(2) Overnight Sensation: An All Time Low Fanfiction Romance

Chapter 12: Lullabies

        My ear drums felt like they were bleeding by the end of the concert, but I was enjoying myself to say the least. Kara and I were both watching from the sidelines, and every once in a while the guys would look over to wave and smile brightly.

        Jack was more spastic than usual, jumping around the stage and getting people to join in on the chorus of every song. Zack enjoyed himself, but he always played it cooler than the others. He had so much skill on the bass it was insane. Rian did his own thing, and completely got lost in the music. His head would bang with the beats vigorously and he broke a total of six drum sticks. When he'd look at kara he would wink with a smirk. She would wave with a wiggle of her fingers and he would grin before getting back into the song.

        Alex was something entirely his own. I couldn't exactly pull the way he performs into words, but I could tell you that he draws me in more than I want to. He never really opens his eyes when he is singing. He gets so lost in the words that it seems like he doesn't even realize the song ended. He jumps around the stage, microphone cord wrapped around his wrist and halfway down his arm.

        The thing that I hated to admit the most about him was that he was so good that it almsot made up for all the terrible things he does to me. How awful is that? I almost do like him for a moment -- almost. THe way he was when he sang proved that he did have a soul, and did care about other people. One song that hit me particularly hard was "Lullabies". I was trying to figure out who had hurt him so bad when he was younger -- what made him write such a song.

        When the boys walked backstage after the show was over -- the crowd was going wild. I was amazed at how many people knew their world, and how many fans they already had waiting to meet them. I stood towards the back as they came off stage, trying not to get in the way. All of them wiped their faces with towels an took a seat on one of the couches. Kara handed them waters and they all breathed loudly and spoke energetically about the show, how everyone was especially how Alex seemed so much more alive than normal.

        "Just a good day, dude, I don't know," he smiled brightly.

        "We have people waiting for us to come out, twenty or thirty people, pretty good crowd," Rian nodded towards the door. My hands were stuffed into the pocket of my leather jacket. I bit the corner of my mouth while the guys began to walk out the door. Alex was supposed to be the last one out, but he turned around and leaned against the frame.

        "Coming?" He asked with a grin. I shrugged and nodded walking towards him. I should have been happpier, but my mind was so crowded with thoughts that I was getting a headache. I couldn't figure Alex out, and tonight's performance definitely proved that I didn't know him much at all. I walked towards the door, and brushed past him while he shut the door behind him. He caught up to my side, water in his grip, "So, what'd you think?"

        "Who was Lullabies written about?" I ignored his question because that was the first and only thought on my mind at the moment. It was really gnawing at my insides to know what it was that he wrote that song about -- it seemed so important to him.

        "You didn't answer my question," His eyes seemed to have a glaze over them, one that really bugged my stomach, and chewed on my heat. I honestly could say I didn't like to see Alex without a smile on his face.

        What the hell was wrong with me?

        "You didn't answer mine either," I grinned lightly, trying to make him smile back. I looked down at my scuffed boots, before looking back at him. My hands were in my pockets.

        He cracked a small smile, only the corner of his mouth lifting up before looking down the hall towards the exit of the backstage area. Rian, Jack, Kara and Zack were all at the door, leaving a thirty foot space between us.

        "My brother," He said quiety. I caught a glimpse of him from the corner of my eye, and saw how he squirmed when he said it. Whatever happened really bothered him. I didn't even know that he had a brother, he never mentioned him before.

        "What happened to him?" I asked gently making sure not to provoke anything I couldn't handle. He really did seem bugged by this; he was obviously frustrated by his tone.

        "He killed himself two years ago," he breathed out, pace slowing barely. I felt my head whip twowards him, and my heart sank. That is terrible.

        "I'm so sorry, Alex -- I didn't.." he cut me off, shaking his head. He closed his eyes for a moment and let out a long breath, like he was holding it in previously.

        "It's fine, I'm over it now," he said with a very shaky smile. I bit the inside of my cheek, unsure of what to do. Its eemed as if I brought down his spirit so much that he was an entirely different person. How rude and awful of me. I felt like such an asshole.

        Alex leaned against the wall for a long moment, shoulders lumped against the brick. He was looking at his shoes, a dreadful look in his eyes. I felt my heart sink, and my stomach drop. I had to do something.

        So, I did the only thing I could think of. I pulled my arms out of my pockets and pulled him into a hug. My hands wrapped around him and I rested my chin on his shoulder. He tensed for a minute before relaxing. His hands slid to my lower back and he pulled my stomach against his. His body was sticky from just performing, but it didn't bother me. I was more concerned about the pain I'd just brought him, how horrible I just was.

        He rested his forehead on my shoulder, taking a few deep breaths. I felt my heart racing; I had never seen any guy so emotional before. The fact that that guy was Alex was more incredible than the fact that he was a guy.

        I let go of my grip on him, and he pulled back as well. His hand flatered on my hip for a moment before sliding back to his side. He ran his fingers through his hair and shook ihs head. "I need to go meet some fans," he said with a breath, recovering before moving forward. I turned around as he walked past me and followed behind him. Right before he opened the door, I touched his elbow, and he paused to look at me.

        "Are you okay?" I asked, hand faling to my side.        

        "Yeah, thanks," he murmured without so much as a glance in my direction. He pushed open the door quickly before rushing out to meet the people that were waiting for him. He greeted a few girls, flirting with them viciously, taking pictures, and giving out hugs that laste too long to be friendly.

        I found myself looking for Kara to bring me home because I knew that I couldn't stand to watch him do that for another second.