This one's for you ~Matt Flyzik~

Chapter 24

  "You ready?" Matt squeezed my hand as we stood outside Alex's.
"Yeah." I nodded. Today was the day we where braking the news to Alex, Rian, Jack and Zack.
"Let's go then." He gave me a smile and we walked to the door, ringing the door bell. I couldn't deny it, I was pretty nervous about telling them, I knew they would all be supportive but it was still quite a big deal. My heart was pounding hard as we waited for someone to answer the door. "It'll be ok."
"I know." Just then, Alex answered the door with a huge grin on his face.
"Ellie! How was England?" He swept me up into one of his famous Alex bear hugs.
"It was great, got to see everyone and spend time with them, even got to see my mate's Dave band play while I was there too. Went to visit Amanda and mum and dad took me, Jack and Carl to London Zoo for the day as well, it was really great." I flashed him a bright smile. My trip home had been great, no drama, no fuss, just happy times with my family and friends that I all missed so much.
"Ahh that sounds awesome! How you doing man?" Alex smiled at Matt, giving him a fist bump.
"I'm good thanks."
"Awesome, well, get your butt's in here then!" Alex moved out the way, letting us walk in to find the other three sat in the living room.
"Elliiieeee!" They all cheered, each hugging me in turn, asking how my trip was.
"Ahh we glad you had fun girl!" Zack smiled. "I can't wait till we go back to England next year!"
"Yeah, we love playing over there, it's pretty awesome!" Rian agreed with a nod of his head.
"So, what's up?" Jack asked. "Why call us all round here? Well, we where here anyway, but sounded pretty important."
"Oh yeah, um..." Matt chewed on his lip ring.
"Don't tell us your pregnant!" Alex looked wide eyed at me.
"What?! No, nooooo, not pregnant!" I laughed nervously. "Noooo, it's not that."
"You got engaged?" Zack asked.
"No, not that either." Matt chuckled.
"OH! I know what is it! Ellie's found out that Matt's secretly in love with Alex, and she's doing the mature thing and here to announce that they can finally be together and she's going to run away with me?"
"In your dreams Jacky boy." I burst out laughing.
"Shot down again, oh how you hurt me so Ellie, how you hurt me!" Jack faked pain and hurt, clutching his chest where his heart was.
"And I'm not secretly in love with Alex either..."
Alex faked cried. "MY DREAMSSSS IN RUINS! Matt how could you?! I thought we had something special man!"
We where all in fits of laughter as Jack and Alex pretended to cry on each others shoulders. This was definantly something I was going to miss on pretty much a daily basis. They where always just so fun, lighthearted, hyper and full of life, there was never a dull moment around them and you couldn't stop the laughs and the smiles.
"Ok, well now you have successfully broken Jack's and Alex's hearts, what's up?" Rian tried to calm himself down from his fit of laughter.
"Ok, well, you're all right, we do have something to tell you..." Matt began chewing on his lip ring again, he was just about as nervous as I was. "Ok, I love you guys, so much, and I'm never ever going to be able to thank you all enough for dragging me along for the ride when you all first started touring. The past seven year's have been the best of my life, and I wouldn't change any of it for the world. The things we've done, the things we've seen, watching you guys grow and grow into one of thee biggest bands in the states. Every single tour getting bigger and better, watching you all grow as musicians, as friends, as family...it's just been the most amazing thing ever to be able to do it all with you. There's been so many laughs, tears, ups, downs, highs, lows, so much joy, happiness, you guys are just the best people I've ever met. I honestly cannot stress how much being there from the day you all started has meant to me. Yes I'd of loved for my own music to kick off, but you know what, I look back now and I'm grateful it didn't, because I wouldn't change anything from the past seven years for the world. But...please understand this was such a hard choice for me, I've been thinking about it, for well, over a year now, and I feel that my time as your tour manager has come to an end for me. I love you all so much, and this was really hard for me to decide, but you all know how much I want to have a family some day, and being on the road all the time, I just won't be able to do that. So, as of October, I'll be stepping down from my place, I'm going to miss it so much, but I will still support you, every step of the way and be there as much as I can. I will come to as many shows as I can, and visit as much as I can and I will always be there for you guys, I just feel that my time has come and it's the right thing for me so I can do all the other things I've dreamed of doing."
Everyone went silent, the air was filled with tension and sadness. "Are you..." Alex looked up at me, sadness filling his eyes.
