My Mistake, So Predictable

Alex’s POV

I sit up groggily in bed and run my fingers through my hair confused. Something had woken me up, but I can't remember what it was. I think about it seriously for a moment before the sound pierces the darkness again, someone’s crying.

I trip out of my bed, slipping over several piles of clothing I’ve been too lazy to put away and lunge for my acoustic guitar in the corner of my room; wielding it as a weapon as I sprint to Hailey’s room.

Hailey’s door is cracked open slightly so I kick it in, feeling slightly like a badass cop when I do so.

Any words I had thought of die in my throat as I take in the sight of the girl in front of me. I can hear her sobbing from the doorway and in the low light I can see she’s sitting up with her legs tucked to her chest and her head buried into her knees.

“Hails.” I breathe, dropping the guitar without thinking. It makes a low thud against the floor but I leave it, moving over to the bed so I can pull her into my chest.

She gives a shaky breath, her body shaking with the harshness of it. “I dreamed about the concert again.” Her voice is low and I have to strain to hear it.

“I don’t know why it scares me so much that I have nightmares about it.” Her laugh sounds strained. “It’s stupid, it really is.”

“It’s not.” I murmur into her hair, “Being on stage was something you loved and you got hurt doing it. There’s nothing stupid about it.”

She pulls back and I can barely see her wide eyes, “Will you be at my show?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

Hailey curls back into me and then I can feel her smile against my chest but she doesn’t say anything. A few minutes later her breathing slows and I know she’s finally asleep. I lean my head down on the top of hers exhausted and close me eyes, just meaning to fall asleep for a few minutes.

Hailey’s POV

Standing up on stage before the show my knees are shaking right through the skinny jeans Tabitha had picked out for me earlier.

Someone walks by and squeezes my hand trying to be comforting, but unconsciously I pull away and shoot them an apologetic face without actually looking to see who they are. My eyes shift back over to the curtain on the stage when they leave. It’s just a simple screen that hides the crew so they can work in peace and set up our equipment without getting hounded by the kids in the crowd; but it captures my attention and holds it there.

In twenty minutes, the screen won’t be there to hide me anymore and that brief but haunting thought digs into my brain and terrifies me.

I can hear people talking, moving around behind me, laughing, but I barely see anyone; just shapes when they move in front of me and then past. Everything’s a blur to me right now and all I can do is keep my eyes set on that stupid curtain that seems like it’s taunting me.

What feels like seconds later, a voice calls out a ten minute warning and my brain snaps into hyper drive; freeing me to finally look around at every thing going on… and everyone.

“Alex.” My voice mumbles and I see Max perk up from where he’s setting up my mike stand and stride over to where I’m standing frozen with my hand wrapped around the neck of my guitar.

I grip onto his hands tightly and he rubs his thumbs over them soothingly, “What’s up, Hailey?”

“Al-Alex, he said he would be here.” I look around frantically, searching the crew, random groupies, friends, and family hanging around back stage. “Max, where is he?”

“He’ll be here.” Max promises but I’m not an idiot, I can hear the worry laced into his voice.

“What if he isn’t?” I whisper, leaning close to him so no one else can overhear the doubt. I don’t want to doubt him, I don’t. But I need him here. Was I always this needy before the accident? Something tells me that I wasn’t. It seems cold, unfamiliar to me. Although, everything feels unfamiliar to me so it isn’t exactly a new feeling.

Max removes my guitar from around my shoulders and leans it carefully against the wall before wrapping his arms tightly around me. I rest my chin on his shoulder before burying my face in his neck. “He’ll be here.” He murmurs, sounding more positive of himself this time.

“I don’t know if I can do this, Max.”

“I know.”