*Cameo's POV*
"How's everyone feeling tonight?" All Time Low ran onstage and Alex called into the mic, getting a chant of approval from everyone. "Does anyone feel like dancing?" He called again and more cheers came from all places of the venue.
Hannah caught my eye and made a face at me, getting second hand embarrassment from Alex's comment. I laughed and Cassadee let us, since she thought it was too inappropriate to know.
The guys started singing, I feel like dancing, which blew up on iTunes, and the crowd went crazy. They were actually dancing to the song, and since most were drunk because they'd started through the other before bands, it was sloppy and hilarious. The girl's and I were cheering from our tall table still, and we were all taking our waters and tossing them in the air, which we'd started doing in the middle of the third band, Yellowcard's, set.
------- Four Songs Later. -------
"Is everyone still alive out there?" Jack called into the mic, throwing another guitar pick out into the mosh of screaming girls. "I don't know about you but I'm ready for a another s-" Jack stabbed a long finger in my direction and grinned, open mouthed and all. "CAMEO, CASSADEE, AND HANNAH ARE HERE!" A group of people all turned and stared back at the three of us, who were now shell shocked frozen in our tall seats.
Hannah spilt her water on the table and made Cassadee and I jump, getting laughter from some of the crowd.
I turned away from the table mess, and Alex was watching me like a hawk locking in on its prey. My mouth was open like Kristen Stewart's in every Twilight scene she's in, and Alex was just watching me.
Rian had stood up straight at his drum set, and waved to his glowing pregnant wife that was gladly waving back. Hannah had gotten on top of the table we were sitting at previously and was waving to everyone, getting play whistles from Jack and a big wave from Zach.
Jack nudged his elbow into Alex's side and made him flinch, and look over at him wiggling his eyebrows. Rian took over one of the mics that were upstage and spoke, looking from the large crowd to us three in the back.
"We have a new song to play for you guys, our lead singer here wrote it, and I think it's pretty cool." Rian smiled at Alex and he shook his head frantically in response. Jack and Zach just looked confused. "It's called.." Rian leaned the mic towards Alex's face and we waited in anxious anticipation.
"If these sheets were the states." He gulped. My eyes widened and my eyebrows shot up in surprise. It felt like just a few days ago Alex had tested the song out on our living room floor.
"It's not part of this album, but it'll be on the next one. It's also SO new, that we don't know how to play it, so Alex is going to play an acoustic version for you guys, right now."
"I- I guess." Alex mumbled and Rian took the mic back to Zach and started exiting the stage. The guys followed along behind him and it was just Alex left.
My hand was resting on my restless heart and I was beaming, butterflies entered my stomach and Cassadee was caressing he belly and edging towards the other side of the venue to find Rian. Hannah wrapped a loving arm around me and rested her head on my shoulder.
"I love you Camo." Hannah said in her fake dopey voice.
"I love you too Celfty." I leaned my head on top of hers and patted her arm with my hand.
------//--------//--------
*Alex's POV*
I moved center stage, and through the bright lights that were zeroed in on me I saw Cameo and Hannah leaning on one another, smiling at me. I could've sworn I read love in Cameo's eyes, but then again.. It could be my imagination.
I tuned the acoustic guitar that'd I'd swapped when Danny came back on stage, and hung it around my neck. Here goes nothing... I took a deep breath and spoke clearly into the mic. "This is a new song called, If These Sheets Were The States and its dedicated to someone special here tonight.. My girlfriend that I've missed so much, Cameo." I pointed at her and she grinned.
I started playing, and remembered she sang with me back home. This could make everything right. I thought, and stopped strumming. "One more thing, I almost forgot. She's going to song with me." I grinned cheekily, warming up to the idea more and more in my head, and in the back Cameo was shaking hers.
"Nope." She mouthed, and Hannah was trying to encourage her too.
"Oh yes you are." I chuckled and waved her over, and the crowd parts little ways for he to get through. Hannah pushed her, and kept going until Cameo finally gave in and was walking up with her head down in fear.
