#blackveilbridesfanfiction

[ratedrstarboy]

Happy Anniversary to Wretched and Divine! Released on January 8, 2013.

@blackveilbrides-ever @blackveilbridesfanfiction-com @blackveilbrides-blog @blackveilbridesbrasil @blackveilbridesfamily

[writingismyhappytime]

Escaping Grace (Part 2)

Warnings: Language, Angst. This series will have a lot of anxiety/mental abuse mentions. 

"Are you sure this looks okay?" I ask hesitantly, standing in front of the floor length mirror in my room. Vale and I had spent all day yesterday trying to find something appropriate, but to my frustration I hadn't found a thing I'd liked.

Now I was staring intently at my reflection, dressed in my average clothes that don't really make me stand out at all --- which could be a good thing, I guess. No need in trying to be too obvious about wanting to impress them, right?

"Of course," Vale says from behind me as she slips her earrings in, glancing me over. "Those are your good ass jeans, you know that. You can make anything look good in those."

Well, that does make me feel a little better. Vale is the kind of person to tell you if you look terrible, so I take the statement pretty seriously I give myself another glance, but turn away after a moment, knowing I'm not going to be satisfied the more I look; I always overthink everything.

I glance at my best friend as she slips into some heels, which only make her look more imposing. Her black hair falls straight from her widows peak, and her makeup is simple today, just a flick of eyeliner to accentuate her eyes.

I'm always so jealous of her, I've told her that a hundred times. She has such a perfect figure, I always feel so short and stumpy in comparison. On my good days I feel like I look pretty badass, with my tattoos and piercings, depending on what I'm wearing to accentuate them --- but om days like these, I feel uncertain about everything. My hair, my clothes, how badly noticeable my breakouts are --- in my mind, surely that's the first thing our new business partners are going to notice.

Why is having clear skin such a struggle?

The temptation to fake sick and go crawl inside the bathtub is suddenly really strong. I can send Vale in as my ambassader and she'll have them eating out of the palm of her hand, no doubt. One wink from her, a soft smirk on her glossy lips --- she could seduce the gold from a leprechaun.

Maybe I won't have to fake sick after all, my stomach is doing flips and tying itself into knots. I rub my palms nervously against my dark jeans, fighting the ball of nerves in my throat as it threatens to choke me down. I can't do this, I can't meet them, I'll ruin everything. I should just keep myself as far away from them as I possibly can so that I don't ruin anything, and ---.

"Uh, where are you going?" Vale demands as I suddenly make a beeline for the bathroom. "You have to finish getting dressed, Leah! We're going to be late!"

"I suddnely don't feel very well," I reply as I step into the bathroom, curling my toes against the coldness of the tiles as I turn my back to the mirror above the sink. I gaze into the tub, my hands on my hips as I look at nothing inparticular. "Maybe this is a bad idea."

"The only bad idea is you thinking that it is one." She says from where she sits on the edge of my bed, fiddling with her heels. "Don't let your nerves get to you. You're so excited to meet them and I'm not going to let you miss this. Now," she levels a stare at me that I purposefully try to ignore. "Get dressed or you're going in those pikachu shorts and barefoot."

I glance down at my pajama bottoms.

"That would be a good impression, wouldn't it?" I sigh, running a hand through my messy hair. I let the bathroom door swing closed, and hastily get dressed before I can put anymore thought into it. The less I think, the better it'll be.

My fingers linger on the t shirt I thought about wearing, one of the designs from our merch line that hasn't been produced yet. Would it be too cheesy to wear my own band shirt? Probably. I just end up grabbing my favorite jeans, the one's with the holes in the knee's from where I'd fallen in the studio and put them there on accident. I sit down on the edge of the tub, grabbing my boots and slipping them on easily, pleased with the easy zipper so I don't have to lace them.

At least these are comfy clothes for me, something I'm familiar with. I wish I wasn't so anxious, that my palms didn't have sweat building on them, or that I feel like I'm going to be sick at any moment. It's a curse, and what the doctor prescribes helps, but I hate taking medicine all the time, too.

Vale suddenly starts thumping her hand impatiently against the door, and my eyes flick to the clock sitting on a shelf. She's right, if we don't get going we're going to be late. "Leah, are you ready yet? We gotta get going already!"

"I'm ready," I say, although I don't feel it at all. I cast one last look in the mirror, frowning. My blonde hair was pulled back so it doesn't fall in my face, revealing the red and blue streaks decorating the lower layer. My eyes are a bright green, and Vale did my eyeliner so the color really seems to pop more tonight. Some days I can agree with her that I'm pretty, but today I'm rolling in nerves and the thought is arguable.

"If we don't leave now we're going to be un-fashionably late!" Vale hisses from the other room, and I roll my eyes as I jerk open the bathroom door. She gives me an approving look before beckoning me forward, already heading for the front door of the apartment we share.

We have to grab a cab, but it doesn't take us long to get to the club. It's kind of exclusive, you have to be on a list to get in, but so long as Craig called and did his duty, we shouldn't have any problems. We could skip the line and head right inside.

God it would be mortifying if he forgot to call.

The first sign the night isn't going as planned is seeing Nate and Clarke waiting outside on the curb. I thought they'd be inside already, rubbing elbows and getting into trouble. I send Vale a nervous look she ignores, tossing the cabbie some bills as we both hastily get out of the car.

"Why aren't you guys already inside?" She demands the moment they're within eashot, and both men turn to look at us.

Clarke's brows are furrowed, his square jaw clenched. His brown hair is falling into his eyes, and I can tell he's frustrated. "We're not on the list."

"What?" Oh no, this is it, this is the end. Craig forgot, didn't he? Our big moment is already over, we can't even get inside the club. Fate has forsaken us, laughing in our face, it's all over, it's ---.

"Leah, stop looking all doom and gloom," Vale pats my shoulder, as if knowing exactly what the pained look on my face means I'm thinking. She's known me long enough to know I immediately go into a downward spiral of despair before any rationality hits.

"Craig must have forgot." Nate sounds annoyed, a cigarette hanging from his lips as he tries to light it. He keeps shifting his weight back and forth, and I'm not sure if it's due to the cold or his aggravation. "I already called him and he damn well forgot to get our reservation. What the hell are we supposed to do now, huh?"

This is so embarrassing.

I know my cheeks are burning, and I rub my arms uncomfortably. We're supposed to be getting famous and this is really a kick to the ego. I think "famous," pretty lightly, but at least well known enough to get into venues on our own.

"Well, don't panic," my roommate purses her lips thoughtfully. "We just have to find a way inside. The bouncer doesn't look like he would be too tough to crack, unless he's gay. Then one of you two is going to have to be bait while the rest of us sneak in."

Nate and Clarke do not look like they agree with her idea, both of their noses curling.

"I am not bait," Nate retorts, smoke drifting in a haze around him. "I would not lower myself to that level, thank you."

He sends all of us an annoyed look, just barely coming to Clarke's shoulder. Clarke always looms over the rest of us --- except tonight Vale is the same height as him and looks just as formidable. They look like people you wouldn't casually approach for directions, especially Clarke with his major RBF.

My eyes flick to the bouncer, and he looks familiar. His back is to us where he stands at the door beneath the light, barring entrance to our future. This man is keeping us from meeting the people that might propel our careers, and I almost didn't like him because of it. I have to remind myself that he's just doing his job, it isn't personal, he has no idea how important this is to us!

But maybe he should.

What if we just reasonably explained who we were, had Craig call their management to straighten this all out, and went from there? That was the most logical answer, and of course it would work; we don't have to seduce the bouncer, lure him and knock him out in an alley like Vale is trying to convince is our next course of action.

"Why don't we just tell him what's going on?" I suggest, giving them my idea. They have to concede it's the best course of action, and Clarke agrees with me even if Vale thinks I'm ruining all the fun. Our bassist turns away to call our manager, who's definitely in the dog house right now despite getting us this gig.

"Okay, why don't you go up to talk to him and tell him what's up?" Nate urges, and I give him a horrified look as I realize he's talking to me.

"What? Why me?" I cross my arms uncomfortably, but I'm starting to feel awkward standing out here with them like this. I feel like everyone has to know about our predicament, how embarrassing it is for us!

My cheeks are starting to get hot, and I rub my arms nervously.

"Because you're our frontperson, aren't you? They'll recognize you before they do the rest of us." he points out, but I absolutely do not like the idea! They know how I am about talking to people, I use an app to order all my takeout for goodness sake! I might be trying to get famous, but it's not because I want to really be that sociable.

"Probably not, no one will recognize me," I mumble, shaking my head quickly. "We're not that well known yet, yknow? Vale would have a better ---."

"Vale is currently cussing out Craig and is going to cause us a scene if we don't go in already," the drummer grumbles, both of us looking over where Clarke and Vale stand, her hissing into his cellphone where he holds it between them. I can only imagine Craig's apologetic tone.

Oh man.

I sigh, but one of us is going to have to go up there. I cast a glance at the long line of people streching down the row behind the red rope before disappearing around the block. If we waited in line like everyone else, we'd be hours getting inside!

I take a deep breath, exhaling against the anxiety. Well, I can do this. I can approach this man and ask very nicely that he let us in because our business associates are waiting to meet us and he is not going to be the reason we turn into one hit wonders to be forgotten about! Or, god forbid, our music is just played in commercials and we get associated with some type of biscuit for the rest of our career.

I cringe at the thought.

I take a deep breath before starting forward. I avert my gaze from the long line of people I'm brazenly walking past, hoping I'm not about to embarrass myself. I can see some of them cutting their eyes at me, there's no telling how long they've been waiting outside to get into this club. I can already hear the music, it's like the walls are thrumming, the concrete beneath my boots pounding with the beat.

It's muffled, but it makes me wonder how loud it is inside.

I make it to the front of the line, but the bouncers back is to me as he lets someone in the door.

"Excuse me," I start, trying to not sound as nervous as I feel. I'm supposed to be confident, I represent my band after all, so cool and sophisticated is supposed to be a given. If it wasn't for the fact I'm incredibly clumsy and socially awkward, my appearance at least would give off that vibe.

The bouncer turns to glance at me, and I blink as I recognize him.

"Liliya?" Alexei sounds surprised, but I'm probably the last person he ever expected to see tonight.

I smile at him, relaxing a little bit. "Hey, Alexei. It's been a while, huh?"

