She Was The Challenge He'd Been Waiting For.

"Honey?"

Isabella lifted her head from her book at her mother's voice, placing her bookmark in the page and shutting it. "Yes mom?"

"I... I wanted to talk to you about Alex."

She had a feeling this was coming, and placed the book beside her. Inhaling deeply as her mother sat across from her, Isabella was embarrassed. Did her mother know intimate details about their relationship? Did she think Isabella was a slut now? Was she ashamed? All of these thoughts flooded her head that she didn't even realize when her mother started speaking.

"... more experienced." Her mother spoke. "Teenage boys are run by hormones, Isabella. And especially with the loss of his brother, Alex is especially... a concern of mine. He's apparently very popular with girls... and he-"

"Mom," Isabella interrupted. "What are you trying to say?"

Mrs. Randall sighed. "This is your first relationship, and I know that you're a smart girl, but I don't want you to get too... overwhelmed by Alex's experience. He's probably going to try to talk you into things that you aren't ready for, and I want you to be able to tell him 'no.'"

She looked down, shaking her head. "Mom,"

"No, Isabella. I was a teenager once, and I made a lot of mistakes... and especially with your condition..."

This upset the girl. Her condition? Sure, she knew she wasn't like other people, but there wasn't anything wrong with her. She just didn't understand people. She didn't understand human interaction. But still, it didn't mean anything to her. She and Alex were having a mature relationship, and her mother was afraid of her growing up. Was that it?

For so many years, her family had been the only real friends she had. Her mother was looking out for her, but she couldn't accept it. Mostly because it felt like it was too late. She'd given Alex everything as soon as he asked... now there was only one thing she had left. This was something that she had been thinking about a lot lately.

She cared about him a lot, and he seemed to care for her too.... but she wasn't ready. Maybe Alex could be patient. Maybe she could please him in other ways until it was time... Isabella couldn't decide if Alex was sympathetic to her or just using her Aspergers as a way to corrupt her easier. She didn't feel totally corrupted... She felt that she was expressing how much she cared about him...

"Honey, just... be careful. He's a lot more experienced than you are, and he has certain expectations."

Isabella nodded her head, rolling her eyes inwardly.

"Okay." The older woman smiled.

"I have to get dressed. Alex is picking me up in an hour to go to his show."

"Oh, a concert?"

She nodded.

"Well, honey, I put out your makeup and your shower stuff."

"Thanks mom."

Isabella smiled as Jack embraced her, hugging her small form tightly in a way that would make her very uncomfortable before all of this.

He adored the girl and despite Alex being his best friend, was worried about her. He knew just how innocent she was and how loyal she was to the frontman. It upset him that Alex was using Isabella, taking all of her innocence like it was a game. But he didn't stop it because he hoped that Alex realized that it was more than that.

Besides, he didn't think he could afford to break her heart. Jack couldn't break anyone's heart without feeling immense guilt. Even as her friend, he didn't feel it was his place to hurt her. He just hoped that either she'd realize it or Alex would come to his senses. The truth was that the guitarist had tried to convince him that she was worth more than he was acknowledging.

"So are you excited about tonight?"

"Hmm? Yeah." She pressed her face into his t-shirt clad chest. The cotton was soft against her face.

"Our friend Matt's band, Underscore is playing... he and the guys were at the party this weekend."

She smiled, moving out of his arms.

"I think you'll like them." He nodded.

"I'm excited. But I'm gonna help Kara with merch."

"But you'll watch us?"

Isabella smiled widely, not responding, but waving as she made her way to the merch area to help the brunette girl set up.

Kara smiled widely, gesturing to a big box of t-shirts and asking Isabella to take one of each to pin up to the display. She did as told, setting things up strategically, and looking at Kara for approval once she finished. The wide grin the other girl gave her showed her that she did well.

Kara adored Isabella. It was about time that they had another girl in their group and while she was a bit odd, it was okay. She acknowledged that Isabella had some problems, but they didn't hinder much. Yet, Kara found herself feeling extremely protective over the younger girl like an older sister. Something about the girl's relationship with Alex had Kara nervous.

Having known Alex as long as she did, the idea of him jumping into a relationship felt strange. He'd been opposed to being tied down for a long time, and now Isabella changed that? The truth was that Isabella was worth it... she deserved to have a loving boyfriend, but Kara wasn't sure that was Alex.

