a phone call

The first couple of times, Gabby got the mysterious phone number on her Android, she didn't pick up, but they kept calling and for no apparent reason, she finally answered.

It was Bree.

"Hey, what happened to your old phone?" Gabby asked right away.

"Something, messed up on it." She told her.

"But, you have an iPhone." Gabby knew how much Bree loved that phone. Her life was on that phone.

"I decided to go with something cheaper." Bree told her she didn't call her to talk about phones. "Where are you guys?"

"I guess you don't check my blog." Gabby informed her that she updated it with tour pictures and other tidbits about the guys.

"Sorry, I've..I've got a summer job."

"A summer job?" Gabby was in total shock. Bree with a job? "What are you doing?"

"Some..babysitting." Bree didn't seem sure. Gabby didn't believe her, but she didn't let on.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really." Bree said.

"Nothing else is going on?" Gabby asked.

"Not a thing." Bree told her.

"Have..have you seen Will?" Gabby wanted to know.

"Why would I see Will?" Bree was indifferent.

"But..you..you always see Will." Gabby remembered. They were practically kissing cousins.

"He's got his own job." Bree reminded Gabby. "Do you miss him?"

Gabby was closed mouth. Asking about Will was like opening a can worms. Finally, she told Bree they were going to a place near Chimney Rock.

"Seriously?" She sounded excited.

Gabby winced. She didn't think Bree was in to nature places nor old Nebraska history.

highly unlikely

Ellis couldn't believe this. Were they actually going to sleep in a tent, again?

Yes, he was always the worst. But he wasn't used to these kind of conditions while on the road.

"The key is, to wear less clothes." Derrick told him, who practically performed in his underwear every night on stage.

"Hey, they are swimming trunks." Derrick informed the rest of them, early on. After all, he knew how hot the mid-west could be.

But... back to Ellis and wearing less. "I dunno what your problem is?" Derrick told him he was fit enough. "You'd be selling it." Derrick's grin was open, but it only made Ellis feel more disgusted.

He needed his own motel room. Even a cheap one with running water and some A/C for the night would at least be suffice. But, he was the odd man out.

Bo seemed to thrive in filth while Gabby and Howie were more worried about the schedule and that old school bus.

Really, Ellis felt a little sick. Maybe he was homesick. Especially, after he heard from Geo how great the dinner went with Melissa's family.

"I love her." Geo kept saying. It made Ellis all the more lonesome.

How come he couldn't be normal? He knew he was no rockstar. He was not cut out for the road.

"Oh, you're a rockstar, alright." Derrick assured him. "You, got that demanding face. Now, we just only have to get better..so we can afford those places you want to stay."

Ellis sighed. No way was that a pep talk.

"Derrick, really likes you." Bo said later after they were loading up the bus to get ready for the next show, down the road.

Ellis' eyes lit. What did that mean? Ellis couldn't help but scowl. He didn't want anyone liking him.

just a thought

"You're not nearly as upset as I thought you'd be." Xander looked at Simon who was helping make ice cream cookie sandwiches with Dakota.

"What?" Simon looked at him, as if he might be oblivious to the whole situation with Bree. He put another spoonful of chocolate ice cream on the chocolate chip cookie while Dakota put the cookie top on it, ever so careful.

"Aren't you worried, what..what might happen to her?" Xander always thought Simon was madly in love with the girl.

"She's..she's with Connor." He was closed lipped about his love life these days. As usual, he was always getting texts from Ivy. Although, he confirmed..they were just friends. He went on with the cookies and ice cream. "We, we decided..we..she..Bree.. didn't want to..see..me..anymore."

"When did that happen?" Xander felt he was the last to know, "Does your Mom know?"

Simon shook his head, no. He finally sighed.

"Don't make me feel bad about this." He did look sad. Evidently, Theater camp must have paid off because Xander was sold on Simon's pollyanna performance. "I think she's OK."

"Have you tried to call her?" Xander wanted to know. He shook his head, no.

"I..I wouldn't know what to say to her, if..if I did get her." He sighed, thinking he was certain she'd ditched her phone, but he could see her getting a GO PHONE.

"Well, who would she call?" Xander couldn't help but ask.

"I dunno." He shrugged. "Not me."

Simon told Xander that he should be a police detective.

Xander couldn't help but laugh. He pushed his fingers into his brother's dark curls and messed with his hair before Simon could push an ice cream sandwich into his mouth.

Ah, now I don't hardly know her

Connor had been blue for sometime. It was like he knew what had happened before it actually happened.

Now, he felt like damaged goods. Perhaps, he was only using Bree as an excuse. But being a teenage father wasn't nearly as exciting as people might think. Especially, when he couldn't tell anyone.

It thrilled him and got him in the gut each time he thought of the idea that he wasn't who he should be. Besides, someone else was raising his kid as their own.

Also, Samantha wouldn't talk to him, either. He felt cutoff from everything.

He'd been sad... far too long. Not that Bree could do anything about it. Still, it was good to find her, again.

But he didn't take the news well, that the first girl he'd ever had feelings for had been left to her own devices to suffice the brutal world of untamed teenagers,, who didn't have a clue they were harming anyone.

"I want you to go to the police about this." It made him sick where her hands had been. He knew she was a survivor, but it was easy to see that it was much of nothing to her.

She'd let it go, a long time ago.

"Hey, its not like I go around doing it on the weekends or in the dark, you know." She assured him, it wasn't that way with Simon.

"I hope he finds somebody good." Even when she said it, he knew she was on the brink of tears. And then he cried too.

Honestly, after the big cry fest, he was sure it was a cleansing of some kind.

"You..you don't hate me..do you?" He was sure he was the worst. He hadn't even seen his baby.

"Don't do this, to yourself." She told him it would do no one any good. "Maybe, this..just..isn't the right time." She told him, he needed to go on with his future. "Think this out." She promised she would go with him when he did see the baby.

Of course, Connor didn't even know where to start.

Instead, they got in Connor's old car and headed west.