If These Sheets Were States

6. The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver

Paige pulled up outside the store where Bella's favourite band were doing a 'Meet and Greet'. In which as long as you had tickets for it, you were allowed to come in and meet the members of your favourite band. The band currently in the store were promoting their new album and just giving their fans a chance to see them, meet them, hug them and maybe even get a picture with them.

Paige nudged Bella, who was sitting in the passenger seat in a world of her own. She clasped the poster between her hands, trying not to bend it at the same time. Bella and Paige exchanged a glance.

"Let's do this thing!" Bella shouted, excitement taking hold.

They exited the car and ran towards the store, coming to a standstill when they saw the massive queue. Bella and Paige looked at each other again, gulping, before Paige broke the awkward silence.

"You are so fucking lucky I love you, let me tell you."

Bella smiled and gave Paige a very tight hug. The kind of hug that leaves you gasping for air but at the same time, you don't want it to end. You want them to just get the fuck off of you but you would gladly give up breathing if it meant you got to hold them that close forever. Paige and Bella were best friends. Bella was just a livewire, and Paige could live with that. Bella became friends with Paige about four years after Bella's situation with her Father became uncontrollable and she moved town, moved school, moved everything. Bella just wished she could move the memories and the pain. She wished she could have predicted what would have happened that one awful night.

The two of them talked to each other whilst waiting in the queue, fangirling and squealing to themselves every time they got a little bit closer. Finally, they got to where they could actually see the heads of the members of the band. Where they could see the boys messing around, taking pictures of themselves with cameras that didn't belong to them, shouting, screaming mockingly at the girls. Bella held her poster a little bit tighter, biting her lip as she thought of what she could say in such a short amount of time, to make them realise how many lives they'd saved.

One girl ahead left..

"Up you come, you two. You're next." The big, surly security guard beckoned.

The girls crept forward slowly as the boys looked at them. The girls acted sheepishly, and Bella tripped over her own feet, trying to recover herself with a pitiful laugh. Paige punched Bella in the arm.

"Nice move, dickwad!"

"Ouch!" Bella grabbed her arm and winced in pain.

The boys burst into laughter, smiling sympathetically at Bella, who was still wincing in pain.

POV: ALEX

"Something ain't quite right there but I can't place my finger on it.." Alex thought to himself, as he suspiciously eyed up the girl with the lucious chestnut hair. It bugged him. He'd seen it before, he knew he had. Plenty of times. So why was he so stumped? Why couldn't he figure it out?

"You'll have to excuse my friend, she's vertically challenged!" Laughed Paige.

Alex shook his head, as though he was coming out of a trance. He laughed at Paige before beckoning her towards him, as she had already had spoken to Rian, Zack and Jack. Upon entering the store, everybody was given a free copy of the band's new album, Don't Panic!. Paige had had her free copy signed by all of the members, apart from Alex, who signed it and moved her along. Alex sighed as he watched Bella, who still had a face full of pain, though she was trying to smile.

POV: BELLA

"Hello!" Chimed Rian. "How you doing, li'l lady?"

Bella chuckled nervously as she handed Rian her album.

"I'm good! How are you?" She handed him the poster, after seeing that he had signed the free copy.

"Shattered. Band life, ey!" Rian flashed his famous smile and Bella smiled back nervously, before heading to Zack.

"Thank you for coming along today.."

"Heh, oh! Bella! Yeah, that's my name, haha."

Zack gave a cheeky grin and rose from his seat to give Bella a kiss on the cheek.

"Don't be nervous, sweetheart. We're people too."

"Th-th-thank you." Bella stammered.

"For what?!" Jack interupted.

Bella giggled before answering.

"For everything. You have honestly saved me. I can't thank you enough."

Both Zack and Jack stood up to bring Bella into a warm embrace, as Paige watched with a massive grin on her face and a tear in her eye. Other girls in the queue watched with a green face and steam coming from their ears. Bella collected her album and poster and walked to Alex. She noticed that Jack had drawn a cartoon penis on her album, with the words "keep smiling" underneath and a cute little smiley face. Bella smiled to herself.

"Saving the best 'til last, I see?" Alex stuck his tongue out at the other three, who had all stuck their fingers up at him in unison.

Bella blushed and looked down nervously. Alex just chuckled to himself.

"Hi. I'm Alex, if you didn't already know, haha." Alex extended an arm to Bella, waiting for her to grab it. There was something curious, mysterious about her.

Bella reached, her sleeve held tight against her hand. Alex watched carefully. He still had his suspicions. Just as Bella went to hand Alex her copy of the album, she dropped her poster. Having crouched down to pick it up, Bella put the poster on the table, passing it to Alex to sign, totally unaware that her arm was bare, for all to see.

Bella gulped as soon as she realised.