Destined to Explode (Adopted by All Time Low)

Chapter 12

I wake up after surgery. Dad is in the room. "Hey honey, you are allowed two people maximum a day in here. Who else do you want?" "J-Jack." He nods. I watch Jack come in a few moments later. "How are you feeling, honey?"

I shrug. "You'll be in the ICU for a day or two, and a regular hospital room for another 5-6 days." I nod. I feel a mask on me that I'm just now recognizing. "You are on a ventilator for probably about 6 more hours and then you'll be on a regular oxygen mask for the remainder of the ICU stay."

I nod. "Who do you want tomorrow in the ICU with you?" "You and Mom." He nods. The next two days, I sleep throughout most of them. I wake up on the third morning in a different room.

There is 9 people in the room. "Hey honey, you're out of the ICU now. You still have the oxygen and monitors for another day." I nod. I see Reggie looks really worried and I recognize he is wearing long sleeves again. I look at the IVs and sign to him.

Does Zack know? He shakes his head. Tell him or I will. I watch him whisper to Zack and Zack leads him out of the room. When they come back I make them take a band picture.

I go on Instagram and make a post. I know it's been a while since you guys have heard from us. I've been in and out of the hospital since tour. It'll be about 8 weeks before we are able to do things including me and probably 3-6 months before I'll be able to do anything that requires my full strength. Stay safe everyone!

"Are you going to provide more of an explanation?" "Eventually, it might be a while though." He nods. "Take your time." The next four months pass and I'm cleared again. Our first album is set to release tonight and we're heading off on tour in a few weeks.

The tour is going to be huge, about two years long. The shows are more like long festivals, 4 bands each playing about 90 minute sets and 3 playing 120 minute sets making about 12 hour days.

We're even doing some small acoustic shows in Africa. I'm fully vaccinated with all 8 shots I'll need in the next year. I also have huge inventories of merch that Mom said she would ship off to me as I need.

We're now watching the clock, ready for the official release to make posts on social media. I post directly at midnight and then go up to my room. The Africa shows will be really unique. We're splitting up and we're each taking 9 countries, spending 4 days in each and going to the different towns in them to play the shows.

My band will be going to Malawi, Burundi, Djibouti, Mali, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique, and Sierra Leone. That will be our very first portion of the tour. Then, we'll do the North America one, drop down to do South America, New Zealand, Australia, and some South East Asian, before going through Asia and Europe. After that, we'll do another branch of the US and then we'll be done.

I know we're losing a lot of money on the Africa tour, but I'm not letting the other's know that. Gerard and Patrick are helping me fund it. They all know that we're not making much, but we're funding it so the others don't know we aren't making anything.

Dad comes in. "I want to ask you something about the Africa tour. Are we actually making anything or is it just you and a few others that are paying us?" "There are three of us that are paying everyone. You know I have more money than pretty much everyone else in our group of bands. The idea of holding free concerts for people that wouldn't be able to afford them or experience live music is amazing."

"I agree. You could tell everyone, I think most if not all of them would be okay with that idea, that way you are only funding the people that want it rather than all of us. My band won't care, I don't think Sleeping With Sirens or Pierce The Veil will either."

I look at the time. It's only about 12:30. I create a conference call. I see Jack F rub his eyes. "Hey, what's up?" "Dad wanted me to tell everyone that the Africa tour isn't making any money. Gerard, Patrick, and I were going pay you guys for it because we didn't know if you guys would understand or want to do a tour that you would be losing your money."

"You don't have to." I heard all of the voices at the same time. "It's a really sweet plan, but you don't have to. We all have plenty saved up in our band accounts, you probably have the least. We don't care about the money, we just love making and performing the music."

I see them all nod in agreement. Relief passed over both Gerard's and Patrick's faces. I know why, we were all giving nearly 12 million, over half our net worth's. "You said each of our band's were going to be getting a little over 5 million from it." I nod.

"All three of us were going to put 12 million into a fund to split between each of the bands." All of their eyes widen. "You really don't have to do that." "Thank you." "What are you guys planning for merch in Africa?" "I have 180,000 t-shirts, 36,000 sweatshirts, and 18,000 throw blankets I'm just giving out." I hear both Gerard and Patrick. "We were doing the same."

Alex speaks up. "We're also doing the same." Kellin and Vic speak up at the same time. "We're doing 90,000 t-shirts and 18,000 sweatshirts as well as 9,000 throw blankets." I see Andy nod and calculate in his head.

"Who are going to the most dangerous countries?" "My band, All Time Low, Sleeping With Sirens, Black Veil Brides, and Fall Out Boy. I think factoring in the second wave MCR is the only one who isn't going to one of the really dangerous civil countries."

"Oh god, my daughter is going into a really dangerous country." "Dad, I can protect myself. Do Kyra and I need to prove to you our strength? We're the only girls that are gonna be there for the first leg. I would be perfectly fine showing you my karate skills and matching it with how strong I am."

"I need to see this. I think we're all supposed to be in in two days." I smirk. "Alright." I mute myself. "Kyra, come here!" She comes in. "What's up?" I unmute myself. "These people want us to prove our ability to defend ourselves." "I'm down. I'm gonna beat you this time." "You wish, shorty."

She tackles me off the bed and I wrestle with her until I finally get one of her pressure points which allows me to gain control so she is on the ground. "You want to keep on talking?" She pouts and I get off her. I climb back onto the bed. "I'm back."

"Who just won?" "I did." I smirk. "You know, they are pretty equally matched. Rachel got one of Kyra's pressure points which caused her to take over." "Should we be scared of Rachel?" "She's like a 6 foot tall version of Revenge Frank. The only one that can sometimes contain her is Zack but she could take him down as well." "Oh god, that is terrifying."

I smile. I've been feeling normal. The arrhythmia is under control and my meds have began finally working. I still have to take meds, but I'm approaching on being a year clean and I haven't had to take anxiety meds more than once since the incident.

I see Taylor, Alexis, and Carlei pop over Vic's feed. "Rachel!" I smile. "Hey girls!" "Rachel, after you guys finish tour can you begin coaching us for running again?" I smile and nod.

They don't know yet how we bought a huge property in San Diego. It's 600 acres and they are putting 30 houses on it. I don't even notice when he ends the call. "Are you okay?" I nod and smile.

"Just picturing the house." We each designed our own houses. My house is decently sized, definitely not as big as Vic's has to be, but it's 4 bedrooms, each with a connected bathroom, and then a regular house. On "my property", I also have a studio, a gym, and the area I prepare all the merch.

It will be a big house to be alone in, though. "Dad, I'm going to be lonely in my house. Even you have Mom, I have no one." "You don't have to be alone. We'll have a room for you in our house. You don't want to be alone now either, do you?"

I shake my head. He lays down in my bed and I immediately cuddle into him. He quietly sings and eventually I fall asleep.