Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4:

Turns out Joseph didn't care as much as I thought he did. When I told him about me possibly moving to California, he flipped on me. 

"Why do you all of a sudden want to go to California? It's Andy, isn't it?" Joseph sort of yelled at me. I nodded. "Jesus Christ, Alana! You don't even know the guy!"

"Joseph, I have nothing left here! My dad's gone, my mother disowned me and you're the only friend I've got!"

"Exactly. You've got me. So why do you want to leave me here alone?"

"This isn't about you Joseph. You have other people here who care about you. You got accepted to your dream college with a full scholarship. You've got everything you've ever wanted."

"No, I don't. I want you, Alana."

I stopped cold. What did he mean? "What are you talking about?"

"I love you. I'm in love with you."

"That doesn't make sense Joseph. You wanted a baby with Katelynn. You wanted her to be pregnant with your child."

"I thought I did. I thought it would help me get over you. We're best friends, for crying out loud."

I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes. "Why now?"

"What?" Joseph asked.

"Why now? When I finally have something planned for me?"

"I thought you should know."

"You thought I would stay. Well, I'm not. Joseph, you have your dreams and now I have dreams, too. I'm sorry, but I'm going with Andy."

"F**k! Alana, you can't go with Andy!"

"Why the hell not? You're supposed to be my friend and support me! Not try to keep me tied down!"

"You're making a mistake!"

"Well, then it's my mistake to make. It's my life."

Then, Joseph grabbed my face between his hands and kissed me hard. I pushed him away. "What the Hell?" I yelled.

"Please don't go with him." Joseph wasn't yelling anymore.

"Jo, I am."

"Fine! Go! Don't come back!"

"What is all this yelling about?" Jo's mom came into the room.

"Nothing. I was just leaving." I said, grabbing my one duffelbag. "You can get rid of the rest of my things. I won't be back here."

"A, wait." I heard Joseph say. I didn't listen, just kept walking. I walked out of the house and down the street. A few blocks later, I realized I had no idea where I was even going. I took out my phone and texted Andy. Can I come stay with you? I'm going with you back to California.

A second later, Andy replied. Sure. I'm at the Pixie Inn. That would be a long walk, but one I was willing to make. Do you need a ride? I rented a car. Thank goodness. I sighed with relief and told Andy where I was. 

I sat on the curb, thinking. How could Joseph treat me like that? I can understand that he just wants to protect me, but I think he went a little too far. I thought he would agree that California would be good for me. He knew that I'd always wanted to be a singer. Hollywood was what could make that happen, right? I laid back on the sidewalk. Everything was so crazy. 

I heard Andy pull up, but didn't feel like moving. Andy got out of the car and came to lay beside me. He didn't talk; he didn't ask what was wrong. We just lay there, looking up at the stars. It was nice. 

ANDY:

Lying beside Alana on a cold sidewalk in the dark, I couldn't think of anything to say. I could tell that something was wrong, but we had just met and I wasn't sure if it was appropriate for me to ask her about it. I didn't want to pry. I looked over at her. She was asleep. I stood and put her duffelbag in the backseat of the rental car. Then I picked her up and sat her inside as well. 

Back at the motel, I got a blanket and pillow and made me a bed in the floor. I laid Alana on the only bed. I looked at her for a moment. She was really beautiful. Her long, dark hair spread out on her pillow like a black ocean. I smiled and went to bed.

ALANA:

I woke up the next morning in a strange bed. Then I remembered everything that had happened yesterday. I was going to California with Andy Biersack. My best friend had told me he loved me, had kissed me and then told me to leave and not to come back. What a crazy week this had turned out to be.

I looked around for Andy and found him on the floor. What a gentleman. I got up and went to the bathroom. I looked like Hell. I grabbed my duffelbag and took a quick shower. I dried and straightened my hair and put on some eyeliner. I was wearing my HIM shirt and some gray skinny jeans with my high-tops. 

I sighed. Was I doing the right thing? Leaving my best friend for some guy, some state, I didn't even know. It didn't sound like the right thing to do, buy my heart said it was. I opened the door and saw that Andy was awake. One look at him and I knew this was the right choice. Even though I'd only met him twice, I felt like we'd known each other forever. And we'd barely even spoken.

"Morning." Andy said when he saw me. "Want to go get some breakfast before we head out?"

"Sure." I said, then I remembered I was broke. "I don't have money for a plane ticket."

"Oh, it's fine. We're not taking a plane. I'm driving."

"All the way to California? Don't you have a tour or something?"

"No, we don't start the tour until next month."

"Oh."

"Come on. What are you craving?"

"Hmmm..Tacos."

"Is there a Taco Bell around here?"

"Yeah. We have to go to Boone, though. Or we could stop in Tennessee."

"Sounds good."

We packed everything up and got in the car. I felt my cell vibrate, telling me I had a text. It was from Joseph. You left your favorite shirt at my place. Are you going to stop and get it? I didn't really want to see Joseph, especially with Andy here, but it was my favorite Black Veil Brides shirt. I'd had it for years. 

"Do you mind if we stop by Joseph's? I forgot something."

"Sure. Just show me where he lives."

I directed Andy which direction to go to get to Jo's. I was really nervous about this whole thing. Especially after the way Joseph had acted the day before. If he would act that way toward his best friend, how would he act toward Andy, who was taking his best friend to California?

We pulled up at Joseph's a few minutes later. He was outside, holding my shirt in one hand, a cigarette in the other. I got out of the car and started walking toward Joseph. 

"Will you be okay?" Andy asked me.

"Yeah. Jo might be angry with me, but he'd never hurt me." I replied.

I walked over to Joseph with my hands in my pockets. He flicked his half-smoken cigarette on the ground, threw my shirt at me (which I struggled to catch), and stalked toward the car where Andy was waiting. My eyes got wide. I knew what Joseph was up to.

"Jo!" I called. He didn't stop until he got to the car. I ran over to see what he was going to say.

"You're not taking her to California." Jo told Andy.

"Well, I think that's her decision." Andy replied calmly.

"She doesn't know what she wants. She doesn't even know you."

"I can speak for myself, Jo." I said.

"Shut up." I flinched. Joseph had never spoken to me that way before. Unless you counted yesterday.

"Joseph, what's your deal?"

"This..drag-queen is trying to take you across the country."

Andy got out of the car, and I could tell that things were escallating pretty quickly. "First of all, I'm not a drag-queen. Second of all, Alana can do whatever she wants. I read that in this state, at age sixteen, you're legally an adult. Alana is seventeen and perfectly capable of making her own decisions." 

I got between them, but Jo pushed me out of the way and punched Andy in the face. Andy fell back on to the car, and when he came back up, his nose was bleeding. "Joseph!" I yelled. "What the f**k is your problem?!" I grabbed a shirt out of my bag and pressed it to Andy's nose. "Come on Andy. I'll drive." Andy got in the passenger seat, and I turned to Joseph. "I can't believe you did that."

"I don't want to lose my best friend." Joseph said. I could tell he was hurt, but Andy was hurt, too.

"Then why did you tell me to leave and not come back? Why did you punch Andy?"

"I did both of those things in anger. I don't want you leave. Ever. And, yeah, I don't like Andy because he's influencing your decision--"

"He's not influencing anything. He asked me to go and I said yes."

"So, you're really going then?"

"Yeah, I am."

Joseph swallowed and hugged me. "I hope you have fun. But if I ever see him again, he'll be getting more than just a bloody nose."

"Whatever. See you later."

"Yeah, see you."

I got in the driver's seat and drove away. Joseph was staring after us.