AJ
AJ stood nervously in the airport as her father organized them both. She didn't completely understand why she was nervous... was it because the longest plane trip she'd been on was 2 hours? Or was it because she was going to meet Marco? She smiled when the thought crossed her mind. Why would she be nervous about meeting him? They'd 'known' each other for about two years...
Her thoughts were interrupted as a call came over to the speakers to board the plane.
"Come on," her father indicated the walkway.
"Have fun, and bring me back something!" her mother called as she waved. AJ waved back, then followed her father through the boarding tunnel. They found their seats on the plane and got comfortable, waiting for everyone else to board.
"Nervous?" her father asked.
"Sort of," she grinned.
He chuckled as she set her small backpack down and got out some books to put behind the seat.
Finally, they were on their way.
AJ tried to get some sleep within the first few hours, but she was too wide awake. An earrache wasn't helping. But she did manage to sleep a few hours into the flight.
It was noon in Philadelphia when the plane landed. AJ looked out at the airport, feeling nervous again.
"Why the hell am I nervous?" she asked herself.
"Sorry?' came her father.
"Nothing," she waved him off.
When the plane landed, they were two of the first off the plane, and to go and collect their luggage. AJ only had one big suitcase as well as her backpack, her father had two with his laptop.
Outside they found a taxi, to take them to a HoJo hotel his father was booked in at.
AJ looked up as they passed the buildings in the heart of the city. They were all twice the size of the ones back home. Her father was deep in conversation with the taxi driver and ignored her the whole way, but she didn't care. This was America!
They arrived at the hotel about fifteen minutes later, and AJ's father booked them in.
"Eleventh floor, room 403," the registrar directed.
"Eleventh?" AJ repeated.
"It's not that high," her father convinced.
"Higher than I've ever been," she mumbled under her breath as they headed to the elevators.
When they got to the room, AJ threw her suitcase and bag onto her bed then looked around.
"Hey Dad, can I use the phone?" she called.
"Use the room one, they'll put it on my bill," he replied from the doorway. AJ frowned looking for it.
"Near the bathroom door," her father rolled his eyes.
AJ spotted it, and headed for it, taking out a piece of paper from her pocket.
She put the phone to her ear, and dialed for an outside line, before punching in Marco's phone number.
She smiled as it rang.
Marco
Marco jumped as he heard the phone ring and dashed to answer it. AJ was flying in today, and he couldn't WAIT to meet her. The two had been close internet friends for over two years now, and he was ecstatic to finally be hanging out with her. Flying over the ottoman, he picked up the phone. Out of breath, he smiled.
"Hello, is this AJ?"
AJ
AJ stopped short when she heard his voice for the first time. She grinned for a moment before realizing she hadn't answered.
"Uh... wouldn't you like to know, Ratboy?" she grinned, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes for a moment.
Her father was still bringing his suitcases in.
Marco
Marco grinned, that was her all right.
"So I guess it is you. Did you just get in? How are you doing? Come on, interested parties are dying to know!" He waited, eagerly for her reply.
AJ
AJ laughed at his enthusiasm.
"Aw come on, it's not like you're meeting Jennifer Lopez, although I bet you'd love that wouldn't you?" she grinned.
"We just got into the hotel room and I'm using their phone," she got out of her father's way as he moved some suitcases, "eleventh floor of some... HoJo hotel or something, and I'm still recovering from a damn earrache
Marco
Marco laughed. Hearing her laugh was like music.
"First of all, I'm not really a big fan of J-Lo, the only movie of hers I liked was Selena. Secondly, I think I know exactly where you are. Are you in the HoJO near the airport? Do you want us to come over today? And planes can do that to your ears."
AJ
"Well I've never even heard of 'Selena'. And I have no idea where the heck I am... it's about fifteen minutes from the airport... I think. And if you come over today..." she hesitated, covering the reciever as her father walked past, "I'm going to be asleep by 4pm so you might wanna move your ass."
Marco
"Okay. First of all, Selena was a very famous Latina singer who died in the 90s,and Jennifer Lopez played her in a movie biography. And I'll grab my friends and we'll be over soon. Do you want to meet us in the lobby, or does your dad want us to come up to the room so ha can make sure we are who we say we are?" Marco took the picture he had of AJ and gingerly folded it up and put it in his pocket. It was just a computer printoff, but it was still special to him.
