The Life and Times of Valor

Austin’s POV

I seen Valor making a b line for her bus. I knew this was coming. She had expressed it many times that were just friends and for awhile I really believed her, but then I got to know her. I spent countless hours with her, learning about her likes and dislikes, laughing hysterically into the late hours of the morning just to continue texting each other after we’ve laid down in our separate buses for the night. And there was this day where it hit me. We were just relaxing watching Star Wars and she was just going on and on about her favorite books and artists and movies and she was sarcastic and funny and she was herself. I never met anyone so beautiful before. I really cared about her. It just hit me that she was the kind of girl I had been looking for all this time. A beautiful, brilliant, caring and understanding, loyal girl. I had really been falling for her all this time.
“Austin, no.” she said bluntly. continuing to walk away from me.
“Valor, come on.” I grabbed her hand and turned her toward me.
“Austin… We can’t do this, we just can’t.” She was staring at the ground so I gently grabbed her chin and lifter her eyes to meet mine.
“Goddamn it Valor, last night was probably the best night of my life and not because we had sex but because I got to be with you. I know you’re scared and broken, but I’m not here to break you. I care about you and I want to be with you even if we have to take things slow.” She looked at me, intently.
“God don’t need a damn, he can walk on water.” She said half smiling.
“Austin… I just… this is hard for me.” She was stammering.
“I know Val, but just trust me, okay? You trust me as your friend, with all that information about you. Every little detail, so you should know you can trust me with this.” I put my hand over her heart and grabbed her hand and put it on mine.
“I trust you with mine. Know that it has been broken too.” She was looking at me seriously for a few minutes before smiling.
“Well I mean you did have surgery.” She was such a sarcastic asshole.
“So, we take things slow and see where they go?” I pulled her into my arms.
“I’m not sure if it’s possible to take things slow with you, I mean we already fucked so.” I loved her crude language.
“You have a dirty mouth.” I kissed her.
“Well I mean.. everyone now knows that.” She was laughing against my lips.
“Can you be serious for five minutes? Actually don’t, I like you just the way you are.” I stood back from her and she was bashfully looking at the ground.
“You don’t know how to take a compliment do you?” I asked her.
“Hmm, not really. It’s a confusing concept to me really.” She shrugged her shoulders.
“I need to get ready though. It’s going to be a long, hot day, I’ll see you later?” She kissed my cheek.
“Of course, gorgeous.” I held her hand until she walked away and I watched as she shuffled to her bus where Hunter and Jay were and they looked at me giving me the thumbs up. I smiled and waved back at them before walking back to my bus.
“Austin!” Tino, Phil, Aaron and Alan yelled as I walked in.
“So I know we didn't get any sleep, I’m assuming you’re exhausted.” Tino teased.
“Oh ha ha. Very funny. I don’t need to explain anything. You all heard it.” I laughed.
“So she was pretty set on getting out of here this morning.” Alan said.
“Yeah I caught her on her way to her bus.” I sat down, drinking my much needed energy drink.
“So what’s the situation?” Phil asked.
“I’m not really sure. We care about each other and we want to be together, but I think we’re going to take things slow and see where they go.” I shrugged.
“You love her.” Aaron stated.
“Alright you guys need to get some rest before our set, clearly you’re all over tired.” I got up going to my bunk to take a quick nap before I headed over to see Valor’s set.
“Whatever you say.” Alan said.
After taking my nap I felt refreshed. I wondered how shitty Valor felt today, she did drink a lot. I still bet her set was going to be amazing. When I got to her set there were only two songs left. I was standing side stage holding a bottle of water for her. She seen me and ran over to grab it.
“Thanks babe.” She kissed me on the cheek and drank like half the bottle before running back onto the stage. I couldn’t help but smile.
“This next song is called Stomping through the Gates of Hell!” The crowd went crazy as she began to sing.
“I was praying to God for help, but he wasn’t listening. I’ve seen the devil in my dreams, he’s been visiting me in my sleep.” Then Jay came in screaming.
They finished off with their cover of Miley Cyrus’s We Can’t Stop and the crowd was going nuts. I could hardly believe that they were so new and rocked so hard. Valor came running off stage and leaped into my arms.
“Sorry I’m all sweaty but I can’t resist kissing you.” She said smiling as she kissed me.
“I’m about to be just as gross as you in about an hour.” I kissed her back.
“The Forte stage right?” She asked as I set her down.
“Yeah, are you going to come watch?” I asked.
“For sure babes. But I got to clean this stuff up. Thank you for the water, see in an hour?” She kissed my cheek and ran off to clean up her stuff. Jay and Hunter waved at me and I waved back as I went to walk toward the Forte stage Ann stopped me.
“Listen here buddy, if you hurt my best friend I will fuck you up, do you understand me?” She was dead serious.
“Yes ma’am.” I saluted her and walked over to meet the guys and get everything ready.
“We going to do Second and Seabring?” Aaron asked.
“Yeah and I think Valor is going to come so she should do guest vocals.” I pretty much demanded.
“Hell yeah, that’d be tight. The girl can sing.” Tino chimed in.
“Sweet. Sounds like a plan. I have to run to the bus I really need another Monster.” I began heading towards the bus.
“Lay off the energy drinks!” Alan called behind me.
“K mom.” I said back.
“Love you honey!” He yelled.
“Love you.” I said back laughing.
I was almost to my bus when I seen something rather odd. Ronnie was walking out the Exit Here bus. I walked over to him, he had no business being on there and I knew they were all out.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I pushed him.
“None of your business.” He snapped back.
“I told you to stay away from her!” I shouted.
“Don’t worry, I will.” He shook my hand off and walked away.
