The Broken Rhythm
Chapter 1
"Good night everyone!" I shout into the mic. I run off stage and immediately jump into the shower. I sing a little bit and finish a half an hour later.
"Bout time! I need a shower!" Rian yells. I laugh and change. I sit next to Jack who is holding my phone.
"Hey, give me that." I say.
"Your mom called and Tay texted." Jack says. I smile at the mention of Tay's name. "It sounded urgent."
"Tay's text?" I say starting to panic.
"No. Your mom." Jack says. I nod and dial my mom's number.
"I'm going outside so I can hear." I say. Jack nods and I walk outside into the hot July air. "Mom?"
"Alex, honey... um... Come to the hospital. I know you guys are in Baltimore for your concert and you want to hang, but please come!" My mom begs.
"What happened?" I ask. My heart's starting to pound a mile a minute. My mom starts crying. "Mom! If you don't tell me I'll have a panic attack! My heart beating a mile a minute! What happened?"
"Caroline. She's in the hospital."
"What the hell happened?"
"She was in the car with her friend. The car crashed and she was in the front. She's in critical condition. Just please hurry!" My mom begs. She hangs up before I can ask anything else.
I'm still trying to process everything. What? Why Caroline? I'm not moving, I'm standing there when I should be going to the hospital. Get your ass moving Gaskarth!
I run into the building, my heart pounding through my chest.
"Matt!" I shout. He turns his head. "I need a ride!"
"Where?" Matt asks.
"The hospital." I say. Everyone in the room looks at me and the room goes silent.
"We're all coming." Jack says.
"You don't even know why."
"Whoever it is, doesn't matter, we support everyone." Zack says.
"Caroline." I say. Jack's face flushes and he looks as scared as I do. They were close. Jack was like a brother to her. More than me.
"LET'S GO!" Jack yells following Matt outside.
In fifteen minutes we're at the hospital. All Time Low band and crew all pile into the small waiting room and I search for my mom.
"Alex?" My mom calls. I see her and hug her. "You brought your band and crew?" I turn to them and see all of them sitting there hopefully waiting.
"They insisted. We're all family. They're supporting her." I say. She smiles. They're all being quiet and respectful too. "How is she?" I ask finally.
"She's... not well." My mom says. Jack walks over to me, his face is flushed.
"Caroline Gaskarth?" A nurse says. The band, crew and my parents all stand and we look at her. "Um... family of Caroline?"
The band and crew sit. I follow my mom over to the nurse. She's hugging my dad's arm.
"How is she?" My dad asks. I stare at the nurse hopefully.
"I'm sorry." She says. My heart drops into my stomach and a wave of depression washes over me.
"No. No. No. No!" I nearly shout. "Can I see her?"
"Come with me." The nurse says. I follow her to Caroline's room. Lying on the bed is a pale faced Caroline. No. She really is... dead...
"Bout time! I need a shower!" Rian yells. I laugh and change. I sit next to Jack who is holding my phone.
"Hey, give me that." I say.
"Your mom called and Tay texted." Jack says. I smile at the mention of Tay's name. "It sounded urgent."
"Tay's text?" I say starting to panic.
"No. Your mom." Jack says. I nod and dial my mom's number.
"I'm going outside so I can hear." I say. Jack nods and I walk outside into the hot July air. "Mom?"
"Alex, honey... um... Come to the hospital. I know you guys are in Baltimore for your concert and you want to hang, but please come!" My mom begs.
"What happened?" I ask. My heart's starting to pound a mile a minute. My mom starts crying. "Mom! If you don't tell me I'll have a panic attack! My heart beating a mile a minute! What happened?"
"Caroline. She's in the hospital."
"What the hell happened?"
"She was in the car with her friend. The car crashed and she was in the front. She's in critical condition. Just please hurry!" My mom begs. She hangs up before I can ask anything else.
I'm still trying to process everything. What? Why Caroline? I'm not moving, I'm standing there when I should be going to the hospital. Get your ass moving Gaskarth!
I run into the building, my heart pounding through my chest.
"Matt!" I shout. He turns his head. "I need a ride!"
"Where?" Matt asks.
"The hospital." I say. Everyone in the room looks at me and the room goes silent.
"We're all coming." Jack says.
"You don't even know why."
"Whoever it is, doesn't matter, we support everyone." Zack says.
"Caroline." I say. Jack's face flushes and he looks as scared as I do. They were close. Jack was like a brother to her. More than me.
"LET'S GO!" Jack yells following Matt outside.
In fifteen minutes we're at the hospital. All Time Low band and crew all pile into the small waiting room and I search for my mom.
"Alex?" My mom calls. I see her and hug her. "You brought your band and crew?" I turn to them and see all of them sitting there hopefully waiting.
"They insisted. We're all family. They're supporting her." I say. She smiles. They're all being quiet and respectful too. "How is she?" I ask finally.
"She's... not well." My mom says. Jack walks over to me, his face is flushed.
"Caroline Gaskarth?" A nurse says. The band, crew and my parents all stand and we look at her. "Um... family of Caroline?"
The band and crew sit. I follow my mom over to the nurse. She's hugging my dad's arm.
"How is she?" My dad asks. I stare at the nurse hopefully.
"I'm sorry." She says. My heart drops into my stomach and a wave of depression washes over me.
"No. No. No. No!" I nearly shout. "Can I see her?"
"Come with me." The nurse says. I follow her to Caroline's room. Lying on the bed is a pale faced Caroline. No. She really is... dead...
thank you :)
9/4/13