Forever

Allison stood in the crowd of people as her all time favorite band, Of Mice & Men, finished their last set of the night. She was about to work her way to the signing when she suddenly started to feel sick.
“Hey, I um,” Allison grabbed on to her best friend’s arm.
“Whoa, hey. Ali are you ok?” Lexi asked and grabbed onto her friend.
Allison nodded and closed her eyes. “Yeah, um, I just need to go get some water or something.” Allison said.
“Ok.” Lexi said and slowly let go of Ali’s arm, making sure she could stand on her own.
Lexi saw her face go pale as she began to loose her balance. She gasped as she caught Ali. “Ok we have to get you away from everyone. Josh I need help.” Lexi said as she pulled Ali out of the crowd.
Ali pushed herself up. “No. No I’m ok.”
Josh picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.
Lexi laughed some as he carried her over to get some water.

About thirty minutes later, Ali was feeling better and her friends allowed her to wait in line for the signing.
A security guard yelled out that the area was too full and that some people had to step outside until the line shortened. Allison and her two friends had to wait outside.
“Come one Ali we’re never going to get to meet him. Let’s just go home.” Lexi complained.
“No. I am going to meet him no matter what I have to do.” Ali argued.
Lexi groaned and laid her head back. “Why?”
“Because he saved my life and I am going to thank him.”
Lexi whined. “But it’s too long!”
“Then go sit in the car with Josh.”
“What if you pass out or something?”
“I’ll be fine.” Ali told her.
Lexi sighed as she watched her best friend. “Ok… But I’m coming to get you after an hour goes by.”
“Ok. I’ll meet you by the merch table.”
“Ok. Have fun standing out here.” Lexi said and hugged Ali.
“See you in an hour.”
“Ok. Just text me if you need anything.” Lexi said as she turned to walk away.
“Ok.” Ali said as she watched Lexi leave.

A full hour had gone by and Ali was one more person away from meeting her idol. It had been raining for thirty minuets and she was still damp from standing in it.
“Austin has been taken back stage due to safety reasons. There are to be no more signings today.” Announced a security guard.
Ali felt her heart sink into her stomach. “What?”
The girl in front of her sighed and left with all the others that stood behind her.
Lexi saw Ali and pulled her back outside to take her home. “Come on.”
Ali jerked away before she was pulled out in the rain. “No! I’m not leaving!”
Lexi turned around. “Ali, it’s too late now! He’s not coming back out here. Its pouring inches of rain in minuets. The thunder is shaking buildings and the lightning is dangerous!”
“I don’t care! I’m staying!”
"Mouse, your dad will kill me if I come home without you! Now come on!"
Ali stared at her. "You know my dad doesn't give a damn about me."
“....If you don’t come with me, me and Josh are leaving you.” Lexi said.
“Fine! Go!” Ali screamed.
Lexi watched her best friend as the rain started pouring so heavily that all she could see was a white sheet of rain. Lexi knew that Ali wouldn't leave, but also knew that she could make it on her own. She had made it this far. Lexi sighed and ran through the rain back to Josh.
“You should go on home.”
Ali turned around and saw a bodyguard.
“Can I please see him?” She asked as she began to cry.
“I’m sorry ma’am, the signing is over.”
“Please.” She cried. “You have no idea how much he means to me. He saved my life. I love him and I need to thank him. Please.” She cried.
“I can’t… I’m sorry.”
Ali looked down as she walked away. She sat on the steps and started at the pouring rain. Just a white sheet that covered everything within miles. Thunder that shook the ground every minute or so. Lightning that struck close to the area.
“The weather is as depressing as this is.” She muttered to herself as she pulled her legs up to her chest.

