Come Around

"We're falling faster, will you think about it? If I fall over, will you catch me, baby? 'Cause there's an awful lot of people waiting to get their hands on everything we've got."

Pat sang the second verse of No One Can Touch Us into the microphone to the crowd and Alex sang along quietly in Cassie's ear. She could barely hear him over the volume of the instruments that were being played only a few feet away from them, but his arm tightening around her waist and the kiss he planted on the side of her head made her completely aware of the fact that he was singing to her.

"And I'll be singing 'cause you're all I need," he sang along right before his arm dropped from her waist and he made his way from the side of the stage to the center, wrapping his arm around Pat and singing into the microphone, "We're gettin' higher every time that we love, a little closer to the things we fall back on. If you come over then together, willing, we'll take over the world."

The crowd went insane at the sight of Alex. The high pitched screams were almost deafening and all Alex could do was grin at them. He released his hold on Pat and moved to another microphone, singing the rest of the song with the band. When the song finished, he waved and started to walk back to the side of the stage.

"We didn't even know he was going to be here tonight," Pat said to the crowd, "So this was completely unplanned. Give it up for our good friend Cassie for dragging him out here tonight."

Alex's arm snaked around Cassie's waist from behind and he placed a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth. She smiled and turned her head, pressing her lips fully to his. When they parted, they smiled at each other before turning their attention back to the stage.

Angie watched them, wondering when Alex and Cassie became the happier couple and how, dysfunctional as they could be, they seemed to find a way to make it work. She sighed and leaned against Rian, sliding her arm around him and rubbing his side. He tightened his arm around her shoulder and she adjusted herself, wrapping her other arm around him and hugging him tightly.

She didn't want to be upset anymore. She didn't want to feel the tension between the two of them. She wanted to let it all go and apologize for the way she'd been acting.

Finally, she looked up at him. His eyes met hers immediately. And without a word, they both dropped their arms and walked toward the backstage area, looking for a place they could talk without being interrupted. Rian pushed open the door to Sing It Loud's dressing room and held it open, letting Angie walk in first.

"I'm sorry," she said as soon as the door shut.

Rian's eyebrow raised, "For what?" he asked.

"The way I've been acting this week," she said, "And being a shitty girlfriend on your birthday."

"First of all, you're not a shitty girlfriend," Rian said, "The whole thing with the strip club, I only went because I couldn't ditch out on my best friend's birthday, especially when we'd had it planned for so long."

"I know," she said, staring at the floor.

"I wish we could've talked it out before it got to this point," he said, taking a seat on the couch.

Angie slowly lifted her head until her eyes found his, "What point is that? she asked.

"Everything between us being so strained. I hate it. In the six months we've been together, we've always just bounced back from whatever little disagreement we've had, but this time we didn't. This is our first real fight and it sucks."

"It does," she agreed, walking over and sitting on Rian's lap, "Sometimes I wish I could be like Cassie and not care about certain things. But, as selfish as it may be, I just don't want to share you with anyone."

Rian's face twisted in confusion, "Cassie isn't sharing Alex with anyone," he said.

"No, I know. I don't mean sharing in that sense. She knows that when he goes out with Jack or Zack or you or Matt or whoever that he's looking at other girls and flirting and she doesn't care as long as he doesn't actually do anything. And she bought him a lap dance! And just," she sighed, "I don't know. I would hate it if you flirted with another girl."

Rian chuckled, "Cassie is a different kind of person. As much as I didn't want her to date Alex, I can't deny that she has been really good for him. She lets him be himself and somehow that makes him want to be better. Honestly though, I don't even try to begin to understand their relationship," he said.

"It's better that way, I'm sure," she said with a quiet laugh.

There was silence between the two of them for a brief moment before Rian spoke again, "But back to us," he said, "I don't want you to be like Cassie. I want you just the way you are because that's the girl I fell for. And if we end up fighting every so often, then so be it. It's going to suck, but we aren't always going to agree on everything."

"I know," Angie sighed, "Next time, I'll try to be less stubborn and not take a week to talk about it," she said, leaning in and pressing her forehead to his.

"Sounds like a plan," he replied, pressing his lips to hers.

