"What's that you're working on?" I heard Jennifer ask and peer over my shoulder.
I quickly pressed my notebook to my chest and moved to the other side of the steps in front of our hotel.
"What is it?" she said again.
"A song," I replied.
"Why can't I see it?" she asked curiously.
"Because it's not finished yet!" I stated and looked at my lyrics again.
"Oh, okay. Tay, when are we leaving?"
"Tommorow morning," I replied without taking my eyes off of what I was doing.
"Cool."
I stopped and studied the messy scribbles that I had jotted down and groaned in disgust. This is really bad! I told myself and effortlessly tore the page out and tossed it aside.
Suddenly, then and there, on the steps of a hotel in Paris, a faint idea quickly formed in my head. I smiled and glanced sideways at Jennifer who was examining the ants that marched along the pavement. Her legs were crisscrossed while her pony tail lay loosly over her shoulder as she twirled her finger around a strand from it.
I smiled and swiftly returned to the notebook. As I began un twisting the spirl bindings, I briefly observed the passing traffic. Everybody seemed to be in a hurry at the moment while I sat still on a single step, watching the world go by.
There was a steady and cool breeze floating by which gently pulled at my paper and I quickly covered the page endings with my hand so they wouldn't toss and turn. It all seemed so relaxing.
The small, yet genius idea began to grow inside my mind as I pondered whether to take action or not. There was a blank piece of paper waiting in front of me so I calmly placed down my pen and felt the words flow out of it.
This time, there was an inspiration behind it all, a purpose. Now, as I looked down at the first few finished lines, a smile formed on my face and I felt satisfied.
It definetely wasn't finished yet. It was only the beginning of something great.
Never alone, with you by my side
Upon our loveful wings we do glide
You hold my hand
And I hold yours
We'll be together
Always forever
Stretched out across the sand
I know I'll love you forever and a day
So push back your worries and please stay
You lean on me
And I lean on you
We'll be together
Always forever
Right beside the gleaming sea
It was a good start. Jennifer appeared behind me before I closed up the notebook and slipped my pen between the bindings where it had been before.
"Jennifer, let's go back inside," I suggested plainly and stood up past her height.
"Okay, why? It's nice out here," she said.
"It's almost lunch time... I'm hungry, I guess," I told her, along with a quick kiss.
"Alright," she agreed softly as I placed my arm around her and lead her up to the hotel suite.
* * *
I watched as Jen took off towards her room and I headed for the room that I was sharing with Isaac and Zac. It was amazing, but somehow they convinced me to take my turn on the fold out bed this time. Zac had been stuck with one for the past few hotel stays and if it wasn't him, it was Ike. Somehow, all this time, I've managed to grab a bed to myself almost every time!
Isaac was sitting on the bed, looking at a mirror that was hanging on the wall facing him. He was busying himself with brushing the tangled knots out of his hair as fast as he could.
"Hey you, slow down!" I yelled at him and threw the notebook on the nearby table. "This isn't a race to see who can pull out all of their hair first by brushing!"
He didn't turn away from the mirror to look at me. "Taylor, be quiet," he snapped.
I shrugged. "Okay, fine, fine. Be that way," I said calmly.
"Sorry, it's just that... ugh! It won't stay down! And it's all tangled!" he whined and continued brushing at his hair.
"Oh, please!" I said and jumped onto the bed that Zac was using and stretched out comfortably. "Ah, this is the life!" I exclaimed and placed my hands behind my head.
"Where's Zac?" Ike asked suddenly.
"I dunno. Why?" I replied and kicked my shoes off.
"I haven't seen him all day."
"Really? Gee, I wonder where he his?"
"Probably off causing trouble somewhere," Isaac assumed.
"Well then, I guess the only way we'll be able to find him is to watch the headlines!"
"Ha ha ha... very funny, but you're probably right."
I rolled over and began playing with the bed material to pass time. The fabric flowers stared up at me silently, trapped in dirty bed sheets. Suddenly, something hard slipped out from underneath the covers and fell to the floor.
I looked down in its direction out of pure confusement and slowly recognized the small, rectangle figure. It was Zac's journal. Along with a sly grin, I snatched it up and stared down at the glorious prize in my very own hands.
"Hey Ike," I whispered.
"What?" he didn't sound very interested.
"You won't believe what I found!" I declared and held up my treasure.
Isaac paused briefly to turn and see what I was so worked up about. The experssion on his face stayed the same. "What is it?"
"Heelllloo? Can you read the messy print on the cover?"
