Fall Off The Grid (adopted by twenty one pilots)

//seventeen - we'll be okay//

Lane's POV

When I walked in, everything in me was slowly breaking down. I saw Alex's parents standing near the door waiting to greet people. Their faces were sunken and dark. Honestly, I probably didn't look much different. His little sister was in the corner of the room sitting on the ground with her head in hands. I looked over to Pete and smiled lightly before walking from the group and seeing Alex's mom. "Lane, oh my God," she said quickly and with a bit of shock in her voice. "It's so good to see you. How are you holding up?" she asked gently, tracing the still noticeable scratch marks on face with her fingertips. I reached up and held her hands on my face. "Not well," I whispered, smiling a little as a tear fell down my cheek. "What about you guys?"

"About the same as you I think," his mom said, glancing over to their daughter still in the corner. "You're like a second daughter, Lane. Could you talk to her? She loves you." I nodded and slowly walked over before sitting up against the wall and handing his sister, Rory, a lily from my hair. She looked up to me and immediately pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. Alex used to hug me like this too. "I missed you so much Lane. I miss him too." I looked Rory in the eyes and carefully wiped the tears from under her eyes before slipping the flower into her dirty blonde hair. "I miss him too, Rory. But, I'm never going anywhere. He wants us here, and we have to remember that." The twelve year old looked up to me and smiled a little before leaning into my side. We sat there for awhile, just watching people pass by and grieve differently. "Have you seen him yet?" the young girl next to me asked. I shook my head. "Please, he'd want you to." I looked to her then up to the casket on the other side of the room before nodding and finding the awkward bunch of people I came with talking to Alex's parents. I watched them for a minute or two before meeting eyes with Pete who left the conversation and walked up to me.

"I can't go alone Pete." The bassist nodded and wrapped an arm around my shoulders as he guided me to the line of people waiting to say goodbye.

Pete's POV

We stood in the line silently. The church was buzzing lightly with sound but in that moment as Lane was reaching the casket, everyone seemingly stopped talking and watched. Everyone here knew that Alex was all Lane had. I turned back to see Alex's mother and every single band member watching her every move. When I looked at the crying sister in the corner, she was just looking and smiling a little at knowing Lane was going to get the goodbye we all knew she wanted. I looked back to the blue haired girl looking over her friend. I saw a tear fall onto Alex and Lane's hand reach down, placing the lily from her hair carefully on his chest. I heard her whisper something, but I tried not to listen. It wasn't a goodbye for me to be apart of. I was here for her.

When Lane finished she turned around and saw how everyone was looking at her. "I can't do this," she whispered as she ran out into the lobby and away from everyone. I saw Brendon and Tyler go after her. I turned back to the casket. "Hey kid, I never met you. But, you kept our girl alive and I don't know what else to do other then say thank you. You deserved so much more, and I'm happy Lane was there for you. Rest easy kid." I said gently, almost wishing that those words could wake him up and save everyone the pain and loss. But, his eyes never opened.

Lane's POV

When I walked up to him, everything else didn't matter anymore. "Hey, Al. Long time no see," I chuckled lightly, already feeling tears in my eyes. "I'm sorry I wasn't here, I'm sorry I've tried to leave you before because, God, does it hurt. You didn't deserve to get attacked. They took away the best person I've ever met, the person who kept me alive. I love you Al." I took the flower from my hair and placed it gently on his chest as my tears fell onto his hands. "Never forget the days we spent together, okay? I know I won't." When I turned back to the room, all eyes were on me. I knew almost everyone in this room, and they all knew my story, or at least the gossip behind it. They all knew how much Alex meant to me.

The eyes and pressure from the entire room was burning holes in my skin. I felt so much pressure on my body and I just wanted a release, an escape. 'Sorry Alex, but I can't give it up right now' I thought to myself. I looked at Rory who's little smile had turned to concern. "I can't do this," I whispered while looking at Pete for a second before I ran from the room and out the doors to the lobby. I found a little hallway the was empty and sat against the wall, digging through my purse before finding the sharp, pointed source of false happiness I needed. I threw my stuff down next to me and started to push the metal towards my thighs that I could hide ore easily before I heard rushed footsteps and concerned voices. Right as the cool silver was about to touch my skin, someone's hand met mine and pulled my arm upwards. The person lifted me up into their shoulder, and based on the suit, I knew it was Brendon. Tyler came around and fished the blade from my palm before taking me from Brendon's arms and holding me.

"Thank you for stopping me. Alex would have been pissed," I said with a little chuckle that was meant just to keep me from breaking down. "You can get through this without it Lane." the black haired singer watching Tyler and I said quietly. With that, Tyler whispered into my hair. "I promise, you're going to make it out of this without any of that." I nodded and smiled a bit into his shoulder. "I just couldn't handle the eyes. Everyone was expecting me to implode or something." Brendon laughed and wrapped an arm around my shoulder as Tyler wrapped an arm around my waist. When I went back into the room, I hugged the people that were like my second parents when Alex was alive. Then I went back to Rory who knew my past from Alex. "You okay?" she said, not looking up from her lap. "We're gonna be," I said quietly, looking over to her as her eyes lifted to mine. We both smiled and leaned against each other, just wishing none of this had to be real.

a/n: hope you liked it and I'm sorry but I'm addicted to pierce the veil rn because I'm moving backwards in my emo phase. stay safe and stay alive |-/