25th April 2013

"...can any one tell me why Shakespeare is thought to be the most romantic playwrights and poet produce by England?" My English teacher asked the class.

I put my hand in the air, she nodded for me to answer, "quite simply because of Romeo and Juliet. It is thought to be a tragic love story of, ironically, star-crossed lovers. However it uses so many clichés it could be thought to show how feeble romantic love is. Also if you look at history of the time Romeo and Juliet would have been teenagers like us, and basically. In forms of poetry, Sonnet 130 contrasts the 'Dark Lady' to every cliché known to man and the times image of beauty. A quote to back each one up, 'It is the east, and Juliet is the sun,' for Romeo and Juliet then 'My mistress' eyes' are nothing like the sun'. They are complete opposites of each other on each end of the spectrum of clichés."

"You make some very good points there, Mary-Jayne," she nodded understanding what I was going on about. I scowled a little at the title she called me, "did you do this in the UK?"

"Yes," I admitted, "where did you think I got the quotes from?"

"I know you are quite well read," she tried.

"More comptempory for me," I told her, "did you know that there is an argument that Shakespeare did not write any plays or poems?"

Some of the students sounded interested in what I had said.

"Yes I am aware of it," she nodded, "but it wouldn't be the to try and change it now. Since you have already studied Romeo and Juliet would play would you like to independently look at a different play. Macbeth perhaps?"

"Yeah sure," I agreed, "do you have a copy of the Scottish Play, which isn't actually Scottish?"

"Superstitions," she shook her head but got me a copy. I quickly settled down to analyse the play preparing for the essay. Or I would have if I hadn't been interrupted by a request for my presence. "Mary-Jayne, you are to go to the principal's office. It also requests tomorrows's work and for you to go to all your teachers first. Just carry on with Macbeth the essay is due Tuesday."

I nodded and collected my stuff to do.

"You wanted to see me," I knocked on the open door of the principal's office. He looked up.

"Ah, yes, Miss Smith," he acknowledged me. I glanced around to see the other occupant of the room which just so happened to be Josh.

"Hey Josh what you doing here?" I asked the boy.

"We got a reply kid," he confused me momentarily before elaborating, "from Hopeless Records."

"Positive or negative?" I asked.

"They want to see us in person," he simply told me. I grinned, "Saturday afternoon."

"What? So soon?" I squeaked. How did they expect to get there in little over day and sleep?

"We've got a plan, but it is in California, so we need to go a.s.a.p," Josh then waved good-bye to the principal and led me out of the school. I climbed into his car without thinking twice about it.

Upon reaching my flat I went straight in. I tipped the contents of my school bag on the sofa vowing to tidy it up when I got back. I stuffed my laptop and camera into that bag along with my jacket which I doubted I would need. I chucked my hairbrush and plenty of hair bobbles in the bag as well. I also chucked my things that I needed to do Maths and English. I grabbed a different larger bag for some lighter clothes than my jeans and top, jeans and tank top and denim shorts and a different tank top. I made up a small wash kit of shower gel, tooth-brush, tooth paste and deodorant. I threw in my flip-flops from last summer after I found the weather too hot. And as a very ln the bag. I got my clean pjs out and put them in the bag.I got all of my energy drinks out of my bag; I imagined this was going to be a long couple of days and nights. I put the larger bag over my right shoulder, my right side being stronger than the left. Josh had mentioned to bring instruments so I picked up my violin just in case and my school bag on my left shoulder.

I carefully walked back down the stair wary of not falling. I dumped my large bag and violin in the boot of Josh's car.

"Ready?" He asked as I clambered in the seat next to him.

"Yeah," I nodded, "shocked but ready and okay."

"Well you got a day off for it," he joked knowing how much of a drag school had been recently become from my numerous complaints. I could see Josh driving towards the overly familiar house of the one and only Jake of What goes down. I smiled at the familiarness of everything before it changed.

"Hey Jayne," all of the boys greeted minus Josh obviously, "and Josh."

