Speechless.

Like Matt had predicted Kevin had no problem with Amelia tagging along for the tour. In fact he, like so many others, was intrigued by Matt’s allusive unheard of sister.

Safe within the confines of All Time Low’s bus was Amelia’s world—a world she didn’t want to venture out of. This world contained a small population of people; Matt, Keith, Alex, Jack, Zack, Rian, and Cassadee Pope.

Though Matt couldn’t quite grasp why Cassadee insisted on coming onto their bus day after day only to have a one sided conversation, Cassadee would simply say “She speaks, you just don’t hear her. Besides Matt, she’s my friend—I’m hers.” Matt would never press the matter and anytime one of the boys attempted to Cassadee would shoot them a look. They just didn’t understand, it wasn’t something Cassadee could teach; either understood or you didn’t.

Cassadee and Amelia were situated across from each other, the tiny ‘kitchen’ table between them as Amelia dealt out cards.

“You should have seen Caleb,” Cassadee chortled. “It was priceless” Cassadee finished her story and when Amelia offered a small smile Cassadee considered it a great achievement and it made her feel slightly proud that she could make Amelia smile. “You know how to play right?” Amelia threw her a look but the corners of her mouth twitched up letting Cassadee know she was joking. “Okay okay!” Cassadee laughed throwing up her hands in mock defense as they began to lay out their cards. The two girls arranged their cards and Cassadee smiled as Amelia eliminated one of the smaller piles of cards. “Matt,” She commented. “You never told me your sister was a shark at Spit.”

Matt smirked in response, “You never asked.”

“You know, I said no to card games for a reason.” Jack piped up from the couch, a controller poised in hand as he shot Rian’s player. Rian turned to him stunned.

“We’re on the same team!” Rian cried incredulously and Jack just smiled in satisfaction in response before he directed his attention back to Cassadee.

“I didn’t say no to be a douche bag-“

“Which you are anyway,” Rian grumbled as his player reloaded into the game.

“I just didn’t feel like having my ass kicked by a girl.” Amelia threw him a look. “That’s right, I said it!” He exclaimed sticking his tongue out. Amelia cracked a smile and Cassadee laughed.

“So Mia,” Cassadee began as the two turned their concentration to the game at hand. “I was wondering if you wanted to take a walk with me later.” Amelia froze; ace of spades poised in hand, Jack, Matt, and Rian turned toward the girls with a mixture of stunned curiosity. “I mean nowhere far.” Cassadee rushed on quickly. “Just to my bus. You know, so I can show you some of my stuff.”

Jack, Matt, and Rian’s gaze flickered from Cassadee to Amelia to gauge her reaction, and then back to Cassadee. But after several long moments of silence Amelia simply shrugged noncommittally as she averted her gaze to the table of cars. Cassadee tried not to feel slightly dejected from the action. But Cassadee knew it was more than she had previously anticipated. Instead of a furious head shake of no, Amelia had shrugged. Telling Cassadee she was mildly curious but not nearly enough to venture off the bus. But the prospect was there, lingering in the air like the scent of burnt coffee from earlier that morning. And as Amelia raised her thumb, index, and middle finger, signaling to Cassadee to spit, Jack suddenly burst out,

“Dude what the hell?! Why did you shoot me?” Rian grinned, his revenge appeased, and Amelia smiled in amusement even though she had lost the hand to Cassadee. Jack’s run on complaining was suddenly drowned out by Matt’s ringtone playing shrilly around the room.

“Dude you need an actual ringtone—like a song. The techno/elevator shit is just annoying now.” Rian said

“Yeah, yeah,” Matt grumbled before rising to his feet and lifting the phone to his ear as he moved into the bunk area.

“Ten bucks says it’s Alex, he’s drunk off his ass, and can’t remember where we parked the bus.” Rian smirked.

“You’re on,”

“You two are terrible.” Cassadee chided, shaking her head.

“That was Alex--” Matt announced returning to the front area.

“Ha!” Rian grinned.

“He can’t find Zack. Apparently he’s been drinking with 3oh3 all night.”

“Ha!” Jack shot back.

“Putting aside whatever you two bet,” Matt threw them each a look. “We have to find Zack, bus call is in ten minutes and the bus leaves in fifteen. The driver won’t wait.”

“I miss Larry,” Jack mumbled. “Larry always waited for us to get on the bus.”

“You only like Larry because he gave you a cookie to shut you up once.” Rian snorted. “Besides Larry knocked up his girlfriend. He won’t be back until next tour.”

“So now where stuck with Jerry.” Jack frowned.

“There is nothing wrong with Jerry.”

“He hates me!” Jack shrieked.

“Because you threw all the bras that had been thrown onstage at him and then told him to go get laid.” Matt reminded him.

“Oh yeah,” Jack grinned in remembrance. “That was priceless.”

“Back on topic,” Matt reminded them. “We have to go find Zack…and possibly Alex.”

“Dude I totally just won the bet.” Rian smirked.

“Nuhuh we didn’t even find him yet. Alex could be totally sober for all you know.” Jack argued.

