(Dave's POV)
The guys and I decided that we should have a band meeting and create our setlist for the tour that we'll be leaving for in a month.
"No Johnny this time. We've played the trilogy songs on almost every tour before this one and I think we should play something else. Something we don't usually play." Benn states as he crosses the trilogy off of the list.
"I want Johnny. That always gets them excited." I argue back.
Andy groans "You both need to get over this already."
Before I can respond to him, we hear some shouting and laughter coming towards us and soon enough, Danny bursts into the room with Alexandria on his back.
"I found the snow queen!"
"Shut up" she giggles "Put me down now!"
Once she's on her feet, she greets everyone. Everyone except me.
"I know you guys are busy, but can I borrow Bennett for a while?"
He looks at her curiously, clearly just as stunned as the rest of us.
"Come on. We need to go right now!" she whines, as she grabs his hand and drags him out of the room.
"Seriously?" I mutter. What could she possibly need to talk to him about?
"Jealous?" Danny asks in a mocking tone "You should be. They're perfect for eachother. Kind of like Barbie and Ken."
"Shut up, Danny." I snarl.
"They're meant to be together and everyone in this room knows it."
"She's mine now. Get used to it."
"Is that what you think of her? She isn't a property that you can just claim, Dave. She can be yours, but she can also be in love with someone else."
I walk towards him and try to throw a punch, but Hayden and Andy hold me back.
Danny walks out of the room with a smile and i'm left with the desire to bash his face in.
I shove Hayden and Andy away from me, glaring at them along with everyone else in the room.
"Why didn't any of you say anything? He was being a snob and you know it."
"Sn-nob or not" Brandon starts "He had a point. Deep down, Dave, you know she loves him. We all know that she loves him. She's my best friend, a-and from what I know, she always will."
"We know that this isn't what you wanna hear, but it's the truth. You've known ever since you joined the band that Benn was determined to find her and make her his again the very first chance he got. I don't get why you would just jump in the middle like that." Taddie says, clearly siding with Brandon.
"Anyone else want to tell me why i'm wrong? Or can I go now?!" Andy crosses his arms, and Hayden simply shakes his head.
I stomp out of the house with fury flowing through my veins...I can't believe my friends, my BROTHERS, would betray me like this.
There is no way in hell that i'm going to let her slip through my fingers.
(Alexandria's POV)
"You look like you're going to cry, Alexandria. What's wrong?" Bennett asks softly.
"I know you're probably fed up with me but I need your help" I whimper "I got into a fight with Cali and she had all these cuts and i'm scared that she might have hurt herself even worse because of me. I don't know where she is or how to get a hold of her but I know you do. Please help me."
He lets go of me and I watch as he walks over to the car in his driveway and opens the door. Once i'm seated, he closes the door for me, runs inside and returns with the keys.
"It's going to be okay. Think positive."
"I'm positive that this is all my fault and that if she's dead i'll be a murderer."
He groans "Not like that. You're making yourself feel worse. I'm sure she's okay."
"How would you know?"
"Because Caliana is a strong girl. She's been through a lot and no offence, but I don't think a fight with you is going to make her want to end her life."
I want to say something in response, but I can't. IHe's right. I'm underestimating her. I know she's strong, thats one of the reasons I love her so much. I guess being away from her for so long change the way I thought of her.
"I can feel your negativity from this side of the car."
I know he says it as a joke, as an attempt to make me laugh, but it makes me cry instead.
"Hey. Not everything that happens is your fault. Don't be so hard on yourself. Ever since the day I met you, you've thought so negatively of yourself. Cali was sad, Lex. She's always been sad and I think right now, she just needs you to be her friend and love her the way she is. Help her break her bad habit and take care of her. It's your job as a friend to help heal her, not take fault for her actions."
When we reach a red light, he digs into his glove box and hands me some tissues.
"We're almost there, okay?" I nod "You'll see. When we get there, she'll be alive and ready to kill us with her eyes."
I smile. Her anger is visible in her eyes.They. widen and turn a darker shade of green. She could never hide what she was feeling.
Soon enough, he pulls into the driveway of a small, cozy looking home.
The very second we step on the porch, the door opens.
"Alexandria and Bennett! My goodness, it's been so long!" Cali's grandma says with a big smile on her face "Please come inside. My little sunshine is locked away in her room with a cloud over her head. Maybe you can help?"
Bennett takes me by the hand and leads me upstairs and to the last door of the hall.
He takes a deep breath and begins to knock.
"Cali? It's Benn. Can I please come in?"
