Never The Same

“I can’t take a picture if you keep moving, Ginger,” Jessica snapped at the red headed boy.

“Do you know what our names are?” a blonde boy asked.

“No..” a trailed off statement was returned.

“Well, I am Mike, the tall one with long hair is Jared, the short one with long hair is Matt, and the ginger is Eric.”

“Okay, thank you. Eric, stop moving, so I can take this picture,” Jess glared at the red head.

After what seemed like ages, she finally finished the photo shoot. She quickly put away everything she used, and made a dash for Sophie.

“You need to save me from this mess.”

· · ·

She pressed kisses all over his face, as soon as she opened the door to his knocking. “I missed you, I missed you, I missed you,” she whispered between the kisses she was pressing to the skin on his face.

“I missed you too, Ducky,” Max pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, the first one they had shared in almost two weeks.

Jessica sighed, happily. “Why do you call me that?” she asked, pulling him into the warm apartment.

“Ducks are my favorite animal, and you’re my favorite,” Max, sheepishly, spoke grinning at the blush that appeared on Jessica’s cheeks.

“You are too cute,” Jess giggled, pressing another kiss to Max’s lips.

The small gentle kiss, quickly turned into an all out tongue battle with Max pinning Jessica’s hands together above the both of them, on the pillow on her bed. “Just a sec!” Jess broke the kiss. “C’mon Piglet, let’s go to your room,” Jessica called to the puppy, obviously, not needing her to see what was going to happen.

Jess came running back into her bedroom, shutting and locking the door, for no real reason, before jumping on the bed next to Max. “I really missed you,” she sighed, kissing his neck, her hand running down to the hem of his shirt, pulling at it before slipping it under to touch the soft skin of his stomach.

“I m-missed you too,” his voice was low and short with breathy sighs as Jessica’s hand continued to smooth over the skin that graced his small body. The pecks she was placing on Max’s neck, turned into swift licks from her tongue, before transforming into a sucking action. She moved herself, so she was on top of Max, both hands up his shirt, moving it up letting the chilly air in her bedroom attack his pale torso.

“Take it off,” Jessica instructed, getting up, pulling off her sweat pants and t-shirt, leaving her in her boy shorts and bra. She quickly climbed back onto Max’s body, not letting him shrug himself of his jeans. “I’ll get those off later.”

· · ·

June 2009

“Ayden, did you ever think they’d make it this far?” Jessica asked, looking over at her best friend, the one that threw Marie out the fucking window.

“Honestly,” Ayden looked over Jessica, before looking at Craig out on the stage singing to at least a thousand people, and then looking to Ronnie, Max, Omar, Bryan, and Robert who were warming up to go on stage. “No, I didn’t. They were so set on staying small, it was ridiculous, they were so scared. And now, they are singing to at least a thousand people, Craig’s fronting an amazing band, Escape the Fate is letting them open up for them on their world tour, which is kicking off today, it’s amazing. I think you did it too,” Ayden smiled at Jess.

“What do you mean?” Jess asked, looking down at the ring that was placed on her ring finger, as it sparkled in the lights on stage.

“A year ago, they boys were so content on staying inside of the basement, and then Max bumped into at the club, he did not shut up about you until we met you the following Monday, and even then he didn’t shut up. Max was the one who did not want to leave his comfort zone, but you said something, I don’t know what you said, but it made him want to go out and explore, go out and play for people, other than us. You changed Max, you changed him so much, and he is so much better than he used to be,” Ayden mumbled, watching her husband of two months storm about the stage.

Jessica looked over at Max, who was jumping up and down, grinning at something Ronnie had said, “I guess I did,” she smiled, blowing a kiss at him, which he caught dramatically.

· · ·

Epilogue

After the world tour ended in the late fall of 2009, Jessica and Max finally decided to tie the knot, throwing all the plans out the window, and without telling any of their friends, eloped Vegas style, however, neither were drunk. Dressed in skinny jeans, red flats, top, and make up with a veil covering her face, while holding one red rose, Jessica said “I do.” Max said “I do” in skinny jeans, ratty black converse, and a button up shirt, rolled up to the elbows.

As soon as the marriage was legal, they left for the airport, spending their honeymoon in Hawaii, however, they never saw the sandy beach shores. Their friends and family had no idea the two got married, or that they were gone until they came home almost a month later, they were both yelled at for not getting invitations to the wedding, but family and friends planned party for the newlyweds.

Jessica rented out her apartment, Piglet and Jessica moved in with Max, of course, and they also bought Piglet a little brother, who they named Tigger. Craig was happy that he now had a nephew along with a niece. Soon after Tigger was added to the family, everyone found out that there would be two new additions to the family.

Ayden was pregnant with a baby boy, who was named Keagan Scott, the first name for no real reason, and the middle name because Max was the god father and his middle name was Scott. Jessica was pregnant with a baby girl, who was named Alyce Ann, the middle name for the same reason, except Ayden was the god mother.

And now, as the Escape the Fate family and blessthefall family, which had become one, sat watching the Las Vegas sunset, reminiscing about everything that had happened with the last two and three years, watching Alyce and Keagan play with Piglet and Tigger, they realized that dreams really do come true. Whether it be hair and make up, music, or photography, as long as you reach for it, nothing will ever be the same, as long as you reach for it, everything will be different.

Jess finally got what she set out to do, leaving her home in Illinois, sure, she didn’t become a make up artist, but she was a well known photographer, and sure, she lost her old friends, but she made new ones, and sure her family didn’t exactly approve of everything that happened to her, but she had a new family, and it’s different now, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. Moving to Vegas was the best thing Jessica had ever done, she was so proud of it, of herself.

As she tucked her hands inside her sleeves, scooting closer to Max, watching Ayden act out Craig whenever Piglet came over the first few times he had seen her, just so his band mates could laugh at him, she realized her life would never, ever be the same.

Tonight, we lie awake
Remember how the coffee made us shake on those long drives?
One more long night

Another seven days
Heartbeat racing
The interstate, my home tonight
For one more long night
I'm sure as hell the happiest I've ever been

We get high, we let go
We've got more than we know
My friends are a different breed
My friends are

There's a ghost in this room
I think I'll name it after all of you
And watch it hang over my bed like decorations celebrated
Memories, they came and went in light of all the time we spent
Listening to everything our parents told us not to take in

I would've married you in Vegas
Had you given me the chance to say "I do"
Could I make it more obvious, could you
Be anymore obvious