I nodded my head. "I am, I love you all so much, and Alex, I will never be able to repay for you surprising me the day I graduated with this amazing once in a life time chance. You...you brought so much joy and happiness into my life and being close to you again, I've loved every single second of it. You are my best friend, you always have been, always will be. The things you've brought into my life...I-I can just never repay you for any of it. And guys, you all very quickly became a second family to me, I've always felt that here, you guys, being on the bus, has been a home away from home for me. Whenever I got home sick, you where all there, reminding me that I'd made the right choice to move here and reminding me why I loved you all so much. You're all a bunch of total loonatic's but I wouldn't change any of you for the world, and you've all really brought me out of my shell since I've joined you guys. Not only that, I met Matt and I've never ever been happier. All this has meant so much to me, and I know I haven't been with you guys long, but it's been the best experience of my life and you're all just like brothers to me and I know my sister, Amanda would be so happy and proud right now. I did contemplate staying with you guys for a while longer, maybe another year or so, and there was time's I almost told Matt that I was going to stay behind a little longer instead. But, Alex, you know better then anyone my biggest dream was to have what Amanda had with Carl, and now here I am that dream staring at me in the face and I-I just got to take the chance. You all know how much I love you all, but you also know how much I love Matt and how much he loves me. So, when he leaves in October, I'll be stepping down too. But like him, we won't be going anywhere, we will be right here every time you guys come home, we'll make it to join you for birthdays, and we'll come hop along for the ride whenever we can. But me and Matt are ready to start our future together and we didn't want to leave in the mist of tours, shows, press releases, shoots, interviews and all that. So as you guys all have three months off after October, we felt it was the best time for us to bow out."
My heart broke, seeing all their face's, especially Alex's, all filled with sadness, like they'd just been told their favorite dog had to go away to the animal farm. Before any other words could be spoken, all four of them had me and Matt caught in a massive group hug.
"We're going to miss you both so much." Rian sniffed.
"We respect your choice, but it sucks so much, it's just not going to be the same." Zack spoke sadly.
"You're the two that keep us in line! The crew's doomed!" Jack gave a small laugh, which cracked as he tried to hold back tears.
"I'm going to miss you both so much." Alex kissed the top of my head. "I just got you back Ellie."
"I'm not going far Lex, I'm staying here in Baltimore, don't worry."
"You better or I'm going to hunt you down, you got me?"
"Yeah, I got you." I gave a little chuckle. We all stayed silent for a moment, in that group hug before everyone pulled away, all of us wiping tears.
"So when's the last show?"
"October twenty fifth." Matt sighed sadly.
"You still got us around for another six months." I gave them all a small smile.
"Well, we're just going to have to make the next six months, and Warped tour the best yet." Zack smiled.
"Hell yeah!" Rian punched the air with his fist. "You're gonna go out with a bang!"
"So what you going to do after you leave?" Jack asked.
"Well, we're going to get jobs, obviously, and, uh we agreed we'd start by buying a house together." Matt smiled taking my hand.
"That's cool! What you two going to do for work?"
"Well, Rian, I was thinking of getting a sound engineering job in a venue or maybe a producing job in a studio, as that was the original plan." I smiled.
"Yeah, I'll probably go work in a venue, or event planning or something, I seem good at that stuff." Matt gave a little laugh.
"Well, as long as you both still find time for us." Jack nodded.
"We will." I promised, I couldn't help but notice Alex was sat on the chair, silent, his knee's curled up to his chest. "Lex you ok?"
"Hmm? Yeah." He smiled, but I knew Alex too well, I knew that was his fake smile he liked to plaster on when he wanted to act like everything was ok.
"Come here." I took his hand and dragged him into the kitchen. "What's wrong, and don't give me the bull."
"I'm okay, honest, just...gutted. I'm happy for you and Matt, honestly I am and I know how much you both mean to each other. And you both have my full support, all the way. But, just going to be weird doing it without Matt, you know, he was our first crew member, he's been there from day one. Everything that's happened, without him, it just wouldn't have, he's more then just our tour manager ya know? And you now you're here too, and you know, I've loved having you around again, I miss how it was when we where kids. I'm gonna have to go back to cuddling Jack..." Alex moaned.
"You survived many years without me Alex, you'll be fine."
"Yeah but still, I'm just gonna miss not having you around all the time again, that's all." He shrugged.
"I know, and I'm gonna miss not being around you and the other's all the time but Alex, I love Matt and he's ready to you know, start our lives together, properly. And after him spending time with me and my family after new years, seeing him with Jake, I am too. But you know we'll come out and join you whenever we can, and we'll be here whenever you come home. I don't believe we're intending on leaving Balitmore and I'm not planning on going home. As much as I miss home and my family, Jake, Ben, Hayley, Jay, I love it here too much to leave again. I'm happy with Skyping, texting and going back to visit every few months. You know I spent so long being scared to leave, especially after Amanda died, because I felt like I had to be around because she wasn't, but now I've been here for what, seven months, I couldn't imagine going back to live there."