I saw Mr Marshell in the corner, "hello everyone," I did a group greeting, "what is this plan then?"

"Well, since you want to jump to the chase. We have about fifty-one hours til we should be in Vans Nuys, it is a forty-two hours drive," Jake looked stressed, "The people said to try and be at the actual place for three in their time zone so six here."

"That is going to be a challenge and a half," I stated the obvious, "the minimum number of cars we need is on-."

"Mr Marshell is coming," Ryan interrupted me, "so for just people it would be two, but drums take up fair bit of space."

"So are doing three cars? Two people in each," I calculated the easy Maths, "if the person not driving sleeps for a while, that will stop people crashing too much."

"How do we decide who goes in what car?" Josh asked.

"Well, you and Jayne is a no brainer," Jake said like it was obvious, "the twins together then I go with Mr Marshell."

I nodded, "we'll need to take the passports for each set in each car. Jake can I have my passport and visa papers?" I asked knowing he already had them. He was one step ahead of me and handed them back to me, "if we make fixed stop points along the route, perhaps we can make sure that everyone eats, drinks goes for a pee and what not."

"I think that is a good idea. Does everyone have credit?" I asked everyone. As they nodded at me I checked that answer myself. I had one hundred texts. That was more than enough. Jake handed me a flask that I could tell held a hot liquid by touch and there was a giant 'T' on the side of it so I assumed it held tea.

"Drums with the twins, my guitar and Jayne's violin in my car Cameron's bass and your keyboard in your's. Personal belongings with individual," Josh told everyone. The twins had already moved the bass drum and snare to the car and were in the process of moving the tomtoms. I picked up the cymbals to take out to their car. I left it by Ryan as he stood basically in the boot trying to fit it all in.

After, we were all packed up we quickly ate lunch and were on the road. That was three hours ago and we were near Orlando International Airport. I was kind of intrigued about my surrounding not really explored my local area even if this was one hour away. Strange thinking back to the UK I knew my way to a hour away by train to London or two hours away by bus was Northampton.

"You are really showing your little age," Josh teased.

I maturely stuck my tongue out at him, "when we hit countryside I'll start my homework."

"Whatever, as long as it is done," he played the adult momentarily, "what did you bring?"

"Not much," I admitted, "I brought Maths and English. English for me should be rather easy and I enjoy Maths."

"They are the more important," he agreed in my choice to make, "but you still should have brought more."

"I know but I panicked, you told me to be quick," I tried to excuse, "when we get back I will sit down and finish it all before I do anything else."

"If you explain normally they might be a little bit lenient but not this close to your finals."

"Well I have written down what I have to do," I nodded, "just not the the individual instructions. So if I get a chance I will do them, but I doubt it."

By now we were in the junction in-between Williamsburg and Taft. We were given a set of instructions per car so now we had to go up the 91 motorway til we hit Wildwood where we went on the 75. While we were in Wildwood everyone would group up, re-fuel, go for toilet breaks and get a drink. That was approximately an hour way. As a band and manager we dicde doing that every four hours would be plenty of breaks if anything too many. I argued that as we got that as we got towards Texas the chance we would hit a town would decrease.

"You know the bulk of tomorrow we will be on our own if I am right," I pointed out.

"There ae more towns in Texas than you think," he commented.

"If I could be bothered to load up google maps on my phone it would prove me right," I countered. "Hot and is a bloody desert," I laughed, "who would live there."

"The cowboys," Josh laughed with me, "that's who."

"I will laugh if we don't see one cattle farm in Texas. That would prove you so wrong."

"I can guarrentee we will see at least three."

My phone buzzed in my pocket, I took it out and read that it was from Ryan, "Ryan asks where abouts are we? I would like know the same thing."

"We are just east of Orlando by about two miles. On the I-91, where are they?"

"I'm going to mess with his head a little, saying we are in Wildwood already waiting for them," I smirked evilly, "I'm gonna need more credit by the time we hit Texas."

