Find Your Own Way

The front door opened and four women walked inside laughing. The getaway had been great and much needed. Michelle had been getting so tired of Arianna’s antics. She just hoped the guys had gotten her straightened out at least a little bit.

Going into the kitchen she noticed all the guys sitting around the table eating along with someone she hadn’t seen in ages and her daughter who looked happy for once.

“Hi guys,” she shouted making them all jump.

“Thank god your home Mommy,” Arianna drawled stuffing more food in her mouth. “These guys are crazy. They made me scrub the floor!”

Standing up and greeting their wives the men smiled happily. They’d be getting laid tonight!

“Oh honey,” Brian said hugging her to his side. “You remember Dan right?”

“It’s only been twenty odd years,” she laughed waving at him. “You doing good? The band still nice and big?”

“I’m pretty well, and yes the band is ‘nice and big’ as you put it,” he laughed. Seeing the couples made him yearn for that type of relationship. He just hadn’t found the right one yet.

“Babe,” Michelle stated looking back to her husband. “Your roots are coming in, I’ll pick some hair dye up later when I go to the store.”

“Fuck, not too grey right?” Brian asked fussing over his hair. He hadn’t really looked in the mirror lately being too preoccupied with worrying over their daughter.

Laughter filled the room but the laughter that was the loudest was Arianna who was spitting her food all over the table.

“Gross,” Zacky stated picking his plate up before she could get anything on it.

“So how are you baby girl?” Michelle asked going over to her daughter and giving her a tight hug. “No more staying out after curfew?”

Nodding Arianna hugged her mother back. “I missed you so much Mommy. Seriously Dad wouldn’t even let me eat the things I like!”

Looking over to her husband she raised an eyebrow, “Want me to ground you and not let you eat the foods you like big guy?”

Pointing to himself Brian viciously shook his head. “It was her punishment,” he defended. “Plus,” he shouted pointing to the others, “it was their idea!”

“Hey,” Matt said, “it was not! You were so pissed you were coming up with all types of crazy things!”

Laughing the girls just shook their heads kissing their husbands cheeks’.



Laying outside in her bathing suit Arianna enjoyed the sun as it warmed her skin. She was almost asleep when a shadow hovered over her blocking her sun.

“Hey,” she grumbled looking up at the perpetrator. “You’re in my sun!”

“Free country,” Dan laughed sitting down next to her. “What are you up to today?”

“Why?” she asked closing her eyes again.

“Well I’m leaving tomorrow,” he said looking at her. “I just thought you may wanna do something? Get ice cream maybe? I don’t know.”

Opening an eye to stare at him she smiled. He was so weird sometimes. She was glad she had gotten to know him.

“Sure,” she agreed closing her eye again. “How come you have to go again?”

Smiling Dan looked down to the girl who wasn’t going to move anytime soon. “I’ve got to go visit my son, he’s off school for a couple of months.”

“You have a kid?” she asked opening her eyes and staring at him. How did she not know that?

“Yeah,” Dan nodded pulling out his phone to pull up a picture. “His name is Tucker, he’s six.”

“He’s so cute,” she said stealing his phone to look at the picture. Going through his pictures some more she smiled when she saw one of Tucker pointing excitedly at a kangaroo.

“I did good I suppose,” Dan laughed going to grab his phone back.

“Wait a minute,” Arianna muttered opening up a new message and sending one to her phone. She’d be getting it back tomorrow. “There. Now you have my number and I have yours.”

“Okay then,” Dan said taking his phone back and sticking it in his pocket. “How about that ice cream?”

“I have to get dressed first,” she told him getting up from her spot.

Finally at the small ice cream parlor Arianna grinned. She loved ice cream. Licking at her small mint chocolate she made eye contact with Dan who was eating his plain chocolate one.

“Chocolate is stupid you know,” she informed. “It’s just one flavor and it’s boring at that.”

“Mint chocolate is only one flavor more,” he told her laughing. He couldn’t stop hoping that she would be okay when he left. Stay off the drugs. But he also knew that there was a higher possibility of her using them.