AJ
"Ratboy, you should know I'm not interested in J.Lo or whatever her nickname is these days. And I think Dad's going to take off soon, he might not be here when you get here. He's hardly talked to me since we arrived, he's always on his mobile. Oh, sorry... cell phone," she rolled her eyes, "but come up to the room."
She looked towards the door to see the number she'd forgotten already.
"Room 403 on the eleventh floor. And if you ring me back in a moment and say you're at the wrong hotel I'm just gonna laugh," she chuckled.
Marco
"Kay babe, I'll see you soon." Writing down the info, Marco yelled a goodbye to his dad, and ran out the door to collect Jake and Cassie, who would be going with him, just in case AJ turned out to be some crazy serial killer. And to keep from freaking out AJ's father by seeming too much like a couple.
He walked down the street until he saw Jake and Tom playing basketball in their driveway while Cassie watched on the grass, and Tobias was perched up on a branch.
"Hey guys, you wanna go and meet AJ with me?"
"Sure, it's not like we've anything better to do," Jake replied.
"Yeah, I'm kind of interested in meeting this amazing Aussie who seems to have you wrapped around her finger." Cassie laughed.
"Hey, we're just friends. For now. I mean, we've been talking for ages. She knows about everything, and she's still my friend. Anyways, let's go. Tobias, are you coming? if you do, you might wanna morph, I mean, I don't think Howard Johnson's likes Hawks in their lobby," Marco smirked.
Tobias
*Sure,* Tobias thoughtspoke, swooping down out of the tree and beginning his morph, *as long as it doesn't take more than two...* "hours," he said with a human mouth, sweeping dirty-blonde bangs out of his eyes.
"Besides, I'm with Cassie. Any girl who thinks she can tame Marco is a girl I want to meet."
Cassie nodded. "Let's go, then," she said, looking at Marco.
Tobias followed suit. "Where exactly *are* we going?" he asked, looking at the paper in Marco's hand.
Marco
"We're going to the HoJo near the airport," Marco said, hailing a cab. Letting the cabbie know where they were going, they drove up to the building, and marco got more nervous with every inch.
Walking up to room 403, Marco knocked, and waited for AJ.
"I just hope she hasn't gone to bed yet."
AJ
AJ heard the knock at the door and looked at her watch. Her father had just left seconds ago to meet with some other businessmen.
Sighing, she pulled herself from the couch and over to the door.
"Forget something?" she called, as she opened the door.
Then she saw the group of friends at her door.
"Uh..." she began, looking them over.
She knew who Marco was instantly.
Marco
Marco just stood there stock still for a moment. Finally, he gave in and grabbed her, giving her a tight hug.
"Baby, this is Jake, Cassie, and Tobias. Everyone, this -- is AJ." And he juist stood there in the hallway, grinning like a cheshire cat.
AJ
"Hey guys," AJ grinned at Jake, Cassie and Tobias while giving Marco a strange look.
She had a feeling he didn't hug everyone like that.
"Uh... my Dad just left seconds ago, you probably passed him in the hallway. Wearing a blue suit, about yay high?" she waved her arm.
"Anyway, you'd better get your asses inside before we disturb everyone else in the hotel," she chuckled, holding the door open and gesturing for them to step in.
Marco
"Okay, well, I'll be glad to hang out for a while, but you look beat. So lets just chill for a bit, and then we can let you catch up on some of those Zs you seem to be craving." Marco said. They all sat around the room for about an hour or so, just talking and getting to know each other. Before long, AJ was dozing off in her chair.
"Why don't we call it a day, hun. You have my number. Call me sometime tomorrow, okay?"
AJ
AJ glanced toward him suspiciously, but nodded with a yawn.
"Ok," she agreed, "but maybe you'd better ring me. Be mean and make it 6am or something."
She grinned.
"Trust me, I'll thank you for it. Even more if it's earlier. I'll hate you at first, but later on I'll thank ya."
Marco
Giving her a quick hug, thefour friends headed out. They'd probably just hang out at the mall or something for the rest of the day. Well, except for Tobias, he needed to go hawk. Marco was a font of emotion. He was happy that AJ was there, and a little disappointed that they couldn't hang out some more. And he was confused. She always seemed so flirty online, but now that they had met in person, she seemed a little more shy, and aloof. Marco shook his head and wrote it off as jet lag. SHe'd probably be back to herself by tomorrow. He planned to wake her up early in the morning, and take her out for coffee.