A/N - Okay , I lied . That WAS the last chapter . But this is still the knot at the end of all the loose ends
When I Wake Up , The Dream Isn't Done ,I Want To See Your Face And Know I Made It Home
It had been six years since I'd last seen or heard of All Time Low. But that was changing now . My alarm clock beeped when it struck six a.m. , but the hand that had been hovering over it for the past twenty seconds stopped the noise quickly .
I'd already been awake , see . I had been counting down to six , because that was when I'd been born . Marking this hour , this day and this year the exact time I turned 21 .
I had been preparing for this day for years . My dad was rich , so I had a car . I'd booked a hotel room . And most of all , I'd purchased one ticket and one backstage pass to an All Time Low concert .
My father had kept the band away from me for the past six years – but I was , in every single way , an adult now . He had no control over me anymore .
I wasn't lucky that they were performing in California on my birthday , because they weren't . They were doing a show in Arizona , but luckily for me my father's house was right by the border . A few hours in the car , and I would be able to meet again the people who had kept me breathing the past six years .
I didn't bother telling anyone I was leaving . The staff around the house ; I'd already told in my excitement . My dad ? He wasn't here , but that's no big surprise . He never was .
I got dressed in the clothes I'd laid out last night – the rest of my things were packed in the trunk of my car . I was too excited to eat breakfast , but I grabbed a few sandwiches for the road .
By six thirty I was driving , the morning sun beating hard through the car's windows . I turned the stereo on loud , and hid my eyes with a pair of sunglasses . It felt awesome being twenty one . Finally , I was free .
A few hours later , the city of Phoenix surrounded me on every side . My hands were shaking as I parked the car in the hotel's car park and grabbed my bags from the trunk . My hands were shaking , my stomach was squirming and my head was aching – but I still carried on . Everything screamed at me to go back , but I couldn't .
I checked into the hotel and dumped my bags . Then I began to prepare for the concert .
“The last time I went to an All Time Low concert” I told myself , “I was fifteen . And the lead singer was my dad .”
I put on the shirt that Vinny had given that night Nikki , Pommie and I helped him with the merch stand . I used the hairspray that I'd so often seen sitting in the bus' bathroom . And I stared in the mirror , looking deep into the eyes that always reminded me of Steven and Mum .
I got to the concert hours early , hoping to spot the boys . But many other fangirls had gotten the same idea as me , so I ended up on the pavement behind a hundred other girls . I knew I would have to wait for ages , but it would be worth it if I got to see the band .
People I would never normally look out I began to talk to . Our love of All Time Low bonded us – and although I had forgotten their name within seconds , we talked in detail about ho they'd helped us and made us feel special .
Finally , the gates opened for the concert . I could barely breath .They opened with their latest single – which I didn't know , after being deprived of them for six years . But I didn't care . They made me able to not care , and to sing along to the lyrics I didn't know .
They hadn't changed in six years , not much anyway . Zack still came on stage topless – although he'd added quite a few more tattoos to his collection . Jack still bounced around stage as if he was a rubber ball someone had thrown from the top of the stairs . Rian still pounded on his drums as if it was a matter of life and death .
They still finished with Dear Maria , like they always had . They jumped around as if they hadn't just been running wild for over an hour straight .
Once the song was over , the people with backstage passes left with the rest of the concert-goers , but left to go to the stage entrance around the side . Bouncers inspected all the passes , before letting them through . I got shivers .
Once I was inside , my eyes glided over the fans and groupies . I was searching for someone …
Alexander William Gaskarth stood with a towel around his shoulders – clearly just out of the shower . He was surrounded by fangirls , but I ignored them . This was it ; the moment I'd been waiting for for the past six years .
“Hey Alex” I said . It came out quieter than a meant it to , but his head swivelled around . And he smiled . Oh , how I'd missed that smile .
“Hi” He said , finishing signing someone's shirt before giving me his full attention . “What's your name ?”
I grinned . “Hazel . But … Some people call me Halo .”
Alex smiled . “Cool . It's nice to meet you Halo .”