“You guys are unbelievable.” Cassadee mumbled and Amelia rolled her eyes in agreement. They filed off the bus, Rian and Jack arguing back and forth with Matt taking up his usual position of referee.

After Amelia had thoroughly beaten Cassadee at Spit, the latter went in search of a movie.

“What do you think?” Cassadee mused, holding up two different movies. “Scary Movie or The Haunting In Connecticut?” The corner of Amelia’s lips twitched, she knew Scary Movie belonged to Matt. She remember when he bought it, she remembered when their puppy chewed on the corner of the case—the mark evident on the upper left side. Amelia held up one finger. “Scary Movie it is,”

Cassadee popped open the DVD case only to find the disk missing. “Damn the guys left it on my bus. Do you mind if I go get it?” Amelia was unmoving for a moment before she met Cassadee’s gaze and gave a short nod. “Alright, I’ll be right back. I promise.” Cassadee moved quickly for the door, not wanting to leave Amelia alone for longer than she had to be.

Amelia moved to the couch and curled up against it. It was moments like these when Amelia felt both content and equally nervous. She was content with being alone, she was used to it. No one to give her critical looks and concerned glances. But she also desperately hated being alone. She knew that at any moment she could no longer be alone and it was within the company of another—someone she may not have known that made her nervous and uneasy.

Moments like these.

Amelia jumped startled when a pair of a heavy steps moved up the steps and onto the bus—steps that definitely didn’t belong to Cassadee.

The boy was back. The one she’d seen only a few days before. Amelia took him in and couldn’t help but think that he didn’t seem overly threatening but then again it’s the innocent looking ones that fool you. This thought had Amelia shrinking back into the couch.

“You again,” He spoke up, running a hand through his hair. “Amelia right?” She nodded minutely. “Where is your brother…or the band?” Amelia shrugged in response. Truth be told Amelia didn’t know the exact locations of the people this young man sought. She didn’t know exactly where Matt, Rian, and Jack were and Amelia had no idea as to where Alex and Zack were. He gave her a curious look, “Do you remember me? John—from The Maine.” Amelia nodded, she remembered him. The one who accused her of being a groupie without having an inkling as to who she really was—not that he would have known exactly who she was anyway seeing as Matt never spoke of her. “and you don’t talk…at all?” Amelia shrugged, she could talk she just had nothing to say. She didn’t want to talk.
“So you can talk?” John concluded, “You just don’t.” She nodded smiling slightly at how fast he had caught on. It had taken Jack and Alex days to understand Amelia—in fact they were still trying to accomplish it. Even Matt, her own brother, had trouble when he asked her anything other than a yes or no question.
But it had been Cassadee Pope, the one stranger on the tour Amelia had chosen to trust and befriend, that understood Amelia’s silent language completely.

“Why?” John questioned, both intrigued and confused. Who would just decide to stop talking completely? Why would anyone want to that?

Amelia just looked away and suddenly John understood. It wasn’t something Amelia spoke of or even liked to think about. He suddenly felt both regret and awkward as he stood there silently knowing he had made Amelia uncomfortable. He looked around searching for a distraction, John wasn’t always the most socially skilled person but he wasn’t about to endure the awkward silence that threatened to hang in the air indefinitely. “You play cards?” He wondered spotting the stack on the table. Amelia slowly met John’s gaze, not overly convinced that he was someone she wanted around, especially alone. She sighed but nodded none the less. “You ever play War?” Amelia rolled her eyes, just because she didn’t talk didn’t mean she grew up under a rock. She pursed her lips and nodded. John suppressed a smile as though he understood perfectly the action of the eye roll and the pursed lips. “Sorry,” He mumbled as he reached for the deck of cards. Amelia eyed him carefully as he made his way toward her before plopping down on the floor and sitting cross-legged. John patted the spot across of him invitingly, “Come on,”

Amelia eyed him skeptically, not understanding this person at all. He had met her only once before (and accused her of sleeping with Alex) and within a five minute span had gone from seeking out her brother and ATL to wanting to play War with her on the bus floor. “I don’t bite.” He joked as he split the deck of cards. Amelia rolled her eyes and sighed before moving to the edge of the couch and slowly sitting on the floor across from John, her back leaning up against the couch.

“You know, they say the middle finger is the universal sign but I’m pretty sure the eye roll holds second place. I mean, it can mean any number of things in any given situation but when given the eye roll the recipient feel ridiculous and stupid all the same.” Amelia cracked a smile and fought off the eye roll that was sure to have John laughing. “How about this,” John purposed, “For every hand of Spit you win you can ask me, or gesture, a question. For every hand I win—Why are you shaking your head?” he frowned at Amelia’s pursed lips and she crossed her arms over her chest. An affirmative no to anything other than Spit that John suggested.

She narrowed her eyes at him and grabbed her cards. A plain and simple game of War. Nothing more, nothing less.

“Okay, Okay,” he held up his hands in mock defense. “I get it. I understand.” Her eyes flashed to him and in that instant there wasn’t a single grain of doubt in her mind that John did in fact understand.