Alone Together. [An OM&M FanFic]

Chapter 45: Ms. DL

Austin.

DreadedLife: Ok Mr. IM, next time.

I watched as her screen name went from green to black, telling the Internet she was offline, reverting back to the shadows of her life.

I logged off too, licking my all too dry lips and feeling nervous that someone would find out I'd talked to her. After all the times I was told no, all the threats, the pity looks, I finally took a leap of faith and just did it.

Wow.. Has my chest always felt this heavy? I closed the compter lid and pushed it away, listening to myself think as my eyes zoned out and onto the table top. Did she know?

No, she couldn't, how would she? Could she if she stared at the messages as long as I did, overevaluating each word sent back and forth? The sound of Alan slamming the bus door behind him as he clambored aboard made me jump.

"Fuck Alan!"

He stopped, mid reach into the fridge, and popped an eyebrow quizzically to me. "Only if you buy me dinner first."

I rolled my eyes as he chuckled, and I knew he could care less why I was so jumpy, Alan was a good friend that way, ignoring what I wished everyone else would. "What's everyone doing out there?" I asked, trying to push forward with my day.

"Eating, drinking, just doing a little cookout. You know, there's girls out there, and some old friends.. Are you sure you don't want to come hangout?" He closed the fridge, two beers in his hand, one he was holding out to me. "It could be good for you. It's fun, and like I said, there's girls, so.." He smirked, and I tapped my fingers on the table, thinking.

"I don't think the girls are my thing anymore." I concluded, looking out the bus window to the group of my bandmates and guests roaming an open field that was the perfect place for a cookout day.

"Since when?" Alan scoffed, coming over and siting across from me, sliding me my beer and popping open his own.

I shook my head, black, greased hair, flapping to and fro on the top of my head. "I just don't think I'm into it anymore. I think I'm just ready to go home, hangout, see my family.. Maybe drop by our old school." I shrugged my shoulders and with my head shamefully held low, reached out and took the beer Alan had offered me.

I took a long swig, finally looking up after I'd done so, and met eye to eye with my stern faced ginger friend. "You're kidding, right? You want to go BACK to the school you hated most. Why?" He countered, leaning on the table top and lugging back his cold one. I knew he knew, so do I tell him?

I sighed, licking the potent taste of my beer off my lips, and shrugged again. "I- I want to see if it's changed. If Haylee and them are still there, doing their thing." Guess I don't tell him, thanks mouth.

Alan snorted and as I tipped my beer back to my lips, he reached over and held it higher to my mouth, forcing me to take more in rapidly. "Sure.. Haylee." He mumbled, eventually letting me bring down my drink and place it back on the table. "So, I guess the, sleeping around thing isn't your scene anymore."

I nodded, not meeting his eyes.

"So at least come out and drink with your friends. Belive it or not, they actually want to spend time with your Land Before Time, looking ass." He let out a laugh, messing with his orange hair, and pounding on the table top infront of me. "So come on. I promise, no talk of "Haylee." He air quoted, and slid out from the table.

"Alan-" I started but he cut me off with a wave of his hand.

"Haylee was a bitch, probably still is, and you never liked her. Don't worry though, I can keep a secret, we won't tell that you want to visit school to creep at Hannah from the windows." He smirked, his eyes slowly glazing, his buzz kicking in.

I sighed, long and hard, and stood, taking my cold, wet beer and looking down at the laptop. Why do my friends have to know me so well? Why does this girl have to do this to me? I pulled the drink to my lips and finished downing it. "OK, let's go."

----------- HOURS LATER. -----------

"Alright Austin, get some sleep big guy.." Tino ushered me to the bunks on the bus, after a long day off of drinking and stuffing my face with various finger foods. "I'll get you some water."

I lazily nodded, the room swirling around me, and clambored up onto my top bunk. My thoughts felt like they were drowning in my head as I buried my face into the two little pillows in my bunk. I felt like I was being made into an Austin sandwhich, and at that thought, my body shook as I dry heaved between my pillows.

Tino came back, pulling open the curtain and handing me a small glass of cold water with something bubbling at the bottom of it. "What-"

"It's a seltzer pill, it'll help with your queaziness, and then there's these." He uncurled two white Excedrin pills into my other limp hand. "These are for the headache portion." He lightly joked on behalf of my, soon to be, hangover, and held the curtain to close it. "Anything else?"

I popped the pills in and drank down some of the fizzy water, shaking my head. "I think I'm good, thanks Tino."

He nodded and I could tell there was something else he wanted to talk about, but whatever it was, he didn't, but intead just quietly closed the curtain behind him. I gulped down more of the water, finishing it off, and laid wobbily in the dark bed space.

Dreaded Life.... Dreaded Li... Dreaded.... Dread.. Han- Hannah..

My thoughts came slow paced and harsh, like the pulse in my headache, as I heard the other guys come on the bus, as quiet as they could manage, and take position in their own bunks. I closed my eyes, hoping I'd actually fall asleep if I pretended hard enough.

"So.. What a night, huh?" Alan spoke in hushed tones from his bunk. Was he talking to me?

"Sure, I mean, we've had nights like this before." Aaron responded from his top bunk across from mine.

"Not with Austin like that though.." Alan responded, and I could hear their curtains opening.

Shhh!! "Do we want Austin to wake up and hear you guys?" Tino.

There was muffled grumbles, and I no longer felt like a grown man. I felt like a child that was sneaking up past his bed time, and was caught listening to mommy and daddy fighting. What happened? I came out and hungout, that's what Alan wanted!

A flash of anger came over me, but with much patience, I took care of myself with breaths, suppressing the urge to yank open this curtain and tackle them to the ground, in the act. What did I do?!

I was chewing on my lip, pulling the loose skin off in frustration, and rolled over in the bunk, facing the wall so I could use my phone stealthily. I turned down the screen's lighting, and logged onto my Twitter, scrolling through my following list, and found Hannah's account. I gulped, seeing her profile picture, it was still the band and her, outside of the tour bus when we first got it.

Han... Hannah.. Dreaded Life... Dread-

And I was out like a light.

((I know, I suck. Lol, I'm sorry! I've been having some serious case of writer's block lately and between school and stuff, I know there's just been some filler chapters and nothing really substantial here.. But I KNOW how I was this fiction to end, I just have to take the path to get there. So please, bare with me and I promise we'll get there and it'll get better!!! I love you all!<3 Thank you so much for all the votes and reads! Make sure to check out my other two fanfictions, Kiss Me Again, & Hopes and Dreams! xoxo Readers.!<3))