Jaded by Bright Colors and Faded Walls

Jade stood on the merch table in the very back of the venue watching everyone play, it was the only way she was tall enough to see and she wasn’t allowed backstage. She giggled as Jack spun in a quick circle and stumbled slightly, he was the most animated person on stage. Zack stood in one spot the whole time and just played, his head bobbing. Rian was stuck behind his drum set and Alex was stuck behind him microphone as he played guitar.

She smiled as they waved and walked off stage after all their songs.

“Alright, down you go.” Albert stated picking Jade up and moving her down. With a loud squeal she wrapped her arms around his head and her legs around his torso. “You’re making the yellow t-shirt dirty.” He huffed lightly smacking her side. “Legs down.” Jade dropped her legs, Albert set her down on a chair and let her go. “Now, go attack Zack.” He stated as he saw the first member of All Time Low appear through a doorway.

“Yay!” Jade yelled jumping off the chair and running at him. “Zack!” She yelled. The muscular bassist looked up at her just in time to catch her and stay standing up right. “Hi.” She giggled, her arms locked around his neck, legs wrapped around his waist.

“Hi back.” He stated with a small smile. “What’re you doing?” She shrugged, letting go of him and dropping to the ground. Zack blinked a bit confused.

“I was told to attack you.” She giggled skipping off back to the table. Zack blinked a bit confused as he stood there completely lost.

“Okay.” He whispered before following her.

“Okay.” Jade giggled. “I attacked him.” She stated climbing up on the table again and watching as they removed All Time Lows items and put up Cute Is What We Aimed For’s.

“Hey.” Albert gasped picking her up again and moving her down. “Stay off the t-shirts.” He gasped. She frowned at him.

“But then I can’t see!” She whined lightly. Zack watched between the two, not sure what to do.

“Stand on the chair.” Albert huffed.

“I’m still too short.” She gasped. “There’s a tall guy right there.” She pointed at the man with long shoulder length dark brown hair. “And he’s in my way.” She stated. “So if I stand on the table I can see over his head.”

“Then tell him to move.” Zack stated. Albert pointed lightly as he brushed the bits of dirt off the yellow t-shirt.

“I tried!” She gasped throwing her arms up. “And he just ignored me!” She added leaning back as she threw her arms in the air again. Both men watched her as her chest heaved from being so over dramatic.

“Okay…” They both muttered looking at each other than back at Jade.

“I think you need to…” Albert trailed off as Jake and Doug ran by scooping Jade up and running off with her. “Good take her!” He yelled as her loud giggles rang through the silence. People in the crowd turned to see what it was.

“Where are we going?” Jade giggled as Jake and Doug ran out the venue doors with her. She waved as best she could at the security guards. “Where are we going?”

“To the boss.” Doug stated as Jake burst out with maniacal laughter. Jade blinked confused.

“The boss?” She asked lightly as the van came into view. “The vans the boss? How does a bus give instructions?” She giggled as they slid to a stop by the sliding van door and set her down. Turning around she curtsied. “Why thank you.” She stated. Doug and Jake glanced at each other before bowing in response.

“Welcome.” They both laughed before knocking on the door.

Turning Jade watched as it slid open. Alicia smiled at her.

“Licia!” She squealed throwing her arms up.

“Jade!” Alicia giggled. “Come in.” She added with a wave of her hand. Nodding Jade climbed into the van. “Watch the doors.” Alicia stated. Jake and Doug saluted and stared at the door as it slid closed. “Weirdo’s.” She stated. “So… we’re going to have a talk.” She stopped looking at Jade sitting upside down on the first bench in the van. “What’re you doing?” Jade shrugged with a giggle.

“Sitting.” She stated as she stretched her legs to the ceiling. “I can touch it!” She gasped, a wide smile spread over her flush pink lips. She clapped and stomped on the roof.

“I’m glad for you.” Alicia laughed. “But we’re going to have a talk, so sit up.” Jade rolled over and grabbed her ankles, watching Alicia with wide emerald eyes. “About boys.”

“What about boys, they’re weird.” Jade giggled. Alicia laughed.

“Yes, they are, but… do you like any of them?” Jade’s brows narrowed confused. “Do you like any boys more than the other boys?” She asked lightly, watching Jade’s reaction.

“What’d you mean?” Alicia licked her lips as Jade’s words knocked her off course. She wasn’t sure how to answer that.

“Like Lilly likes Dan.” She stated, pointing at Jade as it came to mind. Jade paused and stared at her feet lightly. “You’re heart doesn’t pound in your ears or your throat? Your hands don’t sweat and shake? Your knees and legs don’t feel like Jell-O around them? You’re not afraid of what you say to them, afraid that you might make them mad?”

“Nope.” Jade shrugged lightly. Alicia frowned, she’d been dead sure that Jade licked either Jack or Alex, she wasn’t sure which one, but she was sure it was one of them.

“You don’t like boys?” Jade sighed lightly rolling back over and putting her feet back against the roof of the van. “Do you like girls then?” Jade shrugged and smiled at Alicia.

“I don’t know.” Jade stated. “I figure if I like girls I like girls, if I like boys I like boys. I just don’t know yet because I’ve never liked a girl or a boy in that way yet. I guess I just haven’t found someone I like, like that.” She stated lightly tapping her toes against the ceiling. “When I do, I do, if I don’t I don’t.” Alicia nodded.

“I thought you might like Jack or Alex in that way, that’s why I was asking.” Jade frowned. “You’re getting along great and you seem to love them.”

“They’re fun.” Jade giggled sitting up right. Alicia nodded.

“If you get that feeling for any boy will you come to me before you go to Albert?” Jade nodded.