"A while? Years!" He reaches forward, grasping and squeezing my hand tightly. His Russian accent is still heavy on his words, but his English is good now. My family is originally from Russia, but came here before I was born; a lot of my older brothers still have the accent just like my mother and cousins on her side.  "You've grown so much, I almost didn't recognize you!"

Not being recognized as the sad sop from before is probably the best compliment he could have given me. I hate the thought of how I was before I was able to escape my family, my life in that small town --- he probably remembers the girl who wouldn't make eye contact and would barely speak a word. It took me a long time to get out of that, and I'm happier with how I am now.

I'm not so afraid anymore.

"I thought you were going back home," I say after a moment, glancing him up and down. Still thick brown hair, broad shoulders and tall. He's shaved his beard, and he looks rather formiddable in his black t shirt and jeans; standard bouncer, he fits the part.

"I extended my visa to stay longer. I am here on weekends for extra money. How are you doing, Liliya? How is your music?" He questions, completely ignoring the complaining crowd that's wanting to go inside.

My eyes flick to where my band is gathered a ways down, staring intently and waiting for some kind of signal. Should I start waving my arms frantically or something, is that the cue that it's safe to come in?

"It's going pretty well so far. My band is just down there," I gesture at them pointedly. "We're actually supposed to be meeting a fellow band inside, Black Veil Brides?"

I hate that I end on a question, like I'm not really sure if I'm supposed to go in or not. Alexei either doesn't notice or ignores it, he just nods his head. It's kind of nice to see him, a cousin that I actually liked; he was always nice to me, always laughing or having a good time despite my mothers stern and serious demeanor. He didn't let her damper his happiness.

"Oh, yes, I let them in twenty minutes ago. They mentioned something about meeting someone. Come," Alexei tugs on the red velvet rope, waving his beefy hand at my band, who hastily scurries forward; I can see the relief on all of their faces.

Maybe one embarrassing moment can be missed for us?

"Thank you, Alexei," I say as they hastily file past me through the black scratched door, Vale sending me a curious look. "I'm glad I ran into you, too!"

"You must keep in touch more. Here," He reaches into his shirt pocket, pulling out a business card. I glance at it before slipping it into my backpocket, seeing how nice and sleek it looks. "If you need me, you reach me. I'm here for a few more months before I must extend visa again."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you," I say, giving him another smile before I step through the black door and into the darkness of the club.

