Caught the wrong bus

by Tanya

After Tanya missed the bus home from football practice, she thought she'd be walking back alone.......or will one bus ride home change her life forever?!

I opened my eyes to find the room in complete darkness, Shane lying next to me asleep with his hand over my tummy. I watched him for a few minutes, breathing peacefully unaware of me watching him, I then followed his arm down on to my stomach & the size it had become over the last 9 months. The last 2 years had been such a dream. Who'd have thought that if I had caught that bus after football practice, I'd never be here now......

*Flashback to 2 years ago*

The rain poured down on my as I walked across the muddy field infront of my school alone. I didn't even have enough time to get changed as I had to catch my bus home from in town. So I was still in my very filthy & sweaty football kit, with my shin pads hanging at the bottom of my legs & my socks crumpled down around my ankles. 'God I hope no-one else see's me' I thought to myself.

"Hey Tanya, want a ride?" Rob shouted from the gates in his car.

"No thanks, i'm gettin the bus" I shouted back to him

"OK then. Cya tomorrow! Oh & well played today! haha you're getting better than Ross!" He shouted back. I watched him get back in the car & his mate Ross gave him a punch.

"Sorry Tanya, you're not that good yet!" Ross said & laughed

"Im sure Ross!" I joked. That was the only thing with being the only girl in the team, all the lads thought they were better than you. When sometimes they clearly weren't! I carried on walking towards the gate, as I did I saw the bus go past.

"Shit" I shouted & started to run. Even though I knew I wouldn't be able to make it in time. "Great!" I said as I slowed up. I watched the bus go down the hill towards town. I stopped by the side of the road to catch my breath then I noticed a double-decker bus with plain, dark blue sides, parked in the bus bay where usually the school busses parked. I turned away from the parked bus & started to walk to town. When someone called me.

"Excuse me?" I heard someone ask loudly. The voice seemed to sound familiar to me, but yet I couldn't put a face to it. I turned back to see a man about the same height as me, wearing jeans a old looking t-shirt & a baseball cap, with bits of his blonde hair sticking out.

"Yeah?" I shouted back wearily

"Erm, do you know where the nearest garage is?" The blonde Irishman asked

"Yeah sure, just go down here & turn the first right & it's down that road" I pointed out. The rain still poured down & he just stood still just looking at me, not answering. "Did you get that?" I asked, walking closer to him

"Yeah, i'm sorry about that" He said. Then I realised.

"Oh my god!" I blurted out

"What?!" He asked sounding worried

"You're Shane Egan right? From Westlife?" As soon as I said this I thought to myself how stupid I must have sounded. Of corse it's him. Who else would look as gorgeous as this man standing right infront of me?!

"Ermm yeah, its me" He replied sounding embarrassed.

"Sorry, that must seem a bit weird, yeah?" I asked

"Yeah it is sometimes!" Shane laughed "Was it you just playing football then?" He asked pointing his head towards the school football pitch.

"Yeah, I've just finished football practice" I explained

"Cool, you were really good" Shane commented

"Thanks! How did you see?" I questioned

"Me & the others were watching from the top deck on the bus. You can see over these trees here from up there" Shane nodded his head upwards.

"Really? You mean the rest of Westlife are here too?!" I asked shocked that these bunch a really fit famous lads would be right outside my school! No-one famous ever came here!

"Yeah, Nicky was well impressed with ya footie skills!" Shane told me

"Awww tell him thanks!" It was now my turn to be embarrassed

"Ya can tell him yourself if ya like! Do you want to come in? Its pouring it down out here!" Shane said as though he had just realised how much it had been raining.

"Sure, thanks" I replied quickly, who else wouldn't jump at the chance to get in a bus full of your favourite lads?! I followed Shane onto the bus & came face to face with Bryan who had just come down the stairs from the top deck.

"Hey Golden Balls! Or should it be Golden Girl?!" Bryan laughed

"Yeah, well I think the second one suits me better!" I laughed with him

"C'mon, you can put your bag down if ya like?!" Shane said, I took my sports bag off my shoulder & placed it on the floor near a table which was fitted to the ground. It was obvious this was their tour bus, it had everything in it! I couldn't see the beds though, so I assumed they were on the top deck. I sat down next to Shane on one of the settees which lined the insides of the bus.

"So.. what's your friends name then Shane?" Bryan asked

"Errmm, yeh what is your name?" Shane turned to face me

"Tanya" I replied laughing

The driver had left the bus & was walking towards the garage as the bus had broken down & Shane, Bryan & I were getting on really well together. It was weird, I had only just met them but it felt like I had known them most of my life! Then Mark, Nicky & Shane came down after a while.

"Hey" Mark said suprised that a complete stranger was sat socialising with two of his bandmates.

"Hi, im Tanya" I replied as I looked up & saw them looking at me

"Hey Tanya, is it you that was playing football, just then?" Nicky asked

"Yeah, that was me!" I laughed, I knew what was coming next.

"Wow! You were really good for a .......errr" Nicky stopped mid-way through his sentence

"Yeah for a girl, you can say it! Thanks anyway!"

After about an hour of chatting & getting to know each other the driver climbed back on the bus.

"Fixed it lads! Right, lets get goin!" The driver told them

"I'd better go now then.......It's been really nice knowing you all" I said getting up & grabbing my bag.

The lads stood up with & looked around at each other, then after them all nodding their heads at Shane as if to say 'no, don't let her go you idiot!' Shane finally stopped me walking out the door.

