Forget About It

All Time Low got their record deal. After the band and all their family had a meeting, they called the guy who spoke to Alex and accepted the offer. For the past two months, they had been in the studio recording.

They already had a bunch of songs written, so it was just a matter of deciding which ones were making it onto the EP and album and then actually digitally recording them. They were going on Warped Tour in the summer and Lexie managed to pursuade her dad to let her go. It wasn't a nice conversation though.

"I am not letting you drive around the country with a bunch of boys. They're all bad influences!" he said.

"They are not! They're my friends and they wouldn't do anything to hurt me. It's not like I'm missing any school for it either!" she argued.

"No, it's not happening. You are not going," he said angrily.

"Why?" she shouted. "It's not as if you see me much anyway. You're always out or locked in your room, so it won't make a difference where I am, will it? At least I'll be happy where I'm going."

He looked at her with narrowed eyes, "You just crossed a line."

"I'm speaking the truth and you know I am. Noah said he's fine with me going, so I don't see why you're making such a big deal out of it. It's not like you care what happens to me, otherwise you would have been around more."

"I've had enough of this. Shut up and go to your room, Lexie," he said, clearly livid. She scoffed, but did as she was told anyway. It's not as if going to her room was a punishment, she had all her things in there.

Noah came to talk to her later that day and promised that he would change dad's mind. Which he did. He later came back and apologized for shouting at her and said that she can go on Warped Tour.

The months leading up to Warped Tour had just been the same as usual. School. Band practice. Dates with Alex. Then came the day before they were leaving for tour and Lexie began getting stressed out about her packing. She had no idea how much she would need to bring and after a lot of stressing out and help from Noah, she had a suitcase full of everything she needed.

They set off the next morning at 5am, much to everyone's annoyance. Lexie didn't bother making an effort with her appearance that early in the morning. She simply tied her hair up into a ponytail, and wore her jogging bottoms and a hoodie. No make-up either. She intended on sleeping during the journey.

They had to travel in a van and they were going to be getting their bus when they arrived at the venue for the first date of the tour, which was Dallas.

They were on the road for a couple of hours and Lexie and Alex slept next to each other. She was curled into him, awkwardly being that it was a tight space, with her head resting on his shoulder, and he rested his head on top of hers.

They arrived at the venue before noon and they all hurried to get onto their tour bus and typically, there was a fight over the bunks.

Lexie immediately jumped into the top one on the right hand side, "I claim this one!"

"Dammit, I wanted that one!" Alex said and climbed in the one opposite.

"Well we can always share," she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Mm, I may have to hold you up on that," he said laying down in his bunk.

"Guys, no sex on the bus!" Matt called from the back lounge.

"Just because you won't be getting any!" Alex called back.

"Fuck you, Alex!" he yelled and Alex just laughed.

"He's jealous," he said with a wink.

After placing her case on her bunk, Lexie went to sit with Rian in the front lounge.

"Why isn't Kara coming out on tour?" Lexie asked.

"She couldn't get the time off work," Rian said. "She has a couple days off next week though, so she's going to come down and see us."

"You miss her, don't you?"

"I saw her yesterday," he reminded her.

"I know, but you're going to be away from her a lot being in a band," she said.

"Well then isn't that the same for you and Alex?"

"Yeah, it is," she said. "I'm not going to be able to come out on every tour you guys go on. We're going to be apart a lot."

Rian looked at her with sadness in his eyes. "Yeah, I miss her. I sometimes think she might not want a relationship like this. We'll be away from each other too much.

"Hey, if you guys love each other, it will work," she reassured him.

He nodded, "Are you scared about your relationship with Alex?"

She hesitated at first, then nodded. "It's not that I don't trust him, but being in a band means the general hoard of band sluts and I get worried..." she trailed off.

"I don't think Alex would do that to you," he said.

"But --" she began saying, but was interrupted.

"Lexie, can I talk to you for a minute?" It was Alex. She nodded and followed him off the bus, where they sat on a bench nearby.

"I heard what you were saying to Rian," he began. "I wouldn't cheat on you, Lexie."

"I believe that you wouldn't, I trust you. It's just, I don't know, there might be a point where you just get too tempted, you might be drunk at a party or whatever. There are so many prettier girls than me out there and I don't know, I'm rambling," she said, looking down in embarassment.

Alex sighed and pulled her face up gently so she had to look at him. "When are you going to get this through your head? You're beautiful, Lexie. No other girl can compare."

"But what if there's a party and you get drunk, there's going to be girls all over you!"

"Are you jealous?" he asked, smirking. She hid her face again, embarassed.

He took her hand, rubbing circles into her skin. "I told you a long time ago that I basically screwed over my ex-girlfriend Lisa. I cheated on her. I saw the consequences of what that does to a relationship. I could never do that to you."

She looked up at him, "Promise?"

"Promise," he said, then stood up, pulling on her arm so she got up too. "Now come on, we have to go to soundcheck."

***

Warped Tour was amazing. They were now into their second week and Lexie was absolutely loving it. The band were doing amazing every day on stage and were gaining more and more fans. There were parties nearly every night on different bands buses, which she usually went to though she avoided drinking too much.

She didn't get to see much of Alex during the day as he was always so busy with band stuff, so she usually helped Vinny with merch. But after their set, he always came to hang with her on the bus and they'd even been on a couple of dates. It wasn't much, but they went out for dinner on the third day of tour and a couple nights later, they simply went for a walk down the beach for some private time and layed under the stars.

Right now, all the band with Matt were sitting in the back lounge watching Home Alone. Alex was laying down with his head in Lexie's lap and his feet resting on Rian. Lexie was absent-mindly running her fingers through his soft hair, when she heard her phone ring.