The dressing room door flung open and Sing It Loud filed into the room, followed by Cassie and Alex, their chatter ceasing when they saw Angie and Rian.

"I see we're interrupting," Pat said, "And it's a good thing because we have a band rule. No dressing room sex. So even though you two aren't a part of our band, it still applies to you."

Angie and Rian both laughed, "Okay there wasn't going to be any dressing room sex," Angie said, "We're not Cassie and Alex. We know how to keep our clothes on in public."

"That was one time!" Cassie exclaimed, everyone's heads snapping in her direction, "And Alex just so happens to be really persuasive when he's wasted."

Rian's eyes grew to size of golf balls, "Christ Almighty!" he shouted, "That was way to much information. I did not need or want to know that."

When the laughter in the room had calmed, Pat spoke again, "Do you guys wanna hang around for a bit we can go mingle with the kids and then go grab some food?" he asked.

"We would love to," Cassie said, "However, these boys are actually missing their own birthday party right now. So we have to run. But I'm sure it'll be going until three or four in the morning, so you should come by when you're finished up here."

"Hell yeah," Pat said.

Cassie scribbled down the address on a piece of paper and then hugged each of the boys. Angie did the same, and Alex followed suit, enveloping each of the Sing It Loud boys in full on hugs. Rian said his goodbyes as well and they all headed out.

As soon as they stepped outside, a mob all but attacked them. Alex posed for pictures with a handful of kids before apologizing profusely for having to leave. They walked quickly back to the car. The girls were both shivering by the time they got there. Alex blasted the heater for them and and drove toward Matt's house.

It wasn't long before they got there and as they were walking up the driveway, Alex turned to Cassie, "You don't mind if I get wasted out of my mind, do you?" he asked.

Cassie laughed, "You told me the first time we hung out that your twenty first birthday was going to be the best night you'd never remember. And I expect nothing less," she said.

"You're the fucking best girlfriend ever," he said, kissing her cheek before pushing the front door of the house open.

The party was in full swing. Many people were already drunk and those who weren't were well on their way. Cassie quickly scanned the room to see who was there. Almost immediately her eyes fell on Jack, who was standing on a coffee table, shirt off with a beer in one hand and a red plastic cup in the other. He pointed in their direction as soon as he saw them.

Cassie couldn't help but laugh as they walked over to him, "Keep it classy, Jack," she shouted once she thought he would be able to hear her over all the noise.

He grinned, "Girl, you know it," he said.

Jack jumped down from the table and attacked Cassie with a hug, careful not to spill either of his drinks. Alex laughed and wandered off to get drinks, leaving Cassie to try to wiggle out of the death grip Jack had on her.

As the night wore on, Cassie grew tired. She'd only had a couple drinks because she was unsure if they were crashing at Matt's or if she was supposed to drive home. She hadn't seen Angie in hours. Alex was completely trashed and still going strong. The Sing It Loud boys had showed up around one and started drinking immediately with the intention of making up for lost time.

Two thirty in the morning found Cassie outside on the front porch in cold, Alex's coat over hers in an attempt to keep warm. She pulled a cigarette from the box in her purse and lit it, inhaling deeply and staring up at the sky.

She was halfway through the cigarette when Matt came outside and sat next to her, "What are you doing out here? It's freezing," he said, rubbing his hands together.

Cassie waved her cigarette, "I don't smoke inside, ever," she explained.

"Is Alex going to mind the smell on his coat?" Matt asked when he noticed she was bundled up.

"I don't know," she said with a shrug. After sitting in silence for a moment, she said, "You know, this is the first cigarette I've had since I've been home."

"Why are you smoking?" Matt asked.

She shrugged again, "I have this weird feeling I can't seem to shake," she said.

"What kind of feeling?" he asked.

"It's hard to explain. Something just doesn't feel right."

Matt's face scrunched, "What? Is it you? Is it Alex? I'm sure he's not doing anything stupid," he said.

She shook her head, taking one last drag off her cigarette before smashing it on the ground, "I don't know what it is. It's just..." she trailed off, "Something," she said after a minute.

As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she noticed Matt was leaning in, his face slowly getting closer to hers. She quickly turned her head away from him and stood up.

"What are you doing? Alex is your friend."