This is the first time family has ever done anything for me.

~~~~~~

"How the hell did you manage to get us in, Leah?" Nate asks as he falls into step beside me, casually slipping his arm over my shoulder. I let him pull me to his side, my hand pressing lightly against his lower back; he really didn't need to wear that much cologne. "That was badass! I thought for sure we were gonna get stuck outside."

"Oh, I knew the bouncer, he's my cousin." I explain after a moment, my cheeks heating. We're going through a dark hallway, but I can just dimly see the door at the end, lights strobing underneath, and already the music is so loud I'm having to almost shout. I figure once we get inside we won't be able to hear anything at all.

Vale kicks open the door rather roughly, and I cringe as the music hits us full force. It's obnoxiously loud and my ears immediately ache from the bass. I can feel it through the floor, and the heat of the room! It's intense.

I can see where we have to go down a flight of stairs to get to a platform that leads to the bar, and a few more steps until you reached the club floor. The place is packed with people, dancing, drinking, having a good time. I wish I could relax like them, throw my hands carelessly in the air and just jump to the beat of the music.

Vale states I'm high strung all the time, kicking myself in the shin by looking for the next disaster instead of enjoying the current peace. She's not wrong, but I don't know how else to be. I annoy myself sometimes, and I wish I could change, but it would be a hard habit to drop.

"There's the guys," Vale shouts after a moment, and I follow her pointing finger across the room. I don't know how she knows it's them, everyone looks the same to me. Maybe it's the goggle of groupies crowding around the VIP area in their tiny dresses and glowing neon jewelry; how were we supposed to get past that? We're probably not even going to be able to get into the VIP area!

"Let's go, they probably think we're ditching them with how late we are," Clarke says, and I cringe. Thirty minutes past our meeting time, I hate that. I'm so weird about being punctual.

I latch tightly onto Vale, not wanting to get separated. I have a harder time keeping up with her longer strides, I almost feel childish clinging to her as we descend the metal steps. She squeezes my hand comfortingly, Nate and Clarke falling into step behind me.

I'm not quite sure how we all manage to stay together through the crowd, I'm pretty sure Clarke has a tight grip on Nate's collar to keep him from straying; no doubt he's already spying potential conquests for the night, and I roll my eyes at the thought. I'm starting to think that's all that goes through his head, he never takes anything seriously, at all! It drives me absolutely nuts, it's like he doesn't care!

Vale suddenly stalls in front of me, and I thoughtlessly step up beside her, seeing we've reached the impenetrable throng of groupies. There's a few guys mixed in, all talking excitedly out of reach of the red rope separating them from the VIP section. I wish I could lean around them, just wave and they part like the red sea so I could get where I needed to be.

How annoying.

"Excuse me," Vale says impatiently, boldly stepping forward. One of the girls glances at her, but hastily steps out of her way when she sees Vale isn't playing around. I know Clarke is looming behind me, and we all follow Vale forward, making sure to avoid all eye contact. I'm shorter than both of them, so I try to hunker between them so no one really notices me.

It's usually not too hard, but they're eyeballing us, and for some reason I have the feeling we've been recognized. If they're saying something I can't hear it over the obnoxious music, and I'm more than relieved when the bodyguard lording over the velvet rope opens it so we can step into the most peaceful section of any nightclub I've ever been in.

I let my breath go in relief as we head for where the other band is sitting. They've noticed us, and all of them are straightening, glasses already scattered on the polished black table where they sit.

My eyes flick to Andy instantly, and it's like all my nerves settle in my stomach, twisting it into this tight, awful knot that wants to rise into my throat. I rub my palms nervously against my jeans, hoping they don't want to shake hands.

Black Veil Brides is known for their black hair and bodypaint, the story they tell with their music. Andy, the lead singer, his voice is deep, and I swear when I first heard his music it sent a shiver down my spine. I loved their look, the tattoos, the paint and piercings --- I'm not one much for all the extra paint myself, my skin is too sensitive, but it works for them well enough.

Is it bad I know exactly who each of them are before they introduce themselves?

"You're Escape from Grace, right?" It's CC who greets us as we finally reach the table, rising to his feet. They're all dressed so... normal, kind of like us, and that makes me feel a little better. None of us really look like we're ready to party in a nightclub, except for maybe Nate with his untucked button up shirt and his attention still focused on the party raging a few feet from him.

I glance at Vale as she reaches to shake CC's hand, her lips lifting into a smile. Her hand lingers in his just a few moments longer than necessary before she pulls away, her eyes flicking him over from his tight black jeans to his headband keeping his hair at bay.

"Yeah. I'm Vale, that's Nate, Clarke, and Leah." She introduces us, gesturing with her hand. Andy hasn't really paid us any attention yet, he's draining a beer and leaning back in his chair; from the looks of it, they're all a few drinks in already. I used to watch his music videos and interviews all the time, sigh dramatically when he spoke; I just liked listening to his voice sometimes, I found it soothing. Now... well, considering I'm meeting him, I find it kind of embarrassing.

His black hair used to be really long, but now he'd cut it shorter where it barely fell into his blue eyes, the trademark eyeliner slightly smeared around them making the color stand out a little more. He's cleanshaven, just like the rest of them, and they all have dark hair --- probably dyed, no doubt.

"It's nice to meet you guys. Come on, sit down," Ashley, their bassist, says, gesturing at the empty chairs before us. Vale somehow finds her spot between Nate and Clarke, putting me beside Ashley, who gives me a grin I force myself to return. I squirm nervously in the cushioned chair, clenching my hands in my lap. I'm so not good with meeting new people, I wish I hadn't come. It's like the idea of it sounds good, but when it's actually happening all I want to do is leave.

"I'm glad you guys finally made it. We were starting to think you stood us up," Ashley calls after a moment, and Vale looks apologetic.

"Sorry about that! We got held up at the bouncer --- Leah had a family reunion," she adds hastily, and I'm kind of glad she does. How about we don't let them know we weren't on the list and couldn't even get in, okay? Kind of kills our vibe.

"Family reunion?" Jinxx questions, his hands clasped in front of him. He's their --- well, he does a little of everything. He's the guitarist, violinist, cellist, plays piano --- the man is a plythora of talents that he utilizes almost every show. It's very impressive, actually.

Nate nudges me, and I hesitate; do they really need the details? I mean, is that important? Everyone doesn't have to look at me so expectantly!

"My --- my cousin is the bouncer." I force myself to say after a moment, digging my nails into my palms as I shrug my shoulders. "I haven't seen him in a while, so we had to catch up. Sorry about being late," I say sincerely, glancing around the table. "That's not typical of us."

I want to assure them of that, so they don't think too lowly of us. Ashley is to my right, than Jinxx, and beside him is Jake, their lead guitarist. Andy is beside him, than CC on the edge beside Clarke, who sits stonefaced as always. He could really try to go for a more friendly face.

"How about some more drinks?" Vale suddenly suggests before anyone has a chance to respond, her voice bright. She raises her hand expectantly, and after a moment a frazzled woman manages to make it to our crowded table; really,so many of us shoved together, I feel like I'm melting. It's extremely hot in here!

"Order?" the woman asks, her hair done up in curls and makeup thick around her eyes. She's pretty, French apparently, and I'm not sure how she expects to hear any of us over this cacaponous music; I can't imagine having to work in a place like this.

Everyone rattles off their orders, and her pen moves furiously across her notepad before pausing. She frowns, her eyes raising to glance around the table before she asks us to repeat that one more time.  We try one more time, but I can see it on her face; she has no idea.

"Two scotches, another beer, and a martini for her," I say as I halfway turn in my chair, gesturing at Vale. "Just a coke for me, thank you. And don't worry, it's really loud in here, so I don't know how anyone can hear a thing." I add, not wanting her to feel bad. She blinks after me before giving me a smile; she looks relieved.

"Thank you. I'll be right back with your orders." She says before turning, disappearing through the throng of people.

"What magic language did you two just speak?" Ashley asks as I shift, realizing everyone is looking at me. Some of them look surprised, some impressed, and I can feel the heat rising in my face.

"French..?"

"How did you learn French? That was so smooth." He compliments, crossing his arms on the table as he looks at me. I avert my gaze, shrugging my shoulders.

"I was an army brat, I've lived all over the world." I explain when it's obvious no one else is going to say anything. "I can speak a little of this and that."

"You're fluent enough to order alcohol, that's good enough for me." he chuckles, his light voice lilting. He's probably the shortest of the group, with high cheekbones and studs decorating his ears. I think he has his own clothing line now, so he's very successful; him and Nate will get along great when it comes to chasing down the women I'm sure. That's the impression I've always gotten of him, anyway.

I've fangirled enough over this band I feel like I know way too much information.

I glance behind me as the noise increases, seeing that the club is starting to get pretty crowded now. Probably due to the photos of the two bands sitting together I know those groupies have been taking and blasting all over social media. I squirm a little in my chair, listening to everyone attempt to talk and hear each other.

I don't think I'll ever be able to hear again after we leave this place.

"So," Andy speaks for the first time tonight, leaning forward a little as he glances at my band. "What are you guys going to open with at our show?"

Oh, right down to business, okay.

"The Last Song is Ours," Vale answers him easily, steepling her fingers in front of her on the table, lights glinting off her black nail polish. Honestly, she would make a great frontwoman for our band, I wish she was the one with the vocal talents and I could just play guitar. Alas, Vale sounds like a screeching duck with something stuck in its throat when she tries to sing, which is also why she avoids even doing back up vocals.

We all have our strong suits, and that's just not hers.

"It should get the crowd pumped, get them ready for you guys to come on stage." She adds when he doesn't comment. "Have you heard it?"

"I've listened to it, your manager sent us your opening list. It's a good song," Ashley states before Andy can reply. "You can reach some serious heights with that voice, Leah. It's impressive."

"Oh, thanks." I nervously brush a strand of blue hair behind my ear. "It's one of our most popular right now, so it's... uh, it's good."

Oh jeez.

It's good? That's all that I can manage?

I'm so relieved when the waitress is suddenly back with our drinks, sliding them around the table. She gives me a bright smile that I return as I take my drink, deciding to leave a nice tip for her.

"All the drinks are right," Jinxx somehow manages to sound surprised as he glances around.

"Why wouldn't they be?" I blink. I know what they said, I ordered them right.

"Y'know, it's a little loud in here if you guys are wanting to talk business," Vale says loudly as a rumble of bass manges to shake the icecubes in my coke. "Why don't we blow this place? It's a little crowded anyway."

Oh yes please. The heat in this room is murder!

"I know a food place a few blocks out, I'm starving anyway. We should be able to hear each other there anyway," Ashley suggests immediatley, already rising to his feet. I blink as he offers his hand to me, and reluctantly I let him help me to my feet; why does he keep paying me so much attention? Vale has been the one leading all the conversations.

"Sounds good to me. Let's get out of here," Clarke says in agreement, his arm coming to rest around my shoulder almost protectively. I glance up at him, but his square jaw is set, and I think he's actually annoyed --- it's hard to tell, since he always looks that way. "Food sounds nice."

Ashley raises his perfectly done brows, raising his hands as if acknowledging --- wait a minute.

Was he trying to flirt with me and I didn't know it? He's barely said a few sentences to me, Clarke doesn't have to baby sister me all of a sudden!

Although, I don't really mind. He's looking out for me, and at least that'll get Ashley to lose all interest, too. I'm not interested in any sort of romantic relationship, probably ever. I'm quite fine with our music being our focus, the driving force in my life right now.

Although --- no, no brain, none of that. No excuses. You can ogle but not touch, I tell myself as Andy brushes past me.

To be honest, I'm kind of disappointed meeting them. Everyone seems friendly but him, and he was who I was so excited to meet in person. Maybe when we're out of the club, it'll be different. Sometimes it's just the environment.

