Anywhere Else But Here (9/?)
Title: Anywhere Else But Here (9/?)
Author: badenoughforyou
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Jalex... maybe some possible other pairings
Summary: Jack has grown up in a world where music is a felony. It was believed to influence kids too much. Jack had never known the beautiful world of music. That is, until the day the beautiful Alex Gaskarth walked into his life and showed him the truth behind music. The beauty everyone had been hiding from him for so long.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters and the title is a simple plan song.
Master Post
"So, I grew up in Surrey, actually. In England. We moved here about three years ago." Josh said as the five of them sat in a circle on the dirty floor of the old cafe. "It was just about three months ago that it happened actually..." He said, his voice sounding strained. "I... I just remember one day listening to my dad play piano when some cops came knocking. Apparently our neighbors had reported us... those bloody pricks..." He continued, sounding spiteful. Nobody could possibly blame him though.
They all just continued to listen in silence.
"They took away my mum and dad. Just like that. No explanation, although it was obvious. They asked me how old I was and I lied and said eighteen." Josh said, looking down at him hands. "They expected I would be able to figure out a way to live on my own. And that was that." He said, running a hand through his jet black hair.
Everyone took it all in. All of their stories seemed to go like that. All but Jack's. He still had a mom. Not that she wanted him, but it was more than they had. And he'd just thrown it all away because he was curious. Fuck, he wouldn't have done it any different if he'd known. He would have never met Alex if his mother hadn't found that CD. Music had only led him to too many good things.
Alex looked hadn't said a word since they'd all told their stories. Curiousity gnawed at Jack's brain. He himself didn't even know Alex's story. Something about Alex's reluctance made Jack realize it was different from everyone else's.
"My parents were traveling performers. They played music in special places all along the United States. They called them safe venues. Usually they were secluded or sound proofed. The last time I saw them was when... when they went to play in Baltimore." Alex said, choking on his words a bit. He was pressed against Jack, his head on his shoulder, as if he didn't have enough strength to finish.
"When they hadn't come back for two days, I was worried. They wouldn't pick up their phones. I had no idea what was going on. So I went to find them..." He continued, tears welling up in his doe eyes.
"I did find my mother..." Alex said and just lost it, burying his face into Jack's chest, silently sobbing. Jack's veins felt like ice. He knew what had become of Alex's mom. He'd heard horror stories about spiteful cops who killed in vain. He never even in his wildest dreams thought that it actually happened.
Cassadee looked as if her heart had been torn from her chest, her hands covering her mouth in horror. John looked down at the ground, pushing his hair back. Josh just looked distant and lost.
"These fuckers... What the fuck did we ever do to them?" John asked, his voice raising with hysteria. Cassadee put a hand on his and gave him a knowing look.
"I know it's not fair." She whispered. The atmosphere felt so heavy. Jack could barely breathe. He hugged Alex close to him, burying his face into his hair.
Alex took a deep breath and looked up at Jack. "But... if I hadn't looked for them, I wouldn't have met you, Jack." He said, kissing Jack's jaw softly before laying his head in the crook of Jack's neck. Jack felt warmth spreading throughout him from the point where Alex's lips had been.
Cassadee couldn't help but laugh softly. "You guys give me some hope..." She said, taking both Josh and John's hands. "If you think about it... none of us would have met without this bullshit." She said.
Josh shrugged. "I would have loved to meet under different circumstances, of course, but you're right." He said softly, squeezing her hand.
"We're a bunch of fucking misfits." John added, laughing softly.
Jack almost smiled at that, but felt the guilt of leaving Mark behind tugging at his heart.
"I hope Mark is okay..." Jack said into Alex's hair.
"He's Mark. He'll be fine. I know it. I can feel it." Alex mumbled against Jack's neck, making Jack shiver.
"I never conquered, rarely came... sixteen just held such better days." Jack sang softly, remembering the song Mark had loved. He wondered what it was like to always know music was there and never being able to do anything about it. Mark had had music his whole life. Jack only had it a little bit at an early age and the yearning for it was great. Imagine knowing everything about it and it being forbidden. The thought made Jack sick.
"So, why hasn't anyone rebelled yet?" Cassadee asked unexpectedly.
"I guess there's not enough of us." Josh said.
"No, there has to be thousands of us. Probably more of us than of them." John said. Jack believed it. People were just too scared.
