Speak Now & Surprises [Hunter Hayes fanfic]

Chapter 42

After promising to update Jess on everything that happened, Grant led me round the back of the Lincoln Hospital and we waited for the bus to arrive.

“Knowing that you’re staying in the hospital named after Abe just makes me feel, you know, reassured that you’re being treated well here.” Grant announced proudly as we loitered around.

“I’m sure Abraham is watching over us as we speak.” I teased, nudging his arm. He shook his head at me and smiled, knowing that none of us truly understood his passion for Abraham Lincoln.

The sleek chrome bus curved into the tiny back alley Grant and I lurked in, and shuddered to a halt at a worryingly small distance from the walls. I glanced into the driving seat and saw the reason for the hectic manoeuvre: Austin grinned and waved at us, before scrambling further into the bus interior and sliding open the door.

Hunter was the first to tumble out, picking me up and spinning me around as he held my head into his collar bones and whispering how much he’d missed me.

“Hey, slow down lover boy.” I told him laughing as I set my foot and prosthetic leg firmly on the ground.

“Sorry darling,” he grinned, tucking his hands into his pockets and blushing, looking down.

Liz was next to show how much she’d missed me with a sisterly hug.

“I swear we get more unorganized every time you leave, Shelby!” she exclaimed, taking my face between her hands.

“Howdy kid.” Amos teased and grabbed my nose between his thumb and forefinger as he walked past and patted me on the back, before helping me onto the bus.

Once we were cruising through the backstreets of Bronx to create as little attention as possible, I felt free again. Of course the Lincoln Hospital was heavenly and luxurious with it’s automatic air fresheners that you could customize to smell like anything from jasmine to vanilla; it’s meals that were all served on blue and pink willow patterned plates, and not to mention the French windows that made you feel like a duchess from the nineteenth century – but it wasn’t living. You didn’t feel the kick in your stomach as Mike naively drank from a cup that ‘Greg’ lurked in at the bottom - resulting in paroxysms of laughter from everybody on the bus; you couldn’t feel the pre-concert stress as Caitlin burned Taylor’s elbow on her curling wand and Taylor insisting that she had an “Owie”, and you never felt that flutter in your heart and feel the step in your breath as Hunter hugged you from behind and kissed your neck. That was how I defined ‘living’.

The sound of an accordion began blaring from the bunks as we lounged in the living area.

“Who in the heck’s phone is that?” Paul asked incredulously. Hunter’s cheeks turned pink as he scrambled to answer it.

“Ah, our little Cajun five year old, I should’ve known.” He laughed and winked at us. Hunter pulled him a surly look as he engaged in a conversation.

“So Andrea, how’s things been without me?” I struck up, hoping for some juicy gossip that I’d missed. Andrea sighed terribly and looked at me gravely.

“Well our Austin has been a little bit of a text pest to your sister...” she trailed off as everybody hooted in the direction of the drivers’ seat.

“You’re kidding me, right?” I grinned, unaware that this had been happening.

“Don’t worry - I don’t think Amelia is that into Austin.” Grant reassured me, “Or as into him as he’d like.”

“Don’t listen to them Austin! You and Amelia are meant to be together!” Caitlin yelled as convincingly as she could to Austin who was driving. Austin ignored us and tried to act as mature as possible, probably to prove that as an eighteen year old boy he was perfectly capable of dating a twenty-three year old woman. Psh.

I glanced over to Hunter, who was hunched over and had his hand on the ear not covered by the phone as he tried to concentrate.

“Yeah, De La, I’ll sort it out. No, I’m not letting this go to my head. For crying out loud De La, I’m not part of some elicit teen gang that deals drugs and makes explicit tapes. Chill out. Yeah, bye? Bye.” Hunter grumbled and hung up.

“How’s my favourite porn star?” I swung by him and joked. He shot me a sarcastic look.

“You’d know,” he responded dryly, raising his eyebrows.

“We can hear you accordion boy!” Grant yelled and the others made wooing noises. Hunter pulled the curtain shut.

“So what was that call all about?” I asked, concerned.

“Nothing,” he shook his head.

“Seriously? You’re actually shooting explicit tapes?” I tried to convince him that I was being serious, but realised I’d failed as soon as he gave me that knowing look.

“Nothing, really. Just some paparazzi got a picture of me topless through a hotel window in Montreal and are trying to spin it off on some angle. My manager is worried that it will affect my “image in the industry”.” He quoted, groaning.

“Spinning it off on an angle totally inappropriate for a nineteen year old?” I chided mockingly as I shook my head in a disappointed fashion at him.

“Hey, you’re hardly Miss Innocent.” He pointed out, and I had to agree.

“Would you two quit talking about whatever freakish tapes you’re making a get off this bus before we’re bombarded with a thousand screaming people?” Taylor moaned at us as she thrust the curtain back so hard it almost fell of the hanger.

As we hurried off of the steps I realised that I still didn’t know where we were going.

“Here’s your ticket ma’am.” Somebody with a similar accent to Jess grunted as they handed me a ticket laden with brightly coloured cartoon animals and paw prints, headed ‘Bronx Zoo: Saving Wildlife and Wild Places’.

“No place as wild as your bedroom judging by that conversation I just overheard.” Amos murmured as he bumped into me and Hunter, before folding in half with stitches of snickers.

How hilarious.