thought i'd found the highest of highs [p] you came and topped them all

(( awh, valorie is so cute! tbh kian was the first person i thought of when i saw the spoiler hehe

have fun on your vacation! if you need to or if you want to, feel free to copy my fancypost and edit it to however you like! i always have trouble making fancyposts on mobile, which is kinda why all of my fancyposts are generally the same format yIKEs ))

red carpets have never really been an issue for alycia. but for some reason, tonight was different. she was actually kind of nervous. not "stumbling in her heels" nervous, but her hands were shaking and always found themselves fiddling around with her hair. thank god she decided to leave it down tonight. although, for the sake of her being in public, aly had to basically force herself to be "normal" for the limited amount of time they were outside. after this, they were headed inside where she could relax, up until the awards show started. red carpet interviews were going fairly well, although many interviewers asked the same questions, which isn't an issue, but it gets very boring to repeat the same answers every five minutes. popular questions include the weather, her outfit -and all the other girls' outfits in general-, and their feelings about being nominated for an award. no matter what, aly wanted to at least look like she was having fun.

not to get confused, alycia was having a really nice time. she was interacting with a lot of other celebrities there, as well as interacting with as many fans as she could before she'd be shooed away for another interview, or before she'd end up lost in the midst of all the events happening. as she navigated through the scene, she'd occasionally cross paths with other bands who she's said to have looked up to when she was younger. never once would she imagine herself among them in this scenario. she also came close to conversing with a co-nominee for the same award the aces was nominated for; 5 seconds of summer. they were huge currently, and alycia really doesn't see herself winning an award over them, but she still has hope. in between interviews, alycia and her girls would be stopped in the same group as the four guys, and alycia even nearly bumped into one of them until she was pulled back by one of her group members. this happened quite often for the small amount of time they had outside, but they never really had the courage to speak up or talk to the more famous, much taller guys.

to alycia's relief, they were finally ushered inside. air conditioning, privacy, room to walk around, it was pure paradise. instantly, aly felt a rush of energy, like the doors to the arena gave her a second life. having the freedom to walk around freely and do whatever within reason, aly was ecstatic. but, after a small restroom break to freshen up and look decent after being outside for a while, aly and the girls had to be seated. to their surprise, they were seated nearly at the front, where all the bigger celebrities get to sit. she wasn't complaining, though. aly is short, so the fewer people she has to look over, the better. aly sat beside valorie, farthest away from the isle. there were a few empty seats between her and the other celebrities seated in the same section, although she couldn't really see who was supposed to sit there, since nobody was there. for the social butterfly she is, aly was actually kind of glad for the few empty chairs between her and the remaining row. with a stranger sitting directly next to her, it'd be very hard to make conversation. now, she can easily converse with valorie and the rest of her group, without having that guilty feeling of unintentionally ignoring someone right beside her.

speaking of valorie, aly was especially grateful to be seated next to her. other than being the younger half of the group, aly easily could allow herself to pour out her emotions to valorie. whenever she was upset or troubled, valorie was the one she'd go to. "val," alycia started, gently tapping her friend's shoulder. "ahh, i'm so nervous! i just need this to start as soon as possible, this anticipation is eating at me." she said with a smile, gently patting her thighs with her palms. if this show wasn't going to start soon, alycia was surely about to jump out of her chair due to nervousness.

(( wow this is so bad i'm so sorry ))

to say the least, luke was stoked for tonight. it's been a while since luke has been to an award show like this, and he actually kind of missed it. the morning before the event went amazingly. the band and the managers went out for breakfast, they hung out and rested for a while, and they went to get ready. getting ready wasn't some long process, though. the longest part was deciding what colors to wear so all four of them would match subtly. the battle was between red and blue, and red ended up as the victor. personally, luke's style was very casual, but somehow pulled off a fancier title. he wore simple black jeans, paired with a dark red button-up and a black denim jacket, to not seem too casual or too dressed up. he wanted to wear a black leather jacket, but calum was wearing one first, and he didn't want to exactly match with anyone. plus, it's not like luke was dead set on wearing a leather jacket anyways. if he really wanted to, he would've said something first.

the red carpet portion of the event was actually kind of wild. it was structured, but things were happening everywhere, it was hard to figure out where to go, or where they's already been. now, luke was especially grateful he was pretty tall, he could easily see over many people, create an easy path for people to walk, and sort of acted like the navigator for the group. it wasn't easy, though. whenever they were on their way to another interview, they'd nearly be stopped, like they were at an intersection. those were the worst, since they never really could make decent conversation with anyone they were stopped by. what were they going to talk about? every other generic topic they're already being interviewed about? and, they couldn't exactly stop in the middle of the area just to have a conversation, that's indecent to everyone else trying to get around.

