Summer’s POV
Today was the day. It was the day that my first tour with All Time Low started. A few weeks ago Alex told me their crew could use some extra help on this tour, and considering the fact that I worked at a bar and often helped behind the scenes of performances there and that I’ve been good friends with Alex for years, Alex immediately thought of me. Being a long time fan of Alex’s band, I couldn’t refuse his offer. Today All Time Low would leave for their USA tour to support their latest album Dirty Work after a short break, and I would go with them. I was so excited. Not only would I be touring with one of the greatest bands of all time in my opinion, I would also get to spend more time with my best friend who I hadn’t seen much since he’s touring so much. Alex and I have been friends for years. I moved to Baltimore in ninth grade because my father could get a good job there and that’s when Alex and I met and became friends.

I still remember my first day at Dulaney High when I met Alex. After I had a brief talk with the principal of Dulaney High School he took me to my first class, French. He told the teacher, Mrs. Wyatt, that I was a new student. She friendly greeted me, and told me to sit down next to a guy with brown hair and thick eyebrows. I made my way through the class room to the table and sat down next to the guy. I didn’t really know what to say so I just decided to say nothing at all. I took my books out of my bag, put them on my table and opened them on the same pages as the books of the guy next to me. He was looking out of the window and I wondered if he even noticed me sitting down next to him.
‘As you might have noticed, we have a new student. Please welcome Summer Montgomery.’ Mrs. Wyatt said, looking at me.
The guy next to me turned around and briefly smiled at me. I smiled back. Mrs. Wyatt then started talking and I looked at the pages in my book. This was easy! After the class, Mrs. Wyatt came up to me and the guy next to me.
‘Alex, would you mind showing Summer around and helping her if she needs anything?’ she asked the guy next to me.
The guy next to me whose name was Alex apparently nodded.
‘Sure, no problem’ he replied smiling.
I spend the rest of that day with Alex. He explained how everything worked at Dulaney High and after school we went to get some ice cream.

We had only known each other for a day but it seemed so much longer. We just connected. We have been best friends ever since. I was there when he met Jack, Rian and Zack, the guys who he would later form a band with, and had also been friends with them ever since I met them. They were just so easy to be friend with, and when I hung out with them, it was never boring. I had seen All Time Low becoming more and more famous. I was proud of my friends, even though it made me sad that I saw them so little. Going on tour with them was the perfect opportunity to hang out with them more.

I was waiting at the parking lot from where the tour bus would leave, with some of the crew members who had arrived already. Luckily I knew most of their crew members already because I went to quite some All Time Low shows and Alex would always get me a backstage pass. We still had to wait for some more crew members, and the band obviously, who was late as usual.

Alex’s POV
I was in the car with my friends and band members Jack, Zack and Rian. We were on our way to the parking lot from where our tour bus would leave, although I wasn’t so sure we would actually get there since Jack was driving.
‘Who let Jack drive anyway?’ I asked my friends. ‘I don’t want to die!’
‘Guys! My driving isn’t that bad!’ Jack defended himself.
I raised my eyebrows.
‘Really Jack, really? You were supposed to let that pedestrian go first, you idiot. You don’t stop for anything. Anything you’re supposed to stop for anyway. How did you get your driver license again?’
Jack shrugged, and drove onto the parking lot we had just arrived at. Jack did an attempt to park the car, but failed badly. He left the car where he parked it, using 3 parking spaces, and we all got out of the car and walked towards the crew who was waiting for us.
‘Finally’ Matt Flyzik, our tour manager, said when he saw us.

I smiled when I saw Summer waiting for us. I was excited about her coming with us on tour. I had spend way too little time with her over the past years, due to being on tour so much. I walked up to her and hugged her.
‘Hey Sum’ I said smiling.
‘Hey Gaskarth’ she replied smiling.
‘So, are we ready to leave?’ Matt asked.
All our equipment was already packed by the crew members. We all got into the bus. As soon as we were all in the bus, the bus driver started the bus and drove off. It didn’t take long before we all found something to do. It would be a long drive from Baltimore to Atlanta, but it was easier to go by bus than by plane with all the equipment we had to take. Summer, Jack, Zack, Rian and I ended up playing some cards game to pass the time.

Jack’s POV
After a long drive we finally arrived in Atlanta. Once we got to the venue we were playing at, we all got out of the bus. We first helped the crew unload the bus and take our equipment into the venue. We then started to set up our instruments and everything. We had quite some time left before the concert started. The support started in two hours, and there were two support acts. I didn’t know either of them, but I read some good reviews about them and was probably going to check them out. We hardly needed any sound check, I couldn’t play my instrument anyways. At least that’s what everybody says.

