Sequel: Red Light Into Blue
Status: Working on the sequel Red Light Into Blue currently :)

Pressed Beneath This Spell

All Hail The Heartbreaker

It had been almost six months since Alex and Corie met. Both have gone through more downs than ups in their complex human minds. Thoughts have drained them mentally and physically. Corie's fans, made up of her friends and coworkers, have seen her distant herself into her own world surrounded of Alex but then bounce back with their help. Alex's fans, made up of his friends who are his coworkers as well as his actual fans, have seen him distance himself into his own world of coffee shops and bitter melodies but seemingly bounces back with their help.

Though never together their lives seemed to intertwine. Whether out of supreme stubbornness or supreme love, they were thrown into selfish thoughts. After all, love is selfish.

Corie and Jaynie were standing in line before the vastness of the venue. They would be seeing All Time Low in just a couple of hours. Around them swarmed hundreds of colorful fans all standing in line with them to hear the cute Americans' music. And all around them were fancy European shops and cobblestone. Biannually they took a trip to visit Jaynie's aunt. In London.

"I can't believe we're finally here!"

"I can't either. The most special time we've ever spent here!"

"This is only our third time coming here together putz."

Jaynie sent a glare in the direction of her dear friend. She knew how to get back at her though.

"Nervous about seeing him?"

"Nah." Corie maneuvered her eyes to look around at the buildings that were not like the buildings back home.

"Sure." Jaynie followed with a snicker. "Do you ever stop to think about the fact that fate could be proven today?"

"Yea. I guess." Corie moved her eyes to the bright color of her shoes. She wondered if she should have worn them today or not.

"There are at least ten coffee shops within a half mile radius of the venue. And ours has to be one of the farthest."

Finally Corie's eyes abruptly shot over to her friend's. They were quite wide.

"You're just telling me this NOW?"

"If I had earlier, you would have stayed a zombie."

"So?"

"So! For your health and our sanity, we needed you to think in a different light. We needed our Corie back."

Corie's eyes looked around once more. She didn't know what to say. The thoughts were starting to bring the debris to airborne status once again.

"For what it's worth...I have a tingly feeling that today is not gonna end how we planned."

"Tingly feeling? And is that good or bad? And what are our plans?"

"It's a good tingle. And I think the plan originally was to do some tourist things. Check off some of our 'To See' list. But I don't think that's what's gonna happen."

"Well, whatever happens happens. Que sera sera."

"Couldn'ta said it any better myself."

Jaynie smiled as she followed her friend ahead as the line began to move faster. She knew that she had caused another storm in Corie's mind, but that was her goal. She needed her to think more rationally. For once, it would be Jaynie being the more rational part of their friendship. And she also had violated her roommate's drawer to copy down the number, so even if he didn't find their little hole-in-the-wall coffee shop, she would be seeing Alex's face regardless. She could help fate along if she wanted to.

--+--

Corie stood thirty rows back and continued to frantically move her head to see Alex beyond the jumping heads. She had wished she was taller than average height. She never wished for it more.

And there he was. He didn't look excited at all. He started his immature banter with the crowd after their screaming diminished. He played around with his bandmates, but not how she remembered at the last show. He was more than likely jet lagged, as they just arrived in London within the last day.

They played a similar set list to the one that she remembered but after a short break, Alex appeared to the mic with the announcement of a new song.

"Listen up! Time for a new cover don't ya think?!" His eyes scanned the crowd, as if he was giving it one last glance or something. The crowd was wild.

"This one's for someone. Ah." Alex looked over at Jack who appeared to be somber for once.

"A girl." The crowd 'awwed'.

"Don't think too much into it...just a song we all wanted to play." He stepped away and placed his fingers on his guitar while he was turned away from his audience.

Jaynie and Corie shared expressions of confusion as they looked at each other. They turned their faces to see Alex step up to the mic once more.

"This is Spill Canvas's All Hail the Heartbreaker."

The guys all looked very serious as they began to play. It wasn't exactly the somber tunes of The Spill Canvas. The chords were grittier and the lyrics faster.

