Four Years

Alex's POV

I glanced down and saw two girls jumping the barricade. I swear, if they tried to get on this stage...

Wait. I squinted my eyes to get a better look at the two girls. One looked strangely familiar.

Jess was jumping the barricade. What was she doing? Why was she holding a red...was that a fire extinguisher? The other girl had had her face covered by her hair. I couldn't make out who she was. She was probably a friend of Jess'.

"Alex, what the fuck?" Jack asked, causing my attention to be ripped from the two girls.

"What?"

"You totally stopped singing halfway through, dude. Why the fuck would you do that?" He laughed.

"I - I don - Sorry," I chuckled, strumming my guitar. "Um, hey, change in set list?"

"What?" Jack and Zack asked at the same time.

I walked over to Danny and handed him my guitar, trading it in for my acoustic. It was the one Rae had given me four years ago.

Fans cheered as Matt set out a stool for me.

I took my seat on the stool and fixed my mic, positioning it so it was at my level. Matt came back out and set up another mic in front of my guitar. Awesome.

"Alright, this is the last song from us for tonight. Hope you enjoy it," I smiled as I spoke.

Rachel was finally going to hear the song I wrote for/because of her.

I started strumming the familiar chords. A feeling of anxiousness washed over me, hoping she would like it.

*

Rachel's POV

I walked back to the side of the stage as I heard an acoustic guitar strumming. I was a sucker for acoustic songs.

I saw Alex swaying as he strummed his guitar. I think that was the guitar I gave him years ago. He still had it? That was a shocker.

"He woke up from dreaming, and put on his shoes, started making his way past two in the morning. He hasn't been sober for days..." Alex's voice flowed through the stadium. He'd gotten better.

"Leaning now into the breeze, remembering Sunday, he falls to his knees. They had breakfast together, but two eggs don't last like the feeling of what he needs. Now this place seems familiar to him. She pulled on his hand with a devilish grin. She led him upstairs, she led him upstairs, left him dying to get in..."

I found myself entranced in his song. This was pretty fucking good.

Then, he looked over at me as he sang, "Forgive me, I'm trying to find my calling, I'm calling at night. I don't mean to be a bother, but have you seen this girl? She's been running through my dreams. And it's driving me crazy, it seems. I'm going to ask her to marry me. Even though she doesn't believe in love, he's determined to call her bluff. Who could deny these butterflies? They're filling his, filling his..."

I froze, the lyrics replaying themselves in my head. Everything around me had stopped. This song was written about me. I shook out of my daze, wanting to hear the rest of the song; wanting to hear what he'd written about me.

"Waking the neighbors, unfamiliar faces. He pleads though he tries, but he's only denied. Now he's dying to get inside. Forgive me, I'm trying to find my calling, I'm calling at night. I don't mean to be a bother, but have you seen this girl? She's been running through my dreams. And it's driving me crazy, it seems. I'm going to ask her to marry me..."

Alex's face looked hurt after that last line. I'm going to ask her to marry me... Did Alex plan on marrying me before I left? Insanity.

"The neighbors said she moved away. Funny how it rained all day. I didn't think much of it then, but it's starting to all make sense. Oh, I can see now that all of these clouds are following me in my desperate endeavor to find my whoever, wherever she may be..."

"Excuse me, Rae," Cassadee smiled, taking a mic from some dude.

I stepped out of the way, letting her by.

She walked onto the stage, singing as Alex continued playing.

"I'm not coming back, I've done something so terrible. I'm terrified to speak, but you'd expect that from me. I'm mixed up, I'll be blunt, now the rain is just washing you out of my hair and out of my mind. Keeping an eye on the world, from so many thousands of feet off the ground, I'm over you now. I'm at home in the clouds, and towering over your head..."

He used words I wrote in the song. Words I wrote in a note for him. My God...

I covered my mouth with my hand and just stood there as tears started to fall down my face once again.

He looked at me as he strummed his guitar, hurt painted all over his face.

"Well I guess I'll go home now...I guess I'll go home now...I guess I'll go home now...I guess I'll go home," Alex finished and the crowd went nuts. He was silent for a moment, just staring blankly out into the crowd.

"Cassadee Pope everyone!" He finally yelled into his mic as she hugged him, then bowed.

Cass ran off stage, handing the mic to the guy who handed it to her. She smiled and hugged me.

"You were fantastic!" I smiled as she pulled away.

"Aww, thanks, Rae!"

My eyes went wide, and I instantly covered her mouth with my hand, "Don't say my name."

Her eyebrows furrowed, indicating that she was confused. Since she couldn't ask why, she was going to use facial expressions.

"Come with me," I sighed, leading her back to the dressing rooms. I didn't really want to explain to her why I didn't want her saying my name, but I had to. I was like the she who cannot be named on this tour.

"Why can't I say your name?" She asked as we walked into FOB's dressing room. The guys were still in here. They all looked at us, then turned back to the TV.

I took in a deep breath, then let it out slowly, "I used to be best friends with all of All Time Low. I ran away from them when I was seventeen, because I was pregnant with Jack's baby, but I was dating Alex. I didn't want to complicate things by - "

"Babe, we've got to go on stage, coming?" Pete asked, standing up from the couch.

I smiled and nodded, before turning back to Cass, "So, like, can yo - "

"I got it, don't worry. I won't say your name around them," She smiled, completely understanding my situation.

I smiled a bright smile and hugged her tightly, "Thanks, Cass."

We pulled apart as Pete walked over to me, grabbing my hand to lead me down to the stage. The guys, and Jess, were behind us, following closely. Joe was right behind me. I think he was subtly protecting me from All Time Low, just in case they did see me. What a sweetie.

Drums sounded as we got closer to the stage. My heartbeat picked up as we reached the stage.

Pete turned around and hugged me. "You gonna be okay?" He asked, pulling away a bit.

I nodded and pecked him quickly on the lips. "Don't worry about me. Good luck, baby."

He kissed me again before turning, grabbing his bass, and running out on stage. The crowd went fucking crazy as the guys stood out on that stage. It was so beautiful.

Jess came over and placed her hand on my shoulder, which caused me to jump a bit. She laughed and shook her head, "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I smiled, laughing a bit. I watched the guys as they played their heart out for the thousands of kids out there.

"Fuck," I heard Jess yell before ushering me behind the drum riser. My heart was beating along to Andy's kickdrum right now. I loved it.

"Jess, what the fuck?"

"Gaskarth," Was all she said before shoving me onto the other side of the stage. I turned around and watched as he stared me down. God fucking dammit.

"Remind to kill my fucking ass of a boyfriend later."