Summary: Chrysanthemum and Kali get the surprise of their lives when they are called to the principals office one afternoon.
A/N: Hey guys I am back! long time no post I know, I was in a bit of a slump but I finally finished the first chapter of The Bus! this is where it all begins. Also Xelia, is now known as Kali for reasons. Enjoy!
May fifteenth started out like every other day. Chrysanthemum hit the snooze button twice before slowly getting out of bed; she daydreamed about impossible scenarios in the shower while listening to her favorite band, the Backstreet Boys. She skipped breakfast and took forever to decide what to wear, then headed out the door minutes before the bus came.
“Just another day at the prison they call school.” She thought to herself as she changed the song that was playing.
She only had a few precious minutes to listen to what she wanted to before her friend Tina got on the bus and hijacked one earbud and the song selection. As the bus approached Tina’s stop Chrysanthemum silently pleaded that she wouldn’t be at her stop, and her heart sank when she saw Tina standing at the end of her driveway waiting.
“Let me guess, Backstreet Boys?” Tina asked as she sat next to Chrysanthemum, taking the right earbud and placing it in her ear. Chrysanthemum just nodded meekly.
“It’s weird that you’re still hung up on them, you know. They aren’t even relevant anymore.” Tina said as she changed the song to a Fall Out Boy song.
Chrysanthemum just smiled and looked out the window. She didn’t dare argue with Tina or say that Backstreet Boys would always be relevant to her or that they had just come out with an album that year. She was somewhat relieved when they arrived at school, at least she would see Kali for a little bit before first period. Kali was the one person that not only understood her obsession with the boys but supported it and was a fan herself, thanks to Chrysanthemum showing her the old VHS of a concert.
In the middle of second period, a student office aide came in and handed the teacher a note. The teacher called Chrys up to her desk, handed Chrys the note, and told her to go to the office with all her stuff. Chrysanthemum was nervous, she never got called to the office. She wondered if she was in trouble and her heart was racing as she walked down the hallway.
About halfway to the office she heard someone say ‘Psssttt! Loser!’ behind her.
She turned around to see Kali walking behind her with a yellow note in her hand.
“You get summoned to the office too?” Kali asked as she caught up to Chrys, a strange smile on her face.
Chrysanthemum smiled and nodded in response; she was stumped as to why they had been called to the office. For the remainder of the short walk, they both talked over things they could’ve done that would warrant a trip to the office.
“Age before beauty,” Kali said as she opened the door to the front office.
The receptionist was away from her desk so Chrysanthemum and Kali just took a seat and waited. When she returned they handed her their notes and she told them to sit and wait that someone would be with them shortly. A few minutes later the vice principal came out of her office. Both girls tensed up, this was serious.
“Please follow me outside girls.” The vice principal said with a smile. Chrysanthemum and Kali exchanged a confused look as they got up and followed the vice principal.
The front entrance of the school consisted of a series of glass doors, so when Chrysanthemum turned the corner at the end of the hallway she could see the tour bus parked in the circle drive where parents dropped their kids off. Confused, Chrysanthemum looked at her friend for answers. Kali just shrugged and smirked, but Chrys noticed something in Kali’s eyes that said she knew what was going on. It may have taken some time for Kali to open up, but after four years Chrysanthemum could read her best friend like a book. It wasn’t until they started to descend the massive staircase that Chrysanthemum saw the five men standing in front of the tour bus. This time it was Kali looking at her friend to see her reaction to who was at the bottom of the stairs. Chrysanthemum shook her head slowly in disbelief the rest of the way down the stairs.
“Hi, we’re the Backstreet Boys,” the five men all said in unison as the girls reached the bottom of the stairs.
“Oh… my… fuck!” Chrysanthemum shrieked, drawing her hands up to cover her mouth as the realization that this was really happening set in.
The band didn’t even flinch at the profanity, they were used to dealing with fans and their over the top behavior. Kali, however, was doubled over with laughter at her best friends reaction.
“Nice one, idjit!” Kali said, wiping the tears from her eyes from laughing so hard.
Chrysanthemum was still standing there with her hands over her mouth, wide-eyed, but Kali could see the sheer excitement in her best friend’s eyes as she listened to the vice principal explain the situation. Kali was beaming as well, but not just because of the five men standing in front of her. She really loved knowing she had a hand in seeing Chrysanthemum so happy.
“Our chariot awaits,” Kali said hooking her arm into Chrysanthemum’s and walking towards the open door on the tour bus after the vice principal had finished her spiel.
“Welcome to our humble abode on the road,” AJ said as the girls walked up the stairs into the tour bus.
After the band had showed the girls where they would be sleeping, Howie, Nick and Kevin sat on one of the couches in the living room portion of the bus, while Brian and AJ sat next to the girls on the couch on the opposite side of the room.
“I just wanted to say…that when I was depressed y'all did it – damnit – I mean y'all put me – damnit,” Chrysanthemum said, sounding flustered as she faced Brian on the couch.
“It’s OK, breathe,” Brian said calmly as he put his hands on her shoulders.
Chrysanthemum took a deep breath before attempting to continue, “When I was at my lowest your music and interviews got me through it; when I felt like I had no one I had y'all. Thank you for that.”
“Awww! Someone needs a hug!” AJ said motioning for Chrysanthemum to get up so he could hug her. When he did this the rest of the band and Kali also stood up as well and it turned into a group hug.
Chrysanthemum kept waiting for the surreal feeling of what was happening to stop, but as she sat on the couch and Brian handed her a cup of coffee, she still couldn’t believe that this would be her life and her home for the next two weeks. After getting the girls coffee, the band had gone the bedroom portion of the bus to take naps leaving the two girls on the couch.
“How in the fuck are you so calm?!” Chrysanthemum said turning to face Kali on the couch.
Kali shrugged, “I’m not the type to get freaked out around celebrities. Never have been. Plus I am the one who entered us in the contest – ”
“Wait, you what now?!” Chrys raised her eyebrows in shock.
“I saw the contest advertised a little while ago on some website, figured what are the odds and signed us up. I got the e-mail that we had won about a week ago, and I wanted to surprise you,” Kali said before taking a sip of her own coffee.
“Well mission accomplished, bitch. I was not expecting this at all when I got called to the office!” Chrysanthemum sank into the couch and smiled at her best friend.
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