Warped Vision

Alex shook me violently awake the next morning for what I assumed was the millionth time, but only the first I had been consciously aware of. I groaned, covering my face with my arm. He mimicked the sound loudly, “Hannah, if you want to go to Warped, you'd better get your ass up and onto the bus.”

I wasn't paying attention to anything he was saying, rolling over to face the wall and curling up into the fetal position. It was probably at least six or seven in the morning, and I hadn't woken up that early in over a week. As excited as I had been, I could not get the energy to get out of bed.

However, as I heard Alex sigh in exasperation and storm out of the room, my eyes snapped open. Well, as far open as my tired eyes could get. Would he really leave me here alone? He had been so excited to share this with me that I doubted he would. Regardless, I knew I should have been getting up, but my legs felt like they couldn't move.

As I was contemplating trying harder, a large pair of arms wrapped themselves around my body and picked me up off of my bed. I turned my head and saw it was my brother's other friend and band-mate, Zack. He gave me a soft smile, and I weakly returned the favor.

“I need to get ready..” I managed, my voice sounding raspy from exhaustion.

“You can get ready on the bus,” He said quickly, hurrying me out of my room and house, “We're already late as it is.”

Once we were inside the bus, everyone greeted me with looks of both happiness and annoyance. I looked at them innocently as Zack put me down. Alex simply gestured to where my bunk would be with his lips pursed, indicating that my bags were there, saying not a single word to me. Hopefully whatever stick was up his ass would be gone soon.

I hurried over to get a pair of clothes and as I made my way to the back room to change, the door creaked open without my noticing. I almost ran into Rian, the final member of All Time Low. Instead, he greeted me with a bear hug, picking me up off the ground in the process. “I hope you're feeling better, squirt! I've missed you!”

I grinned up at him, “I'm feeling a lot better about everything, especially this summer, since I get to spend it on Warped. Well, besides the fact that I have to see you everyday for the next three months.”

He gave me a mock-harsh look, which soon turned into a smile of his own before giving me another tight hug. “Glad you're doing better, tour is going to be extra awesome with you aboard.” With that, he pat my head a few times and walked toward the main area of the bus.

I had always been the closest to Rian since he was the only one of Alex's friends who would actually speak to me when they were in high school. He was like a second brother to me. The other boys were too, of course, but if there was ever a problem that I couldn't talk to Alex about, Rian was the one I would go to. It was always nice to get a second opinion, and plus he was much less protective over me compared to Alex.

After getting dressed and ready for the day, I checked my phone that I'd thrown in my bag the night before. I guess I was subconsciously certain that I would not willingly get up this morning and needed to guarantee that I would have it with me. The time was 4:12am. Four. Twelve. In the morning. I had never ever gotten up that early in my entire life. Alex could have at least warned me or something.

I returned to where everyone else had been sitting, and my brother seemed to be less irritated, now that I was up and moving. He looked at me happily, “Awake yet?”

I simply nodded and sat beside him. As he rested an arm around my shoulder, the bus began to drive toward Salt Lake City, the first stop.

“FUCK YEAH!” Jack screamed, “WARPED TOUR 2K12 HAS JUST BEGUN.”

–

We got to the venue hours upon hours later and I was completely exhausted. Was it possible to become exhausted from being bored out of your mind? Because that's what I had concluded. I simply had not brought enough things to occupy myself with for almost 34 hours, and I ended up sleeping more than half of that time.

But we were at the first date of tour now, and that's all that mattered. I couldn't wait to meet all of the bands who had practically saved me, and cry to them about how much they meant to me. Knowing that I was going to be on tour with them, would they just avoid me after that or try to befriend me? I hoped it was the latter because that would make this solution to my problems even better. I had planned on trying to make new friends who liked the same bands as me while on this tour, but friends with the band members? Much, much better.

