"Hey, Rian?" I called, my tone kicking up at the tail of his name as I fumbled between my keys, my bag, the door and the stack of mail in my hand. I kicked the door shut as I lifted one hand and rubbed my temple with the bend on my wrist. My attempt to sooth an ache I had been fighting since I left the dress shop earlier that day. I looked up and squinted down the hall when I didn't hear the usual noise of his video games, or his drums, or any noise for the matter. I quickly grew curious as I straightened my arm and shrugged my backpack to the floor with a heavy thud before I kicked the front door shut and called out his name once again. No response.



"Rian, are you here?" I called again as I dropped my keys on top of my bag and began to make my way down the short hallway. It was peculiar for this household not to be shaking with noise, one of the boys were always dragging mud through the house with Rian. To be honest, one of the hardest things about adapting to life in Washington was how silent Rian and I's uncle's house was. For at least the first month or so I could hardly function or sleep thanks to how well I had adapted to the constant stream of music, noise, and all things boys being paraded through the halls. But what snagged me now was the fact that Rian's car was parked in the driveway, though both our parent's cars were not. "Ri?"


I reached the end of the hall, walking slowly on soft feet so not to make a sound and disturb the surreal silence swallowing me. I could hear my own breath fanning from my mouth and I could feel the throb inside my skull as I wrapped my hand around the white wood of the door frame and peered my head around the edge. A smile instantly pulling at my lips at the sight of my brother hunched over the kitchen table, his head slumped against his hand with his mouth slightly ajar, snoring softly. My nose crunched up as I tried not to laugh at the sight.


I quietly tip toed across the kitchen to my brother and noticed a notebook tucked under his arm. The notebook was open to a page, the sheet covered in a mix of chicken scratched handwriting, two of the them I could identify to be Alex and Rian's but the rest were a blur. The words I assumed to be a song, notes and strings written down the sides led me to the fair assumption that Rian was supposed to be figuring out the drums when he fell asleep at the table.


I giggled to myself as I pulled the tattered notebook out from under him, placing my other hand on his shoulder and giving him a shake. "Hey, Rian?" I whispered softly and watched as he didn't stir, not a bit. I bit my lip, knowing well he would so get me back for what I was about to do but I didn't care all that much in the end. I walked around to the other side of the table so I stood in front of him instead of behind, wanting to see his reaction. I tapped my nails on the wood of the table as I thought through what I was about to do and shrugged. Counting to three in my head before I grinned. "RRRIIIIIAAAA-"


"OWW!" He yelped as his head smacked against the table after I had whacked his hand out from under his chin causing his face to collide with the table making for a rather rude awakening.


"Morning sleepy head!" I giggled as Rian rubbed his head with a groggy expression and lifted an awfully annoyed looking gaze to me. My smile only growing to balance the agitated look masking Rian's sheer admiration for me, his one and only, beloved twin sister. "Sleep well?"


"Shut up..."


"Okay fine!" I laughed before stepping back over to the end of the table. The pads of my fingers gliding across the glossy wood surface as I dragged it towards the stack of mail. Forcing Rian's hooded eyes to follow the notion and notice the stack, watching me as I picked it up and smirked before I began to flip through it once again.


"Is there, uh..." Rian trailed as he scratched at his skull. "Is there anything for me?"


I looked up at my brother with a stoned look. My mouth not shifting yet as my eyes were nothing but mere slithers, glaring at him. But he knew my game and his eyes began to widen, and seeing so my smile broke the stone. I grinned and plucked a single plump white envelope from the stack. "Sure is," I said as I actually read the return address for the first time. Squinting at the print as I said, "A letter came, addressed to the band of All Time Low from a, Mr. Louis Posen, of V-Van Nu-ys, Van Nuys? California?"


"VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA?" Rian exclaimed as he practically threw himself across the table, his then stubby arm falling short after I flinched. It wasn't intentional but I sure as hell wasn't expecting Rian to rapidly transform into a flying squirrel upon hearing that. "J-JA-JASEY, COME ON, H-HAND IT OVER!" He squirmed as he flopped like a fish right there on the kitchen table.


"I was planning on it!" I said with a stifled laugh as I watched my brother snatch at the air with his one good arm as his other was pinched beneath him. I couldn't help but grin like mad as I held the letter just out of his grasp and watched him struggle for just a little bit. Because what kind of sister would I be if I didn't take advantage of an opportunity that proposed itself to make him writhe just a tad.


"Jasey!" Rian snapped as he tossed a little more, jolting his body just an inch or so closer to his goal. Being if I didn't back away like I so could have easily done, but no, I wasn't that cruel. I looked down at the fat letter in my hand and could only think about what could be inside. But being the slow ditz I am, it took me a few read throughs of the address being meant for 'THE BAND OF ALL TIME LOW' before I connected the dots and my eyes grew in size.


