Bring me home.

I groaned into the pillow before pulling my phone off the shelf and checking the time, the screen blinding me. Nine am. Huh. I smiled to myself as I pulled the covers down, revealing Alex's back. I trailed my fingertips down his spine, shuddering him awake. He rolled over and smiled, pulling me onto my chest.
“For a girl who refuses to have sex with me while we're on the bus, you're awfully mean.” He kissed the top of my head and I pulled away so I could run my fingers over his chest. “Aw, come on Rie Bear.” Alex groaned as I made him shiver. “Don't do this to me.” I giggled and he sat up and flipped me over so I was the one on my back and he was leaning over me. He gave me a mischievous grin as he ran his hand underneath my pyjama top and started tracing small circles on my stomach.
“No.” I whined. “You're not allowed to fight back!” Alex giggled and pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around my waist and nuzzling into my neck. He trailed kisses from my hairline to my collarbone and back up again.
“I love you, Caitrina. Until the world ends.” I pushed back further, fully squishing myself against his chest as his grip tightened.
“I love you, too, Alexander. And I'll follow you anywhere.”
“Fuck up with the lovey dovey and go back to sleep!” Jack yelled as clothing hit our bunks curtain.
“Incoming fire!” Alex yelled as we cowered back in the furtherest side of our bunk, giggling. “Should we go see Laura now?” He whispered after the bombardment had calmed down. I nodded and we both slipped out of the bunk to get dressed. I pulled on my union jack skinny jeans and a singlet, followed by my studded leather jacket and skull scarf to combat the cold weather that had descended on the city. Alex appeared in jeans and a jacket, tugging a beanie over my ears before we grabbed the car keys and exited the bus.

“Holy shit.” Alex gasped as we pulled up outside the foster home. It looked ten times worse in day light. The blue paint was peeling off the weather boards and a couple of the windows were boarded up. “I can't believe they let fifteen kids live here.” He squeezed my hand before we stepped out into the brisk morning air and tapped on the door. A middle aged woman with quickly greying hair and a toddle perched on her hip gave a weak smile.
“How may I help you? Did the agency send you?”
“Agency? Oh no, we're friends of Laura's?” I let my sentence trail off into a question as I gave Alex a quick knock to stop him gaping at the state of the house.
“Laura? Oh, yes. Up the stairs and to the right.” We quickly stepped inside the freezing house and dodged the running children as we made our way carefully up the creaking stairs which looked like they might fall through any moment. Alex knocked on the first door to be answered by a yell.
“Fucking hell, I swear if you're ding dong ditching my bedroom again I will pin you to a wall Carter!” A tall blonde girl whipped the door open and looked shocked when she saw us standing there. She rocked back on her hip and leaned against the door frame. “You're the dude that's on Laura's t-shirt.” The girl stated as Laura pushed her away.
“Alex! Rie! You actually came!” She gabbed her bag from by the door and quickly shut it, but not fast enough that Alex and I didn't get a good look at the holes in the walls and the sagging mattresses. “Sorry about Carla, she woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Let's go, shall we?” Laura boosted past us down the stairs and gestured for us to follow.
“I'm sorry but it just occurred to me. It's a Monday.” Alex stated as we climbed into the car after being raced out of the house by Laura. We both raised an eyebrow, neither of us getting where he was going. “Shouldn't you be at school?” Oh. True.
“We have a tutor that comes in, but he barely shows. They can;t really afford to pay for all our text books so mostly we teach our selves with the stuff the tutor brings. When he shows up that is.” Laura shrugged as she buckled herself in. “Where are we going?”
“I was thinking waffles.” Alex said emotionless as we stared at each other.
“Great!”

