There's No Turning Back

Simple Plan was barely on their third song by the time Jamie and I reached the stage. She ran off to join the other girls who were standing in the crowd watching the show while I stayed behind and watched from the side of the stage with Annie in my arms, Lexi, and Ashleigh. I must say, it was quite awkward for me. Every time she jumped up and down, cheering for David whenever he did, , , whatever he does, I had to resist from doing the same myself.

After a while, Annie got tired of standing and since she wouldn't be able to see if she sat down on the ground, I sat her on top of my shoulders. How nice am I? I'm serving as a chair and a booster for a little five year old. Nah I'm just kidding; sarcasm. Of course I wouldn't mind doing anything for my baby girl.

"Aren't they great?" Lexi shouted in my ear, her eyes still locked on the singing Pierre.

I nodded my head and smiled, turning my back towards the stage and went to go backstage as the stage light dimmed, signaling the end of the concert show. I met everyone backstage where I sat on the couch monitoring Annie as she drank out of my water bottle, making sure she doesn't somehow start choking to death.

"She's five," Pierre joined me on the couch, "she can drink out of a water bottle herself; no need to watch her." he chuckled and I shrugged.

"Either way, I'll still be sitting here doing nothing." I stated thoughtfully and he shrugged back in the 'yeah-I-guess-that's-true' kind of way.

A bit later, everyone decided to either leave to go on the bus or go to take a shower. I already took one - long ago - so I decided to go out for a little fresh air. I had already put Annie to sleep, so now, it's my time. I walked off the bus and decided to walk to a nearby cafe - or at least a liquor store or something - since it was pretty much midnight and into the early morning. I probably didn't make it that far from the bus when I heard someone call after me.

I turned around and began to walk backwards slowly as David ran to catch up to me. "Where do you think you're going all alone at this time?" he asked me, pulling up the hood of his sweatshirt over his head.

"I was gunna go get something warm to drink; go to a nearby cafe or liquor store."

"You're crazy," he turned me around by the shoulder to walk forward normally, "Well, I'm coming with you whether you like it or not."

I started to feel a little awkward inside; I don't know if he feels the same but that's just simply how I feel. "Why?"

"What do you mean 'why'?" he asked my back, looking straight at me as my eyes darted straight to the ground - or more specifically, our walking feets. He chuckled a bit, "Lianne, I'm only watching out for you; I don't want anything to happen to you." he looked straight ahead again and I looked back up, "Who knows what sort of creeps are out in the bushes."

"But there's no bushes around --"

"They could be hidden under these cars!" he raised his hands up in the air in exasperation but then laughing it off, "you're a smartass." he pointed a finger at me, smirking.

"Sometimes." I shrugged and took a bite at his finger but he pulled it away too quickly. "What was that?" I cautiously turned around, looking behind us.

"What was what?"

"Didn't you hear that noise?" I asked, finally looking at him. We we've gone far away from the bus and these streets were dimly litted; no one was around. Barely any cars drove down the streets. "I thought I heard someone - or something."

"There's nothing now --" he was cut off by a loud bang in the air and I let out a shrill scream in fear, covering my eyes with my hands as David dragged me off against a nearby wall. He got down and sat next to me, wrapping his arms around me and holding me securely as another loud bang went through the air. It actually made me feel somewhat safer and forgetting the fact that he belongs to Ashleigh, I got closer to him, finally uncovering my eyes.

Soonly enough, I saw a man run out of the corner of this old building, a gun in hand. He was dangerously close to us but we weren't his target; someone else far beyond us was. We decided to stay put since we were kind of out of their reach; there were most likely more chances of getting hit if we try to run away from the scene. Another gun shot was fired and I let out a small, quiet whimper that I'm sure only David was able to hear, and tried to push myself farther against the wall, just wishing for once that I had the ability to sink into them.

My heartbeat rate was far beyond it has ever been and felt as though it could jump into my throat at any moment. Tears sprung to my eyes and I shut them close tightly as David tightened his grip around me, bringing my face into his chest protectively. I felt his body jump a bit all too sudden and I lifted my head up. Right then, I saw a hole made in the wall a few inches away from me by a bullet and I let out a shriek.

This cannot be happening, I thought to myself, shaking my head to myself. This was not how I wanted to die - caught in the middle of a gunfight between two or three people that I don't even know.

