8.37pm, June 12, 2012
Hyde Park, London
Alison
Brian had called our family and friends together to throw me a picnic party at Hyde Park as a goodbye before I would leave for Warped tomorrow. The past two weeks he had been sulking and bickering at my decision, but since a day or three he had started to accept it, maybe only because he knew that his behaviour wouldn't change my mind. In fact, it only ensured me more that I had made the right choice.
He had been really dedicated to me in the past few days, maybe clingy even. It made me feel a little uncomfortable, but also a bit sad to be leaving tomorrow. I would definitely miss him; he had been one of my best friends for a long time, not to mention my boyfriend for over two years, and we had never been separated for that long. I was touched that he had put so much effort in my goodbye, and when everyone had left, the two of us and Lilian kept lingering around on our plaid in the park, eating the left overs.
'Do you think you're ready to see him again?,' Lilian softly asked when Brian was throwing some things away a few meters ahead of us.
'See who?,' I asked, not really paying attention.
'Oliver, of course.' The name hit my brain like Lilian slapped me in the face. I had enjoyed tonight so much, that I hadn't even thought of him anymore.
'Well, I've seen him before. It's not like I am meeting him for the first time since then, am I?,' I answered hesitantly. I knew she was far from agreeing on me going, but I also knew she didn't really want to tell me and hold me back. Lilian shrugged.
'Guess you're right... But still. You're taking such a risk.'
'Wouldn't feel alive if I didn't,' I muttered. I knew Lilian was just as worried as Brian was about my wellbeing while being on tour with the lad who had almost cost me my education and my sanity. She wouldn't have been my best friend if she hadn't been there for me in that dark period of my life. Lilian would always be serious and respectful about it, but sometimes, when we'd have had too much wine and we were in a funny mood, she would say that she was glad I had saved her from that certain fate and we would laugh about it. After all this time, I actually could laugh about it sometimes. Everything that had happened, had found peace in my mind and I could let it go.
I was lucky to have Lilian; ever since day one of sharing a dorm room together, we had been best friends. We just clicked in a way I'd never had with anyone else before and we had shared a lot of adventures and experiences since then.
When we graduated, she quickly married Josh, and the two were still together, despite their explosive relationship. One moment Lilian could call me and rant furiously about Josh for over half an hour, the other moment she'd post pictures on Facebook of them being the perfect couple. They were, though. Josh and Lilian were a perfect match.
'Well, babe, I gotta go. I'm gonna miss you so much!' Lilian pulled me into a tight hug. 'Please take care of yourself. Don't let him drive you crazy,' she added, whispering in my ear.
'I won't, Lil.'
'You'd better.' She sighed and pulled away. 'I'm so proud of you.'
'Oh, hush...' I felt my cheeks turn pink and I smiled while looking at the ground.
'I'm serious Al, I am proud of you. You're never letting something get the best of you, and this only proves it once again.' Lilian grabbed my hands. 'I hope you have fun in America.'
'I will.'
'Good. I love you, doll face.'
'I love you too, hun.' We hugged again and I watched her walk away, her blonde ponytail sweeping on her back. Brian took my hand and pulled me down on our plaid. I kissed him and turned my face towards the setting sun. The light was warm and the park was buzzing with life; Hyde Park being the biggest park in London also meant being the busiest outside place in the huge city London was. People were hanging around, enjoying the start of summer.
'Ali?'
'Hmm?' I looked away from a family with two small children and caught Brian's eyes. He had been a bit nervous all day, and I didn't know why.
'I'm gonna miss you, you know?' I smiled and nudged his shoulder with mine.
'I know. I'm gonna miss you too.'
'I love you.' My smile faded at his serious tone. Brian bit his lip and put his hand in his pocket, getting something out without showing me. Then he sat up, taking my hand. 'You're my everything, and I love you so much. I hate to see you go for a few months, but I've come to terms with the fact that this is your dream, and I should support you in following your dream. Not now, but for the rest of my life, and yours. Ali, I eh...' My heart started pounding and my eyes widened with shock as soon as I figured out what he was up to.
'Brian, are you -'
'I... Yeah. Will you marry me?' He held out a ring to me, and I couldn't do anything but stare from the ring to his face and back for a long moment, forgetting how to breath. 'You're making it kinda awkward, Ali...,' Brian said while biting his lip. I inhaled sharply, then looked at him again.
'Oh my God!' I put my hands in front of my mouth and just stared at him for another moment. 'Are you being se- Brian!'
'Just say yes, Al. Please.' His eyes and voice were almost pleading and I started nodding my head.
A wide smile struck his face and he sighed in relief. Then he took my left hand and put the ring on my finger, pressing his lips against mine. He pushed me over and we fell unto the plaid, him hovering over me. He stroke my hair with his hand.
