Unexpected Places

It had been at least 3 days since the incident with "extra tight skinny jeans" and I was still furious. One, at her for being such a dick and two at myself for letting her get to me. We were currently heading into New York, the guys were doing a few shows there and we'd been driving non-stop for about 2 days. I was exhausted and the only thing keeping me going was the fact that once we got to New York we would be staying in a hotel for three nights, and I, thank God, was going to be getting my own room.

Hell to the Yeah.

"Summer?" I heard a nervous voice ask.

I swung my legs over the side of my bunk, pulling an earphone out my ear. I looked down and saw Brendon. My heart started thumping wildly.

"What's up?" I asked, a blush creeping up my neck as if I thought he could hear the erratic beats of my heart.
"We'll be at the hotel soon, if you want to gather up some things," he replied, "But don't take much, the bus will still be outside the hotel if you need to come back for anything."
"Okay, thanks."

He shrugged and walked off. I set about stuffing some clothes into my yellow suitcase, humming "Designer Skyline" by Owl City. Brendon and I had been oddly awkward around each other and to be honest, it upset me. It had taken me so long to get over him, and over the past week or so I'd began to feel all my old feelings for him, rushing back to me. Now whenever I saw him I felt like I wanted to just burst into tears and beg him to take me back. It was around this time last year we'd broken up and even if it wasn't on his mind, it was certainly on mine. I sighed, blinking hard. I needed to pull myself together. I decided I'd talk to Pete later and see if he wanted to go out and get drunk with me later. I needed a night out. The bus gradually came to a halt and I jumped up, running out of the bunk area pulling my suitcase behind me. I jumped off the bus and followed the others, who had already vacated the bus, into the expensive looking hotel we'd stopped outside.

"Okay, Summer gets her own room," said Pete walking over from the desk key cards in his hand, "But the rest of you pair up 'cause you're sharing. Now, kill each other for the best rooms."

He slid his own key into his pocket and threw the others in the air before running off cackling, towards the elevators. I groaned as the members of Fall Out Boy, minus Patrick and Pete, The Academy Is... and Panic At The Disco pushed and shoved at each other, all of them trying to grab a key card at the same time. I waited until they'd all wandered off in the direction of the elevators before I began to look for mine.

"Ugh," I muttered, scanning the floor, "You couldn't have just handed them out like a normal person, could you Pete?"
"Looking for something, Summer?"

I turned round and saw William, fanning himself with a key card.

"William, if that's my key please give it to me."
"Hmm," he stroked his chin in mock thought, "What's in it for me."
"I'm seriously not in the mood for you William," I muttered, "Just give me the key!"
"Shan't," he grinned turning his back to me, folding his arms.
"Just give it me!"
"Why?"
"Because I need it!"
"Why?"

I was really, honestly and truely beginning to hate William Beckett. Here he was, a grown man, acting like a child.

"William," I said quietly, "I really can't deal with you right now. Please just give me my room key."

He turned around frowning.

"That isn't like you, no cursing, no abuse, no anger," he said, "What's wrong?"

He didn't say it spitefully, he actually looked...concerned?

"William...I'm tired and emotionally drained," I sighed, "All I want to do is go to my room and sleep. Please, give me a break."

Still frowning, he extended the arm holding the key card and I took it.

"Thank you," I mumbled, turning and pulling my suitcase towards the elevators.

To my horror, William followed me.

"Why are you emotionally drained?" he asked as the doors pinged open.

I stepped inside, ignoring the question and checked my room number before pressing the button for the third floor. The doors slid shut and the lift began to move upwards.

"So you're ignoring me now?"
"I'm not ignoring you."
"Then answer the question."
"Can you please just drop-"

I was cut off by a loud screeching noise and I stumbled as the lift came to a juddering halt. The lights flickered for a few seconds, but thankfully stayed on.

"You have got to be kidding me," I muttered.
"I think the elevator just broke," stated William.
"Oh, really?"
"Wait, isn't there like...a call button thing for emergencies?" he said, walking over to the panel on the wall.

