A Home That Wasn't There// Alex Gaskarth [COMPLETED]

chapter thirty-eight

Then it became serious time.

Shane, Andrew and I walked outside.

"Okay. I just want to ask you questions that you're comfortable with and stuff like that." Shane said.

"I'll answer just about anything." I replied.

"Okay. So. You're sixteen. Been through a lot. And now you're here. Like, did you even fathom having all of this?" Shane asked.

"I didn't actually. I just thought Alex and Lisa were normal people. Not that they aren't. I just didn't expect to be living with a hometown celebrity." I said.

"And touring the country at thirteen fourteen years old. Why?"

"Well. I've always wanted to travel. But my biological father and our family could never afford it. My former brother and I would save for years to go to concerts, which is how I fell in love with music and all of that. So to be on the behind the scenes of it All was so damn cool.

Like, new city and state just about every day. Learning about where we were at was amazing too, because I love geography and history.

But touring. I miss it actually. I'm saying that like I'm a retired rockstar, but it's true. But I also got homesick. A lot. It's like a combination of 'oh my god this is amazing I never want to go home' to 'shit. I miss my bed and home cooked meals and my mom.'" I replied.

"Okay. Can we talk about three years ago?" Shane asked.

"Yeah. Of course." I replied.

"Okay. So, this happened what, two weeks after your fourteenth birthday?"

"It did. December eleventh is when Alex and Lisa got full custody over me. Exactly two weeks after my fourteenth birthday, which is November twenty-seventh.

You can find articles of it, it was all over Maryland news networks. Which was also the reason why I went on tour with the guys. People were constantly asking me stuff, showing up at my front door.

Anyways." I said.

"Holy shit. And if you don't mind me asking, what was the sentence?"

"John Crowe was sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility for parole. For child endangerment, child abuse, involuntary manslaughter of a minor, and attempted sex trafficking." I replied.

Shane covered his mouth, and I heard a tiny gasp come from Andrew.

"Yeah. It's crazy, I know." I replied.

"Oh my god. Okay. First of all. Involuntary manslaughter of a minor." Shane said.

"My little sister. She just turned five. So I was eight at the time. John was a functioning alcoholic. He'd go to work during the day and get shitfaced at night. So he left after taking a picture of us, as per my request. Knowing I was going to teach Desiree how to swim.

She was going good. But got tired in the middle of the pond in our backyard. And I tried to get to her. But it was too late.

John found her though. And didn't call the police. Or an ambulance. He just shouted at me. And buried her in our backyard. Then belted me. So hard I couldn't sit at my desk at school.

They couldn't pin that on an, at the time, eight year old." I told him.

"That's fucked. And I hate to ask. Attempted sex trafficking?" Shane asked.

"Yeah. That's a thing that almost happened. It was the reason why I left that night. Um. I saw the contract on his desk. And a couple hours later he told me to pack a bag and that 'he' was going to be here soon.

So yeah, I packed a bag and, I'm trying to make this as lighthearted as possible, yeeted myself outta there." I said, and Shane laughed at the fact that I threw a 'yeet' into a depressing story.

"Oh my god. Okay. So, apart from that. And into a bunch of light and happy stuff. You have a clothing line." Shane said.

"Not particularly my line. Just portraying off of my dads. Who has a line on Glamour Kills, AWG check it out. And I have mine. IIG. Which is my initials. Ivy Ileane Gaskarth. I decided not to have my original name on there, because first of all I changed it, and second of all it would have been BIIG. And I can't have that be my branding. Because I actually had two middle names once upon a time. Blake Ivy Ileane." I said.

"Oh my god me."

"Can I ask you a question?" I asked.

"Sure."

"Where you doing this? Why me? Out of all people." I said.

"I heard about your story in my comments after the Jeffree Star series. It took me a while to find your dads business email, last week I spent the entire week researching and stuff. I found you to be an interesting person. And for being sixteen, you've been through so much." Shane said.

"Sorry to interrupt. We're tracking drums and Rian is vomiting because he's hungover. I need your help for a second." Alex said, popping his head out of the back door.

"Okay." I said and went into the house.

"Can I warm up? I haven't played in forever." I said to Alex.

Alex nodded and nudged me towards the booth.

"What should I play?" I asked.

And I got many suggestions.

"What about Weightless?" Zack piped in quietly.

"Brilliant." I said and grabbed a couple sticks.

I put headphones on so I would know if I'm on beat or not, and gave a thumbs up.

Music played through my ears.

Dylan was down with us too. And he was writing something.

'You look so hot when you drum!'

Which made me stop and start laughing.

"Okay. I'm good. I'm doing Everything Is Fine?" I asked.

Alex nodded, and I heard the familiar track play in my ears.

By the time I was finished, I was drenched in sweat. I don't sweat a lot, but only when I'm drumming or anywhere with Zack.

"That was fantastic."