User blog:TDIwriter/I Don't Usually Do This

I don't usually post "previews" of chapters, like some of the users out there, but I figured since I've been inactive a lot lately, I would give you guys a little preview of the first official chapter of my current "Where Are They?" story. It stops pretty abruptly, but not on a cliffhanger. Also, we finally get on the road in search of our first former contestant. Guess who~!! Without further delay, the chunk o' chapter one:

Sure, the whole 'summer road trip to find my reality show icons' dreams was nice, but was it practical? Yes. The answer is yes. I'm lone wolf, I do what I please. So long as no one gets injured and there is no potential for jail time, that is. The hardest part would be tracking down all twenty-two former contestants. My next idea was practically a promise that I'd be late getting back to school.

"What ever happened to those kids from the Second Chance scandal?" I said aloud, while packing my Smurf boxers. Don't judge me. Suddenly, I felt a migraine set in. A migraine that lived with me.

"Sup, brooooo?" My roommate staggered in. He was an interesting guy, to put it mildly. His name was Rupert, but he insisted that everyone call him "Rupe-Dawg". It didn't matter what your name was. To him, everyone was "bro". Well, except for his three equally goofy friends Moonbear, Skybro, and Scooter. I disliked Scooter the most. He was always riding a scooter, hence his name, and he constantly scuffed our dorm room floor. The other two, Moonbear and Skybro, were pretty annoying, too. Moonbear was always talking in proverbs, like his mind was one big fortune cookies with a million of those stupid slips of paper inside, constantly spilling out into everyday conversation. On a side note, have you noticed that fortune cookies don't have fortunes inside? Just those weird "wise" sayings? Anyway, that brings us to Skybro. Skybro was just a weirdo. Skybro also claims to be a genius, but considering that it took him six tries to figure out how to use a toaster, I put little stock in that claim.

"Skedaddling somewhere, Leonardo Bro-Vinci?" Rupert asked, clearly concerned that he would be left alone. Rupert didn't have a job, which meant that if I wasn't there, he'd have to survive on the little money he could bum off the street.

"Yeah, Rupert, I'm going on a little summer road trip," I said hastily, trying to pack my stuff before he asked 'the question'.

"Hang on a second, bro. I thought we agreed that 'Rupert' was society's name for me. We're bros, and bros call me Rupe-Dawg." Rupert, er, I mean, Rupe-Dawg, said calmly, but with a hint of annoyance. His cronies whispered among themselves, irked that their ringleader had been so throughly disrespected.

"Sorry, Rupe-Dawg," I wasn't sorry at all, but whatever. At least it bought me a few more seconds to pack before he asked 'the question'.

"So, are you going to be gone long, A-bro-ham Lincoln? I mean, we're almost out of Jell-o and frozen waffles...," Rup-Dawg was getting anxious, I could tell. He'd never been out on his own before. I guess in a way, I did feel sorry for him. Even if he was totally annoying and lazy.

"Uh, yeah...Look, thing is, I'm probably not coming back until the start of next year, maybe even a little later," I scratched my head, trying to distract myself from the awkward that was almost literally oozing out of the walls. I picked up my duffle bag, notes on the last known locations of my idols, and my car keys, "Well, I've got a long drive."

"Yeah...see you next year, Brosie O'Donnell...," Rupe-Dawg sadly began shuffling over to his bed. Crap. My conscience began kicking in...

"Y'know...if you really wanna come, I do need someone to hold the map," It killed me to say those words. Even deep down in the pit of my heart I didn't want him to come, but I did feel sorry for the poor schlub.

"Can we--," Skybro began.

"No," I walked past him, briskly. He smelled like a dirty Chuck-E-Cheese ballpit. Believe it or not, that was better than usual.

A brief while later, I was starting up my trusty discounted car, Ol' Carl, with Rupert in the passenger seat. He looked over at me, pleased that he would not be left alone, "So, where are we going?"

Happy as I was that he didn't refer to me as a celebrity's name with the word "bro" randomly inserted, my patience was starting to wear thin when I noticed he was flipping through my CDs, "Well...I'm tracking down my favorite reality stars to interview them about life after the show...what are you doing?"

"Trying to read this...Tell...Tela...Telly...Tellyvancouver," Ruper struggled to read the CD's title.

"Telephantasm," I corrected.

"I was close," he smiled.

"No, you weren't," I glared back at him, this was clearly a mistake. I should have just let him gorge himself on Jell-o and frozen waffles back at the dorm, and snuck away while he distracted. Snuck? Or is it sneaked? Wait, I remember my English teacher telling me it was--

"Who is Telephantasm, anyway?" Rupert's voice completely obliterated any hope that I would remember the correct word.

"That's just the name of the album," I sighed. Picking up the list of directions, I sighed again. This time, in relief. Victoria apparently only lived an hour and a half away from my college, which was especially good because I think anymore time in the car with "Rupe-Dawg" would kill me.

So, tell me what you guys think so far. Skybro, Scooter, and Moonbear probably won't appear again.