When Garrett came, Sierra pretty much dragged me into the car. “JOHN!” she squealed as she slid down the seat to sit next to him. “Hey, Sierra,” John O’Callaghan said, hugging her. “Hi, John,” I said. “DanDan!” he screamed. “No, John,” I said, climbing into the back of the van to sit with Kennedy Brock, since he was the only one willing to take a seat in the back to keep me company, despite the fact that there were 3 seats in the middle. “I don’t allow you to call my DanDan.” “Why not?” he asked. “It’s your nickname! Like I’m John Ohhh, Garrett’s Gary, Kennedy’s Kenny, Jared’s Red, Pat’s Ratboy, Sierra’s…I don’t know.” He turned to her. “I’m…—” She got cut off by Garrett. “SISI!” he yelled, holding on the steering wheel. “Okay,” she said. “Okay,” John responded, turning back to me. “Sierra’s Sisi. You are…?” He waited for me to finish his sentence. “I’m Danni. Short for Danielle,” I said. “But it doesn’t shorten the name when you say it,” he told me. “So? Gary doesn’t shorten the name Garrett when you say it. And John Ohhh adds to the name,” I replied. “But Danni is so…common,” he said. “Let’s see…You’re first name is Danielle. Your middle name is Chrysanthemum. Your last name is Leon. Let’s mix it up.
“Danchrysle (Dan- Kris-Lee).” John smiled. “Dan. Chrys. Lee.” “Fine,” I approved, smiling. “DANCHRYSLE!” Kennedy yelled. Garrett and Pat Kirch laughed in the front. “Danchrysle?” Garrett asked. “That’s interesting.” “John probably feels proud of himself right now,” Sierra assumed. “I do. I feel so creative,” he replied, self-righteously.
John grabbed the Buzznet phone and started recording. “Guess what,” he said to the camera phone. “I just made up a nickname for Danielle, and it’s awesome.” He turned the camera phone to me. “Tell them what it is, Danielle,” he told me. “Danchrysle,” I told the computer. “And tell them what he got it from,” Sierra insisted. “My first name is Danielle. My middle name is Chrysanthemum. My last name is Leon. Take the first syllables of each name and there you go, Danchrysle,” I said. John turned the phone back on him. “I’m so creative,” he said, smiling. “I’m a genius.”
The car came to a stop at a red light. John turned the phone to Garrett and held it close to his face. “Tell them what’s going on, Garrett,” John said. “We’re just, you know, heading to the mall,” Garrett said. “To shop. At the mall. Because that’s where people shop. At the mall. That’s where we’re going. To the mall.” Sierra, Pat, Kennedy and I laughed. “I think they know we’re going to the mall, Garrett,” John said, starting to laugh. “Tell them which one.” “The one in the UK. I don’t know what it’s called, though,” Garrett told the phone, still up close. “Oh, yeah, baby.”
“Guess what I’m going to get for you, Garrett,” Pat said. “What?” Garrett asked. John turned the phone to Pat. “New underwear,” he said, smiling. “And I’m going to get Jared a hat or sunglasses.” “How about I get the hat or sunglasses and Jared gets the underwear?” Garrett said. “NO!” Pat whined. “You get the underwear!” Garrett giggled and rolled his eyes. “Fine, whatever, Patrick,” he said.
“Turn on the radio or something,” I said, to no one in particular. “It’s boring without music.” “Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down. Never gonna run around and desert you. Never gonna make you cry; never gonna say, ‘Goodbye.’ Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you,” John sang, loudly. “RICKROLLED!” Kennedy cried, and took the phone from John. “It stopped recording!” He pouted. “Aw…Kennedy,” I said, giving him a hug. “It’s alright.” “Use Garrett’s laptop,” Pat said. “Where is it?” Kennedy asked, looked on the floor. “Found it!” He opened the white Mac Notebook, turned on the webcam, and started recording.
“Hey, it’s Kennedy from The Maine,” he said. “Well, we’re finally in the UK and it’s awesome. Our first show is tomorrow night at The Tower in London. And fortunately, all the bands are safely here and are going to play in the show tomorrow.” “And remember that when we come back to America, our first show there is going to be at home. We don’t know the exact day, yet,” John added, pushing himself into the frame. “Yes, that is also true,” Kennedy told the camera. “So…yeah. Just a little update. Bye.” He stopped recording.