all the interviews flew by, it seemed like. time goes fast when you're repeating yourself ten times. although, one question that stood with them was about one of their main competitors tonight: the aces. these girls have had a killer year, and they really were ones to watch out for. luke knew they were talented, and he knew that if anything, they'd win that award, hands down. so, that's what he told the interviewer. but when they said that the girls had the same reaction towards them, he couldn't help but chuckle. one thing he's learned about the girls this year is that they're extremely nice, which isn't uncommon, but it was refreshing. plus, it was almost what you wouldn't expect. four girls in a "rock-ish" instrumental band, but they're as sweet as candy, and the pastels are a nice touch. regardless, they pull it off, and it's proven to be a good was to distinguish themselves from everyone else, which has gotten them more publicity.

once they were inside, luke finally left like he could breathe properly. he didn't hate the red carpet, but it sure got old very quickly. while the others in his group went to go freshen up as they pleased, luke decided to stay back with anyone else who didn't go, since he really didn't need to to anything at all. plus, the air conditioning in the main area felt really nice. he made little conversation with the remaining group about how the past hour just went, luckily it wasn't as bad as others were claiming it to be. compared to others, he had a pretty swell time.

a few minutes went by and they were being led to their seats. luke trailed behind a few steps, mainly because he wasn't really wanting to be at the front anymore. he had his time to shine, it someone else's turn. he was seated in the middle, in between ashton and michael. when they were settled in their seats, luke decided to have a look around. he could make out some familiar figures ahead of them and he could see some acquaintances sitting behind them. but a few seats down the row he could point out the familiar side profiles of the aces, how lovely. he wasn't upset, though. it was just coincidental. smiling to himself, he turned to ashton. "looks like they may have a pattern for the seating here. i have a feeling this is the "bands" row." he said, allowing ashton to look over and see what he was talking about. the girls seemed to be off in their own conversations, so hopefully they didn't look over and think they were talking about them. which, they technically were, but hopefully the girls didn't think they were saying anything bad.

(( same here, youtube has basically turned into my tv so i really do have a lot of love for a whole lotta youtubers! and omg i'm so happy for you! i'm glad you have the courage to do that because even though i say i want to, i never really get around to making youtube videos. i made one a long time ago but i deleted that off of the face of the earth because it was soo cringy :)

yeah, writing on mobile is really bad for me too, i always get the worst typos and i can never really figure out how much i'm really writing. it makes me think i'm writing a whole lot but in reality it's like half a paragraph soo, i like writing on my laptop 10000 times better! ))

now that valorie was feeling the same way as her, alycia felt herself at some sort of ease. she had a right to be nervous, and it wasn't unusual to be nervous. after this show, they could be celebrating a huge win or they could be celebrating someone else's huge win. alycia really hoped they'd be celebrating themselves later, not to sound selfish. "let's go!" she exclaimed happily, practically singing the last word of the phrase. the ceremony was bound to start at any moment, but people were still being brought in, plus have of the band next to them was absent. they were probably in the bathroom. typical boys, right?

when valorie pointed out the more popular band, or half of it, next to them, aly couldn't help but look. but to her surprise, the two were there, looking back at the girls. completely in shock, aly did what her instincts told her to do. "shi..- f*ck!" she exclaimed, instantly covering her mouth afterwards. what had happened was, alycia didn't exactly know how to respond. did she acknowledge them? wave and say hi? or should she quickly turn away like little school girls when their crush looks at them? well, her mind did neither. she started to curse, but once she caught herself about to finish the word, she stopped herself by cursing again, a common habit of alycia's. although, nobody really expects her to say anything like that, so it is generally pretty funny. to the girls at least.

after alycia embarrassed herself in front of luke, ashton, and the three other girls in the row, alycia's face turned bright red. the two girls on aly's other side (should we maybe give them names lmao, i just thought about that lol) were about ready to die of laughter and without blatantly looking, she could tell it made the boys chuckle, or luke, at least. "well, uh, that happened." aly squeaked out to valorie. yep, nothing like embarrassing yourself and maybe your group in front of your competitors, who happen to be really cute guys! "this is why everyone calls you the cool one," aly added to her friend, a smile of pure defeat on alycia's face. this is how she's going to be remembered by them and probably everyone else who witnessed it.

