Hello! I am not new to Fanfiction but I am in need of a fresh start! So I'm going to start out with a band fanfic! Now, Fanfiction does not have a Music category yet, but this is where you guys come in, if you email support fanfiction . com (without the spaces of course) and put [category] in the subject of an email, you can ask for a new category. I'm guessing if people send enough emails, the bandoms shall be heard! No more sorting through the X-overs category or Misc. Plays/Musicals category! And not to mention the crap search bar that shows fanfics that haven't been updated in years! So, if you can, please email them!

Disclaimer: I don't own ATL or most of the lyrics mentioned in the story.

Chapter 1: Running From Lions

Alex's P.O.V.

Ah, high school, a place where every sophomore girl thinks that sleeping with a senior will higher their popularity status.

I swear, if another girl hits on me I'll… stuff a banana down Jack's sock! Cause I'd never hit a girl.

So here I am, this is the last, last day of school, well for me, Barakat, Dawson, and Merrick at least. Because the moment after we get our diplomas, we'll be doing what we've been wanting to do for years, play music live in front of hundreds, possibly thousands, of people. We're going to Warped Tour.

"Everett Garson," I heard as the girl next to me was called up, I scrambled out of my thoughts because I was going to be called up next.

I watched Everett walk up to the stage, and I heard no one clap or cheer. I didn't know her very well, but she was different, which is the reason why she was so severely bullied. From what I've seen, she was quiet but clever. I also know that she walks to school from the local orphanage.

"Fucking slut! She's too stupid to graduate!" I heard Georgia, one of the more popular people of our grade yell. The majority of the student body laughed, even some of the family members of the graduates started to laugh. How twisted can they get?

Everett looked broken, she was limping and her expression, the look on her face was showing that she's given up.

The bullying sickened me, but I couldn't risk my reputation by standing up for her. I'm ashamed to say that I've actually joined in on the bullying once, none of the physical stuff, but I've called her some harsh names in the beginning.

Thinking back to that moment, the way she looked at me with hope in her eyes because I was quiet, and how that hope was crushed when I spoke those two sentences, I still haven't forgotten them:

"Hah, look at the pathetic little whore, looking at me like I'll be her superman. News flash, bitch, no one wants to save you."

I only did it to secure my popularity as a freshman, and I remember mentally beating myself up for doing such a stupid thing.

Everett accepted her diploma, and instead of going back to her seat, she left the premises. And nobody noticed, except me.

"Alexander William Gaskarth," I walked up and got my diploma, the student body cheered. I sighed, I'm finally done with high school.

~.~.~.~Eight Years Later~.~.~.~

Rett's P.O.V.

"Fucking bitch, I'll find you! I always do!" I heard my drunk abusive boyfriend, Brian, yell as I hid in the spot under the sink.

You must be thinking, why are you with him if he's abusive? Well, it's not for a stupid reason like I love him or anything, but he's threatened to kill me multiple times if I've left him. And I'm determined to be the only one to take my own life.

I left Baltimore the moment I got my diploma and rode a bus to New York City and bought myself an apartment, Brian was my next door neighbor and he seemed nice enough. He'd graduated the year before and was living by himself.

He'd asked me out about two months after I'd moved in. Everything was fine in the beginning, but one day his friends were over and he'd changed into something different, and he never changed back.

I stayed in my spot for a couple of minutes just in case, but then I heard him fucking another girl next door. My nosed scrunched in disgust.

I touched my head and flinched, I had a huge gash on my head from him smashing a bottle on my head before I managed to scramble away.

I couldn't think straight, but one thing I did realize is that I was out of medical supplies.

I climbed out of my window and down to the ground through the fire escape.

Yes, I was still bleeding, but I couldn't find anything to stop the bleeding. I put my hood up, since it was dark, nobody could really see the state I was in, and I made my way to the nearest pharmacy, which was about a mile away.

About halfway there, I started to feel even dizzier, but I trudged on, only to black out and collapse minutes later.

Alex's P.O.V.

So here I am in New York, New York, walking around aimlessly at night because Jack was being a loud obnoxious douche.

