You Don't Have to Worry

To say that Ali was avoiding Garrett was an understatement – she was dodging him like a bullet! Not like she’s ever dodged a bullet before in her life, though. But it wouldn’t have been so easy if Garret wasn’t avoiding her himself. It was something like a team effort if you must.

Alison didn’t want to lose her job, and Garrett valued his band. They were all doing it for the prosperity of this tour. It has been three days since the two interacted – by “interacted”, this means trying to rip each other’s throats.

The blue-eyed boy sat on his bed with a guitar on his lap, plucking and strumming along the strings, making random melodies and whatnot.

“What are you playing?” A girl’s voice asked. Garrett looked up to see Alison’s best friend, Emma and was quite disappointed that it wasn’t the other one.

What the hell?

Garrett shook his head as if to get his thoughts straight. He was surprised that he even thought of her in the first place – what’s worse was that he was hoping that she would miraculously appear in front of him. He really wanted to see her face.

He frowned at the thought. How could he even think about her?

Emma noticed that the boy was lost in his thoughts.

“Garrett?” she called out, causing him to snap out of it.

“Huh?” He wondered for a bit until it dawned on to him that she’d asked him a question. “Oh, uhm… I wasn’t really playing anything in particular.”

“Oh okay.” Emma smiled, taking a seat on the bed opposite Garrett. He was kind of freaked out with her actions since they never really had a conversation – they only exchanged His and Hellos. But he thought Emma was a genuinely nice person – unlike her best friend.

There he goes again.

“Relax, Garrett, it’s just a conversation. We’ve never really talked.” Once again, Emma smiled warmly at the boy.

Garrett laughed at her words, finding himself finally ease up.

“You’re right. Sorry, it always just feels like my eyes are going to get clawed out every time I talk to someone from the opposite sex.” He chuckled and Emma burst out laughing.

“That sounds so much like someone I know.” She gave him a look that she very well knew he would get. And she knew for sure that he did because he rolled his eyes. “It’s been really peaceful recently, hasn’t it?”

“You can say that.”

“She’s been very well-behaved; it’s starting to scare me.”

“Why? Isn’t that a good thing?”

“Well-behaved Alison always means trouble. It’s only a matter of time.”

Garrett was confused with her words but she only waved him off before he could question her.

“Never mind, I’ll see you around, Garrett.” Emma stood up from where she sat and left a mind-boggled Garrett.



Alison was lazily hanging out with the boys of Pierce the Veil, the first week of tour was over and they’ll be moving to a different State the following day and they had so much free time.

“Oh I know, I know!” Alison almost jumped in surprise when Mike said this.

“Let’s go to the beach!”

“I totally agree! You’re a genius, Mikey.” Tony said as he jokingly batted his eyelashes at him.

“What do you say, Al?” Vic asked.

“The beach is like, a thirty-minute drive from here so…” She shook her head and chuckled.

“Come on, Al! Don’t be such a kill-joy!” Jaime whined.

“I’m not! I’m just being reasonable.” The girl said defensively. Never has she ever been called a kill joy. If anything, she was the joy itself.

“Oh, I don’t know, ‘because you sure are acting like one.” Mike said, and that was the moment that the four boys knew that they won.

“Fine, I’ll call Drake.”



“I can’t believe I’m doing this.” Ali said as she put on the bathing suit that she brought with her in case of emergency.

She called Drake earlier that day and asked if she can bring Pierce the Veil to the beach, with her fingers crossed behind her and saying please say no over and over again in her head.

But not everything goes her way. Drake being Drake thought that it was a brilliant idea and that all the bands should go. He immediately arranged the transportation and told Alison to let the other bands know, which brings us to now.

A loud banging on the door snapped Alison out of her thoughts.

“Alison, get the fuck out! We don’t have all day!” Emma yelled.

“I’m done, I’m done!” Alison got out just in her bikini and some jean shorts, surprised that the once empty room was now filled with boys, plus Shawna and Emma.

“Hot damn, baby girl.” Joel was the first to break the silence among his group of friends.

“Keep it in your pants.” She warned and someone scoffed. There, for the first time in days, she laid eyes on Garrett – pasty as ever in his tank top and shorts, and all she could think of was breaking that pretty little nose of his.

“You got some nice tattoos, al. Never knew you had more than that anchor.”

Alison never really showed the boys her tattoos. It was unintentional though since she was always in those jumpers or baggy t-shirts.

“Whatever.” She threw on a tank top, “Let’s just go.” Ali then grabbed her bag filled with the essentials: a towel, some shampoo and conditioner, liquid soap and sunblock; everybody then bee-lined out of the room and headed to the mini bus that Drake rented out for the bands and crew.