Vale would tell me not to make excuses for him, and I know she's irritated as she stogs after the other band. It takes us a good bit to make it across the club and up the stairs, mostly because the bodyguards have to clear the groupies out of the way. I'm kind of surprised when they even look excitedly at us, that we're --- well, someone recognized our band!

It's nice, and a pretty damn good feeling to not feel so insignificant, too!

It makes me stand a little straighter, walk with a little more pride.

Even if Andy isn't into us opening for us, at least I know our music is good. We've worked so hard to claw our way this far, and just that one girl gasping at us, squealing when she realized who we were --- that's enough for me to know we're worthy of this.

This is our opportunity, and we're going to do so damn well that Black Veil Brides will be opening for us one day, I'm sure of it!

I also know that when they do, I won't have such a pissy attitude meeting them, either.

[blackveilandyimagines]

Three's A Charm... Or Is It?

Hey guys, I feel like it's been forever since I actually posted a one shot on this tumblr. I always just share vines or Instagram posts. 😂 I'm so sorry. I have a wattpad so if you would like to go there and follow me, it's biersackayyy. Just like my Instagram and Twitter. But anyways here's the one shot. I wrote it about myself, but you can replace my name with (y/n). "You're such a f*ucking asshole!" I screamed at my boyfriend as I yanked the door open to the coffee shop. I was livid. He stepped in front of me and shut it before I could walk in. He had been texting his ex girlfriend again. It made me absolutely furious. "Babe, come on. I'm sorry, she just wanted to know what I was up to is all." I shoved his chest. "Leave me alone! Don't talk to me. If you really loved me you wouldn't be talking to her! Now let me go in." I growled. I did not have time for his silly little games. He was immature and constantly played with my head. "Baby. Stop." He whined. I rolled my eyes in disgust. "Just go Jason." I said through my teeth. "But I drove you here!" He whined again. "Just go!" I growled. "I don't want to see your f*ucking face!" He sighed in defeat. This was the last and final straw. I wasn't going to let him do this to me again. He cheated on me with the same girl a few months ago, and like the naive idiot I was, I took him back, thinking he would change. I pushed passed him, and yanked the coffee shop door open once again. I immediately noticed one of the tables crowded by a group of interesting looking men. All five pairs of eyes were glued to me, and I suddenly felt very embarrassed. My cheeks flushed hot and I walked passed them as quickly as I could to wait in line. They probably just witnessed me fighting with Jason. I sneakily looked over my shoulder at the table they were sitting at. They've moved on from gawking at me and were now having a conversation amongst themselves. The one stood out the most to me. He had messy black hair, high cheekbones, a slightly round chin, and an extremely defined jawbone. His lips were plump and pink and his nose was pierced on the right side. A single silver hoop hang from it. What I noticed most about everything was his striking blue eyes. Even from where I was standing and sneakily grabbing peeks of the beautiful boy, I could see them. They were so blue, that they were almost silver-like. He was wearing a leather jacket, a black t-shirt underneath and black jeans. I could tell he had a few tattoos on his neck, but that was about it. "Ma'am can I take your order?" I was instantly snapped out of my thoughts and startled when the young girl behind the counter spoke. "Uh-um can I just get a large coffee with three cream and three sugar please?" I said, feeling my pockets for my card. I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and he was so tall compared to my small five feet. I came up to just about his armpit. I was mesmerized when he spoke. His voice was so deep and had a little rasp to it. He reached passed me and handed the girl behind the counter a credit card. "I got it." He said. I was completely flabbergasted. "A-are you sure?" I asked the beautiful boy. He chuckled. "Yes, I'm sure. A $3 coffee is not going to break my bank." He chuckled, as the girl behind the counter handed his card back. "Thank you." I said, nervously. "I, uh saw what happened out there earlier. Are you okay miss...?" He was trying to get my name I realized. "Uh Racheal, my name is Racheal." He smiled warmly and offered me his hand. I shook it. Weird. I thought. "I'm Andy." The way he said his name was even attractive. This man was gorgeous. "I'm okay, he's just an asshole." I said, sighing. "Is he your boyfriend or something?" He asked. "Was." I said, giving the word emphasis. "Oh." Andy said, putting his hands in the pockets of his jacket. The girl behind the counter handed me my coffee. "Thank you." I said smiling. "Come sit with me." Andy offered, gesturing towards a booth by the wall. "They won't mind if we sit by ourselves." He said lowly. I glanced at them. They were all gawking at us. I felt embarrassed once more. "Okay." I said. Andy lead us to a booth by the window. It was starting to snow. "Tell me what he did." Andy spoke. "He's just been extremely shady. He's been talking to his ex girlfriend behind my back. He cheated on me with her at least twice that I know of, but silly me, I just keep taking him back, hoping he's going to change. I'm so sick of his shit." I could feel tears start to threaten their way out of my eyes. "I've been in that type of situation before. My last girlfriend cheated on me constantly. I put up with it for five years, because I also thought she would change. I'm in a band, I tour constantly. I'm out on the road for six to nine months at a time. I could have had any girl I wanted as a one night stand, I could have so easily cheated on her and she would never find out about it, but I never did because I loved her. Obviously she didn't love me at all. The entire time I was out on the road, it was guy after guy and I only found out because I set up a camera in our room. I was suspicious. I didn't want my heart broken and I wanted the truth. She had sex with four different men in two nights while I was away. Could you imagine how pissed off I was?" He had a pained look in his eyes, and the color was starting to fade to a dull gray. He was truly heart broken. I just met this man, but yet he was so easy to talk to and open up with. "I'm so sorry to hear that. I never caught Jason in the act. He straight up told me. I was dumb enough to just be like, 'well it means a lot to me that you were so honest. Promise you won't do it again.' And he promised and promised and promised and just played head game after head game, after head game. When am I ever going to learn?" I could feel the tears threaten once more to spill over. "A beautiful girl like you doesn't deserve that at all. I see he drove you here. Do you have a ride home?" I suddenly felt embarrassed once more. I was twenty-three and I didn't have my own car. "No, I-I don't have a car." Andy chuckled, making my cheeks flush again. "You're cute when you do that." He giggled, making them flush even redder and I covered my face with my hands. He reached across the table and pulled them away from my face. His hands were so soft, but the tips of his fingers were ice cold. "Your face is far too pretty to cover with your hands." I then noticed he still had ahold of my hands, resting them on the table. I then smiled genuinely, for the first time in a really long time. "Come on, let me take you home." My heart was flip flopping in my chest. He was so gorgeous, and he was incredibly sweet. He explained to his friends that we were leaving, and they all chuckled and made perverted jokes and what not and it made me blush again. I didn't want them to think that that was the type of girl I was. I assumed the group of gentlemen was Andy's band. They all had long hair and tattoos. They seemed polite enough though. They were just being typical men. Andy had a nice, black, sleek car. It had two doors, and the windows were tinted black as well. It was a Dodge Challenger. He opened the passenger side door for me. I was actually really grateful for such the small gesture of kindness. "Thank you." I said, as I slid into the seat. "You're welcome beautiful." He said, making my heart race. He shut the door and I fastened my seatbelt, taking a sip of my coffee and putting it in the cup holder. He got in the driver's side, turning he car on and flipping on the heater. He opened his center console and was digging for something. He first pulled out a CD, and then a pack of cigarettes. I noticed the cover had a demon like creature on the front, fangs bared and drool dripping from the teeth. There was some kind of star symbol clenched in its claws and the name above it said 'Black Veil Brides.' He handed it to me. "This is my band. You should check us out." He said with a smirk. I flipped the CD over in my hands and I recognized him immediately in the center. He was flanked on either side by the same guys that were in the coffee shop. I was right. I opened the cover and took the CD out. "Can we play it now?" I asked, eagerly. He smiled and took the CD from me, feeding it into the slot on his dashboard. He took a cigarette from his pack and lit it. He offered the pack to me and I gladly took one. "Here." He said, leaning towards me. I placed the cigarette between my lips and he lit it for me. The opening guitar chords started playing through the speakers. I took a drag off my cig and blew the smoke out of my nose. He put his car in reverse and we pulled out onto the road. As soon as the lyrics to words floated through my ears, I realized that Andy was the singer. His singing voice differed from his talking voice, but I loved the way he sang. I loved the low growls he sometimes used as he finished off a word. I would say his singing voice was just as sexy as his talking voice. I pointed him in the direction of which road to take. He pulled into my driveway. "Would you like to come in?" I asked, pushing the eject button on his CD player and pulling the CD out and carefully placing it back into the case. I grabbed my coffee and unbuckled my seat belt. "Um, sure." He said, a smirk playing on his lips and we both exited the vehicle. I stepped onto the sidewalk leading to my steps and I immediately started to slip on the ice. I felt Andy's hand grab my elbow before I could actually fall and spill scolding hot coffee all over myself and him. I was so clumsy and now I was more embarrassed than all the times I was embarrassed today. Andy chuckled a bit. "Are you okay Rach?" He asked. I took a deep breath in. "Yeah, I'm fine." I said going up my steps. I pulled my key out my jacket pocket and unlocked the door. My cat, Jasper welcomed me with a warm meow and leg rub. He was an all gray cat with white paws. "I love cats." Andy said, coming into my home. He squatted down and let Jasper sniff his hand. Jasper nudged his head into Andy's hand asking to be pet. Andy gave him a gentle scratch behind his ears and Jasper shook his head. Andy stood back up and looked down as Jasper rubbed himself up against his leg, his tail stretched upward. He was purring. "His name is Jasper." I said, smiling admiring my furry little friend. "Have a seat." I said, gesturing to my couch. I was a terrible host. I hardly ever had people over. "Would you like something to drink?" I asked, as Jasper leapt onto the couch and made himself cozy in Andy's lap. "No, I'm fine thank you. Sit down here with me, relax. Let's just talk. I want to get to know you better." Andy said, stroking Jasper's fur. Jasper wrapped his tail around his body and began to purr contently, closing his emerald green eyes and enjoying the attention. I sat next to Andy. "What kind of music do you like Racheal?" He asked. I loved the way he said my name. I found it very attractive. "I like a little bit of everything." I admitted. "But my favorite genre is definitely classic rock. Kiss is one of my all time favorite bands." Andy's eyes lit up. "I grew up listening to Kiss, and I still do on occasion." "I love them. My father was in a cover band when I was a child. Sadly, he's no longer with us." I said sadly, looking down at my lap. "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that." He said, putting a hand gently on my knee, causing my heart rate to freak out. "Tell me about you." I said, switching positions so that I was sitting cross legged, facing him. "Well, like I said I'm in a band. That's what takes up the majority of my time. I'm originally from Cincinnati, but I live in L.A. now." My eyes lit up when he said Cincinatti. "You're from Ohio too?" I asked. He nodded his head. "I'm from Ashtabula. I know that's far from Cincinnati, but that's cool that you're a Ohio native. Bengals fan I assume?" He chuckled and nodded his head. "I'm assuming you're a Browns fan?" I shook my head in disgust. "Hell no, Pittsburgh Steelers all the way." He chuckled and shook his head. "Nooo. That's not good at all." I chuckled this time. "Actually what brings you to my small, Pennsylvania town?" I asked, curiosity getting the best of me. He cleared his throat. "My band and I were headed to Pittsburgh when our tour bus broke down on I-79. We were really close to this town called Meadville, and we thought we would stop in and check it out. Not many kids around here know who Black Veil Brides are do they?" He asked, with a smile. His subtle cockiness was kind of adorable to be honest. I shook my head. "I didn't even know who you were..." I playfully whispered. He chuckled. I really liked him. He was so easy to talk to. "If your tour bus was broken down, how is your car here?" He laughed. "I always bring my car. I sometimes prefer to follow the bus to wherever we're going in my car. If I'm not driving it, one of the other guys are." "So how are they