I hum the tune to "Ironic" by Alanis Morrisette as I poke my stick into the little creek which is trickling by our tents. I really don't know what I'm doing. I'm just poking, which suits me fine. I really don't mind doing anything other than sitting here poking. After having being dragged from appearance to appearance these last few weeks I'm more than ready to just sit and be nothing more than a big ball of fat. I'm really quite tired. Although being here with my family is just the right medicine to fix a tired little thirteen year old. Not that I'm little.

It's nice here. I look around and take in my surroundings. Pine trees, rocks, tents, creek, families. Lot's of families. But I sort of like that. It doesn't make me feel so...weird. Whilst I love my family, I find it sort of weird. We're always together, we're huge and we're so obvious. But here we kind of mix in. There are kids running around everywhere. Of every age. It's pretty good. Isaac's found a groups of people his age and they are now spending tonnes of time together. Zac's found another guy his age and they're both pyromaniacs so that's great for them. We've still got two more weeks here so I should be okay. I should find someone to hang out with. Right? I don't mind being by myself that much though. It's nice, it gives me time to think.

I breathe deeply and smile to myself and continue to hum. Out of nowhere, I suddenly sense someone is looking at me. I look up and find myself returning the stare of a girl on the other side of the creek. I wait for some kind of sign of what to do. Do I smile? Raise my eyebrow? Wave? Before I do anything though she smiles, almost shyly, and then waves. I can't help it, I smile back at her and wave. "GIA!!!" a little kid's voice yells. She turns to see where it's coming from. She rolls her eyes and shrugs at me. I know the feeling. She again gives me a wave, but this time it's a "goodbye" kind of wave and disappears behind one of the tents . I'm slightly annoyed at the fact that I've missed out on making a friend. I get up and walk to my "quiet spot". I only discovered it yesterday, during one of my "hikes". It's only five minutes walk away. Its a small little waterfall with tonnes of rocks to sit on next to it. It's so peaceful and undisturbed. I would like to have one in my backyard. It'd be good to take some paper with me and try and think of some lyrics. Maybe. I use my stick as a walking stick.

Finally I reach the spot and sit. I don't know why but water has this calming ability for me. My mom says it's cause I'm a Pisces. Which I guess has something to do with it. I don't know whether I believe it, but I am a dreamy kind of person. And artistic, I guess. It's weird because I don't know what I'm believing at the moment. I think I'm kind of questioning everything. But just for once I get the urge to stop thinking and listen. I close my eyes and strain to hear every little sound. But it's mostly water.

I feel a tap on my shoulder and I nearly jump out of my skin. I turn around and it's the girl I smiled at before. She smiles at me, "I hope I didn't disturb you,"

"No," I say, still startled.

"It's just that I'm sick to death of my family and I want to find someone to hang out with other than them and you didn't seem to have any friends either,"

"Yeah," I'm sort of surprised at her up front-ness. You normally don't get many girls my age who are willing to just go up to guys and talk to them. And of course vice-versa. But then I had been surrounded by girls all my life, so it didn't really bother me.

"I'm Gia," she holds out her hand.

"Taylor," I shake it, "You can sit, you know,". So she does. She's kinda cute. She has wavy shoulder length hair and big brown eyes. And she's been burnt, but she doesn't look like a tomato, but it sorta gives her a healthy kinda "vibe"

"So how old are you?"

"Thirteen,"

"Me too,"

"Grade 8?"

"Yeah. Do you like school?"

"I don't go to school," I answer. She looks at me curiously, "Home school,"

"Cool!" she says. I smile,

"Sort of,"

"You don't like it?"

"Yeah. It's pretty okay, but then who likes any kind of school?"

"You do have a point," she agrees, looking down at her sneakers, "But then it's not all that bad,"

"Are you for real?"

"Yeah. I mean, I like math. And science,"

"Weird," I look over at her. She shrugs.

"Don't you like any subjects?"

"Yeah, but I'm talking about in comparison to, I don't know, going out and playing soccer, or something,"

"That's true," she stated. There was silence. And finally I got the courage to ask her something that I'd been wondering about the entire time she'd been sitting next to me.

"Is it the truth?"

"Huh?"

"That you're bored with your family, is that why you're talking to me?"

"Yeah, why else would I?"

"Are you from Tulsa?"

"Yeah,"

"Oh,"

"Why did you just ask me that?"

"No reason,"

"Don't give me that crap,"

"I just thought you might be talking to me because...I'm you know...you've seen us ...nothing, never mind," I suddenly feel embarrassed because I've made an assumption which is obviously not true.

"What?!" She asks, fed up.

"I thought you might know my band,"

"What band?"

"I'm in a band," I state. She pauses, looks at me and then throws her head back in laughter.

"What?!"

"Nothing," Her laughing stops, "You do music?"

"No, we act," I say sarcastically.

"Sorry," She says sarcastically too. She stops again, "That's really cool, you know,"

"You think so?" I ask,

"Oh yeah. Who's in your band?"

"My brothers," I answer, and expect her to laugh, because so many people do.

"Awesome. You don't ever want to rip their hair out?"

"Definitely," I smile at her.

"Me too. My brother's, not yours,"

"So, is that , like your job?"

"Yeah. We've just gotten a record deal,"

"Record deal?"

"Yeah. You know?"

"No," she shakes her head. I find it kinda cool that she doesn't pretend to know what I'm talking about.

"We've just found a company who can help us make an album and take our music to the radio," I explain. Her mouth drops open,

"That is soooooo cool,"

"Sorta," I smile shyly.

"Woah, you're going to do so well. How many do hope to make?"

"We've made two already,"

"No way!"

"Uh-huh, but hopefully we can make more. One, two, three, more...hopefully. We're making our first album with these guys. The truth is I hope we can get past the first one and even put out a second album."

"Can I hear some of your stuff later?" She asks. She looks interested and I'm happy. Maybe this week won't be so bad.