once ashton said he was nervous, luke looked at him, confused. yeah, he does have a right to be nervous, but now that he got a better look at who the girls are in person, he realized that they're really nobody to be nervous about. yeah, luke does really want to win this award, but he knows that if another group wins, they're just as deserving. he wasn't exactly nervous, but more anxious to see who wins. "i just can't believe that those are the girls who've created those crazy hits. look, without those shoes, some of them wouldn't even be able to reach the floor." he pointed out. it was honestly kind of cute, when a girl's legs weren't long enough for her feet to touch the floor. they're what, half of the boys' heights? they're absolutely tiny yet they go out and play some of the best songs luke has heard from a girl band. plus, they're a band. an all-girl band is hard to find nowadays, and these girls are like treasures.

luke was about to bring up another conversation when he thought he overheard one of the girls down the row mention their band name. instinctively, he looked over to see if he was right. at that moment, he saw the two girls on the end glancing back at them, like a very unique mirror. it honestly took him by surprise, and apparently it did to the girls too, when one of them started to freak out. the sight was very odd to see. a celebrity, who is of the same fame level - if not more - is subtly fangirling over them? luke couldn't help but laugh, especially since she did sound really funny.

"man, she sounds like a hoot, huh?" luke said softly, watching the girls carefully from behind ashton. it didn't take long for him to realize that that was aly, one of the guitarists. that pink hair is definitely undistinguishable. now that he put a name to the face, he was immediately confused. she seems so calm and cool in all the videos he's seen. now she's suddenly stumbling over words? understandable, even luke himself messes up words a lot of times, which his bandmates constantly make fun of him for. out of nowhere, luke decided to talk to the girl on the end, or valorie, as he's learned. "we normally get that kind of reaction, but it's a lot different seeing it come from a famous girl band." he said, hoping she wouldn't find him weird for suddenly starting a conversation or that she wouldn't ignore him. honestly, that'd be more embarrassing.

(( i definitely watch a little bit of everyone, it seems like! i've found myself watching a lot of gaming recently, which is odd because the only game i really play is the sims but oh well lmao

i'm the same way when it comes to my muse! there's times when i can barely manage two paragraphs, but then there's also times when i feel like i can write forever. complete opposites here lol ))

with the incident behind her, aly looked up and decided to inspect the arena. it looked like everyone was seated, the fan section was packed, and everything was getting ready to start. she could tell by the amount of lighting and sound managers were running around trying to get things ready to go on. honestly, those people deserve more recognition. poor guys and girls are busting their butts trying to get things settled and timed perfectly for the television broadcasts. oh yeah, this was on television. alycia completely forgot about that major detail, but it didn't seem to phase her much. she's been on television before, this is cake.

after scouting, aly looked back at valorie, seeing her talk to luke. already making friends? valorie can start a conversation with anyone if she really wanted to. but instead of joining in on their conversation, aly kept to herself, continuously looking forward at the large stage, waiting for the show to begin. with little waiting, alycia noticed the lights dimming, signaling the beginning of the ceremony.

(( i'm gonna run through the awards show pretty fast, since there's really not much to say except that they sat and watched.. ))

the beginning of the awards show went by pretty fast. awards were being given out left and right, performances were absolutely insane, alycia was visibly having a good time. the end of the show was approaching, which didn't really seem possible. it was like they only just sat down?? with about fifteen minutes left until the girls' performance, the girls were ushered out of their seats and led backstage. at this point, alycia started to feel slightly nervous. not only was this live, but the award they were hoping to receive was being announced right after the aces's performance. well, with a commercial break before, just so the girls have time to get back to their seats.

once backstage, alycia immediately changed out of her dress into something more comfortable: ripped black jeans, fishnet leggings underneath, a plain white semi-cropped t-shirt, and of course, some pastel pink and white sneakers to match. if anything, aly was happy to have those darn heels off. no amount of money could ever convince alycia to wear fancy, dressy heels for an entire day, let alone a performance where she's constantly moving. sure, she's worn heels in concerts berfore, but they're all on boots or other closed shoes. there is a major difference there.

