Status: In progress!
Had Me From Hello
un.
“What do you mean we’re getting a girl added to the tour lineup?” Alex Gaskarth questioned, his bushy brows furrowing together at the new news he had just received.
It was currently December 29, 2011. It was All Time Low’s last meeting as a band for the year of 2011. They were putting together last minute tour plans for the tour that would take place throughout the months of mid-January and throughout the entirety of February.
“Exactly that,” Matt Flyzik said as if it were obvious. “She’s a solo act looking for some buzz on her music. She was playing at this coffee shop I was at the other day. She wants buzz on her songs, you guys needed an opening act. It’s a win-win situation,” Matt shrugged, running a hand over his spiked hair.
“How old is she?” Rian Dawson’s voice sounded from his chair in the small conference room.
“She’s around 22-23 years old, I think. I know she’s very close to your ages. She’s really sweet, extremely funny, and just seems like a great addition to this tour,” Matt described the unknown girl with a faint smile on his face.
“Jeez, Matt, why don’t you just marry her?” Jack Barakat teased his tour manager, laughing at his own joke.
“Shut the fuck up,” Matt rolled his eyes before continuing to speak. “Her name’s Annie Madison.”
“Annie Flyzik even has a ring to it, don’t you think?” Zack joined in on the teasing of Matt, then quickly added a playful “just kidding”.
“Guys, I’m not into her. Shit. I just think she’s really cool. Honestly, if anyone’s perfect for this girl, it’s Alex,” Matt shrugged, the faint smile that was disappeared just minutes before found its way back to his lips again. “I told her she should come to the big New Year’s Eve party that Alex and Jack hold at their place and she seemed to be into it. So, who knows? She may show up.”
Alex felt the blush creep up his cheeks. He hadn’t even had anything close to a relationship since breaking off things with his summer fling, Tay Jardine, just a few months prior in early August. Ever since that occurrence, the twenty-four year old singer just hadn’t had it in him to start a new relationship.
“That’s good, I think,” Jack spoke abruptly, breaking the short silence that had fallen upon the group of men. “Alex will finally get some inspiration of finish writing songs for Don’t Panic.”
“Oh, shut the hell up,” Alex rolled his eyes playfully, as his group of friends burst into laughs. “If I do date this Annie Madison girl, it’ll be because I like her, not because I want to finish an album.”
“Well, if you like her, that’s great, but if you like her and you can finish the album, that’s even better,” Rian winked jokingly at his friend, standing up to leave the room. “Well, I promised Cassadee that we would go out to lunch today. Seeing as she just texted me and then called me, I’d say it’s time for me to head out. I’ll see you guys at the party on Saturday,” and with that, Rian exited the room and walked hastily to his car to meet his girlfriend.
“I’ve got to be going to, too, but not for the girlfriend,” Zack smiled awkwardly. “I do have a date in about forty-five minutes, though. If it goes well, she and I both will see you at the party. See ya,” Zack waved to the three remaining men in the room before exiting himself.
“I guess that means meeting adjourned then?” Matt said awkwardly. “I’ll see you two at the party, as well. As will An-,” before Matt could finish his sentence, the loud buzzing of his cell phone cut him off. A few seconds later, he began blushing. “Kendra wants to see me,” he said, excitedly.
Kendra was Matt’s current ex-girlfriend, but they were also currently in the process of discussing getting back together. Everyone in the band and crew supported the idea. None of them had ever seen Matt happier than when he was with Kendra.
“Have fun, dude,” Jack rolled his eyes at his friend’s giddiness. “Me and Alex will clear out of here soon and we’ll lock up the room, ‘kay?” just as the words escaped his lips, Matt was already saying variations of the words “yes” and “okay” and racing to his car.
“So, are you gonna ditch too for some girl?” Alex asked, just a pint of bitterness seeping through his words. "Did all of you have some kind of meeting without me and decide to play days with some girl today?"
He was happy for his friends, really. He was happy that Rian had Cassadee. He was happy that Zack had the girl he was going on dates with all the time. He was happy that Matt was probably getting back together with Kendra. Alex was happy that his friends were happy. He just thought that he could get a little glimmer of happiness in the relationship world, too.
