A Little Less Obvious
My Paradise
Elizabeth and John Sunden walked hand-in-hand beside a very tired Josephine Foreman. In the safe and secure arms of John lay a frail, blond four year old known as Annabell Lee. The visit was a surprise really. Only Josephine knew of the appearance of the bands favorite group of people.
The moment Annabell Lee, nicknamed Bell, had felt better, Elizabeth and John had flown out from New Hampshire to sunny Florida without informing anyone but Josephine of their plans. So when Bell had finally woken, the family climbed the stairs of the Saving Annabell Lee bus, and made their way into the backroom where they not only heard the voices of the young adults that they considered their children now, but other unfamiliar voices as well.
Recognition seemed to hit Bell and she jumped from her father's arms and ran through the hallway. When Annabell had disappeared from site, Mr. and Mrs. Sunden heard loud, yet very happy yells.
Michelle, Drew, Jake, Nicole, Jack, Alex, Caleb and Austin had all been gathered in the back lounge of the SAL bus playing a rowdy game of Bullshit when a small, smiling girl appeared in the doorway. Nicole was the first to react, jumping over both Austin and Jake and scooping the small girl in her arms and spinning in circles, all the while yelling happily. Michelle, Drew and Jake soon followed after, each waiting not so patiently for a turn to hold their favorite little girl.
"Hey baby! How've you been?" Jake asked excitedly once Bell had been returned safely to the ground, and he greeted her parents with big bear hugs; as did the rest of SAL.
"I've been good! Mommy wouldn't tell me I was seeing you guys! But I guessed it when I saw the big bus with my name on it! Am I watching you play today? Can we go for ice cream, please? You and Chelle always take me for ice cream. Oh, oh, oh, mommy's been really happy lately. She says I'm getting better! And it's all because of you guys!" Bell rambled on in her cute baby voice, only causing the four young adult's smiles to widen with each word.
"Who are they?" she asked, suddenly interrupting herself. Jake looked behind him to see the little girl staring at the four strangers. She didn't point at them, for she was taught that pointing was bad. She really was the smartest four year old the band knew.
"Those are our friends. That's Austin, Jack, Alex and Caleb. You talked to Jack on the phone before. Do you remember?" Jake asked sweetly. He could never get mad at her; hell, none of them ever could.
"Hi!" she exclaimed politely, waving at each before settling herself in Michelle's empty spot between Jack and Alex.
"Hi Jack! My name is Annabell Lee! You called me smart, do you remember?" she questioned, smiling brightly up at the Lebanese boy. He grinned back down at her.
"Hi Annabell Lee. Yes, I do remember," he responded. Bell's response was to hug him as tightly as she could, emitting an 'aw' from Nicole, Michelle and Austin.
//
Talking about Bell's medical issues was something Nicole dreaded doing. She cried every single time. She felt as no one deserved that kind of fate, no matter how young or old, and the fact that little Annabell Lee had this deadly disease at only four killed Nicole inside. She prayed every night hoping - begging - for Annabell to get better, for everyone with any disease to get better.
She felt as if her prayers had finally been answered when Elizabeth had gathered the four teary members of SAL into a big group hug after telling them that Bell was getting remarkably better. Sure the cancer wasn't gone, but with the way things were going, Bell should be better very soon. Nicole of course soon found herself crying in the arms of her band. Of course they were happy tears, but she just couldn't help herself.
The four other friends had stayed in the back lounge with the small girl, and played every game she wanted. They could clearly see how the members of SAL had gotten attached to the little girl. She was a ball of energy wrapped up in adorable-ness, politeness, and smarts. She remembered every little thing also, so when Jack had accidentally let out a swear word, he panicked.
The girl would most likely repeat the word, and when asked where she heard it from, she'd say Jack, and that would completely ruin his chances with Michelle. He knew that for a fact. She never swore - neither did Nicole - and she didn't tolerate swearing around her. Jack found himself screwed.
"You said a bad word!" she whispered. "Don't worry, I won't say it, daddy said it's not lady like to say bad words, and that's why Nicky and Chelle don't," she finished with a smile on her face. Jack let out a breath of relief; he really liked the little girl.
//
As promised, Michelle and Jake took Bell out to ice cream. It was sort of tradition to them, and usually, one of Michelle's many siblings, or Nicole would join along, but this time Jack had accompanied the three, due to Jake clearly wanting Jack and Michelle to finally be together. He figured if Michelle saw how Jack treated Bell, then she'd start to like him instead of Zack. It's not that he had anything against Zack, he just preferred her with Jack more.
"Chelle?" Annabell said, vanilla ice cream smeared around her small mouth.
"Yes sweetie?"
"I don't like Alex," she responded with a pout, causing Jack, Michelle and Jake to erupt into laughter. Michelle and Jake because she never really liked anyone, though she was always friendly, and Jack because, well, she didn't like Alex.
"Why's that?" Michelle questioned, dipping her napkin into her almost empty water.
"He doesn't like Asking Alexandria!" she exclaimed as if it was the craziest thing she's ever heard.
When SAL had gone on tour with Asking Alexandria and We Came As Romans, Bell had instantly taken a liking to the British drummer, James Cassells, from the beginning, and by the time she had to go back home, she had told everyone that she was marrying him, and he agreed, laughing.
"But I like Jack!" Bell exclaimed happily while grabbing onto Michelle's arm as she cleaned the small girl's face.
"Me too," Michelle replied, smiling at the dark- haired guitarist.