I had the notion that you'd make me change my ways
My bad habits would be gone in a matter of days
I had the feeling that you'd open up my eyes
To a whole new world that had since been in disguise

But that day will most likely never come for me
And it's just my luck to end up getting stuck
To everything you are

So tonight I'll sit and pick apart your pictures
And overanalyze your words
But the truth is that I've never fallen so hard
It's taking everything in me
Just to forget your sweater so far

I had the notion that you'd make me forget the world
But your undecisive mind shows me that
You are "just another girl"
I had the feeling that those looks you gave me were real
What if I ripped your heart apart at the seams
Maybe then you'd know how I feel


Corie gave Jaynie a look of utter confusion, but Jaynie knew that he was talking about her. What she couldn't figure out was why he was so bitter. That was the only apprehension she had about the reasons behind Alex's voice. His voice seemed to be crying while he just gave the crowd his show smile.

But that day will most likely never come for me
And it's just my luck to end up getting stuck
To everything you are

So tonight I'll sit and pick apart your pictures
And overanalyze your words
But the truth is that I've never fallen so hard
It's taking everything in me
Just to forget your sweater so far

I can honestly say
That I never, ever, ever felt this way
Your lips, your eyelashes, your skin
These are the parts of your body
That cause my comatose to begin

I can honestly say
That I never, ever, ever felt this way
Your lips, your eyelashes, your skin
These are the parts of your body
That cause my comatose to begin

I will sleep another day
I don't really need to anyway
What's the point when my dreams are infected
With words you used to say
I will breathe in a moment
As long as I keep my distance
I wouldn't want to go messing anything up

So don't go worrying about me
It's not like I think about you constantly
So maybe I do, but that shouldn't affect
Your life anymore
I knew it the moment you walked into the door

So don't go worrying about me
It's not like I think about this constantly
So maybe I do, but that shouldn't affect
Your life anymore
I knew it the moment you walked into the door

I'll let you get the best of me
Because there's nothing else that I do well
I'll let you get the best of me
Because there's nothing else that I do well
I'll be the giver and you'll be the taker
I guess that's how this one's gonna go I'll be the giver and you'll be the taker
You've got me down on my knees and I proclaim
All hail the heartbreaker


Corie leaned into her friend's ear and yelled.

"Why did he cover a Spill Canvas song?"

"I think it's about you. I think...I think he's giving up?"

Corie just rolled her eyes. A few girls had overheard and gave them looks of annoyance.

"You are incredibly ridiculous."

The girls finished up their show but Corie didn't want to see him walk off the stage after their encore. It was hard enough to see him leave her sight after their main set, when she knew they'd be back to answer the crowd's calls. She knew that he had stolen a part of her heart. And she wasn't angry at him anymore. She was angry for making that damn agreement nearly six months ago. She wished she had just rejected him forthright.

They started exiting the venue the opposite way of most of the crowd who would be going to get a chance to meet their adoration.

"Are you sure you don't just wanna go over there? I'm sure he'd see you."

"No, Jaynie. We will be going to that coffee shop and we will be going on with our day. If he is there...then we'll go from there..."

Jaynie could sense her apprehension but there would be no way of deterring her plans. They would indeed be going to that shop for the best coffee in the world. She just hoped that when she had to make the call to Mr Gaskarth's cellular device...that it wouldn't be too late.

--+--+--

"Oh how I love their accents. They look so much like the girls at home but when they open their mouths it's like woa!"

Zack was talking to Rian as they stepped up into the bus. Alex was behind them.

"You sure you don't wanna go scope out some coffee?" Rian had turned around as they gathered into the front sitting section. Alex's eyes were downcast.

"Why the hell would she be here, man? The six months are over in a week and a half and we're stuck in Europe. I missed her." He shrugged as he made his way over to the fridge to grab a beer.

"They could be on vacation." Jack entered the bus and looked at his friend who was gathering up his headphones.

"Yea. Right." Alex started making his way to the back of the bus.

"Wait, Matt wants to talk to us about the next stop. He said to stay up here for a bit."

Alex shrugged again while sipping on his beer and took a seat in the booth as Matt appeared.

Matt took in the atmosphere of despair as he tried not to glance at Alex's pitiful appearance. He would be cleaning up after a drunk tonight for sure. He sat behind the driver's divider and addressed his band members about their next stop.

After the announcements he let the guys talk amongst themselves. He had given them some options so instead of looking at the sullen and distant singer, he let his eyes gaze towards the passing shops as the bus made it's exit out of the lavish city.

