Very early the next morning, the group filed onto the bus. Mike did a quick head count.

"Where are JC an Ali?" He asked

"Probably having mad passionate sex in the bathroom." Chris grinned.

  • "No. That was last night. We’re here." JC said as he walked onto the bus pulling Ali behind him.

    "Shh! I told you not to tell!" Ali hit his arm playfully.

    "Are we all here now?" Mike asked.

    "Yep." Ali nodded. "All here."

    "It’s about time. We’re already running late." Mike mumbled as he left and everyone settled down for a long bus ride.

    "Hey PooFoo! Where are we going?" Rori yelled across the bus.

    "Why do you always call me that?" Lance asked her.

    "Cuz. It is cute. Now where are we going?"

    "Rochester, New York."

    "Rochester! That’s like 12 hours away."

    "Sorry." Lance shrugged.

    "I’m going to go play Blitz. Anyone wanna play me?" Joey asked, walking towards the back of the bus.

    "I will." Chris said as he stood up to follow Joey.

  • "No! I want to." Ali pushed Chris out of her way.

    "Do you know how to?"

    "I can pretend I do."

    "Oh, I gotta see this!" Justin said.

    Justin followed Joey and Ali to the back of the bus. Soon everyone was in the back. When Ali reached to take the controller from Joey he didn’t let go of it. He was staring at her hand.

    "Where the hell did you get this rock?"

    "JC." Ali smiled.

    They all turned to look at JC.

    "Maybe we should tell them." He was smiling too.

    "Maybe. Ok. Here it goes. We’re engaged." Ali’s smile just got bigger.

    "No way." Justin said.

    "Yes way." Ali said back to him.

    "When? Did you guys set a date yet?" Lance asked.

    "He just asked me last night."

    "I was thinking maybe a year or two." JC looked over at Ali.

    "I was thinking a little soon. Like July."

    "July!" JC exclaimed.

  • "Well congrats. Are we going to play or what?" Joey said as he turned the game on.

    "July is only 5 months away Ali!"

    "Why does it matter to you? I’m the one who’s going to be planning it. You’ll be too busy!"

    "I care because I want to know how much time I have before I loose all my freedom!"

    "Before you loose all you freedom?!?! If I remember correctly, Joshua Scott, YOU proposed to me!"

    "Well, maybe I shouldn’t have! It was a spur of the moment decision and you didn’t have to say yes! "

  • Ali could not believe the words that had just come out of JC’s mouth. She looked at him waiting for him to take them back. When he didn’t say anything, Ali turned and ran out of the backroom.

  • "Good! Go! I was done talking to you anyway!" JC yelled at her descending figure.

    "God! You are so stupid!" Rori said as she hit him on the back of the head before following Ali.

  • Justin shook his head as he followed Rori. They found Ali sitting at the table in the kitchen. Justin stayed back as Rori sat down across from Ali.

  • "Loosing all his freedom, he shouldn’t have asked me to marry him. What was that all about?" Ali asked as tears ready to fall from her eyes. "One minute we are all in love and then the next…Well you saw what happened."

    "Five months is a little soon Ali." Rori said.

    "But I checked and they have a break. We will finally be able to make our relationship public and we could quit hiding it. It would be perfect."

    "Maybe he realized the whole of everything when you suggested a date so soon."

    "Did he really decide to ask me spur of the moment?"

    "Well…" Rori was trying to think of a good way to form words. "He was at the mall yesterday, remember?"

  • Ali nodded.

  • "And he saw the ring. I think he decided then and there that he wanted to make your love official so he bought it. Then he took you to the beach and asked the question."
  • "You could have just answered my question with a simple yes."

    Ali sighed. She was wiping away her tears with the back of her hand.

     

    Chapter 10

    Chapter 8

    Index