Drumsticks and Guitarpicks

The morning after the 'ultimate band' was announced, we're given the morning to say goodbye to our bands. I'm not sure exactly how I should feel. Annabelle, Kelsy and I have been best friends since we were in dresses and pigtails. We've always been the group that stood out in our little rinky dinky town in the south. Sure, I was going to miss Mrs. Goldfield's fired chicken and Grandma Patsy's made-from-scratch cornbread and sweet iced tea, but this was something that we couldn't pass up.

I was going to be away from my band for at least a year and a half. In that year and a half, there would be many trial and errors I would go through. Would I make it? I don't know, really.

It's noon when we're standing outside the hotel that has been dubbed ours for the rest of the time we're in LA, when it's time for the final goodbyes. There's one, McKenzie, I think her name is, that's crying and smudging her bright makeup. Roxanne - her Roxie as she told us to call her - his hugging on to one of the guys in her band... and the little girl that's a spitting image of her. She's got a family that she's going to be away from.

Then there's Zoe. She's the hardass that puts on a front. I can tell she's not going to like being away from her family. She's already thousands of miles from home. There's an ocean between us and where she's from. She speaks quietly to her bandmates.

Lastly, is Kassi Mae. She's a fiery redhead that ran off and got drunk last night. I faintly remember hearing her band mates tell the guys, and Brian goes after her. She's ignoring everything but her band. I don't know what exactly to think of her yet - she doesn't want to be here and that's obvious. Kassi Mae is going to be the face of us -

But what is us?

That's a conversation that will be coming up pretty soon.

Annabelle and Kelsy stand in front of me, their luggage and cases sitting beside them. We hug, and we cheer each other up with funny southern sayings that only we will get. And soon, its more than just hugs and tears. Its waves and disappearing taxis.

The five of us are alone, standing in whatever we've dressed in. I want to look my best, because I want to feel my best. The guys come up behind us, and we're all standing outside the hotel, unsure of what exactly to think or feel. We're frustrated and tired and sad and confused. We've just been cut from our families because they decided that it'd be fun to pick for girls who are completely opposite to each other and force us into a band. Sure, I thought it was a great opportunity at first, but now I think its a dreadful idea and I just want the year to be over with.

Matt clears his throat. "Okay, wipe those killer looks off your pretty little faces. Go put one a swim suit or some shit." He stomps off, going to the elevator to get to his room. We stand there, with the other four guys, before McKenzie and Zoe follow, Johnny and Zacky right behind them. They file into the first elevator. I know why Matt's frustrated - his plan didn't work out the way he thought it would.

Brian, Jimmy, Roxie, Kassi Mae and I are still downstairs. Slowly, Kassi Mae makes her way to the elevator, and Brian isn't far behind her. Roxie sighs, mumbles something under her breath and decides to take the stairs. It's just Jimmy and I now.

"Nothings turning out right," I mumble, and he looks over at me before nodding.

"Let's just try to ease all the fucking tension and go to the beach," Jimmy murmurs back before taking the elevator that comes back down from Matt's group. Kassi and Brian took an elevator alone - I wonder how well that worked out. I take the stairs, too, needing the few extra minutes to clear my mind. Once to my empty room, I change out of what I decided to wear for the day and into the bathing suit that I brought along with me for the trip.

It's going to be a long day.

----

The van that the guys and us girls have piled into is so tense, that it would take a diamond-cutting laser to break through it.

Zoe sits in the back, brooding with Johnny and Zacky on either side of her. She's dressed from head to toe in black. Looks like she won't be getting in the water. Jimmy sits beside me in the first bench seat in the back. Brian, Kassi Mae, and Roxie sit behind us. Matt and McKenzie are up front, chatting away like best friends. There's music playing on the radio, but none of us can relax to the familiar lyrics of Metallica.

The beach was only an hour away - we're actually going to Huntington Beach. Brian's house is right there at the shore, and he's offered it for the services of relaxing and getting to know one another. None of us object - how can we? We might as well come to terms with one another instead of fighting like angry cats for the next year and a half. The ride to the beach took too long, but once there, we're all happy to get out.

Zoe grabs the towel she brought and finds a nice shading umbrella left up and takes a sit underneath it. A sun hat and dark shades cover her face. I know she has to be sweating in all that black. McKenzie and Roxie have warmed up to one another, and Matt is happy with them. I stay quiet, scared to show my true self, but Jimmy is making it hard. We're both the crazy ones of the band. We like fun and live life like its our last day.