"Okay, here!" I rushed as I all but threw it at Rian like a hot potato, the letter burning the pads of my fingers so I no longer wanted it in my grasps. "Take it!" I said as I gave it up.


"THANK YOU!" He screamed as he flew back into his seat. And let me tell you - never in my years and never since then had I seen Rian move so fast over a letter. No birthday money seemed to compare to whatever he thought was in that letter. But ironically enough, opening the actual letter proved to be more difficult than sitting in a seat.


I walked away from my hardly-twin and made my way over to the cupboards, wanting coffee to sooth the dull ache in my brain that had returned from its short break with vengeance. Normally I despised coffee and avoided having to drink it at all costs, but for this point in time. It was more than necessary. I could hear him mangle with the thick paper as I squinted through the shelves for a mug, because for some reason it mattered a whole hell of a lot which one I drank from.


"Oh, Alex is across the street..." Rian said with a voice that made it seem like he was holding his breath high in his chest whist he wrangled with the letter. I sent him a look before I grabbed a mug and placed it on the counter in front of the coffee maker. My lord and savior, and Rian's favorite sibling.


"Across, the street?" I asked as I pulled the glass pitcher from the black plastic machine. Hearing the tearing of paper and a blown out sigh as I tipped the pitcher against the side of my mug, pouring my coffee. "At his house?" I asked, darting a look towards Ri quickly before I stopped the flow of the black caffeinated liquid and placed it back where it belongs. Rian only nodded with a little hum as he unfolded the stacks of papers that sat inside the envelope he finally split open. "Where he lives..." I finally said as I began to laugh.


At this comment Rian lowered the papers and shot me a look. "Don't be a smart ass," he muttered as I lofted a brow and began to laugh because he was the one who said it. I rolled my eyes and waved him off as I went to the fridge to get some milk. "He just told me to tell you that he was home, and something about his mom working and that if she’s not home to just let yourself in..." He listed off as he read through the letter and left me to prepare my drink in remote peace.


"Alright" I muttered out all I could as the entire frontal lobe of my brain was practically screaming for coffee as I brought it to my lips. Letting the lukewarm liquids flow down my throat as I slid my eyes shut and basked in the power of caffeine. My migraine still very much there, but slightly quieter now. As if it knew it would all be over soon.


"You're lucky you know..." Rian said now as he flipped the sheet he had finished reading to the next. My brows being brought together as I hummed a confused little scoff that only made Rian laugh. "Normal brothers would never, EVER let their boy date their baby sister... But I'm so cool about it... A thank you would actually be more then appreciated every once in a while, you know?"


Hearing this, I couldn't contain myself. Headache forgotten and pushed aside as I began to laugh obnoxiously loud, clutching my stomach as I doubled over. Only opening my eyes to see Rian's confused expression on his face. The sight only making me laugh more. "I'm not your baby sister!" I forced out as I tried to swallow my laughter and made only little progress. "I'm the older twin first off, and secondly I was Alex's friend before you were!"


"Yeah, well, still!" He spilled as my laughter dulled to a persistent giggle. "He's still my boy and you’re my sister, and I mean let’s be honest, Alex is like a brother's worst nightmare and I don't give you guys any slack about dating!"


"That’s because you were the one who forced me to go fix things with him!" I laughed as I pointed at my brother and watched as he rolled his eyes. "Seriously, I believe your exact words were, 'You fucking call him, and you fix this! I don't care how long it takes; you find him and you fix this!'" I lowered my voice as I mocked Rian's rasp and waved my pointed finger around which made him laugh.


"Whatever!" He rolled as I giggled, shaking my head. Bringing my mug to my lips to take a small sip once again. "You're still my baby sister and I could have easily kept you guys apart..." He said and I quickly snorted as I pulled my mug from my lips, laughing.


"HA! Yeah right!" I scoffed as Rian shot me a look. "Rian... We both know damn well Alex does and gets what he wants..." I said.


"I did have some sort of a say..."


"How fuckin' so?" I asked with a pressed laugh as Rian looked at me with a look that had me slightly worried. The dull ache in my mind spiking for a split second as I looked at him.


"He asked me and dad if he could..." Rian slid as my jaw popped open. There was no way. It was a spur of the moment thing in an alley way. Rian's smirk sat as he shot me a look that could only be read as an 'I win' kind of look which made me cringe and shake my head.


"No way..." I said. Fully sunken in denial as Rian now began to laugh, nodding his head.