(( what song should they both perform?? ))

the longer luke looked over at those girls, the more he realized how tall they actually were. they were... so tiny? luke's always seen short people around him, but nobody ever looked as tiny as those girls did. well, at least alycia and valorie. those were the shorter ones, hannah and kat were taller, or at least notably taller. it wasn't like luke was thrown off by how short they were, he honestly really did find it cute. they're like little badass dolls that probably would fit in his pocket. "well, it could be both." luke replied to ashton, referring to his statement about them being really tiny or them being huge. honestly, it wasn't bad being tall. aside from the fact that certain beds at hotels were never long enough or the fact that certain tour busses had tiny bunks, being tall was nice. and yes, the weather is nice up there.

once his conversation with valorie started, he realized how easy it was to talk to her. she was really nice, but normally all people are when they're talking to a celebrity. after she introduced herself, luke noticed her hand was out, as if she wanted a handshake. very professional. "nice to meet you, valorie. i'm luke hemmings." he introduced himself to her, although he was certain she already knew who he was. but, it was just to be polite. "i'm not sure how much time is left before this starts and we're forced to be quiet, but my group and i just wanted to with you and your band luck tonight with the award and your performance." he quickly told her, suddenly becoming anxious about the ceremony suddenly cutting off their conversation.

a little bit later after the rest of the boys returned, the awards show started. typically, he would be very rambunctious during performances, or as he liked to call it: very responsive, but now that they were seated next to other people, but more specifically, valorie and her band, luke made the decision to simmer down tonight and only make small comments to ashton or the other boys. it was all for showing respect and maturity, and so those girls won't think they're ignorant little boys. shows like this are an equivalent to movies. you never want to be sitting next to the ones who always talk loudly or are constantly moving around, it's just really irritating.

the show went by fast and before he knew it, the girls were called to go backstage. he didn't really notice them leaving, until he heard some fans from the top section freaking out because the girls were all getting up to leave. before they had a chance to leave the row, luke turned to them and gave them a final wish of good luck, regardless if any of the girls could hear or not. even though he properly only talked to one of them, they were still really nice. and this is a major awards show that's being live broadcasted. when the boys were just starting out, luke knew how anxious he was beforehand, the least he could do is help out the girls a little bit.

(( hey, i'm sorry for not replying earlier! i've been busy all day with family and sports and stuff.. it's currently 1:30am but i'm not really tired so i wanted to get a post up before i decided to go to sleep!

omg hey violet, i totally forgot about them, now i feel bad :(( but yeah, those songs are good! i was thinking maybe for the boys, they could do talk fast (or i was thinking babylon, i can't decide since they're both my favorites ;-;), followed by valentine and ending with youngblood? kinda newer songs, i guess ))

the moments leading up to the performance went by quickly, too quickly. in any moment alycia had alone, she spent her time trying to clam herself down, like she did before any show. she wasn't really being consumed by nerves, but there were still some present. usually a small moment to close her eyes and breathe was enough for her. after all the group rituals and stage preparations were done, alycia stood at the side of the stage, waiting for her cue. once it was time, she took her spot. unlike other groups, the guitarists of the aces didn't really decide to have assigned spots on stage, which was unusual, but it made them stand out, in a way. this was decided because while certain songs called for a certain member to have most of the attention, they deserved to be in the middle, rather than always being overshadowed in a corner of the stage. for these songs selected, alycia stayed on the right side of the stage the whole time, allowing hannah and kat to be wherever they wanted to be, as needed.

once the performance was over, alycia couldn't be happier, honestly. it wasn't that she had a bad time or hated performing, but she was just tired. being awake for so long, anxiously waiting for a certain moment to arrive, followed by performing your heart out to a full arena audience, it's tiring. immediately putting her guitar up and grabbing a water bottle, alycia followed her group wherever they were directed, which was back to their seats. it was quick, but at least they didn't have to wear those dresses again tonight.

along their way back to their seats, alycia was all smiles as they were constantly praised on their performance. the amount of positive feedback they've already received was incredible. especially when it came fome the boys sitting next to them. when she heard ashton praise them, alycia couldn't help but give a sweet, sincere smile. "thank you so much!" she replied happily. adrenaline was still running through her system, so she didn't really realize that the award they're up for was right after the break. that is, until the break ended and the hosts started to discuss the award. it wasn't until she heard the nominees being listed, it finally clicked in alycia's brain. nervously, alycia closed her eyes and took small breaths, dreading that awful pause hosts do before an award to build suspense. it does build suspense, but it's a painful suspense when you're hoping to hear your name. she opened her eyes as soon as she heard applause, which she immediately assumed was for the band next to them. but as soon as she noticed valorie, kat, and hannah standing, it all became real. they, won? alycia was almost in a state of shock and confusion, as if this wasn't really happening. they have a major award under their name now, which is only just the beginning. after a short battle between hannah and alycia over who would be speaking, hannah was the one chosen, mainly because the chances of understanding alycia with her accent and while nervous is very slim. to sum it up, she discussed how grateful the group is to the fans, the management, and even the other nominees. she mentioned how this was only the start for the group and that they have a long way to go before they reach where they want to be. it was a typical, safe speech layout, but it was still very meaningful and personalized with the girls' individual charms. perfect for them.