going to get home?" "You're full of questions aren't you?" He asked playfully. I giggled. He seemed to make me giggle a lot. "They'll call a cab and stay at a hotel. You're so cute when you laugh." I blushed again and covered my face. He scooted closer to me, causing Jasper to jump onto the floor and stretch out, sauntering away with his tail outstretched in the air. He pulled my hands away from my face. "Don't cover your face beautiful, I like looking into your gorgeous green eyes. The color is extremely fascinating to me." He cupped my chin with his hand, and he slowly pulled my face to his. We were just centimeters away, about to lock lips for the first time. How badly did I want to feel his plump lips pressed against mine. We were both startled right out of our skin when Jason opened my front door. I immediately jumped to my feet. "Who the hell is this?!" He asked jealously. Andy stood up next to me, putting a protective grip on my arm. "Go Jason, get out!" I yelled at him. "No, this is my place too and you're sitting on this couch about to make out with some guy?!" He yelled. "Get the f*uck out now." I said, shoving his chest. He balled his hands into fist at his sides and stepped towards me, I was shocked when I felt two hands push me out of the way. "Don't you dare lay a hand on her!" I heard Andy growl. Jason took a step backwards. "She wants you to leave. Now, get your things and leave. Her and I have some business to do." I just stood there, completely shocked. Jason and Andy were at a stand off. The air was thick of tension and testosterone. Jason angrily pushed passed me and went into what used to be our room, slamming the door shut, causing me to jump. He came out a few moments later with some bags of clothes. "I'm staying with Nicky." He taunted me. Nicky was his ex girlfriend. "That's perfectly okay with me. Go have fun with your little slut. Remember you're throwing away a good girl for a piece of trash." I taunted him sarcastically. Jason scoffed and angrily left, practically slamming my front door right off the hinges. "I'm so sorry Andy." I said after Jason left. I secretly hoped he slipped on the icy sidewalk. Andy started to make his way over to me quickly, he grabbed onto my shoulders, and locked his lips onto mine. I was taken aback just a bit but then I started to kiss him back. His tongue played at my lips, begging for entrance and I allowed it. He began massaging my tongue with his. His hand slid up to the back of my neck and then tangled into my hair. He was such a good kisser. I couldn't get enough. I just wanted to keep kissing him forever. He broke our kissing and started at my neck. I moaned sweetly, letting him know I thoroughly enjoyed him doing that. He wrapped my arms around his neck and hoisted me up by my waist, I instinctively put my legs around his waist and he began carrying me down my hallway. He opened my bedroom door and tossed me on my bed. He crawled on top of me, placing his hands on either side of my head and bending his neck down, locking lips with me again. I wasn't usually the type of girl to hook up with a stranger, but there was something so different about Andy. He started in at my neck again, and then kissed across my collarbones and then our lips were tangled together once more. He broke the kissing to whisper something in my ear. His breath was heavy, and it tickled my earlobe. "Do you want to?" He whispered, then nibbled my ear gently. Sex. Sex sounded so heavenly right now. I haven't had it in about three months because I couldn't trust Jason and I didn't want him having sex with me if he was cheating on me. "Yes." I practically moaned. "Good, because I want you." He moaned into my ear, causing me to break out into shivers. He started kissing me again, pushing my thighs apart so he could lay on top of me better. He shrugged out of his leather jacket. I then noticed his arms were all also tattooed. The left one having an entire sleeve of ink down to his wrist. He worked his way down my body. Slowly sliding my shirt up, licking me from where my pants started to my belly button, and then trailed kisses up my tummy as he slid my shirt up even farther, up over my breasts and then off my head. "Wait, wait..." I said, briefly interrupting him. "I don't even know your last name." He chuckled. "Biersack." He said. "What's yours?" He asked, fiddling with my bra. It clasped in the front. I placed my hand over his, causing him to look at me. "Goodman." I said. He grinned and pecked my lips. "Now that we're fully acquainted, can we get back to business?" We both chuckled. I nodded my head. He unclasped my bra and I shrugged out of it, tossing it on the floor. He kissed in between them. His hair fell from its place and danced softly against my bare skin, tickling it as he kissed across my chest. He gently pulled a nipple into his mouth as he squeezed my other breast gently. I groaned in response. He switched and did the same thing to the other breast. He got up, breaking contact and that's when I noticed I was practically out of breath. He pulled his shirt up over his head and started to unbutton his pants. He was now in his boxers and I could see the delicious outline of his manhood. He was definitely ready to go, but he was taking his time with me. Something told me deep down inside that gentle sex was NOT his thing, but he was being a gentlemen for me right now. "Lay this way." He said, motioning with his finger. I moved so that my head was on the pillows and he walked to the foot of my bed. He even had tattoos on his chest. A heart with a dragonfly on the right side and then some kind of lettering on the left. He climbed into my bed. He undid the button to my jeans and began to slide them off my legs. Thank god I was wearing a cute pair of undies today. They were just black boy shorts. Nothing fancy. Andy's tongue played at the top of my panties. He was kissing my lower belly again. It honestly drove me completely wild. He hooked his fingers into the sides of my panties and began to slide them down my hips. He slid them all the way down and reached down a bit to get them off my feet. "Have you ever had a guy eat your p*ussy?" He asked, running his finger up my slit and just barely grazing my most sensitive part. "Yes, but no one has ever done it good enough." A devilish smile played on his lips. "Really...? Because all I wanna do is taste you." He said, opening my thighs even more. His head descended in between my legs. He kissed each of my inner thighs gently, teasing me. He put his arms under my knees and pulled my hips to the edge of the bed where he knelt down on the floor. His tongue ran up my slit, causing me to gasp and then moan softly as it flicked gently across my most sensitive area. It didn't take him long to get me to the very edge. "Ugh, yes Andy, right there... Don't stop... Keep going..." I moaned. He grabbed my hips harder, keeping me in place. I was so close... I was teetering on the edge of orgasmic bliss. My orgasm hit in a tidal wave, washing over me wave after wave after wave. He didn't take his mouth off me until I was completely done. My entire body was now shaking, and I felt sedated. He worked his way back up my body. He must have taken his boxers off while I was previously preoccupied... He got in between my thighs and placed his tip at my entrance, running it up my slit. He nipped at my neck, nibbling it gently. "It's not going to take me long to bust baby. You've got me so worked up, and it's been so long since I've been physical with anyone." He whispered against my ear. He started to push himself into me, inching it slowly inside. I was surprised by how thick he was. He stretched me nicely. "Mmm, you're so tight. How many people have you been with?" "Just two." I moaned as he began moving slowly in and out. "I'm your third?" He asked. I nodded. "Three's a charm honey." He groaned as his movements became quicker. "I'm so close already, and you're so tight. I knew it wasn't going to take me long to bust." His d*ick felt so good, I didn't want him to stop. He buried his head into my neck, while resting his left arm across my chest and tangling his fingers in my hair. "I'm gonna c*um." He groaned against my neck, he quickly pulled out and rubbed himself until he came in spurts on my belly, moaning lightly under his breath. The liquid was hot and sticky on my skin. I laid there trying to catch my breath. He wondered off to my bathroom, which was attached to my room. I heard him run the water and then he came back out with a damp wash rag. He cleaned me off and then himself off. He reached for his pants. "Wait, don't go..." I said, "come here, cuddle with me. Lay in this bed with me." He grinned, and put his boxers back on and handed me my panties and my shirt. We just laid there for hours, my head on his chest and him tracing lines into my arm with his fingers as we talked about everything and anything. "Racheal, I really like you a lot. I would like to give you my number. We should talk more, and get to know each other some more." He placed his lips against my forehead gently. They were so incredibly soft. "Okay." I said quietly, suddenly sad that it sounded like he was leaving. "What's wrong?" He asked. "I don't want you to go yet." I admitted. He chuckled. "Well what if I don't want to go yet? What if I wanted to stay here all night?" He ran his hand down my back. "I think that sounds like a wonderful plan." He hooked his hand under my chin once more and we locked lips again. Six Weeks Later Andy and I were talking sparely ever since he left the next day after our little tryst. I understood though, he was busy with touring and not to mention he did just get out of a five year long relationship. He wasn't quite ready for a fully committed relationship just yet. We both agreed to not see other people though. He promised he would come back for me. That all made me warm and fuzzy, but I was actually in a sheer panic. My period was late, by more than a few days. I started weighing the odds in my head. We didn't use a condom, but he pulled out, but I'm not on any type of birth control. I didn't want to freak him out by telling him I think I might be pregnant. I also felt extremely guilty. I couldn't be having his baby right now. He's in the middle of his career. This baby would put that on hold. I toyed around with the idea of not telling him and just cutting him off and never speaking to him again, but I couldn't bare the thought of never seeing him again. Over the next week my period still hadn't shown up. I had horrible nausea. Even just the smell of certain foods made me run to the bathroom and throw up everything I ate for lunch. My breasts hurt and if I wasn't mistaken, they looked a little bigger. F*uck. He's going to kill me. It's that simple. I decided to be brave. I was going to walk down to the nearest drug store and buy a test. I felt as if I was going to have a full on panic attack walking into that Rite Aid. I decided to buy an expensive digital one that came with two in a box. I practically ran back home. I wanted to know, but I was also completely terrified. Would Andy want me to have the baby? Would he want me to put it up for adoption? I knew he wasn't the type to suggest the other thing and I was completely against it for myself. I opened the box and took the test out, I held it up in front of my face. This little plastic stick was going to determine if my life was about to drastically change. I took a deep breath and stuck the test between my legs while I peed. I replaced the cap, sat it on the corner of the sink and washed my hands. Jasper nudged his way into the bathroom and lovingly rubbed against my legs, purring. He let out a soft meow. "Mom?" It almost seemed like was asking me. The test beeped and I jumped. It was ready for me to look at it. I took a deep breath. I was shaking scared. My knees felt as if they were going to give out. I picked the test up and held it in front of my face. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard someone knock on the bathroom door. "Racheal?" It was Andy's voice. F*uck. What was he doing here? I hid the box and put the test in my back pocket and I opened the door. "Hey what are you doing here?" I asked nervously, giving him a hug. He kissed my lips, and I gratefully kissed him back. "I came to surprise you." He said with a grin. "We need to talk." I said, grabbing his hand. His face fell. He looked sad and I felt terrible. I took him into the living room and we sat on the couch. "What's wrong baby?" He asked. I was happy and just completely thankful that he was here so we could have this conversation in person. "I missed my period Andy." I said quietly. He looked at me confused for a moment. "Oh?" He asked, "do you think that you might be...?" I pulled the test out of my pocket. I still haven't even looked at it yet. "Oh. That's what you were doing in the bathroom." He said, when he saw it in my hands. "I haven't even looked at it yet." I felt like I wanted to burst into a sea of tears. He pulled me in to cuddle into his chest. "We'll look at it together, in 3... 2... 1...." He counted down and then we flipped the test over to look at it together. I gasped. "Oh my god..." He whispered. There it was in small black letters, printed clear as day. Pregnant. My breath hitched into my throat. I wanted to cry, I wanted to celebrate, I wanted to scream... I had all these emotions and didn't know what to do with them. I started to break down. Andy rubbed my back. "Don't cry baby. I'm not mad if that's what you're worried about." "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I ruined your life." I sobbed into his chest. "Racheal, what? You did not ruin my life... You're making my life better." He hooked his fingers under my chin. "You're eyes get a darker, more richer shade of green when you cry." He kissed my lips. "Don't cry, please don't cry." "What are we going to do?" I said sniffling. "We're going to have a baby." Andy said, "I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be there with you every step of the way. Pack your bags honey, you're coming with me." I looked at him as if he was some type of new life form. "What?" He asked. "Are you sure?" I asked him. "Why wouldn't I be? You're gorgeous, amazing, funny, and now you have my kid in there. Of course I'm sure." I blinked slowly at him, letting this all just slowly register in my brain. I sniffled again. "Well okay. Will you help me pack?" I asked. He chuckled. "Of course." We talked about a lot as he helped me pack my clothes into suitcases. "First things first, tomorrow we need to call a doctor as soon as we land in L.A. You need an ultra sound. Also you're going to need prenatal vitamins." I could already tell he was going to be such a good daddy. He handled it way better than I thought he ever would and to think that we bumped into each other at a coffee shop on a completely random whim. I put Jasper into his cat carrier with a blanket and his favorite mouse toy. I was actually kind of excited to enjoy my life with Mr. Biersack.

