Blame It (Of Mice & Men)

I Don't Want To Be Alone

*Tino's POV*

I looked out the door to see April throwing her hands in the air, Alan coolly smoking a cigarette. Then I saw her face. It dropped completely. Alan flicked the cigarette onto the ground and walked back inside, reclaiming his spot at the table. I looked out the door again to see April bring a hand to her mouth and start crying before running to the bus.

"What did you do to my little sister?" I asked, starting to get angry. Alan rolled his eyes, slamming his fork into the table. "I broke up with her, okay. I can't deal with the stress she's putting me under right now, okay? You can act like its all my fault but you know it isn't so don't start your shit," he growled. "Alan, Tino, calm do-" Aaron started. But I wasn't having any of it.

"You are DEAD to me, Alan Ashby. You fucking think the world revolves around your problems and you don't care who you hurt to keep it that way. I hope you remember how you made April feel because I know she isn't going to forgive you this time." I stood and threw down a couple of dollar bills before storming out the door. I just wanted to make sure my sister was okay.

"April?" I called as I stepped into the bus. "April?" I heard her sobs and my heart broke as I made my way to the bathroom. I opened the door and she twisted around putting her hands behind her back and looked up with me with swollen, red eyes.

I sat in the floor with her and she scooted into my arms like she used to do when we were little and she was scared of thunderstorms. Her body shook and convulsed with each sob that racked her body. "Tino I messed up," she cried. "Shh, no you didn't," I said running a hand over her curly hair she inherited from our mother. "You don't understand," she sobbed, grabbing onto my chest.

She pulled away and wiped her tears away with the back of her arm. She sniffed and brought her other hand in front of her. I looked down and my eyes widened. "I'm pregnant and now I'm alone."

*April's POV*

"I'm pregnant and now I'm alone," I said, fresh tears making their way down my face. "You aren't alone, April. You have us. It'll be okay. We'll make it through this," Tino said, stroking my hair and rocking us. Once I composed myself I stood and helped Tino up, hugging him. He hugged me tighter but I pulled away a little.

"What?" He asked. "I don't wanna hurt Jellyfish," I said, laughing a little. "Jellyfish?" "Well, I mean, I don't know what it is yet and I just thought it suited it," I said, placing a hand on my stomach. Tino laughed. "Jellyfish. I like it." I smiled and we walked out of the bathroom.

"Austin is bringing your chicken," Tino said, reading a text from his phone. I moved my things from the back room Alan and I had shared and sat the tests under my pillow of my new bunk and sat on the couch. "Hey Valentino?" "Yes April?" "I love you." "I love you too, kid."

The boys walked in and Austin handed me my chicken, smiling a little. "Thank you," I said, returning his smile. He nodded and headed to the bunk area. Aaron hugged me and Phil ruffled my hair a bit before they both plopped down beside me. Alan was the last to come on the bus and he ignored me completely, walking to the back room and slamming the door shut.

More tears came to my eyes and Phil and Aaron both wrapped their arms around me before telling me it was okay and that Alan was just a jerk and that they still loved me. I smiled and hugged their arms that wrapped around me. "I love you guys," I said. "And we love you, Munchkin," Aaron said, Phil nodding in agreement.

The bus began to move back to Pamona for day 2 and I climbed off the bus, Tino rushing towards me. "Don't be carrying any more heavy boxes okay?" I nodded and he grabbed a box, calling Aaron and Austin over to help. Austin flexed his muscles and I rolled my eyes, laughing as I grabbed some small boxes of bracelets and the roll of meet and greet wristbands.

The boys helped me get the tent up and ready and Austin whispered in my ear, "Tino told us, but we haven't told Alan." I bit my lip and nodded and he pulled me in for a hug, kissing the top of my head. The guys were playing late today so they all bid me farewell before running to go help other bands set up. I sent out a tweet to some of the fans.

"@April_Arteaga: Hey, guys! I need some help at the tent today! First two fans to the tent get to help me sell some merch and get free wristbands to meet the band!"

I hit tweet and within a few minutes two girls had ran up to me. "Hi! We're here to help! I'm Emily, and this is Abby." I waved. "Hi! It's good to meet you. Okay, I have to give you passes so security doesn't try and take you away for being back here."

I handed them lanyards with passes on them and they hooked them to their backpacks. I have Emily and Abby the rundown of what goes on and once I knew they knew what to do, I let them start folding and hanging up shirts. I looked down at my hand and saw the black pearl promise-ring Alan got me for our one-year anniversary sitting on my finger. I sighed, but decided not to take it off yet. I'd take it off when he made the break up public.

"So April, how did you and Alan meet?" Abby asked, clothes pinning a shirt to the display. I laughed to myself.

"I had a summer job working at an animal shelter when we were seniors in high school. Alan came in wanting to adopt a kitten. He wound up adopting my favorite one and I got kind of sad because he was taking her away and he told me to come visit her and it took off from there." I smiled at the memory.

"Aw!" Emily squealed. "You guys are too cute together." "Well thank you."

A couple of minutes before the guys' set was done, I began to feel sick from heat exhaustion and my pregnancy so I called Mike to come watch Emily and Abby for me while I went to the bus to lie down. I thanked the girls, took a picture with them, and gave them a hug before heading to the bus. I slid the ring off my finger and held it in my hand, admiring it.

"Hey, April!" I turned to see three guys walking towards me. One was the boy I met yesterday. Erik, I think. "Damn, she is hot," one of his buddies said. I could smell alcohol as they neared closer as I began to get nervous. "Why don't you come with us?" One of them suggested.

"We can all take turns fucking you in my car," the other smirked. I began to stumble backwards, looking at all three men as they surrounded me. "Help!" I screamed darting for the bus. "HELP ME!" "SHUT UP!" I kicked and thrashed as one of them grabbed my wrist, twisting it painfully while another grabbed my stomach...hard. My ring dropped from my hand and I began to cry. No one could hear me. No one could see me.

The other two surrounded me so I couldn't get away and tears began to rush down my face. One ripped my button-up off, exposing my bandeau bra. "Let me go," I sobbed as one of them began unbuttoning my shorts. A hand connected with my face.

"Hey!" They all looked up and suddenly they were gone and I was on the ground, holding my stomach as a roar of pain went through it. They hurt Jellyfish! They hurt my baby! Then my world went black.

*Alan's POV*

Great. Everyone fucking hates me because of April. But truth be told, I hate myself, too. I needed to grab my phone from the bus so I let the guys know where I was headed and I began walking. As I got closer I could see 3 men standing around a woman who was crying. "Let me go," she sobbed as one of the guys' hands reached for her shorts.

"Hey!" I shouted. They all turned to look at me and I saw they had April in their arms. And on of the men was the guy April met yesterday. "Oh fuck no," I said running towards them. I threw punches left and right and eventually, all of then we're running off.

I bent down and held April in my arms. She'd passed out. And they had hit her. More rage bubbles up in me and I started yelling at her unconscious body. "Why did you leave the tent?! Why didn't you come get me! Why didn't you come back when I left you," the last part came out as a sob and I saw something from the corner of my eye glistening.

I turned my head to see April's promise ring on the ground. I grabbed it and put it in my pocket before calling Tino. "Hey, where are y-" "APRIL ALMOST GOT RAPED AND SHES UNCONSCIOUS AND I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO!" I screamed into the phone, tears rushing freely. "Oh fuck. Okay. We're on our way." I put my phone i my pocket and pulled April into my lap, one hand on her stomach and the other around her shoulders.

"Please be okay, I need you," I whispered. That's when I felt the kick on my hand.