after accepting the award, the girls were allowed to sit back down, but their manager took the award to keep it in a safe place. smart decision. finally back in their seats for the final time until the end of the show, alycia shrunk into the seat, finally relaxing. "that just happened, today's crazy!" she said softly to valorie. today really was crazy. they attended their first major awards show, performed for the first time at a major awards show, and won one of the biggest awards available. it was like a dream come true for these girls, but it still felt like a dream, well, to alycia.

that entire show, luke was wondering about valorie's actions beforehand. it was nice of her to with them luck, but she gave a sort of suggestive wink. what was that implying? probably nothing, but it still left a very vivid impression on luke. as the show progressed on, luke remained quiet, enjoying the show and all it has to offer. it was a lot more impressive than what the guys have went to years before, which is good. production value has increased, and the amount of talent has definitely increased.

as soon as the girls left and after he wished them luck, luke turned to his best friends as michael had some random bit of information to tell, but once the small talk was done, it was back to paying attention to the show. the girls were up to perform soon, so luke wanted all attention on them. soon enough, their performance started. immediately, luke was impressed. song after song went by, and luke found himself enjoying himself a lot more than he had with other groups. it suddenly became evident why these girls are so popular, and they just showed the world why they deserve that award. when ashton commented on them after they were done, luke nodded in agreement. "definitely. it's good to have a girl band like that with so much talent. they're going places." he replied, suddenly sounding like a talent scout. but, he was right. the girls were huge, and girl bands don't get that much representation in media. those girls are what the public needs to move along, and they're doing an amazing job at what they do.

when they sat down, luke let ashton congratulate the girls as he nodded in agreement. ashton has always been a better talker than luke, even at the little things. if luke were to congratulate the girls, he's probably end up using a hundred unnecessary words before he got his point across. luke also noticed the girls were in normal clothing. preferably, luke liked that style much better. they looked nice in dresses, but these jeans and simple tops were what fitted them most. it just looked right.

more time went by and the time for the award announcement was upon them. staring at the stage calmly, luke waited for the results. no matter who won, he really wouldn't be upset. once he took a short breath in, he heard the familiar name of the aces being called. applauding, luke watched the girls as they went to accept their award, admiring the pure expressions they had. happiness, confusion, excitement, it seemed like a full spectrum. seeing them that happy made luke smile. they really did deserve that award, especially after the show they just put on.

almost immediately after the girls got back to their seats, the boys had to go leave for their performance. again, luke congratulated them when they sat down, a small smile on his face. that's all he could manage before getting shooed away by management, but at least he was able to tell them something before he left.

(( this is soo bad, i'm sorry! ))

(( i honestly have no clue how to continue on with over one paragraph, so i'm just going to timeskip to the next day, if that's okay! ))

at around ten in the morning, alycia finally woke up. it sounds late, but for the night they had, it was a pretty decent time. once the awards show ended, they decided to go back to their manager's house and celebrate by having a very small, yet controlled house party. because alcohol was involved, the party went to around three in the morning. alycia, being the intellectual she is, decided to not drink so she could drive all the girls to her house so they could all get a decent amount of rest. luckily they didn't have to be up early. although, they were told to be ready to leave by eleven thirty to get to their meeting destination by noon. that night, they were informed about holding a meeting over lunch, but so specifics were mentioned. for all the girls know, it's a casual meeting. but the odd part is that they're having the meeting in public, and they'd typically have meetings at someone's house or at the record label's building. alycia honestly thought it was some sort of prank, but she didn't want to seem too disbelieving, just in case it turned out to be something serious and make her look insensitive.

once aly got up and about, she instantly decided to take a shower and change, so she wouldn't be the one people were waiting on. after she finished showering, she quickly blow dried her hair and braided it to the side, just to keep it out of the way. she changed into a cute skirt and semi-matching top, a light gray cardigan, and black thigh-high boots to match. today's theme: angsty. once she finished with her makeup and everything, she went out into the living room and sat on the couch, immediately pulling out her phone to scroll through social media. she didn't decide to make breakfast or anything, since they'd most likely be eating soon.

