Strings Attached

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Alex-

The months that followed the concert seemed to pass by in only a week. Quinn spent a lot of time in the recording studio. And any time he wasn't, he was with Alex. The band started making money after they released their album, Quinn had more than enough money to buy himself a cell phone, and a whole bunch of better sound equipment. He helped his mom pay for the treatment, and eventually there was virtually no cancer left in his mom's body. The day Quinn found out he threw a party at the skateshop, courtesy of Jaime. Although not many people came, it was really something worth celebrating. The next day, Quinn called Alex and told her to go to the skate shop. When she got there, the whole band was there, as well as Jaime, Quinn's mom, her mom, and even Sara, who was now Johnny's girlfriend, apparently.

"What's going on, Quinn?"

"We have something to tell everyone."

Him, Johnny, and Clarke stood on top of the counter and looked at everyone in the shop. Quinn was smiling again, and he started giving a short speech.

"Look around this dirty, run down, and honestly shitty shop. Now don't get me started on the owner." Jaime looked offended but also amused by what Quinn was saying.

"You'll realize I spent the last three damn years of my life working in this dump, selling skateboards and CD's to annoying customers, and even girls who fall off ladders. And damn, those were the best three years of my life. And it wasn't just because I got free cans of Monster. Jaime believed in my band just as much as the band believed in itself. And here we are, one released studio album, our merchandise and music is being old all over the country. I noticed our CD on the shelf in the back yesterday. Although Jaime tried to be funny and put it in the metal section."

"Hey, I'm fucking hilarious, okay." Jaime finally had enough of what Quinn's words.

"Shut up douche, I'm trying to give a speech. Anyways, the point is, we all came from a broken past and messed up beginnings, but now we wanna announce that we're going on an International tour!"

Everyone was stunned, they already have a tour set up, only three months after they released their first album.

"Wait, Quinn, when are you leaving?"

"We're leaving next week. At around three in the morning, we'll meet up here, why?"

"Quinn, you know school is still going on, right?"

"I know, but none of us are going to college, and our parents don't care, we'll be fine."

"Alright fine, but be careful, okay? I don't want anything happening to you."

Quinn-

All Quinn could think about when he woke up at 2:30 was being on a tour bus and flying to Dublin to play at concerts filled with over 2,000 people. He got in the car and drove to the shop, he borrowed his mom's pickup truck so he could bring all his equipment and instruments in one trip. Of course he kept his fiddle, his strat, and his acoustic guitar strapped in the backseat. When he made it to the shop Alex was already there, bundled up in his black and red hoodie that he gave to her on the day they met, as well as the black and white checkered beanie that she took from him while he was practicing in the park.

"Hey, I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Why wouldn't I be here, of course I'd wanna see my boyfriend before he leaves for four months on an international tour."

"Aw, you're adorable, you know that?"

"Now I do, but here," she handed him a black and white striped hoodie, which she also took from him."You'll need this."

"Ya know it's yours now, besides, you need it more than me, you look like you're freezing."

"I'll be okay, you're the one who's gonna be living on a bus for weeks, I have a house to go back to."

He pulled her into his arms and held her closer than ever before,"god, I love you."

"I know, I love you too."

Clarke rudely ruined the moment when he called Quinn from inside the bus."Hey Romeo, get your ass on the bus, we gotta leave in five minutes!"

Quinn let go, he wasn't feeling very happy anymore. He didn't really want to go without bringing Alex with him, but sadly she couldn't. He kissed Alex goodbye and got on the bus. Clarke and Johnny loaded his stuff on the bus while he was talking to Alex. He had a really bad feeling that something might go wrong, but he had no idea what.

He started to regret the fact that he didn't say anything more before he left, but it was too late to change anything. The sun started to rise really early, so he sat at the window to watch the sunrise and see his hometown pass by and fade away behind him. Along with the sick feeling that something was gonna go wrong, he also felt like it could all be a new beginning. Something beautiful could come, he really hoped so. But no matter which way things went, he knew life was gonna be different, and he had to be ready.