Hold On Till May

Aurora sat in the backseat of the van still, leaning against Alex. It was getting late and they still weren't in New York. Too many pit stops were being made and it was almost as if no one wanted to leave the moving vehicle. "You tired?" Alex asked the red haired girl as she stretched her arms out and yawned. Thrice was playing in the car lightly so that Rian didn't wake up. Zack was driving and Jack was just about passed out in the passenger seat.
 
"Yeah, but I don't want Zack to be the only one awake." She was being considerate, making sure that he didn't get too tired on the rest of the way there.
 
Zack turned his head around to face her for a second after being sure that the road was clear and the van was in a straight line. "Sleep, Beauty." He smiled at her softly and winked. The girl cuddled close to Alex, leaning into his side and resting her head on his shoulder. Alex wrapped his arm around the girl to warm her up a little more and he stroked her back up and down and around in circles. She yawned yet again, but before drifting off to sleep, she reached up and kissed his chin. Both of the teenagers' faces went completely red, but it was worth it. "I saw that," Zack let out a chuckle, making fun of the two.

"Shut up!" Aurora yelled gently at Zack, making him chuckle even more. Alex stroked the back of her hair, waiting for her to finally fall asleep, which she and that surprised him. Usually, it was hard to get her to sleep in a car, but in his arms, she felt okay and didn't care.

+++

"Yo!" Zack screamed and started to clap his hands. Within seconds, all four of the kids who were asleep were up and alert. "We're here," he informed all of them who yawned and stretched. Jack tried going back to bed, but Zack pinched him in order for him not to.

"Just five more minutes, dad." Jack mumbled to his friend. Alex reached forward around Jack's seat and slapped the side of his head, causing the boy to groan.

Rian yawned yet again. "What time is it?" His voice was groggy as if he'd been passed out for longer than two hours.

"Almost midnight." Zack told him.

"That's it?!" Aurora was in shock, it felt like it was early in the morning to all of them, but they had only been on the road for eight hours. It wasn't like the group to be in bed early, especially on a Friday night… Especially one that they were alone in a big city, but they were all worn out from doing absolutely nothing in a van all day. "That's stupid," she complained.

"Let's just go get checked in." Rian told them, they all agreed and slowly took his lead. Once they got out of the van, they were greeted by a bellhop and a valet parker, both there ready to help them carry in all of the equipment and luggage that they had for their two night stay in the hotel.

"This looks a little extravagant to be a Best Western." Aurora was whispering to Jack as they walked into the Best Western Plus President Hotel that was right near Times Square. To the girl, it looked pricey - too pricey.

"My dad just wanted to make sure that we'd be comfy, okay?" Jack laughed a little bit. His face was still tired, as was his body as he hunched forward and walked at a slow pace. Since the girl was the oldest by a month, making her 18 already, she had to check her and the band in. She did it, but she was almost reluctant in doing so.

Once they arrived to their room on the thirteenth floor, the entire group was in awe of their surroundings. The bed spreads and couches were white and fluffy and their were pictures of John and Jackie Kennedy around them, including purple and green accents around the entire room. The bed was a king size, allowing three of them to sleep in it at the same time while there were two couches for the other two to crash on.

"Remind me to thank papa Barakat once we get back home, will ya?" Aurora started to chuckle as she fell backwards onto the bed. It was so cushioned that it flung her up in the air before she flopped back down on it.

"Yeah, no shit," Alex agreed with the girl as he turned on the large flat-screen television in front of him. "Hey!" He shouted after channel surfing for a few moments. "Wayne's World is on!"

"Party on, Wayne," Aurora quoted the movie.

"Party on, Garth!" Jack shouted while running towards one of the couches, claiming it as his own. He crashed his entire body onto it and got comfy immediately so he could flip over quickly and watch the movie.

"You're pathetic," Zack commented as he watch the boy's charade.

"I'm gonna go to the roof and have a smoke, I'll be back shortly." Aurora grabbed a room key and whatever sweatshirt that was closest to the door and walked out into the hallway and onto the elevator. It took her to the sixteenth floor and down another hall and out a door. She stepped into the fresh air with a wide smile creeping its way across her face. The Manhattan skyline was so beautiful to the girl - all the lights were so bright and gorgeous, just absolutely breathtaking. She looked upwards at the skyscrapers that towered over her head, even though she was already so high up.

I doubt anyone at school is having this good of a weekend, she thought to herself with a smile. She ran over to the edge and looked down onto the street that was filled with cabs and people trying to make their way into and out of Times Square. For some reason, her mind started to play with her and was telling her how easy it would be to end it all right then and there. The fall wouldn't take long and she'd be gone by the time she hit the bottom. Aurora shook her head as to get the thoughts to fall out. She didn't understand what the depression did to her. It was such a good day and she was so happy, but for some reasons those thoughts just had to get to her.

Her cigarette was nearing its filter, so she put it out and sparked up another one. This went on until a third cigarette was lit and halfway gone, until she started to get a stomachache from the nicotine and tobacco that was filling her lungs. Rian and Alex suddenly walked through the door, looking worried.

"Good Lord, woman, do you know how to use a phone?" Rian scolded her, but she just laughed at him. Rian was still the only one to not know about her cutting that she had taken up again, but that didn't stop him from worrying day in and day out about her, even though he had the band, Kara, other friends, and his family to worry about also.

"I'm just taking in the view, RiDaw," she smiled at him. The smile was genuine and they believed her. Their faces looked like a weight had been lifted off of their shoulders the second she started to talk.

"You ready to go back in?" Alex asked her. Aurora started to shiver, so she put out her cigarette finally. Alex took off his coat and placed it around her shoulders and wrapped his arm around her waist on their way back to the room.

Though her mind was getting the best of her, she knew exactly what her heart was making her feel. And she felt happy. That was that and there was nothing more to it. Once they arrived back to the room, a bottle of Jagermeister had been taken out and passed around the group. It was passed over to her from Zack the second they walked back in and she accepted without a doubt in her mind. They stayed up until the second Wayne's World was over with, then they went to bed, knowing that the next night was going to be stressful. The boys wanted their little band to go somewhere and it worried them already, at such a young age, that they might fail at reaching out to kids with their music.