Somewhere in Neverland (An All Time Low Fan Fic)

9) Proof to Care

"Oh, no, I haven't had a boyfriend since six grade. Single as a pringle." Kayla bubbled happily, way past mine and Noelle's bedtime.

"Oh, I wonder why." Noelle whispered angrily to me, looking haggard from lack of sleep.

"Be nice." I shot back, although I could tell she wanted to shut Kayla's constant chatter up as much as I did. The girl just wouldn't, couldn't, take a hint. It was fucking four AM!

"What about you two? Any boyfriends? More specifically band members." Kayla looked over at us, breaking her conversation to let us answer the question.

"No, I don't have one, and MaKenna hasn't had one since Riker." Noelle growled, turning over on the couch to face away from Kayla. I glanced away to, thinking back to happier times. Times before Alex, when I had a boyfriend who was sweet. Who took me surfing, and taught me a few songs on the guitar. Who told me he loved me and promised to be with me forever.

All good things end, I've found out in my experience with Riker. He moved away, out to California with his family. We tried to make it work for a while, like they do in all the movies, but as they say, long distance doesn't work. Unlike the movies, I hadn't talked to the first love of my life since then.

I fell asleep with Riker's hands tangled in my hair, his bleach blonde head resting on my shoulder. His light brown eyes found mine, laughing as the ocean crashed in the background from the open window. And then, the dream distorted. My vision blurred, and Riker shifted.

And then, it was Alex's deep brown eyes boring into mine, laughing with me. The beach house bed under me was gone, replaced with the sofa of the tour bus, cars honking from the open window above us. Alex's hands in my hair. Alex's shaggy caramel colored hair tickling my arm as he leaned against me to laugh. All of it was Alex.

I woke up with a huff. Not dramatically, like the movies always make it seem, but with a sudden mix of surprise and hurt. Alex replacing Riker? My feelings for Alex were growing steady each day, but could anyone truly replace your first love? Maybe the person you're supposed to be with, but Alex wasn't that for me. He'd already found his perfect girl, whatever her name was.

Noelle was stirring slightly beside me, looking as if she was slowly pulling herself from a dream to reality. Kayla, across the couch, however looked as though she'd be out for another hour at the least. I slowly peeled the blankets away from me and made my way to the bunk my things occupied in All Time Low's tour bus.

 Grabbing my shower kit and a change of clothes, I made my way to the tiny bathroom in the tour bus. Turning the whole room into a sauna, I slowly allowed the steaming water to work away every knot I'd acquired during my slumber on the couch. After bathing and shampooing, I dried off and emerged from the bathroom in a pair of skinnies and a loose tank just as Noelle was piling into the bathroom with her own kit.

Kayla was stirring on the couch, so instead of waiting around to hear more questions about our tour life, I ducked out of the van and into the arena type rehearsal room the bands were occupying. I quickly found a nice comfy seat in the back, settled down into it, and propped my feet on the seat back in front of me.

"Good morning, sunshine." Jack scooted into the seat next to me, strumming springy notes on his electric guitar.

"Morning." I mumbled, not in the mood to actually associate with other people. I'd never been much of a morning person, and it was only worse when I didn't get much sleep on an uncomfortable sofa.

"It's about time you girls woke up. We were scared you'd all died or some shit." I laughed a little, trying to seem interested in anything Jack was saying, but the fact was, I didn't hear a thing, because Alex had just stepped up to the mike to rehearse.