“How old are you?” she randomly asked.

“Why do you want to know?” he asked back.

“How old Dan?”

“Twenty three years older than you,” he said making her groan. “You do know basic math right, they still teach that in school?”

“I’m too lazy to do the math! Just tell me how old you are,” she whined taking a bite out of her cone.

“Here’s my phone, use the calculator,” he laughed. Her face was priceless. He wasn’t making it easy on her. “Tell me why you want to know and I’ll tell you out right.”

“Because,” she dragged looking into his eyes. She honestly liked them, they sparkled with laughter. “I want to know how old the man is that I’m spending my day with.”

“That’s not a very good reason but since you gave one,” Dan said looking up when he felt a tap on his shoulder. “Yes?”

“Can I get your autograph?” a young girl that looked to be about twenty asked. “I’m a big fan of your band. Are the other guys around?”

“Uh no, they’re at the respective homes,” Dan told her taking a napkin out of its holder and accepting the pen he gave her. “Now who do I sign it for?”

“Brittany,” she said smiling excitedly. “I’ve loved you since I was thirteen!”

“Oh really now,” Dan laughed writing out a small message for the girl.

Looking at the paper Arianna felt a small bit of jealousy rise in her at the small “xoxo” scribbled next to his signature.

“Here you go,” Dan said giving her the small napkin.

Thanking him Brittany realized that he was sitting with company. “Oh whose this?” she asked. “Girlfriend?”

“So what if I am?” Arianna growled before Dan could get a word in. “Go away.”

Staring at her Brittany just nodded and ran off scared.

Looking over at the young girl with raised eyebrows Dan didn’t even know what to say. No she wasn’t his girlfriend, that wouldn’t happen in a hundred years, but she was almost acting like it.

“You want to tell me what just happened there?” Dan asked finishing his ice cream.

“Not really,” Arianna grumbled throwing the rest of her ice cream away and walking out the door. She didn’t stand a chance so why was she even trying?

Sighing he followed her out the door and caught her sitting on a bench across the street. He honestly didn’t know how to react. They wouldn’t work! Even if she was pretty. Looks weren’t everything.

Sitting next to her Dan tried to gain her attention but she was looking everywhere but him. Staying silent he felt her slump against him. Looking down he realized that she had passed out. And then he got scared. What was going on?



Carrying her through the door Dan look hopelessly for Brian, or any of the guys, to save him. He really didn’t have any of the strength he was using to carry her and his back was ready to give.

“Brian?” he shouted going into the living room. “Brian, you need to get in here!”

Popping her head through the door of the kitchen Michelle drops the plate she was previously drying. “Oh Dan, what happened?” Rushing over to her daughter she wiped her hair out of her face.

“We were eating ice cream, I had a fan come up to me and they irritated Ari, after that we were sitting outside and she just passed out,” Dan explained looking up to see the guys coming in. “I don’t know what happened or if she took anything.”

“Fuck,” Brian muttered. He had gone through her room while they were out and hadn’t found any drugs and she hadn’t seen any of her friends.

“Ari, honey,” Michelle said checking her pulse. “Honey wake up.”

After another few minutes of her being unresponsive Brian started to freak out.

“You’re sure she didn’t take anything?”

“I’m positive,” Dan said. Having a thought he started patting her pockets seeing if she had anything on her. She didn’t.

Tugging at his hair Brian looked up at the clock. Only ten minutes had passed since Dan had gotten home, twenty from when she originally passed out.

“Maybe she was just dehydrated?” Johnny suggested. He knew it was a long shot but he had to hold on to some hope.

“If she doesn’t wake up soon man we’re going to have to take her to the hospital,” Zacky spoke eyeing his niece. When he had first heard that she was starting to use he freaked out and told Brian that he needed to keep her away from her friends. He was so afraid that she’d take too much and just pass out never to wake up again. And here she was, passed out, and they didn’t have a clue as to why.