"I'm glad your finally getting everything you've dreamed of." He wrapped his arms around me, burying his face in the crook of my neck.
"And you're the reason I'm getting that, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't of met Matt, or had this amazing opportunity, or be living here, or, well any of it. I can't ever thank you enough for everything."
"Seeing you happy is the only thanks I need." He kissed my cheek and pulled away. "I am honestly happy for you Ellie, just sucks ya know?"
"I know." I sighed and gave him a smile. "But hey, we still got six months, so let's make the most of it yeah?"
"Oh we will." He finally smiled a real Alex smile.
"Good, come on, let's go back and join the other losers out there."
"Lead the way m'lady." He winked, making me laugh and we headed back to join the others.

  The next few months flew by way too quickly, my twenty fourth birthday had been and gone. They gave me one hell of a party to remember. They'd hired out a venue for the night near where we where playing in Florida at the time. They'd invited the PTV guys, Alan and Austin had come, all the crew was there, obviously and the bands who where supporting the guys on that tour. Between the ATL boys, Cassadee, Katelynn and Matt, they all dressed up as characters from Fairy Tail. I had to admit, Matt, who decided to be Natzu, looked...different with pink hair! Alex was Happy, going around saying 'aye sir' to everything and everyone, just randomly, because that was his catchphrase. They had a whole play list of all the songs playing, and did the venue out like the guild hall. It was the best birthday party I'd ever had, but of course, they left the part of Erza Scarlet to me, which I was only too happy to slip on the outfit and play.
But now we where right in the middle of Warped tour. Mine and Matt's time with the guys was slipping away fast, and the closer it got, the more mixed I felt about it. But right now, I was happy, Ben, Hayley, Jimmy and Jay where here, joining us on Warped for the next five days.
"I can't believe your leaving all this already!" Hayley gasped, I'd just broken the news to them about me and Matt leaving. I'd told my parent's when I'd gone back home, but I hadn't told them.
"I know." I nodded.
"But you love it here El!"
"Aye Ben, I do, but you know, Matt felt it was time, after seven years for him to step down and I choose to step down with him so we can start thinking about our future together. You have no idea how hard it actually is to have a proper relationship on the road all the time. If we stayed on the road, we couldn't have children, we couldn't have a proper wedding, honeymoon or anything, we couldn't do any of the things we want to do together."
"Yeah, but El, you're only twenty four." Jay frowned.
"I am aware of my age thank you Jay, we're not going to get married and have kids tomorrow jesus! We just, you know, want to settle in to a house of our own, which will actually be used more then what, forty days of the year and do the typical couple stuff. We've only had two real dates together because we don't have the time, time alone is impossible, even on hotel nights. When we are home we're both working towards the next lot of shows, it's harder for me and us to come back to England to visit. We..we just want to do all the typical couple stuff before we decide to do all the marriage stuff and as much as we both love being on the road, you just can't really do that."
"Make's sense." Hayley nodded. "I'm happy for you El, just didn't think you'd leave it so soon."
"I didn't know I'd be here this long in the first place." I laughed.
"Yeah, that's true." She nodded.
"You sure this is what you want? Not just what Matt wants?" Ben raised an eye brow.
"Aye sir. Matt didn't even ask me to leave with him, just told me he was going to. I decided all on my own, he didn't even expect me to leave with him, he thought I was going to stick around a little longer. But after New Years, I realized just how much he meant to me, and how much I want the life mum and dad have, Carl and Amanda had together, with Matt, I just can't picture it with anyone else, only him."
"And there was us thinking you hated all the soppy crap." Jimmy teased.
"I did, buttt Matt makes it ok." I smiled. "Plus we got a good mix of soppy and insulting, pulling pranks and screwing with the other."
"Well, we're glad you're happy." Jay finally turned his frown into a smile. I was glad they finally decided to be on my side with this, but I understood their reservations. Me and Matt hadn't exactly been together long and they knew how much I loved the guys and being on the road, doing my job. They where just doing their job I guess.
"Ellie! Sound check in ten!" Evan called.
"Aye sir!" I called back. "I better go, keep out of trouble while I'm gone and I'll be back in a bit."
"I'll keep these three in check don't worry." Hayley grinned.
"Excuse me?!" Jimmy raised an eyebrow.
"Oh baby you know I'm the boss here, don't try and pretend it's the other way around." She patted his chest, teasing him. I shook my head and walked off leaving them to debate who was in charge. I really was lucky, God know's how I got so lucky, but I wasn't going to question it. I had an amazing job, amazing friends, an amazing boyfriend and in just over two months time, I was going to have my dream future with the man I loved more then anything.