The door slowly opens, just enough for us to go inside, but once Bennett enters, its slams shut. Just inches away from my fave.
"Fuck off, Alexandria."
I gasp. She really just said that to me. My best friend just said that to me.
I lean against the door and hear the faint sounds of her arguing with Bennett and him trying to calm her.
I can hear soft sobs and sniffling. And it breaks my heart, but also makes me want to break the door and go inside.
The door suddenly opens, causing me to fall into the room.
Cali sits on her bed, a pillow over her face to hide the tears.
"Cali I-"
"You left me!" she shouts "You left me all alone!"
I rush to her side and hug her "Cali, i'm sorry. I am truly sorry."
"How could you just leave me without saying goodbye?"
"I knew you wouldn't let me go. Or that you would have tried to go with me. Cali, I was dying. What would have become of you if I had died in some random place? You could have ended up dead and I would never have forgiven myself for it. You know I love you. You're like a sister to me and leaving you behind was hard. Leaving was hard Cali."
"Why didn't you come back when you got better? Why didn't you call me so I could go with you or- " "A life on the run is not a life at all. I was barely managing to survive. I wasn't going to invite you to my suffering. You didn't deserve that." I say, rubbing circles on her back.
"You came back and you didn't tell me. That hurt, Lex! I spent so much time without you and you didn't even think of me. I was hurt that you were here and you were out being happy meanwhile I was hurting. And then when that guy said-"
"Dave? What did he say?"
"He said that I was another part of your past that he was going to have to deal with. It was like listening to him say he was going to keep you away and it made me so angry that when you yelled at me, I just let it all out on you. Would you forgive me?"
"No, Cali. I need you to forgive me. I've been such a bad friend. But I promise you that i'm never going to leave you again. And that not even Dave or anyone else is going to keep me away from you. I have so much time to make up for and starting right now, that's exactly what I'm going to do. Only if you forgive me of course."
"I forgive you, Lex. But if you ever leave me again, I will find you, and I will kill you." she laughs.
I give her a big squeeze and kiss her cheek "We're going to start over. And for once, maybe just this once, things will actually be okay."
"I really hope so" She smiles "Hey Vogleman, come get in on this action!"
He shrugs and moves from his spot by the door to come and squish us to death.
It's so nice to be home, and to be able to actually enjoy it.
_______________________________
Cali sits up from her spot on the bed, looks over at me and smirks.
"What?"
"Oh, Nothing. Nothing at all. I'm gonna go make some more popcorn. I'll be right back."
It isn't until I make an attempt to turn around that I realize what Cali was smiling about. I'm laying on top of Bennett, and he has his arms wrapped around my waist.
"Excuse you, mister. I never consented to cuddling."
"You cuddled me first."
I gasp "I did no such thing!"
"Yes you did." He laughs.
I turn around and try to be completely serious, but his laughter is infectious and I can't help but smile and laugh with him.
"I like to see you like this" He says softly "Smiling and blushing. It intensifies your beauty."
I bury my face in the crook of his neck. I don't know what to say and I don't want to embarrass myself.
"What? Don't hide from me now."
I feel his fingers slowly start to slide up and down my sides.
"Bennett Vogleman, don't you dare."
He starts to tickle me and I absolutely lose my wits and start kicking and screaming like a maniac. He does this until he's able turn us over so that he's on top of me.
"I missed you. I missed this. I still do." he whispers as he leans forward.
Our eyes lock, and my thoughts are flooded with my love for him.
I close my eyes, ready for his lips to meet mine once again, but they never do because Cali enters the room.
"Oh-shit! Sorry guys!"
"I, Uh- no. It's okay Cali. Maybe we should get going. The guys are probably wondering where we are."
"Y-yeah" Bennett mumbles "You should come with us. Brandon's there."
"I do not still have a crush on him!"
"Aha!" I shout "You just admitted that you used to like him!"
"What? I didn't say that!"
"Yeah you did." Bennett and I say in unision.
"I leave you two alone for ten minutes and you start teaming up on me? How could you?!" she laughs. "Fine, i'll go. Just to say hi to my friends."
Once she changes her clothes and puts her shoes on, we head out to the car.
Before I get in, Bennett stops me.
He grabs my hand and looks me straight in the eyes.
"I liked what happened today and I know that you feel the same way. This isn't over, Alexandria. I am more than willing to fight for you."
Bennett and Dave are going to end my existence. They are driving me absolutely insane.
(Benn's POV)
"So, fifteen minutes to make some popcorn?" I ask Cali when we walk in to the kitchen for some beers.