I slid to the floor, leaning on the wall.

"Found it!" exclaimed William happily.

There was a faint buzzing noise and then a voice.

"Hello?"
"Uh, yeah hi," said Willaim, "We're stuck in an elevator, and we were kinda hoping you could get us out."
"We have people working on the problem already, sir," said the voice, "Just keep calm and hang tight and you'll be out in no time."
"Uh sure, thanks."

There was a click and then silence.

"Hang tight?" I muttered, "Easy for him to say."
"They said they'd get us out soon," shrugged William sliding to the floor also, sitting opposite me, pushing his own suitcase to the side.
"Yeah, right," I sighed, closing my eyes and leaning my head on the wall behind me.

There was a silence between us, until William broke it.

"So, are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

I opened my eyes and looked at him. He was frowning, again a look of concern on his face.

"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh come on," sighed William, "Please, it's obvious there's something bothering you."
"Well there's not."
"I think there is."
"You're wrong."
"I don't think-"
"William! Just drop it! There's nothing the matter!" I snapped, "And besides, even if there was, why would I tell someone who's been nothing but a complete jerk to me since we met?"

William didn't say anything. We both looked away from each other, glaring at opposite walls. I felt myself beginning to feel guilty for yelling at William. Maybe he was genuinely concerned for me? But why would he start acting nice all of a sudden. I sighed and looked over at him, he was looking at the opposite wall a defiant look on his face.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly.

He turned to look at me an eyebrow raised.

"What?" he frowned.
"I'm sorry for yelling," I mumbled, looking down.
"I don't get it," he said after a while.
"Don't get what?"
"You put on this real 'I don't give a shit about what anyone thinks of me' front," he said, "But you won't admit when you're really upset. You just bottle it up inside and don't let anyone close enough to try and help."

I didn't know how to reply to that. I just sat in silence, looking like an idiot. I knew he was right, the only people I'd ever let see me upset were Ryan and Spencer. Not even Brendon, even when we were dating...
I broke off the thought, knowing now was a bad time to be thinking about him.

"Summer?"

I looked over at William.

"Tell me what's wrong," he said, "Maybe I can help?"
"I doubt it," I whispered, "Unless you can turn back time."
"Tell me," he insisted.
"You really want to know?" I asked, disbelievingly.
"Yeah," he nodded.
"Right," I said.

I sat in silence for a while, thinking. Was I really going to tell William? The guy I'd been despising since the beginning of the tour?

"Well...uh..." I stammered, "You know, Brendon and I used to date, right?"

Summer, stop! screamed a small voice inside my head Think this through!

"Really?" asked William, looking surprised, "I never knew that."
"Well we did," I said, "We were together for almost a year. I loved him, I loved him so much, I really did. I remember, he asked me out on my 16th birthday..."

I trailed off, shaking my head, smiling, trying to hide my embarressment.

"What happened?" asked William, quietly.
"God, I was so stupid! He was my first real boyfriend, you know? I would've done anything for him! Anything! Ugh, I just couldn't control my god damned hormones and just..."

I stopped again, a flush creeping up my cheeks, my eyes burning as I tried to stop them filling with tears.

"Summer?"

"I got pregnant," I said.

There was complete silence. I looked over at William. He had a look of pure disbelief on his face.

"Pregnant?" he repeated.

I nodded.

"And you had an abortion?"
"I didn't want to," I whispered, tears building themselves up in my eyes, "I told Brendon I was pregnant, he thought at first I'd cheated on him. I mean, we'd always been so careful. I hadn't cheated though, I loved him way too much. I told him I'd keep the baby, even if he didn't want to be involved..."
"So why...?"
"I told Brendon I just got scared," I choked out, "I changed my mind, that I wasn't ready for a kid. That he had his whole life ahead of him, and didn't need to be weighed down by a child. I-I lied to him. I lied to them all. Ryan, Spencer, Jon. None of them know the truth."

By this time tears had escaped from my eyes and were rolling down my cheeks. I swiped at them angrily, I didn't cry in front of other people.