Austin walked out to talk to the bodyguard. After a small conversation, the bodyguard left, but Austin had noticed a girl sitting on the step. He walked out to her and bent down to her.
“You shouldn’t be out here alone.” He said as she turned to look at him.
Her eyes were read and swollen and her make up streaming down her face.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” He whispered as he sat next to her.
“I was going to come and see you,” She cried. “But the signing was over before,” She choked up.
Austin hugged her.
Ali cried softly and hugged him back.
“What’s your name, love?” He asked softly.
Ali wiped her face. “Allison.”
Austin noticed her sleeve slip up, exposing cuts and scars on her wrist that continued up her forearm and stopped near her elbow. He grabbed her hand and helped her up.
She sniffled and followed him back stage. He went in the back and opened the door that exposed a semi flooded parking lot.
“Austin, it’s pouring out there.” Alan said.
“Yea I see this Alan.” Austin said.
“And you’re going to take this poor girl out there?”
Austin looked back at him. “I have a plan,” he said and grabbed an umbrella. “And it involves you.”
Alan followed Austin’s motion toward the door and walked to them.
“Ok,” Austin opened the umbrella and opened the door. “pick her up.”
Ali’s face went red. “Um, what?”
Alan looked at her. “Why exactly am I picking her up?”
“Cause you are carrying her,” he pointed out the door, “To the bus.”
Alan sighed. “Um, yea ok.”
Ali felt Alan pick her up bridal style and step outside while Austin held the umbrella over them.
Alan adjusted his arm under Ali’s legs as they walked.
Ali yelled out, thinking that he was going to loose his grip.
He held her tighter. “No I’m not gonna drop you hun. I got you.”
She blushed some as he walked inside the bus.
Alan held her by her waist as he put her down.
“You can sit down,” Austin told her as he shut the door. “you can just sit on the couch.”
Alan held her hand as she sat down. He bent down and picked up some magazines that they had left on the couch.
Ali realized how close he was and blushed as he met her eyes.
Austin stood up straight and noticed that they were watching each other. He coughed some and cleared his throat.
Alan’s face turned bright red. “Um, you have beautiful eyes.” He whispered and smiled.
She giggled some and looked down. “Thank you.”
He smiled again as he stood up and turned to Austin. “Is there anything else?”
“No I think that’s it. You don’t have to back out there. You can just hang out.” He noticed Ali pulling nervously at her jacket sleeves. “That is if you’re ok with it.”
Ali looked up. “Oh, um y-yea. He can stay.”
Alan smiled. “So just sit here, with you guys?”
“Um actually, I want to talk to her privately. Could you go in the back for a second?”
Alan nodded. “Yea sure. Just send me the signal when you’re done.”
Austin waited until he heard the door shut before walking toward Ali.
Ali watched him as he stood in front of her.
“Could you stand with me?” He asked.
She looked up at him and nodded. “Um, sure.”
He took her hand and helped her up. “If you don’t mind, could you take off your jacket?”
She hesitated for a second.
“I won’t hurt you. I would never hurt a fan.” He assured her. “I promise.”
She slowly pulled her arms out of the sleeves as he pulled the jacket off of her shoulders.
Austin took the jacket and laid it on the couch and grabbed her hands, turning her wrists up toward the ceiling. “What are these?” He whispered.
Ali felt her face redden and her eyes start to tear up. “Um… I’ve had a um…” She looked down and closed her eyes. “It’s been really hard.” She cried softly.
Austin wrapped his arms around her and held her as she tried not to cry. “It’s ok.” He whispered. “You don’t have to do this to yourself anymore.”
Ali felt tears falling down her face and pulled from him to wipe her face.
Austin lifted her head up to see her eyes. “You can talk to me.” He whispered.
She saw the look in his eyes and knew she could tell him anything.
“I have the time. I’ll make time.” He told her as he held her hands.
Ali nodded some as he sat down on the couch.
He gently led her down on the couch as she stared at the floor. “Whenever you’re ready.”
She took a deep breath. “Um… When I was about thirteen… My mom passed away from brain cancer.” She felt a sob welling up inside her throat.
Austin held tightly onto her hand as he watched her. “It’s ok to cry…”
Ali covered her face. “She was my best friend. She was my mom… She was my everything… My angel.” Ali cried.
Austin quickly pulled her into his chest and held her as she sobbed. He held her for a couple of minutes until she was ready to go on.
“My dad,” She wiped her face. “after my mom died, I can remember him drinking… I remember all the bottles… The pills… He used to take his belt… And I’d run and hide… But he always found me… He’d hit me with the belt until I bled… I used to beg for him to stop…” She let out a painful sob as she remembered. “He beat me for hours and hours… Day after day.” She cried. “He never stopped. I was covered in blood and bruises… I got picked on everyday for wearing anything that covered my body… I went through make-up like crazy to try and hide the bruises and gashes on my face and neck… When I was fourteen… I turned to self harm… I had heard of people doing it but had never done in. I had come home and my dad was waiting… He locked all the doors… Covered every window… It was the worst beating I’d ever gotten…” She looked down. “… I had welts all over my body… I had blood all over my floor from him hitting me so hard… He beat me until dark… four straight hours… He finally passed out about an hour later… I found him laying in the bathroom floor… I wanted to die... The pain was the worst pain I've ever felt in my life.. It hurt to move. It hurt to breathe... I wanted it to stop. I wanted to stop living like that.. Living in fear and pain... I took a knife from the kitchen… I tried to end it all... My friend Lexi found me and took me to the hospital and they stitched up my wrist and kept me on suicide watch for a while..." She ran her thumb over the scar as she stared at the wall. "That was the first time I had done it… I could never stop… And here I am… Twenty four and I still jump when someone touches me… I have flash backs every time I see a belt…”
Austin felt tears falling down his face and his hands shaking as he watched her. “… Allison… I’m so sorry you had to go through that…” He pulled her into another tight hug as he pressed his face against her neck and held her.

Alan closed his eyes as he laid his head back against the door. “How could someone do that?” He asked himself. “She’s such a sweet and innocent girl… She was defenseless...” He took a deep breath as he calmed down. He opened the door and walked through the small hallway to see Austin and Ali hugging. He walked up to them and hugged both of them.
Austin pulled away and took a moment to calm down some.
Alan brushed all of Ali’s hair back. “You should not have had to go through that. You are a beautiful and sweet woman. We will always be here for you. If you ever feel like you need to hurt yourself or you feel like you don’t matter or even if you just want to talk, you come to us. You hear me?” He whispered as he held her.
She nodded and whispered "Yeah."
“I will drop everything and I will come and talk to you. Hell I’ll even sit on this couch with you and eat ice cream and cry with you while we watch some chick flick.”
She giggled and felt herself smile.
Alan smiled and wiped her face. “I will make time for you.”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
He kissed her nose and held her tightly against his chest.

Austin and Alan sat down with Ali.
“Do you live around here?” Alan asked.
Ali nodded. “Yea… With my dad…”
Alan looked up at her. “W-With your dad?”
Ali looked down. “I don’t have anywhere else to go…”
Austin rested his elbows on his knees and ran his hand across the back of his neck. “… Here.”
Alan chocked on his water and spit it out in the sink.
Ali looked up at Austin.