Hollywood Hills and Suburban Thrills

I awoke with a start and my hand automatically flew to the area of bed beside me, only to find it empty, however. I blew out a breath that was half of relief and half of disappointment. A part of me had wanted William to stay through the night, but at the same time I knew it was best for him to have left what with my mother still being home and the risk of him being caught at an all time high.

I looked at my clock to see that it was a little after eight and my eyes narrowed. It seemed like just minutes earlier I was talking with William when really it had been three hours. Yes, we had stayed awake talking from one in the morning until five. And that was why I was upset; the one day I don't have to work and I'm up before nine.

I groaned and made to roll out of bed, but my hand landed on an unnoticed piece of paper, crushing it into my bed. I grabbed it and rolled onto my back once more, unfolding it gently and reading William's familiar chicken-scratch writing.

Believe me, if I wasn't terrified that your mother would castrate me, I would've stayed with you until morning. (Or earlier than five a.m., at least.)
Anyway, I was thinking last night, and I think I might have a small, half-baked idea. Wanna know what it is? Call me right after you read this.
-Slim

I smiled at the note before refolding it and placing it on my bedside table. I then snatched my cell phone and called William's number.

"Hello?" someone asks, obviously not the person I was expecting to answer.

"Butcher?" I ask, not entirely sure I got the name right after just one time meeting him.

"Sisky." The voice corrected and I mentally slapped myself.

"Sorry," I say, palming my forehead. "is William there?"

"He's actually asleep right now because someone kept him up past his bedtime." He accuses and I could feel my cheeks redden as I crossed my room to my closet.

"Hey, he kept me up, not vise versa." I protest and Sisky scoffed. "Can you wake him up for me, please? He wanted me to call him."

"I know," he replies. "He gave me directions to follow if and when you called."
"Directions?" I ask, puzzled.

"Very detailed directions," he adds. "And my accomplice The Butcher and I will do carry out the mission."

"The mission?" I'd be lying if I said I wasn't slightly concerned by the way he had said that.

"Yup!" a new voice says and I assumed it was The Butcher. "You have half an hour to be ready." And the line went dead.

I closed my phone and looked at for a moment before sliding out of from my bed and walking to my closet. And as I changed into my daily attire—jeans and a tee-shirt—I couldn't help but wonder what Sisky and The Butcher were up to.

Ready in half an hour? I pondered as I lined my eyes with black. What in God's name does that mean? I continued to wonder about what was possibly going to happen until twenty-five minutes had passed; that was when I was found downstairs, on the couch, anxiously awaiting what was going to happen when the next five minutes passed.

The hands on the clock seemed to move slowly and I found myself curled up in a ball because my nerves were becoming so great. I hated suspense no matter who it was focused on; in movies, books, anything and everything, and the next time I see Sisky, I'm going to be sure he remembers that.

I looked at the clock again and saw that it was eight thirty-five, and right on cue, there was a knock at the door, followed by a rapid chorus of the doorbell ringing.

I nearly sprinted to the door, yanking it open fast and there before me stood The Butcher, Sisky, and someone I did not know. Although he seemed familiar, just like the boys of The Academy Is… did, once again, I found myself tongue tied by his name.

"Let's go, Dani," Butcher says, grabbing my arm and yanking me out the door. I stumbled over the threshold and when I looked up and past Sisky and the anonymous boy, I saw a huge tour bus.

My jaw went lack and I gawked at the gigantic vehicle that was idling in front of my driveway, the door open and waiting.

"Guys, what's going on?" I ask, still not taking my eyes away from bus.

"Well, William told us last night how much you had wanted to go to the Chicago Warped Tour show and we decided to kidnap you and take you to Tinley Park with us for the show there." The unnamed boy says with a wide smile that faltered when I gave him a blank stare.

That's when Sisky jumped in. "Oh, by the way, Dani—this is Gabe Saporta. Gabe, Dani Taylor."

"Gabe" sent me an odd glance. "You didn't already know who I was?" he asks in quiet surprise.

I shook my head. "You'd be surprised just how sheltered I am by college."
Gabe smiled. "Apparently,"

"Anyway," Sisky says, "we're supposed to be going now." And now he was pulling me toward the bus.

"Wait, I don't have anything ready." I turned back to my house and flew up my stairs to my room and started piling clothes into a duffel bag; my phone charger, laptop, makeup—and then I stopped while I was I was packing a sweatshirt.

"Is something wrong?" Butcher asks from my doorway.

"My mom," I mumble, slouching onto my mattress beside the stuffed bag. "she'd never let me go."

"Would it hurt to ask?" Sisky asks innocently.

"Yes, it probably would." I tried to laugh but it came out as a strangled sigh as the renewed hope I had had outside was crushed.

"Well you have to do something." Gabe whines, stomping one foot impatiently.

And my brain started working frantically. And then I came up with a plan.

I dug my cell phone out and called my mom, barely waiting for her to say hello before I started in on my lie.

"I'm going to Tinley Park with Kayla for the day to do some shopping."

My mom was quiet for a while. "Are you asking or telling?"

I rolled my eyes. "Asking," I answer.

She waited again. "Okay," she says then and I beamed at the boys who zipped my duffel bag shut the rest of the way and carted it out of my room and down the stairs.

"Okay, I'll probably be back late so don't wait up."

"Okay, bye Da-…" but I had already hung up and dialed Kayla's number.

"Hello?" she asks groggily. Of course she was still asleep.

"Kayla, if my mom calls, we're in Tinley Park shopping together for the day, got it?"

"Uh, sure," she replies, sounding like she was falling asleep again.

"Kayla, I need you to remember this for me. It's life or death here."

"Okay, okay, you, me, shopping, it's a cover for mom. Got it."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Goodbye." And we hung up on each other.

I stuffed my phone back in my pocket and ran back down the stairs to see Sisky waiting for me by the door, the bus' motor roaring outside on the street side.

"Ready?" he asks.

"You bet I am," I answer and I walked out of the house, shutting and locking the door behind me.