The guy was a total nut job and had a serious drug problem. Valor may have been able to forgive him, but I sure as hell wasn’t going too. I grabbed a Monster and few bottles of water from our bus and practically sprinted back to the stage. We went on and Valor wasn’t there. I was slightly disappointed, she said she would be. After we finished off Bones Exposed it was time for our last song, Second and Seabring and that’s when I noticed her standing side stage smiling at me.
“You guys have been absolutely beautiful! Thank you so much! Now for our last song, we’d like to invite Valor of Exit Here to join us! I want you all to sing as loudly as you can and I know you all know the words, this is Second and Seabring!” The crowd began yelling and Valor was on stage in seconds with mic in hand.
“I believe it’s time for me to be famous and out of place!” She started it off and the crowd was going insane and we could barely head ourselves over their own singing. Valor took a dive in the crowd as I screamed out the next part of the song and she didn’t come back till it was her cue.
“This is not what it is, only baby scars! I need your love like a boy needs his mother’s side! This is not what it is, only baby scars! I need your love like a boy needs his mother’s side!” She wailed it out and it was beautiful.
As soon as the set end and we were off stage I hugged her so tight she could barely breath.
“That was amazing!” I told her.
“We need to do that again. Possibly collaborate on a song together, you guys are amazing!” She chimed.
“Well you basically missed the whole set.” I laughed.
“I was in the crowd silly.” She spat her tongue out at me.
We cleaned up and headed back to the buses. Bus call wasn’t until later so we all planned to have a small BBQ before we left. No one was thrilled though because Falling in Reverse was hosting it. Still everyone agreed to show up.
I swung by Valor’s bus to walk with her to the BBQ. Alan and Tino came with me. Valor got off the bus wearing a gorgeous dress that was 1940’s influenced. High waisted blue skirt with white polkadots with a white halter top.
“You look beautiful.” I told her.
“Thank you.” She smiled at me.
Jay, Hunter and Landon were chatting with Tino and Alan while me and Valor walked ahead. Everyone showed up like they said they would and everyone was eating and drinking and it was actually pleasant. It was probably because Ronnie wasn’t there. Of course I thought that too soon because he showed up giving Valor a creepy smile. I pulled her in close to my side. She looked slightly worried.
We just finished eating and were about to leave when Hector came running up and grabbed Valor’s arm swinging her around.
“How fucking dare you!” He screamed at her.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” She spat back.
“You were pregnant? You didn’t fucking tell me?!” He was furious.
I let go of Valor’s hand and seen her looking shocked and tears began welling in her eyes.
“You had a fucking abortion? You killed my child!” He screamed and I couldn’t believe the words he was saying.
Valor just stood looking shocked and tears rolling down her face as he shoved a picture of an ultra sound in her face.
“Is this true?” I was angry that she would even pull something like that.
How could she even tell everyone he was an asshole when she killed their child without even telling him. She reached for my hand and I backed away. I wanted to know.
“No. It’s not.” She said quietly.
“You fucking liar.” Hector snapped.
“I had a fucking miscarriage after you told me you didn’t love me and you didn’t want to be with me. I was waiting for you to come home to tell you, but instead you broke up with me via text. I tried to save our relationship for our baby. My little guy. Remember when I said you had no idea what you took from me that day? I miscarried a few days later because of the stress. You killed our fucking child, not me. Now go fucking wallow in your self pity.” She shouted and then stormed off talking to no one and got on her bus and locked the door behind her.
I turned to Hector. “What in the actual fuck?” I spat.
“Ronnie found this picture under her pillow and told me the night they were drinking together she told him she had an abortion because she didn’t want the baby and never told me. I had no idea she miscarried or that it was my fault..” He trailed off.
“You’re a real piece of fucking work you know that?” I snapped.
“Well you believed what I had said too did you? Good luck getting her to talk to you ever again, you’re as much of a douche bag as I apparently am.” Hector walked off.
“Ronnie Radke!” I yelled finding him sitting calmly in a chair.
“Oh sad to find out your perfect girlfriend really isn’t so perfect after all?” Then I punched him, hard and continued punching him until Alan and Tino pulled me off of him.
“Austin calm down.” Vic said rushing up pushing Ronnie back.
“I told you to stay the fuck away from her!” I yelled at Ronnie.
“I wouldn’t touch the bitch with a ten foot pole.” He snapped.
“Fuck you.” I shot back.
“No, fuck you Carlile!” Jenna slapped me hard across the face.
“I told you to leave her alone! Do you have any fucking idea what that poor girl has been through?!” She yelled.
“Jenna I didn’t mean to-“ She cut me off.
“Mean to what? To look at her like she was a fucking liar in front of everyone? You’re the one who was supposed to believe in her, stick by her. Instead you fucking pulled away and demanded answers about something that wasn’t any of your business!” She snapped.
“Well she told fucking Radke about it but not me!” I screamed.
“She told Ronnie because he was showing her pictures of his daughter and she started crying and said she almost had a child once, that she kept a picture of the ultrasound, the only picture she had.” Ann came over filling in the blanks.
“I’m such a fucking asshole.” I exasperated, running my fingers through my hair.
“You really fucking are.” Jenna spat.
“Come on dude you didn’t know.” Vic chimed in.
“I shouldn’t have pulled away from her.” I shook my head in disbelief.
“Come on baby I’ll take you home.” Alan said in an attempt to cheer me up.
“I need to talk to her.” I started to her bus.
“You go near her I will fucking kill you.” Jay was standing in front of me shaking.
“I just want to apologize.” I tried to reason with him.
“We don’t give a shit.” Her whole band including Ann, Jenna and Hayley were standing in front of me.
“Plus bus call is in an hour. If she wants to talk to you we’ll let her but if not you will stay away from her.” They all walked away and loaded onto their bus.

Notes

Chapter Six! Enjoy [:

Title Credit: Bring me the Horizon