I couldn't take it anymore. I opened my eyes and glanced at the clock. I didn't have to be up for another hour. I hate it when I'm awake earlier than I have to be. Mostly because once I'm up, no matter how tired I am, I can't get back to sleep.
Carefully, I rolled onto my back. SQUEAK! I froze as the cot I was laying on made a noise as I moved. I held my breath and listened. I heard Ike's heavy breathing and Tay's soft snoring. I let out a sigh of relief, thankful I didn't wake my brothers.
Of course, it wouldn't have been my fault if I HAD woken them up. I didn't ask to sleep on the cot. It's bad enough I gotta sleep on a trundle bed at home. Now evey time we're in a hotel I get stuck with the cot. Once, just once, I'd like to sleep in a regular bed.
The fact that my brothers could sleep at a time like this I couldn't understand. Then again, they don't know what I know, what I'm not supposed to know. Rebecca's arriving here in London this morning.
It was all by accident, really. I was outside Mom and Dad's room because I wanted to ask if Ike, Tay, and I could to rollerblading. I noticed the door was open a crack, so I listened. Tamara was explaining that after the "Where's the Love" video, she would be on location for a new movie she's directing for at least a year. And since school's out, she wanted to fly Rebecca to London for the shooting of the video. Mom and Dad agreed. They thought Rebecca was "a good kid."
Who are they kidding? Rebecca isn't "a good kid." She's awesome! She doesn't baby me or get protective of me, like Ike has a tendency to. She doesn't get impatient with me and tell me I'm immature, like Tay's been doing recently. Granted I only hung out with her for two days, but those two days were the best. She was the first to join me in the pool at the Dust Brothers' house. Ike soon followed, and then he and Becca picked up Tay and tossed him in. Taylor was annoyed at first, but he got over it.
And man! Taylor has been so MOODY lately! I thought I wasn't going to have to deal with mood swings until Jessica hit puberty. I told Mom so last week, and she said to lay off Tay. She said he's going through "a phase," getting adjusted to changes, blah blah blah. I told Mom to slap me if I acted like him anytime between now and my death.
Ike and Rebecca hit it off, too. In two days they managed to have all these inside jokes. They spent lunch break at the Dust Brothers' off in their own world, laughing and talking and such.
Taylor seemed indifferent towards Rebecca. I don't know why. She's great. My guess is he's jealous of Ike and Becca's friendship. At least, that's my conclusion based on an argument Ike and Tay had when we got back from LA. Tay yelled at Ike about sharing too much with Becca. I tried to help my brothers work it out, but neither would talk to me about it. So I wrote Becca a letter, asking her if she knew what the fight was about. She wrote me back, telling me not to worry about it and give it time. She insisted all would be forgotten soon enough. She was right. By the time I got her letter, all was forgotten between Ike and Tay.
I turned my head and glanced at the clock again. Only ten minutes had passed. If I hurried and got dressed, I might be able to go with Tamara and pick up Rebecca at the airport. I rolled out of bed. Quickly and quietly I threw on jeans, a tee shirt, and Doc Martens. I grabbed a key, tip-toed across the room, and quietly went out the door. All the while, Ike and Tay never stirred.
I found Tamara locking up her room down the hall. She was dressed to go pick up her niece. "Hey, Tamara!" I whispered loudly. I didn't want to scare her, and wake everyone else on the floor.
"Zac? What are you doing up this early?"
"I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. Can I go with you to pick up Rebecca? Please?" I begged.
"Under normal circumstances, I'd be happy to take you. But I'm not in the mood for getting mobbed this morning."
"Oh, come on! Please? I'll stay in the car. No one will know I'm there. Please?" I was desperate to get out of this hotel.
Tamara caved. "Okay. ONLY if your parents are up, they say it's okay, and you stay in the limo."
"Deal."
I ran to my parents' room. I could hear Mackie talking a mile a minute inside. I knocked and went in. I got the okay from my parents only after promising a million times I'd stay in the limo.
"So, how did you know Rebecca was coming?" Tamara asked me on the way to the airport.
"I accidentally overheard you telling Mom and Dad the other day. I didn't tell anyone. And it really was an accident, I swear."
"Relax, Zac. It's okay. I'm not mad or anything. It was just supposed to be a surprise, that's all," Tamara reassured me.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
As we pulled into the airport parking lot, Tamara gave me last minute instructions. "Don't get out of the car. Keep the windows rolled up and the doors locked. Don't climb out the sun roof. From here we're going straight to the shoot."
"Okay," I agreed.
I tapped out a beat on the seat, each hand on either side of my legs. Closing my eyes, I let the rhythm take over. I stopped, and tried to tap it out again. I did, and made a mental note to play it for Ike and Tay later. There was a knock on the car door. It was Tamara and Rebecca. I unlocked the door and let them in.
"Hey, Zac! How ya doin'?" Rebecca climbed into the limo and gave me a hug while the driver put her suitcase in the trunk.
"I'm fine. How about you?"
"I'm okay. Thankful school's out, but I've got summer reading to do. Four books, three are around five hundred pages."
"Did you bring any of the reading with you?" Tamara asked as I made a face at the thought of reading a lengthy book on vacation.
"Yeah, yeah. Mom made me bring one book," Becca answered her aunt. She turned to me. "What's new? How are Ike and Tay?"
"Umm... I lost my last baby tooth yesterday. Dumb and Dumber are still sleeping, but good."
"You did? What did the tooth fairy leave you, besides the number one song in England?" asked Tamara, referring to how "Mmmbop" hit number one here yesterday.
"Nothing," I replied. Did Tamara really think I still believed in the tooth fairy? Sheesh.
"Nothing!?!" Tamara reached into her pocket and pulled out one British pound. "Here you go," she said, handing it to me.
"Thanks."
"Everything work out okay between Tay and Ike?" Becca interrupted.
I nodded my head. "Uh-huh... Just like you said it would."
"Told you." She stuck her tongue out at me.
"I know you did," I replied, sticking out my tongue and crossing my eyes. "Did you bring your rollerblades?"
"Sure did. We'll blade through Trafalgar Square. This is so great! I've never been to Europe. Thanks, Aunt Tam." Becca gave her aunt a hug.
"No problem, Sweetie. I'm just glad you could make it."
"Me too."
"Me three," I chimed in.
The limo came to a stop. We reached the location of the first part of the shoot, an outdoor clothing store. "This is it. Zac, head straight for wardrobe. There should be something for you to eat there," said Tamara.
We got out of the car. I hopped on Becca's back, and she gave me a piggy-back ride to wardrobe.