"Yes way before he asked you out in front of the school, me, him and dad all sat down and had a little talk." Rian said as I gaped at him. "He straight up sat us down and asked us if it was okay for him to date you."


"And you said yes, obviously...."


"Well not at first..." Rian laughed as I furrowed my eyebrows at him. Questioning him without my words making him shake his head. "I was against it. Just like those first few weeks when I thought you guys slept together and I freaked..." He recalled as I bit my lip at the subject, but still Rian carried on. "But clearly, he convinced me, saying how it wasn't just some fling to him, that he actually has feeling and that he was dead set on having you. And I see what he meant now every day."


I looked down at my toes as I blushed. Rian clearly seemed slightly uncomfortable near the end there, but he also was never one to leave his heart on his sleeve. Making anything Alex may have said with his poetic way with words nearly nauseating for my brother. I bit my lip. "He probably would have done it anyway," I said, knowing he would have seeing as we were already dating prior to that. "I don't think you could stand between him and anyone he wants!"


"Well first off, that’s not true because he's wanted to date you since the 7th grade!" Rian laughed as he placed his papers flat on the table, smiling as my eyes snapped to his and doubled in size. "I'm not even kidding; remember when I punched him in the nose at the block party the summer going into 8th grade?"


"That was an accident..." I recalled quickly as I shook my head. "We were all at the Gaskarth's pool, I remember!"


"No..." Rian laughed as he shook his own head. "That's what we all agreed to tell people after. Truth of the matter was that I caught Alex drooling over you from a distance, so as per usual I told him it would never happen. He tried to challenge me, and I punched him!"


"RIAN!" I gasped as my brother simply laughed and shook his head at the memory that he seemed almost too fond of. "I can't believe you punched him over that!"


"You’re my sister!" He exclaimed making me instantly roll my eyes. "How else was I supposed to react?"


"Like Alex's friend..." I said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world which was clearly mind boggling to him as he looked at me completely bewildered. "Rian..." I sighed. "I'm not your baby sister, and that should be one of the perks of being a twin, you could have just acted like Alex's friend instead of my brother."


"Yeah and just let him perv a dish... No thanks!" Rian laughed as I rolled my eyes and groaned.


"C'mon Ri!" I whined. "You could have helped me out... You knew I liked him, even back then!"


"Did not!"


"DID SO!" I gasped as I looked at my twin. "Rian, I know you read my diary, why do you think I stopped keeping one?"


"Because nothing ever interesting happens in your life?"


"I hate you!" I laughed with a grin as I rolled my eyes. Catching the clock on the stove as I quickly read the time and my eyes blew wide. "I'm going to go pack up my shit..."


"Staying the night are we?" Rian smirked as I shot him a look. Rolling my eyes as I shifted across the kitchen floor to place my nearly empty coffee cup in the sink to be washed. "Going to give him more hickeys?"


This made me stop dead in my tracks as my eyes snapped back to Rian's to see their evil glare. "You know about that?" I asked, clearly trying to sound casual in my all-but-frantic state. My squeaky tone pathetically giving me away and blowing my cover.


Rian scoffed then, rolling his eyes as he nonchalantly returned his gaze back to the letter in front of him. Something he was well invested in before he had his attention snatched away. "I know about everything!" Rian said matter-of-factly. His eyes flickering to me like a pesky librarian trying to catch a kid in the act of talking as I rolled my eyes. "That kiss you shared with Alex in the kitchen your first party home..." Rian soon followed up causing my eyes to widen dramatically as he smiled his smug little smirk at me. "I know about that."


"How?" I asked brusquely. Crossing my arms over my chest as my gray blue eyes narrowed to slim little slithers in his direction.


"He told me!" He scoffed, finally diverting his attention from me and back to the papers in his hands. But I knew he wasn't reading them. My jaw went slack as I processed his words and fumbled to start a thought. But before I even could, Rian went on. "It was kind of cute; he spilled it like it was some huge secret when I knew it would happen eventually.


"I'm walking away now." I muttered with a deadpan tone, rolling my eyes and throwing my hands in the air. Swiftly sweeping out of the kitchen and into the hall before Rian could make another comment and keep me there. Because honestly, I didn't want to know anymore. Though the conversation was a distraction from the pain in my head, all I really wanted to do was go pack and get across the street.


I made my way up the stairs and into my bedroom where I grabbed a smaller duffle bag from the bottom of my closet and began to throw random obscure things I probably wouldn't need into it. I never usually packed a bag when I stayed at Alex's, but yet again, almost every time I did stay it was on accident and I slept in jeans which was not something I had grown an adaptation for. So I packed some extra cloths and my toothbrush in a little plastic baggie, along with my phone charger and makeup wipes to get the gunk off my face before it clogged my pores. Having Alex seen me in the morning with mascara smeared across my nose and cheek did make having him see me bare faced a little easier.


