When they got to the truck stop Mandy and Ally said good-bye to the other guys with hugs and promises to see them again soon. Then the foursome piled in to the van. There was only them and a driver, once again AJ and Brian opted not to take a bodyguard. Ally and Brian sat in the backseat and AJ and Mandy sat in the seat in front of them. They went through Burger King and got some breakfast. And like the night before the guys didn't let them pay for anything.
Mandy - "You guys are spoiling us."
AJ - "That's the whole point." He is handing out the food. "Here's your soda Rok."
Brian - "Thanks. Wait where's Ally's?"
AJ - "They must have forgotten it."
Ally - "That's okay."
Brian - "You can share mine." He hands her his cup.
Ally - "Thanks. I'll try not to drink it all."
They eat in relative silence just making small talk. AJ is telling Mandy some story about the road and she is trying really hard not to yawn.
AJ - "Am I that exciting."
Mandy - "No that's not it at all. I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night and I guess it's catching up with me."
AJ - "well then why don't you rest a little bit?"
Mandy - "Cause I don't want to miss spending time with you." He reaches under the seat and pulls out a pillow. He places it against the side of the seat.
AJ - "Come here." She scoots closer and he wraps his arms around her and then leans on the pillow. "Now we can both sleep and spend time together."
Mandy - "AJ"
AJ - "Shh." He kisses her lips softly. "Lay your head down and close your eyes."
Mandy - "Okay." She snuggles close and both are asleep in minutes.
Ally and Brian were busy in the back seat talking about old times so they didn't even notice that the other two had fallen asleep.
Brian - "Mr. Poole really threw the globe across the room?"
Ally - "Yeah he said that it was a travesty that young people had such little sense of history that we didn't know who the president before Reagan was."
Brian - "That man really needs to get out more."
Ally - "But he is. I saw him out at he movies with Ms.Elloitt this past summer."
Brian - "Really. I would have never seen the two of them hooking up."
Ally - "Nobody would have. My mom said that they're getting married over Christmas break."
Brian - "I miss your mom."
Ally - "You miss my mom's cooking."
Brian - "Well that too."
Ally - "Every time she makes lasagna she says I wish Brian was here then I wouldn't have to worry about what to do with the left overs."
Brian - "Hey you let me know when she's making it and I'll pay to have the left-overs sent to me."
Ally - "I bet you would." She turns to look out the window.
Brian - "Are you ever going to tell me what you're thinking about when you look away like that?"
Ally - "Probably not."
Brian - "Why?"
Ally - "I want to maintain a sense of mystery."
Brian - "I've seen you naked there is no mystery."
Ally - "Brian!" She swings at him. He catches her wrist and pulls her towards him. "You are so going to pay." She tries to get her leg up to kick him. He manages to grab a hold of it and before she knows it she's on her back with Brian on top of her.
Brian - "Shh. They're sleeping."
Ally - "Could you get off me?"
Brian - "I'm rather comfortable. Now all we need is some mistle toe."
Ally - "For what?"
Brian - "For this." He kisses her softly. After she gets over her shock she returns his kiss. His hands let go over her wrists and he moves them up her sides to her hair. She places hers on his back pulling him closer to her. The van then hits a bump that knocks their heads to together hard.
Both - "Ouch!" They start laughing.
Ally - "That really hurt."
Brian - "You're telling me. You've got a hard head."
Ally - "Yours isn't exactly soft either." She's rubbing her forehead as she sits up.
Driver - "Is anyone awake back there?"
Brian - "Yeah."
Driver - "I need directions to your place sweetie."
Ally - "Okay get off the next exit." She gives him directions to their dorm on campus. Once they pull up in front of the building she reaches over the seat to gently wake up Mandy and AJ. "Hey guys we're here."
Mandy stretches. "Already."
Ally - "'fraid so."
Brian - "Well we're going to walk you girls upstairs."
Ally - "You sure."
AJ - "Yeah. Well be right back down Steve." The driver just nods.
On the walk up to the door they get a couple of looks but no one says anything. Ally digs in her purse for the keys and then unlocks the door and they go up the four flights of stairs to their room.
Mandy - "You guys sure you want to see this."
AJ - "It can't be that bad."
Ally - "Yes it can." She opens the door and turns on the light. "Oh I guess we did clean it recently."
Brian - "Hey this isn't so bad. It's actually kind of cozy." He sits down on one of the beds. It just happens to be Ally's. She has pictures on the wall by her bed. Brian leans over to look at them.
AJ - "So this is where you sleep when you aren't using me as a pillow."
Mandy - "Yeah." Just then there is a knock on the door, Janet a girl who is just down the hall pops her head in.
Janet - "Oh sorry didn't know you guys had company."
