Dear Austin...

I sat with my mother in the third row of the theater's seating. This was where my little sister's orchestra concert would take place. My hands clutched the black body of the camera to my chest. I spotted my younger sibling in the first row of the orchestra. She was the first chair violin and sat patiently before her wooden baton. With a swish and flick, the concert was off and in motion.

People were still shuffling in, although the strings were humming a tune to the audience. I ignored the late comers and clicked the camera button a couple more times.

After fifteen minutes, they started solos. Lily-Pearl's name was announced a familiar tune was played as she started out on one of my favorite songs. Reading the name of the artists on the light green pamphlet, a lump rose in my throat. It had been a month. LP had kept in touch as often as she could, but I was loosing touch with my own brown eyed, kindhearted, gentle smiling, singer. Warped Tour was taking its toll on him. He should have finished yesterday, and I would patiently wait for him to text me. I didn't want to be clingy.

At the end, I started humming along and imagined that night, the last song, the last goodbye.

This is not what it is only baby scars...I thought with the slow melody. As she finished, the crowd clapped with her. I could tell with the varying difference of the levels of clapping that the front was supporting her for playing solo. The middle recognized the tune, the back was, by far, the loudest. There must've been some people that really liked the band.

After the concert was over, I went over to hug my sister. Her violin case was safely in my mom's hands.

"Good job, LP!" I told her. She smiled to me and gave me another hug. As she let go, her eyes widened as she looked past me. I barely saw her move as she disappeared. By the time I turned around, I saw her clutched in the arms of a familiar ginger princess.

No way, they had made it. Alan remembered, and had made a point to come. Looking behind him, I saw Aaron, Phil, and Tino mingling around the crowd. A few came up for autographs, but mostly they stayed around Alan. LP had wrapped her arms around Alan while he ruffled her hair. The crowd was closing in around them.

When they finally parted, a figure stood next to Alan. He looked up into my eyes. I was rooted to the spot, but moved forward to meet him. He surged forward.

Austin's strong arms pulled me closer, as if hungry for my return. I reached up on the tips of my toes to nestle my head into his neck. He leaned down to meet me in a kiss.

His hungry lips first grazed mine, until they finally met mine. I could almost feel the happiness, the final relief to see me roll off of him in wave. Austin's long arms wrapped all the way around my body as we shared the same air.

When we finally broke apart, he continued to hold me, not wanting to let me go. I didn't stop clutching his black jacket either. I was so happy he came to support my sister, and he remembered.

My mom tapped me on the shoulder hesitantly. Austin greeted her like she was his own mother. After a brief, quiet conversation amid the chaos of people leaving the building. She left Austin and I standing there. LP followed my mom out. Now it was just Austin, me, and the band left as the final occupants left.

"She let us take you for a few hours." Austin smiled to me. I nodded, pleased that my mom let me do this. Now with dad out, she let me have a lot more freedom. Tino, Phil, and Aaron came up to Alan and Austin. They checked their watch. It was nine at night.

"Let's go out to the bus." Phil suggested. We followed him out to the bus that took up six parking spots in the bus lot.

After three hours, we had successfully completed a round of extreme monopoly. Instead of property houses, you got to own people's clothes. None the less to say, I was very good at it.

By the end of three hours, I was down to Austin's shirt, shoes, and socks, Alan's shirt and shoes, Tino's shoes, Aaron's socks and shirt, and I managed to collect Phil's shirt, shoes, socks, and pants.

We decided it was best to stop the game, and I was declared the winner. I managed to loose only my shoes and socks to Alan. It was a very interesting game.

"I'll drive!" Phil announced, eager to get away before another game with extreme rules was started.

Taking our seats, I sat with Austin. He had his arm around my shoulders as I leaned into his warm body. A small yawn escaped my lungs. I start to recognize the place we were going to.

By the time we were parked, Tino, Aaron, and Phil had gotten out their wallets and sat around the table where Austin and I were snuggled together.

"Five on ten minutes or more." Aaron announced, throwing a five dollar bill on the table. He casually relaxed against the seat's back.

"She'll do better than that! I've got eight on seven to eight minutes." Phil threw out. What were they betting on, and what did I have to do with it? Eight more dollars joined the center of the table.

"I'll put a fifteen on three to four minutes. I have faith in her." Tino took fifteen out of his wallet. Alan and Austin refrained from betting, but each bore grins on their face.

"Squirt guns?" Austin asked, rubbing my shoulder affectionately. Now what was this for? Out the window, I spotted no cars in the lot except our at the far end. I did, however, recognize the building at the far end of the lot. I couldn't help but smile and realize what this was going to be.

"Done." Tino pulled three large squirt guns from under a cabinet. Phil quietly exited the large bus. Alan collected the money and put it in his pocket. Three swift knocks alerted us to Phil's return.

We left the vehicle, and it felt like old times again. Phil stood their proudly with two shopping carts. Alan took his position in the first one, with Austin steering. Tino sat in the large interior of the other cart, Phil pushed, and Aaron hopped on the front of the cart. I sat at the fore, feeling like a scout at a ship's front. Alan and Tino both held a squirt gun.

Austin produced two Monster drinks out of nowhere. I grinned like a maniac. As I looked back to the entrance of the grocery store, I saw the outlines of Kellin, Oli, and Sara standing at the fore, a barricade that held their own squirt guns at the ready.

At this moment, I looked around to my friends. I was beyond happy, but I realized they weren't my friends. They were so much more. Austin and Alan had seen me through the good, the bad, and the ugly. These guys were my brothers, they were my family. Of Mice and Men had been with me when my own dad hadn't.

This is my family. This is my home.

Notes

Final chapter! Thank you everyone for sticking with me through my very first story! Big thank you to everyone's encouraging comments! You're all amazing and I have a gift for you!

A SEQUEL!!!

I hope you enjoy the next story. We'll see more of Rae's dad appearing in this one, and we'll see the aftermath of what he did!

Thank you all!