1 Los Angeles

The seatbelt light turned on again; time to land. Twenty minutes later I was outside Los Angeles airport with my big black trolley suitcase.

I looked at myself in the window. Ten hours of travel had done some nasty things; my black skirt was all crumpled and thank god I decided to wear a T-shirt, or my shirt would be crumpled too. I am tall, have a long blond hair and big blue eyes.

Back at home, in Japan, people saw me as a foreigner, although I had born there. My mother is European, but my father is Japanese, and unfortunately, the only Japanese thing I got was my funny accent, manners and dressing look.

My father had to take a job in Los Angeles two years ago and I stayed with mom. He used to spend vacations back in Japan but this summer, I was spending my vacation in Los Angeles.

My father works as a sound technician and he couldn't go to Japan because he was touring with a band all over the United States, and he invited me to join him.

I was already waiting for five minutes when my father arrived. Unlike the Japanese, Europeans never arrive on time.

'How was the travel, my darling?' He asked me, putting my suitcase on the trunk.

'It was okay. How are you, daddy?' I asked him, getting inside the car.

'I'm tired. We are going to stay on my boss house today and we depart tomorrow with them on their bus.' He said driving away.

'That is awesome. Now will you finally tell me who the mystery band is?' I asked.

'No.' He said.

I tried again during the trip, but dad didn't open his mouth — not until he started to slow down, when we were getting to our final destination.

'Dad? Where are we?' I said getting out the car.

'West Hollywood, darling.' He said opening the trunk.

'Hollywood? I forgot about Hollywood!' I said standing in the middle of the street looking around, like I was waiting for the Hollywood board to magically appear on a hill next to me. ' Daddy! Hollywood! Can I -'

'No darling, I need to work now. I can't take you to Hollywood, but I'll talk to my boss, and maybe he can help you and give you directions or something.' He said, pulling another suitcase out of the trunk.

I grabbed my trolley and followed my father to the doorway, where he knocked on the door.

A blond girl opened it with a big smile.

'Lars, hello. We were waiting for you. And this must be your daughter. Hi, I'm Emma. ' She said.

'This is Akiko. Akiko, this is Emma, she's my boss' personal assistant. ' My father said getting in.

'Daddy..... ' I said surprised. I got inside the house and Emma guided us to a room with a double bed.

'This is where you'll stay tonight. Is it okay for you? ' She asked.

'Sure, Emma, ' My father answered her.

'Are you hungry Akiko? ' She asked.

'I sure am. ' I said, finally reacting. I couldn't eat much on the plane with the nerves.

We went to the kitchen, where I found only a table, a bench and, strangely, a mirror.

'So, where is he? ' My father asked.

'He had to take care of some last-minute things with his mother,' Emma said taking some food out of the fridge. ' Sorry, but all we got is Chinese leftovers. Jared didn't bother to buy much food since we'll be on tour for the next few months.'

'It's okay. So, Jared as in Jared Leto? I mean... really?' I said surprised.

'Yes.' She smiled, heating up the food.

'Daddy... why didn't you tell me sooner?' I said sadly.

'Sorry honey, they wanted me to keep it a secret.'

Emma nodded in agreement.

'Do you know the band?' Emma asked me putting a plate in front of me.

I reached in my T-shirt, took out my necklace and started to eat. Both Emma and my father smiled looking at it.

'So,' I said taking a bite 'where are we going first?' I asked.

'Seattle.'

'Yay, Space Needle.' I said, enthusiastically.

Emma laughed. We heard a car and two minutes later a door slamming.

'Hey Ems. Lars! You're here already! Sorry for not being here to welcome you, I hope Emma did it well.' Jared said. 'Is this your daughter?'

'Yes she is.' My father said smiling.

'I though she was younger, how old are you?'

'I'm 18.' I said blushing.

'Oh.. 18, nice age! What is your name?' He asked. His look stopped on my chest, staring at my necklace.

'Akiko.' I said with my funny accent.

Jared smiled. 'I love the Japanese accent.'

'I shouldn't unpack right?' I asked Emma. 'Since we're leaving tomorrow...'

'Yeah, you should keep your things packed.' Jared said.

'I kinda need a shower... Ten hours on a plane....' I said looking at myself in the mirror.

'Emma?' I called from the living room door.

'Yes?' She said looking at the papers.

'Is Hollywood far from here?'

'You would need a ride. I have an idea.' She said looking at me 'I need to pack Jared's suitcase. Yes, I do it for him, You could help me. '

'Do you pack his underwear too?'

'I do ' She said embarrassed.

'Ew. You do that, I do the rest.' I smiled.

We went to Jared's room, a big room with only a double bed and two bedside tables and, of course, the closet — a messy closet. Emma started to pack his underwear and socks while I folded his t-shirt, shirts, pants, cloaks and jackets.