Mandy - "That's okay what's up?"
Janet - "I just wanted you to know that Mrs. MacCaffthery posted to parts for the winter musical this morning."
Mandy - "Thanks we'll go check it out later."
Janet - "No problem. See you later." She leaves.
Brian - "You guys tried out for the musical?"
Ally - "Yeah most of the parts go to juniors or seniors but we're hoping for the chorus."
AJ - "You want to go check it out."
Mandy - "No that's okay we'll go later. You guys probably want to get going."
Ally - "Yeah we don't want you to be late meeting the bus."
Brian looks at his watch. "We've got a couple minutes. Um, do you guys think you could give Ally and me a minute?"
AJ - "Sure. Why don't you show me the rest of your floor?"
Mandy - "Okay." They leave the room.
Brian - "I wanted to talk to you for a minute."
Ally - "Brian it's okay. You don't have to explain anything. I remember what you said last night. You don't have time for a girlfriend. I'm not expecting anything from you. That kiss was just that a kiss and I'm okay with that."
Brian - "Ally, stop talking for a minute and listen to me."
Ally - "Okay."
Brian - "That's always been your problem you assume too much. I want to see you. I want to try to make this work between the two of us. I think it could be a really good thing."
Ally - "But what about all that stuff you said last night."
Brian - "I take it back. Forget I said any of it."
Ally - "I can't forget it Brian. You were right about somethings. It will be hard staying in touch and then we won't get to see each other that much."
Brian - "I'm willing to try of you are."
Ally - "Okay."
Brian - "Okay. That's all you have to say is okay."
Ally - "Well would this be better." She leans over and kisses him.
Brian - "That's a lot better. But you know what there is something missing from this room."
Ally - "And what is that?"
Brian - "A picture of us." He gets the camera she has off her shelf then sits next to her again. "Say cheese."
Meanwhile Mandy and AJ are walking down the hall.
Mandy - "And that's the bathroom."
AJ - "Fascinating. So you like going here?" They sit in the lounge.
Mandy - "Yeah. It has kind of rough at first but then I met Ally and it's been great ever since."
AJ - "So I can't talk you into quitting and coming out on the road with me."
Mandy - "As what your harem girl. I don't think so."
AJ - "Well what if I was able to get you a job."
Mandy - "I kind of want to finish school."
AJ - "I figured as much. Can I at least get your phone number?"
Mandy - "Yes you can have my phone number."
AJ - "Good cause no matter what you think I am going to call you."
Mandy - "I know."
AJ - "I'm going to miss you."
Mandy - "You barely know me."
AJ - "Well I'm going to miss getting to know you in person instead of over the phone."
Mandy - "Well think of it this way. The next time we see each other we'll already know all of the little stuff and we can get right down to the making out."
AJ - "See I knew we thought alike." He laughs a little as he leans over to kiss her. Brian and Ally come out of the room.
Brian - "I knew that we shouldn't have left them alone too long."
AJ - "Time to go already."
Brian - "Yeah."
AJ - "Okay."
Mandy - "Here let me write down my number." She runs in the room and wrote it down for him.
Brian - "So I'll call you later if I get a chance okay."
Ally - "Okay." He kisses her. "I'll send you a copy of the pictures when I get them back."
Mandy gives AJ the slip of paper with her number on it. "If I'm not here you can always leave a message and I'll call you back."
AJ - "Okay. I'll talk to you later." He kisses her cheek.
Mandy - "Bye." The guys walk down the stairs and the girls go back in their room.
Ally - "I got a boyfriend."
Mandy - "Seriously! You and Brian and going out."
Ally - "Yeah. I can't believe it." A snow ball hits the window. Both of them go to it and open it. Brian and AJ are standing at in the yard.
Brian yells up. "Hey I forgot to tell you something?"
Ally - "What?"
Brian - "I love you."
Ally - "I love you too."
Brian - "Bye."
Ally - "Bye."
AJ looks at Mandy. It's too soon for him to tell her how he feels. He needs to get it all sorted out for himself first. She understands that so she doesn't expect any declarations of love from him. She just blows him a kiss and he waves back.
AJ - "Come on Bri. Let's stop making a scene. I'll call you later."
Mandy - "I'll be here."
They stay at the window until they see the van drive out of sight. Then they close the window.
Ally - "So what's the deal between you and AJ."
Mandy - "He asked me to go with him."
Ally - "What on tour?"
Mandy - "Yeah. I said no of course. But it was nice to think about for a second."
Ally - "Yeah now we have to go back to the real world."
Mandy - "I don't want to."
Ally - "Me either." Both of them sit there thinking about their guys. "Well let's get cleaned up and go check those cast postings."
Mandy - "Okay."
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