|1| Dreams Only Last for a Night. [Alex Gaskarth]

We spent the rest of the day swimming and pushing each other into the small waves crashing onto shore. It started to get dark so we all pulled our clothes on over our wet bathing suits and made our way over to the van.
"Who wants ice cream?" Zack asked as we were setting our towels on the seats of the van so we wouldn't get anything wet. "On me."
There were a few 'I dos and 'Mes.
"Okay. Let's go."
We drove over to the ice cream shop nearby the beach parking lot and ate our purchase in the van, watching the sun set.
"You like watching the sun set." Alex said suddenly, almost making me jump, as everyone else in the car was silent.
"Yeah. It's pretty." I sighed, taking one last lick of my ice cream and throwing the bottom of the cone out the window. "All done."
"I feel like writing." Alex said, a dazed look in his eyes.
"Writing a song?" I asked.
"Yeah." We just sat there for another second in silence before Zack started up the van and started to pull out of our parking spot.
"Wait!" Alex called up to Zack who slammed on the breaks.
"What brah?" Zack asked, slightly annoyed.
"I'm getting out." Alex said simply, moving towards the door.
"Why?" I asked, confused.
"I'm in the writing mood. It could be a hit. I can't just leave." He smirked and got out of the van, closing the door behind him.
"Anyone else feel like jumping out of a should-be moving vehicle?" Zack asked us all with a raised eye brow.
"Actually yeah." I climbed out of the car after Alex, ignoring both Taylor and Jesse's calls of annoyance and confusion. "See you guys at home!" I called back and followed Alex down to the beach.
He didn't turn around and acknowledge me until we were a good ten feet away from the water's edge. He only smiled, but that was all I needed to know that I was at least partly welcomed to sit with him while he wrote. He scribbled everything out on a napkin he had snagged from the ice cream shop and occasionally explained to me how he usually wrote at home, when there was no one to disturb him or after something really big happened. Like after he got signed to a record label, his grandma died, or he had his first real relationship. When he was through writing we both just laid back in the sand until it was too dark to see the ocean anymore and the bugs started coming out.
"We should go." I said, standing up and brushing the sand off of my still damp shorts.
"Help me up." Alex raised his arms over his head and smiled at me. "Please?"
"Fine." I sighed, leaning over to take his hands. As soon as he had a firm grip on my hands and I was about to pull him to his feet, he tugged on my arms, pulling me to the ground on top of him. I only managed to gasp in the short time I was falling andthen we were silent, and all I could do was stare at the sand at the angle I was laying. Eventually I turned my head to look at his face to talk.
"What was that for?"
"I don't know. It's just something I would do to a friend. And we're trying to be friends right?" He asked.
"Yeah. I guess." I rolled over so I was no longer on his chest, but let our arms still touch. The sky was dark, the only light coming from the lights of the distant parking lot and a dim glow from the moon. "I could fall asleep here."
"Me too." Was all Alex said.
It was strange that just a couple of days ago Alex didn't even want to look at me and now we were lying next to each other at the beach. I looked over at Alex and smiled. He smiled back. I wouldn't say it was really romantic, considering I had sand in places that sand really shouldn't be and the wind was whipping my hair in my face, causing it to stick to my lips. But Alex seemed to think we were having a little moment or something because he suddenly rolled over and leaned his face down towards mine, preparing to kiss me.
"Hey, whoa whoa." I rolled out from under him and sat up. "Don't you think you're coming on a little too strong? I mean, two seconds ago we were like enemies practically and now you want to make out? No thanks."
To my surprise Alex just smirked. "I was just seeing if you would let me."
"Well, I won't." I said huffily, standing up and making my way towards the parking lot. "And I'm not helping you up this time."
When I got to the edge of the parking lot I stopped, realizing we didn't have a ride. When Alex caught up with me he was out of breath.
"You're a lot different than I thought."
"How so?" I asked, taking my phone from my pocket so I could call for a ride.
"I don't know. I just got the impression that you were more...I don't know...willing." Alex shrugged. "I mean you drink a lot, you party hard, and you're always with a different guy. Well, at least until Caleb."
I glared up at him. "Well, I've changed okay? If you have a problem with that then walk home with someone else."
"No! No, I'm not saying that's a bad thing. Actually it's kind of a good thing. And you don't really plan on walking home do you?" Alex grabbed my arm and spun me around. "That would be like two or three miles."
"Of course I'm not walking." I sighed in irritation. "I just said that out of frustration. Give me a second while I call for a ride." I flipped open my phone and looked through my contacts, deciding on Kale, knowing that anyone else would tell me they were either busy or just bluntly tell me that they didn't want to get me. I started to lift my phone to my ear when Alex reached over and pulled it from my hand. "Hey! What the hell? Give me back my phone!" I exclaimed.
"Here." He handed it back to me and to my disappointment I saw that he had hung up on my phone call to Kale. "Come here. I have a better idea."
He started walking in the direction of the street where all I saw was the shadow of a bike rack and a trash can. I took a couple of steps towards him, folding my arms across my chest to protect me from the cold.
"What are you doing? I told you I'm not walking dude."
"We're not walking. We're riding." He called back to me, his voice being slightly carried away by the wind.
"Riding what?" I called to him, but he didn't answer. I squinted, barely able to see him, but when I could, I saw that he was walking back to me rolling two things on either side of him... "What the hell do you think youre doing?" I ran over to him. "You can't just steal these bikes! They belong to someone! Do you want to get arrested?"
I had already gone to jail once; I didn't plan on doing it again. Especially for something this stupid.
"We're not going to get arrested." Alex laughed quietly and smirked confidently. He then pushed down the kick stand with the toe of his sneaker on one of the bikes and got onto the other. "You coming?"
"No." I said stubbornly, folding my arms across my chest.
"Suit yourself." He kicked off the ground and was out of sight before I had a chance to say anything.
"Alex! Come back! Don't leave me here!" I lifted the kick stand up and hopped on. I only had to ride the bike for about a second before I heard Alex's laughter. He had stopped his bike just out of reach of the parking lot lights and waited for me.
"I pretty much don't like you that much." I growled, riding the bike slowly past him and onto the road.
"Psh. Yeah right. You love me." He said cockily, and I just rolled my eyes, even though he couldn't see me in the dark. Even though it was true, I denied it. Well...I didn't LOVE love him. I only loved him as much as a fan could love their favorite band. I denied it anyways, keeping up the oh-I-used-to-hate-you-but-now-I'm-trying-to-start-over-since-it'll-be-good-for-my-career act.
"It's so dark!" I said, slowing my bike to a complete stop. "We might get hit by a car or something."
"First of all," I heard Alex stop beside me. "Your eyes will adjust. And second...if a car was coming we would see the head lights so we could get out of the way. Now follow me."
I rolled my eyes and followed him in silence. I probably should be enjoying this. Riding a bike down a dark street with the hot lead singer of my favorite band after he just tried to kiss me on the beach. But I was too cold and annoyed to think of anything more than my warm bed. At least until Alex spoke next.
"I may hate you, but I'm really glad we got to hang out today."
I looked over at him to try and see his expression but could only see his silhouette.
"So am I." I said quietly, not sure if he meant it, but knowing that I definitely did.
"Sorry I tried to kiss you back there." He said. "I couldn't help it." "I don't blame you." I said, trying to lighten the mood. "I mean, I am totally hot." Alex laughed. "You got that right."