Status: Completed
How to Save a Life
A Twist in My Story
Part 4- A Twist In My Story
When you wake up again, you are so warm and comfortable that you are unwilling to open your eyes and move. Finally, you have just about convinced yourself to get up when you feel someone throw themself down on the couch beside you.
“Is she gonna wake up soon? She hasn’t moved in like five hours. Are we sure she’s alive?”
“Jack, shut the hell up and let her sleep. She needs it.”
“Sorry. I know.”
“Alex, wake y/n up, we gotta go.”
Is that Flyzik?
You stay completely still, feigning slumber, and listen more closely.
“About that,” you hear Alex say. “I sort of offered her the merch job.”
“You WHAT?!” Flyzik asks angrily.
Shit.
“Look, we need someone to do it. God knows how long Vinny’s gonna be gone, and clearly, having you and Colussy sell is NOT working.”
“We both know this isn’t about the merch. She’s not a lost puppy, Alex, you can’t just pick her up and take her with you because you feel sorry for her. I know you want to keep an eye on her, but do you really think this is the best way to do it? You met her yesterday. You barely even know her! And what if she tries it again, huh? What if you wake up one day to find her gone? What then? You don’t know what you’re getting into.”
Alex is silent for a moment.
He’s right. What the fuck am I doing?
“Matt, there’s something about her. I can’t explain it. All I know is, I cannot lose her, and if bringing her on tour is the best say to ensure that, then that’s what I’m going to do.”
Matt sighs.
“Fine, on your own head, so be it. But you get to teach her the ropes, and if something happens… Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
You can hear Matt start to leave the room, but then he stops.
“For what it’s worth,” he adds softly, “I’m going to do my best to help you keep her safe.”
And then you hear his footsteps grow fainter until you know he has left. Time to wake up.
You give an exaggerated yawn and open you eyes, blinking owlishly at the sun that hits your face.
“Hey, sleepyhead!” Jack smiles at you from the other end of the couch.
“Jack, can you wait to flirt with her until she’s fully awake?” Alex gripes, sitting on the couch between you and Jack.
“I was just saying hello!” Jack laughs, and then leans around Alex to wink at you. “But I can flirt if she wants me to!”
You giggle, and Alex groans. He shifts on the couch so he’s facing you and hands you the small plate he’s been holding. It holds a slice of toast with jam and some cheez-its. You look at him questioningly, and he shrugs.
“We don’t keep much food on the bus,” he says, and smiles. “Better get used to it fast, I talked to Flyzik and he says you’re hired!”
He says I’m a lost puppy.
But you smile back at Alex. “That’s awesome!”
He smiles back. No mention of the conversation earlier. He clearly doesn’t know you were awake, and you plan to keep it that way.
“Hey, we gotta head out soon, you better call your parents and tell them where you’ll be for the summer. If they argue, you’re eighteen and they can’t stop you!” He tells you.
Sighing, you push yourself up from the couch, leaving the toast and the crackers behind. Alex hands you your phone, which must’ve fallen out of your pocket the previous night. You had been planning to jump with it in your pocket, to erase all evidence of your conversations with your friends, to delete your connection to them. It wasn’t like you matter to them anyways, not like they care at all…
Shaking the dark thoughts from your head, you accept the phone and step out of the bus into the bright sunlight. It looks to be about noon. Dialing your home number, you wait for your mother to pick up the phone. When she does, you weather the storm of anger that comes at your overnight disappearance, and calmly inform her of your plans.
“Y/N, YOU ARE NOT GOING ON TOUR WITH THOSE HOOLIGANS! THEY COULD BE SERIAL KILLERS FOR ALL I KNOW!”
“Mom, it’s All Time Low. They aren’t serial killers.”
Cereal killers, maybe.
You chuckle quietly, but your mother continues.
“I AM YOUR MOTHER, AND I AM TELLING YOU NO. COME HOME NOW.”
“I’m eighteen, mom. You can’t stop me! I’m going on this tour!”
“Oh, no, you aren’t.” Her voice has lost its volume but had adopted an even deadlier quiet tone. “You are coming home now, or you are never coming home again. Is that clear?”
