Band Oneshots!

Saywecanfly (Braden Barrie): Running Away

Y/Ns POV:

It was raining again. It was heavy rain too. The kind that's paired with rumbling thunder and cracks of lightning. It's the sort of rain that slams on the roof instead of gently pattering up there. It makes you feel warm and grateful if you're inside a heated home, curled up in a blanket with a good book and a hot drink. Yet I still felt like crap.
The drink didn't taste hot enough. The book didn't seem to intriguing enough. The blanket wasn't thick enough. The roof didn't sound like it was about to cave in any time soon. The lightning wasn't as scary as it should have been. The thunder was too quiet. The rain wasn't heavy enough.
Thunderstorms like this made me feel one of two things: happy and excited or lonely and sad. I was experiencing the latter. How I longed to be like the rain sometimes. Sure, I'd be heading down fast and heavy to my demise where I'd splash out of existence, but at least I'd be doing it with raindrops in the same situation. Right now I felt like hail. Just a single hailstone in a flurry of water diving from the sky. Nobody liked the rain, but it was preferable to hail. Hail was too heavy, too hard, too much. That was me. Too much.
My pyjamas still clung to my hot skin as I left the comforting house, not bothering to lock the door. My boyfriend was home, albeit asleep. But he was still there. Mere seconds exposed to the freezing rain was all it took to drench my hair and clothing. I was soaked to the bone just walking from my house to my car.
Once in the dry, warm safety of my vehicle, I pulled a straight from its pack and sparked up my lighter. I needed to be as calm as possible as I thought this through. Where would I go? Was I actually leaving? Would I come back? When? If not tonight, then how would I explain it to Elliot? How would he take it? So many questions were swarming through my head that the nicotine Rush was like a drop in a restless sea. It was hardly noticeable.
I was going to my hometown to see an old friend and clear my head. I was leaving. I would return, but not tonight. Maybe in a week. I'd tell Elliot the truth; I was overwhelmed and needed some time to cool down. He'd have to be okay with it, or I'd leave again, but I wouldn't be coming back. A shaky hand turned the key in the ignition and the car purred into action. I didn't hesitate in lifting the hand break and slamming the accelerate as hard as I could. The tires tore away, screeching on the water saturated concrete as I made my escape from my mind.
I couldn't quite pinpoint what was terrifying me, but I was sure it was something at home. It couldn't be much else. I drove onwards, wracking my brain to find the cause of my mental unrest, until I heard an unsettling splutter emanating from the engine. Then, silence. I couldn't think of a reaction other than to scream. So that's what I did. I screamed and shouted and hollered and yelled until my lungs and thoughts were empty.
Once my mind was clear, I pulled out my phone and called the only person I knew I could trust with my problem.
I hit call and almost instantly heard a groggy 'hello?' from the other end.
"Braden!" I yelled down the phone, forgetting the time.
"Y/N? What's up?" The voice on the other end morphed from irritation to concern.
"Bray, I'm in the middle of nowhere and my car's broken down..." I sighed, massaging my temples with the thumb and forefinger of my free hand.
"What? Why aren't you at home, asleep, with El?" Braden's concern soon changed to confusion. It was three am. Why was I even awake?
"I freaked out..." I didn't have to elaborate. I never did with him. As my best friend, he just understood.
"So you ran away? Right... I'm on my way now," he sighed. I heard the weary groan of his bed at the loss of his weight. Lost in thought, I nearly missed him asking on my rough whereabouts.
"What?" I asked, startled.
"Where are you? Where did you go?" He chuckled. I could feel his deep, quiet laugh resonate through the speaker of my cell.
"I went left from the drive and kind of just kept driving. I've been going for an hour I think," I mused, making sure all the details added up in my head.
"You were going home?" He yelled, shocked.
"Yeah..."
Braden had me worked out by now. He knew I was going to see Sammy, an old high school friend, and her boyfriend, Jay. Everything seemed to be calm with them. When I was with Elliot, life was always hectic.