'For a second I was afraid you were gonna say no...,' he said softly.
'I wasn't, I was just in shock. Fuck Bri, you just asked me to become your wife!'
'I did, didn't I?' He grinned at me and I pulled him closer to kiss him. Then he let go of me and let himself fall next to me on the plaid. I looked at the ring; it was a simple, thin, golden ring with one small diamond in the middle, but it was perfect to me. I didn't need anything big; it was the thought that counted to me.
We stayed on the plaid like that, talking and fooling around like a madly in love couple until it became dark and colder, and then we cleaned up, packed our things and headed home. I knew I was going to regret staying out late, since I had to be at Heathrow Airport at six am, which meant my alarm would wake me up at four thirty. Luckily I had already almost everything packed, except for some small things I'd put in my backpack when I would leave.
'We need some celebration,' Brian said, getting a bottle of champagne out of the fridge.
'What? Since when do we have champagne?,' I asked. Brian just shrugged.
'Since I have been planning on this.'
'You sneaky bastard.' I grinned at him as he popped the champagne bottle and got two glasses. 'No need for glasses though.' I grabbed the bottle from his hands and put it to my mouth, taking a few sips of the sparkling, sour liquid. Brian looked at me, then grinned too.
'Fine,' he said. It only took us half an hour to empty the bottle and end up in bed, clinging on to each other as if it was the last thing we'd ever do.
*
I grunted when my alarm went off only four hours later. My head was aching and I was thirsty as hell, and for a second I was tempted to just put my alarm off and go back to sleep. But then it hit me. Warped! Immediately I was awake and jumped out of bed, ignoring a grunting Brian.
'Ugh,' he sighed, hiding his head under his pillow.
'Wake up grump, we have to leave in half an hour!,' I said while walking into the bathroom. I took a quick shower, put on some comfortable clothes and my glasses since I would be in an airplane for over eight hours, and pulled my hair up in a bun. I stared in the mirror; I didn't feel like doing makeup, since it would be a mess anyway after the flight and I would have no chance to touch it up.
Brian finally got out of bed while I put some of the last things in my backpack. I looked at the clock.
'Hurry up Bri, it's four fifty.' I heard him yawn while putting on his jeans and fixing his untamed hair in a bun.
'Yeah, yeah...' When he was finally done, he took his keys, wallet and my suitcase, and let me out of the door first. He hoisted my suitcase in the car when we got down and then took place at the driver's seat, holding on to my hand for the entire ride.
The streets were quiet and it only took us forty five minutes to get to Heathrow. Brian took my hand in his and squeezed it a little, and I squeezed back, too excited at this point. He dragged my suitcase with him.
'Where did you guys agreed to meet?,' he asked.
'At check in,' I pointed as I saw Patrick already stand there. I waved and he did the same when he noticed me.
'You're early!,' he said as I walked up to him, greeting him with a short hug.
'So are you!'
'Yeah, but I'm the manager,' Patrick said, laughing a little. Then his eyes fell on Brian.
'This is my boyfr - No, scratch that. This is my fiancé Brian. Bri, this is Patrick, Bring Me's tourmanager,' I introduced them to each other. They shook hands.
'Fiancé, huh?,' Patrick said, a smile on his lips.
'Yeah, as of yesterday,' Brian answered, pulling me in his arms.
'Congrats to you both! Great news! Oh look, there's the lads!' Patrick looked behind us and waved, and I followed his gaze. The whole band and crew was coming in, followed by what I thought would be family and girlfriends, and Tom. Everyone looked tired but in a good mood, and the guys goofed around a bit. Patrick greeted everyone, and most of the guys came to say hello to me too, except for Oliver, who was standing a little a side, his hood deeply pulled over his eyes. I introduced the band to Brian and they seemed to get along while talking as Patrick tried to organize the chaos we were right now.
'Okay guys!,' he yelled. I shot him a look. 'And girl,' he added, laughing. 'Time to say goodbye and head over to check in! Come on, move your arses!' Everyone did as he said and turned to their family to say goodbye, and Brian pulled me into a hug.
'You have fun up there,' he mumbled in my ear.
'Yeah.'
'Be good. I love you, Al.' I smiled and pulled away from him, but he pulled me back and locked his lips on mine.
'Get a fucking room,' I heard someone yell, whom I believed to be Nicholls, and I flipped my middle finger towards them, then pulled away from Brian.
'I'll see you soon, okay?'
'Of course babe. Call me when you've landed.'
'I will.' I kissed him one last time and then grabbed my suitcase, following the rest to the check in. Brian waved and stared after me, and I put my hand up.
'You excited?,' a voice near me asked. I turned and saw Tom standing behind me.
'Yes, I am! Are you coming too?,' I asked him, looking at his suitcase and backpack in surprise.