"Actually... no."
I let out a sigh. "It says 'Zac-Man's Secret Book' on it, duh? It's little Zaccy's diary! Aww, how touching!"
Isaac began brushing his hair again. "Why'd he stick it into the matress of a hotel bed? It's not safe there," he said in a boring voice.
"Hey, find something interesting about this wonderful find, okay? Don't sound so depressed! All Zac's wonderful secrets can be found in here. It won't hurt to take a look so I guess I'll-"
"Tay, don't!" he warned and turned back to the mirror.
"Aww, why not?" I whined.
"Because..."
"Oh, wow! Big reason! Please? One look? Just one! Puh-lease?" I begged and got down on my knees.
"Taylor, I just don't think it's a good idea."
"Gosh, what's eating you? Usually you'd be jumping at the chance. Besides, it's not like Zac will find out. He'd do the same thing if he found my journal... or your journal!"
"True."
"True," I immitated Ike in a high pitched voice. "Oh, come on!"
"Fine, I don't care!" he agreed finally.
"Cool!"
I slowly opened up the blank book and skimmed the first line as if it were some sort of prey. There was nothing too eye catching on the first few pages and I flipped through to stop at a random page and quickly devoured the info written up by my younger brother. You wouldn't believe the crazy stuff he stuck in there!
Suddenly, a loud gasp filled the room as I dropped Zac's journal in a second. "What? What's going on?"
I looked around quickly, just to make sure that the loud noise hadn't come from Zac and I let out a sigh of relief when I saw that he was nowhere in sight.
Instead, I turned to Ike, who was staring wide eyed at his reflection while tugging at his brush wildly.
"OW! Ow ow ow ow ow ow! Ouch! Uh!!!! Ugh! Oww! Help me, Taylor!" he let out another cry.
I stood frozen, not quite sure of what was going on.
"Um, Isaac? Are you okay?" I asked cautiously.
"No! Of course I'm not okay! My freakin' hair brush is caught in my hair!" he yelled and began tugging at it again.
"Woah, hold it! Stop!" I ran over to him and began yelling. "Ike, you'll just make it worse if you keep tugging at it! Now let me take a look at what you've got yourself tangled up in," I told him as he let go of the brush.
My eyes got wide when I saw the huge knot that had tied the brush up in his hair where it now hung there as if it were a new kind of hat. I began laughing out of control.
"Oh man! You have no idea how funny this looks! I told you not to brush so hard. Now look what you've gotten yourself into!" I scolded. "It's a knot the size of Texas."
"Ow! It hurts. Get it out, Taylor! Get it out!" Ike yelled at me as he sat there, not knowing what to do.
I began tugging at the hair brush and picking at the knots with my own hands until I managed a yell from my older brother as he shoved me away.
"Ouch, you idiot! Don't pull that hard! I don't want to become bald!" he cried out and covered up the brush with his hand.
I couldn't help my laughter. Seeing Isaac with a brush tangled majorly in his hair was a site that you didn't see everyday. I giggled innocently as he sat there and glared at me.
"Well, Ikey-poos, I guess this calls for desperate measures," I shrugged and ran to the entrance of our room. "DAD! You better come here quick!" I yelled out and my voice echoed throughout the suite.
After a few minutes, I watched as he came running to the room with a worried expression on his face. "What's wrong?" he asked me.
I pointed at Isaac. "Ike has himself all tangled up in knots," I said with a smirk.
Dad went over curiously to inspect Isaac's tangled brush. He began studying the knots and trying to pick it out, but was unsuccessful.
"Ow! Ouch! Dad, be careful! You're kinda pulling my hair!" Isaac grimaced in pain.
"Isaac, what in the world did you do to yourself?" my dad asked and furrowed his eyebrows.
"I... I... I don't know. I was just brushing my hair and... and then it got stuck!" he yelled and tensed up from the pulling.
"Well," he began and sighed. "I guess we'll have to do something about this. Come on, get up and get your shoes on. We can't do this here."
Ike and I looked at each other in confusion. "Uh... come again?" I asked and began tying up my shoes.
"We're going to a professional hair stylist," he said simply and left the room. "And we're leaving in three minutes," he added.
"What the-" Ike screamed. "I'm not walking out into public with a hair brush glued to my head!"
"Wear a hat," I suggested plainly and left to go tell Jennifer what was going on.
"It's gonna look strange no matter what," he insisted.
"Isaac, read my lips... oh well! It's either this or you walk around for the rest of your life eith a brush clinging to your hair."