How Quickly I Forget; That This Is Beating Less

I frowned and pulled on my new outfit. Grabbing my sunglasses I jumped off the bus, closing the door quietly behind me. I checked my cell and frowned; only 9:13. No one's even up yet. I started heading towards the 7-Eleven we had passed in our bus. A car pulled up slowly beside me and I picked up my pace, glancing at it out of the corner of my eye.

"Hey." My head snapped in the direction of the car and I panicked. "Can you come here and give us directions?" I shook my head and kept walking. "Please? I'm trying to find an old friend. She's playing at Warped right now and I can't find the venue."

"Venue's back there." I pointed over my shoulder.

"Thanks." This man's voice sounded so familiar I just had to turn and look in the car. What I saw shocked me enough to make me feel a bit dizzy. My father.

"Dad!?" My mouth was hanging wide open now. The man turned and looked at me with an unfathomable expression in his eyes.

"Julie?"

"Daddy!" I cried out and ran towards the car, pulling the door open and throwing myself across the seat and into him, hugging as tight as I could.

"Oh my god Julie! I've been trying to find you for years now." My father just hugged me tight. A few tears escaped my tightly closed eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me? I would've found a way out dad. I would've tried." He rocked me back and forth in his arms.

"I wanted to keep it a secret. I was going to surprise you. Your mother would have found out somehow. Even if I had written in another language."

"I know. Were you really coming to find me? To see me play?"

"Julie, I heard about your band and I knew I would be able to see you if I managed to get to any venue. Of course I was coming to find you. I wanted custody but your mother wanted you more."

"She's so high dad. She always comes home high as a kite or drunk. That's only when she does come home though. My friend Erin lives with me now."

"Are you happy Julie?" I pulled back and sat in the passenger seat.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're 19 now. No one has custody of you anymore. You're free."

"Yeah. But what does this have to do with you?" My dad looked nervous and started fiddling with his thumbs.

"If you want you can come home with me after this is over. After you finish Warped Tour." I froze. My father really did want me. But what about the life I had created with the Escape the Fate boys and my best friends Cam, Erin, and Alli? I didn't want to give that up. I shook my head slowly. Everything was different. He didn't watch me grow up by myself. He was never there for me. I didn't have anything else to say to him.

"I can't do that dad. I'm sorry. I have a new life I want to live," I paused, thinking over what I was about to say, "I want to live with my best friends." He smiled faintly.

"I understand. Well, here. I'll give you my cell and home number in case you ever need me." He wrote two numbers down on the back of a receipt and handed it to me. "Now get back to the venue and play a kickass show honey." My dad kissed the top of my head and smiled.

"Thanks dad. I love you." I wrapped him in a hug one last time. "Will you come watch the show?"

"I was planning on it, but now I see that I can't." I looked at him, confused. "I'm driving down to Vegas to get your mother some help."

"Oh dad." My eyes were brimmed with tears once again. "Thank you. I know she may not seem like she wants it, but she really needs it. She'll thank you when she's healthy again. I just know it."

"Goodbye Julie."

"Bye dad." I left him there. When he drove by me again, I waved one last time before seeing my dad leave me again, this time for a good reason though.

&!

"WE'VE ONLY GOT 1 MORE SONG LEFT GUYS! WHAT DO YOU WANNA HEAR?!" Craig screamed into the mic. He was so pumped, jumping up and down, running around the stage like a maniac.

"THIS WAR." Craig paused and grinned devilishly into the mic. "IS." It was deathly silent in the crowd now except for a few people yelling about how hot Escape the Fate is. "OURS!" The intro began and Craig raised his hands in the air.
"We have to find a better way
out of this tragedy
as the battle rages on
blood stains the groun we're on
My ears hear only screams
brave soldiers are dying
one spartan stands alone and shouts
this war is ours." Maniac that he is, Craig ran over to me and tried to pull me out, but I shook my head and planted my feet firmly on the ground. He frowned but kept singing anyway.

"So I will fight my battle till I fall
and I conquer them all
till we conquer them all," Max finished the last screaming bits and I clapped excitedly for them. Craig saw and flashed me a huge smile.

"Thank you guys. You were fucking amazing. Goodnight!" Craig started to walk off stage but Max ran after him, pulling him back and whispering something in his ear. Craig nodded and put the mic back near his mouth. "Maxy hear wants us to play one more song. So here's Harder Than You Know."

"I wonder if your love's the same.
'Cause i'm not over you.
Baby, don't talk to me.
I'm trying to let go.
Not loving you is harder then you know.
'Cause girl your driving me so crazy.
How can i miss you if you never would stay?
If you need time i guess I'll go away.
Inside me now there's only heartache and pain!" Craig paused. "I need a Julie Weston out here right now." I blushed and sauntered out and next to Craig. He looked at me with a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Now that she's finally here, Max has something to say." I frowned. What's going on? I tried and failed miserably at miming that to Craig.

"Jule?" I turned my attention back to Max. "You're 19 now. Wow." He scratched his head nervously. "I'm now 21. Julie, I love you and I'm sorry that I hurt you. All I want is to spend the rest of my life with you. I miss you so much. I miss those lips, your beautiful laughter, everything about you." Aw's came from the crowd, and Craig picked his mic up and sang the chorus softly.

"I-I," I stuttered and blushed again.

"Juliet, my beautiful Juliet," he whispered. Max knelt down on one knee and I trembled. "Will you marry me Julie Marie Weston?" I didn't know what to say so instead I threw myself down and into his arms, tears falling from my eyes. "Julie?"

"Yes Max!" I cried out and kissed him forcefully on the lips. Oh god, those lips. The ones I hadn't been able to kiss, to taste, in months. He held me back for a moment, grabbing my left hand in his and sliding a ring onto my finger.

"Thank you so much Julie." Max stood up and kissed me again. He smiled at Craig and picked me up, running off the stage with me in his arms. Max set me down on one of the couches backstage and sat next to me. "Julie I really do want to spend the rest of my life with you. Always remember that." He held my hand in his tightly.

"Max, I want to spend the rest of my life with you too."