Where Have You Been?

The band was given a day to think about their decision, whether they want to deny the news or they chose to cancel all of their international tour dates. It was almost their hometown show time, and none of the band knew what to expect from the crowd.

Shane and Savannah tagged along on the backstage and for Jack, having Shane in his circle of friends and life was definitely something he didn’t want to let go. Jack realized how the little boy made such a huge impact in his life. A better impact.

“Show time, guys!” Flyzik gave them the cue as the band but Jack rushed to the stage.

“Wish daddy some luck, buddy.” Jack whispered through Shane’s ear as he followed the other three.

The crowd started to chant ‘All Time Low’ before the curtain was down, and Alex smiled to it. A huge sense of warmth crept down his spine and he looked up to Rian who was actually smiling back to him. Meanwhile Zack and Jack exchanged look through Alex’s back before the started playing the intro of ‘Lost in Stereo’.

The curtain fell down as the band turned their back around and was now face to face with the crowd. Alex did expect they would lose some of their fans along with this news spreading, but it was a huge relief to see how the venue was filled with people who was screaming out their name.

As Alex started singing, the crowd sang even louder than him and a little poster over the fifth row or so caught Jack’s attention. There was a girl with a ‘Get Well Soon, Shane!’ poster sang super loud, louder than Alex himself.

It was definitely an emotional moment for the band, but no one in the band knew how Jack felt. He was thrilled, he was overwhelmed. After three songs, Alex gave the show a break with his little speech. Usually, Jack would just blab to whatever Alex was saying, but this one time, he didn’t say anything. He was only examining the crowd, not even knowing what he should think of.

“I see you, girl.” Alex giggled and pointed girl who yelled ‘I love you’ with all her heart.

“And tell Shane we love him too, Jack!” Another girl from the other part of the crowd yelled.

“Talking about that adorb little guy, he’s all better now!” Zack took the mic and informed the audience that were cheering for it.

There were so many people cheering until finally the one girl started chanting Shane’s name followed by thousands other people. It was touching, it was emotional, and it was indeed a heart-melting kind of situation. Jack ran out of words as his tears streamed down both of his cheek sides.

“Wow guys, you made the one and only Jack Barakat cried his heart out. What is wrong with you people?” Alex asked as he threw a pick over Jack’s direction.

“Okay guys, since we’re hometown buddies, I consider you…” Jack paused. “Every single one of you in this fucking venue is my best friends. So let’s just pretend this never happened.” Jack gestured all of his teary eyes and wet cheeks before grinning widely.

The crowd went a little quiet, and there was this distant voice but loud enough to Jack to hear it, asking whether they can see Shane or not. Jack took a little glance toward Alex as he shrugged. He took a little glance toward Zack over Alex’s shoulder and looked back at Rian. They both gave him the same shrug.

The crowd once again chanted for Shane, so this time, he knew what he had to do, what he had to do since the beginning Shane came into his life. He took a little peak over the side stage where he could see Flyzik stood still as he smiled, indicating he has Jack’s back for whatever decision he was making.

In a blink of an eye, Jack flees from the stage and went back on with a little guy on his side. Jack was holding him tight as Shane buried his face on his dad’s shoulder. Not used to a huge crowd, Shane whispered he was scared. But Jack told him it was okay. That everyone in the room was indeed his friends.

Jack asked his son to look over the crowd to check the banner that was made for him. Shane looked so happy with the fact he saw. Alex started strumming his guitar and started playing ‘Time Bomb’. Jack had to play so he let Shane did whatever he wanted to do on the stage.

At first, Shane was a little awkward and shy, but as the song hits the verse, Shane started enjoying himself. He was rocking on the stage, and Jack loved how his son dance and imitate Alex on playing guitar. Shane had one hell of a great time on stage, and after one song, Jack took him back to the back stage as he watched his father put on an amazing show. It was indeed the best time of the night for him.

“Mom, I want to play guitar when I'm older.” Shane demanded as Savannah leaned down to her son.

“Really? What are you going to do when you can finally play guitar?” Savannah chuckled.

“I’m going to be on a same band as Dad!” Shane said with passion.

Savannah liked the fact her son already found something that would connect him and his father, so Savannah smiled and promised Shane to teach him how to. A little bit Shane knows, his mother was quiet a good guitarist, she just didn’t think the world has to know that she plays. Besides, she only took her guitar when she’s very depressed.

It was quite late and Shane’s bedtime had passed, so Savannah decided to let her son asleep before he started crying and annoy everyone there. Just when Shane was officially asleep, the concert was done and the boys got back to the backstage, only to find Shane was already asleep.

“And when we’re finally done, he’s already falling asleep.” Alex smirked.

“You guys put an awesome show! I'm so proud of you, Jack!” Riley said as she hugged Jack lightly before walking toward the sweaty Zack.

Just when Jack sat down next to Savannah and took a look at his sleeping son, Flyzik’s phone rang and from the changing of facial expression, it appears to Jack like the label called him.

“What the fuck did that guitarist do?” The man from another side of the phone yelled.

“You mean, All Time Low’s?” Flyzik talked back.

“Don’t you talk back to me, young man. And yes, your stupid guitarist will cost your band a lot of money in the making!”

At first, Flyzik feel somehow small when he’s on a call with their label, but when he looked up to found his best friends standing inside the room and took a glance to the little boy, he knew he shouldn’t have felt so.

“Look, sir. I appreciate you and everyone on the label, but these guys on All Time Low, they’re more than just good looking guys with music instruments. You cannot take their families away from them, sir!” Flyzik defended the band.

“That’s not a good choice, Mr. Flyzik. In this kind of world, you put fame and money above everything!”

“But we’re not like that! We put our fans and our families above fame and money! All time low doesn’t do music for the sake of fame and money, we do it for the sake of art and the music itself!”

“That’s it, Mister! Your international tour is off!” and the line was cut off.

Flyzik sat down with blank stare, not knowing what may come after this, but then she heard a little sob from the corner of the room and that’s when he realized Savannah heard all the conversation.

“Dickhead!” He thought to himself.