The moment Annabell Lee, nicknamed Bell, had felt better, Elizabeth and John had flown out from New Hampshire to sunny Florida without informing anyone but Josephine of their plans. So when Bell had finally woken, the family climbed the stairs of the Saving Annabell Lee bus, and made their way into the backroom where they not only heard the voices of the young adults that they considered their children now, but other unfamiliar voices as well.
Recognition seemed to hit Bell and she jumped from her father's arms and ran through the hallway. When Annabell had disappeared from site, Mr. and Mrs. Sunden heard loud, yet very happy yells.
Michelle, Drew, Jake, Nicole, Jack, Alex, Caleb and Austin had all been gathered in the back lounge of the SAL bus playing a rowdy game of Bullshit when a small, smiling girl appeared in the doorway. Nicole was the first to react, jumping over both Austin and Jake and scooping the small girl in her arms and spinning in circles, all the while yelling happily. Michelle, Drew and Jake soon followed after, each waiting not so patiently for a turn to hold their favorite little girl.
"Hey baby! How've you been?" Jake asked excitedly once Bell had been returned safely to the ground, and he greeted her parents with big bear hugs; as did the rest of SAL.
"I've been good! Mommy wouldn't tell me I was seeing you guys! But I guessed it when I saw the big bus with my name on it! Am I watching you play today? Can we go for ice cream, please? You and Chelle always take me for ice cream. Oh, oh, oh, mommy's been really happy lately. She says I'm getting better! And it's all because of you guys!" Bell rambled on in her cute baby voice, only causing the four young adult's smiles to widen with each word.
"Who are they?" she asked, suddenly interrupting herself. Jake looked behind him to see the little girl staring at the four strangers. She didn't point at them, for she was taught that pointing was bad. She really was the smartest four year old the band knew.
"Those are our friends. That's Austin, Jack, Alex and Caleb. You talked to Jack on the phone before. Do you remember?" Jake asked sweetly. He could never get mad at her; hell, none of them ever could.
"Hi!" she exclaimed politely, waving at each before settling herself in Michelle's empty spot between Jack and Alex.
"Hi Jack! My name is Annabell Lee! You called me smart, do you remember?" she questioned, smiling brightly up at the Lebanese boy. He grinned back down at her.
"Hi Annabell Lee. Yes, I do remember," he responded. Bell's response was to hug him as tightly as she could, emitting an 'aw' from Nicole, Michelle and Austin.
//
Talking about Bell's medical issues was something Nicole dreaded doing. She cried every single time. She felt as no one deserved that kind of fate, no matter how young or old, and the fact that little Annabell Lee had this deadly disease at only four killed Nicole inside. She prayed every night hoping - begging - for Annabell to get better, for everyone with any disease to get better.
She felt as if her prayers had finally been answered when Elizabeth had gathered the four teary members of SAL into a big group hug after telling them that Bell was getting remarkably better. Sure the cancer wasn't gone, but with the way things were going, Bell should be better very soon. Nicole of course soon found herself crying in the arms of her band. Of course they were happy tears, but she just couldn't help herself.
The four other friends had stayed in the back lounge with the small girl, and played every game she wanted. They could clearly see how the members of SAL had gotten attached to the little girl. She was a ball of energy wrapped up in adorable-ness, politeness, and smarts. She remembered every little thing also, so when Jack had accidentally let out a swear word, he panicked.
The girl would most likely repeat the word, and when asked where she heard it from, she'd say Jack, and that would completely ruin his chances with Michelle. He knew that for a fact. She never swore - neither did Nicole - and she didn't tolerate swearing around her. Jack found himself screwed.
"You said a bad word!" she whispered. "Don't worry, I won't say it, daddy said it's not lady like to say bad words, and that's why Nicky and Chelle don't," she finished with a smile on her face. Jack let out a breath of relief; he really liked the little girl.
//
As promised, Michelle and Jake took Bell out to ice cream. It was sort of tradition to them, and usually, one of Michelle's many siblings, or Nicole would join along, but this time Jack had accompanied the three, due to Jake clearly wanting Jack and Michelle to finally be together. He figured if Michelle saw how Jack treated Bell, then she'd start to like him instead of Zack. It's not that he had anything against Zack, he just preferred her with Jack more.
"Chelle?" Annabell said, vanilla ice cream smeared around her small mouth.
"Yes sweetie?"
"I don't like Alex," she responded with a pout, causing Jack, Michelle and Jake to erupt into laughter. Michelle and Jake because she never really liked anyone, though she was always friendly, and Jack because, well, she didn't like Alex.
"Why's that?" Michelle questioned, dipping her napkin into her almost empty water.
"He doesn't like Asking Alexandria!" she exclaimed as if it was the craziest thing she's ever heard.
When SAL had gone on tour with Asking Alexandria and We Came As Romans, Bell had instantly taken a liking to the British drummer, James Cassells, from the beginning, and by the time she had to go back home, she had told everyone that she was marrying him, and he agreed, laughing.
"But I like Jack!" Bell exclaimed happily while grabbing onto Michelle's arm as she cleaned the small girl's face.
"Me too," Michelle replied, smiling at the dark- haired guitarist.
♠ ♠ ♠
i dunno. it's 5:18AM here, and i haven't slept yet. greaaaat.sorry if it's really shitty, i just really wanted to get an update out.
title has to do with the chapter because Annabell Lee is Michelle, as well as the rest of the bands "paradise" and in the next chapter, whenever i decide to write it, will explain the control she has over the members. though, she isn't aware of it.