"You were wrapped around her like you used to when we would all hang out. It was so cute. It was like looking at you guys from the past only more grown up. And then I remembered that you guys would only kiss if I wasn't in the room. So I went down and waited a while. Why did you wait so long? You could have kissed her tons of times while I was out."
"It's just so hard to take it all in. She's here again. I didn't see her for three years! To be able to hold her...feel her and know that she's actually there is incredible. I wanted to kiss her but I had to really look at her first. I had to stare at her and make sure it wasn't just a dream. I get so caught up in her presence, she's like a drug to me. I won't ever get enough of her because she's all i'll ever want or need." I say quietly, hoping no one aside from Cali hears me.
"But you can't just keep waiting. The longer you wait the more serious things get with Dave. You're just wasting time, honestly."
I make an attempt to say something back, but she puts a hand up, silencing me.
"Be sneaky" she sighs heavily "When you're alone with her, put your heart in her hands. And when Dave's around, act like you don't care. That'll get his guard down. He'll think that you-"
Cali stops talking and fakes a big smile. I look over my shoulder and see Alexandria smirking.
"What are you guys talking about?"
"Video games. I was telling Benn about the Elder Scrolls" she says calmly "And about how to deceive the troll so that he can get back his beloved treasure."
Cali picks up the beers she'd grabbed and rushes out of the kitchen, leaving us in silence for quite some time.
Alexandria's giggle breaks the silence, and fills the room as she pulls out the grape juice from the fridge with a triumphant smile on her face.
I watch as she serves her drink and sits on the counter.
"What?"
"Trying to be adorable?"
"That depends" she smiles "Is it working?"
"It always has."
She pats down on the spot next to her, but instead of sitting, I stand in front of her.
"That beer is going to make you fat if you drink too many."
I roll my eyes and take another sip "Mmm, beer."
When I look at her again, I notice that she's studying me.
"I like you as a brunette. It suits you." she says, leaning forward and running her hand through my hair.
She leans back so quickly that for a second, I think I might have hurt her.
Tears fill her eyes for the third time today and I mentally prepare myself for what she has to say.
"I had cancer. The doctors here weren't equipped to take care of me and my parents couldn't afford to take me anywhere else. There wasn't a reason to though. They said I was going to die. I remember seeing the sadness in their eyes and feeling so bad knowing that it was because of me. They took me home and acted like they were okay. But the second I went to my room to sleep, I heard them sobbing. I didn't want to do that to you or anyone else. I didn't want you to see me die. I didn't want to see the look in your eyes when you witnessed me take my last breath. So I made the decision to leave. When I said I didn't love you, Bennett, that was the biggest lie I had ever told in my entire life. Because I loved you then and I love you right now. I love you so much."
"You don't know how long I waited to hear you say that" I whisper as I pull her into my arms.
She slightly pushes away from me and reaches up to wipe away my tears. "I didn't mean to make you cry."
"I have so many questions. Can we talk about all of this? Please?"
She nods, rubbing her face all over my shirt "Okay."
I carry her up to my room, where we spend the rest of the night talking, and enjoying each other's presence.
(Dave's POV)
I decided to come and apologize to the guys for being such a jerk earlier.
I knock on the door and when it opens, I'm a little shocked to see the person behind it.
She places a hand on her hip and glares at me "What do you want?"
"I came to see my friends."
"How unfortunate" she says plainly.
I look around the the house and see that no one is here "The only people down here are Brandon and Myself. Everyone else is upstairs."
I swear that she had a smile on her face as she said it. There is venom in her eyes.
She doesn't like me.
As I ascend the stairs, I hear a small, sweet laugh. I quietly make my way down the hall and stop at Benns door, it's open just enough for me to see and hear what's going on.
"Did you ever think of me?" He asks her, holding her hand over his heart.
"There wasn't a day that I didn't. I was starting to think I would never see you again, and then I saw you on that stage. I was so proud of you then."
"What about right now?"
She smiles "Even more so. Bennett, I watched you play in a a garage and to see you on a stage made me so happy. I'm proud of all of you."
"I wish you could have been there. I wanted you to be at my side and watch me triumph."
She pulls him closer to her and rests her head on his chest "I'm here. And i'm staying this time."
My heart starts to slow and I feel sick. She's everything i've ever wanted...but she doesn't seem to want me.
Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait but here it is! Hopefully long enough to make up for the last 3 months of nothingness! We hope you like it. Comment or vote! Let us know what you think! -NMScare<3
~on mobile, will return to edit mistakes etc.~