once everyone got ready, their manager arrived to take them all to the meeting. with alycia sardined between two girls in the back and the fourth girl riding comfortably in the front, the car ride was surely a fun time. no matter where they go, they always have fun. karaoke in the car, silly games, terrible jokes, the whole deal. traveling is always fun for these girls. after a short ride through los angeles traffic, they arrived at the destination. alycia felt overjoyed once she got out of the car, since it's been a while since she was able to properly stretch her legs out. following their manager inside, they were immediately greeted by some familiar faces. actually, the four faces that were sitting next to them last night. oh, this should be fun.

after spending the night goofing around with the boys, luke was especially tired once he heard their manager knocking on his bedroom door. "luke, we have thirty minutes before we're leaving for the meeting. you need to wake up or else we'll be late." typically, luke wasn't a super late riser, but for some reason he felt it was more difficult to get up today. maybe it was the fact he was out and about all day and most of last night, or he was just the slightest bit hungover from drinking. sighing, he literally rolled to the edge of the bed, sliding his legs off and standing up straight. luke made his way to the closet and picked out something simple. a graphic t-shirt, leather jacket, black jeans, and casual (but formal-ish) black boots. after minutes of contemplation, luke opted for taking a quick shower, since his showers typically last around four minutes. once he was out of the shower, he fixed his hair, hanged into his clothes, and put on come cologne before heading out to meet the group. luckily, he was just in time.

on the ride to angela's, the boys tried doing everything they could to get their manager to tell them what the meeting was about. something was up, and the boys knew it. but, they couldn't quite figure out what was up. did someone want to collaborate with them? was something in the company changing? why did it seem like they were trying to butter-up the boys by giving them food with the meeting? the boys were trying everything they could, but their manager was a professional. no matter what, he wouldn't spill the beans. giving up, luke decided to just listen to the other boys try to figure it out. he didn't have any ideas left, so giving up was his only option. they'll figure out what the secret is anyways.

at angela's they all walked in and instantly sat down at a table, not even worrying about food. luke sat down between calum and ashton, all on one side of the table as directed. "so, there's someone else coming. they wouldn't have us all sit on one side." luke deduced, although it was quite obvious. when they were told to just wait a little longer, luke decided to look through his phone. texts, social medias, anything to pass time. but, it wasn't long until they say another group coming to their table and luke immediately sat up. the aces. "oh, hello, long time no see." he greeted to the girls as they sat down in front of them and the managers sat on the ends. when everyone was seated, luke sighed and looked at the managers. "so, what's up?" he asked.

honestly, alycia had no clue what they were in for. was something wrong? they were sitting next to each other last night, didn they accidentally do something they shouldn't have? looking at the group in front of them, alycia could tell they weren't exactly upset, they actually looked happy. alycia also noticed the managers greeting each other happily. what was happening? sitting hesitantly, alycia stayed quiet, curious about the situation. it was honestly probably nothing to be scared about, but alycia did have the tendency to overthink. maybe they were going to talk about something fun, like a collaboration or a fun video idea? aly read the tweets and posts about how the two groups interacted last night, and needless to say, everyone loved it and even asked for more interactions. was this what that was about?

when the meeting started, alycia listened intently. the managers didn't even hesitate to bring in the good news, and alycia was surprised. a tour? scratch that. a worldwide tour? alycia absolutely loves traveling, so the concept was already approved by her. "like, an arena world tour?" she asked, which was probably a dumb question. alycia figured that our right after the leaders of the meeting confirmed her suspicions, adding on that the venues were already chosen and there's many that either of the two groups have never performed at. suddenly, the whole situation became real. after the immediate release of the tour information, the two groups and the managers started discussing things like setlists and certain things to do between sets that allow groups to rest, but continue entertaining the audience. since there's two groups, it'll be a lot better for break times, but they decided it wasn't really right to leave the crowds waiting with nobody on stage. neither groups were the type to do proper skits and acts or anything, so hannah suggested the idea of just chilling out on stage, talking, asking questions, just genuinely doing something more slow-paced compared to the rest of the concert. to alycia, that idea was golden, preferably because she likes being able to connect to a crowd who paid to watch her.