“Well, if by ‘girl’ you mean ‘mom’, then yes. I’m supposed to go see my parents for lunch today. If all goes according to plan, though, I will have a date to the New Year’s Eve party.” Jack smiled from ear to ear. Noticing the sullen look on his best friend’s face, though, Jack decided to acknowledge it aloud. “Dude, I know you’re probably upset about not having someone to spend New Year’s Eve with, so why not find one or something? Or just find a girl there. Don’t pout about it.”
On that note, Jack sauntered out of the room for lunch with his parents, leaving Alex to bathe in his own thoughts.
****
December 31, 2011. 10:59pm. Alex could almost feel every couple in the room judging him for being alone tonight.
Fuck them, Alex thought to himself. It’s my party. I can be as alone as I want to. Except… I don’t want to be alone, he thought.
Pushing the thoughts out of his head, he grabbed a cup of liquor and drank it slowly. Seeing Matt walk up to him with an unfamiliar girl, Alex waved at the pair.
What? Did Matt have two girls now, while Alex still had none?
“Alex, hey. There’s someone I want you to meet,” Matt smiled approvingly, before gesturing to the short, brunette girl standing next to him. “This is Annie Madison, your tour mate.”
As Alex looked the girl who didn’t look a day over 20 – not at all 22-23 as Matt had previously stated – Alex suddenly got the rush of butterflies that he hadn’t felt in so long.
In her white skinny jeans, her black boots, her brunette waves falling down her shoulders and back, and the furry jacket that she was bundled up in, Alex couldn’t help but think the young girl in front of him was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen in his twenty-four years of life.
“H-hi, I’m Alex Gaskarth,” Alex stuck his hand out to the petite girl. “It’s a pleasure to be touring with you.”
December 31, 2011. 11:03pm.
“Annie Madison,” the girl shook the older man’s hand. “The pleasure’s all mine,” Annie smiled with all her teeth and the sparkle in her green eyes more evident than ever.
Alex Gaskarth’s first love was his high school sweetheart, Lisa Ruocco; after your first love, they say that’s the only time you ever fall in love. They say you only fall in love once.
At exactly 11:03pm, Alex Gaskarth fell in love all over again.
It was currently December 29, 2011. It was All Time Low’s last meeting as a band for the year of 2011. They were putting together last minute tour plans for the tour that would take place throughout the months of mid-January and throughout the entirety of February.
“Exactly that,” Matt Flyzik said as if it were obvious. “She’s a solo act looking for some buzz on her music. She was playing at this coffee shop I was at the other day. She wants buzz on her songs, you guys needed an opening act. It’s a win-win situation,” Matt shrugged, running a hand over his spiked hair.
“How old is she?” Rian Dawson’s voice sounded from his chair in the small conference room.
“She’s around 22-23 years old, I think. I know she’s very close to your ages. She’s really sweet, extremely funny, and just seems like a great addition to this tour,” Matt described the unknown girl with a faint smile on his face.
“Jeez, Matt, why don’t you just marry her?” Jack Barakat teased his tour manager, laughing at his own joke.
“Shut the fuck up,” Matt rolled his eyes before continuing to speak. “Her name’s Annie Madison.”
“Annie Flyzik even has a ring to it, don’t you think?” Zack joined in on the teasing of Matt, then quickly added a playful “just kidding”.
“Guys, I’m not into her. Shit. I just think she’s really cool. Honestly, if anyone’s perfect for this girl, it’s Alex,” Matt shrugged, the faint smile that was disappeared just minutes before found its way back to his lips again. “I told her she should come to the big New Year’s Eve party that Alex and Jack hold at their place and she seemed to be into it. So, who knows? She may show up.”
Alex felt the blush creep up his cheeks. He hadn’t even had anything close to a relationship since breaking off things with his summer fling, Tay Jardine, just a few months prior in early August. Ever since that occurrence, the twenty-four year old singer just hadn’t had it in him to start a new relationship.
“That’s good, I think,” Jack spoke abruptly, breaking the short silence that had fallen upon the group of men. “Alex will finally get some inspiration of finish writing songs for Don’t Panic.”