"They're just pussies." Josh said, sighing with exasperation.
"Fuck, well we're not any braver." John said, grimacing.
"But what if we could be?" Jack asked, biting his lip. "We have to figure out what happens after you're exiled. Maybe they just ban you from society, which wouldn't be that bad." He said.
"But remember what Mark said..." Alex said softly.
"Well... he has no way of knowing." Jack said.
"Neither do we." Cassadee said, standing up. "I'm going to bed." She announced. Jack looked at his nearly dead phone. It was almost one in the morning?
John quickly followed her. "Yeah, I'm tired too." He said, yawning. Josh rolled his eyes as they left.
"He's a cheeky monkey... how obvious is it that he adores Cass?" Josh asked, laughing softly.
"Oh... I hadn't really noticed." Jack said. Honestly, his attention was more focused on Alex.
"Well, if you stick around, you'll notice." Josh said, something behind his words. Jealousy?
"You ever been in love, mate?" Josh asked, his voice barely audible as if he wasn't sure if he wanted to ask or not. The first thing that came into Jack's mind was Alex's face. Was he in love? No, love took time... didn't it?
"I... yeah." Jack said truthfully. Alex's breathing was heavier, so he assumed he was asleep.
"It's a weird feeling. Like you would do anything for them. Like they're just the reason you even try to do anything anymore." Josh said. Jack nodded. He knew exactly what that felt like.
"Just take a chance." Jack said, not expecting the words to come out of his mouth. Josh looked nervous.
"I don't think I could..." Josh said, his voice almost a whisper.
"Sure you can! C'mon, Josh. It's no secret you're a nice looking dude." Jack said truthfully. It was the truth, for sure.
Josh blushed a little. Jack could tell even in the darkness.
"I just don't think they'd feel the same way. At all." Josh said. He smiled a little as he looked at Jack and Alex, giving Jack a look.
"We're just friends." Jack said quickly before Josh could jump to any conclusions.
"Mhmmm.... Alright." Josh said, raising an eyebrow. He hadn't fooled Josh.
"I think I'll get some shut eye, eh Jacky?" He said, standing up and giving Jack a small wink as he walked away.
"Am I that obvious?" Jack asked the dark. No answer.
Author: badenoughforyou
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Jalex... maybe some possible other pairings
Summary: Jack has grown up in a world where music is a felony. It was believed to influence kids too much. Jack had never known the beautiful world of music. That is, until the day the beautiful Alex Gaskarth walked into his life and showed him the truth behind music. The beauty everyone had been hiding from him for so long.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters and the title is a simple plan song.
Master Post
"So, I grew up in Surrey, actually. In England. We moved here about three years ago." Josh said as the five of them sat in a circle on the dirty floor of the old cafe. "It was just about three months ago that it happened actually..." He said, his voice sounding strained. "I... I just remember one day listening to my dad play piano when some cops came knocking. Apparently our neighbors had reported us... those bloody pricks..." He continued, sounding spiteful. Nobody could possibly blame him though.
They all just continued to listen in silence.
"They took away my mum and dad. Just like that. No explanation, although it was obvious. They asked me how old I was and I lied and said eighteen." Josh said, looking down at him hands. "They expected I would be able to figure out a way to live on my own. And that was that." He said, running a hand through his jet black hair.
Everyone took it all in. All of their stories seemed to go like that. All but Jack's. He still had a mom. Not that she wanted him, but it was more than they had. And he'd just thrown it all away because he was curious. Fuck, he wouldn't have done it any different if he'd known. He would have never met Alex if his mother hadn't found that CD. Music had only led him to too many good things.
Alex looked hadn't said a word since they'd all told their stories. Curiousity gnawed at Jack's brain. He himself didn't even know Alex's story. Something about Alex's reluctance made Jack realize it was different from everyone else's.
"My parents were traveling performers. They played music in special places all along the United States. They called them safe venues. Usually they were secluded or sound proofed. The last time I saw them was when... when they went to play in Baltimore." Alex said, choking on his words a bit. He was pressed against Jack, his head on his shoulder, as if he didn't have enough strength to finish.
"When they hadn't come back for two days, I was worried. They wouldn't pick up their phones. I had no idea what was going on. So I went to find them..." He continued, tears welling up in his doe eyes.
