Colder Than My Heart

Sarah couldn’t help but feel her stomach tightening as she clenched her styrofoam coffee cup in her dainty fingers. Her eyes bore into nothing. She was staring into infinity as her mind drew blank. The sounds of her band members wandering backwards and forwards around her didn’t bother her, it was that knot tightening around her organs. She heard a tone echo throughout the terminal which snapped her out of her daze.

“All passengers: Flight 403 from Philadelphia to San Diego will be boarding shortly please report to the gate, thank you,” was what the voice sounded from over the speaker system. Sarah took one last look down at the cup, twirling it in her fingers and watching the last of the brown liquid swirl around the edges. She took to her feet and discarded it in the nearest trash can she could find before all the boys rounded up and began their journey to the gate. With each step she took she could feel her breaths get shallower until eventually she stood before the man beckoning her passport and she had stopped breathing all together. After checking the picture matched that of the girl he simply nodded and handed Sarah back the smooth book, slowing her to step forward down the tunnel.

She found her seat quickly, taking it and waiting for the boy next to her to sit down. Before long Nick, her bass player with the voice of an angel appeared with a smile adorning his face as he eyed the seat next to her. As soon as he took his seat she let out a long breath and clung to his arm as if it were her life support. Nick took the arm from her before slinging it around her shoulders and bringing her into his side. He was seemingly the only band member that knew about what she’d been through.

“Come on, you should sleep. We’ve got a lot of driving when we get off,” he whispered to her. As she let his words sink in she closed her eyelids over her dazzling green eyes and allowed her hair to fall in front of her face. Nick turned his head to look down at the girl. He smiled, more to himself than anything, but lightly shook his head and returned his eyes to the front of the plane. He knew his friend was finding things hard, but he also knew as soon as she heard that first crowd screaming for her she’d feel a lot better.

In Ventura, All Time Low had finished their first set. Rian and Zack had decided to look around the bands whereas Jack Barakat and Alex Gaskarth were with their adoring fans at their merch tent. As always, Jack and Alex got the attention. Obviously the front man was bound to get the most attention, but girls practically throwing themselves on him when his girlfriend was around? And he didn’t care? Jack was most likely favourite because of his humour. He was always one to crack jokes on stage. He and Alex were like jesters, entertaining their court in every way they could.

Jack was behind a table, talking to those who started conversation and posing for pictures with those who asked. Alex was doing the same, leaning against the other end of a large table. Alex was just finished signing a girl’s All Time Low shirt when he heard a female voice calling him.

“Excuse me? Alex, could you sign something for me?” He heard. His eyes stayed glued to the sharpie running smoothly across the white fabric as he answered.

“Yeah sure what would you like me to-” he began before looking up and breaking into a smile. The girl in front of him was none other than Lisa. Her smile was as wide as his as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The girl whose shirt he’d signed was thankfully the last of the large crowd that gathered at their arrival. They had moved onto Jack’s table leaving the couple in privacy as they whispered sweet nothings to each other and discussed the day. “It’s been good but I’m looking forward to the day off,” he sighed in content.

“Same. Things have been pretty hectic,” Lisa agreed.

“It’s only been three days!” Alex chuckled, his face merely inches from the girl in his arms. He looked deep into her bright eyes before letting out a heavy sigh. “I’m gonna miss you when you leave,” he commented. She merely studied his eyes for a long moment before planting a kiss on the tip of his nose.

“I’ll be there when you get home, and we’ve still got this week before I go home,” she reasoned.

“Do you have to go back to school?” He pouted to which she rolled her eyes.

“Yes, because unlike you guys I’m not gonna be playing main stage at Warped,” she muttered.

“We’re not playing main stage though,” he argued.

“Not yet,” she retorted before kissing his lips quickly. “I’m sure you will soon enough. I know it.”