Status: Completed
Fracture
twelve.
"You should come with," Natalie told me while putting earrings in.
She was dressed in a pencil skirt with a flowy lilac shirt tucked in. As usual, she looked effortlessly beautiful. John had asked her on a 'proper date' (as he'd put it), and they were heading to some fancy restaurant in town. The label reps weren't leaving until bus call, so one of them had offered John his car. Lucky boy.
"Nat, that's like the 15th time you've offered," I rolled my eyes, "So for the fifteenth time, I'm going to tell you no thanks."
"I just feel bad leaving you behind," She shrugged, sitting beside me on the couch and sliding her foot into black pumps.
"I would rather be left behind than be your third-wheel," I smiled at her, "And besides, I won't be alone! Pat wants to watch movies."
"Pat always wants to watch movies," She laughed, "But I'm glad he'll be keeping you company."
John walked out from the back lounge, looking adorable in a white button up shirt and suspenders. Natalie walked over to help him button up the cuffs of his shirt, and I couldn't help but notice the way he looked down at her.
"Last chance to come, Em," John pointed at me.
"Thanks, Johnny," I smiled, but shook my head, "You two go have fun."
"We'll be back in a few hours," Natalie walked over and kissed me on the top of my head, making me laugh at how motherly she seemed in that moment.
John grabbed her hand, grinning. I watched the two of them leave the bus and waited for Pat to bound up the steps. He'd ran off somewhere with Garrett, and hadn't texted me back when I'd asked what movie he wanted to watch.
I went back to my bunk and slipped on cropped yoga pants and my senior shirt from high school. It looked like I'd be flying solo tonight. Once back in the lounge, I began flipping through the boys' Netflix, not really sure what I was searching for. My attention turned to the stairs when I heard the door open. I smiled when Jack jogged up them.
He looked up and grinned when he saw me, "Hey!"
"Hey yourself," I smiled back, ignoring the television.
"What're you up to?" He asked as he sat a few feet from me on the couch.
"Just trying to figure out what movie to watch. Pat kind of ditched out on our plans."
"While it sounds like a pure blast to just sit here and wallow in the sadness Pat has caused you, I have better ideas," Jack looked at me with an even bigger smile.
"What would that be?" I looked at him quizzically.
"You'll find out! But first you need to go change into something warmer," He practically pushed me to my bunk.
I changed into jeans and pulled on a light blue henley, then shoved my feet quickly into socks and Vans. Jack was waiting impatiently on the couch when I came back out. He had on his black skinny jeans and a band hoodie, and he jumped to his feet when he saw me.
"Let's go!" He grabbed my hand and what felt like electricity surged up my whole arm as he pulled me off the bus and into a light jog.
"Where in the world are we going?" I laughed as he finally slowed into a brisk walk.
"Do you know what tonight is?" He glanced over, not slowing.
"Uhhh... No?" I tried to rack my brain for anyone mentioning something special happening.
"Seriously?" He raised an eyebrow as we approached a crowd.
I looked into the sky as there was an explosion, and it suddenly hit me, "It's the 4th of July!"
Jack laughed, "Have you been under a rock or something?"
He let go of my hand and reached into his pocket, pulling out a string of firecrackers and a lighter.
"Want to do the honors?" He held the two out to me with a smile.
I laughed and took them from his hands, laying the string onto the ground and quickly lighting it. We both watched as the individual firecrackers exploded until there was nothing left but remnants.
"I think Alex is around here somewhere with some better ones," Jack looked around before taking hold of my hand again and making his way through others setting off their own little wonders.
"Jack!" The lead singer called when he recognized the boy next to me. He and a few other boys were standing next to used shells and he pulled another from the backpack sitting on the ground.
"Here," Alex handed Jack a mortar tube and a shell. I stood and watched as Jack ran off and lit the firework in an open area.
"When's the big show supposed to start?" He asked as he joined us again.
Alex looked at the time on his cell phone, "They said 10 and it's only about 3 minutes til then."
"Let's go find somewhere to sit," Jack told me and started to walk away from the crowd.
I was surprised when I found myself annoyed that he hadn't grabbed my hand, but I followed him anyway. He asked for my approval before stopping and lowering himself onto a grassy, open section.