'Oh wow.' I said admiring a spotted cloak. 'I love this cloak! It's my favorite! I always wondered how this was used... now I wonder how am I supposed to fold it...'

'Well, it's like this.' Jared said approaching me.

He grabbed it and helped me dress it.

'You look awesome!' He laughed. I looked at the mirror and laughed of my silly figure. Apparently, it wasn't made for me, it was too big. 'You need a smaller size!' He said joking.

Emma helped me fold it and put it inside the suitcase. After a couple more funny clothes, Jared had two trolley suitcases packed and ready to go.

On the next morning we woke up at 5am. I got dressed and packed the rest of my things and went to kitchen, where Jared and my father were already eating.

'Morning,' I said.

'Morning,' My father said, giving me a kiss.

'Milk?' Jared offered me a glass of soy milk.

I took it and drank it.

'Emma must be arriving. Shall I start bringing things outside?' My father asked Jared.

Jared nodded. 'I'll help you.' He said laying the glass on the table.

'It's okay, finish your breakfast. ' My father said.

Five minutes later, Emma arrived on the tour bus.

'We will meet with the other bus in Seattle,' she said. 'Let me show you the house.' She guided me to the black bus. We got inside and I saw a big kitchen on the door's wall, a table and two couches on the opposite wall, a closet behind one of the couches and near a door to the bathroom. In the end of the bus were two small doors, leading to the two bedrooms and above the driver's seat, there was another bed, enough for two people.

'So, Jared and Shannon will stay on one room and you and your father will stay on the other. I'll sleep down here on the couch, which is also a bed, and Tomo will sleep up there. When the bus has stopped, these two walls move out, providing more space in the kitchen and the rooms.'

Emma headed to the closet and opened its door. She placed my, my dad's, and her suitcases at the bottom, with space for one more, and Jared's suitcases on two of the three shelves.

She closed the door and opened the room's door. It wasn't very big and the bed occupied all of the room, so, when opened, the room would have a small place to walk, like a corridor, but with the bus closed we had to climb directly to the bed.

'How am i supposed to go up there?' I said pointing at the bed, that was placed at least three feet from the ground. Emma showed me the secret step that could be opened just by pressing the wall above the door.' Oh.' I admired.

Shannon and Tomo arrived some minutes later and, after putting their suitcases in the closet and protecting them with an elastic so they don't fall with the bus' movements, we hit the road. My father sat next to the driver, Tomo was reading on his bed, Jared and Emma were working on the table and Shannon was in the bed, playing with his drumsticks. I decided to go to my room and I stayed there, listening to music with my eyes closed.

At a certain point I forgot where I was and I started to sing, not very loud. I actually thought no one could hear me because the door was closed, but when Shannon entered the room and joined me, I realised they had heard me.

Two hours after leaving Los Angeles we arrived to Bakersfield, where we made a pause. My father changed with the driver, who sat next to him, resting. We enjoyed our 10 minute break to stretch the legs and take a bite, as well as go to the bathroom and empty the reservoir of the bus' bathroom.

'I heard you sing back there. Did you ever had lessons? ' Jared asked me outside the bus.

'I did. ' I answered looking at him through my sunglasses.

'You are good. ' He said, behind his sunglasses too.

'I know. ' I laughed.

I turned around and got back to the bus. I grabbed two chocolates and a diet coke and sat in the step. Jared got in and sat on the couch, dissimulating a look at me through the computer. Shannon and Tomo joined, Tomo up to his bed, to read a little more, and Shannon next to Jared, eating a chocolate.

When Emma got inside the bus she looked at me and Shannon eating chocolates.

'What are you eating? That is not healthy boys! ' She scolded. ' Lars.. put some order on your daughter. '

I laughed.

'Let her be. You need to stop Shannon. You have to stay in shape or you won't be able to play. ' Jared said seriously.

Shannon threw the wrapping paper to the trash and sat down next to Jared. Emma closed the door and we hit the road again.

Two hours later I already had 3 chocolates and one diet coke, but I was bored.

'I need a computer and Internet connection. ' I mumbled looking at my bare feet.

'You can use mine. ' Jared said getting up.

'Really? ' I said looking at him.

'Sure, but you have to come with me to my room, I need to put it on charge and here is taken. ' He said smiling.

I followed him and when I was about to climb I heard my father's voice. ' Leave the door open. '

We laid in bed, next to each other, I was with my belly down, staring at the computer, and Jared was next to me, with his belly up, staring at the ceiling.

Two hours later we were in Sacramento, where we changed drivers again. We enjoyed the brake to have lunch and then, another three hour trip was waiting for us. Then we stopped on a small place in Oregon where we had dinner and where we refilled the bus. After our stop in Portland, the last of the day, we went to bed, leaving my father driving, with Emma by his side. It was around one in the morning when we got to Seattle.