after a lot of discussion, a quick meal, and a lot of side talking, a decent plan for the tour was set up, practically confirming the two groups' plans for the year. it was very different, touring with another group that was equally as famous as them, but all the talking really made alycia excited. a year with her three best friends, four most likely new friends, and playing music all around the world? sounds like a dream. "okay, we're going to go over everything we discussed and make sure it's approved and finalized, and we'll let you all know if we need to get together sometime and replan certain things and make sure that everything is practical and ideal for everyone." the aces's manager said before thanking everyone and eventually dismissing the meeting. but, not before one of the managers offered to take a picture of the two groups, since there was never really any photos of them together, which could be helpful with promotion. so, their picture was taken as they sat around the table, pretty casual. once everyone began standing up, alycia felt obligated to, so she followed. "so, what now?" she asked, not really to anyone, but most likely just the people close around her. because they had such a big schedule planned out yesterday, they didn't plan anything today, so she didn't really know what to do next.

listening to the heads of the meeting talk, luke continuously tilted and nodded his head as he listened. not to sound to unimpressed or anything, but he really wasn't surprise when the option of touring together came up. well, there's only so many options when two groups get together right before the new year, it was kind of predictable even though the boys could never get their manager to tell them they were right before. seeing how happy and accepting everyone else was, luke smiled along. "it sounds fun, plus we cando other things like collaborations and stuff, which would be pretty cool." yeah, maybe luke stated the obvious, but at least he was contributing. honestly, he wouldn't be opposed to collaborating with the aces, even though they've never really publicized a collaboration with anyone before. the girls are talented, there's a lot of options on the board.

with the rest of the discussions, luke was actually very vocal and very active with the discussions, different from when the meeting first started. one thing that surprised luke was how easy it was to work with the girls. the two groups were really similar and had very similar ideas, so it was really easy to come up with plans and the setlists. with what was discussed, the tour sounded like a lot of fun, which was obviously expected, but it was different than any other tour the boys have done. this time, it's the boys, good music, a talented girl band, and a bunch of memories needing to be made. the world is literally their oyster now, and this tour is certainly going to be a huge turning point for all of them.

when the meeting ended, luke stood up with a satisfied arm stretch. he'd be lying if he said he wasn't tired from all that talking and listening, but it wasn't anything to excessive. when he heard alycia ask what was next, he instantly turned to the other guys. "is there anything planned for today? i can't remember." he asked, hoping at least one of them was responsible enough to remember something as important as their schedule. hopefully they weren't busy today, today could end up being a fun, relaxing type of day. goofing off, chilling out, enjoying the weather, anything is possible. they reached the type of status with fans that allow them to go out in public without being ambushed, so they really can go out and do anything. heck, maybe even the girls could join them for the afternoon so they can get to know each other before tour. just so things aren't completely awkward.

(( this is really random but i was listening to lie to me with julia michaels and i somehow imagined an acoustic set with the girls singing julia's part? it's such a pretty song, and it somehow came to mind? ))

hearing the suggestion of bowling, alycia's eyes immediately widened. bowling was fun, but she wasn't one of the stronger people in the world. it's strange because she can lift her guitars with no issue, but as soon as she picked up an eight pound bowling ball, she's struggling. smiling, she looked to her friends, then to the boys. "bowling sounds fun. i'm bad at it, but it's fun!" she commented after hannah mentioned that they didn't have anything to do.

with that, everyone left the restaurant with plans of meeting up at the bowling alley. once in the car, alycia did what she usually did whenever she didn't have anything to do. post a picture on instagram with a cute lil caption, talk to supporters on twitter, and make conversation with the girls. kat brought up a question and asked the girls about what the boys were like, since it was officially their first impression. and since it was just the girls and their manager who never says anything about their conversations, anything goes. "they're all really nice, but we kind of learned that yesterday. and i guess i'll admit that they're also kind of cute? but at this point, are any of you surprised?" alycia said with a laugh. she always called people cute, even though she was never really attracted to them. but as cheesy at it is to say, alycia felt different when she was with those guys. she wasn't sure who was giving her that 'hey, you're cute but like... really cute' impression, but she had a good guess.

when they arrived at the bowling alley, they were lucky enough to arrive at the same time as the boys, so there wasn't any type of awkward waiting. their manager was also smart enough to call the business on the way and figure out a plan to avoid unnecessary ambushing or unneeded attention from the crazy types of fans for the alley and their staff. it was pretty nice of the bowling alley to be so accomodating so quickly, alycia could instantly see why it was one that ashton recommended. walking inside, alycia greeted the other group, smiling and waving slightly.

