Chapter One Loneliness

Shanell Rose Marie Gibb was the youngest of five children, and the only daughter in the family. The youngest by three years, all four of her older brothers no longer lived at home. By the time she came along Barry, Robin, Maurice were already well know and had moved to the United States. Her older brother by only three years, Andy, were so very close they could almost be twins. He had told his mom they were twins, only she was shorter. He had moved to the states the year before.

You see her older brothers were Barry, Robin, Maurice, Of the Bee Gee,and Andy Gibb. With all four of them well known everywhere in the music business. Her older brother Barry had just written most of the songs for the Saturday Night fever movie so his and the twin's faces were everywhere. She didn't mind she was happy for her brothers success she loved her brothers. But since their star rose higher it got harder and harder for her at school especially when her brother Andy's song I want to be your everything hit number one.

Shanell was enrolled at Brisbane high school and at 16 she was a very quiet junior, and couldn't wait to leave everyday. Since her brothers were so famous sometimes it caused issues with other Students and faculty . Some were rude, not into their style of music and made snide comments. Others were in love with them and wanted to know everything there was to know about them. It didn't matter that she didn't want to talk about them or introduce them to her brothers. They thought because she wouldn't invite them to her house, just so they could stare where her brothers had lived that she was stuck up and better than them. They couldn't understand that they were busy recording, doing movies and touring, that they weren't home very often, and when the were home it was family time, not meet the fans time. That was the hardest for Shanell, she would be so lonely, that when Andy did call home and it made it harder, not that she would ever tell him. She thought she had them all fooled, by keeping it all hidden from them, but her mother, Barbara, knew something was wrong. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get her little girl to talk. She kept telling her, Everything was fine, no problems at all.

It all came to a head the next week. …..

Shanell sighed as she dropped her bag onto her bed, tossed her sneakers off before sitting on her bed.. She had grabbed an apple but she wasn't hungry. She was fine she told herself she could handle this, sure they kept badgering her in school or making snide comments. She could deal this, okay she was was handling it till Andy moved over seas with Barry and the others. Now she was the only one in the house with her parents and she felt lost without her confidant. She really had no one to talk to about it anymore, she pulled her legs up against her chest and rested her blonde head on her knees wrapping her arms around them. She turned her head laying it on the side her vision resting on a picture on her dresser. It was the last time Andy was home, it was a picture of her and him she was resting on his back with her head on his shoulder they were both smiling at the camera. They had spent the whole day together as her mom had let her skip school the day because Andy was home. She sighed resting her head back down. She missed being able to talk to Andy if she had a rough day at school she could climb on the couch with him eat popcorn or whatever and talk. Yes she could call him he said she could do that any time she wanted to. But he was so busy so was her other brothers she didn't want to bother them with her own problems even if they were partially to blame for some of them.

The door opened and she turned to see her mom walk in, “sweetheart how was school?”

Shanell shrugged “it was alright mum... just tired …. “ She leaned back against the pillows. Her brown eyes downcast knowing that she couldn't really lie to her mother she just wished she could disappear sometimes. She turned to look back at the picture then got up “I have homework do you need anything mum?” she turned to look at her mom.

Barbara looked at her daughter she could see she was upset why she wouldn't talk to her. If she didn't get any inclination of what's going on she would have to call in backup. She watched as her daughter look over at her pictures on her desk. She walked over there were a couple setting on there. One of her and Andy in the middle but there was other pictures one of her and Barry he had her in his arms fooling around. Robin and her on her 16th birthday party with Maurice on the other side. She knew her little girl missed her brothers, and really missed her brother Andy. When they were both younger you would have thought they were twins and inseparable. When Andy had started to sing it was always fascinating to see him sitting in his room with his guitar and his little sister sitting across from him. They would harmonize for hours. If he had his way he would have taken her with him but she was still too young to be going anywhere. Plus he needed to do this on his own. Sometimes she wondered if it had been a mistake not giving in to him. Since he left his sister had gotten withdrawn and didn't talk like she used to. "do you want to call Andy I am sure he'd be awake by now..."

"No mum I am fine I don't need to speak ta Andy .... besides he's got so much going on right now .... with the record and it costs so much to call 'im. " She shrugged "I really need to get my homework done ... " She sat at her desk and put her books down.

"alright love .... I am sure he'll be calling soon anyway .... maybe even Barry or the twins ... Easter is soon so maybe they will be home..." She kissed her daughter's cheek and headed out of the room. That was a first any time before Shanell would jump at the chance to talk to Andy on the phone. Was there an argument the last time they talked. No .... the last time they had talked was when he was home. She sighed as she headed back to make dinner thinking over what was going on with her only daughter. Was something going on in school that she didn't want to talk about. She would call Barry later to see if he knew something after all he did talk to Shanell on the phone just last week maybe she said something.

After dinner Barbara saw her daughter retreat back to her room claiming she had homework and was tired. She didn't even want to sit and watch TV with her parents. She used to do that all the time, climb on the couch and have a popcorn fight with her brother. Another thing she no longer did since Andy left last year.. Barb watched as she left, she knew something was wrong, she dialed the number she knew by heart. Waiting for her oldest son to pick up the phone.