"And we won't see a town for miles," Josh teased.

"Houston," I said in a 'duh' voice, "he says to slow the fuck down. That's him thinking we are in Wildwood," I laughed with Josh, "and he knows you won't push the speed limit. He says they are also on the I-91 but stuck behind a lorry. I'm going to quickly correct the head messing."

"You are interesting. We are your frineds and you take the mick with us," Josh laughed, "but we let you. Toll booth, fifty cents from you," I place five dimes in his hand and he handed the woman a dollar bill.

"Very odd that you ask your passendger to pay towards the toll," she commented cocking her head to the side, "ID."

"Well I'm driving later," I unbuckled my seat belt the get my passport out of my back pocket. I knelt on the seat to be ready to get the visa papers if she required them, "I have a visa to be here. Do you need them to be produced?"

"Not here no," she shook her head handing me my passport back, "no at some you will. Where you kids heading?"

I tried to contain my smirk unsuccessfully, "LA," Josh barely looking able to contain his smirk.

"That is a long way off," she commented, "well make sure you swap or you are likely to crash. Drink lots, rest well and drive safe kids."

We had barely pulled away a metre when I burst out laughing, "she called you a kid."

"Shut it kid," I scowled at him through my laughter.

"Hello people," we were the last to pull into the McDonald's car park near Wildwood, "we saw you take over us," I told the twins.

"Did you we the face I pulled at yous?" I nodded hitching myself up to sit on the front of Josh's car. "Why does she get to sit on your car?" Ryan whined.

"While we talk it gives her height to be eye level," Josh commented making fun of my normal for a girl height. I glared at him and he just laughed.

"I think if was push it we could drive til Chipley," Mr Marshell took charge being the eldest of our group (he was like 30 odd, Josh was only 23,) "then if I am right there is a diner where was can get dinner then swap drivers."

"I think if we are lucky we can find a MacDonald's," I piped up, "I did research into where to live before moving and any town without a McDonald's was not even considered. I think Chipley managed to make the cut."

All four members of the bands that were male burst out laughing, like one step from rolling on the floor laughing, "only you Jayne, only you, " Jake was the first to attempt words. I glared at everyone of them. I got off the car and walked into McDonald's. I went straight to the toilets. After that I got myself a coke and a McFlurry, I decided to get josh one too then joined the boys. I handed Josh his and started on mine.

"I think that our half hour is almost up," Jake commented. We could only afford to stop every four hours but then only for half an hour. It was hard but hey, we are the ones who are crazy for even trying this. Driving to California.

I started on my English work. Okay so if I focused on one passage of Macbeth it would be simpler, I thought. When I did Romeo and Juliet I did the possibly most famous scene, the Balcony scene. Perhaps here I should do the same, I decided. The only line out of the play I could quote was 'double, double toil and trouble,' and that was only because it was in Harry Potter. I had to find the scene which I found out to be Act IV Scene I. It was also the longest. I read the script a couple of times through highlighting and annotating the paper as I identified them. I decided that was enough for now.

"That wasn't very long Jayne," Josh warned.

"Please before I moved that would've took me a couple of hour. As a minimum," I snorted, I lowered the seat I was in, "I'm gonna sleep. I'm going to be up all night I'm gonna need it."

"'Kay," Josh turned down the radio. I reached for a blanket in the back seat of Josh's car. I managed to roll on to my side with the seat belt kinda on and started to doze off, "sweet dreams."

I rolled on to my back but kept my eyes shut. I still felt tired but I knew going to sleep still be a useless effort.

"Jayne," I heard Josh's voice on my left, "Jayne we're in Chipley. You need to wake up."

"I am wake just can't be bothered to opened my eyes," I commented still enjoying the sleepy feel in my brain.

"Well, be bothered," he commented. He was hungry snapping at people. I opened my eyes, grateful that in the car was dark, I slowly sat up bringing the seat up with me. I unbuckled the seat.

