No Pads… No Helmets… Just Memories!

"Come on Jasey don't you wanna go watch the boys practice?" Cass whined as she kicked my desk sending the chair she sat in spinning. Marc and I exchanging a look from my bed before I rolled my eyes.

"No... Just open the door if you wanna hear them!" I pointed though she pushed on the desk keeping the spinning motion and missed the motion. Cass just kept spinning my desk chair like she had been for the past two hours that we've been home from school. It was only Thursday and it was clear as day that Cass was simply crawling in her skin for what was to happen the following day. The Friday packed to the rim between the lunch time song from the boys to Duncan's party later that night. But I couldn't really blame Cass for being giddy.

"Ugh you suck!" She grumbled smacking a sneaker to the floor causing the chairs rotation to jolt to a stop, "like really!" He groaned as Marc and I laughed watching her sway slightly in the chair and throw her head back, "you and Alex are finally all buddy-buddy again and you don't wanna watch them practice?"

"That would be correct!" I wiggled a pencil at her keeping my eyes on the open history book in my lap before placing the eraser between my lips to keep busy.

"Why?" She questioned as I quickly bit down on the pencil. The truth was that a part of me wanted to go into the basement and watch. But the reality of the situation was that I couldn't, for a number of reasons.

The first being I had a huge ass history test that Friday and I had neglected to even locate my book till that morning. Following that would be that the boys weren't really doing much of anything other than teaching Matt Zack's parts for the lunch time "show" so they would all be zoned in on that task. But the biggest reason I could think of would be that Alex told me not to. I wasn't sure if it was because I would be, "distracting" like Jack had told me time and time again or if it was because he was finally going to tell Jack and the boys about us. No matter what it was I knew that possibility was on the table and there was no way in hell was I risking ruining that.

"Because it's boring!" I replied to Cass as I noticed Marc shake his head from the corner of my eye. His blurry figure chuckling as I glanced up at him. Cass groaned and turned back to my desk as I lofted a brow at Marc to see a smug smile paint onto his lips. My curious brow quickly scrunching towards the other as I watched him mouthing, 'what!?'. The elder simply shrugging before looking back down at his math work.

"Well I'm going!" Cass stated getting to her feet as I kept my eyes on Marc letting her slip from the room without question. I let out a puff as I reached forward and poked my friend with the bud of my pencil. His eyes staying glued to his work as I poked him again.

"What was that about?" I asked, my words going as if completely unheard as he kept his head down. My poke turning into a quick shove as he laughed and ignored me. I let out a groan quickly growing impatient with the elder as I got to my knees and twisted on my bed. Trying to hold in my own giggles as I lied on my back and placed my head on his notebook. "Will you tell me now?" I blinked looking up at him as he laughed.

"Get off my homework!" Was all he said as he pushed my face to the side with a laugh and I crossed my arms over my chest refusing to move.

"No!" I pouted causing Marc's back to straighten as he lifted a brow at me. "Why were you laughing earlier?"

"Because you’re dumb!" He laughed as I scrunched my nose, "will you get off my homework now!"

"Why am I dumb?" I swatted at his hand as he tried to remove me from his book and disregarded his words. The brunette laughing as he held my face and shook his head.

"So many reasons..." He shook with another laugh watching as I huffed a pout and re-crossed my arms over my chest. "The main being Alex..." He said causing my whole body to tense over. Marc's grin widening as he laughed again, me left to helplessly blink up at the boy before I shook my head attempting to collect myself.

"Alex?" I asked with a scoff as I rolled my eyes, my head following as I hid my features to shield the nervous gnawing of my bottom lip.

"Yeah!" He scoffed back lightly as he shoved me off his book, "It's so obvious he likes you!" He said as my eyes snapped to him.

"What?" I asked wide eyes as he laughed and looked down on me.

"Yeah!" He rolled his eyes, "it’s so damn obvious!" He scoffed as I bit my lip, he was so oblivious. I looked up at him as I bit back my grin simply swimming in the irony of the situation. And call me evil... but I wanted to have some fun. If Alex could be weird about telling Jack then I was going to play it to my strengths and have some fun.

"You think so?" I asked curiously rolling back onto my stomach to sit on my knees. Marc laughing as he pulled his book into his lap before flipping it shut.

"I know so!" He laughed as I began to giggle. My face instantly flushing red as I did so. "I bet if we go down stairs I can point out at least five things that give it away!" He told me as I rolled my eyes knowing Alex wouldn't be sly enough to hide even one give away.

"And if you don't?" I challenged leaning forward and pressing my palms into the sinking mattress as I lifted a brow.

"I will..." He smiled sure of himself as I flicked my eyebrows and sat back on my heels, crossing my arms over my chest as I hummed.

"Fine then!" I smiled smacking his knee before swiftly getting to my feet. Marc's eyes following my figure as I exited before he quickly scrambled off the bed and darted for the hall. Laughing lightly as I heard his puttering steps I skipped down the steps and into the kitchen. A small smile painted on my face as I placed a hand on the basement door before I glanced up and caught the attention of Cass who was now hunched over a glass of orange juice, a slight frown painted on her features that seemed very out of place compared to her typical pearly grin. I let a sigh leaning my back against the door, watching her take small sips as Marc tripped into the room.

