If It Keeps You Around Then I'm Down

"No! No! No!" Jack called out and trying to fall over Zack who was kicking his ass at a video game. Aden and Abbott went out with their girlfriends to some concert in Baltimore and it was all of us piled on one couch, elbows compacted. Rian had come over and had been filled in on everything he missed yesterday.

"Oh, you just got you ass handed to you!" Alex called out laughing. I had no idea where our parents were but hopefully they would be hope in time for dinner since we made Jack buy us pizza with his allowance money. I laughed and rested my feet on the coffee table.

"Dude, no he didn't," Rian said which all surprised us, we turned our attention to him while grinning his big toothy grin, "Jack doesn't even have an ass to be handed in the first place." I rolled my eyes and Jack jumped up and turned around looking for it.

"Guys, I'm sure Jack has an ass," I said cocking my head and staring at his butt, "somewhere...?" I drifted off and Alex laughed slapping my knee. He got up and handed us all cokes and Jack sniffed pretending to be hurt. He flicked us all off and the evening began dying down. First, Rian left taking Zack with him and Jack asked if he could bum a ride from Alex.

We drove laughing randomly at Alex and Jack bickering like a married couple. Jack laughed, popping around like a puppy with ADD. Jack invited us in, but Alex said that he was going on a date. I came out and I rolled my eyes. Jack ran back out with his keys flailing his arms like a spaz and I laughed as Alex drove off yelling,

"Use a condom!" I looked around to see if any of the neighbors saw, but luckily there was nothing but bare streets and blackness. I climbed into Jack's car and was slightly shocked when Something Corporate came blasting out ridiculously loud, Jack flushed with embarrassment and rushed to turn it down.

"So," Jack dragged out awkwardly driving somewhere I didn't recognize, but then again I'd been here for two weeks, I only recognized houses and school. That one place where there seemed to be a party every weekend. I looked over at him, I felt an unfamiliar feeling swelling in my gut. Jack looked at me in the corner of his eyes, "If you had to chose between making out with a one-legged pirate or a female weight lifter, which would you chose?"

"Just make out?" I laughed at the complete randomness, Jack nodded excitedly looking at me while we were stopped at a red light, I bit my lip pensively. "Female weight lifter."

"Me too!" Jack said excitedly before accelerating back into the road before he thought about it for a while, "Wait- why?"

"Pirate probably has scurvy," I shrugged and his jaw dropped as he burst into laughter. We spent the rest of the drive switching between telling some ridiculous choosing propositions and what-if situations. We let the laughter die down as we parked around an empty park.

"Okay, what if I was half squid and half human, I had a human body, but tenticles for arms and legs," I asked biting my lip slightly. Jack smiled cockily.

"I'd still like you," he said leaning forward. I mirrored his actions and moved my legs to cross it, kindergarden style, leaning in.

"What if I was fat," I asked.

"You'd have giant tits so I'd still like you," Jack smiled coming closer.

"What if I had one eye in the center of my forehead and a tail?" I asked laughing slightly and Jack chuckled a breath out before leaning even closer, his lips speaking on mine.

"I'd still like you," He said kissing me. He deepened it and pushed me back, making me
hit the window and I laughed. He looked at me worriedly, "are you okay?" he moved his hand to the back of my head and I nodded, pulling him closer to me. We started making out, and we moved to the back seat, one thing leading to another.

"That definitely wasn't friendly," Jack said grinning brightly as I placed my shirt back on over my head. I smacked him laughing, biting my lip slightly.

"I guess not," I said stepping out and feeling the fresh night air, I grabbed my shoes and put them on my feet. Jack tried to get out, but fell out. I laughed biting my lip trying to stifle it.

"No one saw nothing," He said jumping up and adjusting his shirt he was in the middle of putting on. He met me and we looked up at the sky, it looked like it was going to start raining, the sky darkening.

"You're smooth," I smiled and he faked a laugh and kissed me gently. He wrapped his arm around me as tiny droplets began falling from the sky, I laughed after pulling apart from him.

"Like peanut butter," Jack smiled walking me to the passenger door and opening it for me. I sat down and picked my nails the entire way home, feeling a guilt filling my gut.

"Jack, I need you to know, that I don't usually do this," I said as he pulled up to my house, he smirked cockily. I saw Alex's car was here, I suppose his date didn't go well, or went really well.

"I know, that's why I want you to be my girlfriend," Jack said looking up at me through his bangs. I opened the door after unbuckling my seatbelt and getting out. I was really glad and slightly relieved, I mean he could be lying to me. I stopped realizing what he had said ducking back between the open car door,

"Wait what?" I said trying to get a recheck.

"I want you to be my girlfriend," he blushed slightly and I sat back down in the car, closing the door, looking curiously and tried to process everything.

"What?" I said coyly.

