Bees & Honey [H.S]

Chapter 15

After my butt had been glued to an uncomfortable seat for the last eleven hours, I was happy to be breathing fresh air. The California heat hit me as soon as we stepped outside. London's spring warmth was nothing compared to this. The clear blue sky and the swaying palm trees in the distance stole my attention for a moment, making me stop in my tracks and look at them in awe.

"They are not going anywhere." Grimmy teased while looking at the palm trees as well. Thinking he was clever I hit his arm, the magic of taking in my new surrounding gone with his goofiness. It only made him laugh more, getting the reaction he wanted out of me.

From his back pocket Grimmy reached for his phone. I had already answered all my texts I've missed for the past eleven hours, which was only my mum making sure that we had landed safely. I guess Grimmy had a few more, plus he was also the one who had taken it upon him to get us to the house from the airport.

A honking car drove up in front of us, making both me and Grimmy jump. The front window rolled down and Sarah's face leaned forward from the driver's seat.

"Get in losers!" She exclaimed with a cheesy smile and amused eyes. My mind only went to the Mean Girls reference, but I skipped mentioning that.

I jumped in the passenger seat next to her while Grimmy reached for the handle to the backseat. Before I even had the chance to properly sit a hand squeezed my arm lightly from behind, making my head turn. I was surprised to see a little more tanned version of the Harry I saw last week, causing his already piercing green eyes to be more vibrant. He shined up when our eyes met.

"I see you're hiding in the backseat Harold." Grimmy rejoiced when he jumped up next to him in the back.

"Not so much hiding, more so being discreet." Harry corrected Grimmy, who had stolen his attention. They embraced each other in a hug and I adjusted myself in the seat with the bag before giving Sarah a hug. Other cars were honking at us from behind so Sarah started driving.

During the car ride we asked about the Late Late Show. Harry kept telling us about his week on it. I listened while taking in every bit of the outside. It was a lot of traffic but soon we drove off the highway into the smaller streets, making me observe every detail even more.

I knew Harry and the band had already booked our stay, and I knew nothing about Los Angeles to feel like I needed to ask about it. So, when I saw the sign on the street Sarah turned up on I was more than surprised.

"Laurel Canyon!?" I exclaimed, turning away from the window to look at the rest of the group. My reaction had interrupted Harry's ongoing storytelling, but it didn't seem to have bothered him.

"You know it?" Harry asked, scooting up in his seat to hold on to the back of mine and Sarah's. He looked up the road with an amused smile. My music loving heart was beating fast. Normally that smile of his was the cause, but not now. Now it was the music that caused the fast beat.

"Of course I do!" My shock had landed, now I was radiating nothing but joy and excitement, "The center of the 60s and 70s music scene! Hippie heaven! Home for many rock & rollers!" I rambled on, not being able to stop the overwhelming happiness pouring out of me. "To see this is a dream." I softened, turning back to look at the neighborhood passing by. My mind was running through all the information I had on this place, how I had admired it, all the people who had been staying here and what the place had inspired in people that I was looking up to.

"I'm so going to have Joni Mitchell's album 'Ladies of the Canyon' on repeat this week." I thought out loud, knowing that the album was referring to Laurel Canyon and that it was her home.

"That's going to be you, me and Clare this week." Sarah commented from my left, "Ladies of the Canyon." she grinned as I had turned my focus from the window to give all my attention to her. The view was in a haste blocked by a head of brown curls.