Danny came out with another mic, a loose hand one, and with the string hands of Security, she was hauled up onstage and was standing in front of me, a bashful smile on her freckled face.
"Ready?" I asked a little more serious now, my mouth away from the mic. She gulped and took a full breath as she nodded.
"I just hope I don't throw up." She whispered back.
"If so, so it's on Hannah." I joked and she giggled and held the mic to her chest as I redirected my attention to the crowd again. "So this song, it's one I had some time on my hands to work on, and it kind of just, came to me you could say." I felt myself get tense and when I looked back to steal a glance at Cameo, I could hear the own seriousness in my voice. "Tonight, this song is for anyone who's ever felt lost without their significant other, or who's missed them and felt hopeless without them." I swallowed the lump in my throat that I'd get when Id start crying. "But, this song is, tonight, for me, special because this girl is one that marriage has crossed my mind with, and that hasn't happened for me in a long time." I nodded to the fans around the room that thrusted their arms up and made hearts with their hands. "So here goes nothing." I sighed loudly into the mic and started strumming on the guitar.
"I'm lost in empty pillow talk again
I'm lost in empty pillow talk again
This bed's an island made of feather down, and I'm stuck here alone
With little else but memories of you, on memory foam
Visions of a brighter love, I'd kill for one more day
To pool my thoughts, and find the words to say..." I took a deep breath and looked from the crowd, glowing phones held high, over to Cameo who looked less scared but was smiling as she watched me sing.
"If these sheets were the states, and you were miles away,
I'd fold them end over end to bring you closer to me.
Because I don't sleep at all without you pressed up against me.
I settle for long distance calls, I'm lost in empty pillow talk again.
I'm lost in empty pillow talk again." I kept playing but took a step back from the mic as Cameo held her mic to her lips and watched me as she sang, her forehead creased with concentration.
......//.......//.........
*Cameo's POV*
My breathing was ragged and I had to shake out my fingertips as quickly as possible before my verse got to me. The memory of Alex and I, still across from each other, but in the living room, stayed steady in my mind.
Alex finished his verse and it took all of me not to run off stage and forget I was ever up here. My feet suddenly felt cemented in place and I stayed locked on Alex as I opened my mouth and started.
"This room's become a mausoleum, filled with relics of regret
Paying dues to every moment wasted, on words left unsaid
Collisions of a finer love, I'd kill for one more way
To tell you how you make me better every day." I felt a warming sensation in my tummy and my courage spiked my bloodstream as the chorus escaped my lips. I couldn't even believe I remembered my verse.
"If these sheets were the states, and you were miles away,
I'd fold them end over end to bring you closer to me.
Because I don't sleep at all without you pressed up against me.
I settle for long distance calls, I'm lost in empty pillow talk again."
I turned towards the crowd and made eye contact with Hannah, who was prancing on her toes and giving me two, giddy thumbs up from the middle of the crowd. I waved out to everyone who was intensely watching and they chorused back in screams.
Alex chuckled into his mic and caught my attention, making me smile wider and walk over to him, the cement feet nerves gone.
The last chorus we did together, like he'd written for it to be.
"If these sheets were the states, and you were miles away,
I'd fold them end over end to bring you closer to me.
Because I don't sleep at all without you pressed up against me.
I settle for long distance calls, I'm lost in empty pillow talk
I settle for long distance calls, I'm lost in empty pillow talk again.
I'm lost in empty pillow talk again."
The guitar stopped, our breathing conjoined in the mic's, and I could feel the sounds of the claps offstage vibrating inside me.
"Thank you everyone! You've been great tonight. Give a round for the lovely, and now nerveless, Cameo Gaskarth!" Alex was at ease, standing there on stage as if the gape of silence between us for those past days hadn't happened.
As the crowd clapped and whistled like animals, Alex dipped his blushing face back to the mic as I stared at him, open mouth and shocked at the confidence of his words. "Unofficially."