All Time Low is here on tour and I know that the city is dangerous at night, but I needed to breathe actual air, not Jack's farts.

I wandered around for about half an hour, until I saw a girl with her hood up staggering around.

"She's probably drunk…" I muttered. I looked back at her to see her on the ground. I sighed, I couldn't just leave someone out on the street.

I walked over to her, about to shake her awake, until I saw a tremendous amount of blood seeping out from underneath her hood.

I gasped and quickly scooped her up running back to the bus. I know, it was a rash decision, but something told me that I wasn't going to regret it.

"Guys! This girl is hurt! Where's the medical kit?" I yelled as I entered the bus.

"What the fuck are rambling ab-HOLY SHIT! BARAKAT GET THE MEDICAL KIT!" Rian yelled.

Jack ran with the medical kit and a very sleepy expression that was wiped off his face the moment he laid eyes on the girl.

I put her down on the couch and took her hood off, revealing a familiar face.

"Isn't that Everett?" I heard Rian ask.

"Yeah, I think so." I muttered as I bandaged her head up. "Well, there's nothing else I can do, I'm going to sleep now." I said heading over to my bunk. I fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.

We were all woken up by a scream at around 9 am. I rushed over to the lounge to see a panicking Everett looking around.

"I see that you're awake, Everett." I noted.

"Well no shit. And it's Rett, Gaskarth." she said, "Wait, Gaskarth?" I smiled sheepishly at her and waved.

She gave me one look, a look of hatred, stood up, and headed for the door.

"You are in no condition to go back out there." I said rushing to get in front of her.

Rett's P.O.V.

I glared at him.

"And what happened to, 'Hah, look at the pathetic little whore, looking at me like I'll be her superman. News flash, bitch, no one wants to save you.'?" I recited.

He blinked.

"You remembered?"

"I remember everything, now get out of my way." I said whilst trying to push past him, but I was too weak.

"Look, I'm really sorry for what I said back then, I regretted it the moment after I said it, can we please start over?"

I intensified my glare and almost smirked when he flinched and said:

"No. If you were really sorry, you would've apologized and helped me. But you were too caught up in your popularity to care. So fuck you and your selfish endeavors."

"Okay fine, hate me-"

"I will."

"-but you need to rest, stay here for at least two more days and I'll leave you alone, okay?"

"You'll leave me alone forever?" I asked.

"Yuppers."

I sighed:

"Fine."

He did a lame fist pump and called Rian over, yelling at him to make pancakes.

I sat quietly analyzing my actions and mentally asking myself:

Why?

As I looked around I saw an acoustic guitar and picked it up.

"Hey, Gaskarth! Do you mind if I play?"

"Sure, just don't break it- wait, you can play the guitar?" I inquired.

"Yeah, since I was twelve." I said absentmindedly as I strummed, admiring the quality of the sound.

(A/N: These are my own lyrics, please don't steal them, they're not even finished.)

Lost and confused

I searched for the clues

And came up emptyhanded

But then it hit me like a strike of lightning

This world is darker than we made it out to be

I'm just killing time now

And killing every moment I've wasted

Gravity please fail me now

So I can fly without a sound

But I gotta hang on tight and not look down

Because there are a million simple answers all around

And if my fingers start to slip then pull me up

Cause letting go once is more than enough

I stopped, content with what I had so far. I looked up to see five grown men looking at me like I just shot the president or something.

"Rett, I didn't know you could play!" I heard Barakat exclaim.

"Er… well, not many knew…" I replied sheepishly, I had completely forgotten that other people were in the bus.

"Whose song was that? I've never heard it before." Alex stated.

"It's mine," I muttered.

"What?"

"It's mine," I said a little louder.

"Oh I heard you, but I didn't know that you could write songs."

"Well, you never really tried to get to know me now did you?" I sneered.

He harbored a guilty look and I sighed.

"I need to lay down, do you have an extra bunk?" I asked no one in particular.

"Yeah, follow me." Zack, I think, said. I don't know, he didn't go to our high school.

I trudged over to the bunk and slept once again, trying to get rid of my exhaustion.

DONE!