Unfinished Business

{Elle}
“Kara, I don’t want to go,” I practically yelled at my best friend.
“Ellie, you have to! They’re all going to want to see you. Anyway, I promised Jack we’d be there. And he’s like a five year old. If he doesn’t get his way, all hell will break loose.”
Ok, so she had a point about Jack. But I knew that it wasn’t Jack she had promised we’d be there. It was Alex fucking Gaskarth.
“Just tell him I’m sick or something. Please Kara, I can’t go. You know I can’t,” I pleaded. She wasn’t having any of it. She shook her head and pulled out a top for me to put on. I sighed and did as she wanted. There’s no point on arguing with Kara. She always got her way. “I hate you,” I told her bluntly and went into the bathroom to do my hair.
“I love you too, baby girl,” She called after me.

When we got to the venue, I refused to go side stage. Kara and I had access all area tags, but instead of actually using it, I just went inside and sat at the bar. Its times like these when I wish that a bar tender was allowed to serve a 19 year old. The only place I did go aside from the bar, was the merch table and that’s only because I spotted one of my favourite people there.
“Matty Flyzik, why is it that you’re behind the merch table tonight?” I greeted him.
“Holy fuck, Elle!” He looked completely shocked to see me. He jumped over the table and wrapped me in a hug. “What are you doing here? I didn’t think you’d want to come!”
“Matt, I…can’t…breathe…” I managed to get out. He released me. “I don’t want to be here, but Kara made me.” He gave me an all knowing look.
“It won’t be that bad. You won’t even have to talk to him. Everyone’s gonna be so happy to see you.”
“Just don’t tell Alex I'm here, please. I don’t want to deal with him.” Matt nodded.
“You know that he asked Kara to make sure you came, right?” he asked.
“I know. She told me that Jack made her promise. Why does Alex want me here anyway?”
“No clue,” Matt replied way too fast. Liar. “I have to go and make sure those retards are ready to play. Promise you won’t leave until you say goodbye.” I promised and he left. I returned to my seat at the bar.

The lights went down as Kara came and sat next to me. She’d obviously been to see Rian. I gave her a look.
“Don’t worry; no one knows we’re here. Well aside from Ri.”
The crowd started chanting; “All Time Low! All Time Low!” A minute later, the curtain dropped and light flooded the stage.
“Baltimore, what’s up bitches?!” Alex yelled into the mic before he started to sing. I forgot just how good he was. The crowd knew every word. I even caught myself singing along a couple of times. I watched three of my best friends and the jerk I used to know bounce around and make crude jokes for nearly half an hour. I thought back to watching them practice in Jack’s basement, not even a year ago. I missed that.

“Baltimore, are you having a good time?!” Alex yelled into the mic and was met with the crowd’s scream. “That’s good. You have no fucking idea how happy I am to be home.” Alex looked up from the crowd to the back of the venue where Kara and I were sitting at the bar. He looked straight at Kara. I knew he would notice me, but I looked away before our eyes could meet.
“Baltimore, I have something I need to get off my chest. It’s been bugging me for almost a year now. You think you guys could listen up for a sec?” Alex said into the mic. I could feel his eyes on me, so I didn’t look up. I had a feeling I knew what was coming. “Ok guys, just hush up a bit. I’m trying to tell you something important. Now you guys might find this hard to believe, but I was one of the biggest jerks in high school. You see, there was this girl…” the crowed cut him off with a chorus of ‘oooo’s and he laughed. “Ha, no. She wasn’t my girlfriend. I wish I had the balls to ask her out.” The crowd laughed and ‘aww’ed. I kept my eyes on the ground. What is he doing? I thought. Kara glanced over to me as Alex continued.

“Anyway, this girl. She was, still is actually, the best thing that ever happened to me. Well aside from Jack.” I could imagine the face Jack was pulling as the crowd laughed. “You see, I treated her like crap. I made her think that she wasn’t important to me, when she was the most important. And I let her walk out of my life. It’s the biggest mistake I’ve ever made,” Alex said, and I knew he meant it. I’d known him for too long not to notice the sincerity in his voice. I looked up, finally meeting his eyes. “She’s here tonight Baltimore. I’ve been trying to apologise since the day I completely screwed her over, but she won’t answer my calls. She wouldn’t even look at me until about 20 seconds ago. So this is the only way I can make it right. It’s the only way I know how.” Alex played with his guitar strap nervously. I kept staring at him, wondering what he was going to say next.