“I've missed you so much , Alex” I said , breathing in deep .
“Yeah ? So , you've been to a couple of shows before then ?”
I laughed . “More than a couple , Alex .”
He frowned . “What do you mean ?”
And then I could feel it . The worry , the fear coursing through my body . It came in waves , starting at my toes beginning to shake , and then my knees wobbling . I could feel my shoulders beginning to shake before I could speak .
“Alex – you – you do remember me don't you ?”
Alex grimaced . “Eh , no sorry . But -”
“What ? You don't …”
“I'm really sorry , Hazel , was it ?”
“NO !” I shouted , causing quite a few heads to turn . “No , I'm not Hazel , I'm Halo , Alex , I'm your Halo ! Please , please remember !”
I could feel the hot tears streaming out of my eyes , blurring my vision . The salt taste entered my mouth , but I couldn't stop it .
“Hey , calm down” Alex said , clearly panicking . “I'm really sorry Hazel – Halo , but … I don't remember .”
“Please , Alex” I sobbed , “You have to remember me , please , please , please , please ...”
“Please , please” I was whispering . Tears rolled down my cheeks , and I blinked . “Just a dream .”
It was a frequent dream , and I'd been having it even more lately . But no matter how many times I told myself it wasn't real , the dread that Alex would forget me still hovered in my mind .
I reached down under my bed , and pulled out the box I kept their . It was filled with everything related to Alex , the presents everyone had given me the day before the last trial , All Time Low shirts and CD's , and letters . My dad had taken away my cell phone and blocked the laptops in the house from going on anything related to ATL .
He'd even tried to take away my guitar .
“You just want to be a musician , like him” He sneered , “Well , I'll tell you this much . No one in my family will be going into that business .”
“It's not because of Alex !” I shouted , “That's Steven's guitar !”
Richard hesitated , so I decided to guilt trip him .
“Not that you would know “ I continued shakily , “You never went to any of his gigs . You didn't see his smile at the first song he played . You never cared about him – you're own son -”
“Alright” My dad interrupted , “Keep the damned thing if it means that much to you .”
And it did . Around here , my guitar was the only thing that kept me sane .
But for the past six months , I had found a method of communication with everyone in Maryland . Well , only Pommie really . We wrote letters – one a week . We told each other about anything and everything .
Alex had been tabooed , though . Pommie mentioned him once , and when I didn't reply to that part of the letter she figured out that I didn't want to talk about him . I didn't want to think about him . It just hurt too much .
My dream had been right about one thing , though . Or close to right , at least . Today was the last day I was fifteen , as tomorrow was my sixteenth birthday .
It was early , but I was never able to get back to sleep after having a bad dream . I got dressed and went downstairs for breakfast .
My father's house was huge . It was in the middle of nowhere , a spot in California where no one ever went to . For miles around – the land was owned by him , and no one was allowed near . If that wasn't impressive enough , he had several other houses just like this all over the states . But I'd never seen them . For the past six months I'd stayed in California – forbidden to even leave the house without someone with me .
The same rules didn't apply to Richard , of course . He'd stayed for the first week of my living here and then took off , and I have barely seen him since . He comes back some weekends with a different model every time , and I'm told to keep out of the way . Those nights , despite the thick walls , I can hear them in bed together . Yeah , my dad owns a modelling company . And yeas , he sleeps with the models . Gross , right ?
The job of looking after me while my dad was away was shared between Meryl the cook , Angie the housekeeper and Philip , my tutor . I know , my dad doesn't even let me go to school . That's how tight a reign he keeps on me .
Meryl is already up , and has prepared some melon for breakfast .
“Good morning Hazel” She says politely , “You are going to town today , yes ?”
I frowned . “Is it Tuesday ? Then , uh , yeah I guess so .”
Every Tuesday Angie went shopping and bought everything we would need for the week , and I tended to tag along too . Not only was it an escape from the house but I got to visit the post office and collect my letter from Pommie . Forget food , that was the only thing I needed to survive for the week .
