Stronger Than You
Part of Me
"Alright, let's go to dinner." Ember voiced, stepping out of her bathroom. She flicked her hair over her shoulder and stared at the boys who were roughhousing on her floor. "Seriously guys? Don't break anything."
Rian chuckled from beside her. "They got restless while you were getting ready."
She rolled her eyes and grabbed her cross over bag, ready to get this dinner over with. Summer exams were in a few weeks and she really needed to study. This was her last semester before she had a degree in psychology and she really wanted to pass all of her classes. It was important that she graduated this year, because she was ready to help as many people as she could. Ever since her and Alex's brother had died of alcoholism, she wanted to be the person to help as many people struggling with similar problems.
"Hey, you spaced again. What's with that look?" Alex asked, spooking his sister. He grinned sheepishly when she jumped and glared at him. "Sorry. But we're ready to go now."
She nodded and hooked her arm with his, leaning her head on his shoulder. Well, tried to. Even though they were twins, she was shorter than him by about eight inches. And he was older by twelve minutes. Which he never lets her forget. He looked down at her with concern written all over his features. She sighed and plastered a smile on her face. She already knew that he had figured something was wrong. They never could really hide their feelings from each other. And she knew he was going to ask her about it after dinner.
**
They made it to the restaurant, where an entire room had been rented out for all the band members that were supposed to be there. She gaped at all of the people in the room and shrunk back into her brother. She never did very well with crowds of people and she could feel her anxiety rising as she let her eyes roam the room.
"Woo! We've made it!" Jack hollered, stepping into the sea of people and letting himself be engulfed. "Look at all you sexy fuckers!"
But she could still hear him alright. She was going to have to mom all night, wasn't she?
"Jack!" She called, a frown gracing her small lips. "There are children in other parts of this restaurant. Keep your voice down if you're going to curse."
He hung his head. "Yes, mom. Inside voices."
Her eyes narrowed and he grinned at her, turning to step back into the crowd. Knowing she wouldn't follow him, that was actually smart on his part. She cringed when she realized most eyes were now on her. Her breathing picked up and she could vaguely feel Alex grabbing her shoulder and hear him speaking lowly into her ear.
"Breathe, Em. It's gonna be fine. They're gonna love you." He cooed. He could feel her shoulders relaxing as she took deep breaths in. "There. Better? Go stand by Zack, okay?"
She nodded and looked up at him, mouthing her thanks. He smiled and pushed her towards the well built bassist, who accepted her under his arm graciously. She snuggled closer to him, feeling comfort in his embrace. She stays quiet, listening to all of the commotion going on around her. Eventually, she feels relaxed by all of the conversations swimming around the room.
"Hey, Zack. Who's this pretty lady?"
Ember looks up to see a man with shoulder length hair under a snapback and dark brown eyes. He was standing next to, possibly, one of the most attractive men she'd seen there. Besides Zack of course. He had cheek dimple piercings, stretched ears, and was covered in tattoos. He was also wearing a snapback and his eyes were the prettiest brown she had ever seen in her life. He was standing next to his friend awkwardly, just as awkward as she was standing next to Zack.
"Oh, what's up Vic? Hey, Tony. This is Ember, Alex's twin sister." Zack replied, lifting his arm from around his friend's shoulders. "Em, this is Victor Fuentes and Tony Perry of Pierce the Veil."
Tony. She smiled at both of them, but her eyes kept straying to Tony. He was quiet and seemed a bit awkward, barely making any eye contact with her. She frowned softly. It kind of upset her that he wouldn't make eye contact with her, but she couldn't really be mad because she was just as awkward.
"Ember, when are we gonna have another Star Wars marathon?" Rian came up and asked. He winked at her when she realized that Tony's head snapped up, excitement written all over his face.
A blush crept along her cheeks, but smiled at Rian gratefully. Tony looked at her with bright eyes and Vic was laughing and shaking his head. They were saying something, but she was entranced by how his brown eyes were positively glowing. She shook her head softly, clearing her mind so that she could actually pay attention to what was going on.
"You've really opened a can of worms, Dawson. Now he's never gonna shut up. Run while you can Ember." Vic laughed.
She smiled, shyly. "I don't mind. I love Star Wars. Probably just as much as I love Disney movies."