You hang up without bothering to respond.
When you wake up again, you are so warm and comfortable that you are unwilling to open your eyes and move. Finally, you have just about convinced yourself to get up when you feel someone throw themself down on the couch beside you.
“Is she gonna wake up soon? She hasn’t moved in like five hours. Are we sure she’s alive?”
“Jack, shut the hell up and let her sleep. She needs it.”
“Sorry. I know.”
“Alex, wake y/n up, we gotta go.”
Is that Flyzik?
You stay completely still, feigning slumber, and listen more closely.
“About that,” you hear Alex say. “I sort of offered her the merch job.”
“You WHAT?!” Flyzik asks angrily.
Shit.
“Look, we need someone to do it. God knows how long Vinny’s gonna be gone, and clearly, having you and Colussy sell is NOT working.”
“We both know this isn’t about the merch. She’s not a lost puppy, Alex, you can’t just pick her up and take her with you because you feel sorry for her. I know you want to keep an eye on her, but do you really think this is the best way to do it? You met her yesterday. You barely even know her! And what if she tries it again, huh? What if you wake up one day to find her gone? What then? You don’t know what you’re getting into.”
Alex is silent for a moment.
He’s right. What the fuck am I doing?
“Matt, there’s something about her. I can’t explain it. All I know is, I cannot lose her, and if bringing her on tour is the best say to ensure that, then that’s what I’m going to do.”
Matt sighs.
“Fine, on your own head, so be it. But you get to teach her the ropes, and if something happens… Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
You can hear Matt start to leave the room, but then he stops.
“For what it’s worth,” he adds softly, “I’m going to do my best to help you keep her safe.”
And then you hear his footsteps grow fainter until you know he has left. Time to wake up.
You give an exaggerated yawn and open you eyes, blinking owlishly at the sun that hits your face.
“Hey, sleepyhead!” Jack smiles at you from the other end of the couch.
“Jack, can you wait to flirt with her until she’s fully awake?” Alex gripes, sitting on the couch between you and Jack.
“I was just saying hello!” Jack laughs, and then leans around Alex to wink at you. “But I can flirt if she wants me to!”
You giggle, and Alex groans. He shifts on the couch so he’s facing you and hands you the small plate he’s been holding. It holds a slice of toast with jam and some cheez-its. You look at him questioningly, and he shrugs.
“We don’t keep much food on the bus,” he says, and smiles. “Better get used to it fast, I talked to Flyzik and he says you’re hired!”
He says I’m a lost puppy.
But you smile back at Alex. “That’s awesome!”
He smiles back. No mention of the conversation earlier. He clearly doesn’t know you were awake, and you plan to keep it that way.
“Hey, we gotta head out soon, you better call your parents and tell them where you’ll be for the summer. If they argue, you’re eighteen and they can’t stop you!” He tells you.
Sighing, you push yourself up from the couch, leaving the toast and the crackers behind. Alex hands you your phone, which must’ve fallen out of your pocket the previous night. You had been planning to jump with it in your pocket, to erase all evidence of your conversations with your friends, to delete your connection to them. It wasn’t like you matter to them anyways, not like they care at all…
Shaking the dark thoughts from your head, you accept the phone and step out of the bus into the bright sunlight. It looks to be about noon. Dialing your home number, you wait for your mother to pick up the phone. When she does, you weather the storm of anger that comes at your overnight disappearance, and calmly inform her of your plans.
“Y/N, YOU ARE NOT GOING ON TOUR WITH THOSE HOOLIGANS! THEY COULD BE SERIAL KILLERS FOR ALL I KNOW!”
“Mom, it’s All Time Low. They aren’t serial killers.”
Cereal killers, maybe.
You chuckle quietly, but your mother continues.
“I AM YOUR MOTHER, AND I AM TELLING YOU NO. COME HOME NOW.”
“I’m eighteen, mom. You can’t stop me! I’m going on this tour!”
“Oh, no, you aren’t.” Her voice has lost its volume but had adopted an even deadlier quiet tone. “You are coming home now, or you are never coming home again. Is that clear?”
You hang up without bothering to respond.
♠ ♠ ♠
Title credit: secondhand seranade