bowling wasn't luke's first idea, but it wasn't a terrible one. he personally enjoyed bowling, even though he was pretty bad sometimes. but, everyone has bad days, right? when the girls showed interest in ashton's idea, luke decided to follow the bandwagon. "sounds like fun, let's do it." he commented, smiling slightly. it'd be fun to have a fun game of bowling with the boys and the aces, they seem fun. plus, it'd be nice to get to know them. he hated being on tour with someone he never really knows. it always made the tour more fun when there's people who you've made connections with and you've made memories with.

on the way to the bowling alley, luke found himself in the very back of the car with michael, having calum and ashton towards the front, behind the driver's seat. once seated, luke completely forgot his phone in his back pocket, but he decided it had to stay there until they arrived at the alley. when they were on the road, luke spoke up. "those girls are pretty cool. they'll definitely be easy to get along with. people are really going to be happy about this." he commented, tapping his hands on his knees. he could tell the other boys liked the aces based off of their reactions, so they were mostly in agreement on their opinion on the girls.

once at the alley, luke was relieved that he was finally out of the car. because they left at the same time, the girls were only shortly behind. luckily los angeles traffic wasn't too relentless on them. it was pretty rare to not get stuck in traffic, so today was turning out to be a pretty odd day. as a greeting to the girls, luke gave them a smile, his hands casually hiding in his pockets. inside, luke waited to get his shoes and he met his friends at the lane. he quickly changed his shoes and got some bowling balls that they could use. he's played bowling with the boys so often, he knew by now what weight of bowling balls they all needed. although it wasn't really nice, he wanted the girls to get their own bowling balls. not because he was mean, but because he didn't know what they needed. luke didn't want to play with fire and get them bowling balls that were too heavy or too light, so it was better for them to pick themselves.

(( it's okay, i understand that! the semester just started for me, so that means all the school activities did too, so i'm going to be a little busy until around may. ))

when they all reached the lane and changed shoes, alycia decided to go pick out her bowling ball. as expected, she went to the lighter weights, since she surely isn't going to be able to pick up anything more than ten pounds. normally, aly is pretty strong and can lift a lot, but for some reason, the bowling balls are always too heavy for her. settling on an eight pound ball, aly put her weapon of choice with the others before joining the huddle, then sitting next to hannah once their pep talk was over. while she waited for her turn, she took out her phone, immediately seeing notifications from various apps, asking about what was happening. curious, alycia opened twitter, seeing valorie's teasing tweet. laughing, she talked to hannah about the tweet before deciding to reply to it at the same time. in a quick reply, alycia sent just a winking face, which immediately made their fans go insane with theories about what the girls could be hinting at. oh, they'll find out soon.

putting her phone away for good, alycia noticed ashton was sitting next to her. he was pretty cool, and his style was really neat. it was really formal, yet it had that casual, nearly edgy look to it. it really was a perfect telling of who he was. when she heard him compliment her hair, alycia immediately smiled, happy with the compliment. "oh, thank you! it originally happened because of a bet between my brothers and i, but i ended up liking it." she explained. her brothers got her in for a siblings youtube video and the loser had to dye their hair, and it's easy to see how that turned out. but, it actually ended up looking nice, so it was actually a win for alycia. "hmm, i could see you with red hair, maybe. or a vibrant dark color since your hair is already dark." she told ashton, looking up at his hair.

changing his shoes, luke smiled at the mention of competition. once the deal has been set, luke decided to be a little cheeky and start "trash talking", or... what his he considered it. "free dinner? easy boys." he laughed, sitting down once he noticed his name was last. he had a while to wait, so he sat back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other. watching valorie bowl, luke nearly hung in mouth open in surprise, seeing how close she was to a strike. once she finished her turn with a spare, luke sat up, looking at the group. "whose idea was going bowling?" he joked around, sitting back again when he noticed valorie coming over to sit next to him.

when she sat down, he listened to what she had to say, which was a question about him bowling. "i've tried it a few times, but i'm not the best. but you guys didn't tell any of us you were good at bowling." he answered, nearly pouting with the last sentence. watching the others go, michael and kat, he had the same reactions he had while valorie took her turn. he was surprised by kat, while he was quick to applaud and congratulate his teammate for his score, even if it wasn't as high as what the girls scored. turning to valorie, he brought up another point. "do you guys like, go bowling all the time? you guys are seriously too good to not go often. unless you try to bring that "beginners luck" stuff up to us." he smiled, letting her know his comment was lighthearted and wasn't meant to be taken too seriously.