“Oh, shut the hell up,” Alex rolled his eyes playfully, as his group of friends burst into laughs. “If I do date this Annie Madison girl, it’ll be because I like her, not because I want to finish an album.”
“Well, if you like her, that’s great, but if you like her and you can finish the album, that’s even better,” Rian winked jokingly at his friend, standing up to leave the room. “Well, I promised Cassadee that we would go out to lunch today. Seeing as she just texted me and then called me, I’d say it’s time for me to head out. I’ll see you guys at the party on Saturday,” and with that, Rian exited the room and walked hastily to his car to meet his girlfriend.
“I’ve got to be going to, too, but not for the girlfriend,” Zack smiled awkwardly. “I do have a date in about forty-five minutes, though. If it goes well, she and I both will see you at the party. See ya,” Zack waved to the three remaining men in the room before exiting himself.
“I guess that means meeting adjourned then?” Matt said awkwardly. “I’ll see you two at the party, as well. As will An-,” before Matt could finish his sentence, the loud buzzing of his cell phone cut him off. A few seconds later, he began blushing. “Kendra wants to see me,” he said, excitedly.
Kendra was Matt’s current ex-girlfriend, but they were also currently in the process of discussing getting back together. Everyone in the band and crew supported the idea. None of them had ever seen Matt happier than when he was with Kendra.
“Have fun, dude,” Jack rolled his eyes at his friend’s giddiness. “Me and Alex will clear out of here soon and we’ll lock up the room, ‘kay?” just as the words escaped his lips, Matt was already saying variations of the words “yes” and “okay” and racing to his car.
“So, are you gonna ditch too for some girl?” Alex asked, just a pint of bitterness seeping through his words. "Did all of you have some kind of meeting without me and decide to play days with some girl today?"
He was happy for his friends, really. He was happy that Rian had Cassadee. He was happy that Zack had the girl he was going on dates with all the time. He was happy that Matt was probably getting back together with Kendra. Alex was happy that his friends were happy. He just thought that he could get a little glimmer of happiness in the relationship world, too.
“Well, if by ‘girl’ you mean ‘mom’, then yes. I’m supposed to go see my parents for lunch today. If all goes according to plan, though, I will have a date to the New Year’s Eve party.” Jack smiled from ear to ear. Noticing the sullen look on his best friend’s face, though, Jack decided to acknowledge it aloud. “Dude, I know you’re probably upset about not having someone to spend New Year’s Eve with, so why not find one or something? Or just find a girl there. Don’t pout about it.”
On that note, Jack sauntered out of the room for lunch with his parents, leaving Alex to bathe in his own thoughts.
****
December 31, 2011. 10:59pm. Alex could almost feel every couple in the room judging him for being alone tonight.
Fuck them, Alex thought to himself. It’s my party. I can be as alone as I want to. Except… I don’t want to be alone, he thought.
Pushing the thoughts out of his head, he grabbed a cup of liquor and drank it slowly. Seeing Matt walk up to him with an unfamiliar girl, Alex waved at the pair.
What? Did Matt have two girls now, while Alex still had none?
“Alex, hey. There’s someone I want you to meet,” Matt smiled approvingly, before gesturing to the short, brunette girl standing next to him. “This is Annie Madison, your tour mate.”
As Alex looked the girl who didn’t look a day over 20 – not at all 22-23 as Matt had previously stated – Alex suddenly got the rush of butterflies that he hadn’t felt in so long.
In her white skinny jeans, her black boots, her brunette waves falling down her shoulders and back, and the furry jacket that she was bundled up in, Alex couldn’t help but think the young girl in front of him was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen in his twenty-four years of life.
“H-hi, I’m Alex Gaskarth,” Alex stuck his hand out to the petite girl. “It’s a pleasure to be touring with you.”
December 31, 2011. 11:03pm.
“Annie Madison,” the girl shook the older man’s hand. “The pleasure’s all mine,” Annie smiled with all her teeth and the sparkle in her green eyes more evident than ever.
Alex Gaskarth’s first love was his high school sweetheart, Lisa Ruocco; after your first love, they say that’s the only time you ever fall in love. They say you only fall in love once.
At exactly 11:03pm, Alex Gaskarth fell in love all over again.
♠ ♠ ♠
enjoy!