"Alex, you'll have to move your head so I can answer this," she said.

"I don't want to, you're too comfy," he said.

"Alex," she pleaded.

"Guys, shut up, we're trying to watch a movie," Jack said.

Alex sighed and sat up, letting Lexie free. She pulled her phone out of her jeans pocket and walked into the front lounge to answer it. It was Noah.

"Hey, what's up?" she said.

"Lexie, you need to come home," he said. It sounded like he had been crying.

"Why? What's happened?" she asked, suddenly worried.

"I don't really want to explain over the phone, I need you to get on the next plane back to Baltimore, please," he said urgently, putting emphasis on the 'please.'

"But, I -- okay. I'll check the airline website now," she said, rummaging around for her laptop.

She stayed on the phone to him as she looked on the internet for the next flight back home. She must have been in the lounge a while because Alex came in.

"What are you --" he started to ask but she shushed him with a motion of her hand.

He came and sat next to her, then looked at her confused when he saw what she was looking at on the internet.

"Okay, there's one at 8 o'clock tonight," she said. "That's the earliest one they've got."

"That will have to do," he said. "Use the credit card I gave you to pay for the flight."

She nodded, then realised that he couldn't see her. "Okay, I'll go pack in a minute. But Noah, can you please just tell me what's happened?"

"You wouldn't want to hear it over the phone," he said.

She was growing more and more worried. A thousand terrible ideas were running through her mind and she couldn't get rid of them.

"Okay, I have to go then. I'll see you later," she said, tears now welling in her eyes, threatening to spill over.

"Bye," he said and hung up.

She closed her laptop and got up to go to her bunk to pack her things, but Alex grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"What's going on? Why are you crying?" he asked.

"I don't even fucking know!" she yelled and started sobbing. Alex wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair as she sobbed into his chest.

When she calmed down, she became aware that now everybody on the bus was watching her in concern.

"Guys, can you just give us a minute, please?" Alex asked, which Lexie was incredibly grateful for. She heard the sound of footsteps as everybody moved back into the backlounge and she stepped back from Alex to look at him.

"It was Noah on the phone. He wouldn't tell me what's happened, just that I need to get on the next flight home as soon as possible," she told him and saw his eyes grow full of concern and sadness. "I don't know what's going on, but he sounded like he had been crying and I'm so fucking worried."

"Why didn't he tell you?"

"He said that it's not something I would want to hear over the phone, which only makes me more fucking terrified about what's happened," she said, tears welling up again.

"Hey, shush, don't cry," Alex said, hugging her again. "It might not be as bad as you think."

"I sure fucking hope so," she muttered and became aware that she swears a lot when she's upset. Odd. She pulled away from him again. "Alex, I need to go pack."

He nodded, "Do you want me to tell the guys what's happening?"

She paused then said, "Yeah. They'll only find out anyway."

Alex went into the backlounge and Lexie went to her bunk and began gathering all her things and throwing them into her suitcase. Alex came back 5 minutes later and helped her get all her things together. She stayed sitting in her bunk for the rest of the day, waiting for the time when she could leave to go to the airport.

At half past 6, she got her suitcase down ready to head for the car, where Matt said he would drive her to the airport. Alex was coming with her too.

She hugged everyone, saying goodbye but promising that she would come back as soon as she could and then got in the car, leaving Warped Tour. Alex held her hand on the way to the airport, but nobody spoke. She was too consumed with worry about what could have happened.

When they arrived, she silently walked with Alex to the check in terminal where she payed for the flight with the credit card Noah had given her and checked her case in, only leaving her with her small bag to take onto the flight.

She hugged Alex tightly, never wanting to let go. He seemed to be thinking the same thing as well, and they were standing there in the airport in an embrace for a while. She felt tears roll down her cheek and looking up, she saw that Alex had tears in his eyes too.

"Call me as soon as you land, okay?" he said.

"I promise," she said and stood on her toes to lock her lips with his. It was only a gentle kiss, but she wished that she didn't have to stop. When she pulled away, Alex only held her tighter and kissed her again with more force. She sighed in contentment, but also in sadness.

"Alex, I have to go. My flight --" she said, but Alex kissed her again, silencing her words.

When he finally let her breath, she reached up to touch his face. "I love you," she told him.

"I love you, too. So much," he replied and gently pressed his lips to her forehead.

"I have to go," she murmured, kissing his lips once more, quickly. He nodded solemly and she turned away from him, going further into the airport, where she sat waiting for her flight to be called.

The flight was only about an hour, and she spent it with her headphones in, trying to drown out all the negative thoughts that were going through her head. When they landed, she waited to get her case, then walked out of the airport into the familiar land of Baltimore. She called a cab, then while she was waiting, she called Alex.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked nervously.

"Yeah, I've just got out of the airport and I'm waiting for a cab to get home," she said.

"Everyone is worried about you, y'know," he told her.

"I'll be fine. I'm worried about what I'm about to find out," she said.

"Whatever it is, you know I'll be here for you, right? No matter what."

She held back her tears, "I know, thank you."

"I love you, Lexie," he whispered.

"I love you, too," she said and then saw a car pull up. "I have to go, my cab is here."

"Okay. Call me when you can."

"I will. Bye," she said and hung up, then got into the car. When the car arrived outside her house, she payed the driver, got her suitcase out and nervously walked up to her front door. She walked in, leaving her suitcase in the hall and found Noah sitting alone in the kitchen.

She quickly walked over to him, sitting in the seat next to him. "What's happened?"

"It's dad," he said. "He's dead."