"Ava Brody, be my girlfriend?" he asked brushing my cheek slightly and making my spine melt, I let my emotions show, by letting a smile grow up on my face.

"Of course," I smiled kissing him, and he pulled my face off him slightly and rested his forehead on mine.

"Wait what?" He made fun of me, I slapped him lightly before kissing him harder so that he fell backwards on his seat. I saw my porch light go on and I finished climbing over Jack and kissed him on the cheek.

"I have to go," I said kissing him between each word. Jack shook his head and mouthed 'don't'. I saw the door opening and kissed him one more time before running up to my house. My father was asking me who was in the car and I simply smiled and kissed his cheek before running up the stairs.

I saw Alex's light on, with him on his bed playing the guitar. Jack's car was no longer in the street and I decided to try what Alex had earlier. I opened my window and made the large step towards the middle of the tree. I realized that the trunk was much thicker, that continued up over his roof. I got close to the window and knocked on it with a fist. Alex jerked out of his guitar and smiled at me.

"What the fuck are you doing?" He asked opening his window, I flicked him off and held out my arm for him to help me into his house. I stuck my tongue out and sat on his bed.

"What are you up to?" I asked nodding towards the guitar, Alex smirked cockily. He noted my demeanor, but must have decided to ask me later.

"Writing a song," he said putting the guitar over his shoulder, he put on a crooked smile and looked in my eyes. I couldn't help but smile widely. "What'd you get laid of something."

"Let's hear it," I said after clearing my throat. He stopped and looked at me.

"Whoa, you did! Didn't you?" Alex asked with surprise laced in his voice. We could read each other like an open book so there was no point in trying to hide it. I bit my lip and nodded.

"Jack asked me to be his girlfriend!" I expelled excitedly. Alex looked incredibly happy and jumped up and down like a girl squealing. I gave him a strange look and his face grew flat.

"Shut the fuck up, I've been hanging out with you too much," He said looking down at his guitar or his feet, but with an embarrassed smile spread across his face. I laughed still confused as to why that had anything to do with anything.

"So you got a vagina?" I asked and he flicked me off. He turned on his amp and threatened me with withholding the song from me and I apologized, bouncing up and down on his bed, "I'm sorry, play it please?" I asked.

"Fine," he sighed and flipped his bangs I laughed as he turned up this distortion and started playing a melody.

"Time to lay claim to the evidence
Fingerprints sold me out
But our footprints washed away
From the docks downtown
It's been getting late for days
And I think myself deserving of a little time off
We can kick it here for hours
And just mouth off about the world
And how we know it's going straight to hell

Pass me another bottle, honey
The Jager's so sweet
But if it keeps you around, then I'm down

Meet me on Thames Street
I'll take you out
Though I'm hardly worth your time
In the cold, you look so fierce
But I'm warm enough
Because the tension's like a fire
We'll hit South Broadway in a matter of minutes
And like a bad movie, I'll drop a line
Fall in the grave I've been digging myself
But there's room for two
Six feet under the stars

I should have known better than to call you out
(On a night like this, a night like this)
If not for you, I know I'd tear this place to the ground
(But I'm all right like this, all right like this)
I'm gonna roll the dice
Before you sober up and get gone
(I'm always in over my head)

Thames Street
I'll take you out
Though I'm hardly worth your time
In the cold, you look so fierce
But I'm warm enough
Because the tension's like a fire
We'll hit South Broadway in a matter of minutes
And like a bad movie, I'll drop a line
Fall in the grave I've been digging myself
But there's room for two
Six feet under the stars

Time to lay claim to the evidence
Fingerprints sold me out
But our footprints washed away
I'm guilty, but I'm safe for one more day
Overdressed and underage
(What a let down)
Do you really need see an ID?
This is embarrassing as hell
(What a let down)
But I can cover for it so well
When we're six feet under the stars

Thames Street
I'll take you out
Though I'm hardly worth your time
In the cold you look so fierce
But I'm warm enough
Because the tension's like a fire
We'll hit South Broadway in a matter of minutes
And like a bad movie, I'll drop a line
Fall in the grave I've been digging myself
But there's room for two
Six feet under the stars
Six feet under the stars
Six feet under the stars"

I laughed, realizing what he was talking about and I tucked my hair down my ear. After he finished I cheered obnoxiously and clapped my hands wildly.

"I really like it!" I laughed and I bit my lip.

"So, that song was about you," he hesitated and I nodded.

"I know," he gave me a flat look and I stuck out my tongue playfully, "I'm not a narcissist, just really intuitive." I smiled. I nodded and hugged him tightly, his guitar still between us and I laughed. "You're my best friend Alex, I would totally lay in a grave with you!"

"You suck!" He said smacking me, "you just make it sound creepy." He blushed and rubbed my back tightly. I knew that we would be fine, together, best friends, even though everyone thought that we were more. We would be there for each other, through it all.