"Come on, let's go." I heard David shakily said and I looked around in alarm as he slowly got up, crouching down.

"But David!" I cried in a whisper, trying desperately to grab at his sweatshirt to keep him in one place with me. I was too terrified to move to another place.

He turned back around to me and placed his arm around my shoulders, quickly whispering into my ear, "It's safer if we quickly move out of their way. There's a corner turn down there." he pointed down the street to where, indeed, there was a cross intersection. I nervously nodded my head and got up, following closely behind him as he held my hand and ran down the street without the two men noticing us. I flinched and stopped for a split millisecond when I heard another shot but David tugged at my arm to get me going again.

We didn't stop running (or at least David didn't allow us to stop) until we turned the corner and sprinted down to the other end of that block. We turned a second corner and I stopped, leaning against a store, trying to catch my breath. My hand clutched one of my sides under my ribs to hold the sharp pain that had developed there. In those brief five minutes, I've probably exceeded over the speed I ever ran my entire life.

"Are you okay?" David panted, walking over to me while clutching his own sides. TO think that you'd expect a hyperactive guy like him to be used to running like that - I've met several guys that are. I nodded, too tired to say anything, and wiped away some tears that had begun to fall unexpectedly. No words were said as he pulled me into a comforting hug and I wrapped my arms around his neck, beginning to cry slightly on to his shoulder.

"Let's go get something warm to drink." David suggested, pulling away from me and placing an arm around my shoulder, leading me down the street to a nearby coffee shop. I only nodded and followed his lead, crossing my arms over my chest, my legs moving on its own.

I'm pretty traumatized for the moment; never in my life did I ever imagine myself even close to being in that situation. We walked into the warm, deserted coffee shop. We ordered what we wanted - a hot chocolate for me and coffee for him.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay?" He asked again, laying a hand on my forearm to pull me out of my intent stare with my reflection in my hot chocolate mug. I looked up at him and shrugged.

"Kind of." I took a sip out of the mug, "I'm just kind of traumatized, I guess."

He sighed and got up, coming over to my side of the booth and sitting down next to me - dangerously close. "Everything's okay," he placed an arm around my shoulder and gave me a reassuring squeeze, "You're safe now, alright? I promise, that'll never happen again."

I nodded absentmindedly and continued to stare into my drink. Not once did his arm leave my shoulder - it was warming and very inviting in some way. It may be wrong to get close to him in this way, considering the fact that he has a girlfriend of about a year, but I like it. I've been so lonely in my life with work and kids that I have never gotten the time to properly go out with a guy and have him make me feel this way. In addition to the thought of his arm never leaving around me, he gave me a kiss on the cheek and that just made everything within my body go numb and tingly.

"But what about the other people? What if they got hurt - maybe even die?" I asked, my voice quiet, and I looked at him straight in the eyes. I hated the thought of someone else dying - especially when I was there to witness it or know what was going on - knowing that it would lead to death and that I could've done at least something.

His eyes looked down into mines sadly and he shook his head slowly, his face filled with a grave expression. "I don't know what to tell you Lianne - but know that it isn't your fault." I was about to say something but it was as though he already read my thoughts, "If something did happen, it isn't yours - nor my - fault. There was nothing that we could've done about it. If we called the cops, they probably wouldn't have gotten there in time anyways."

I looked down and nodded a bit; he was right.

"You want to head back now?" he softly asked me and I nodded again, standing up after he got up and out of the booth. He helped me out and we left our mugs behind on the table for the waiters to clean it up.

We walked down the streets in silence when we both heard a siren sounding from far away, soon passing by us with enormous speed through the empty streets. I was filled with alarm as my pace slowed down. David stopped walking and looked back at me with the same facial expression that I had, He clearly knew what I was thinking about.

The ambulance and police cars were headed in the direction that David and I were taking back to the bus - which was pretty much nearly the same direction that got us into the mess in the first place. I sped up my speed of walking, pulling David along with me as I rushed down in the direction that the accident was in - or at least I assumed that it was about the gun fight. David soon broke out into a run and I had to follow along.

When we arrived at the seen, a car with shattered glasses was in sight with police cars surrounding it. Two ambulances were off to the side, a family out on the sidewalk, crying and talking to an officer. They carried off three bodies on a stretcher and I gasped.