One Shots

Her name was Jasey Anne Rae.

Everyone called her Jasey, except for him.

"That's such a pretty name," he had said, tucking back a strand of her dark brown hair. "It's unique and beautiful and everything you are."

That was six months ago.

Now, JaseyRae stood in the parking lot of her New York City apartment complex, ignoring the cold as she heard the strains of music coming from the venue.

It was nearly always a bonus, having an apartment next to a venue. Bands usually played, and Jasey would fall asleep to good music.

But it wasn't good when that band was All Time Low.

And Alex Gaskarth's voice carried all too clearly through the walls of her apartment.

It made her shake, to think that he was so close to her.

A new song started.

She froze, her blood ice in her veins.

They weren't singing this. They couldn't be singing this.

Oh, but they were.

Lights out, I still hear the rain,
These images that fill my head,
Now keep my fingers from making mistakes,
Tell my voice what it takes,
To speak up,
speak up,
and keep my conscience clean when I wake...

Tears filled her eyes. Is this your way of apologizing, Alex?

"You better apologize," she whispered, not caring that to anybody else, she would look absolutely crazy. "You left me - " the tears choked out the rest of her words.

Don't make this easy,
I want you to mean it,
Jasey, say you mean it
You're dressed to kill,
I'm calling you out, don't waste your time on me

For some reason, this was the verse where she was supposed to be angry. Thoroughly pissed off.

But it only made her cry harder.

Because she did waste her time on him.

And she never had the strength, the courage, to tell him off. To yell at him.

She had just let him go, without a fight.

Now there's an aching in my back;
a stabbing pain that says I lack,
the common sense and confidence,
to bring an end to promises,
that I make in times of desperate conversation,
hoping my night could be better than theirs in the end.
Just say when

"Hey. Jasey - Jasey?"

She turned, wanting to tell whoever was talking her to shut up. I want to listen to the rest of this song, she thought. My song. "Yeah?"

"Are you okay?" It was one of her apartment neighbors.

She cleared her throat. "Fine," she said quickly, wanting to keep listening. "I just slammed my fingers in the door, Jeff."

"Oh. Okay." He smiled softly and nodded at her, then, sensing her sudden briskness, shuffled away.

She turned to the music again.

Don't make this easy,
I want you to mean it,
Jasey, say you mean it
You're dressed to kill,
I'm calling you out, don't waste your time on me

She bit her lip, willing herself not to cry.

It didn't work.

I've never told a lie,
and that makes me a liar,
I've never made a bet,
but we gamble with desire,
I've never lit a match,
with intent to start a fire,
but recently the flames,
are getting out of control.
Call me a name,
Kill me with words,
Forget about me,
It's what I deserve,
I was your chance,
to get out of this town,
but I ditched the car,
and left you to,

She leaned against the car, remembering that night so clearly.

"Jasey, you and me, and the band - " he laughed. "We're gonna tour the U.S, sweetie. You're going to get out of here. We're going to live it up."

She smiled back at him, and suddenly hugged him. She had lived in New York City for all of her life, had never been able to get out. Alex was handing her the free, one-way ticket; and she was taking it.

She leaned toward him and hugged him so tightly she was scared he would have trouble breathing. "Alex Gaskarth...you have no idea how much this means to me...I just...you can't do this for me, it's too much, I can't...."

"Shhh," he said, rubbing her back and pulling her closer. "I'm doing this for you because I love you."

She looked up.

Alex swallowed. "And I hope you know," he said, "I've never said that to any girl before. You, Jasey Rae...you're special. You are the love...of my life."

Wait outside,
I hope the air will serve to remind you,
that my heart is as cold as the clouds of your breath,
and my words are as timed as the beating in my chest.

The song stopped and the audience screamed wildly. Even from here, Jasey could hear crazy girls, screaming "WE LOVE YOU ALEX", and the like.

"I was the one who loved you," she murmured, almost to herself.

The audience quieted down after a few minutes, and Jasey could hear the mike being fiddled with.

His voice was somewhat muted, but the same, after six months.

"Did you like that?" he called out.

The audience responded with whistles and cheers.

"Good," he said, laughing. "You know, let me tell you a story about that song."

He strummed a few chords on his guitar.

"There was this girl," he said. "And her name was Jasey Rae. See...I did everything in that song to that girl, Jasey Rae. I left her when I told her I was gonna get her out of here."

The audience was quiet, and Jasey could barely breathe.

"Now, this girl. See. I wrote this song just for her - obviously - and she lives in New York." He paused. "And the thing is...I still love her."

Jasey stopped breathing for five seconds, his words repeating themselves in her mind.

"Jasey Rae, if you're listening to this - " he said, a little bit louder. "I was scared, sweetheart, I was terrified. Because I knew you'd leave me in the end. For someone who deserved you. 'Cuz that guy? He wasn't me. But...I want to say I'm sorry. And I want you to be mad at me. That's why I made this song. I deserve for you to never talk to me, to never look at me again, to forget me."

Jasey couldn't take it.

She sat in her car, slammed the door, started up the engine. She missed his voice.

She drove to the venue.

"Please let me in," she begged the security guards at the backstage entrance. "I'm Jasey Rae - I'M THE GIRL HE'S TALKING ABOUT," she shrieked. "I need to see him. Alex Gaskarth! Don't you hear him? He's talking about me!"

The guard looked skeptically at her. She needed someone to see her. Jack, Rian, Zack - they knew her.

And suddenly, like a miracle, Rian dashed backstage to grab a bottle of water.

"RIAN!" she yelled, trying to push past the guard. It was a good thing that Alex was still talking, because the audience was absolutely silent.

"RIAN!"

He turned, looked at her in disbelief.

"RIAN, let me on," she begged, tears coursing down her cheeks. "I need to see him," she whispered.

Rian nodded at the guard, taking her wrist. "Jasey, why - "

"Can I go onstage?" she interrupted him. "I need to see him now." She was still crying.

Open-mouthed, Rian nodded.

She froze at the entrance to the stage.

"Go," he whispered, pushing her forward.

She ignored the bright lights and hundreds of people as she ran toward Alex. She didn't care if she looked stupid.

Alex turned, hearing the footsteps.

He stopped what he was saying.

She slammed into him, grabbing his face with both of her hands and kissing him.

She didn't let go, not when Jack let out a sarcastic comment, or the crowd started whistling.

She finally pulled away, gasping.

Alex looked at her - were those tears in his eyes?

He wound an arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said into the microphone, panting slightly. "This...is Jasey Rae."