I'll Be Fine (All Time Low Fanfic)

Chapter 30

April 2006

“Izzy! Come on this is important!” Jack cried banging on the bathroom door. I laughed out loud purposefully so he could hear me. “Izzy this isn’t funny! We have like ten minutes to get to the club for sound check. Hurry!” Jack whined. I heard him sigh, a sign on giving up, and fall to the ground in a huff. I shook my head still laughing.

“Shit!” I whispered. I’d messed up my eyeliner laughing at that idiot.

“Oh is that what you’re doing in there? There’s no smell.” Jack shouted in.

“Ew Jack fuck off. Go see is Heather on her way.” I replied.

“She just texted me, she can’t come.”

“What? Why?” I quickly tried to reapply the eyeliner without Jack having a heart attack.

“She’s studying for finals.”

“What?” I exclaimed “Jack she’s been studying every night since the day after New Year’s. It’s one night off and she won’t take it?” I was angry now. She was overworking herself again.

“Look Iz, calm down. She’s just panicking about her exams. Don’t panic you. Now come on, I’m leaving now with or without you.” I heard the noise of his awkward long limbs stumbling and hitting off walls as he attempted to stand. I quickly checked myself in the mirror and ran after him.

“Sorry we are late.” Jack flashed and evil glare back at me.

“It takes time to get ready. Plus Jack if you didn’t take over an hour with your hair, I’d have been ready ages ago.” I stuck my tongue out at him and he mirrored me, laughing.

“But hey, it paid off! You look amazing, as always.” Matt wrapped his arms around me from behind.

“Shut up.” I whispered reaching up to kiss him. He was smiling as he pulled me closer.

“Not in public please.” Jack shouted from the other end of the miniature dressing room.

“Sorry!” Matt laughed pulling away from me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Alex leave.

“Um, I have to go pee.” I said running out after Alex. I jogged down the hall to find Alex sitting out front on the sidewalk. He looked up at me blankly.

“Oh, hey Iz. How are you?” he grinned weakly.

“I’m good but you don’t look it Gaskarth.” I replied sitting down next to him. Summer was coming so the nice weather was too, there was still a chill in the evening air.

“Nerves. We haven’t played a show in a while. Who knows, it could be my last.” He shrugged. I sat closer to him so he could put his arm around me for comfort.

“The move is definite so, is it?” I whispered.

“It’s always been definite. There’s been no house bought. No flight has been booked. No apartment has been rented. I guess they want me to focus on finals but why the fuck would I want to focus on them when I know they mean nothing to me now.” He said.

“You’re a smart guy Alex. You and I both know you are well capable of doing well in the exams. You could at least try.” I encouraged. “Does anyone else know yet?”

“No. I have to tell Jack soon. The sooner I tell him the sooner it comes though.”

“Alex he’s your best friend. If I didn’t tell Heather something like this then she’d flip not knowing this long. Alex, do you want to move?”

“I don’t know. Yes and no. A new start would be easier and probably better for me. If this whole stupid move never happened though I’d still have you. Everything wouldn’t be fucked up. Now that everything is, it might be best.”

 “Everything isn’t fucked up-”

“As long as I am not with you, it is.” He said quickly. We both sat there in shock and silence. “Let’s go in and enjoy it.” He stood up and grabbed my hand helping me to stand up too. I squeezed his hand and I felt him squeeze mine back. Even though we weren’t together, it would be really weird with him not here anymore. We’d learnt to be friends and now he was one of my best friends. I could only imagine what Jack was going to be like.

I loved watching the guys on stage. They were always having the time of their lives and they were good at it too. Hearing Alex’s voice reminded me of why I fell in love with him. That could never change. His eyes met mine as I applauded the end of their set. People around us seemed to be enjoying them too. Usually Heather and I would act as fangirls and jump around and scream for them but tonight I was with Matt, Rex and Jenna. I looked around to find one of them but I was alone.

“Hey, they’re pretty good, huh?” a sweaty man who appeared next to me said. I didn’t like talking to people I knew, never mind strangers.

“Um yeah. They are.” I replied awkwardly trying to shuffle away.

“You a fan?” he asked.

“Well yeah. My boyfriend is their manager and the lanky guy is my best friend.”

“Oh so they have a manager? Good start for a young band.” He nodded, taking something in.  Only now I realised this was a middle aged man, in a suit, surrounded by teenagers . Bit too weird for my liking.

“Um yeah. Well, nice talking to you.” I said, aware that his presence was a bit unusual. I started to make my way back to the dressing room where the guys were gathering their stuff. I opened the back door and walked down the narrow corridor.  I heard footsteps behind me. I picked up my pace and started to jog to the room. I turned to hear the footsteps get louder. I started to run looking behind my shoulder. I ran my heart beat racing faster than my feet.

“Hey, wait up!” he called running faster behind me. I shrieked, unable to stay calm. I looked behind my shoulder. He was running too now. Why was he following me? I wondered how long he’d been standing next to me. Had he spiked my drink? I felt fine anyway.

“Izzy?” I knew the voice. I looked ahead of myself again just before I ran into Alex.

“Lex open the door. Quickly Lex let me in!” I shrieked.

“Wait wha-” he looked startled.

“Just fucking open it!” I screamed. He opened the door letting me in and shut it behind me. Why was he still out there? I panted leaning against the door trying to listen to what was happening outside before I was distracted.

“Hey, Isabel? Iz? You okay?” Matt was shaking me. “What happened?”

“Nothing.” I panted. I’d ran down a small corridor and I was out of breath. I needed to get in shape.

“Nothing? You’re in a sweat!” Jack walked over.

“Shhhhh! It’s nothing. A middle-aged man in a suit followed me here after trying to befriend in the crowd. Now be quiet, he’s talking to Alex!” I hushed.

“What?!” everyone in the room shrieked.

“Shhhhhh! I’m trying to hear!” I whined.

“You left him out there?” Jack shouted. He shoved me out of the way. Everyone rushed to the doorway. I dragged a chair over next to Zack. I hated being the shortest. Alex and the man were talking, he wasn’t attacking him.

“Umm Alex?” Rian said interrupting their conversation.

“Oh. Hey, guys, this is Andrew Barker. He’s a representative for the Record label Hopeless Records. They want to sign All Time Low.”