This World's An Ugly Place

Caught completely off guard, I froze on the spot. My mind kept telling me to pull away, to back off now because he was only doing this because he thought he liked me like this when really I was just the only person who saw him like this. But my heart...

I pressed closer to him, suddenly letting my hands get tangled in his hair, and Alex shifted so I could sit closer to him. He pulled away then, both of us losing our breath, and he then pressed our foreheads together. "Alex..." I murmured, the situation feeling completely right but my head still telling me this was all a lie - a dream.

"Angel, I...like like you, and I don't want to be just friends," he murmured quietly, pushing my hair off my neck.

I blinked, not sure what to say. In my head, this was all just a dream. "N-No, you don't...Alex, you don't really mean that, you're just...confused."

"No, I know that I like you like that, and that I did from day one."

"Alex-"

"Don't tell me I'm confused, that I only like you because you're the only one who really shows how much you care, because I like you for all the right reasons and all the things you believe I don't. I know you don't believe in love like that, but...I think we could have that," he said now, gazing into my own eyes.

I felt the air hitch in my throat and a smile grew across my face. "That...I mean, good, because I like you like that too," I said now, hating that I couldn't be all poetic and romantic like Alex was being.

He chuckled now, briefly kissing me now and then pulling away, helping me to my feet. "I know it's going to take a long, long time to get over Uncle Ben's death, but what I thought was impossible seems actually possible when I'm with you," he said, pressing me closer to him and resting his cheek against the top of my head. "All I have is you," he whispered quietly.

"You're such a romantic," I muttered quietly, nuzzling closer into his chest.

Although I couldn't see his face from my angle, I could tell he was smirking right now. "What can I say? That's just how I am."

"You sap," I joked now, pushing him away but he held onto my hand, a huge smile on his face. "Do you want to stay for band practice or want to go home? Whatever you want to do I'll do," I spoke now, completely truthfully. After all the events that just happened in a short period of time, even my head was going dizzy, but whatever Alex wanted to do I would follow him.

"You kidding? We have to stay here for the new bass player," he joked now, going back to his old self.

I released a sigh, but now growing nervous as to how the boys would react to Alex and I's new discovery. He turned to reach for the door handle but I caught his arm before he could go any further. "Alex," I said now, getting his attention.

"What is it?"

"Maybe we should keep this secret, I mean, us," I said and his smile dropped. "I mean only for right now, because if we say it right now I'm afraid the focus - which is supposed to be on Zack - would be on us, you know what I mean?" I asked, biting onto my lip.

"Yeah, that makes sense," he said, giving my hand a squeeze. "When do you want to tell them?"

"Well, I think I should break the ice to Sebastian first...then Jack...then Case. Actually, no, Lexus first," I corrected myself. "Then the rest. Sebastian isn't always protective, but he can be sometimes."

"So I shouldn't be there for that one," he concluded and I chuckled lightly.

"Maybe not, but Lexus and Jack should be fine. Except Jack might make gagging noises because he's such a whiny prick," I spoke and Alex laughed at that.

"I heard my name," Jack suddenly said, popping his head out of the door and both Alex and I jumped, quickly dropping each other's hands.

"Did you hear anything else?" I asked hesitantly.

"No." He frowned.

"Well, I called you a whiny prick," I said, walking past him and into the shop.

"For what?!" he demanded, walking in after me.

"Just, you know, in general," I said, waving my hand and Alex chuckled at that.

"It's about time you guys showed up," Sebastian said, bending over his snare drum and adjusting it to a different angle.

"Yeah, you missed his arrival," Case said, walking in around the corner with, who I assumed, Zack behind him.

"Hey," Zack said quietly, waving a hand at me and I couldn't ever miss his huge muscles on his arms.

"Wow, you work out often?" I asked, not having a filter with my mouth and he blushed, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah, I guess," he spoke and I just nodded my head, walking over to my black Fender.

Jack rolled his eyes and tapped Alex's shoulder. "While they're practicing, maybe we could work on our own band?"