"Hey Kara?" Isabella's voice was small.

"Yeah Iz?"

"I... I've only got one thing left to give to Alex, and-"

Kara sighed. "Bella, your virginity is a really special thing... you can only give it once, and if you're sure about Alex, then... that's fine. But I want you to be absolutely sure, okay?"

The younger girl bit her inner lip.

"I think you took what I said earlier too casually. Sex is amazing, but its... its really important for it to be with the right person. Are you ready to give Alex everything?"

"I don't know."

"Well, don't do it until the answer is yes."

Isabella pondered Kara's words as the bands set up. Her mind wandered through the opening bands. Her friend had made a good point and she had felt embarrassed to not have thought it out in such detail.

She wasn't sure that she could give him everything... this was all she had left. She had made so many changes for him... her morals and her faith basically shattered to please him. What had Alex done for her?

She sold merch, and let Kara do all of the talking. All of the girls wanted to know if Alex was single, and it upset her too much to speak. She didn't like the way the girls spoke his name. The way they dressed in their short skirts and high heels made her feel even younger than she was.

She also took her mother's words into consideration. The truth was that Alex had a lot more experience than she did. And he probably expected that she would give into him without much thought. But she wasn't like that, was she? She would be able to tell him "no" if she wanted to... right?!

Isabella sighed, deciding that she should go to the bathroom before All Time Low played. She struggled to make her way through the massive amounts of people, but managed. Well, at least until she made her way back and was pushed pretty forcefully forward into another body.

"I'm so sorry!" She blushed, not bothering to look up at the boy.

"Its okay...Isabella, right?" His voice sounded familiar.

The girl looked up and was met with the familiar eyes of the boy she'd met the other night at the party. He looked really good with a small smile on his face, his lip ring glistening under the lights. His brown eyes looked bright and happy, and his eyes had gauges that were pretty small but looked painful to her. She didn't know what to say, so she just smiled at him.

"Right."

"I'm Matt." He smiled, sticking out his hand.

"Nice to meet you."

"You can bump into me anytime." The boy grinned, before sending her one last smile and excusing himself.

Isabella was blushing like an idiot. He was just as cute as she remembered, and he knew her name. It was amazing to her that he even noticed her... She couldn't remember having said it when they first met... Still, she hadn't been sober at all and barely remembered much of that night.

Still, she didn't want to spend too much time thinking about a boy who wasn't her boyfriend. Alex was the one she cared about even if she found this boy really attractive. But she almost felt as if she were betraying him just to think about this Matt boy. Something about him had instantly made her feel comfortable. She'd never felt that way before since she had her brother.

And then All Time Low took the stage.

Isabella loved All Time Low's music, except that she often became a little nervous over Alex's lyrics. She pondered if she had helped him at all... if any of the lyrics even related to her. Her name wasn't Jasey Rae, and she hadn't been a one night stand of his... She just worried that she wasn't helping him at all.

But Alex looked so natural up on stage. They all did, and she was happy that they were making their dreams come true. If nothing else, she wanted to support them as much as she could. They deserved every opportunity. She was definitely proud to call them her friends... to call Alex her boyfriend, but now she was having second thoughts.

Get me out of this place, before I cause more damage,
a small price to pay for building houses out of matchsticks;
and when things get too hot, you've got me to blame for,
every fire that breaks out in every lover's name, {so...}

Don't forget, we've got unfinished business,
stories yet to unfold,
tales that must be retold,
and I regret not knowing when to put an end to all this madness,
keeps me wanting,
keeps me wanting more...

Sell me out I'm yesterday's old news,
phrases left on paper,
black ink bleeding through
the pages where we made our history.
Call me foolish,
I feel hopeless...

She was the one who felt hopeless. This was a lot more complicated than she expected. How could she be so sure of Alex and her willingness to give him everything? Her whole body was his property now and it didn't feel right. Was she just holding it for him or something?

It upset her that the feelings she held for him were being brought into question after one brief encounter. But she couldn't help it. The new boy intrigued her in a way that Alex couldn't. He made her feel nervous and that her heart was beating out of her chest. Alex didn't necessarily make her feel safe, but he had never gotten these emotions from her...

What was she doing?