Love | R.L. (R5)

Chapter 9 -The Final Concert-

I layed my head back against the side of the bus and closed my eyes. How could she know where I was? I thought. I had to go with my mom. I couldn’t let her harm the band. I just sat there until darkness swallowed me up and I fell asleep.

          I woke to the voice of Rydel. “Guys be quite, Alex is still asleep!” she tried telling them.

“I’m not anymore” I said as I sat up.

“Oh, I’m sorry! Did we wake you?” I shrugged at her and looked around the bus. Rocky, Ratliff, and Riker were in the kitchen area while Rydel and Ryland were sitting across from me. Rydel was eating something. “Hungry?” she asked. I nodded my head and she walked over to the kitchen and throw something at me. I caught it and look to see what it was. That’s when I noticed my phone laying on the floor. I leaned down and picked it up, sighing. “Is something wrong?” Rydel all of a sudden asked.

“Yea, just thinking” I said to her. Slowly I put my phone back into my purse and opened my breakfast. It wasn’t a dream I thought as I slowly ate. My dream was so much different than that. I dreamt of my mom again but I ignored it. When I had finished I throw the wrapper into the garbage and sat back quietly. The bus was quite as we drove down the road.

“Should we play a game?” Rydel suddenly said breaking the silence. She reached behind the seat and pulled out Bop-it.

“I call first!” Rocky yelled. He ran over to Rydel and pulled it out of her hands.

“Hey! Maybe I wanted to go first!” she said standing up. She grabbed the game and tried pulling it out of his hands but he was stronger so she finally gave up and let him have it first. He turned to game on and set it to easy.

“Ready! Set! Bop-it! Twist-it! Shout-it!” the game said but I stopped listening. I was scared for what was going to happen. I had to go to the back after the concert. I had to protect them. I decided I needed to get dressed so I stood up, grabbed my things, and walked to the back of the bus. I slide the curtain open to the other’s room to get dressed but spotted Ross still sleeping in his bed. I smiled and sat on the bed across from him. All of a sudden I noticed him open his eyes. He looked straight at me and I looked away to avoid his eyes.

“How long have you been sitting there?” he asked as he sat up.

“Not long. I was going to get dressed.” I said hiding my face. I noticed him get up and change beds to sit by me. I felt my face get hot and embarrassment swept over me. He scooted closer to me and put his arm around my back. I looked up at him and he smiled. “What are you doing?” I asked him.

“I’m going to miss you!” he exclaimed as he pulled me closer to him. He finally let me go and got up off the bed. “Well I’m hungry” he said and with that he disappeared from the room. I sat there smiling like an idiot for a few minutes then got up and changed for the day. I turned to leave and found Rydel standing in the doorway.

“Come play Life with us” she said then she turned and left the room. I followed her out and sat down by the game board. Then I spun the wheel and started the game.

The bus finally pulled up the stadium where we were performing. We all hopped off the bus and walked over to the back door. The boys started to try to push the door open. All four of them were up against the door pushing it. “We’re locked out!” Riker said.

“It’s a pull!” Rydel and I said together. Rocky looked down and pulled open the door then walked inside.

“I knew that” Riker said as he followed Rocky inside. I could tell he was embarrassed and I could help but laugh as I walked passed him. I walked to my dressing room and closed the door behind me. So this is it I thought with a sigh. I put on our chosen clothes and sat in front of my dressing room mirror. I grabbed a piece of paper that was sitting beside me and wrote something on it. Then I pulled my phone out and placed on top of the note. I sighed again then walked over to the door and opened it. The others were already by the stairs, waiting. I walked up to them and we put our hands in the middle.

“You ready for the last concert, Alex?” Rocky asked. I shrugged knowing I was leaving with my mom after it and would probably never see them again. Thats when I remember Ross and how I would never get to tell him how I feel. I looked up at him to see him smiling. Sadness took me over and I looked back down at our hands in the middle.

“Ready! Set! Rock!” we yelled together then we walked up the stairs and onto the stage.

The concert went faster than it had ever gone before. Before I knew it we were already walking off the stage. I watched the others walk over to their dressing and waited until they disappeared inside. I then turned and walked out the back door. I walked over to the side of the wall and leaned up against it. My mom wasn’t there yet so I just stood there waiting. Maybe she wouldn’t come I thought. Just then a black van pulled up to the side of the building. The door slid open to reveal my mom. She stepped out and walked up to me.

“I didn’t think you would show” she said as she lifted her hand and started to stroke my hair.

“I didn’t want you to hurt anyone” I said pushing her hand away from me.

“That was a good choice. I would have blown the concert away” she said smiling at me.

“You're just sick, mom!” I exclaimed.

“Thats OK with me now get into the van” she said. She pointed toward the van and I walked over to it. All of a sudden I heard the door behind me swing open. Rydel and Ross shot through the door and rushed toward me. “Stop!” my mom yelled at them. She reached into her purse and pulled out a handgun. Rydel and Ross stopped in their tracks when they saw what she was pointing at them. “Don’t come any closer!” she shouted at them.

“Mom put the gun away!” I yelled at her as I walked over.

“Get into the van!” she shouted at me. I stopped and stood still.

“Alex, you don’t have to go with her. Please don’t...”

“Shut up!” my mom shouted at Ross. She put her finger on the trigger and shot a warning shoot down toward the ground. Rydel and Ross stepped back a little but my mom held the gun back up toward them. “If you don’t get into the van I’ll shoot!” she yelled at me. I turned and pretended to walk toward the van. I waited until my mom wasn’t concentrating on me then I turned and ran up to her. I hit her wrist, making her drop the gun then I picked it up and pointed it toward her. “Give me the gun” she gently asked me. She started walking toward me, arms outstretched. I didn’t know what to do. I pointed the gun at her leg and shot. My ears started to ring and the force of the gun was stronger than I had thought it was going to be. I dropped it and fell back. My ears were still ringing and I couldn’t hear anything. I noticed Ross sitting in front of me. He was shouting something at me but I couldn’t hear him. All I was concentrating on was my mom behind him. She stretched forward and grabbed the gun. I closed my eyes and waited until I heard the faint gunshot that would finally end my life.