Speechless.

For the first time on tour Matt didn’t watch All Time Low perform.

For the first time in three years Matt laid his eyes on his sister—scared out of his mind.

Matt knew that Jack and Zack were right. Amelia was there for a reason, a reason that she specifically needed Matt’s (and possibly the band’s) help.

The idea of Amelia showing up out of nowhere after three years and needing his help, terrified Matt.

Matt never did have a stable relationship with his little sister. They teetered between friends and enemies constantly. Matt had never been close to Amelia, always choosing everything else over analyzing his sister. Matt knew that if he had paid more attention to Amelia he would have seen the signs. He would have seen how unsocial she’d become in the days before she ran away. He would have heard her quiet sobs from the bedroom beside his own. Matt blamed himself for Mia’s disappearance. In his heart Matt felt that he could have prevented Amelia’s flee. He felt responsible for her disappearance.

Gently, Matt touched the back of his hand to her forehead—hot.
Matt moved wordlessly to the kitchen area of the bus and wet a wash cloth with cold water before moving back to the couch and sitting on the edge of it beside his sister.

“Mia,” He murmured, pressing the cold compress to her forehead. Matt hoped she’d wake for a number of reasons, to make sure she was okay and because this would be the only time he’d be alone with her for the next two days, being the dominant two reasons in Matt’s head. He dabbed the wash cloth along her forehead and over her temple, down the side of her face. “Mia,” Her eyes squinted tighter suddenly and her head jerked to the left a minimal amount. Her eyes suddenly burst open, her eyes unseeing before they landed on Matt, his wash cloth poised over her head.

“Matt.” She whispered in acknowledgement. Matt drew the wash cloth away and for the first time since Amelia had shown up, deep concern flooded him.

“Mia,” he whispered, his breath leaving him as his heart began to race as fear struck him. Why had she left in the first place? Where had she been all this time? Was she in some sort of trouble? Was that why she was here? “Mia, what happened to you?” Amelia just stared at him; her wide brown eyes, mirror images of his own, hid her emotions from him. Then he remembered something. “Mom and Dad and Mary said you weren’t talking…at all. But you just said my name so I know you can.” Amelia held his gaze for another moment before she looked away, her eyes glaring holes into the back of the couch. “What happened to you, Mia?” The woman before him was such a contradiction to the girl he once knew. She was taller, her raven hair had been chopped short, a layer of dirt clung to every inch of her body, baggy clothes replaced the flattering ones, and she was sickly thin, thinner than Matt had ever seen her. Not to mention any life Matt remembered her having was gone. The constant energizer bunny with the contagious laugh and happy personality would not be coming back, it had left three years ago and Matt knew it would never fully return.

In answer, Amelia abruptly sat up, forced up her sleeves and held out her wrists to him.

Matt’s breathing all but stopped as he took her wrist between gentle fingers. A crisscross of faded scars decorated the inside of her wrist, bruises in different colors and sizes ran up her arm but what really caught Matt’s eye was the pencil point sized marks on the inside of her elbow.

“Tracks?” Matt questioned in disbelief. His eyes flickered from her arm to her tired, emotionless eyes. “Mia, what have you gotten yourself into?” For the first time in a long time Amelia’s demeanor cracked and she knew in anyone else’s company this wouldn’t have happened.
Her lower lip quivered and her eyes turned glassy as she suddenly flung herself at Matt, wrapping her arms around his neck and sobbing into his shoulder.

Hesitant at first, Matt’s hands rested on her back helplessly before his arms wound around her small frame and held her tightly as she clung to him, crying three years worth of tears and soaking his Glamour Kills t-shirt. “It’s okay, Mia.” He murmured in her ear. “You’re safe, you’re loved, and it’s okay.” But she just shook her head a minimal amount against his shoulder signaling it was not, in fact, okay. He sighed, in the five minutes she had been awake Matt was already exhausted. “Oh Mia,” He ran a hand through her tangled locks and brushed them away as they clung to her tear stained face. “C’mon,” he sat up from the couch and Amelia just stared up at him helplessly. “C’mon,” He coaxed taking her hand and getting her to her feet. “Let’s get you clean clothes. Are the clothes of the girl variety okay with you or are you partial to guys’ clothes now?” He questioned narrowing his eyes at the baggy clothes that were clearly meant for a guy.

Amelia smiled weakly in response.

“But first.” He held her wrist gently in his hand and used the wash cloth to scrub the layer of dirt from her arm before switching and doing the same to the other. “Alright let’s go.” He led her toward the bus door when she froze, digging her heels into the carpet. Matt turned to her confused. “It’s alright, Mia. I’m just going to take you to get clothes.” Mia shook her head fervently and retreated back to the couch, wrapping the quilted blanket around herself. Matt sighed tiredly, “Alright, you stay here. Don’t. Move. I’ll be right back.”

Mia nodded quietly and Matt turned hesitantly for the door and moved out into open air. How Mia found him or had even snuck into the bus lot was beyond him, all he knew was that she was here and Matt wasn’t going to let her leave.

Matt weaved between the bus lot of Warped Tour until he (miraculously) found Hey Monday’s bus. It still surprised him how he managed to tell each bus a part when nearly each one was identical. He knocked twice before someone yelled to him and Matt stepped onto the bus.

Jersey was situated at the table, laptop in hand typing away.

“Hey Matt, what’s up?”

“I have a favor for your singer, is Cassadee here?” Jersey rose to his feet, nodding as he led Matt to the back of the bus.

“Hey Cass?” He yelled through the bathroom door. The knob twisted and Cassadee poked her head out. “He’s got a favor for you.” He mumbled before turning back to the front of the bus.

“Hey Matt, what’s up?” She smiled opening the bathroom door wider revealing an array of makeup supplies. Her iPod was plugged into a portable speaker on the counter. She picked up an eye pencil and began lining her eyelid.

“What would you say if I gave you $100 to go around the stands to buy some clothes that you think are nice, for my sister?” Cassadee turned to him slowly, confusion written all over her face.

“One, you do realize this is Warped Tour and there is a limited selection of girls clothes. Two, you have a sister?”

“Yeah,” He laughed uneasily while rubbing the back of his neck. “I do. In fact she’s staying on the bus with me and the guys for a little while.”

“Poor girl,” Cassadee joked. “Sure I’ll buy what I can find.” She nodded smiling. “But you have to promise to introduce us.” She grinned

“I will,” He nodded pulling out his wallet and handing her two fifties. “I actually have to get back to her right now, I’m sorry to spring this on you then bail.”

“Are you kidding?” Cassadee laughed. “I get to go shopping.” She snatched the money from his hands and stuffed it into her pocket. “I’ll bring whatever I can find by later tonight, okay?”

“Yeah, thanks Cassadee I appreciate it.”