"What's up with you?" I nodded towards her to see her small shrug as she placed her glass on the counter top and met my gaze.

"Nothing... The boys are freaking out and it's a total buzz kill..." She shrugged with a defeated tone as my nose scrunched, "well mostly Alex... Maybe you'll have more luck calming the kid down; he only seems to ever listen to you anyway!" She exclaimed as Marc nudged my side only forcing another glare out of me as I sighed.

"I'll try..." I muttered hanging my head as I pulled the door open and held it ajar long enough for Marc to catch the wood and follow in step.

"JACK I TOLD YOU, YOU HAVE TO KEEP IN TIME WITH MATT HE CAN'T KEEP WATCHING YOU!" The two of us both exchanged an odd glance as Alex's agitated voice made its way up the stairs as we quietly grew closer.

"Alex it wasn't that bad!" Jack defended as I appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

"Well 'not that bad' isn't good enough!" Alex groaned while Marc hopped to my side to watch the boys interact from our place at the bottom of the stair case. I let out a subtle sigh as Alex pinched his nose and fell back onto the futon couch with a grunt. A quick jab meeting my side as I shot Marc a glare before rolling my eyes and stepping into full view.

"Rough practice?" I asked softly making my way across the basement floor and over to the couch. Alex's eyes instantly rising at my tone as he sent me a soft smile and watched as I plopped down beside him and nodded.

"Yeah these two are having a fucking pissing contest over the song for tomorrow..." Rian sighed motioning to Jack and Alex with his tambourine while I nodded.

"No!" Jack cut in as I glanced up at him, "it’s not the two of us, it’s just Alex he's freaking out!" The guitarist claimed pointing at his friend as Alex let out a sigh and shot me his sad eyes.

"Come here..." I sighed quietly placing a hand in the back of his hair as he curled into an Alex size ball, tucking his knees into his chest as he fell into my side.

"The song is perfectly fine!" Jack continued as I ran my fingers through the ends of the elder boy’s hair, "Matt is picking up perfectly and it flows fine, but he keeps saying it’s not good enough!" He spat agitated though keeping his voice level as Alex shifted in his place.

"He just wants to make sure it’s per-"

"You should just take a brake..." I whispered into Alex's ear, disregarding Rian's words as he attempted to get through to Jack. "Stressing won’t help..." I told him as he nodded his head and pulled it from my shoulder. "You guys just wanna take a breather and go pick up the pizza Cass and I ordered?" I asked loudly now looking around the room.

Jack silently nodding as he slid his guitar off his shoulders and leaned it against an amp before slipping up the stairs without another word. Zack and Matt letting out a collective sigh as they stood in unison and followed after their bandmate. My eyes shifting to Rian as he dropped the small tambourine and got to his feet. "Maria's?" Rian questioned walking over to the base of the stairs beside Marc who leaned with a satisfied smile.

"No I ordered from Antonelli's..." I told him as he nodded his head looking blatantly exhausted as he glanced at Marc.

"You wanna come for the ride?" He asked as Marc shrugged and turned to follow my brother upstairs leaving Alex and I alone as I sighed. I watched silently as he let out a breath and wrapped his arms around my back and snuggled into my chest like a small child. My fingers finding his hair as I rested a cheek to the top of his head.

"What's going on?" I asked softly running my hands through the back of his hair feeling him sigh.

"It just doesn't feel good enough..." He whispered in defeat as I shook my head letting my hand find his back. "It's like no matter what I do it's not good enough!"

"You're just over thinking it like you do everything..." I told him kissing the top of his head as he burrowed deeper into our hug, curling back up into his little ball. "I'm sure it's perfect as always..."

"No..." He muttered shaking his head like a little kid being denied a desired toy, "I'm not over thinking it, it's not good enough, and it's only getting worse the more we try to fix it!"

"Well, you can fix the song later..." I told him taking hold of his face and bringing his tired eyes to mine. "What can I do to fix this sour mood of yours?"

Alex sighing as he ran his fingers over my hand holding his face with a sad smile, "I honestly just want to snuggle..." He said softly as my lips curled into a smile.

"That..." I started placing a small kiss to the tip of his nose seeing the life slowly return to his eyes, "I can do." I smiled as Alex wrapped his arms tighter around my middle and adjusted us so we were laid chest to chest on the couch. His hand slowly coming to cup my cheek as he brushed a thumb over the area with a sad sigh. "Hey..." I said with a light laugh wiggling my hand up between us to brush his hair from his face, "no matter what I know at least one person that will like your song..." I said with a smile as he slowly nodded.

"I hope so..." He breathed resting his forehead against mine as I flicked his chin causing him to whine and rub the area.

"I mean it!" I pointed at him, "You could right the shittiest song ever heard, like so bad not even kids bop would want to cover it... And I will still love it!" I told him seeing a small smile break on his face making mine widen at the sight. "That's the Alex I like to see..." I laughed softly nudging his nose with mine.

"I'm just happy you like to see any version of me..." He chuckled letting his eyes slip shut as he snuggled closer to my body, "I don't know what I would do if you had never come back..."


I let out a thoughtful sigh as I tangled my fingers through his hair gently and softly kissed his cheek, "I don't know what I'd do either..." I told him honestly, "thank you for making me stay, I don't think I'd survive without you idiots in my life..."

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