Wake Up Sunshine (An Alex Gaskarth Story)

The night it all Changed

(Picture is Of Bailey)

Oaklynn's POV

My name is Oaklynn Reah life has been well...Complicated to say the least. I mean right now it's great I have a wonderful husband and children and I couldn't be happier but it wasn't always that way, Maybe I should start from the beginning it all started back when I was 21, well I mean stuff happened before that to but this story will begin when I was 21, It was just a typical night at my bar I was tending to the costumers and Bailey my service dog was just chilling by the door basically greeting costumers. I looked back at the clock and saw it was nearing 11 meaning I was going to start Karaoke soon. The room muffled around me as I couldn't hear 100%, long story for another time but I was 70% deaf in both my ears I wore hearing aids but I preferred reading lips instead. I got nudged to my left and turned and saw Greg my other bartender.

"Get on up there and start girl, the regulars want to hear you sing." He said wiping a glass.

"Oh hush, they don't just come here for the singing, especially not mine" he told him and twirled around the bar heading over to the stage still facing Greg incase he said something else to me.

"It plays a big part!" he yelled. I pulled out my hearing aids as I hated singing with them in. Greg dimmed the lights as I grabbed the microphone and began singing Hold on till May.

Alex POV

Home Sweet Home, we were finally back in Baltimore and had one last show tomorrow night but tonight we just wanted to chill. We headed out on the town trying to find a different bar to hit and that's when Jack found Oakland, it had great reviews and decent prices. We pulled up and man this place was jumpin I smiled to the guys and we headed in. we walked over to the bar and a kind man took our orders from Rian and as we got our drinks the lights dimmed and a small light pointed over to the stage and I saw the most beautiful woman on the stage. The introduction to Peirce the Veils song Hold on Till May started and this Woman began to sing and my jaw fell open at the loveliest singing voice I had ever heard. I stayed mesmerized the entire time she sang, and when the song wrapped up she spoke.

the crowd clapped and she bounded off the stage and that's when I felt Jack lean on me.

"You find someone you want already?" he Laughed seeing me look at her.

"I doubt she knows I exist over here; I don't even know her name" I said to him taking a sip from my beer.

"So, go find out!" he yelled pushing me out into the crowd.

Oaklynn's POV

I finished up the song and looked out into the crowd and saw a group of men most of them chatting but one, one was staring right at me, his hair messy in all the right ways and his eyes going deep into my soul.

"Welcome those of you that have just joined us and thank you to those who have been here. We are now starting Midnight Karaoke here at Oaklands bar, Drink and have fun" I bounded off the stage handing the mic to the next person up and put my hearing aids back in hearing the muffled bar come back to me and I felt someone closer to me than normal and I looked over and saw the spikey hair man next to me.

"Hello" he said and I could tell he was slightly nervous by the way he looked around and was playing with his beer.

"First time here?" I questioned seeing how normally people don't approach me and also I know most people in my bar.

"How'd you know?" he questioned me seeming alarmed.

"Well I know most people in my bar sir, nice to meet you I'm Oaklynn Reah and you are?"

"Alex Gaskarth" he said and looked behind him but I saw his mouth still moving but I couldn't hear him, he looked back to me.

"Apologies when you turned away from me I cant hear you, hearing loss, you were saying?"

"Oh Wow sorry, I was saying I was here with my band mates Rian, Jack and Zack." I looked behind him and saw 3 other boys and one of them was jumping up and down clapping I gave a small laugh and looked back to Alex. "Forgive him that Jack he kinda made me come talk to you" he rubbed the back of his neck. I raised one of my eyebrows and smirked,

"What have to be told what to do now?" I smiled as I talked and he seemed a bit les nervous. He seemed nice but most people do but for some reason I found myself wanting to know a bit more about him, was that strange of me I normally liked it just Bailey and me. even being from Baltimore I didn't really have to many friends. He tapped my shoulder bringing me from the thoughts.

"Would you like to meet my friends?" he asked, I nodded and followed him over to the bar and Greg was giving me a thumbs up, so I flipped him off, he was always trying to get me to talk to new people.

"So Oaklynn theses are my friends Rian, Jack and Zack we are actually in a band together." They all said hello and then Jack started rambling and I couldn't actually hear what he was saying.

"Jack slow down, I need to mention I'm mostly deaf so I need you to face me and talk a bit slower so I can understand you. He seemed to mellow out after and he started telling me about their band and things they liked to do. Soon enough Greg was calling last call and I was a few drinks in but nothing too bad. The boys geared up to go and I stayed on my seat and Bailey made her way over to me.

"So our last show for a while is tomorrow night would you like to come?" I thought about it and decided I would go on one condition,

"Ok but I need to be able to bring Bailey." He looked confused.

"Who's Bailey," I giggled and pointed down to my corgi at me feet.

"Bailey is my service dog, if she can come I will be there" he laughed awkwardly and shuffled his feet at thinking she was a person.

"Of course she can." Bailey looked up to him and gave him a sweet smile and it made me feel good, she was good with most people but smiled at few. He reached for my phone so I unlocked it and handed it over and he typed for a few and I heard his phone beep and when he handed me back my phone I saw he put his number in it.

"Ill message you in the morning letting you know where the show is along with the time and place to meet me so I can get you in." I nodded and he smiled leaving with his friends. I hopped down from my seat and closed up the bar and walked back over to where Greg was to start closing with him.

"Girl you talked to him and even gave him your number, what gained your trust so fast?" Greg questioned me.

"I don't know but I just felt something good," Bailey barked and looked at me tail wagging and a smile on her face.

"I guess Bailey liked him too" I nodded as we left for the night. I walked down the street with Bailey at my side heading for my apartment not realizing from this day forward my life would never be the same.

Alex POV

I left the bar with a smile on my face, I can't believe I talked to her and she actually talked with us for the rest of the night. I couldn't believe it was her bar. I wanted to hug Jack for finding this bar. I was stoked for the fact she was coming to the show tomorrow night and the fact she didn't know our band so she wasn't just another fan girl. But I what I wanted to know was her story, why was she almost deaf? Why did she have a service dog? I wanted to know everything about Oaklynn Reah.