Rian's eyes got wide. "Don't let our tour manager hear that. We'll never be able to watch anything but Disney if he knew that."
"Oh shut up Rian." A new voice entered the conversation.
Ember turned to see an adorable man with a lip piercing and stretched ears. His hair was faded short and spiked on top. He was frowning at Rian beside her and paid no attention to the small girl, for which she was grateful. It looked like he was not the one to be on his bad side. He turned to her and she yelped, shrinking back. He smiled softly at her.
"You like Disney?"
She nodded, jerkily. "Y-yeah. And I was just talking to Tony about Star Wars."
**
June 8th, 2009
Finally, tour was upon them. Ember couldn't deny that she was actually getting more excited. She had become pretty good friends with the guys of Pierce the Veil, especially Tony. Her heart gave little flutters at the thought of the boy who had become one of her best friends. He fit easily with her, always a little quiet, but she loved that. It was no denying that peace and quiet was a worshipped thing to her. Seeing as though she never got it being related to Alex.
But she had also built a steady friendship with the boys' tour manager. He seemed very appreciative of her when he needed help getting the guy's to listen. It was pretty funny because the guy's (read: Alex and Jack) had taken to call them mom and dad. Jack would even joke that Ember would be a great mom because of her 'mom' voice.
"Tour day! Tour day!" Alex and Jack sang, bouncing into her bedroom.
She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help a wide grin splitting her face. It may have been five in the morning, but there was no doubt everyone was very excited to get on the road and travel. Ember was probably the most excited, since she had never been out of her home state except to go to her college. And for the most part, she stayed holed up in her dorm studying.
"Alright, boys. Do you have all your bags packed and everything?" She inquired, making sure they had everything they needed. She had made sure she was packed the week before, always double checking to make sure she had everything and wouldn't forget anything. Including her laptop so that she can take her online courses.
You ready to go? Her phone chimed with a text from Tony. She grinned and swiped her phone unlocked.
Beyond ready. I am so excited. I've never traveled before, unless you count coming from England to America when I was a little girl.
They texted back and forth until All Time Low's bus showed up. She grabbed her luggage and made her way into the bunk area, immediately claiming a bottom bunk and tossing her things in there. She quickly made her bunk, before making her way into the back room to watch movies with the boys.
I can't wait to see you at the first venue.
Rian chuckled from beside her. "They got restless while you were getting ready."
She rolled her eyes and grabbed her cross over bag, ready to get this dinner over with. Summer exams were in a few weeks and she really needed to study. This was her last semester before she had a degree in psychology and she really wanted to pass all of her classes. It was important that she graduated this year, because she was ready to help as many people as she could. Ever since her and Alex's brother had died of alcoholism, she wanted to be the person to help as many people struggling with similar problems.
"Hey, you spaced again. What's with that look?" Alex asked, spooking his sister. He grinned sheepishly when she jumped and glared at him. "Sorry. But we're ready to go now."
She nodded and hooked her arm with his, leaning her head on his shoulder. Well, tried to. Even though they were twins, she was shorter than him by about eight inches. And he was older by twelve minutes. Which he never lets her forget. He looked down at her with concern written all over his features. She sighed and plastered a smile on her face. She already knew that he had figured something was wrong. They never could really hide their feelings from each other. And she knew he was going to ask her about it after dinner.
**
They made it to the restaurant, where an entire room had been rented out for all the band members that were supposed to be there. She gaped at all of the people in the room and shrunk back into her brother. She never did very well with crowds of people and she could feel her anxiety rising as she let her eyes roam the room.
"Woo! We've made it!" Jack hollered, stepping into the sea of people and letting himself be engulfed. "Look at all you sexy fuckers!"
But she could still hear him alright. She was going to have to mom all night, wasn't she?
"Jack!" She called, a frown gracing her small lips. "There are children in other parts of this restaurant. Keep your voice down if you're going to curse."
He hung his head. "Yes, mom. Inside voices."
Her eyes narrowed and he grinned at her, turning to step back into the crowd. Knowing she wouldn't follow him, that was actually smart on his part. She cringed when she realized most eyes were now on her. Her breathing picked up and she could vaguely feel Alex grabbing her shoulder and hear him speaking lowly into her ear.
"Breathe, Em. It's gonna be fine. They're gonna love you." He cooed. He could feel her shoulders relaxing as she took deep breaths in. "There. Better? Go stand by Zack, okay?"
