Don't Make This Easy, I Want You to Mean It.

I stepped out of my car, wary that I was going to be jumped on and mauled at any given second.
"Please do remember how much you love the both of us," I said weakly. I had no idea if my comment was going to work or not, but I had to hope that it would. Otherwise I'd be sprinting to my car and driving away screaming. The looks on their faces clearly said that they had been panicking beyond anything I could comprehend. I felt Alex's arm wrap around my waist and I instantly smiled, leaning my head toward him.
"I told you they'd be cuter once they got together!" Marissa burst out. All eyes fell upon her and she blushed. "Just saying." We laughed. Within the space of ten seconds we had managed to clear the tension. It's what I loved about her; nothing could be awkward with her around.
"I'm sorry guys, I just needed to talk to Holly about the past week," Alex explained.
"Why do you keep calling her Holly?" Jack asked. I had known that had been coming since he read the text Alex had sent me.
“It’s a secret,” he smiled back. Marissa gave me a knowing look, and I just shrugged at her.
“Alex? Keeping secrets from me?! What’s happened to the world?” Jack shouted, pouting.
“Blame her. It’s her secret, not mine,” Alex replied, pointing to me.
“Now Jasey’s keeping secrets?!”
“She seems to do that a lot,” Alex commented, looking down at me.
“I’ve only just started getting caught out,” I shrugged.
“Just because she kept a secret from you for a week doesn’t mean she can keep them from us lot!”
“Marissa knows.”
“Now you’re keeping secrets from me?!” He turned to Marissa now, who was currently glaring at me for my last comment.
“Thanks, Jase.”
“No problem,” I smiled sweetly.
“Stop trying to distract me!” Jack screamed suddenly. I rolled my eyes and spoke again.
“Holly Jasey Rae. It’s my name, Jack.”
“How have you kept this from me for so long?!”
“I registered as Jasey Rae, without the Holly. Only Marissa knows,” I shrugged. “Now can we get inside? It’s freezing out here!”
“Well, we were supposed to have band practise an hour ago, but out vocalist disappeared off the face of the Earth.”
“I was distracted. And this-“ he slapped Jack around the back of the head, “-is for not telling me about Jasey!”
“Ow! She made me promise!”
“You could have broken it.”
“To Jasey? Never,” Jack grinned, obviously proud of himself.
“Please, give it another day or so and you would have cracked,” I told him.
“So? I can keep a secret longer than you can!”
“I don’t see why it matters when it’s my secret to tell.”
“Too true.”
“Can we just go to the basement and practise?” Zack whined. The guys all nodded and followed him inside, each with their arm around someone. Everyone but Zack. I felt sorry for him; he needed a girlfriend.
“Find me someone to set Zack up with?” I whispered to Alex with a slight giggle.
“We’ll try starting tomorrow,” he replied. “Shit, Jack, have you picked up my guitar?”
“It’s still in the back of your car,” he called out behind him.
“Keys?” Jack threw them at him and Alex turned to me. “I’ll be right back. Promise.” I nodded and his arm fell. I didn’t even glance back; I knew he meant it, so I just followed the guys, quickening my pace to catch up with Zack, who had now fallen behind Rian and Kara.
“Zack, I decided something,” I smiled up at him. I felt so short around these boys.
“What?” He wasn’t particularly interested in what I had to say. He didn’t look happy. In fact, he looked down right miserable.
“First; what’s up with you?”
“Nothing.”
“I may not know you very well, but I know when someone’s upset.” He sighed.
“It’s just this girl I like. She has a boyfriend,” he shrugged.
“That brings me to my original point! We’re finding you a girlfriend!” I grinned. “You need one, you look so left out.”
“Thanks, but no thanks.”
“Please Zack! I don’t like seeing my friends unhappy.”
“I’ve known you a week and you’re already trying to play matchmaker for me?”
“I’ve done this to Marissa so many times.”
“Fine, I’ll allow it.”
“Thank you!” I squealed, hugging him. “I hope you realise I would have done it regardless.” I laughed, pulling away from him.
“That’s why I figured I might as well give you permission,” he chuckled. I sat quickly on the sofa facing the drum kit, joined by Kara and Marissa not long after. The three boys were all tuning their instruments and/or setting up to distract from the fact that Alex was taking far too long getting his guitar. We had been sat down in the basement ten minutes already and he still wasn’t here. Everyone else was making conversation to pass the time, but I was beginning to worry what was taking him so long.
It felt like forever later when he finally entered the basement. He looked frustrated to say the least. I watched him as he tuned his guitar, and I wasn’t the only one. He didn’t even glance at me when he walked over to where everything was set up. Everyone could tell that there was something up with Alex. And it annoyed me to no end that I didn’t know what.