“Duh! You’re a girl he just thinks he is!” Alicia snorted with laughter. “Yay!” She giggled hugging Alicia tightly. “But I don’t think I’ll like boys for a while.” She added and quickly exited the van running back to the venue

“Oh my god!” Jade gasped loudly. Everyone froze as they began unloading. It’d been four days since Six Feet High and Jade had started on their very first tour.

“What?” Everyone gasped. Jade had gotten hurt every day on tour. She had a large bandage on her forehead from walking into the open storage door of All Time Low’s bus, falling down a set of stairs and scrapping open her hands, knees and forearms, twisting her ankle on stage as she stepped off an amp wrong and falling out of the van one morning and smashing the back of her head into the ground.

“What? What happened?” Everyone yelled as they came running. They paused looking at Jade sitting on the ground playing with a small kitten. They blinked a bit confused at the sight.

“He’s so cute.” She giggled. “Meow.” She muttered down to it as she scratched behind its ears.

Everyone glanced at each other then back at her. The kitten wasn’t even close to cute. Its black and white fur was dirty, wet and clumped in places; it was scrawny and looked like it hadn’t eaten in days. There was nothing cute about the stray cat.

“Jade, leave him alone.” Dan stated reaching down for her.

“No, he’s cute.” She gasped. Everyone frowned, the rest of her band because they knew she wouldn’t give up on the subject and the members of All Time Low because they were treating her like a little kid.

“He probably has a disease.” Dan whispered back. Snorting Jade stood up with the tiny little kitten. Dan sighed lightly as he watched her walk to the van with the kitten. “We’re never getting rid of that damn cat now.” He huffed.

“Nope.” Albert, Alicia, Doug and Oliver sighed.

“I think it’s good.” Aaron smiled. “She’s got something to take care of other than herself that needs taking care of.” He sighed. The other groaned at the thought.

“It’s going to bite someone and give us rabies.” Doug gasped throwing his arms up.

“Then I’ll make sure it goes to the vet and gets its shots.” Aaron laughed wandering off.

“What just happened?” Rian asked lightly, lifting a finger in the air lightly.

“We just got a cat.” Albert and Alicia huffed at the thought. They didn’t like sharing the van with Aaron, Oliver and Jake with how messy and how badly their feet smelled, now they were going to have to share it with a cat that wouldn’t hold its bathroom tendencies till the next stop, it’d just go.

“No, I mean why’d you treat her like she’s four?” Rian clarified.

“Because it’s a cat.” Dan sighed. “She loses what little mind she has when it comes to tiny little fluffy things and she rarely listens to anyone when it comes to them.” He sighed. “You have to treat her like she doesn’t understand what’s going on around her.” He huffed. “I’m not having that thing in the van.” He stated storming off. “It’s bad enough I had to deal with a cat for a week before we left just to give it to Lilly the day we left.” He grumbled.

“Meow.” Jade laughed holding out a torn of piece of bread to the kitten, it took it eagerly. She giggled as it ate the bread as if it’d never see food again. She frowned at the thought that the kitten hardly ate.

“Hey.” Jade looked up at Aaron.

“I’m not getting rid of him.” She snapped. He laughed.

“I know.” He stated. “I think you can keep him so we’re going to get him shots and make him healthy before he comes with us.” Jade scooped the hungry cat up in her arm with wide eyes.

“He’s not leaving me.” She huffed. Aaron nodded.

“That’s fine.” She smiled at him and began petting the kitten and giving him more bread.

“That’s it!” Dan stated. He froze as he looked at the happy smile on Jade’s and the boney, starving cat in her arms eating the bread as if its life depended on it. Aaron and Jade stared at him. Even Dan was a sucked for cute faces, big hopeful eyes and an animal that looked like it needed a home. “fine.” He sighed looking away from Jade’s big eyes as she stuck her bottom lip out. “I cave.” He stated waving his hands and walking off.

“Wha-what?!” Alicia and Albert gasped watching him. “You what?” Dan waved a hand.

“You look her in the eyes and not give in.” He stated as he passed them. Jake snickered lightly.

“Fine I will.” Albert stated. “Jade.” He stated hands on his hips as Alicia nodded, arms crossed arms over standing right beside him. “You have to get rid of the cat.” He stated. Jade’s bottom lip quivered at him. “Oh sweetie, it’s just…” He frowned.

“But he needs a home.” She whispered.

“I give.” Alicia muttered hands up as she walked away. Albert gasped turning to her as she walked away, his mouth hanging open.

“Just abandon me in my time of need.” Albert gasped at her retreating form. “We don’t have room for him.” He added to Jade.

“But if we don’t take him he’ll die!” She gasped. Albert frowned.

“I give.” Doug and Oliver stated walking off as well to get out of the gaze of Jade’s big, watery, emerald eyes.

“You all suck!” Albert gasped. “Make me the bad guy.” He gasped turning back to Jade and frowned at her eyes.

“Please Al?” She whispered. Groaning, his shoulders dropped and his head tipped back.

“Fine.” He growled. “Fine.” Squealing Jade hugged the Kitten tighter and gave him more food. “He is not allowed to have any of my food.” He added, Jade nodded lightly still patting the kitten’s head. “What’re you going to name him?” Jade shrugged.

“Come on Jade let’s go to the store around the corner and get him the things he’ll need to live with us.” Jade nodded standing up and following him. Albert nodded. “Go kick everyone’s butts for abandoning you, tell them had they stuck with you it may have worked in your favor but now your all stuck with the cat.” Aaron laughed as Jade skipped off down the street, Aaron following behind her closely. Albert frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, annoyed he’d lost to a girl twice as small as he was and that he could easily lift with one hand.