Simple Creatures // Jalex

Drug

Alex Gaskarth is a 30 year old from Baltimore, Maryland living in Los Angeles, he works for Warner music as a cowriter as well as a producer and cowriter for several bands. He's been featured in songs for his friends bands for well over fifteen years, playing in some bands from high school and working his way up to where he is now. Some of his most notable features are with Kayzo for Up In Flames, he's working with Cheat Codes for an unreleased song called Ghost Story, and over the years he's done backing vocals and features that are known around the rock and pop punk community.
Still, it wears him down.

His marriage crumbled, any relationships after that and in between have crumbled. He's away from his friends and his family, and sometimes all he needs is a break.
Still, tonight is show night and that's the one thing that makes him happy.
Sharing his art with anyone who wants to listen.

Alex sighs as he looks himself over in the dressing room, finishing up the last of his routine, which is doing his hair, brushing his teeth before going on stage and practicing his vocals.

His band, Simple Creatures with Mark Hoppus, one of the many musical projects that he's working on and has been working on for the past few years, released their first ever EP called Strange Love, and they're playing tonight in Jacksonville

He looks at Mark, "You ready?" He smiles.
Mark nods, "Sure am kid."
Alex rolls his eyes, "Okay dad."
Mark grins and gets up, taking the stage first.

Alex follows him out, guitar around his shoulder.

The lights dim and their intro music starts.
The lights flare up again and Alex grins at everyone in the crowd as he sets up the synthesizer before starting in on Drug.

~~

Jack Barakat has grown up on an island his whole life- Jekyll Island, Georgia to be exact. It's a small place. Everyone knows each other and the only time you see people other than your neighbors is during tourist season. Especially given his career path he see's a lot.

He adjusts his black polo shirt and runs his hands through his hair before going into his job at Georgia Sea Turtle Rescue. Today all he has to do is stand in the lobby and answer guests questions. It's easy enough and far more interesting than working the ticket booth.

"How many different species are there?" An individual comes over an asks. He's a young guy about Jack's age and not to mention pretty cute. That's the problem with living so off grid. The options are slim- especially for gay men.
He currently has a fiancé- Levi- and isn't even necessarily in love he's a nice guy sure but Jack knows Levi Is not his soulmate.
It makes it hard working in a tourist hot spot- you meet some people, get attached to them, then they go back home and you never see them again.

Jack used to use this as a way to fuck around but he's 30 now he's forcing himself to settle and here Levi Is the only option.

"There's 7 different species! We most commonly see Loggerheads, Greens, and Kemp's Ridley here." He says with a smile.

"Oh! All local?" The boy looks through  the glass in amazement and it makes Jack blush.

"Not necessarily. This one here is actually from the UK. Sometimes when they migrate and experience weather change as extreme as here to England they can get cold stunned which is what happened to this little guy." He says before the boy thanks him and walks away.

"Jack! I'm covering your break." One of the new hires comes over and says after a few more hours of answering questions.

"Ugh thank you." He lets out a sigh of relief and goes to sit in the break room with his other coworker and undoubtedly his favorite, Laura.

"How's today going?" She asks as they sit down outside and start on their lunches.

"Hmp, alright. Not gonna lie kinda repetitive. Sometimes I spit out the same facts for 8 hours and other times people ask some really cool stuff and I get the chance to look it up and learn something new. Today's been the first one so far."

"Mhm that's why you need to join me in the vet's office. Doing check ups on little baby turtles is a dream come true!"

"I'm sure it is-"

"Oh shit!" Laura cuts him off. "Sorry! Sorry but looky." She shows him her phone screen that's open to Twitter. "Simple Creatures is coming! Nobody ever fucking comes NEAR buttfuck nowhere, Georgia. Jacksonville isn't far, I could drive."

"Simple whatnow?" Jack furrows his eyebrows wondering why she cares so much.

"Jackkk! Mark Hoppus! From Blink? Blink has never come here but simple creatures is really good. I might even like them a little more. We got time to prepare for the concert so you're gonna come and listen to all their music."

Jack laughs. "Ohhh yeah them.. sure why not." He shrugs, honestly just excited to go to a show for the first time in a year. He rides his bike everywhere to save money which on an island so small it totally possible though when you need to travel long distances and nobody comes anywhere close you're shit out of luck.

Laura rolls her eyes. "Yeah them. I'm buying tickets." She says and starts playing their music as Jack listens to her loudly sing along.

He laughs. "Not what I was expecting but pretty damn good."

"I just wanna feel gooooood" she sings over him and he just shakes his head.

"I gotta get back to my shift, you simple creature." He gets up and smirks as she serenades him out the door.

The rest of the work day goes by smoothly and when it's time to go home his best friend is waiting there to hang out.

Soup has been Jack's closest friend since highschool. A 4'11 red head with a huge attitude and an iconic tooth gap. Her real name is Melanie Campbell  but because of her last name everyones always just called her Soup and honestly it's far more fitting.

"What up, JB?" Soup says with enthusiasm

"The hell you doing here, Soup?" Jack laughs as he unlocks his bike.

"Well you see I was out skating and then I was like oh JB's at work I know that bright blue bike anywhere. The one with the yellow ass basket. So i decided to surprise him." She says and lodges a monster energy, nailing him right in the gut.

"Agh! Fuck you. I mean thanks but fuck you." He groans and picks it up, putting it in his basket.

"When you gonna learn to skate?" Soup says and she hops onto her skateboard and follows him back to his house.

"The same time you find a girlfriend."

"Oh woww low blow! Suck me, JB!" She pokes her tongue out and does a kick flip. "Do that on your dyke bike why don't ya!"

Jack pops a wheely but hits a rock at the same time, causing him to fall over. "Fuck you dude." He says, cheeks red with embarrassment as she lets out a cackle like laugh. "Well you can ride a skateboard but guess whose going to a show with Laura?" He says and Soup's smile drops.

"As in- really?" She looks down and frowns. "Can I conveniently show up at the same time and stand with you?"

"Or I can ask her like a normal person." Jack hops back on his bike. "On my way to steal your girlllll!"

"Shut up, gay boy!" She cackles and follows after him.

After another week of working and living his small town island life it's concert time.

He pulls up to Jacksonville, FL with Laura and Soup. Thankfully Laura has a car as Jack relies on his bike and Soup her skateboard.

"Let's gooo!" Laura runs with their tickets in hand, determined to get that barricade.

"Jesus woman! I'm coming!" Soup links arms with Jack and pulls him. Surely enough they get the spot they were looking for.

Laura freaks out as the lights dim and Drug starts playing.
Jack grabs the barricade, being hit by other fans and singing along to what he knows - impressed by how little he picked up in a week of listening. Not that he had a choice it's all he heard on all his breaks and bikes home from work.

"Na na na na na na!" The three of them shout.