Our Wasted Youth

I was hurrying through the hallway's on my way to the bathroom before Health. We had an assembly during homeroom so I had been holding it for about three hours and was ready to die a slow watery death. The pain in my stomach was teasing me. I would never reach the bathroom. They would find me shriveled up in a ball in the hallway. My eulogy will say something along the lines of, "Willow Cooper- She held it just too long." I burst into the restroom just in time. Thank the universe.

I was washing my hands when I heard a stall door behind me slam closed. I was just about to walk out the bathroom when I felt a hand wrap around my wrist. I spun around and came face to face with Blythe. "Hey." She said. "Um, h-hi." Dammit, she had scared the hell out of me! I don't know what I was more freaked about. My ex best friend cornering me in the bathroom, or the fact she hadn't washed her hands before grabbing my arm. Ew. She smirks and let's go of my arm in order to cross her own. "Still jumpy I see."

"Still a bitch I see." I muttered.

"What?"

"I said, what do you want?"

"I just wanted to talk to you, we haven't seen much of each other. I feel like you've been avoiding me." She said as she slid her slimy tentacles unto my shoulders. Did I say tentacles? I meant hands. (not really).

"Well clearly I haven't been doing a good enough job." I seethed.

"What's wrong with you? What I did wasn't that bad!"

"Really? Really, Blythe?! You were a total bitch! You ditched me the second you could so you could "fit in" with the cool kids. Typical Blythe only out for herself! But the fucking icing on the cake? You just can't let it go. You need to rear your ugly head every now and then just to remind me about it. Now, get your hands off of me, I have to meet someone." I wretched out of her grasp and turned for the door.

"Oh, come one! Not even going to introduce me to the cute little misfits you hang out with now? I thought we were friends."

If looks could kill, I'm pretty sure Blythe would be a smoking pile of ash. I raced down the hallway, hoping to only receive a warning from the teacher for being late.

I was nearly to the classroom when I slammed into a wall. Or at least I thought it was a wall. I fell back and sprawled out on my ass, my binder went flying, all of my writings scattered on the floor. I pushed myself back up and began desperately trying to recollect my stuff before someone pulled me to me feet.

"Hey, Willow. Need a hand?"

I looked up to find Zack, holding a stack of my papers.

"Uh, yeah sure." I took them and quickly shoved them into my binder before attempting to take off again.

"Hey, there's something I kinda wanted to ask you…"

"Sorry, Zack! Could you ask me later? I'm really late for class." I quickly pushed past him and made it into the classroom.

I slumped into my desk and pulled open my binder, only to realize that the story I had been writing for the past few weeks was gone. The one featuring a certain group of friends I had just made. Oh shit.

I sat on an amp on the side of the stage and gently swung my legs back and forth as I jammed to the sound of All Time Low's first ever gig. That’s what they decided to call themselves. The big, exciting band name they are going to put on the side of that deathtrap they call a van. I chuckled and shook my head as I watched Jack bounce up and down while playing his guitar. "What's so funny?" Jamie asked, sliding next to me on the amp.

"Jack, he never sits still."

"Oh, yeah. Quite the eager beaver that one."

I had asked Zack to invite Jamie along so I would have another girl to hang out with. She was really cool, constantly sketching in the book she carried around. We had a lot in common, turns out. We both liked the same bands and books, and both of us carried around a notebook should inspiration happen to strike.

"Hey, Zack had something to ask me, but he didn't get a chance to. Do you know anything about it?"

Jamie tapped her finger against her chin in thought, "He hasn't said anything to me. I wonder what it is."

The sound of thunderous applause drew our attention to the stage. The boys had just finished one of their original songs and the crowd was going nuts. "Thank you so much! We're All Time Low!" Alex said into the mic. I proudly looked upon the four boys on stage. They seemed absolutely electrified. Jack was still bouncing around when he bounded off stage, Alex and Zack not far behind him. Rian came off after making sure everything was cool with the drums.

"You guys did great!" Jamie said, high fiving each of them.

"Do you hear that? You might want to get used to it?" I said, grinning like a fool with pride.

"Hey! You must be Mat's niece!" I turn around and come face to face with a chubby, balding guy with a wide grin on his face. "I'm Joey, and this is my humble little place." I reached out to shake Joey's hand. I was afraid to ask if he like the show or not. Joey beat me to the punch.

"Great bunch of kids you got here! Great bunch! Really brought the house down. I've had a dozen people come up and ask when you plan on playing again!"

"Really? I asked in disbelief.

"Yes! That's why I have a proposition for you and your band here. Two Fridays a month, you all come in and play your music. Make up a rider, I'll get you what you need, and we might even work out a payment plan. What do you say?"

I turned around to Alex, Jack, Zack, and Rian.

"What do you say guys."

Alex pulls me by the hand to join them in a huddle.

"This is awesome!" He whispered.

"We did it! We got a job!" Rian said excitedly.

"It's all up to you guys, is this what you really want to do?" I asked.

They all nodded.

I walked back over to Joey, and smiled. "We'll do it."