Simple Creatures // Jalex

NVM

The next weekend rolls around and Jack is overwhelmed with anxiety the whole time they're on the plane. Levi notices but he just plays it off as plane anxiety.

"It's so beautiful here." he sighs as they get into the hotel room and get ready for their day. "What do you want to do first? This is your weekend."

Jack shrugs as he takes his stuff into the bathroom. "Well get ready and we can explore how does that sound? I don't know what's around here so I say we wander until something works. We can go to the Marine place tomorrow when we're less tired." he smiles and starts getting dressed, finding the hotel rob and giggling at it. He takes a photo of himself in it and sends it to Alex.

Jack: guess whose in LA?

He looks at his screen and shakes his head, feeling a little disappointed in himself.

The two boys make their way to a cafe down the street, hand in hand as they place their orders. Jack gets himself a chai and sits down at a table outside, looking around anxiously and convinced that Alex is just going to show up as if California isn't huge.

"You good?" Levi takes his hand across the table.

Jack nods and holds it back. "mhm. Just looking around! It's a whole new area to take in." he gives him a little smile and shrugs.

"It really is isn't it?" Levi blushes and kisses Jack's hand.

Alex looks at Jack's text from where he's at laying on his couch, eating orange chicken and chow mein from Panda Express.

He takes a picture of himself being a chunk and sends it to him.
Alex: I'm being a fat asshole and watching home improvement shows. Idk what I'm on now. House flippers or whatever. But yay!!!! Meet tomorrow somewhere? Marine place maybe? Sneak to my house tonight? I am playing a solo acoustic set at the Roxy tonight. It's a club, come hang. I won't say a word to your...well. Him. 🤷

I just want to see your pretty face again.

Jack glances down at his phone, long enough to read the text but doesn't write back. "Can we go see a show tonight? I think it'd be fun to see what the music scene is like around here."

Levi shrugs. "Sure, we can do that. Not something I'd expect from you but I like this new passion you have for music."

"Mhm." Jack smiles *yeah music* "Yeah, ever since I started guitar I've learned to love it! It helps to go and see other people play. Keeps me inspired you know?" he looks at his Facebook, pretending to have just stumbled across the even tonight. "There's live music at some place called the Roxy tonight. You down?"

"I'm down." he smiles and throws his drink out, getting up and grabbing his hand. "Let's just walk over then. I'm sick of traveling."

Jack nods and holds his hand back, making their way over to the venue. He's nervous to see both boys in the same place. Even if Alex promises to not say anything it's still ridiculously awkward for him.

Alex stays backstage, watching the other acts until finally he's on stage.

He walks out with his guitar, black painted on jeans with holes all up and down, white T shirt, red and black flannel with a denim jacket over it, sleeves messily pulled up to his elbows, black beanie on his head.

He smiles at the crowd, "hey guys! Remember when I tried to play here last month and the place flooded? Me too. Lets not flood the place again." He says with a laugh that makes everyone else in the audience laugh and cheer.
He's well known here.

"So for those of you that don't know, I am Alex Gaskarth and I play in a band called Simple Creatures, and my own solo band called The Young Renegades." He grins as the tiny venue cheers for him, "thank youuu!" He laughs.