"I'll be there in half an hour..." he groaned. I was going to ask how he'd get to me so quickly before I realised we were no longer connected. He'd hung up.
So I waited. And I waited. The rain got heavier and the thunder got louder. The lighting got brighter and I started to miss Elliot. It was then that I heard a car pull up behind me.
I felt too sick, too dizzy and too stupid to move. After seeing the state Braden was in as he stood tapping on my window, I wish I hadn't made him walk to my car in the rain, though it was a five foot walk at most.
His usually voluminous, ebony dyed hair clung too his forehead, dripping with cold rain. Residual 'guy-liner' was smudged down his face so badly he looked like he'd been crying, though his eyes weren't red. His lip rings weren't in. He had a habit of taking them off at night and didn't have time to put them in, obviously in a rush to rescue me from my self inflicted perilous situation.
I didn't hesitate in opening the door and running back to his car with him, smiling, hand in hand. Flinging car doors open, we collapsed into the warmth of the car, panting and laughing. I cherished this feeling, knowing full well that the atmosphere would soon turn too serious for my liking.
We simultaneously slammed our doors and sighed.
"What happened?" He asked, getting straight to the point. I groaned, shaking my head and shrugging. I didn't know, honestly.
"It was raining, and that made me sad, so I started thinking about our high school days with Sammy and Jay, when we were happier. I wanted that back..." I stuttered, hardly stopping for breath between words, if at all. There was no use lying to Braden, so why bother?
"I thought you were happy, with Elliot?" He groaned.
"I was- I AM! I just- it's so hectic. And it's- it's scary Bray..." I whimpered. I wasn't used to feeling so weak. I was always the strong one. But Braden knew it wasn't always that way with me. He was always ready to look after me when I broke down.
"What's so scary that you have to run away and chase a feeling you know you can't replicate?"
I sighed. He was right, I could never get my high school happiness back. I was with my best friends, having the time of my life. Now, I was growing up too fast.
"I'm paying TAXES! I live with my boyfriend, who's talking about getting a PET! That's a huge commitment! I go shopping with a fucking list, and I have an office job! What happened to starting a band, living in shitty motel rooms, avoiding taxes and responsibilities?!" I cried. Our plan was just a silly little dream, a flame flickering and fading in the darkness of adult life. I'd always been afraid of the dark.
"We all grow up, Y/N. Even if we aren't ready. As far as I can gather, you're doing an okay job," he smiled, stroking the still damp mop residing atop my head.
"I know, but it's still scary! It could go wrong. Any time..." I groaned, massaging my temples.
"Look, it's late and we're both tired. I suggest I get you home before El wakes up and realised you're missing. I'll call you in the morning and we can talk more then, but for now, we need to get you home," Braden Barrie bumbled on. I smiled. I'd never realised how lucky I was that he was ever in my life. Even more lucky am I that he stuck around. My best friend, the aspiring musician. My closest mate, the talented guitarist.
My dearest companion, the breathtaking vocalist.
My Braden Barrie.
I nodded and snuggled down in the front seat of his car, not bothering with a seatbelt, and fell asleep.
When I awoke, I found myself in bed, all dried off, with Elliot's strong arms around my waist. I carefully rolled over to find a note that read:

Y/N,
     Good Morning, dumbass.
Hope you're okay now, but I will still call you when I wake up.
I know things have been hard on you, with everything at home, having to grow up so fast anyway and then leaving Sammy and Jay back at home. It wasn't easy on you, me or Elliot. But we made it through together. We can make it through your little breakdown too. The same way we did before: together.
I'll talk soon,
    Love,
          Braden x

Hey guys! Long time no see! In fact, I haven't updated since last year! Guhoy! 😂 Anyway, I hope you're all well and that you enjoy this one! Love you all, and stay happy! 🦄🦄
-Kat