Kassi Mae stomps off and fits firmly in the stand, almost as if she's rooted herself there. I can see Brian is at loss of what to do - especially when a pretty blonde comes running out of his house. I've seen pictures - this is Michelle. Matt's girlfriend, Valary, is right behind her. Damn, they really are twins. The only difference is Val has deep auburn hair, and Michelle's is a light golden blonde.

"C'mon, Jo!" Jimmy is suddenly screaming in my head, his hand clutching mine as he pulls me toward the tide. "We're gonna make a sand castle!" I laugh and agree. Soon, we've got Zacky, Johnny, Roxie, and Matt doing the same. Michelle is attached to Brian's hip. Zoe stays back, and Kassi Mae is the one brooding now. Val goes off with McKenzie to sunbathe.

We've made the biggest sand castle I've ever seen, before there's two high pitched squeals. Looking around, I watch as Matt chucks Val and Kenzie into the water. He's surprised them both. Michelle goes and sits next to Zoe under the umbrella and she's starts up a conversation, but I can tell Zoe is uncomfortable. Next thing I know, Jimmy and Zacky have me by my shoulders and legs, running and throwing me into the water too.

It's cool, and relaxing, and now my prefect curly hair is ruined by salt water. I actually ended up taking some up my nose, and it burns worse than coca cola does.

Soon, everyone's in the water - even Zoe, much to my surprise. Michelle and Val have left, so its just us two bands trying to enjoy the uplifting moment. Matt, Zacky and Johnny are whispering to each other while Jimmy goes off and plays dolphin, looking for sea shells I think. Brian's off about ten yards talking to Kassi alone. They're getting pretty close...

"AHHH!" The girls scream, and I look up, not all that surprised to find Jimmy chasing Roxie and McKenzie around while covered in sea weed. I laugh, along with the guys, watching as Jimmy chases them before tripping over a large glop that catches around his feet. Soon, everyone is rolling around in the sand laughing. We've bonded, and its a start to what will hopefully be a good year and a half. I look around, and I feel like this is how it should be. Zoe is smirking, breaking out of her hardass exterior. Roxie and McKenzie are chatting like two best friends.

It's just us at the beach, enjoying the bright moment as we wait for the down to this wonderful up.

"HOLY SHIT!" I find myself suddenly screaming, jumping out of the knee deep water. I run around in the sand, trying to get the sudden stinging in my leg to go away. Johnny grabs me and holds me still while Matt and Zacky try to figure out what's wrong. A clear colored jelly fish has wrapped itself around my ankle. Zacky finds a random stick and pulls it away, chucking the thing off into the distance. I shake from the stinging still coursing through me.

The guys are sharing a look between each other, and I'm trying to shake off the sting.

"You wanna go to the hospital?" Johnny asks, and I shake my head. I hate hospitals. Too sterile for me.

"Then someone has to piss on it," Zoe says, speaking up for the first time today. I stare wide eyed at her. Did she just say what I think she just said?

"I volunteer!" Jimmy yells, jumping forward and unbuttoning the front of his swim trunks. Of course he'd be the first to volunteer to pee on someone. I look away, blushing slightly at the fact that there's a dick sticking out in my direction. But suddenly, that thought it blown away with feeling warm... well, pee, running down my leg. I want to barf so bad.

But the stinging halts almost immediately. When Jimmy's done, I'm let free and I instantly run to the water to wash off my leg. I feel an embarrassed blush cover my cheeks as I sulk back to the towel that I laid out earlier. Everyone goes back to what they're doing, and soon everyone finds themselves in a not-so-friendly game of makeshift volleyball. Kassi is pounding everyone while I sit off to the side with my wounded pee-covered leg, too embarrassed to do anything else.

Jimmy sits beside me, his arms resting on his bent knees. I can't look at him.

"Don't think I pee on everyone's jelly sting, Jojo. Only the special ones."

I'm not sure how to take it, but coming from Jimmy, I know its a good thing. I wrap an arm around his bare waist to give him a hug.

"Thanks," I mumble, hiding my face against his bicep. He wraps that arm around my shoulders, returning the hug.

"Anything for my little seaweed head."

I'll punch him for that later.