alone.

“Good, good. Hey I’m going to bed, see you tomorrow,” he says getting up to leave.

“Me too. Night Nathan,” I say.

“Call me Nath, if you like,” he tells me.

“Alright then. Goodnight Nath.”

“Night Charlie,” he says smiling widely.

I sigh and go into my room. I am going to get in big trouble if these boys stay around much longer.