'Yeah, I decided to hop along for a few weeks. I won't be there for the entire tour, though.' I grinned, knowing I was going to have a lot of fun with him in the next few weeks.
'Great,' I said, hugging him shortly. 'Now let's make sure we're sitting next to each other for the next nine hours.'
Oliver
Of course I was stuck sitting next to her. She was at the window seat, and rolled her eyes when I took the seat next to her.
'Great,' she muttered, staring after Tom who walked by, shot her a sad look, shrugged and took his seat a few rows back.
'Guess you're stuck with me,' I said, pulling my phone and headphone out of my backpack before throwing it in the overhead lockers and taking my seat.
'Guess so...' She stared out of the window and stayed silent for a long while, her nails digging into the armrest and her eyes closed while the plane took off twenty minutes later. I noticed she was inhaling very shallow, and couldn't help but think she was scared of flying. My eyes trailed over her face while I was observing her, trying to ignore Nicholls, who was sitting next to me at the aisle and whining about the small leg space he had. I am taller than you, you prick. Imagine being me on this flight...
Alison's face was frowned, her eyes still closed behind her glasses.
'Eh... Alison, are you okay?,' I softly asked her.
'Don't talk to me,' she sneered, not even bothering to look at me while pulling a bottle of pills out of her pocket en taking one.
'Right. Whatever.' I agreed to myself that this would be the last time I'd try and be nice to her, since all she gave me was an attitude. To distract myself from Attitude Alison and Nagging Nicholls, I put my headphones on, pulled my hood back over my eyes and turned on some music, blocking everything out to fall asleep. Hopefully I'd sleep until we would reach the other side of the pond, and I'd feel a lot better than I did now.
*
I woke up from a poking at my arm, and turned to see Alison looking at me. She was saying something, but I didn't hear her over my music. I shook my head to wake up a little more and took off my head phones, looking back at her.
'What?'
'I need to go to the lavatory...,' she mumbled, looking away because of my annoyed answer. I sighed and looked at Nicholls, who was vast asleep, then checked the time on my phone. We had been flying for over three hours already.
'Eh... Well, I guess you have to climb over us,' I said. She sighed and rolled her eyes.
'Don't be such a prick. Wake up Nicholls, so you two can get up and let me through.' I let out a humourless laugh.
'You wanna wake up Nicholls? Good luck. Rather you than me,' I answered, putting my headphones back on.
'Oliver!'
'What?!' I looked up at her, annoyed. 'Just climb over us,' I said, turning my music on again. Alison stared at me for a moment, then leant over me in an attempt to get out of her seat. She put her hands next to my head and threw her leg over mine; I couldn't help but smirk when her boobs were right at my eye level. She noticed, though. Shit.
'You're a fucking asshole, you know that, Sykes?,' she whisper-shouted angrily at me. I nodded, closing my eyes and biting my lip to keep myself from laughing. Her hand smacked my head on purpose and I looked back at her while she climbed over Nicholls, who didn't wake up in the slightest. Then she flipped me off and walked to the back of the plane, and I stared after her.
It took her over an hour to come back, in which I had played stupid games on my phone, and she seemed a lot happier when she did.
'What have you been up to?,' I asked her.
'Why do you care?,' she threw back at me, pulling her backpack out from the overhead locker and taking her camera out. She smirked at the still sleeping Nicholls, then took a picture.
'Oh God,' I muttered. 'Are you gonna do that all tour?'
'Do what?,' she asked, taking another photo.
'Taking stupid photos of us?'
'Depends on your behaviour,' was her answer and I rolled my eyes. She looked at the screen on her camera, her grey eyes piercing through her glasses. She was pretty even though she wasn't wearing any makeup and seemed tired, and there was still something about her that drew me towards her like it had done on the day of the Drop Dead photoshoot. Her fingers delicately held her camera, and I now noticed a small diamond ring on her finger. I couldn't remember her wearing that last time I'd seen her. Did that hobo of a boyfriend of hers ask her to marry him?
'You wanna get back to your seat?,' I asked, trying to block my thoughts out.
'Why? So I have to climb over you and you can stare at my tits again? Nah, don't think so. I'd rather go bother your brother,' Alison retorted with a small smirk before walking off to Tom. I could hear him laugh a moment later and I looked back, right into his intense blue eyes. He shook his head at me, still smiling about what Alison told him about, most likely, me. I sighed and sunk back into my chair. This were going to be a long ten weeks...
*
I didn't even realize I had fallen back to sleep until I woke up from the airplane going into a fit of turbulence. The captain told everyone to get back to their assigned seats and to put the seatbelt on. Alison came back to our row, her eyes wide with fright. Nicholls was awake too, and he got up to let her in. Just as I wanted to do the same, as I wasn't keen on getting into a fight with her again, turbulence struck again and I fell back into my seat, with Alison on my lap. She looked at me with wide eyes, then crawled over me and sat back, her breathing fast and high in her chest.