"So where's Natalie?" He turned to me once we settled onto the cool ground.
I pulled my knees to myself and stared up at the starry sky, knowing it would soon be the host of flashy explosions.
"Her and John went into the city for their first date," I smiled, wondering how it was going.
"I didn't know John was so romantic," Jack laughed, leaning back onto his hands.
"Me either," I admitted, "But I think he sees something different in Nat."
"She seems pretty cool," Jack nodded his head, pulling up some grass and tossing it away.
I pulled my eyes from the stars and looked over at him, "She's amazing."
I knew by Jack's tone that he didn't think anything more than platonic about Natalie, which for some reason, washed me with relief.
"I think her best friend's pretty great, too," He looked at me and smiled.
My stomach flipped, and the way he looked into my eyes reminded me of the first day we'd met. I jumped as I heard a loud crack and turned my attention back to the sky. The show had started. Jack stood up and offered me his hand to help me do the same.
I could barely focus on the bright lights, as I boldly laced my fingers with Jack's. This was where I wanted to be, with the boy who seemed so confusing and so exciting and made me feel like I never had before. With Jack, I always felt electric, but in the best way possible.
I looked up at Jack's dark features to see a soft smile painted across his lips, and he returned my gaze. As the fireworks continued their dance across the night sky, Jack turned to me and put his hands on my waist, pulling me closer until there was no room left between us.
"Thanks for bringing me out here," I told him, glancing quickly at the sky so he wouldn't notice the flush that began to occupy my cheeks.
"I wouldn't want to be with anyone else," He smiled, not taking his eyes from my face.
In that moment it occurred to me: it didn't matter how cheesy Jack could to be, because nothing else was more real than him and he reminded me how alive I was. I felt more than okay with the realization that his arms made me melt, and his eyes seemed to hold the answers to every question I'd ever wondered.
"What're you thinking about?" He asked.
My smile turned into a grin, "Just how awesome this summer is going."
He grinned before closing the only gap between our bodies and placing his soft lips on mine. I smiled into the kiss as the fireworks kept going off.
She was dressed in a pencil skirt with a flowy lilac shirt tucked in. As usual, she looked effortlessly beautiful. John had asked her on a 'proper date' (as he'd put it), and they were heading to some fancy restaurant in town. The label reps weren't leaving until bus call, so one of them had offered John his car. Lucky boy.
"Nat, that's like the 15th time you've offered," I rolled my eyes, "So for the fifteenth time, I'm going to tell you no thanks."
"I just feel bad leaving you behind," She shrugged, sitting beside me on the couch and sliding her foot into black pumps.
"I would rather be left behind than be your third-wheel," I smiled at her, "And besides, I won't be alone! Pat wants to watch movies."
"Pat always wants to watch movies," She laughed, "But I'm glad he'll be keeping you company."
John walked out from the back lounge, looking adorable in a white button up shirt and suspenders. Natalie walked over to help him button up the cuffs of his shirt, and I couldn't help but notice the way he looked down at her.
"Last chance to come, Em," John pointed at me.
"Thanks, Johnny," I smiled, but shook my head, "You two go have fun."
"We'll be back in a few hours," Natalie walked over and kissed me on the top of my head, making me laugh at how motherly she seemed in that moment.
John grabbed her hand, grinning. I watched the two of them leave the bus and waited for Pat to bound up the steps. He'd ran off somewhere with Garrett, and hadn't texted me back when I'd asked what movie he wanted to watch.
I went back to my bunk and slipped on cropped yoga pants and my senior shirt from high school. It looked like I'd be flying solo tonight. Once back in the lounge, I began flipping through the boys' Netflix, not really sure what I was searching for. My attention turned to the stairs when I heard the door open. I smiled when Jack jogged up them.
He looked up and grinned when he saw me, "Hey!"
"Hey yourself," I smiled back, ignoring the television.
"What're you up to?" He asked as he sat a few feet from me on the couch.
"Just trying to figure out what movie to watch. Pat kind of ditched out on our plans."
"While it sounds like a pure blast to just sit here and wallow in the sadness Pat has caused you, I have better ideas," Jack looked at me with an even bigger smile.
"What would that be?" I looked at him quizzically.
