Just Another Reason I Could Never Forget You.

I was awoken by the loud banging of what sounded like metal on metal and a male voice screaming as though in my ear. For a second, I felt like I was eighteen and Jack was trying to wake up Alex and myself after a heavy night of drinking with Maria stood in the doorway laughing at our misery - knowing full well that Alex and myself would be more hungover than either her or Jack.
"Leave me alone, O'Callaghan," I mumbled, burying my head in the pillow and pulling the quilt both around me more and over my head.
"Shit, Stell, don't need to see that much of my best friend," the male voice said, before carrying on screaming, though this time about his eyes and being scarred. I sat up quickly, keeping the quilt wrapped firmly around my front and examining the scene around me. I didn't remember this room, though it appeared similar to the room the boys and I had allocated to whoever was the drunkest on any given night on the tour bus. Jack stood in the doorway with a frying pan and large wooden spoon, laughing at my hair and the look on my face. "Oh, I see, you're greedy enough to take advantage of Alex and then steal his covers, too?" Jack snickered. I shot him a wide eyed look, before turning to my left and seeing Alex scowling at me, covering his lower area with the little of the cover that he could reach.
"It's frigging cold, Stella, way to be a quilt hogger," he grumbled.
"What the fricking Hell did I do last night?!" I squeaked, causing another ripple of laughter from Jack and Alex.
"I think I'll let Gaskarth give you the details," Jack smirked, still highly amused by the entire thing.
"Well, first you-"
"I didn't ask for a run down, Alex," I growled.
"Fine. You did me. Happy?" He chuckled. I groaned, falling back onto the bed and allowing the quilt to cover my face once again. "I guess not."
"It's not that, it's just... this is why I don't get drunk!" I pulled the cover down from my face as Jack left the room, closing the door behind him. I turned to face Alex, who was already facing me, and allowed him more of the covers so he wasn't cold. "Last time I was that drunk I had this boyfriend, and he was cute and he looked after me all the time, making sure I didn't do anything stupid. Not that I even wanted to, I was hopelessly in love with him," I paused to laugh a dry, humourless laugh. It was ironic I was telling him this when he knew it all already. "But before him I was a walking wreck. I was like this every weekend, and every weekend it was a different boy. I don't want to make the same mistakes I did back then, Alex."
"So? We can have more. More than just drunken sex," he told me, looking me in the eye and brushing my hair back. "You're gorgeous, Stella, and you're funny and kind and you can own Jack on Halo any day. And you're a mystery. I like that. I like that I have to work for things, and I like the feeling I get when it's all worth it." The feeling I felt ten minutes before of being eighteen again returned. I remembered the long talks Alex and I used to have on a Sunday morning after Jack had woken us and before I went to work. We could talk about anything - anything I wanted to say, he would listen and then he would talk and I would listen. It scared me that he was still the same boy that I fell in love with.
"I can't, Alex; I really, really can't. It's more complicated than you can imagine. I can't suck you into that. This, right here, is a one time thing. I can't do it again no matter what happens." His eyes looked down for a moment, forehead creasing slightly before he looked up at me with a grin on his face, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"It's cool. Don't sweat it. These things happen sometimes. Friends at least?" I smiled softly, thankful he wasn't making a big deal out of it - thankful of another thing that hadn't changed in him.
"Definitely. At least then we'll both have one pretty friend on this tour," I joked.
"It's weird. We're just friends, and yet we're laid in bed, naked, almost close enough for you to feel my boner." I recoiled quickly and he let out a snort of laughter at the disgust on my face from his last couple of words. "Sorry, I had to. Don't worry, I'm lying."
"You're actually disgusting Gaskarth," I told him, though a small smile played on my lips. I could pretend I disapproved all I liked, but everyone would always know I didn't give a damn.
"Oh, shut up and go do your work, merch bitch," Alex laughed, pulling the covers off me. I growled at him, picking up my underwear and quickly starting to get dressed. "I think this day would have been more entertaining if you hadn't done that."
"Friends don't make perverted remarks on other friends, Alex," I told him.
"Friends also tell friends their real names. We should compromise on that." I rolled my eyes, pulling the straps of my dress over my shoulders.
"Well, then, I guess I'll let you have your perverted remarks. How's that for a compromise?" Alex scowled at me.
"You will tell me one day," he stated.
"Very true, but that day is not today. Sorry to break it to you, sweetheart." He shrugged.
"I'll win. Now leave so you don't see my naughty bits," he told me. I raised my eyebrows, about to comment on how it was a little late, but he growled and I walked out of the room laughing.
"What's up, bitches?" I asked, stealing the toast from Garrett's hand as I sat down on the Maine's tour bus.
"John Ohh won't tell us last night’s gossip," Kenny grumbled, pouting.
"Speaking of gossip, where did you go last night?" Pat winked.
"Nowhere, I stayed on All Time Low's bus."
"Not what we heard!" He sing-songed. I raised my eyebrows. "A little birdie told us you may or may not have hooked up with Alexander Gaskarth last night. Though the closing of the back room door suggested enough."
"I thought O'Callaghan told you nothing," I growled, glaring at him across the table. He held his hands up defensively.
"This wasn't from me. This was from Yasmin and Jack. They came over an hour ago with a couple of things these idiots left."
"Oh, Yasmin did, did she?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. The change of topic suited me well - it took the heat off me and placed it all on John Ohh.
"He won't let us go near her! Apparently we're banned from even looking at her!" Kenny screeched.
"Actually, Kennedy, I banned you from looking at her for staring at her ass for like 15 minutes," John told him, mock-glaring at him.
"That was a fine ass," Kenny told the other three, who all nodded in agreement.
"You're all sick. I'm going for a shower before I have to do all the hard work while you bastards laze around all day," I stated.