"You join the boys I'll be there when I have woken up a little," I told him what to do in my best stern female teacher voice.

"Yes mom," I laughed as he got out of his car, "lock the car when you join us."

I caught his car keys and nodded. I watched him walked in McDonald's as I sat there. I rolled my shoulders, feeling each individual click of the bones. I lolled my head to each shoulder, shaking off the sleep. I opened the car door and stretched my legs, feeling the ache of stillness. I got up slowly, locked the car up then stumbled into my favourite big name fast food restaurant (in the UK you get small ones like this place in Northampton called 'Star', good chicken there).

"Hey sleepy butt," Ryan bubbly greeted me. I scowled at him, "you're not a morning person then."

I ignored him briefly and went to the til. "Can I have a large chicken legend with bacon meal with a large tea?"

"Yep," the cashier nodded inputting the order, "anything else?"

"Nope," I shook my head.

"Well that will be $4.99 please?" I handed over a fiver dollar note and wait for my food. I quickly showed up on the tray and I joined the boys.

"Hey," I finally greeted them adding five sugars to my tea.

"Hello Jayne," Mr Marshell was so bloody formal all the time, "enough sugar there?"

"No," I shook my head, "McDonald's teas are disgusting."

"Why did you get one then, Sleepy butt?" Ryan asked. I glared at him.

"I wanted a tea," I slipped at the liquid testing the temperature. It was not boiling hot but not lukewarm either, in between which was perfect for drinking, "so where is the next stop?" I asked eating a chip.

"Where were thinking that we could stop in Covington. It's about four hours away so going by our normal stop system that's where we should stop," Jake informed me.

"It's nine o'clock now," I told them they were curious where I was going with this, "so four hours away is one o'clock in the morning," they still didn't catch where I was going with this - except possibly Josh but he didn't say anything, "everywhere is going to be closed. And three people should be asleep. What if we drove straight on until lets say seven tomorrow morning?"

"We would be around Houston in Texas," Mr Marshell said, I nodded, "nearly half way there."

"I mean there is no point all of us meeting around one in the morning when only three of are going to be conscious."

"What do you three think?" Jake saw my way of thinking.

"I think that is a good idea," Cameron obviously tired agreed trying to think everything through, "but what if people individually need to stop?"

"Text the two that are awake when you stop then go toilet or whatever. Then when you back in the car text them then," I suggested, "I only say text both so that if they don't get a text in a couple of hours they know to panic and get the police, ambulance etc."

"You two?" Jake nodded towards Ryan and Josh.

"Go for it," Josh said, "just don't wake me up."

"No don't Jayne," Jake chuckled, "remember that time back in college?"

"Don't you dare," Josh warned him, Jake shook his head.

"It was Josh final year my second and Josh's girlfriend at the time decided to wake him up on his birthday by singing happy birthday, big mistake on her part. Anyway, Josh being the moodiest person in the world before a coffee decided to shout at her 'go away you ugly cow'. Now bare in mind that they had been together for about a week she broke down into tears and punched him," I laughed, "they broke up about an hour later. Thinking about it she was an ugly cow."

"Josh," I chided, through tears of laughter.

"Yes," he was beetroot red and look like he was mildly annoyed too.

"Is there a safe way to wake you up?" I asked trying to control my laughter a little.

"Putting a coffee under my nose," Josh told me honesty in his face. I nodded finishing off my meal.

"Right so where in the morning are we meeting?" Ryan asked.

"There's a lot of Subways," Mr Marshell suggested, "I grew up in Houston and I visit every so often. I would say avoid the one nearest to us as we get into the centre of Houston, but the one on Smith Street is very nice. In fact I think my niece runs it."

"You have a niece old enough to runs a Subway," I exclaimed.

"The gap between my older brother and I is nearly twenty years. So she is my age," he reluctantly admitted. I was gob smacked, "so Houston? See you there."

Everyone almost simultaneously stood up and went to the respective car in the seat they had not occupied before.