"You'll find out! But first you need to go change into something warmer," He practically pushed me to my bunk.
I changed into jeans and pulled on a light blue henley, then shoved my feet quickly into socks and Vans. Jack was waiting impatiently on the couch when I came back out. He had on his black skinny jeans and a band hoodie, and he jumped to his feet when he saw me.
"Let's go!" He grabbed my hand and what felt like electricity surged up my whole arm as he pulled me off the bus and into a light jog.
"Where in the world are we going?" I laughed as he finally slowed into a brisk walk.
"Do you know what tonight is?" He glanced over, not slowing.
"Uhhh... No?" I tried to rack my brain for anyone mentioning something special happening.
"Seriously?" He raised an eyebrow as we approached a crowd.
I looked into the sky as there was an explosion, and it suddenly hit me, "It's the 4th of July!"
Jack laughed, "Have you been under a rock or something?"
He let go of my hand and reached into his pocket, pulling out a string of firecrackers and a lighter.
"Want to do the honors?" He held the two out to me with a smile.
I laughed and took them from his hands, laying the string onto the ground and quickly lighting it. We both watched as the individual firecrackers exploded until there was nothing left but remnants.
"I think Alex is around here somewhere with some better ones," Jack looked around before taking hold of my hand again and making his way through others setting off their own little wonders.
"Jack!" The lead singer called when he recognized the boy next to me. He and a few other boys were standing next to used shells and he pulled another from the backpack sitting on the ground.
"Here," Alex handed Jack a mortar tube and a shell. I stood and watched as Jack ran off and lit the firework in an open area.
"When's the big show supposed to start?" He asked as he joined us again.
Alex looked at the time on his cell phone, "They said 10 and it's only about 3 minutes til then."
"Let's go find somewhere to sit," Jack told me and started to walk away from the crowd.
I was surprised when I found myself annoyed that he hadn't grabbed my hand, but I followed him anyway. He asked for my approval before stopping and lowering himself onto a grassy, open section.
"So where's Natalie?" He turned to me once we settled onto the cool ground.
I pulled my knees to myself and stared up at the starry sky, knowing it would soon be the host of flashy explosions.
"Her and John went into the city for their first date," I smiled, wondering how it was going.
"I didn't know John was so romantic," Jack laughed, leaning back onto his hands.
"Me either," I admitted, "But I think he sees something different in Nat."
"She seems pretty cool," Jack nodded his head, pulling up some grass and tossing it away.
I pulled my eyes from the stars and looked over at him, "She's amazing."
I knew by Jack's tone that he didn't think anything more than platonic about Natalie, which for some reason, washed me with relief.
"I think her best friend's pretty great, too," He looked at me and smiled.
My stomach flipped, and the way he looked into my eyes reminded me of the first day we'd met. I jumped as I heard a loud crack and turned my attention back to the sky. The show had started. Jack stood up and offered me his hand to help me do the same.
I could barely focus on the bright lights, as I boldly laced my fingers with Jack's. This was where I wanted to be, with the boy who seemed so confusing and so exciting and made me feel like I never had before. With Jack, I always felt electric, but in the best way possible.
I looked up at Jack's dark features to see a soft smile painted across his lips, and he returned my gaze. As the fireworks continued their dance across the night sky, Jack turned to me and put his hands on my waist, pulling me closer until there was no room left between us.
"Thanks for bringing me out here," I told him, glancing quickly at the sky so he wouldn't notice the flush that began to occupy my cheeks.
"I wouldn't want to be with anyone else," He smiled, not taking his eyes from my face.
In that moment it occurred to me: it didn't matter how cheesy Jack could to be, because nothing else was more real than him and he reminded me how alive I was. I felt more than okay with the realization that his arms made me melt, and his eyes seemed to hold the answers to every question I'd ever wondered.
"What're you thinking about?" He asked.
My smile turned into a grin, "Just how awesome this summer is going."
He grinned before closing the only gap between our bodies and placing his soft lips on mine. I smiled into the kiss as the fireworks kept going off.
♠ ♠ ♠
I didn't feel like I was done writing for the night, so here's another update!AGAIN: I really, really appreciate comments on the story! I would love input from readers! You're the ones I write for!