[mothertimestwo]

MY VERY FIRST FANFICTION!

So, you guys must know I'm kind of obsessed with fanfiction. This day I was thinking, it must be really cool to write Fanfiction but might be tiring too. I was talking to a friend that is a fanfic writer and she told me it wasn't THAT hard actually and I was like "Hmmm... should I start writing?" I had been thinking about it for a long time and guess what... I FINALLY WROTE MY FIRST CHAPTER! Yayayayayaya! I am so happy with it, its kind of short but its my first one and I will improve I promise. It would make me so happy if you guys read it and gave me feedback on the comments. Im leaving the link to my fanfic right here ⬇️ http://www.blackveilbridesfanfiction.com/Story/78954/What-Really-Happened/ Hope you guys enjoy it and please leave feed back! Stay Cute!

[writingismyhappytime]

Escaping Grace (Part 3)

Warnings: Angst, Language

The city is pretty crowded tonight, and whoever made the decision to walk all the way to this restaurant is in the dog house with me tonight. It wasn't supposed to be too far away from the club, but whichever one of the guys made this decision has obviously never had to walk a long distance in heels --- to be fair, these are my favorite boots with just enough heel to make me a decent height, but they still hurt after a while.

I sigh, shoving my hands into my jacket pockets, glad I'd decided to wear one after all. I'd just barely thought to grab it last minute as we'd headed out the door, and Vale had sent me such a look --- well, I bet she's cold now in her sleeveless shirt!

Clarke keeps an easy pace with me, looking down at his phone as he goes. I'm fairly certain he has a girlfriend, or at least someone who likes to blow up his phone pretty frequently. He's a very private person, and he especially likes to keep everything from Vale, who in turn pries incessantly until she knows everything. It must just be a thing betweens siblings.

"Hey, Vale, right?" I hear CC ask a few paces ahead of us, and my eyes focus on the back of his head. He's walking with Vale, her long legs easily keeping pace with his.

"Yeah. It's really Valerie, but no one calls me that." She shrugs.

"Well, I go by CC, but it's Christian."

"You definitely look more like a CC." Vale glances up at him, cutting her eyes beneath her fake lashes; how she manages to always get them to stay on is beyond me, I've tried and mine always fall off or I feel like I'm trying to take flight with them.

Vale hugs herself as we continue down the street, rubbing her bare arms against the cold. "How long are we going to keep walking? I thought this place wasn't too far."

"It's just a few more streets down. We usually walk it from the studio to there, the food is totally worth it." CC replies, and I stare as he suddenly shrugs out of his black jacket, draping it around her shoulders. "Here, I know it's getting cold."

Did he for real ---?

Vale's fingers curl around the jacket, and she gives him an appreciative look. "Oh, thank you! I was just wishing that I'd brought my own."

She planned this, didn't she? I told her to bring a jacket, but --- there's no way. I can't believe he gave her his jacket, that's such a gentlemanly thing to do and I just can't believe I witnessed it with my own eyes.

"Why don't either one of you ever offer me your jacket?" I grumble at Clarke and Nate where we walk, both of them sticking close to me. "I get cold sometimes too."

"We don't control the weather," Clarke retorts, shooting me a look. I roll my eyes at him, pushing my hands deeper into my pockets. CC and Vale are talking a few feet in front of us, but otherwise our bands are staying separate as we walk.

I'm kind of... bummed, actually, that Andy is so quiet tonight. I thought, since he wanted to meet us, that he would be nice, even if he was faking it. Chat us up, have casual conversation, etc., but he doesn't exactly seem to be in the best of moods. He just went right to business, as if he didn't already know what we were going to play to open for his band.

I sigh as we come to a stop at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change so we can keep going.

"So, where are you guys originally from?" CC is asking Vale, standing rather close to her.

"Small town down south," she replies, checking her phone. "Even if I told you the name, you wouldn't know where it was."

"Doesn't sound so bad," he says as we start to cross. His hand slips to her lower back, guiding her forward, and I'm surprised Vale doesn't shirk away from him. She hates it when guys do that, she feels like she's being manipulated. "This is kinda cool, isn't it?" Nate murmurs after a few minutes, bumping me with his shoulder. He's smoking as we walk, so there's a haze around him that makes my nose curl. I hate the way the smoke smells, and he knows I don't like it, he just doesn't care.  "None of the other bands we've opened for have ever taken any interest in us."

"Well, maybe this means we're doing something right?" I offer, unsure really what this meeting was about. We could have just met at the show, or even right beforehand, if they wanted to get a feel for us. Obviously we're an up and comer, but our live performances have always been good --- Vale likes to put on a show, and all the women seem to like Clarke's stoic attitude and Nate's... very welcoming one.

"We're here!" Ashley announces proudly as we finally stop in front of a diner on the corner. I glance up at the red neon sign, the large windows displaying a fifties-looking diner with the red booths and the jukebox in the corner. There's even oldies music playing as we walk inside, being seated at a large table near the back so we can all fit.

Somehow I get seated between Andy and Ashley, with Vale and CC across from me, CC conveniently sandwiched between the siblings. I'm not sure if he's aware that Clarke is Vale's brother, but if he keeps trying to flirt with her I'm sure it's going to become fairly obvious.

I press my hands into my lap, glancing around. I'm sure we look a strange group, dressed in various shades of black, my hair the most colorful part of all of us. I know it's kind of lame, the streaks of red and blue layered beneath the top half of my blonde hair, but I thought it was so cool; I was never allowed to dye my hair when I lived at home, so I took full advantage of the rainbow of colors once I was free.

Now at least I can afford to have it professionally done so it looks nice.

"They have some great food here," Ashley tells as as he twirls a laminated meu on the table. "When we first came here, Andy ordered the whole menu to go."

Andy glances up from his phone where he'd been furiously typing, shrugging his shoulders. He's been pretty focused on it the entire night, instead of the company he keeps; I'm honestly a little annoyed.  "What can I say? The food is good."

I try not to watch his fingers move across the screen, which he was mostly holding under the table for privacy, I guess. I keep my focus on where Vale sits across from me, her chin propped on her hand as she listens to something Clarke says. Nate is on his other side, chatting up the other members of the band. He's our drummer, and yet he's more focused on the guitarists and their techniques; what, does he want to trade with Clarke to Vale now?

I thought he liked doing the bang bang thing. I gingerly lift up the menu, but I already know what I'm going to order. I order the same thing everywhere I go, it's a safety thing, plus I really like chicken tenders. It doesn't look like there's a ton of variety either, just what you'd expect from diner food. I wonder if the milkshakes are good.

"Hi, I'm your waitress Camilla. What would you guys like to drink?" A waitress pops up at the end of the table with a tired smile, and we all rattle off our drink orders. She has no trouble scratching it on her notepad, but she also doesn't have an accent and looks like she knows what she's doing. She just nods her head before turning on her heel. "I don't know why you're looking at the menu," Vale grumbles at me after a moment, eyeing me over the one she holds when she sees me looking; I notice her and CC's chairs are pretty close together, despite she's at the end of the table where I wish I was. I'm squished. "You already know what you're going to order."

"Don't food shame me, if they mess up chicken tenders, there's no hope for the rest of the food." I reply, leaning back in the chair. The table is big enough there's at least room for us not to be right on top of each other, so I'm not bumping elbows with either of the men I'm between but I still feel like we're too close. I have a thing about personal space. The chair however is a little uncomfortable, the cushion is worn and the metal cold. I can feel it pressing through my back even with my jacket. "So, are you guys excited for the show?" Ashley offers up some conversation when it starts to lull, there's only so much to talk about. "It's going to be a nice sized venue." He leans back in his chair casually, and I notice his arm slips along the back of mine. Is he trying to be smooth or he just needs somewhere to put his arm? I mean, he's cute, and talented as hell and I like his outfit choices, but I've also heard he's quite the ladies man, and I don't date.

He'd have a better chance of hooking up with Nate.

"Oh, we've played there before. I love the Stoles Arena, the dressing rooms are the cleanest." Vale says, absently twirling the ends of her dark hair. "I almost thought Nate was going to get us banned though. He managed to smooch with the stage managers girlfriend before the show."

I stare at her over my menu, trying with my eyes to convey how much she did not need to reveal that we could be troublesome; well, that Nate could be, anyway. He's usually the one that's causing chaos. He doesn't mean too, he just can't seem to help himself. Maybe it's the whole acting before thinking thing... also could be the fact he doesn't have much to think with either.

"What!? You mean little Sarah with an H?" Ashley looks impressed, tapping his fingers on the table, his attention suddenly riveted on our drummer. I shift in my chair again and his arm suddenly leaves to prop along the table.

Nate grins from a few seats down, looking smug. "Yep. She has a thing for blondes," he gestures at his very dyed hair with dark roots.  "But to be fair she conned me into jello shots for the before party and let me tell you, that girl can handle her alcohol."

"Craig was so mad," Vale chuckles, steepling her fingers in front of her. She's glancing at the long table we're all sharing, not at all phased that all eyes are on her. Sometimes I really wish she was the singer, so we could switch and I could be out of the limelight. Ironic, isn't it? I want to be famous but also be invisible at the same time; I really should have chose a different profession.  "He gets us a gig there and Nate almost goes and blows it within a few hours."

"Craig?"

"Our manager."

"Ah okay."

I tap my nails against my thighs, growing impatient. I wish the waitress would come back with the drinks so I could at least have something to do while everyone else forces casual conversation. Do we seem settled enough? Out of control? What kind of impression are they hoping to get off of us tonight?

Are we failing? Passing? What's the verdict?

Finally the waitress appears, but she has a waiter with her, helping her carry all of our drinks. I notice he keeps staring at us, his eyes flicking back and forth between all of our faces. His eyebrow piercings glints beneath the buzzing lights above, and the tattoos peeking out from under his shirt sleeve gives me the hint he might be someone who listens to our genre of music.

He helps pass the drinks around, lets the waitress take all of our orders while hovering obviously in the background before rather meekly asking if he could have an autograph. "I'm so sorry to bother you, I know you're trying to eat, but I could I please get an autograph from you guys?" He asks nervously, clutching a napkin in his hand.

"Really, Ryan? We bring pretty girls here and you ask for their autograph?" Ashley says, but his tone lets us know he's teasing, so they must know the waiter fairly well. The waiter has the decency to look embarassed, but Vale takes charge, putting her hand out.

"Sure. One of these days you can sell this on eBay and make a ton of money," she says as she scribbles her signature on it, the V of her name a lot larger than the rest. "Tell the world you met Escape from Grace when they were ordering chicken tenders."

I try not to smile at the comment, adding a hasty scribble of my name before sliding the napkin down the table towards him. He snatches it quickly, beaming at all of us before making a beeline for the front of the diner where the other waitress is standing.

"He doesn't meet many famous people, forgive his manners." CC apologizes for him, bumping Vale with his shoulder lightly. "We come here enough he's used to us, but when you guys come back, expect the same reaction."

