Expect Anything Less

I think All Time Low is going to need someone else to do merch from now on cause the line for the merch table is getting way to packed. Even with both Matt and myself trying our best to get these people what they want, the line is still getting longer.

I take a look at the line and all I can think is, We are getting a good merch guy before the next tour.

"Hey! Can I get that tank-top you're wearing?"

I look at the small blond girl that directed this question to me and say, "Sorry, we haven't gotten the chance to order them yet. I just made it in the van a few days ago."

Her brown eyes get real big and she asks, "You made it?"

I nod and reply, "Well, I made the design."

"It's really cool! And that would explain why I haven't seen anyone else wearing it. So you travel with the band?"

I look over at Matt and he glares back at me cause I'm spending so much time on just this one girl. I choose to ignore him and turn my attention back to her as I say, "Yeah, I'm Jack's sister. He's the lead guitarist."

She smiles, "Oh! I love Jack! He's so entertaining."

"Well, he's always been kind of a handful. If you want, you can come by the van after the show's over and you could meet them."

"Really?! That's so sweet of you! What's your name? Mine's Sarah. Oh! And could I bring my friend? She's somewhere in the crowd."

"I'm Carter and I'm sure you could bring her. There's usually a group back there anyway, waiting to meet the guys."

"Wow! Thanks! Oh, and I guess I'll take one of those blue shirts hanging up back there. The one with the pink and white lettering. Small?"

I reach under the table and find a small in the shirt she wants. She pays me and I tell her I'll see her later. Then she leaves to go find her find her friend and enjoy the rest of the show.

By now time the line is a lot shorter. Matt is obviously a little pissed at me, but I just give him a hug, tell him I'm sorry, and add a small kiss on the cheek and he forgives me.

A few hours later I'm once agin sitting in the van as Alex is talking to fans outside. The difference from last time is that Jack is also out there with Alex and I'm actually expecting to see that one girl at any minute.

This situation has pretty much become a regular thing over the past few days, especially since Jack found out about my past year. I'm not allowed to wonder off by myself, so I pretty much just come back to the van after every show.

Tonight we're in Buffalo, New York and let me tell you - it's freezing balls. We're going to have to leave soon though, cause we have a long drive to Toledo, Ohio.

"Carter?" I look up at Jack and see he's pointing at Sarah and another small girl with slightly darker blond hair. "Do you know these lovely girls? One of them said they met you earlier."

I smile at Sarah and move so that I'm sitting beside where Jack is standing with Alex.

"Hey! You guys made it!"

Sarah and her friend have huge smiles on their faces as they look between Jack and I (Alex is busy talking with other fans). Sarah's friend introduces herself as Megan and trust me when I say she seemed just as perky as Sarah.

While I sit there and talk with the two girls and Jack, I feel someone's eyes on me. I look around and stop when I see Alex looking directly at me with a small smile on his face, completely ignoring the fan trying to talk to him.

'What?' I mouth to him.

He turns to the fan in front of him and excuses himself. Then he walks a few feet towards where the crew is loading the trailers and gestures for me to follow him.

I roll my eyes as I turn back into the van to grab a pair of shoes. I slip them on quickly and keep my blanket wrapped around me as I walk over to where Alex is standing. He's just on the other side of the trailor, but it's pretty obvious he doesn't want to be bothered by fans so they don't try to go up to him.

I stop right in front of him and lean onto the trailor. He starts, "Not even a full week into the tour and someone's already starting to look like her old self. Talking to fan, inviting to them to hang out with us after the show. Maybe your parents were right when they sent you on tour with us."

I sigh, "If everything seems all good, why are you bringing up the reasons why I'm here?"

He shrugs, "I don't know, I just really missed seeing your smile. You use to not even know what a frown was, but so much has happened to you and I didn't know if I was ever going to see a real smile on your face and it's just a few days into this tour and you're already getting back to normal. I just miss you so much Carter."

I'll admit I did start to zone out during that so when I say, "What?" I really do want him to repeat himself, cause I don't think I heard that last sentence correctly.

"I've missed you. I know things have been kind of weird between us recently. I know it was weird after the first time we. . . you know. And then we did it again at Christmas and then almost the other night. I don't know why we keep getting ourselves into that situation, but I do know that you're one of my best friends, Carter. I miss the fun times we've had together."

I think about a prank we did last summer and smile at the memory.

I look up at him and say, "So what do you want to do Alex? Just forget the past year has happened? That might be a little difficult with Jack now always freaking out about me being at these venues."

He thinks for a moment and then says, "You're right, we can't just forget about it. But we also don't have to confront it right now. We'll talk about it when you're ready."

I nod, "Okay, that'd be fine." I sort of doubt I'll be ready to talk about it any time soon, but at least I'm going to be getting one of closest friends back.

He pulls me into a tight hug and I can't help but close my eyes and hug him back just as tightly.

I hear him mumble, "I've missed you so much, Ev."

I suddenly pull back and point my finger at him as I say, "You still can't say that in public."

He just laughs, pulls me to his side, and starts to walk back to the van that now has a trailor attached to it and is full with everyone. . . With the driver's seat empty.

I look at Alex and he looks at me. Then we both take off in a sprint for the passenger's seat while shouting obscenities at each other about why we shouldn't be the one that has to drive.

"I'm a singer! I need my rest!"

"I'm too tired! We'll get in a wreck!"

"I just drove yesterday!"

"I drove this morning!"

"No, you didn't!"

"How would you know? You were asleep!"

"I suck at driving!"

"Oh my god! Is that Megan Fox?!"

"Where?!?!"

I hop into the passenger seat and quickly shut and lock the door, "Sucker." I shake out my blanket that I had balled up in one of arms during the race and then rewrap it around myself.

Alex walks over to the driver's side with his shoulder's slumped and his head down. He looks just like how Jack looked when he found out the toothfairy wasn't real and I was going to make him give all of his toothfairy money back to me cause I'd been the one putting money under his pillow.

I turn to the people in the back and see that no one is even paying attention to us. Rian is in the back and guietly talking on the phone with a smile on his face. Well, I wonder who he's talking to (cough, Kara, cough). Zack is also in the back row of seats, except he's dead asleep. Matt is texting someone in the 3rd row, but he looks like he might pass out at any second. Jack is closest to us and is playing with some electrical tool and I can't help but curse the idiotic person that gave it to him.

I look over to Alex as he starts the car and pulls out of the venue while I settle in for a long drive.

We haven't been in the car for even twenty minutes before we hit the New York traffic.