“Ready to go ?” Angie says . She's a no-nonsense kind of woman , and to be honest I like that about her .
I nodded , gulping down the remains of my breakfast and following her out to the car . It's early , but the sun beats down in a way I've grown to hate .
The lady at the post office knows my name , and shakes her head when she sees me arriving .
“No post today Hazel” She said , and I panicked .
“Wh-what do you mean ?”
She shrugged . “You've no letter . I'm sorry , I know you were probably expecting one .”
To you , it might seem as if I'm overreacting . But if it does , you don't understand . Pommie always writes to me , no matter what .Every single Tuesday I walk through this door and the lady behind the desk doesn't need to ask what I want , she just hands me the envelope .
“Could you check again ? Please ?” I asked , and she shrugged .
“Sure , sweetie .” But she came back empty handed .
What if Pommie is ill ? What if she died ? What if she died , and I'll never know for certain ? I wouldn't be allowed go to her funeral anything – my best friend's funeral !
Or maybe … Maybe she just forgot me .
I was silent for the journey home , too busy worrying . Angie didn't care enough for me to ask what was wrong .
Back in the house , my lessons with Philip were due but I wasn't in the mood . However , when I arrived in the classroom everything seemed to be packed away . The table where I usually sat was empty , the blackboard blank and all of my tutor's things packed away .
“What's going on ?” I asked in confusion . From his bedroom , Philip poked his head out .
“I've got great news” He said gleefully , “Go on , guess !”
I sighed . “Urm , you won the lottery ?”
He hesitated , “Well , no … But I did win something !”
“Go ahead , tell me .”
Philip flicked his fiery hair out of his and beamed . “Okay , so , here I am , just out of the shower . Towel still around my waist and all . And I hear my phone ringing , right ? So I pick up , and I'm like hello ? And -”
“Eh , Philip ?” I asked cautiously , “Get to the point , please ?”
He blushed . “Right , right . So anyway , the guy on the phone was … Oh , he had a really funny name ...”
I rolled my eyes . This was typical Philip .
“Vinny !”
I sat up suddenly . “What ?”
Philip nodded . “That's his name , I remember . Short for Vincent . He had a funny surname too ...”
Could it possibly be my Vinny ?
“Vegas ?” I suggested .
“Of course not , that's a state not a surname . Petrocelli ! That was his name !”
I sighed . Not my Vinny then . “Well , what did he want ?”
“He said I won a two month cruise around the Caribbean ! Can you believe it ? I certainly couldn't ! Didn't even realise I'd entered ...”
I frowned . “What about me then ? And school ?”
“Don't worry , I called your father about that . He suggested getting you a new tutor , but I told him that it might be good for you to get a break from your studies .”
“And he agreed ?” I asked hopefully . Maybe something good could come from this after all .
“He sure did ! You've got a months holidays , starting now , so skedaddle kid .”
I grinned . “Thanks , Philly .”
That night , I dreamt of Alex again . The same dream that I'd had before , where Alex didn't remember me .
“Please , Alex . I'm Halo , I'm your Halo ! Please remember me !”
He looked at me and shook his head . “I'm sorry Halo … Halo ? Halo ! Halo ! Halo !”
A sore spot in my arm forced me into reality – a place where I really didn't want to be . This was the only dream I'd ever had where Alex had remembered me , and now I was awake because of …
“Halo ! Halo !”
I swore under my breath . Shit , now I was delusional . Of course Alex wasn't here .
“Halo , wake the fuck up !” And again , something fleshy and fingerlike poked my arm .
I grunted sleepily , not having the energy to turn around .
“Halo !”
I think part of me that clung to the idea of this being a dream and I was still living with Alex took control for a second .
“Shut up Alex !” I yelled without realising , sitting up in bed . Then I frowned , because I'd said Alex . Then I gaped at the figure leaning over me .
“What are you doing here ?”
Alex stood up straight and smiled , his brown eyes twinkling mischievously . From his back pocket he took a pair of plastic handcuffs , and he winked .
"I'm kidnapping you ."