Chapter 1(Ashton’s POV)

“Guess what we’re doing tonight?” My best friend, Gabi, asked as she plowed through my closet, throwing out my red plaid mini skirt, red Black Veil Brides shirt that I had designed myself, red converse, and red and black striped tie. I went into my bathroom to change.

“What?” I called through the door as I pulled the skirt on.

“Going to the BVB concert!” She exclaimed. A large smile grew on my face as I threw open the door and launched myself at her.

“Thank you so much!” I shouted happily.

“Happy birthday, Ash!” She exclaimed.

My name is Ashton Stevens. I just turned 19 today. I live in a large house with my best friend, Gabi. She and I are in a band together with our other best friend, Jason, and his girlfriend Scarlet. Gabi plays guitar, Scarlet plays guitar, Jason is the drummer and I’m the bassist/lead singer/song writer.

Gabi is 21, Jason is 25, and Scarlet is 24. I’m the youngest, obviously. They’re all like my older siblings.

Gabi has black hair that goes down to her butt and is always teased up. Her bangs cover her right eye. She has neon green streaks in her hair and snake bites.

Jason has black hair with white tips. His bangs cover his right eye and he also has snake bites.

Scarlet has maroon hair with black streaks. She also has snake bites.

I have long black hair as well, with red streaks in it. I tease my hair and spike it up in the back. My hair goes to my butt, like Gabi’s. I have snake bites, a nose piercing, and an industrial. We all have matching tattoos. It’s the BVB star with the words ‘Never Give In’ written below it. We all got them done at the same time. Mine is on my upper arm. Gabi’s is her lower back, Scarlet’s is on her upper arm and Jason got his on his wrist. We all have another matching tattoo that says ‘The Forgotten Ones’. That’s the name of our band.

“Jason is waiting outside! Come on!” Gabi pulled me out of my thoughts as she dragged me down the stairs. I debated grabbing my phone as I ran out the door, then decided against it and locked the door, closing it. We climbed into Jason’s Mustang. Jason came from a very rich family. He was actually the one who bought the house that Gabi and I are living in. We never wanted him to buy it, but he had anyway, saying that he didn’t want us living in the ratty apartment that we had been in before. After much arguing, he finally won. Though I don’t think he needed to buy such a big house…

We got to the venue and went to wait in the line outside. After a few minutes, we got in and pushed our way to the front. Jason made sure to always keep my hand in his. I was the smallest of all of us, only 4’11, and I easily got lost.

Jason and I had been friends since I was in first grade and he was in seventh. I know that’s a huge difference, but he lived next to me, and was the first person I befriended when I moved to California. He’s always been kind of like my older brother. He even refused to go to college somewhere else because he didn’t want to leave me. Jason and I had tried a relationship before he’d met Scarlet. It didn’t work out so well, and it ended not too far after it started.

Gabi and I had met through Jason when he was twenty and I was 14. He was hanging out with Gabi when I came over to his house one day, and she and I have been close ever since.

Scarlet met Jason at one of our gigs and had immediately hit it off. At first I wasn’t too happy about it, but I warmed up to her and now we’re best friends.

The BVB concert ended way too soon for my liking, and that’s when things went bad. I had managed to stay out of any moshes during the concert, but now as everyone swarmed to the merch table, I lost my friends.

I shoved through the crowd, looking for familiar faces, but couldn’t find them. Suddenly, someone ran into me and I fell down, taking two others with me.

“Watch where you’re going, bitch!” Someone exclaimed, pushing me away from them. I scrambled to my feet, tears coming to my eyes as the crowd pushed me around. Suddenly, a hand locked around my wrist. I struggled as whoever it was pulled me through the crowd. When we were finally out, I saw that it was Andy Six. I froze, staring at him with wide eyes. I didn’t even notice the tears rolling down my cheeks until he reached forward and brushed them away.

“Hey, it’s alright. I wasn’t gonna let anything happen to such a small, pretty thing like you.” He said softly, pulling me to him and wrapping his arms protectively around me. I buried my face in his chest and wrapped my arms around his torso, smelling his comforting scent.

“Ash!” I heard Jason’s frantic voice. “Thanks so much for pulling her out. God knows what would’ve happened to her.” He said, relief coloring his voice. I pulled away from Andy reluctantly, and turned to look at Jason. Scarlet and Gabi stood behind him.

“Hey man, I see you saved the damsel in distress.” I heard a joking voice. I turned to see Ashley Purdy walking towards us. “Hello ladies. I’m Ash.” He winked in my direction. I could see Jason glaring at Andy, then I realized Andy’s hand was still on my waist. I stepped away from him, to save him from Jason’s wrath.

“ANDY!!!!!” A girl screamed, running up to us. With that, everyone was crowding around us. I slipped out of the crowd and walked outside, to get away from the crowd and the stench of skunk weed. I sat on the stoop, and a few minutes later, Jake Pitts came running out, his head swinging side to side. When he saw me, the panic in his eyes faded.

“Andy and Ash were frantic when you disappeared.” He said, coming up to sit next to me. “Told me to go find you.”

“I just needed air. I’m claustrophobic when it comes to crowds, and the smell of skunk weed was making me gag.” I shrugged. “No biggie.”

“You shouldn’t be out here alone. No one knows what might be lurking out here.” He stood up and offered his hand out to me. I took it and he pulled me up, leading me into the now deserted venue. “ANDY, ASH, CC, JINXX, JASON, GABI, SCAR, I FOUND HER!!!!!!” He screamed loudly, his voice echoing throughout the empty concert hall.