Echoes of Our Rebellious Youth (All Time Low fanfiction | Alex Gaskarth)

Chapter 15: Make it Special

Mickey's POV:

The sun hangs high in the sky as Alex and I stroll through the amusement park, surrounded by a handful of his friends. Of course, Rian and Jack had joined us, but there were also three more guys I'd never met before, two of which were part of their 'crew'. Despite the hectic environment, I was actually enjoying myself.

The excursion had been planned a few days earlier. While I was unsure about meeting even more faces and having to put on my best behaviour, I decided it would be good to go out and do something. With the many attractions and our large group, I didn't have to constantly be 'on', there was always something to distract the excited group of guys.

We tackled a few attractions, with Alex even convincing me to get on the swinging boat. I can't lie, I was having fun. I didn't even need to be asked twice if I wanted to go on another rollercoaster. One with quite a long queue.

Time seems to stretch for an eternity as we stand in that line, the minutes ticking by slowly. While standing there, I suddenly feel something. It's something I haven't felt in a long time, so it takes me a second to recognise it. As soon as the thought crosses my mind, I feel panic start to rise in my chest. We're nowhere close to getting on the ride yet and I have no idea how I'm going to get out of this one.

Alex's voice breaks through my panicked thoughts, making me jump the slightest bit. "You good?" he asks.

My first reaction is to turn around and give him a smile and nod. Still, I'm worried about what I'm going to do. "How much longer do you think?"

"Another half hour or so?" he guesses, scanning the queue in front of us.

I can feel how my face contorts into a frown. Another half hour is much too long.

"Why?" he asks, watching me closely with his brows furrowed.

I wrack my brain for any kind of excuse I can think of. One that everybody will accept and shrug their shoulders at. But it doesn't come. And then I remember that I'm with Alex, and not Jake. That he'd probably want to help me out and not shame me.

I still fear saying the words out loud, but I try to rationalise through it. It causes me to stare into Alex's eyes for a beat too long. He notices my battle and leans down the slightest bit.

"What's up?" he whispers, his hands going to the barriers on either side, creating our own little cocoon separated from the rest of the group.

I take a deep breath in and gather the courage to mumble my predicament. "I think I just started my period."

"Oh." His eyes go wide for a split second and he nods. "You think you can make it?"

"I don't know." I shake my head, the discomfort growing.

He seems to contemplate something for a while, and I start worrying that I misjudged him and shouldn't have told him. But then he grabs my hand and turns to the rest of the group.

"Alright, Mickey and I are going to head back," he announces and starts pushing past them to leave, pulling me along.

"Where are you going?" Jack complains, not wanting to let Alex pass. "We're almost there."

"I really need to take a leak, and if I don't go now, I will piss myself," Alex stresses with a serious face, continuing to push past.

Jack jumps back and lets him through. "Gross."

"Exactly," he somehow manages to keep his composure despite lying outright. "We'll meet you at the exit of the ride. I'm bringing Mickey with me for company."

And so starts the journey of us making our way back out of the queue. It involves a lot of apologising and squeezing past other people. Alex just keeps a tight grip on my hand and guides us through all the barriers we face. I'm just grateful that he takes the lead. If I had to do this one by myself, I would have been swallowed whole by the crowd.

Eventually, we make it back to the entrance. Luckily, the bathrooms are close by and I don't have to walk much longer knowing that a disaster can happen at any moment. I'm glad to see that people are walking in and out freely and there isn't another queue I have to stand in.

"I'll wait out here for you," Alex tells me as we approach. He lets go of my hand and I give him a nod before disappearing into the bathroom.

I'm extremely lucky, because I came unprepared. Another woman is nice enough to lend me a pad, averting a crisis. It was just all so unexpected. Alex kept true to his promise and is waiting in exactly the same position when I come out. He smiles at me as I approach and even leans down to give me a short kiss when I get close enough.

"Everything alright?" He checks when we pull away.

Once again, I'm nodding, and slip my hand into his. "Yeah. I just didn't expect it. I haven't had my period in over a year."

"Shit." Shock rolls over his face, a hint of confusion behind it as well. "So this is good, right?"

"I guess," I shrug. It wasn't the most pleasant gift to receive, but at the same time it meant that I wasn't as broken as I thought I was.

He nudges me and cocks his head into the direction of something he wants to point out. "How about some ice cream while we wait for the others?" I spot the stand he's referring to. "My treat."

"Everything's been your treat so far," I chuckle although I feel bad. Alex, however, is already guiding us towards the ice cream stand.

"And all you need to do to repay me is to grace me with your presence."

We reach the short queue and get to experience another moment of waiting. Alex lets go of my hand and pulls me closer into his side before slipping his fingers into my back pocket. Immediately, my heart starts pounding and I freeze. Alex doesn't know any better, but Jake used to do the same thing to subtly control where I went whenever we were in public.

My eyes snap up to Alex in panic, and he notices. He raises an eyebrow, silently asking for retroactive permission. I quickly and discreetly shake my head, to which he removes his touch and carefully moves his arm to drape over my shoulder instead. He raises his eyebrows again and I nod, leaning into him a little more. With my approval, he pressed a kiss against the top of my head.

When we finally reach the front of the line, Alex orders our ice creams with a charming smile, effortlessly engaging in small talk with the vendor. I watch him, admiring the easy way he manages to interact with people without as much as a hint of intimidation. He hands me my cone with a smile that reaches his eyes.

We decide to sit on a bench close to where the others should appear after they get off the ride. A comfortable silence settles over us as we eat our ice cream. The cool sweetness helps soothe over any residual nerves from the eventful happenings earlier. Being with Alex is unlike anything I've experienced over the past years. It's... easy.

"So," he starts, breaking the comfortable silence between us and licking some melted ice cream before it drops onto his hands. "What do you want to do after the others return?"

I glance around and shrug. "Anything you guys want, really."

"No," he shakes his head, looking over his ice cream. "I'm asking what you want to do."

I take a moment to consider his question. It's simple, but it carries so much weight. I haven't been asked what I wanted in such a long time let alone given the option again after brushing it off the first time.

"Well..." I start slowly, feeling hesitant to voice my desires, as if the offer might be retracted at any moment. "I haven't been on a Ferris wheel in ages. Maybe we could do that?"

Alex's eyes light up with enthusiasm, making relief wash over me. "That sounds perfect! A little romantic, even." He nudges me and gives me a little smirk.

I feel a faint blush creep up my cheeks, but I roll my eyes. "Don't get ahead of yourself. It's just a Ferris wheel."

He chuckles, his smile warm and inviting. "Maybe. But it's a Ferris wheel with you, Mickey. That makes it special."