Just as I was finishing up, I felt a wave of fatigue wash over my body as it rose from my gut making me cringe. I zipped the bag and tossed it on the floor at the foot of my bed, freeing my hands in order to hold my temples as I sat down on the mattress over my bag. I sat there on the edge if my bed for a moment with my head in my heads as I groaned. I had that odd kink in the pit of my stomach that feels almost as though a thick rubber tube was fed through my intestines and up through my throat leaving me heavy and full of air. I wanted to vomit and lie down and throw my head in a toilet all at the same time. But I knew this pain well now, all I truly needed was a bite to eat, a glass of water and a cuddle sesh with my boy. As cheesy as it sounds.


It was true.


Then rose one of those moments that made me solemnly swear that Alex could read my mind. Just as I went to lay flat on my back, I was stopped by my phone ringing. Letting out a grown I reached for the device and quickly felt a smile spark onto my lips when I read 'Alex Gaskbarf <3' across the small exterior screen making me eagerly flip it open and accept the call. I bit my lip as I was right away met with what I could only assume to be sounds of a video game before I spoke up.


"Hey, Lex!" I said into my phone, a smile sliding onto my face at just the mere mention of his name. A second later the static gunshot sounds stopped and there was a bit of a rustle.


"Hey babe!" He said into the phone, the smile practically encrypted into his tone. "I didn't really want to keep bothering you but I'm just touching base to see if you're still down to come over?"


I bit my lip when I felt my cheeks heat up, as if I was trying to stop it even though he couldn't very well see me. "Uh, yeah, totally!" I said. "I just finished grabbing the last of the stuff I needed, I was leaving right now." I smiled, my free hand slipping up to rub the other side of my head as I glared into the air at the pain. I just wanted it to go away so I could enjoy my time.


"Sweet, well my mom still isn't home so you can let yourself in, I'll probably still be in the basement, me and Jack are trying to kick Matt's ass at this game..." He explained before he added a small chuckle to the end making my body temp rise. I was beginning to hate and love how he had the power to do that over me.


"Alright, I'll see you in a minute." I said before I heard Alex hum into the phone. The two of us hanging on the line in silence, like the same thought was rolling through both our minds on if we should say it or not. I bit my lip because we were both clearly in an internal debate, but I would see him in a second anyway. Realizing this I let out a sigh. "Bye Alex."


"Bye Jasey..." I heard him say though it sounded like hardly a whisper before we both hung up. I let out a sigh as I got to my feet and grabbed my bag, making my way to the door. In all honesty looking at it now, packing probably wasn't all that necessary. Alex will probably insist I sleep in one of his shirts tonight anyway seeing as he has grown quite the infatuation with seeing me in his cloths. I don't know what about it he finds so alluring but he's convinced it’s hot. So who am I to pass up a comfy shirt when one offers it?


"Ri, I'm heading to Alex's..." I called when I reached the base of the stairs. I heard him mumble a few incoherent sounds that were probably eye rolling material anyway before I tugged the door open and hiked my duffle bag over my shoulder. "Please, just don't burn the house down..."



(PLEASE READ THE NOTES… I KNOW THEY ARE LONG BUT ITS IMPORTANTS…)

Notes

okay guys prepare yourself for some long ass notes right now!!


firstly i want to say this update was originally over 8,000 words long so i chopped it in two so i didnt lose you guys and also so you know that i was planning to come back and not just be like "heres a shitty filler bye" and leave for a month again!


but with that being said... IM BACK BABY!! and i dont plan on going anywhere soon... besides the kitchen for some lunch.


but just so y'all know, i wasnt just away cause i was lazy or because i suddenly got a life, no none of that. i just kind of hit a wall with this story BECAUSE its so close to the last shabang before its over and idk...



if if makes you feel any better, while i was away from THIS story... i got ANOTHER story in the works.. it includes its another Alex/OC fic, i wanted my next story to actually be a Jack?OC and I have a Zack fic floating around but the way my next story is laid, Alex is the only band member that fit with the emotional level i needed..


but for those interested, i wont say much other than it includes Alex, an OC, and a couple thousand miles :)


i already have four to five chapters written , but nothing will be released till this story is said and done because i dont want it falling to the back burner :)


SO GET EXCITED AND I WILL SEE YOU SOON!!!!!!!!


as always, please do vote for and subscribe to this story if you have not yet, and leave me some comments either about this or my new story or just how your day is going :)


-Sarah

oh... and..........