"Wait, Tanya. Do you want to stay with us for a bit? I mean, we're halfway through out tour & I think we'd all like it if you came to see us" Shane asked nervously

"Yeah sure, that'd be great!" I told him & gave him a hug, suprisingly to me, Shane responded to it & held on to me longer than I had anticipated! I went & sat back down with the lads at the other end of the bus while Shane told the driver the new plans, & that they'd have to stop off at my house first before heading to their next gig, Manchester. Before we got into town Shane asked where I lived & I gave him & the driver the directions. Then we set off for my house. After 20 minutes or so of playing on the PlayStation with Westlife we arrived at my house.

"This is it. I'll just go & get some things" I got off the bus & they all followed me. I walked in through the door into the kitchen & told them to wait here. I walked into the lounge to find my mum watching Westlife on The Box!

"Where have you been Tanya?" My mum asked angrilly

"With Westlife!" I said with a smirk

"Yeah im sure!" She carried on.

"No mum really!" Just as my mum was about to come out with another sarcastic comment Shane popped his head around the door.

"Hi, you must be Tanya's mum" Shane said holding his hand out to my mum. She just stared at him until she eventually realised I was telling the truth & took his hand.

"I'll just be a minute" I told Shane & he went back into the kitchen to wait for me with the rest of the lads. I told her what had happened that afternoon & that I would be staying with them for a while. She still didn't really believe me but once I got all the things I needed I told all the lads to come into the lounge to meet her properly. After a few minutes of saying 'hi' we had to leave.

"Bye mum. I'll ring you once we get to the hotel k? Cya!" I shouted & got on the bus after Shane.

I really couldn't believe what I was doing! Who would have thought i'd be going on tour with Westlife! It still hadn't sunk in when we got to Manchester. When we checked into the hotel, there was no other spare rooms & so Shane offered to share with him as the other lads shared with each other. We got into each of the rooms, but by the time we had chance to put all our stuff in, we had to be off again as they needed one last rehersal before the concert that night. We got to the venue & I sat in the front row by myself watching them reherse. I couldn't help but notice that Shane kept looking towards me & smiling at me. But I just thought he was being friendly, why would he want me?! I carried on watching them, & it wasn't long before Shane really had me hooked on him. He was so sweet & really fit! I couldn't stop thinking about him. Half-way through their rehersal they had a break & Shane came & sat by me. I watched him take gulps out of the bottle of water he had.

"What d'ya think?" Shane asked suddenly

"Of what?" I replied curiously

"The show? Whats it look like so far?"

"Oh its great! Can't wait to see you later, I mean the concert later!" I said quickly

"Yeh me neither" Shane said with a cheeky grin........

At 8.45pm the lights dimmed the screams rose & Westlife appeared on stage. Every girl in the arena was going mad! Myself included, although I wasn't properly concentrating on the whole performance......My mind was elsewhere.....on Shane! The end of the night came closer & as they sang the last song Shane was focused on one thing.......one person in the audience. Me! I really wasn't dreaming this time. All the times I thought about this, at different Westlife concerts i'd been to before, it was finally coming true.

I'll always look back as I walk away
This memory will last for eternity
And all of our tears will be lost in the rain
When I find my way back to your arms again
But until that day you know you are
The Queen of my heart

Shane looked straight at me & as he sung the chorus of Queen Of My Heart he pointed me out in the audience. All the other girls around me were getting jealous & tried to catch Shane's attention, but he only had eyes for one person. It seemed there was only us two in the whole arena while that song was playing & we looked into each others eyes. The song finished & as the others were saying their goodbyes, Shane jumped down off the stage & walked towards me. The girls in the crowd were going wild, trying to grab him, or just to even touch him. As he got to me he held my hand & pulled me closer to him. Then he whispered into my ear....."Tanya, I think i'm falling for you, please say you feel the same?" I answered his question with a quick kiss on the cheek. I was tempted for a longer kiss, but then I think we both realised we were in the middle of screaming fans & it was best to save that kind of kiss for later! I followed Shane up to the stage & exited with the rest of the band.

*End of flashback*

Since that day, me & Shane had become inseperable. We did everything together, we were best friends, soul mates & lovers. I looked at the clock on the bedside table it read 5am. I couldn't get back to sleep, so I gently lifted Shane's arm off me & went downstairs for a glass of water. I sat at the table & heard some movement from upstairs.

"Hey babe, what ya doin down here?" Shane mumbled

"Couldn't get back to sleep, this one just won't keep still!" I said nodding down to my pregnant stomach.

"Awwww, maybe he's ready to come out then after all" Shane said as he walked over to me & gave me a hug.

"Yep, I hope so. I don't know how longer I can cope with sleepless nights!"

"C'mon, lets go back to bed" Shane said pulling on my arm, to go with him.

"Yeah, in a minute, lemme just finish this drink" I told him, & Shane walked off upstairs by himself. After I finished my water I stood up & started towards the stairs.

"Arrrrrr.......Shane!!!" I screamed out in pain.

"What?? What's wrong?" Shane came running down the stairs to find me huddled over the bannister of the stairs.

"I...think...it's time" I said slowly between breathing in & out.

"Oh shit!! Our baby's coming! Right...errr....." Shane shouted running around the house, phoning an ambulance & getting my bag from upstairs. 10 minutes later & we were both in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. When we arrived, I got taken straight into the maternity ward & Shane phoned the rest of the Westlife lads to let them know what was happening. After hours of trying to breath calmly, pushing, panting & worrying from Shane I gave birth to our first baby boy, who we named Scott Filan. The first of many new little Filan’s!