She nodded and looked up at him, mouthing her thanks. He smiled and pushed her towards the well built bassist, who accepted her under his arm graciously. She snuggled closer to him, feeling comfort in his embrace. She stays quiet, listening to all of the commotion going on around her. Eventually, she feels relaxed by all of the conversations swimming around the room.
"Hey, Zack. Who's this pretty lady?"
Ember looks up to see a man with shoulder length hair under a snapback and dark brown eyes. He was standing next to, possibly, one of the most attractive men she'd seen there. Besides Zack of course. He had cheek dimple piercings, stretched ears, and was covered in tattoos. He was also wearing a snapback and his eyes were the prettiest brown she had ever seen in her life. He was standing next to his friend awkwardly, just as awkward as she was standing next to Zack.
"Oh, what's up Vic? Hey, Tony. This is Ember, Alex's twin sister." Zack replied, lifting his arm from around his friend's shoulders. "Em, this is Victor Fuentes and Tony Perry of Pierce the Veil."
Tony. She smiled at both of them, but her eyes kept straying to Tony. He was quiet and seemed a bit awkward, barely making any eye contact with her. She frowned softly. It kind of upset her that he wouldn't make eye contact with her, but she couldn't really be mad because she was just as awkward.
"Ember, when are we gonna have another Star Wars marathon?" Rian came up and asked. He winked at her when she realized that Tony's head snapped up, excitement written all over his face.
A blush crept along her cheeks, but smiled at Rian gratefully. Tony looked at her with bright eyes and Vic was laughing and shaking his head. They were saying something, but she was entranced by how his brown eyes were positively glowing. She shook her head softly, clearing her mind so that she could actually pay attention to what was going on.
"You've really opened a can of worms, Dawson. Now he's never gonna shut up. Run while you can Ember." Vic laughed.
She smiled, shyly. "I don't mind. I love Star Wars. Probably just as much as I love Disney movies."
Rian's eyes got wide. "Don't let our tour manager hear that. We'll never be able to watch anything but Disney if he knew that."
"Oh shut up Rian." A new voice entered the conversation.
Ember turned to see an adorable man with a lip piercing and stretched ears. His hair was faded short and spiked on top. He was frowning at Rian beside her and paid no attention to the small girl, for which she was grateful. It looked like he was not the one to be on his bad side. He turned to her and she yelped, shrinking back. He smiled softly at her.
"You like Disney?"
She nodded, jerkily. "Y-yeah. And I was just talking to Tony about Star Wars."
**
June 8th, 2009
Finally, tour was upon them. Ember couldn't deny that she was actually getting more excited. She had become pretty good friends with the guys of Pierce the Veil, especially Tony. Her heart gave little flutters at the thought of the boy who had become one of her best friends. He fit easily with her, always a little quiet, but she loved that. It was no denying that peace and quiet was a worshipped thing to her. Seeing as though she never got it being related to Alex.
But she had also built a steady friendship with the boys' tour manager. He seemed very appreciative of her when he needed help getting the guy's to listen. It was pretty funny because the guy's (read: Alex and Jack) had taken to call them mom and dad. Jack would even joke that Ember would be a great mom because of her 'mom' voice.
"Tour day! Tour day!" Alex and Jack sang, bouncing into her bedroom.
She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help a wide grin splitting her face. It may have been five in the morning, but there was no doubt everyone was very excited to get on the road and travel. Ember was probably the most excited, since she had never been out of her home state except to go to her college. And for the most part, she stayed holed up in her dorm studying.
"Alright, boys. Do you have all your bags packed and everything?" She inquired, making sure they had everything they needed. She had made sure she was packed the week before, always double checking to make sure she had everything and wouldn't forget anything. Including her laptop so that she can take her online courses.
You ready to go? Her phone chimed with a text from Tony. She grinned and swiped her phone unlocked.
Beyond ready. I am so excited. I've never traveled before, unless you count coming from England to America when I was a little girl.
They texted back and forth until All Time Low's bus showed up. She grabbed her luggage and made her way into the bunk area, immediately claiming a bottom bunk and tossing her things in there. She quickly made her bunk, before making her way into the back room to watch movies with the boys.
I can't wait to see you at the first venue.