That's when something caught his eye. Two things. Two very orange pair of Adidas shoes. His eyes traveled up the legs they connected to find it was a girl in jeans and a dark blue long sleeved t-shirt. A girl with long brown hair. She was standing inside of none other than a coffee shop. His eyes went wide and he had to formulate a plan. Alex wouldn't look if he had asked him to. Alex couldn't bear to see another impostor. He quickly stood up and asked the bus driver to pull over. Then he turned back to confused faces but he just smiled and told them to go on with their discussion.

"Alex. ALEX!"

Alex looked up while taking the ear buds out.

"What?"

"Since you're uh, not helping with any of the plans, go in and get me a coffee."

"Oh hell no. I'm not goin-"

"Yea you are, man. I forgot to get one and I gotta stay up for hours doin shit and you haven't been doin shit. I know why, but it's time to get back on your feet, dude. Now go get me my coffee."

With some hesitation and compressed rebuttal, the crazy haired singer rose from his seat and out of the bus. Mumbles were heard as he passed the guys.

The band members watched as Alex was waiting to cross the busy traffic.

"Dude, what's that all about. You don't gotta do shit. You planned for us all to drink."

Matt just coyly smiled and told them to look out the window and follow his finger. Sure enough. They all saw what Matt was doing. They saw the sneakers and just knew that it had to be her. Corie.

Alex crossed the street of passing cars thinking how crazy they drove. All this for a damn coffee. He didn't understand why Matt was making him do this. He had grown to hate coffee shops for obvious reasons. But he also knew what he was putting them through. He was never one to let something overcome him and wasn't about to start with coffee shops. He casually thought that maybe she might be in there. He kept his head lowered in depressing resolutions that there was no way she could be inside.

He walked up to the glass door and placed his hands on the handle. His eyes suddenly focused on something bright in his line of vision. The bright color of orange. Shoes, bearing the same logo that conflicted his.

He didn't want the same disappointment he felt every time he walked into the smell of coffee but not the sound of her voice. He didn't want those shoes to belong to anyone else. This was London. Why would she be here? Especially because she said it was her favorite place in the world. He furrowed his eyebrows. Was he looking at the hints in the wrong way? Did she mean she'd be somewhere else in the world? She said it was Jaynie's too. Why would she say that? His eyes looked up, focusing on the door. There in a fancy logo read Jaynie's Java. He looked back at the bus to see four familiar faces at the window. Then he even saw the driver looking out the window. He looked back at the door with his eyes still focused on that logo. Finally he got the bravado to focus his eyes past it.

There she stood. Laughing with Jaynie. His heartbeat raced. His thoughts left. And his nostrils slightly flared while he took as quick and deep breaths as he could. He wished he could transfer the moisture from his palms to his mouth. He just stood there. Staring. Not knowing what to make of all this. Six months had gone by. Six months of torture. This was it.

Suddenly, as if he called out her name, she tilted her head towards the door. He could see her sigh heavily as she smiled. Face full of relief. This is what he needed to dry his palms and find his thoughts. Her smile calmed him. He reached his shaky hand to the door once again to pull it open. She turned around fully before Jaynie suddenly realized why she got quiet and stopped talking. Alex walked towards her and stopped directly in front of her. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck and her face against his. Then she relaxed. Alex's confidence came back to him.

"Told ya I'd see you again."

Corie pulled her face back to look at him and Alex lifted his hands to her face and left no room between their lips as he kissed her with all the passion that built up in those six long months.

Jaynie stood by her friend and couldn't help but watch the proven fate before her. He had found her. Tears formed in her eyes as she saw them pull apart with smiles of relief. Her gaze gave them a moment of privacy as she turned to see a giant bus parked down the street. Through the tinted glass she could see faces pressed against it. She smiled once more at how special this day really was. The tingly feeling she felt was fate in the air.

Who'da thunk it?
♠ ♠ ♠
You know where the title's from. :P

SO It's finally done...almost. There will be an epilogue posted shortly. I hate when stories are left unfinished...kinda...

And for posting this right now, I apparently am getting $300 and am gonna be put on best of mibba list! hahaha (thanks Supz! just saw that right before i was gonna post lol)

In all seriousness tho, I loved writing this and thank all of you who read it. Epilogue to appear shortly!
--+--AlwaysLove--+--