'Are you okay?,' I asked her once again. She nodded, but closed her eyes and dug her nails into the armrest again. 'You look terrified.'
'Shut up.' The plane shook once again.
'It's gonna be a bumpy ride,' Nicholls said, not even tearing his eyes from the movie he was watching on the little screen in front of him. Alison seemed like she was going into a panic attack right there and then, and to get her distracted I took her hand into mine and squeezed it. She opened her eyes and stared at our intertwined hands, then at me.
'You'll be fine,' I said, not able to look away from her eyes. Their deep grey colour reminded me of the ocean on a stormy day, or the clouds packing above Sheffield's countryside fields before rain burst out of the sky. She stayed fixed on me, not saying anything but just staring at my face, clamping her hand onto mine. The turbulence kept on for over half an hour, in which I put some relaxing music on, which I often used to listen when I got in an anxiety attack, and gave Alison my headphones. She hadn't said a word since she came back, but had just kept holding my hand, trying to find some comfort in looking at me, which surprised me, honestly. The music seemed to make it a little better, because she finally tore her eyes off me and looked outside the window, which showed heavy clouds above the Atlantic. There was nothing but water and clouds underneath us.
'You know what's the worst?,' she asked to, what I thought, no one in particular while she pulled the headphones off her ears.
'No?'
'Knowing that if something happens, there is no way out of the plane.' I frowned and laughed a little.
'What?'
'You know, if something happens to the plane, there is no way we'll make it out alive. There's no where we can go.'
'Maybe you shouldn't think about that,' I stated. Her eyes met mine.
'That's easy for you to say. You're not scared of flying.' I chuckled.
'Why did you agree on coming with us on tour to the US if you're so afraid of flying?,' I asked her. She huffed.
'Because it's a great opportunity and if I never take a plane then I am not going anywhere for the rest of my life.' She had a point. I nodded and looked at our hands, realizing they were still intertwined while the worst of the turbulence was over. Alison followed my gaze and pulled her hand back.
'Can I eh... Can I still borrow your music for a while?' I nodded and handed her my iPhone. 'Thanks,' she whispered, putting the headphones back on and blocking me out once again.
*
The rest of the flight had been okay; I had filled my time with watching movies. There had hardly been any turbulence anymore and Alison had fallen asleep for a few hours. The captain announced that we would soon be landing in Dallas, Texas. I looked at Alison, who was asleep, and I wasn't planning on waking her up until we had landed. Carefully I grabbed my phone, which was still playing music, and I shook my head laughing softly when I saw it was blasting Slipknot and Alison was sleeping right through it.
Nicholls stretched himself and yawned.
'I'm so ready to get out of this fucking flying tube,' he said. I mumbled in agreement while the cabin crew prepared for landing. We went down smoothly, and the bright sunlight outside already told me it was going to be hot. When the plane had taxied to the gate, I poked Alison's arm and she woke up wearily, pulling the headphones off her ears in disgust.
'What am I listening to?!,' she demanded and I laughed.
'Slipknot,' I answered, taking the headphones from her.
'My God... At least I slept through the landing.' She stretched and I couldn't help but stare at the small stroke of bare skin between her shirt and sweatpants, showing an old scar running over her skin. 'For fuck's sake, Oliver, get your eyeballs off me,' she snapped, pulling her shirt down to cover her belly. I flicked my head away and Nicholls laughed.
'You tell 'm, missy,' he said.
'Oh, you just wait, Matt. I might have taken some photos of you while you weren't aware of it,' Alison teased and Nicholls' laugh faded.
'Fuck you.' Alison just smiled sweetly at him and he got up, getting his bag out of the locker and making way for us to do the same.
Alison found Tom again and it already annoyed me at how well the two of them seemed to get along. The entire time we spent getting through customs, getting our luggage and walking to our rental tour bus, they were talking and laughing and it irritated my ears and my mind, but at the same time her laugh vibrated through the air, clinging at my skin and pouring through to the inside of my bones, and it gave me chills... In a good way.
'Well, maybe we can talk it through while grabbing a coffee or some lunch one day,' I heard Tom say and I grunted as I mounted the few steps of the tour bus. I hardly responded to the enthusiastic yells from my bandmates and our crew about the bus, and when everyone was settled down and had confiscated a bunk (mine being as farthest away from Alison's as possible) and we had met our driver Robert for the next few months, I climbed in my made shift bed and closed the curtain to try and get some much needed sleep.
*
AN: I know I am the slowest updater ever, sorry! I have this fanfic almost finished though, but there are still a few gaps in the story that need to be filled in! Anyhow, is anyone actually reading this? Let me know :)