“Elle, babe. I'm sorry. I am so sorry. I should have never said the things I did or acted the way I did. It kills me knowing that my best friend hates me. I mean it Elle. I don’t say sorry often, you know that.” That was when Alex looked away. He looked terrified, like he finally realised what he was saying. I was going to kill him. “I hope you can forgive me, Elle, because life without my best friend sucks.” I am actually going to kill him.
Jack, obviously wanting to make the mood a little lighter, decided to interrupt. “Hey!” he called, “I thought I was your best friend man?!” Jack pouted and the crowed laughed. I joined in a little. God love him. Jack could always get a laugh.
“Sorry dude, but I love her more,” Alex said into the mic, laughing slightly, while looking at Jack. Being the Drama Queen that he is, Jack faked being hurt and stormed off stage. I couldn’t help but laugh at that. Alex continued. “Anyway, I know that this isn’t gonna make much of a difference, and trust me Baltimore, she has every right to hate me. This next song is for you, Elle. She loves this Baltimore. Or at least she should, she helped me write it. This one’s called Jasey Rae.” The crowd erupted and Jack came back out onto the stage, playing the intro.

I couldn’t sit there anymore. I got up and walked away. I faintly heard Kara call my name but I just kept walking. I got to the side stage door and flashed my access all areas pass. They let me in. I was fuming. I knew Alex wanted to talk to me, but I didn’t think he would do so over the PA and announce his wrong to our hometown. There were at least 100 people that I knew here tonight, I was going to have some serious explaining to do.

I didn’t know what I was doing side stage. I thought about just throwing things towards Alex and it seemed like a good idea. Before I could find anything to throw, Matt had appeared next to me.
“I’m sorry Elle. I tried to talk him out of it,” he apologised.
“It doesn’t matter, it’s done now,” I replied bluntly.
“Now there’s an aching in my back, a stabbing pain that says I lack…” the lyrics I helped to write floated to my ears in Alex’s voice. I started to cry.
“Matt, the spare mic. Where is it?” I asked abruptly through my tears.
Matt looked at me confused. “Um, it’s on the ground next to Zack’s fold back. Elle, what are you doing?” Matt questioned me, but it was too late, I was walking onto the stage, trying, and failing, at holding back my tears. I knew the band would cut for the bridge. They always did. I spotted the mic on the floor next to Zack and picked it up as Alex was singing the chorus. He must have noticed me because he looked over as he sang the final words of the chorus. His eyes widened when he realised it was me.

I turned and faced Alex while turning the mic on. I could hear my voice over the PA as I started singing the bridge I knew so well. “I’ve never told a lie, and that makes me a liar. I’ve never made a bet, but we gamble with desire.” My voice cracked and I was still crying, but I kept going. “I’ve never lit a match with intent to start a fire, but recently the flames are getting out of control.” Alex was facing me. He’d dropped the neck of his guitar and wasn’t even singing. He just stared at me. He took a step forward, towards me, but I held a hand out in front of me. He stopped. “Call me a name, kill me with words,” I practically screamed at him. For a moment I forgot we were on stage. “Forget about me, it’s what I deserve. I was your chance to get out of this town. But I ditched the car…” I trailed off, sobbing uncontrollably now. I dropped the mic and ran off stage, past Matt and Kara, who had joined him at some point. I found my way outside. The night air felt amazing the damp skin of my face. I slid down the outside wall of the venue. A couple of minutes later, Kara joined me. She sat silently next to me. I leant into her shoulder and conceded to my tears.

We sat out there for the rest of the set. Kara didn’t say anything, she just stroked my hair. We heard the babble of teenagers as the venue emptied, indicating the set was indeed finished. Kara got up slowly.
“Come on babe, let’s go inside,” she said softly. She tried to make me get up, but I wouldn’t move.
“No. I… I'm gonna stay out here a little longer,” I replied. Kara nodded. She looked down at me one last time and went back inside. I put my face in my hands. What am I going to do? I thought. Clearly, Alex knows I'm here now. And he knows that I heard every word tonight.

It started to rain but I just sat there on the ground. I had a weird obsession with the rain. I loved it. The door that Kara had disappeared into five minutes ago was suddenly flung opened. A tall figure walked out and yelled into the night.
“Fuck!”
It took me half a second to work out it was Alex.