Alison took a vacant window seat, waiting for Emma or Shawna to occupy the empty space beside her, but both of them gave her apologetic smiles. Emma sat beside Dan and Shawna was stuck with Halvo. She let out a heavy sigh.

“Hey girlfriend!” Joel greeted her, taking the vacant seat next to her.

“You can totally take a seat beside me, no problem!” Sarcasm was dripping from her every word.

“Don’t sound so excited.” He bumped his shoulder with hers and they both laughed.

Joel Kanitz was an attractive boy. He was funny, down to earth and he made sure that everybody was having fun even if it wasn’t his obligation.

“What’s up?”

“Oh you know same old; stuck with babysitting a bunch of grown men.”

“Sounds fun!”

“Sounds like I’m hoping for someone to just stab me with a pencil.” Alison said nonchalantly as she continued rummaging through her bag for her phone. Since she got it a week before the tour, she couldn’t stop playing with it.

“Oh, is that so? Want me to call Garrett?” Joel earned a punch from the girl sitting beside him.

“Ow! Why do you have to be so freaking violent?” He rubbed his arm that was sure to have a bruise sooner than later.

“You know I like it rough.” She winked and stared at Joel seductively.

This caused Joel to feel something twitch in his jeans. Usually, words meant nothing to him and wouldn’t exactly do anything but there was something about Alison that he couldn’t put a finger on – no pun intended.

“Some people would actually appreciate some peace and quiet.” Garrett turned from his seat and glared at the pair behind him. Alison didn’t even notice that the only person who got under her skin was seated in front of her.

“I see you didn’t leave the stick shoved up your ass back at the hotel.”

“I see you’re still a bitch.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.” She smirked.

This is when they both knew that it’s going to be a long day.



“Ali!” She heard her name being called as she turned to the tall guy. “Get in the water!” She shook her head but grinned anyway. “Get. In. The. Water!” Mike yelled again, putting emphasis on every word.

“Did you just quote The Notebook?” Ali burst into laughter, taking off her tank top in the process, followed by her shorts as she started walking towards where her new found friends were.

“Maybe,” Mike shrugged.

“You’re a faggot.”

“Hey, you have the same tattoo as Gary!” Kennedy pointed at her left rib cage where a quote in script was tattooed. “That ‘I need you so much closer’ line from that Death Cab song, you even have it on the same place!”

“Oh man.” This time it was John who spoke. “It’s too spot on.” John shook his head in amusement and called Garrett who begrudgingly walked towards where they were on the shore, where the waves can almost touch their toes.

“What?”

“You have the same tattoo as Ali!” The girl looked at Garrett’s torso to confirm, and true enough, there lay the same line she had gotten on the left side of her rib. “Oh the exact same spot, with the same line from that gay-ass Death Cab song.”

“It’s not gay!” The two said in unison.

John and Kennedy laughed at the two, noticing just how similar they were.

“You guys are so alike, it’s scary.” Jared said.

“Great.”

“Please stop associating me with this bitch.” Garrett pleaded, but he was kind of relieved at the same time. It was a comfort for him to know that the girl at least had good taste in music.

“Can somebody just please get that stick out of his ass.” The Asian girl rolled her eyes.

“Hey guys, what’s –” Emma stopped talking as she got to where the group is. “Shit, you guys have the same tattoo!”

“Yeah, yeah… can we move on from this conversation already?” Ali crossed her arms, already sick of hearing people repeating the obvious.

“I gotta take a photo of this.” Emma said, raising her iPhone. “Okay, stand close.”

“No!” But it was too late; Emma was already pulling the two close, both of them facing their right with Alison behind Garrett.

This was the closest they have ever been.

Garrett could feel the heat radiating off Alison’s body, he loathed how much he actually likes it.

“Okay, now lift your arms a little so I can take a good photo.” Emma ordered and the two obliged. Alison knew that arguing with her best friend was pointless; she was the most stubborn person she’s ever met apart from herself.

“Awesome!” Emma tapped away on her phone once she was done, while Ali and Garrett moved away from each other as fast as they can.

The Asian girl charged towards the water and jumped on to Mike’s back, wrapping her arms around his neck, almost toppling them over.

“What the fuck?!”

“Mikey, piggy back.” She said in her baby voice, but didn’t wait for Mike’s answer. Ali proceeded to wrap her legs around his torso.

“Thanks for giving me a choice.”

“Anytime, darling.”

Everybody started to swim around and play in the water – Mike was right, it was a good day for a swim. While all of this was happening, Emma was lounging on one of the beach chairs, laughing evilly inside her head at what she’s done.

She gazed at her phone, clicking on Instagram and watching as the number of likes and comments increased in the photo that she’s taken earlier.

Couple tattoo. @AlisonDavy @GarrettMaine