Stay Alive

The First Show

They arrived in Baltimore around 4 that afternoon. The hotel they'd stay at was about 20 minutes away from where TØP was performing. Alyssa put her backpack on her shoulders and unloaded her suitcases. She followed Jenna to their hotel room. Jenna opened the door with a card. The room had 2 beds and a reclining chair.

Alyssa jumped onto one of the beds. "I call this one!" She said as the boys walked in.

Josh shrugged, "I can take the chair. It's no problem."

Everyone put their bags away and settled in. Alyssa took a shower and changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. Josh had turned on the TV and was looking for something to watch on Netflix. "There's a new Netflix show called 'Stranger Things.' It looks interesting." He said.

Alyssa read the show's description. She nodded, "Yeah! Let's watch it!"

Josh and Alyssa were immediately hooked. It was such a great show! They finished 2 episodes and then Tyler suggested that they all eat dinner. Alyssa looked out the window and saw a Taco Bell across the street. "Can we get Taco Bell?" She asked.

Tyler laughed as he and Jenna got ready to leave. "Of course!" He said, "What else would we have?"

Tyler took Jenna's hand and they left the hotel to get the food. Josh and Alyssa continued to watch their new favorite show. Dinner arrived quickly. Alyssa ordered a Nacho Bell Grande and a Cheese Quesadilla. After she ate, Alyssa got in bed and fell asleep, excited for the show tomorrow.

She woke up the next morning when someone gently shook her shoulder. "Alyssa, do you want to come with us to the stage for sound check this morning?" Tyler's voice said.

Alyssa rolled over and checked the time. It was 8:00. Tyler continued, "Josh and I will be at the stage all day. You can come if you want. The show doesn't start until 7 tonight though."

Alyssa had always wondered what it was like to do a test run of a show. She got up and opened one of her suitcases to get her clothes. But Josh set down a brown box next to her. She looked up at the boys who were smiling brightly. "Open the box. It's for you," Josh said.

Alyssa took the lid off the box and gasped with suprise. Inside was a bunch of TØP merch! Tyler laughed, "You can't go to a concert without merchandise!"

Before now, Alyssa only had one shirt and 2 bracelets. But in the box was a TØP sweatshirt, 3 more shirts, and another bracelet! "Thank you guys so much!" She said.

Alyssa gave them each a hug before she went to the bathroom to get ready. She put on her dark blue jeans and one of her new TØP shirts. She put on her bracelets and brushed her teeth and hair. Opening the door, Alyssa said, "Let's go!"

At the stage, they did a sound check and played through a few songs. Alyssa got to help out backstage. She helped unpack equipment and even worked the lights! Alyssa loved it.

At 5, Jenna arrived and the boys got ready for the show. Alyssa and Jenna hung out backstage. But then Alyssa remembered...Miranda was coming tonight. Maybe I can just hide in the restroom during the Meet and Greet. She thought. But Alyssa knew some fans would want to talk to her. Shaking her head, she decided to worry about it later and enjoy the show.

The show started at 7 and it was amazing! Josh's drumming and Tyler's singing was even better live! They performed songs such as House of Gold, Ride, Truce, Ruby, and even Heathens! Jenna and Alyssa sang, danced, and cheered. Josh and Tyler came backstage and got ready for the Meet and Greet. "You guys did great!" Alyssa said as Tyler took a drink of water.

"Thanks. Come on, we have some fans to meet," Tyler said, setting his water bottle down.

They went to a room by the stage. Tyler and Josh stood in the center of the room while Jenna and Alyssa hung out by the back door. The front door was opened and some fans walked in and formed a line. Some fans cried while others made Tyler and Josh laugh by telling them about their concert experience.

Alyssa was suprised by how many of the fans greeted her and Jenna. They were so friendly and kind! Towards the end of the meetup, Alyssa looked over at her brother and saw Miranda and Jasmine talking to him. "Uh...I need to use the restroom," Alyssa told Jenna as she left the room.

She went down the hall to the restroom and went in. She was the only one there. Alyssa wondered, Did they see me? Looking in the mirror to fix her hair, Alyssa saw the door open...walking in was Miranda and Jasmine... "Oh look, it's the girl who doesn't have a family," Jasmine laughed.

Alyssa spun around and faced them. "What are you talking about? Tyler, Josh, and Jenna love me," Alyssa said.

Miranda shook her head, "Sweetie, listen. They took you in only because you were Tyler's sister. They probably forgot about you after you were kidnapped as a baby. I mean, it makes sense! Tyler never mentioned you before. None of his songs relate to a long lost family member do they?"

Alyssa let this soak in. It was true, Tyler had never spoken of a missing sister. No songs talked about it. Jasmine looked at her phone. She said, "My dad wants us to hurry up."

Miranda nodded and said, "Alyssa, after the tour, they'll probably make you move back in with your parents. Then they'll put you in foster care or something. They don't care about you. Noone does."

Miranda and Jasmine walked out of the bathroom, leaving Alyssa alone, feeling worthless...

(A/N I have nothing much to say in this author's note. But how do you guys feel about the story?)