Alex's eyes brightened up at that and he nodded his head. "Yeah, that sounds awesome," he spoke.

"Maybe cover a Guns N' Roses song?" I suggested, raising an eyebrow and Alex smirked at that.

"Maybe just for you," he spoke, sending me a wink before walking after Jack and towards the front of the shop where they would probably borrow guitars to practice.

"Dang," Sebastian muttered under his breath. "When's the wedding?"

I put my hands on my hips. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, you know, with all your flirting and all," Case spoke, a certain bitterness to his voice.

I rolled my eyes, turning to face Zack now whom was swinging his bass strap over his head. "What songs are you familiar with?"

"Well, I was told to cover Reckless Abandon by Blink 182," he responded.

I nodded my head, shooting a glare at Case for not telling me that bit of information. "We're covering a song that only has one guitarist?"

"Do you doubt me?" Case asked now, a smirk growing on his face. "I've got this," he told me and I just shrugged my shoulders at that.

"You ready Zack?" I asked, and he nodded his head in response. "All right, let's do this."

***

I let out a groan, collapsing myself on top of Jack's bed and covering my face with his pillow. After band practice, Sebastian and Case were busy with something so Alex, Jack, and I went over to Jack's house. Since Lexus wasn't home, I was hanging out with Jack and Alex today.

"Aw, you mad that we stole your bassist?" Jack asked, walking into the room with Zack beside him. After practice we had decided that Zack wasn't the right match for the band. It wasn't that he wasn't a good bassist or anything, he played well, it just didn't feel right was all.

"You didn't steal him," I spoke, lifting my head and sticking my tongue out at my cousin and he just wrinkled his nose at me.

Alex sat down beside me, closer than he usually would. I didn't say anything though, because to be honest I wanted him to sit even closer. I kept my face hidden in Jack's pillow still, though.

"Whatever," Jack muttered. "I'm telling you, Zack, you're better off with our band anyways. All Time Low is going to be amazing."

"Says the guy who hasn't even had one gig yet," I said, now sitting up beside Alex, our shoulders practically touching.

"No...not yet, but we will! Now all we need is a drummer," he spoke enthusiastically. "My band is finally getting together."

I rolled my eyes at that. If Jack wanted to be a hopeless dreamer, who was I to stop him? His little excitement for his band was actually kind of cute - for as cute as Jack could be.

"We definitely are," Alex agreed, nodding his head. "One day we're going to pass The Star Gazers up." He turned to me, a big smirk on his face.

"I would love to see the day," I spoke now and Jack started making gagging noises.

"It's one thing to flirt with Case, but to flirt with one of my friends is not cool," Jack said.

I pouted my bottom lip out. "He was my friend before you! Plus, I don't even flirt with Case, he's like my brother and that's gross."

"Yeah, but Alex clearly likes me better," Jack challenged, and just by that I jumped up from my feet.

"You better take that back!" I exclaimed, running towards Jack in his small room and tackling him down. Almost right after I had tackled him he had me in a head lock - something he always managed to get me in.

"Now you're the one who has to take it back!" Jack yelled.

"Never," I vowed.

"Do it or I mess up your make-up!"

"Jack!"

"Take it back now or else!"

"Fine, fine, I take it back," I said quickly and as soon as he released my head I pushed him away and jumped back onto his bed, hiding behind Alex whom was sitting beside Zack now.

"Is it always this hectic around here?" Zack asked.

Alex shrugged his shoulders. "Generally whenever Jack and Angel are around they always end up in a fight like this, and if not they're always bickering," Alex answered. "You'll get used to it because when Angel's not around and you're just around Jack it's going to feel a little empty without the fighting."

"I think instead of empty you mean peaceful," Jack said now, flipping his hair out of his eyes.

"Whatever you call it, it'll be weird," Alex said, and through this entire conversation no one noticed Alex and I holding hands behind Alex's back.

Notes

Sorry for the wait! The weekend is always hard for me to get to the computer and update /,\