"Oh, so we're coming back here?" Vale looks at him, her lips curving.

"Oh, I, uh, I just meant if you come back here. I mean, the food is great," CC shifts suddenly, Vale is making him nervous. It's the way she looks at people, so directly, it makes them squirm. I aspire to have that level of confidence one day.

I brush my hair behind my ears, reaching for my soda and sliding it towards me. The others had all finished their drinks off before we'd left the club, so some greasy food would do them wonders.

"So what are you guys planning for your first show?" Clarke asks, drawing the attention back to business. He glances around, always the one to get to the point. "Are you going for a big performance initally or saving it until the last show?"

"We haven't decided," Andy replies, clicking his phone screen black and slipping it into his pocket, apparently done with the conversation that's been taking up his attention all night. "We still have a little time to decide what we're going to do, it's one of the reasons we wanted to meet with you guys. We want to keep the crowd entertained."

Entertained? So long as he's talking, who cares about the rest?

What is it with me and guys with voices like him? I gaze at him as he speaks, watching the light bounce off his black lip ring, his dark hair falling into his eyes slightly. He's tall, and incredibly warm where he sits beside me. I can smell just a hint of his cologne, he doesn't shower in it like Nate does, and it suits him well enough. He's covered in tattoos, from his neck down, and especially on his arms. "You guys have been together for a year or two, right?"

Huh?

I blink, realizing I'd zoned out and lost some of the conversation. Andy was looking at me expectantly, and I hastily straightened in my chair, feeling my face flush.

"What? Oh, yeah. Two years coming up. We had our big debut last year at Stoles, actually."

"Cool. Bandmates are hard to find that stick around. You all seem to get along." He comments, and I notice Ashley glances at him.

"We've always been together," I reply, shifting so my butt doesn't go numb. I hope it doesn't take too long for our food, I'm genuinely starting to get hungry and something is smelling amazing. Sure, initially the place had smelled like cheap coffee and french fries, but there's also something comforting and familiar about it too. "I couldn't imagine anyone else being with us. It would be too crowded."

I leave it at that, deciding that I was not going to rattle on tonight and find a way to embarrass myself. I'm going to play it cool, keep my comments fairly short but still friendly enough. I seem to be doing okay, being social and all that, although it's mostly Ashley who tries to keep conversation with me. I kind of didn't like his arm along the back of my chair, mainly because I can't lean back properly, but I don't want to say anything about it, either.

Vale would have literally shoved it off and not cared about his reaction, but her attention has been focused on CC solely. They seem to have hit it off pretty well, he's even slightly leaning in her direction as they talk.

The waiter suddenly reappers, carrying all of our food on platters. I perk up as my chicken tenders slide in front of me, and a full ketchup bottle with it! How nice! I hate having to hit the bottom of the glass to get any out, or if the water just runs out all gross.

I dip one of my fries through the ketchup, watching CC use so much mustard on his burger I could smell it from across the table. I almost cringe as he bites into the burger almost oozing the yellow slime, and I realize I'm outright staring at him in horror when Ashley nudges my elbow with his.

"CC puts mustard on everything, you get used to the sight," he tells me, pretending he's whispering but loud enough I know his friend hears him. "He keeps an array of mustard flavors on the tour bus. Takes up way too much room in the fridge."

"Hey, different flavors make the food," CC defends himself, pointing with a napkin as he wipes at his stained fingers. "And you're the one who stocks the fridge full of rabbit food all the time. Can't get anything else in there for all your lettuce!"

"Well one of us has to be healthy when we eat!"

I relax a little more as the night goes on, and Andy starts talking a little more, that black cloud above his head starting to lift. He seems to get over whatever it is bothering him, him and Clarke getting into a detailed conversation about the technicalities of performing on stage. I'm just glad that we haven't embarrassed ourselves just yet.

My back is starting to ache from sitting so straight in this chair, though, and the boys on either side of me are starting to feel like individual furnaces. I don't suppose it would be very polite of me to start fanning myself with the menu.

"Hey," I grab a spoon, thoughtlessly whacking Nate's hand as he tries to reach for one of my fries. He's always such a jerk, ordering something cheap and trying to pick out of someone else's plate if he thinks they're not looking; or honestly if he just wants something he goes for it. "Hands off."

He gives me a wounded expression, rubbing his fingers. "You're not even going to eat it all, Leah!"

"If you wanted fries, order them. And I might." I defend myself. I mean, typically I just end up taking my food home with me and eating the rest within fifteen minutes of being there, but that's beside the point. Fries are like my favorite food, and I'm not sharing. Nate eyes me warily, but I threaten him again with the spoon, so he decides to keep his hands to himself. Good enough for him to not always get what he wants.

We all sit and chat for a while, listening to oldies tunes and enjoying the food which actually is pretty good. Everyone starts passing around show stories, and Andy tells us how he managed to break three ribs performing at one of his earliest shows.

"Oh, I remember that. We were at that show," I say thoughtlessly, having a vague recollection of cringing when he'd started to fall.

"You were?" he looks surprised.

"Yeah. It was when we decided to become a band, it was one of the first concerts we went too." I motioned at the table in general. "It was kind of like a celebratory type thing."

"Yeah, the whole climbing on the wall and jumping down thing, really should have given that more thought," Vale adds, stirring her straw in her drink. "It was a good show though, despite the fact you tried to end it early."

"Well, I like to make my shows memorable." Andy replies, his arm brushing mine as he leans back.

"That you did." My guitarist agrees. "Leah is afraid of heights, so at least I don't have to worry about her getting some big brain idea to climb something. Plus she's clumsy, and I don't think it looks very cool to roll her out on stage in bubblewrap."

Yes, thank you, Vale, let's tell the cute guy about my irrational fear of heights and that I'm unable to stand up without falling.

"I would end up popping all the bubbles during the song, so it might be distracting." I say lightly, earning a grin out of her. My eyes flick to the clock on the wall behind her, noticing that it was getting late. We have an early morning in the studio tomorrow, and staying out all night isn't going to help me focus on recording.

Besides, socializing so long is starting to wear on me, and I can only grit my teeth so much more before I need to see a dentist. I'm normally getting ready for bed at this point anyway, I'm old and like to get plenty of sleep. Plus, well, the medication I take makes me sleepy and I don't like to fight it.

I make an off comment about heading off, and Nate immediately starts whining that it's not late at all, the night is still young and there's so much to do.

"I said that I was going to head off, not that you have too."

"Actually, I should get going too." Andy says, looking at something on his phone. "We have to finish some stuff up in the studio before tour, we still have to get that organized."

"Seriously, I thought they said we could finish that on Monday." Ashley complains, looking annoyed.

"We're supposed to premier it for the show," Andy reminds him, shrugging. "So we need to get some practice in."

Everyone starts shuffling to their feet, and the waiter miraculously appears before us, handing us all our separate bills. Nate, of course, isn't able to pay for his, and so I sigh as I end up swiping my card for both of us like usual. Vale tells me I shouldn't buy his way all the time, but I feel bad if I don't, he gives me those puppy dog eyes.

Vale and CC step outside with some of the others, and I notice that her hand is on his arm as they talk and laugh. I'm a little irritated when Nate and Clarke suddenly head off down the street with Jinxx and Jake without even a word, like where are they even going this time of night? Sure, the city is still awake, but it's late!

Again, we have an early morning!

The waiter hands me a receipt, his fingers lingering against the white paper for a moment. "Hey, um, Miss Kabinov, would it be okay if I got a picture with you?"

"With me?" I blinkat him in surprise, hesitating. Someone wants a photo with me?

"If you don't mind."

"I mean, yeah, that's fine." I fold up the receipt, slipping it into the tiny backpocket of my jeans that are basically useless; why do jeans never have decent pockets? We step out of the way so Andy can pay for his meal, and I quickly let the waiter take a photo with me so he can prove to his friends he met the singer from Escape from Grace.

I'm sure I don't look very cool, my makeup is barely done and I'm in civilian clothing, as Craig calls it when we're not dressed in stage attire. The waiter thanks me profusely before hurrying behind the counter, and I turn, expecting to head out the glass doors where my friends are waiting.

Oh.

I hesitate, staring at the empty street as I suddenly realize everyone has disappeared. Did I just get ditched by my entire band for another band?

[writingismyhappytime]

Escaping Grace

A/N: So I wrote this fanfic over 4 years ago when Blackveilbridesfanfiction.com was still a thing, and there's been a lot change with the band since then. It's one of my first fics to ever write --- actually, it IS THE FIRST fan fiction I ever wrote.I'm going to do some editing to it before it's posted here from its original content since my style is a little different, so it's doubtful there'll be as many chapters, but I still hope you enjoy it! (And please don't judge, I was just a wee babe when I started out. Or judge gently. Well, I actually I judged it pretty hard when reading back through it.)I've rewrote it significantly so much that the plot has changed here and there, as I didn't like the previous at all. It was terrible, I'm going to be honest. I'm going to include in each chapter  references for lyrics used from other bands, as I'm absolutely no musical artist and not clever enough to come up with my own for Escape From Grace to use in their music, so look for that at the end of each posted chapter should it come up.

A sound of immense excitement escapes my lips before I can stop it as I stare at our manager; he's barely made it halfway through his sentence but he has my full attention. I clasp my hands together as I straighten, grinning from ear to ear as I bite my lip.

This is the best news I've ever had. In my entire life.

Well, second best, getting signed on as a band was a pretty big memory to me, and all the people in the room as well. Coming from a nowhere town and being a nobody, working all those bars and gigs trying to get attention --- how we got so lucky, I'm not sure, but I'm thankful. We would still be struggling to make it if it wasn't for our manager, so I'm pretty grateful to him.Even more so now that he just gave this announcement.

I'm so getting him some donuts for our next meeting.

"Well, I'm glad you're taking the news so well," our manager says after a moment with raised brows, and I can feel my cheeks start to heat as everyone looks at me. I give him a sheepish look of apology, leaning back in my chair and trying to contain my excitement.

Still, he had to know I would be excited about this! Sure, we're a signed band, for a record label, but it's still a struggle. Even signed we still have a lot of work to do, and it would be too easy to fall into obscurity or be a one hit wonder, which isn't something that I want. This is going to be the rest of my life, it's what I want more than anything, and I'm not going to let this opportunity slip past me.

We're just getting our footing as a band, trying so hard to break out into a scene already full of so many talented people. Sometimes it's overwhelming and I feel like we've hit a brick wall, like we're never going to climb any higher. No one makes it quick big in this business, I guess, which is another reason why I'm so excited, why this is so important --- it could be our big break!We've been mostly openers for other bands in the last year, with one small tour through a few cities that gave us a lot of publicity, but nothing like this! Per our lovely manager, we're going to be opening for Black Veil Brides on several different occasions on their upcoming tour! They're one of my favorite bands, their songs feature themselves on all my playlists, and the fact we're going to meet them!

Oh, I can't stand it.

Is it suddenly really hot in this room?

I squirm in my seat, chewing my lower lip thoughtfully as Craig continues with the announcement. He was just going over the usual bits, we have a meeting pretty frequently about our lined up gigs and to be on better behavior than the last few. Some, or rather one of us, likes to get tipsy and flirt with fangirls, and despite his occupation as a drummer, still makes the boyfriends fairly upset.

My eyes flick to the blonde drummer not paying any of us a bit of attention, looking at his phone and swiping left or right occasionally. He looks exhausted, black rings under his eyes; I'm surprised he even managed to make the meeting today.