I kind of missed being on stage, even though it had only been two weeks since I last was on a stage. I guess I just missed the rush it gave me. Just to make sure everything was working we played some songs. A couple of new songs were added to our set list and we hadn’t played them live before so we decided to practice them some more. We played Heroes, Just The Way I’m Not, That Girl and Under A Paper Moon. When we stopped playing and I handed my guitar back to our guitar tech, a girl came up to me out of nowhere.
‘That was awesome!’ she yelled.
‘Uh.. thanks’ I replied, wondering who this girl was and how she got in.
‘I’m Donna, the lead singer of the band Coldhearted’ she said as if she could read my mind. ‘We’re supporting for you guys tonight’
‘Oh cool’ I said smiling. ‘I don’t know you to be honest, but I think I’m gonna watch your performance. I’ve read quite some positive reviews about you guys’
‘I didn’t expect you to know us, so don’t worry’ she said friendly. ‘We’re not famous at all, but one of my band members knows the owner of this venue, and he asked us to support you. But you’re really gonna watch us perform? I’m gonna be so nervous’
‘There’s no need to be nervous! I’m sure you’re good if you’re supporting us’ I replied.
‘Yeah I know we’re not bad, but you guys are like my idols. How could I not be nervous?’ Donna asked.
‘Just remember that we’re just ordinary people whose dreams came true. The same might happen for you some day’ I said laughing. It was still weird to me that people looked up to us like that.
‘Just don’t think about me watching and enjoy your set! If you look like you’re having a good time, the audience will enjoy it’ I advised her.
‘Thanks, I’ll try to have a good time’ she said with a big smile.
‘Good’ I replied. I heard Alex call my name. ‘Look, I gotta go, but I’ll be watching you tonight’
‘Well, that sounds creepy’ she replied laughing.
‘Yes, it does, so you better show me what you got’ I said with a wink. ‘See you later’
‘Bye’ Donna replied and I walked up to Alex and Zack who were watching as Rian was doing an extra sound check on his drums because they didn’t sound right and the crew was trying to figure out what was wrong with them.
‘Who’s that girl?’ Alex asked me when I stood next to him and he nodded in Donna’s direction.
‘Her name’s Donna. She’s the lead singer of a band called Coldhearted. They’re supporting us tonight’ I replied. ‘I promised her I’m gonna watch them. I read some good reviews about their performances’
‘Cool’ Alex replied. ‘She’s hot’ he added looking at Jack.
‘Whatever’ Jack said, suddenly very interested in Rian’s drumming.

Rian’s POV
For some reason my drums didn’t sound right. Someone messed up again. Anyway, I had to do an extra sound check to get the sound right. Eventually they got the drums to sound right and I could stop playing and head to our tour bus with my band mates. Alex kept on talking about a girl Jack apparently had a crush on, even though Jack was denying everything.
‘So who are we talking about here?’ I asked Alex.
‘Jack met this girl, Donna, who’s the lead singer of a band that’s supporting us tonight and he has a crush on her’ Alex replied.
‘I don’t have a crush on her Alex, you know you’re the love of my life’ Jack joked.
‘Ah well, that’s true.’ Alex said hugging Jack. ‘I love you too’
I shook my head laughing. Why was I friends with these people?
‘So, Zack, how are you?’ I asked to involve Zack in the conversation.
‘I’m fine, what about you?’ he replied.

After that Summer entered the tour bus and Zack was immediately distracted. We all knew Zack has had a crush on Summer for years, even though he hardly saw her. Therefore he was very excited when Alex asked us if we would mind it if he would ask Summer to come on tour with us. Everyone knew about Zack’s crush on Summer, except for Summer herself.
‘Get a room’ Summer told Alex and Jack laughing when she saw Jack sitting on Alex’ lap. She then sat down next to Zack.
‘So what were you talking about?’ Summer asked Zack, who looked at her in trance.
How does Summer not know Zack has a crush on her?
‘Nothing really’ I replied since Zack didn’t look like he was gonna be able to talk any time soon.
‘Oh okay’ she replied. ‘So, how are things going with you and Jess?’ she asked me.
Jess is my girlfriend for almost four years. She couldn’t go on tour with us unfortunately. I already missed her.
‘Things are going fine, thanks’ I said smiling. ‘And how’s your love life?’
While saying that I looked briefly at Zack who woke up from his trance when I asked that.
‘It’s actually going quite well’ she replied smiling at the thought of it. ‘There’s this guy…’
I didn’t listen to the rest of her answer. Oh god, why did I ask this again? I thought. Zack did not want to hear this. I looked at his face. I couldn’t really tell how he felt from his face, but I could imagine it.
‘Great’ I replied to Summer when she stopped talking. I could tell by her face that she had no idea what just went down. She didn’t know how much the words she just spoke hurt Zack.

Zack had been quiet ever since Summer said that she was in love with someone else. Zack was usually quiet, but not like this. I felt so bad for him… Why did I have to ask Summer about her love life? Or maybe it’s better this way. At least now he knows there’s someone else. He might finally get over her… Even though I didn’t think that would be so easy considering the amount of time he’s been in love with Summer.

A few hours later when Alex, Jack and Summer left to watch the supporting acts, I sat down next to Zack in our tour bus.
‘Dude, are you okay?’ I asked, even though I knew he wasn’t okay.
Zack shrugged. ‘I don’t know, man… She’s in love with someone else…’ I had never told Zack that I knew he was in love with Summer but I guess he figured it out himself.
‘I know… it sucks… I’m sorry for asking her about her love life.. I shouldn’t have done that’ I said.
‘No, don’t worry, it’s okay. At least now I know before I would embarrass myself not knowing she has someone else. Who is it anyway? I didn’t really listen to the rest of her story.’ Zack asked.
‘I don’t know… I didn’t really listen either… I was just looking at you and regretting that I asked her about her love life’ I replied.
‘What am I supposed to do?’ Zack asked me. He looked so lost.
‘Right now you’re gonna get on stage and play your heart out. Then you’ll get some sleep, and tomorrow you will probably be able to think more clear. You’ll figure out what to do.’ I said, trying to comfort him. I sucked at this. I never really had a way with words. Alex or Summer were much better at these things, maybe even Jack. But Zack couldn’t talk about this with Summer obviously and Alex and Jack were watching Jack’s possible new crush.
‘You’re probably right… Thanks man’ Zack said.
‘If you need some good advice you might as well talk to Alex tomorrow, he’s way better with words than I am’ I said apologetically.
‘Haha, you’re doing fine dude’ Zack replied with a smile. I was just glad to see him smile after Summer broke his heart.
‘Thanks. I think we should go into the venue’ I suggested. Zack nodded and we got up and walked out of the tour bus to the venue.

Notes

I don't think I ever posted this story here. If I did, sorry!

I hope you enjoy it :)