Alex came to my bunk to tell me that we were parked and could get off the bus, and at that point I almost hit my head on the ceiling I was so excited. I bounced out and felt my teeth chatter. My body always pretended that it was cold when I was too nervous or thrilled, and I hated it. But, my brother had promised he'd introduce me to everyone today and I had anticipated it for what felt like forever, so it was no wonder why I was so worked up.

“Who would you like to meet first?” He asked as soon we stepped off the bus, knowing it was the only thing on my mind. How could he expect me to choose?

I bit my nail, looking around at all the buses and wondering whose each one was. “Mmmm,” I said, looking at the ground and thinking as hard as I could, “Sleeping with Sirens.” I said quickly and glanced back up. To my surprise, Alex didn't even need to take me anywhere, because Kellin Quinn and Justin Hills were walking in our direction, looking directly at us. I nearly hyperventilated.

“Hey man,” Kellin and my brother did a weird, quick handshake and began talking about the lineup and other band-like things. I stayed silent, staring at my shoes. I looked up only momentarily, and my eyes practically bugged out of my head when I saw Justin studying me. He let out a small, amused laugh, obviously noticing what was supposed to be discreet fangirling. I giggled nervously in return. I knew that, in only seconds, I wouldn't be able to contain myself any longer.

Alex and Kellin turned to us, and that was when my brother finally spoke up on my behalf. “This is my little sister Hannah. She's going to be on tour with us this year, so if you see her and I'm not there make sure she's not doing stupid shit.”

“Will do,” Kellin chuckled, sticking out his hand and introducing himself. I tried to shake it, but after a moment of being awestruck, I went in for a hug and tried not to cry on his shoulder.

“Iloveyouguyssomuch,” I let out without a breath once we pulled away. Justin let out a similar laugh as he gave me before, hugging me as well. I was certain I was going to puke I was so excited. I was definitely glad we ran into them instead of going to their bus, because meeting all five members of my favorite band would definitely have been too much.

“Right,” Alex spoke again, smiling, “I forgot to mention that your music is all I hear blasting from her room everyday when I'm home.”

“Guilty,” I murmured, raising my hand and staring at my feet again.

They all laughed and my brother wrapped his arm around my shoulder, “Well, I'm going to take her to tell everyone else how much she adores them, so I'll see you guys later.” He steered me to another bus, probably knowing who I'd want to see next.

Before we got too far, though, I felt a hand grab my wrist. I turned around to see that it was Justin, looking at me expectantly. I felt myself blush, “Hey, you're going to watch our set then, right?” He asked.

“Yeah,” I breathed.

“Cool, I'll see you there.” He gave me a cheeky smile and hurried to catch up with Kellin. As we neared another bus, I didn't know what to be more excited about, the fact that Justin Hills knew I existed and wanted me to see them play, or the fact that I was most likely about to talk to Pierce the Veil for the first time in years.

The door of the bus Alex had led me to was open, and as I heard them yelling playfully inside the butterflies that were in my stomach when speaking to 2/5 of Sleeping With Sirens returned. Are we still considered friends? Would the relationship between all of us still be as fun as it was? Would they even remember me? I stood still as Alex walked up the steps of the bus. He looked back at me, lifting his eyebrows in expectancy. I hurried up behind him with much hesitation and tried to consider the best case scenario rather than the worst.

Ecstatic greetings and even a “Hannah is that you?” filled my ears as they noticed us come on, and I smiled. Perhaps they hadn't forgotten about me. I ran to give Vic the biggest hug and when we pulled back, he examined me carefully.

“Look at you, Hannah. One moment you're a fetus and the next you're all womanly and stuff. What the hell? It's been too long.” He hugged me again and before I could respond, I felt someone lift me off the ground and plant a slobbery kiss on my cheek. It was Jaime.

“HANNAH BANANA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!” He nearly shrieked.

“I'm staying all tour!” I giggled as he put me down and looked at me in awe. He looked over for confirmation from my brother, who nodded proudly, and gave me a high five.

Overhearing this, Mike patted me on the back, “We're all going to have to chill then sometime and catch up.”

