Damned If I Do Ya [An All Time Low Fanfic]

Chapter Thirty Five

Wrapping the cotton sheets closer to my chest like a cocoon, I tucked my chin under the blanket, closing my eyes tightly. The uncomfortable sheets rubbed against my bare legs and I sighed audibly. My head pounded, my palms were damp with sweat and I felt as if the room was spinning. 

"You okay Holly?" A voice asked, too loud for my aching head to deal with. I lifted the blanket, sprawled across the sheets, over my head. A hand found it's way to my shoulder and gently shook me. 

"What do you want?" I managed to mumble quietly. It hurt to talk. I rolled onto my other side, managing to bump my head as I did so. Rubbing my forehead, I opened my eyes. 

"Ssshh!" Jack whispered, holding a finger to his mouth, signalling me to not speak. I squinted my hurting eyes in confusion. Jack whipped out his iPhone and began to type a message in the Notes app. I sat up in the bunk, tilting my head back to lay against the wall. I felt around the bed, searching for my phone to try and find the time but it wasn't here. Where did it go? After a moment of realisation the memories of that day flooded back into my mind, unfortunately. I hung my head and felt a nudge on my arm.

Glancing upwards, a phone was thrown onto my lap. Misspelt and shortened words were written on the yellow lined paper in a black font. I scrolled down through the page, scanning it before starting to read.  I started to correct the mistakes, Jack laughing softly as I did. In school, English was my favourite subject and I was going to be studying it in college. I heard a door slam in the distance, footsteps and two strange female voices I had never heard before. Jacks eyes widened and he scrambled to the bottom of the bed, trying to identify the voices quietly discussing from down the corridor.

His opened mouth transformed into a wide smile, spanning almost from ear to ear. He scrambled out of the bed, drawing the curtain for the bunk closed after him. I started to read the note, finishing it before the curtain was drawn open and a bag thrown in. It just explained that we would be getting visitors today.

Jack poked his head in and pointed at the bag and mouthed 'get dressed'. He walked away without explaining. I shook my head and zipped open the bag as Jacks welcomed the two people. 

"Hey Mom, and Alex's Mom!" Jack said enthusiastically, greeting the two women. 

I quickly pulled the first thing out of the bag Jack had handed me, and threw it on over my head. Trying to change in a tiny bunk without making any noise was difficult, to say the least. The voices talked loudly, the three catching up on each others news. Jack's sister had gotten a promotion whilst Isobel gushed about a distance relative that had had a child recently. Pretty boring things. 

"Jack have you been brushing your teeth?" Joyce asked during a moment of silence. I sniggered, slapping my hand over my mouth. Jack's laugh could be heard from the bunk area, he mumbled an answer and the bathroom door closed behind him. The water in the bathroom began to run and a minute later Jack emerged from the bathroom, him mouth frothy from the minty toothpaste. Walking to our bunk, he pulled me out of the bunk by hand, his other hand brushing his teeth. Isobel and Joyce continued to talk as we walked down the narrow bus. 

"Holly, this is my mom Joyce and Alex's mom Isobel, Mom and Isobel this is Holly." Jack smiled, introducing us. I reached forward to shake their hands but they both enveloped me in a tight hug. I smiled over their shoulders, as they told me how relieved they were to finally meet me. We all sat down on the leather seats of the bus, Joyce telling me embarrassing stories of when Jack was younger. Isobel shifted uncomfortably in her seat, occasionally glancing at her watch. She asked various times where Alex was. Jack explained that it was the bands day off and Alex had gone out with Rian and Zack. Isobel nodded in agreement and left to use the bathroom. Joyce continued to talk to the two of us, bringing up my family once which Jack quickly brushed off.

She smiled sympathetically as the bus door opened once again, loud voices laughing hysterically. 

"Hey Joyce! Good to see ya! Oh Holly, you're finally awake!" Alex said, greeting us. 

"Wait how long was I asleep for?" I asked, looking around as the rest of the band and crew piled on board the tour bus.

"'Bout a day." Alex answered, taking a swig from a dark green beer bottle, perching himself on the marble kitchen counter. In terms of a tour bus, the fittings were pretty impressive.

"Why didn't anyone wake me up?!" I said embarrassed, feeling my face burn. 

"Hey you needed it!"  Jack laughed, catching a can of beer in one hand that Alex threw at him. In a matter of seconds, the guys were retelling the tales of the day, voices shouting over each other interjecting random facts that they had forgotten to say. The bathroom door opened and Isobel walked out, awkwardly moving past crew members. She quickly hugged Alex before returning to her seat beside Joyce. 

"So did you just miss us or do we need to know something?" Alex asked, swinging his legs like a child would on a seat that was too big for them. Isobel swallowed and started to speak.

"So I'm going to have a grandchild?" Isobel said, her words ringing loud and clear through the silence, that was unusual on the bus.

Alex's face dropped.