“We’re here,” Garrett told us, as if on cue. John and Sierra opened the back doors and slowly went out, Kennedy and I shoving them. “Hey, hey! Don’t push,” Sierra complained to me. “I’m sorry,” I apologized. “It’s just that I want to get out and…” “Give Garrett a big kiss?” she asked, teasingly. “Hahah, no. But I am going to hug him,” I said, walking to the front of the car to meet Garrett.
“Finally!” Garrett cuddled me and kissed my cheek, which sent chills down my spine. “I get to hug you!” he said with his arms still wrapped around my body. “10 hours of not communicating with you was like torture.” “Aw…But you know, you didn’t have to do that dare,” I told him. “Yeah, but I can’t say no to a dare. No matter how much it pains. I think this was the worst one yet. 10 hours without you…bad,” he repeated. “You’re cute,” I told him. “Let’s go.” I grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the large mall.
“You’re such a liar!” Sierra shouted at me. She scuttled over to me. “You said you and Garrett weren’t a ‘thing,’ she whispered in my ear. “What is this?” She pulled away from my head and stared at me in the eye. “We aren’t,” I whispered back. She giggled, rolled her eyes, and grabbed my other arm.
“Dude, come on!” John yelled from the front of the mall, Pat and Kennedy by his side. Garrett tugged my hand and ran over to John. “Hey, you run faster than me!” I told Garrett. “Slow down!” He obeyed my command. “I’m sorry,” he said, giving me a hug. “You deserve a better friend than me.” “No, you’re awesome. Don’t say that!” I gave him a hug and realized that Sierra let go of my arm. “Where’d Sierra go?” I asked, looking around. “I’m over here!” Sierra called, crouching on the ground about 5 feet away. “What are you doing?” I said, walking over to her. “I’m tying my shoe, idiot,” she informed me, giggling. “But I’ll hurry up so I don’t miss it when you ask Garrett to go on a date…Or vice versa.” “What?” I asked. “No, I’m not going to ask him out. “
Sierra stood up. “But he does. He’ll ask you if you don’t ask him,” she advised me. “No, he won’t. He knows we’re just friends, which we are.” “Well, I know you like him,” she said. “And I know he likes you.” “I don’t,” I replied, grabbing her arm and dragging her to the guys. “And I know he doesn’t.” “Hahah, yeah, sure.” She giggled. I gave her a serious look. “Fine,” she said, lifting her arms up like she was surrendering. “But I know he’s attracted to you. Actually, I know he’s head over heels for you.” “How?” I asked, stopping about 7 feet away from the others. Sierra stopped also. “He told me,” she replied, simply. “I don’t believe you, Sierra,” I told her. “It’s too surreal. He wouldn’t fall for me.” I looked over at the blue-eyed boy, standing not too far from me, and smiled. He motioned for me to come over to them. “Yes, he would. You’re great,” Sierra told me. “Well, I’m not so sure about that,” I said, walking toward the guys, who started to go in the mall already, except for Garrett. “But you are,” Sierra confirmed.
“Are what?” Garrett asked. “I think she’s great,” Sierra answered, mildly. “But she doesn’t think so.” “Oh, Danielle Leon…You should keep putting yourself down,” Garrett told me, giving me a side-hug. “Because whenever someone compliments you, I know it’s true. Every time someone compliments on your features, it true. You’re absolutely stunning.” He gave me an amorous smile. “Aw…How romantic,” Sierra said, turning to me. “See, Danny. I told you he did.” “No, that just means he cares about me. He’s my friend, so he should care,” I told her, smiling at Garrett. “What are you guys talking about?” he asked no one in particular. “I told her that you liked her, and she denied it. But this is proof that you do!” Sierra replied. “I…don’t. I’m her friend and like she said, I care about her,” Garrett said. “Don’t lie to me, Mr. Nickelsen!” Sierra carped. “You told me you did! You told me you adored her!” “Sierra…don’t,” I heard Garrett whisper. “Oh,” Sierra whispered back. “I get it.” “U-Um, we should go to John, Pat, and Kenny,” I told them, starting to walk into the mall.