"When's the first show?" Clarke, our bassist, asks, his feet propped in my lap as he leans his chair back, teetering precariously on the back legs. He doesn't seem near as excited as I am about this, but he's never really been that into the type of music that we're playing. He was more into the hardcore, metalish type, which as hard as I might try, my voice just wasn't cut out for. I'm always waiting for the day he's going to drop the bomb that he's ditching us for something more his speed, but I wouldn't blame him.

Take an opportunity where you can get it.

"Three weeks," Craig replies, checking his watch. He's always kind of in a rush when it comes to us, we're not exactly his biggest moneymakers, but I like to think we're not at the bottom either. I mean, it would be nice to actually meet in an official space and not the breakroom of the record label, but I have the feeling maybe Craig doesn't exactly have a ton of pull and probably doesn't have his own office to see us in.

Still, he's been good to us, and I appreciate it. The fluorescent lights above dim a little before getting brighter, reflecting off his shiny bald head. He has thick old man eyebrows that are seriously in need of a trim, and absolutely no facial hair to speak of, which you'd think he'd want to balance out the baldness, but I digress. He's not a thin or tall man, and he has a thing for chunky watches and outdated t-shirts that makes him look like a suburban dad instead of any sort of manager.

"That's coming up pretty quick, don't ya think? We have some stuff already booked, don't we?" Vale looks nervous, shifting in the blue plastic chair beside me. Her gray-painted eyes flick to me, but I give her a bright, reassuring smile she reluctantly returns after a moment. She's my lead guitarist, my backup vocalist, my roommate, and my best friend. She holds many titles very dear to me, in fact. Without her, there's no telling where I would be right now. "And why us, exactly?"

"Well," our manager rubs the back of his neck, clearing his throat and pretending to study the notes jotted down on Subway napkins in front of him. "Another band was going to open for them, but their lead singer has to have his tonsils removed. So, I pulled some favors, and got you guys signed instead!" He grins at us, looking very pleased with himself as he shoots us some obnoxious finger guns.

Vale rolls her eyes as she leans back in her chair, giving him an unimpressed look. She tugs on the end of her long black hair thoughtfully. "Well, you're certainly not letting us fade into obscurity, I'll give you points for that."

Craig looks satisfied with the response.

I glance around the round table we all sit at. Vale to my left who is now focusing on fixing her black eyeliner in a compact, and her brother Clarke where he's casually chatting with Craig as if he's actually interested in the gig. Our drummer, Nate, has finally passed out against the whiteboard behind him, and I'm pretty sure that's a sheen of drool on his chin.

I'm the lead vocalist, the frontperson of our band, and I also play keyboard when it's called for. I've always been close with Clarke and Vale, we grew up together as neighbors. It was their idea to form a band and get out of our old town, and when Nate joined us, it seemed like we might actually have a shot. It still blows my mind that we've made it this far without something breaking us up.

I've never had a lot of good luck, but maybe it's all been building up for this.

"Sooo --- do we get to meet the band beforehand?" I ask Craig, trying not to sound as eager as I feel but probably failing. I wanted to meet them, every single one of them, gawk at them like a fangirl meeting their idol, and wholeheartedly embarrass myself. "Where's the venue? When do the shows start? Are we going to get a bus this time or are you going to make us ride in your minivan again like a gothic soccer mom? Y'know that's not really going to give us the badass impression we're going for."

Vale snorts, biting her lip to hold back a laugh as Craig sighs heavily.

"Just be lucky I had a van to get you all to that show, alright?" He grumbles, but the experience had been mortifying. Just getting started, our actual ride breaks down, and suddenly Craig rolls up in a blue minivan with proud parent stickers on the back glass and yells at us to get in. Never again.

"But yes, you do get to meet the guys beforehand." Craig states, rubbing his jaw. "The lead singer, whathisname, wants to meet you guys before the first show. He's probably going to measure you up and make sure you're up for opening for his band. You guys need to make a good impression," he warns us, as if I'm not already planning on murdering whoever embarrasses us first; only I get to feel humiliated, no one else gets to do it for me!

He glances at Nate where he snoozes, and I know the warning is more for him then anything, but he's sleeping, so it's not really having any effect.

I feel like some tween girl meeting her boyband idol for the first time, being presented with front row tickets to his show. I rub my hands nervously against my thighs, ignoring the dampness my nerves are causing.

I'm the youngest in the band. I've known Vale and Clarke since I was twelve, and without them I doubt I would have made it through my teenage years. Or any years, if I really wanted to admit it to myself. I owed them a lot, more than I could ever pay back, but I'm hoping with our success that'll be enough.

"I heard he was an asshole when Asking Annie opened for them in Vegas." Clarke says, not looking at all thrilled. I frown at him, and shove his legs out of my lap for such a crappy comment. He knows I love that band! He ignores me, letting them drop easily to the floor before straightening in his chair; he better be glad I didn't tip him over!

"To be fair, Alex, their lead singer, is totally dopey and he can only perform while high, so," Vale closes her compact with a snap, the lights glinting off her dark nailpolish. "I would've been an asshole to him too. This is really good for us, guys. This could be it, y'know? None of us are going to screw this up by being rude or listening to rumors. I don't even care if they're true; the publicity this is going to bring us is worth it."

Well, she makes a good point, and Clarke concedes; that or he just decides ignoring his younger sister is better than arguing and just looks away. I'm sure the microwave in the corner has suddenly become much more interesting than the conversation.

I tap a nail against the table thoughtfully, still having a hard time believing this. We're finally getting a big break, with a band that I know at least two of us like, so that's a good thing! I thought earlier I was going to pass out from how hard my heart was beating, how excited I got at the prospect of meeting them.

"Is this not the best news ever?" I sigh as I look at everyone, unable to contain my glee. "Ever? Like seriously? Do you guys know how great this is?"

"Saying it multiple times doesn't make it true," Clarke mumbles, for some reason intent to find a reason to not be as excited as I am. He's always so serious and cautious, ever the distrustful one. Well, I suppose when you're the oldest in a band that you're younger, reckless sister is in, you sort of have to be the adult and the ringleader; hell, I'm the lead singer, but I listen to him and take his advice to heart.

"It'll give you guys a good amount of exposure," Craig states, folding his arms along the laminated tabletop. "Hopefully it'll kickstart some more sales of the new album you're about to drop."

"And Leah will get to meet the object that she lusts so much after," Vale adds with a chuckle.I send her a horrible look, ignoring the heat burning my cheeks; she doesn't have to mention that in front of everyone.

"Really? Which one?" Craig looks amused, and sometimes I get the feeling he sees us more as his kids than business partners. I mean, I think he does have some teenage girls, or boys maybe, I'm not quite sure, so he probably deals with this all the time. Crushes, heartbreak, the need of a minivan for emergencies.

"The lead singer, Andy. It's the voice I think, the deep drawl and that nice hair ---."

"Vale."

Vale giggles, winking at me as she twists the end of her long hair absently. She's enjoying watching me squirm, but really it's no secret. I mean, I wasn't exactly discussing my interests with Craig in that area, but I suppose it doesn't matter now.

Just makes things a little awkward.

"Andy Biersack? Really?" Our manager doesn't look impressed with my choice of crush. "Why am I surprised over this?"

I sink a little in my chair, merely shrugging my shoulders.

Craig just shakes his head before he starts getting to his feet, grabbing his note napkins and folding them together. He's never very organized, but I like to think it's one of his quirky qualities. He tucks the napkins into his shirt pocket, says goodbye to us, and heads for the archway leading to the hall.

One of these days, maybe we'll actually have a meeting room.

"Oh." Craig's head suddenly pops back into the kitchen, holding the end of a torn napkin. "I forgot to mention. You're meeting the love of your life at Club Rehab tomorrow at eight. Don't be late, dress to impress."

"What!?"

Craig suddenly is one, and I stare after him in horror. "Did he just say we were meeting them tomorrow?"

"Mmm." Vale looks thoughtful. "Dress to impress, like don't we always?" she snorts, cutting her eyes at her brother. "Don't be an ass, and yes you're coming. Wake up Nate so we can fill him in."Clarke frowns, glancing at the snoozing drummer, his lips parted as his head lolls back and forth; he's getting marker all in his freshly dyed blonde hair.

"I suppose we don't need to look like losers when we meet them." I mumble as I prop my chin on my hand, watching as Clarke kicks Nate's chair easily with his long legs, causing Nate to wake in a panic, sputtering. He looks around wild-eyed for a few moments before he realizes he's not under attack, then sends Clarke a scowl.

"What was that for!?"

"Rise and shine, Snow White. You slept through the meeting but we have news."

"I wasn't asleep," Nate mutters, wiping at his lips with the back of his hand, blue eyes bloodshot. "I didn't miss anything."

"Were you out late again partying?" Vale looks annoyed with him, her full lips drawing into a frown. She's one of the prettiest people I've ever met, I sort of envy how she always looks so put together and confident. She's tall, but the right kind of tall that's not too tall, and slim, able to wear whatever she wants and she never has problems finding her clothes in the store.I'm much shorter, and I might as well shop in the toddler section to find jeans that aren't too long for me.

"No," our drummer retorts, running his hands down his face. Yeah, sure bud, those black circles under your eyes say something different. Nate was a partier, he was even before he joined us, we knew that. He knew all the best places to have a good time, and I'm fairly sure he doesn't usually get out of bed until noon or he has to meet us. Sometimes you could still smell the cheap perfume and booze off the wrinkled shirt he doesn't change. I like him well enough, but some people shouldn't have fame or too much money, it isn't such a good thing.

Be famous responsibly.

Clarke quickly explains what Nate's missed during his impromptu nap, and our drummers eyes light up. He likes the other bands drummer, admires his techniques, and even his sleepy head knows this is a big deal for us.

Momentous, really.

"When do we meet them?" he asks eagerly, rubbing his arm.

"Tomorrow, and don't come smelling like a bar." Vale replies, staring him down beneath thick black lashes; she has a fierce glare, I'll give her that. She gets to her feet, stretching her arms in front of her. She nudges her chair under the table, and we all sort of follow suit as we get to our feet. Nate mocks her slightly before taking a sniff of himself, only to grimace.

Everything is going to go great tomorrow, that's what I'm going to keep telling myself. We're going to make a fantastic impression, we'll be charming and humorous and they'll want us to open every show! Or, actually, we'll be so famous they'll be opening for us by the time it's over with.

I can dream.

Just.... oh my god.

What exactly am I going to wear?

I look at Vale in utter panic. She could wear a paper bag and look fantastic, but it's not that easy for me.

What if I go in there wearing something horribly mismatched, or that doesn't work at all? What if I look like some Avril Lavigne, pop princess rip off and they don't want us opening? I could say something stupid, insult one of them accidentally, what do we even know about them?

"Why are you making that face?" Nate asks warily as we step out into the hall together. "If you're gonna be sick, aim that way."

"I'm just thinking about tomorrow, don't be a dick." I wait for Vale to catch up with me, seeing she's focused on her phone. "Vale?"

"Mmm?"

"We need to go shopping."

"Shopping?" She sends me an amused look as we fall into step, the worn carpet of the hallway pillowing our footsteps. "Why?"

"Because we need to find something to wear tomorrow."

"You realize whatever you buy you won't wear, and you'll have buyers remorse like you do every time."

"Vale." Now she's starting to stress me!

"Oh, fine, don't freak out. We'll go after we grab some lunch, find something to aww the boys with." she looks amused, and her arm twines with me as we walk. "But don't worry so much, it's just another business meeting. Think of it more like that."

"Is that how you think about every meeting we have?"

"Well, no, I imagine Craig in his underwear and it sort of ruins any intimidation I might feel."

"Well that's a mental image I didn't need."

Vale grins down at me, squeezing my arm as we reach the front desk and give the harried looking secretary a smile as we leave.

I'm worried about tomorrow, but I do tend to worry and be anxious about everything. I might be excited now, but tomorrow I know I'll be an explosion of nerves.I just want everything to go well so badly.