"What happened?"
"My Dad found an empty pregnancy test box in my room," I said, wiping at my eyes with the back of my hand.
"Oh..."
"My...," I stopped, not knowing whether or not I should tell him, "My Dad isn't a nice guy."

William looked straight at me.

"What do you mean?"
"I mean, that he's an abusive alcoholic who makes a sport out of beating me the hell up," I replied, quietly, "He found the pregnancy test and took me himself to make sure I got an abortion. He threatened me. I had to...I didn't tell the others, I've never told anyone that he was the reason...I mean they all know that my Dad hit me, the amounts of times I had to call them for help when I was hurt...but I never told them...after the abortion. God, it almost killed me."
"Summer, God, I'm so sorry," gasped William, "What about your Mom? Couldn't she...?"

I flinched and he trailed off.

"Summer?"
"My Mom died of a heroin overdose when I was 12," I said, fresh tears building up in my eyes, "That's why I got so caught up at the concert with the girl..."

William hesitantly moved himself closer to me and put an arm round my shoulders.

"I'm so sorry," he said again, his arm tightening round me.

"He broke up with me," I whispered, "When I needed him the most. I tried..."

Tears were flowing thick and fast down my face now, I'd given up trying to wipe them away.

"I tried to kill myself," I said, almost inaudible, "On more than one occaision."

William put his other arm around me when I said this and pulled me closer to him. He still didn't say anything.

"It was this time last year," I said, "And now I'm around him all the time and it took me so long to get over him and I just can't stop thinking about it. I have all these old feelings just coming back whenever I see him and I just...I just want him to forgive me."

I broke down completely, burying my head into the crook of William's neck. He tightened his arms around me.

"Hey, it'll be okay," he said quietly.
"No, it won't," I sniffed, "He hates me."
"Have you tried talking to him about it? Maybe if you told him the truth?"
"I can't tell him the truth, it would make things worse."
"Does he know..." William swallowed and then continued, "Does he know you tried to kill yourself?"
"No," I shook my head, "No one does. Oh God, please, please don't tell anyone!"

I was suddenly frantic, pulling away from him.

"Please, I don't even know why I told you. William you can't-"
"Calm down," he exclaimed, pulling me back to him, "I won't tell a soul, I promise."

I relaxed in his arms and closed my eyes breifly.

"Thank you," I said after a minute, "Thank you for listening to me."
"Hey, no problem Summer," he said, "I'm always here if you ever need to talk, you know?"

I nodded, but didn't say anything. There was another, slightly awkward silence between us.

"This is different," I laughed nervously, changing the subject, "We're usually at each other's throats."
"Yeah," he agreed, "We don't get on all that well..."
"No..."
"I don't know why," he said, thoughtful.
"Me either."
"You know, I'm not really that bad once you get to know me," he said, grinning, "Yeah, I'm a bit of a prick, but I'm just so gosh darned lovable."

I laughed.

"It's true," he protested, taking his arms from around me and moving so he was sitting cross-legged in front of me, "I'm like a puppy. Annoying as hell, but you just have to love me."
"Oh really?" I grinned.
"Totally," he nodded, "I mean look at me, I'm adorable."
"Oh, for sure," I giggled, "Very adorable."
"And you're not that bad either really," he grinned.
"Gee, thanks," I said sarcastically, raising an eyebrow.
"I mean, you can't help being a bit bitchy," he continued, a wicked grin on his face, "You have issues. But underneath your hard outer shell you have a soft and gooey centre...like..."
"I swear, Beckett, if you compare me to any kind of candy I will castrate you," I smirked.
"I guess I just won't finish that sentence then," he smiled, moving back to sit beside me, leaning against the wall.

I blinked, realising something for the first time.

"Hey, we've been in here ages..." I frowned, "Didn't they say they'd get us out like...an hour ago?"

As soon as the words left my lips the lift juddered again and the lights flickered and died.

"Shit," I muttered, "Complete and utter shit."