"I did find my mother..." Alex said and just lost it, burying his face into Jack's chest, silently sobbing. Jack's veins felt like ice. He knew what had become of Alex's mom. He'd heard horror stories about spiteful cops who killed in vain. He never even in his wildest dreams thought that it actually happened.
Cassadee looked as if her heart had been torn from her chest, her hands covering her mouth in horror. John looked down at the ground, pushing his hair back. Josh just looked distant and lost.
"These fuckers... What the fuck did we ever do to them?" John asked, his voice raising with hysteria. Cassadee put a hand on his and gave him a knowing look.
"I know it's not fair." She whispered. The atmosphere felt so heavy. Jack could barely breathe. He hugged Alex close to him, burying his face into his hair.
Alex took a deep breath and looked up at Jack. "But... if I hadn't looked for them, I wouldn't have met you, Jack." He said, kissing Jack's jaw softly before laying his head in the crook of Jack's neck. Jack felt warmth spreading throughout him from the point where Alex's lips had been.
Cassadee couldn't help but laugh softly. "You guys give me some hope..." She said, taking both Josh and John's hands. "If you think about it... none of us would have met without this bullshit." She said.
Josh shrugged. "I would have loved to meet under different circumstances, of course, but you're right." He said softly, squeezing her hand.
"We're a bunch of fucking misfits." John added, laughing softly.
Jack almost smiled at that, but felt the guilt of leaving Mark behind tugging at his heart.
"I hope Mark is okay..." Jack said into Alex's hair.
"He's Mark. He'll be fine. I know it. I can feel it." Alex mumbled against Jack's neck, making Jack shiver.
"I never conquered, rarely came... sixteen just held such better days." Jack sang softly, remembering the song Mark had loved. He wondered what it was like to always know music was there and never being able to do anything about it. Mark had had music his whole life. Jack only had it a little bit at an early age and the yearning for it was great. Imagine knowing everything about it and it being forbidden. The thought made Jack sick.
"So, why hasn't anyone rebelled yet?" Cassadee asked unexpectedly.
"I guess there's not enough of us." Josh said.
"No, there has to be thousands of us. Probably more of us than of them." John said. Jack believed it. People were just too scared.
"They're just pussies." Josh said, sighing with exasperation.
"Fuck, well we're not any braver." John said, grimacing.
"But what if we could be?" Jack asked, biting his lip. "We have to figure out what happens after you're exiled. Maybe they just ban you from society, which wouldn't be that bad." He said.
"But remember what Mark said..." Alex said softly.
"Well... he has no way of knowing." Jack said.
"Neither do we." Cassadee said, standing up. "I'm going to bed." She announced. Jack looked at his nearly dead phone. It was almost one in the morning?
John quickly followed her. "Yeah, I'm tired too." He said, yawning. Josh rolled his eyes as they left.
"He's a cheeky monkey... how obvious is it that he adores Cass?" Josh asked, laughing softly.
"Oh... I hadn't really noticed." Jack said. Honestly, his attention was more focused on Alex.
"Well, if you stick around, you'll notice." Josh said, something behind his words. Jealousy?
"You ever been in love, mate?" Josh asked, his voice barely audible as if he wasn't sure if he wanted to ask or not. The first thing that came into Jack's mind was Alex's face. Was he in love? No, love took time... didn't it?
"I... yeah." Jack said truthfully. Alex's breathing was heavier, so he assumed he was asleep.
"It's a weird feeling. Like you would do anything for them. Like they're just the reason you even try to do anything anymore." Josh said. Jack nodded. He knew exactly what that felt like.
"Just take a chance." Jack said, not expecting the words to come out of his mouth. Josh looked nervous.
"I don't think I could..." Josh said, his voice almost a whisper.
"Sure you can! C'mon, Josh. It's no secret you're a nice looking dude." Jack said truthfully. It was the truth, for sure.
Josh blushed a little. Jack could tell even in the darkness.
"I just don't think they'd feel the same way. At all." Josh said. He smiled a little as he looked at Jack and Alex, giving Jack a look.
"We're just friends." Jack said quickly before Josh could jump to any conclusions.
"Mhmmm.... Alright." Josh said, raising an eyebrow. He hadn't fooled Josh.
"I think I'll get some shut eye, eh Jacky?" He said, standing up and giving Jack a small wink as he walked away.
"Am I that obvious?" Jack asked the dark. No answer.