Disclaimer: I don't own the New Kids, I don't even know the New Kids. I just got the idea for this fanfic while on a train to New York. I probably got the personalities all wrong, but that can't be helped, since, as I said, I don't know them.
For the sake for the story, I ignored the fact that the New Kids traveled in two separate busses. This is set sometime in the early nineties, I think. It's when Joe was still "in school." That's all, happy reading.

On The Bus
by Kittie

He was having a bad day.

Joe scowled as he stared down the math homework in front of him. Only 24 problems to go. If a train is travelling north at 55 mph.... "I don't care!" he burst out, much to the amusement of two of his bandmates, seated ahead of him, playing a spirited game of poker.

"Yo, what are you yellin' about?" Donnie inquired, his voice dripping with amusement.

"Yeah," added Danny, somewhat disapproving. "You're gonna wake Jordan up."

Joe followed Danny's gaze further back in the bus and saw a sickening sight. Sure enough, Jordan was fast asleep, his head resting comfortably on his brother's shoulder. They looked just like two cats curled up in a sunbeam or something, and Joe scowled even harder. "That's disgusting," he muttered, his voice low.

"What's disgusting?" Donnie sounded genuinely surprised, and Danny glared at him.

"They are!" Joe pushed his homework away and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting.

"Aww, there's nothing wrong with them, you're just jealous." Donnie turned away from him, considering the conversation closed.

"What would I be jealous about? I don't want him slobbering on my shirt."

"You're jealous you don't have anybody to slobber on."

Joe glared hard at Donnie's back, and viciously kicked the back of his seat. Donnie paid him no mind.

Joe scowled and fought to hold back a loud, frustrated scream. Who did Donnie think he was anyway? And Danny had better quit giving him dirty looks or he'd hide all of his weights. Well, the ones he could lift, anyway.

He suddenly felt almost like crying. Here he was, miles away from home, without a friend in the world.... He sighed and rested his face in his arms. _Okay, now I'm exaggerating,_ he admitted to himself. He had friends, of course, just not at the moment. _But dammit I'm allowed to feel sorry for myself and I'm gonna!_

"Hey Joe, c'mere a second," called a soft voice from behind him.

Joe lifted his head and looked around; Jon was beckoning slightly. Only slightly because any further movement would dislodge Jordan.

"Why?"

Joe mentally cringed at how unfriendly his voice sounded, but Jon didn't seem to notice. He just smiled. "Come look at this."

Joe let out a frustrated and annoyed sigh, but stood and approached anyway. Jonathan patted the seat next to him- the side Jordan wasn't monopolizing - so Joe sat. He wasn't in the mood to argue. "What?"

"Look," was all Jonathan said. So Joe looked. And his eyes widened.

It had been a cloudy couple of days, so the sky was grey and overcast. But at some point that morning, the sun had decided to come out, and it was shining brightly through a break in the ominous storm clouds overhead. Far below it, suspended in nothingness, was one solitary fluffy white cloud, outlined in silver. It was a beautiful sight.

"Wow...." Joe managed, transfixed by the sight.

Jonathan chuckled slightly. "Yeah... it just happened, ya know? I've been staring out this window for over an hour, and.... Well, I just thought you'd appreciate it."

"Why... why didn't you just show Jordan?"

"I didn't want to wake him. That, and he wouldn't appreciate it like you do. He'd just say 'That's nice' and go back to sleep."

"Oh...." Joe blinked as the sun vanished again and the moment was over. "Well.... Thanks for showing it to me."

"No problem."

Joe started to get up and go back to his homework, but Jonathan stopped him. "Why don't you keep me company for a while? Your homework can wait, can't it?"

Joe thought about that. "Yeah, it can."

"So sit."

Joe did, and the two of them sat in companionable silence.

~*~

"Look at this," Danny said suddenly, ignoring Donnie's attempts to peek at the cards in his hand.

"What?" Donnie looked around and his mouth dropped open. "Would you look at that?!"

Jonathan smiled wearily at them and wiggled his fingers. He couldn't move any other part of his body, since Jordan was asleep on one arm and Joe was asleep on the other. Danny grinned. "You're not gonna be able to feel your arms in a minute."

"I can't feel them now," Jonathan responded good-naturedly. "My butt either."

Donnie guffawed into his hand. "You're so sweet Jon. I can see the headlines now. 'New Kid Jonathan Knight Sacrifices Both Arms and Butt to Save Youngest Bandmate From Severe Bad Mood!'"

Jonathan glanced over to Joe, who snored lightly and curled up closer to him. "He just needed a friend, that's all."

"Somebody to slobber on," clarified Danny, punching Donnie lightly in the arm.

"Well... shirts can be cleaned," Jonathan said. "I'm gonna try to sleep. Wake me if my arms fall off."

"No problem." Danny grabbed Donnie's cards and reshuffled them back into the deck.

"Hey!"

"You peeked at mine, we're starting over."

"Oh. Hey, d'you think I was too hard on Joe earlier?"

"Nah, he was askin' for it." He paused, deep in thought for a moment. "I guess Jon heard us."

"You think?"

"Why d'you think he called Joe over there? We probably coulda invited him to play with us."

"Three-person poker? No way."

Danny gave him a disapproving look. "He was just feeling left out, is all. Me an' you were over here bein' chummy, Jon and Jordan were being... well, how they get, and he's by himself doing math homework."

"Oh. I guess I can see that. Why didn't you say something?"

"Didn't realize it until just now." Danny cut the cards and handed the deck to Donnie. "Deal. And no cheating!"

"Me?" Donnie tried his best to look innocent and failed miserably. "I wouldn't dream of it!"

Outside, the sun once again peeked out from behind the clouds.

End