I grinned at him in agreement, and in the midst of all of this excitement I almost didn't notice Tony staring at me quietly, a small smile on his face. I hurried over to him and gave him an even bigger hug than I had given Vic, never wanting to let go.

It had been three years since I last saw all of them, and at the time I had been a naïve, little 15-year-old. A stupid soon-to-be freshman in high school with a crush on the boy who had offered to attempt to teach me how to play guitar--Tony. And I was so stupid at the time to believe that he could like me back. I'm 98.9% sure that my crush had never left, and according to the way I felt myself thinking, my hopes never did either.

“I missed you, Turtleeee,” I sing-songed as he swayed me back and forth, his chin on top of my head.

He chuckled in response, finally removing himself from the hug. “I missed you too, Han,” he said, mussing up my hair and laughing more.

I felt myself blush and looked down at the ground, at a loss for words like I had always been with what I believed to be my not-yet-reciprocated crushes. I didn't understand why my mind did this. I guess deep down I knew if I said anything it would be the stupidest thing in the world. So I remained silent, and we ended up just looking at each other with nearly-laughing smiles on our faces for a good minute.

“HEY HANNAH!” Vic intruded, saving me from the awkward, yet somewhat enjoyable tension I was under. He held a bag of chips in front of my face and kept re-thrusting it under my nose until I grabbed it from him. “I realized we had these on the bus. They were your favorite weren't they?”

I looked at the bag in my hand and grinned widely, seeing that they were sour cream and cheddar Ruffles. The food was something that, when I was fifteen, I couldn't ever walk into a convenience or grocery store without buying. I guess they really hadn't forgotten about me.

–

After spending nearly an hour explaining the circumstances for my being there and what I had done with my life since I'd last saw the four with each of them, Alex yelled to me from the front of the bus, “Hannah, Sleeping With Sirens is playing soon!” My ears perked up at the sound of the band's name, and as much as I wanted to stay and talk, I could not miss their set even if my life depended on it.

We began to part ways, hugging each other tightly again, and Tony stopped us on our way out, “You guys can stop by the bus later if you want, after we play.”

I looked at Alex with anticipation, but instead of a look of approval, he had a disappointed frown on his face. “I don't know, I play almost right after you, and it will be so late...” He sighed.

“I could still go though, right, Alex?” I asked hopefully. After giving him the puppy-dog eyes for a moment, he still showed no sign of having anything near a positive expression.

“I don't know Hannah, there will most likely be alcohol and I don't think mom would like it if I--”

“We'll keep an eye on her,” Jaime appeared beside Tony, who was now looking at me with hopeful eyes, and winked at me jokingly. I continued to stare up at my brother, and his expression turned a bit thoughtful, but he still seemed to be concerned. Why was it even being considered? He couldn't just expect me to do nothing all tour.

“Pleeeeeease,” I added as he considered, shaking him, “I'll be good, I promise.”

“Fine,” He gave up easily, giving me a look of authority that I had seen from him way too many times, “But if you do anything stupid, that's one step closer to me monitoring you for the next three months.”

“Oh, whatever Alex,” I jumped off the last step and pulled him down with me, waving goodbye to the guys. We headed off into the direction of the venue, showed them our passes, and even as we entered I still felt him giving me the same, 'I'm-In-Charge' sort of glare.

I turned to him with annoyance, “What do you think I'm going to do, Alex?” I asked, “I'm a good kid. I've never gotten into trouble in my life.”

He ignored me for a moment, leading me to where Sleeping With Sirens was warming up backstage. Kellin and Justin waved me over and Kellin began introducing me to Jesse, Jack, and Gabe. I forgot all about my argument with Alex and could barely contain my excitement. And as my gaze met Justin's, him smiling at me again, my heart fluttered even more in my chest.

It was like my brother couldn't wait to ruin the moment, though. He bent down to whisper in my ear with the most serious voice I've ever heard come out of him, sending a shiver up my spine, “It is never too late to look trouble in the eye.”