Laura excused herself to go to the bathroom, leaving Alex and I at the booth with her half-eaten waffles.
“That place is a dump, Lex! We can't take her back there!” I whispered as Alex leaned across the table.
“Well we can't take her with us, we're touring!” I sighed as Alex grabbed my hand. “I know you've got attached to her but its logistically a nightmare. Plus the paperwork would take weeks to even get guardianship.” I leaned back, defeated. “And they wouldn't let us take her, our lifestyle is too unbalanced.”
“They throw kids at couples in America, Lex.” I sat up. “In England, sure, it's different, but that's cause there's not as many.” Alex shook his head and I put on my best puppy dog face.
“Aw, look, I'm sorry baby. But Matt will definitely say no, and we can;t just adopt a kid!”
“I wasn't talking adoption, just fostering.” I shrugged as Alex let go, seeing Laura walking back to us. Alex got up and waved his cell at me, making me beam. I had won him over. As much as he said no, I knew he was growing attached to our new friend as much as I was.

“Hello? Hi, my name is Alexander Gaskarth. I've met one of the children you're fostering and my partner and I were interested in fostering her.”
“Are you the couple that dropped by earlier?”
“Yes, Laura's friends.”
“Fostering isn't too difficult and to be honest, it's a relief if someone wants to take some of the older kids.”
“We know we're eligible to foster but our jobs include us being on the road a lot.”
“That could make things difficult Mr. Gaskarth.”
“I know, but we're fully prepared to take Laura with us on our trips and will invest in a private tutor so her education doesn't become disrupted.”
“Uh, well I'll ring the agency and call you back on this number later?”
“That would be great, thank you so much for your help.”
“Enjoy your day.”

“Jack is just as weird as I thought he'd be.” Laura laughed as she recounted her thoughts on last nights show. Alex came back inside and winked at me, to which I couldn't help but smile. “What was that about?”
“Hey, curious.” Alex laughed as he took a seat. “Actually, we left before the crew was awake this morning so we don't know what time we have to be back to move on to the next state. We have seven more shows along the eastern states before we get to break for christmas.”
“Seven isn't that bad.” I shrugged and laughed as Laura shovelled her waffles in. “Enjoying yourself?”
“You have no idea how long it's been since I've had waffles.” She smiled and Alex nodded to me while she was distracted, pointing to his watch and ten his phone. So someone was calling someone later. We sat like that for the next hour, filling up and laughing as Laura called Alex out on things he had done in the past and I backed her up on the facts he tried to deny. My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out to find a text from Matt.

From: Matt Flyzik

Bus call at five. Don't be late or you two can drive. And I et you don't know where we're going.

I looked at time and smiled. It was only twelve, we had time.
“So what do you want to do?” I turned and smiled at Laura who had just finished her last plate.
“Uh, I'm not sure.” Alex sighed and dramatically rolled his eyes.
“Come on! You're the one who lives here!”
“Yeah!” She pulled her jacket back on and giggled. “But I don't exactly get out much.” She stated pointedly and Alex and I laughed, having to agree with her. We ended up driving back to the bus with nothing better to do. Matt sighed as we introduced Laura and Zack jumped up to give her a hug.
“I remember you from last night.” He smiled at her making her blush and he patted the spot next to him on the couch. Alex gave me a massive smile as he held up his phone and we left Laura to talk with Zack and rushed back outside.
“Sorry, I know it's a quick reply but the agency had a pretty solid answer.” The voice on the other line cracked.
“Is it bad news?” Alex sighed and leaned back against the bus, his arm wrapping around my waist and keeping me close.
“No! Quite the opposite. The agency has too many younger kids to place that getting rid of the older ones is a god send apparently. They said they can have the paper work ready for you at the New York office Friday next week.” I beamed at Alex who squeezed my hand.
“So we will be able to foster Laura?”
“It's all set. But for now she will have to return to her home until everything is finalised. You understand that?”
“Oh yes, completely, this is great news, thank you so much!” Alex hung up and whipped me around in a hug. “We can keep her!” An instant problem popped into my head and I struggled to get it out.
“Uh, that's great babe but...” Alex's face dropped at my lack of excitement and his brows knotted together as he frowned.
“But what?”
“We have to tell Matt we'll have an extra head for the last three shows of tour.”

Notes