Long Live the Kids

Chapter 1

Haley’s POV
My phone, which was lying on the kitchen table, beeped. I pressed start on the coffee machine and walked over to the table to get my phone. When I pressed the home button, a text notification appeared. I unlocked my phone to read the text.

Have fun recording your video today babe! Love you x

A smile appeared on my face. It was from Alex, my boyfriend, who was currently on tour with his band All Time Low. Today I would be recording the music video for Remember December, the second single of my new album Here We Go Again, which is exactly why I was awake at 5 AM. I had to leave soon as we would need all day today and tomorrow to shoot the video. I figured Alex had been up partying all night and was about to go to sleep, as they were touring the USA so they were basically in the same time zone.

In two weeks Alex and the guys would be home for a few weeks to get everything ready for the release of their third album Nothing Personal and film another music video. I couldn’t wait to have him home again. They had basically been on tour non stop for the past year and although I was really proud of them, sometimes my selfishness got the best of me and just made me want them, mostly Alex and my best friend Jack, home. Of course Alex didn’t officially live here, but he did unofficially. Ever since Rachel and I moved from my alcoholic father’s house to live on our own, Alex had probably spend more time at our house than he had at his parents’, though he spent most time on tour of course.

The coffee machine made a noise that told me my coffee was ready. I grabbed the mug and sat down at the kitchen table to text Alex back.

Thank you <3 Partying up late huh? Have fun and say hi to the guys for me! Love you too

I quickly downed my coffee, or well - as quickly as one can down hot coffee – and went back upstairs to get dressed. I tried very hard to be quiet so I wouldn’t wake Rachel up. I had only gotten back from tour myself about a week ago as well. Most of the time, Rachel was living in this house on her own. I hated the idea of her being alone so much, but she said she didn’t mind.

I didn’t put too much effort in getting ready, as professionals would be doing my hair, makeup and clothes on set anyway. I quickly slipped on some jeans and a t-shirt, brushed my hair and went back downstairs. When I pressed the home button on my phone I noticed Alex had texted back, so I unlocked my phone again.

Living the life of party! Jack says he misses you and I can’t find Rian and Zack but I’ll be sure to tell them hi when I see them. Go rock that video!

I smiled, but decided not to text back as I really had to get going. I grabbed my purse and went outside to my car. It was the first thing I bought from the money I’d earned making music.

When Rachel and I left our dad’s house I figured it was about time to buy ourselves a car. I’d had my driver’s license for a long time but when my father started drinking we sold our car to make sure he wouldn’t drink and drive so I never actually got to drive in our own car. The car wasn’t exactly special, but it was to me. I got in, put on some music – Alex had illegally sent me some songs off of their new album that I put on a cd to play in the car – and drove off to the studio we would film the music video at. I skipped the radio to my favorite song so far, “Lost In Stereo”. I had to admit it felt good to hear Alex’s voice, even if it was recorded.

Jack’s POV
Just like every night on tour, we were having a party on our tour bus. Tonight we were in Minnesota and we had just played an awesome show. I was sitting on the couch in the front lounge with Alex, our tour manager Matt and some guys I didn’t even know.

I noticed Alex was texting, which I saw as an opportunity to annoy him and take his phone away. Although it was already 5 AM, I wasn’t really drunk yet. Might have something to do with the fact that Matt was keeping an eye on Alex and me as we weren’t actually allowed to drink yet. I grabbed Alex’s phone from his hands and held it above my head.

“Don’t be a buzz kill and be on your phone all night” I pouted.
“Stop whining Jack, I was just texting Haley” Alex sighed.
“At 5 AM? You expect me to believe that?” I asked.
“She’s shooting a music video today and was supposed to get up at 5, so yes” Alex answered, followed by a yawn. “Can I get my phone back now?”
“Fine” I said, handing it back to him and he continued texting. “You’re lame”
“How about we get all of these people to leave and you get some sleep” Matt suggested. “You look like you could use it. You can’t look like zombies tomorrow or your fans will all leave.”
“And here I thought they actually liked our music” I pouted.
“They don’t” Matt said, getting up to tell everyone to leave.

“Haley says hi” Alex said.
“Tell her I said hi as well. And that I miss her and that I can’t wait to see her again and that I love her” I chattered.
“She’s my girlfriend remember” Alex said wryly, while texting back.
“What’s your point?” I shrugged.
A few minutes later our bus was cleared from all of the people that had been in here earlier and Rian and Zack reappeared as well.
“Haley says hi” Alex told them.
“Tell her we said hi” Zack said, sitting down next to me.
“Tell her yourself, I’m going to bed” Alex said, and he got up and headed for his bunk.
I had to admit, all of this talking about Haley did make me miss home. Haley and of course Tay, Rachel, Cassadee… It had been a long time since we all hang out together. There was always someone on tour or in the studio.

Of course I missed Tay the most. We’d been together for almost two years now, though I was pretty sure I hadn’t even seen her half of the days we’ve been together. We signed our record deal with Emerald Moon right before her and I got together and after that everything happened very quickly.

We started touring, made our first EP, our first album, toured some more, released another EP and album and now here we are 2 years later, playing shows in front of 2000 people and signed to Hopeless Records. And I loved it, I really did, every second of it, but it was moments like this, when we were getting close to the end of a tour and I knew we’d be going home soon that I realized how much I had missed it. My girlfriend, my best friend, my other friends, my family…

Tay and I would video chat, text or call everyday, but it just wasn’t the same. I wanted to see her – in the flesh, not through a camera – and hold her.
“I’m gonna go to sleep as well” I told Rian and Zack. “Goodnight.”
“G’night” they both replied.