Just Friends (Dan Howell)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Eleven hours later, we touched down in California. It was about three am there due to the time change. We were all exhausted and jet lagged.

Dan, Jenny, and I had brought carry-on. However, Phil had been the only one to check a bag, so we had  to wait with Phil at baggage claim for another thirty minutes before we could get in a taxi and head to the hotel.

"Way to go, Phil!" Dan said sarcastically, hands on his hips, tapping his foot. "Keep the ladies waiting, why doncha?"

"I'm sorry!" Phil said, laughter lacing his voice. He buried his face in his hands, but when he did so, Dan snapped, "Don't cover your eyes, you might miss your bag!"

We were all exhausted, sleep-deprived, and cranky, but found humor in the situation.

Finally, Phil got his bag and we got out of LAX. We hailed a taxi, and shoved our stuff in the trunk. Then we hopped into the cab and gave the driver coordinates to our hotel.

As we drove through LA at a quarter to four in the morning, Jenny got a case of the giggles.

"What is it?" I asked.

Jenny pointed to what she was wearing-- black skirt, black tights, black doc Martin's, a white tee shirt, and a black cardigan. Lots of black, but that wasn't unusual. What was so funny?

I asked her this.

In response, Jenny pointed at a sign we passed, which read LAX! Then she started to sing.

"Hopped off a plane at LAX
With a dream and my cardigan.
Welcome to the land of fame excess,
Am I gonna fit in?
Hopped in a cab, here I am for the first time,
Look to my right and I see the Hollywood sign.
This is all so crazy,
Everybody's lookin' so famous!"

Dan, Phil, and I lost it. I think I even saw the taxi driver smile.

Pretty soon, the four of us were all singing.

"My tummy's turnin' and I'm feeling kinda homesick.
Too much pressure and I'm nervous.
Then the taxi-man turned on the radio,
And a Jay-Z song was on!
And a Jay-Z song was on!
And a Jay-Z song was on!"

The cab driver punched a button, and the radio turned on. Except, it must have been a CD, because it was playing this song. The four of us cheered, raised our hands, and sang along.

"So I put my hands up,
They're playing my song,
And the butterflies fly away!
Nodding my head like yeah,
Movin' my hips like yeah.
I put my hands up,
They're playing my song,
And I know it's gonna be okay.
Yeah!
It's a party in the USA.
Yeah!
It's a party in the USA."

We all burst out laughing. Dan, Phil, and Jenny stopped there. However, this was my time to shine. I was back in LA, I was back home. I could relate to this song on a spiritual level.

"Get to the club in my taxi cab,
Everybody's lookin' at me now.
Like, 'who's that chick who's rockin' kicks?
She's gotta be from out of town.'
So hard without my girls all around me.
This definitely ain't a Nashville party.
Cuz all I see are stilettos.
Guess I never got the memo.
My tummy's turnin' and I'm feeling kinda homesick.
Too much pressure and I'm nervous.
That's when the DJ drops my favorite tune,"

Phil joined me for the next three lines, a huge, silly smile on his face.

"And a Britney song was on!
And a Britney song was on!
And a Britney song was on!"