If It Keeps You Around Then I'm Down

"So I'm never gonna dance again! Guilty feet have got no rhythm!" Jack drunkenly sang along to the 80's song that was playing at the after party. I still had on my dress, but I lost my shoes somewhere which means Jack towered over me again. My hair had to be somewhat intact since my mother had used so much hairspray.

"Jack! Change the song!" I slurred happily, holding my beer bottle in my left and holding on to his chest with my right. I smiled and saw Alex coming down the stairs alone and yelled, "ALEX! Tell the Jack to change the song!"

"Alright, the Jack, let's do it," Alex said surprisingly sober. I laughed and stumbled where Jack caught me. He ended up playing some random rap song and I started moving my knees that could possibly pass for dancing.

"Them motherfuckers ain't got nothing on me!" Jack rapped drunkenly, I was pretty sure that those weren't the words, but I knew that he didn't care. I heard Ben Folds playing and I knew it was my phone. I struggled to make my way to the sound, until I found it under the kitchen table. I was flat on my belly when I answered.

"Hello?" I asked. I forgot to check the caller ID.

"Ava?" A familiar voice asked.

"KATIE!" I called out excitedly. I heard Jack calling out for me, but I decided to ignore it since I hadn't talked to Katie in quite some time. I was always either with Jack, Alex or doing school work.

"Ava? Have you been drinking?" She asked with her condescending mom voice. Katie didn't party, at all. She went to parties to babysit her boyfriend and make fun of them with the other designated drivers.

"I'm not drunk," I said counting the words with my fingers, "What's happen-ing" I asked dragging out my words to.

"Ava, you are drunk, I can tell, I just wanted to say that we finished your room, so everything is good for when you come down next week!" She sighed slightly annoyed.

"Yay Katie!" I cheered happily, I heard her sigh and laugh at the same time, explaining to another person that I was drunk, "I'm not drunk! I'm moderately less than sober!" I slurred and she let out a big laughter.

"Kennedy says 'hi'" She said.

"Hello," I said echoing it like a little kid pretending to be next to a canyon. I rolled on my back to start crawling out from under the table and saw Alex looking down at me, thoroughly amused.

"Who are you talking to?" Alex asked at the same time as Katie, but I could only understand him. So maybe I was a little drunk.

"Katie, meet my best friend Alex!" I said handing the phone, I heard protests and something, but Alex laughed and took the phone. I saw Jack and I stood up, catching myself to level out. I walked over to him, less-than-gracefully.

"AVA!" He said holding out his hands to me, I laughed and walked into them and we fell into the couch. I laughed into his chest, he rubbed my back soothingly.

"Hey, Jackie," I said planting a kiss on his cheek. He smiled a big toothy grin and then mouthed 'hi' to me. I let my head rest on his bony chest, rising and falling with his breaths. I saw Rian passed out with Kara on top of him and I chuckled my myself. I felt a hot flash at the bottom of my throat and I knew I was going to throw up.

"Alright, well I'll let her know," I heard Alex before I made my way to the backyard and spewed all over someone's bushes. I felt someone gather my hair as I heaved another rush of vomit. I coughed as my eyes involuntarily watered. I saw Alex who tucked my phone into his pocket.

"You know pretty girls aren't supposed to puke," He smiled, I had sobered up a little bit dude to half my alcohol content being on the ground next to me.

"Shut up and help me up!" I laughed holding out a hand which he grabbed and brought me off the ground. I grew really tired and Alex led me to the kitchen where he gave me a piece of bread.

"Get some food to soak of up the booze," he said with a certain level of caring in his voice.

"Thanks," I said holding myself on the counter, the dress spilled over my legs and felt amazing. "I love this dress, do you think I should wear it everyday?" I laughed after finishing the bread stunningly fast. I pulled up my falling dress higher on my chest and Alex grinned.

"Definitely, it says, I'm casual, but I still put effort into the way I look," He said using his hands out in front of him. I smiled and high-fived one of them instinctively. He laughed and laced his fingers through mine.

"The silence isn't so bad, till I look at my hands and feel sad, because the spaces between my fingers are right where yours fit perfectly," I sang under my breath as we let go of our hands. I got off the counter and yawned. I smiled pulling his hand and looked over my shoulder. I gave him a grin as I pulled up stairs and plopped on a bed in an empty room. I fell asleep two seconds later and I woke up someone moaning.

I opened one eye and saw Jack holding his head, Alex's arm was wrapped around me. He sczootched me over and laid down next to me. I laughed and he groaned.

"Good morning sunshine," I smiled and he moaned kissing my forehead. I didn't want to kiss him because frankly my breath reeked of morning breath and Jack and I were still in that period where we lie to each other and pretend to be perfect and not gross.

"Hangover," He said in a small voice, his eyes closed, I assumed because the sun had started to pour into the room. "So why did I find you in bed with my best friend?" He asked, there was not real suspicion, just jealousy.

"Well, you were passed out and he held my hair back while I was puking everything I'd ever eaten ever and then I guess we both ended up here," I said moving my head to the crevice between his arm and shoulder he wrapped his arm around me rubbed my back.

"That's really weird," Rian said looking in the doorway and I laughed pulling myself out of the two boy's grips. I slid off the bottom of the dress and let my dress fall down to skim over my body gracing down my body. I turned and saw Jack and Alex moan before moving over towards each other and wrapping their arms around each other. Rian and I hid our laughter and walked down stairs. I scrounged a bathroom and found a hair tie, securing it into a messy bun.

"How was your night Rian?" I asked grinning, Kara and Zack were sprawled out on the table nursing waters and advil, I assume to aid their hangovers. I had the beginnings of a headache, but nothing bad. I got some alcohol out that was left over and made three shots. They all looked at me like I was crazy when I slid them each one.

"You're body's withdrawing from alcohol, so if you put some in, you can wean yourself off of it," I shrugged, they hesitantly took a shot and then went back to downing water.

"Fucking nerd," Alex laughed coming down the stairs, I assumed Jack was alone. He hugged me to let me know he was kidding and poured me and him a cup of coffee, while the others looked on longingly.

"Thank you," I smiled, "So what did you and Jack do last night," I winked and Rian chuckled slightly.

"Cuddled," He said bringing out his large smile and I rolled my eyes. I looked up to see them all curiously staring at us. I vaguely remembered Katie calling me last night.

"Oh shit, do y'all know where my phone is?" I asked looking around, and Alex whipped it out his pocket, I chuckled slightly and grabbed it from him. "How did that happen?"

"I had a nice conversation with your friend Katie," Alex shrugged and I laughed, calling her back. It rang a couple times before I heard a guy's voice answer. "Is Katie there?"

"Oh, yeah hold on," He said walking before a panicked Katie took the phone.

"Who was that?" I asked with a sly smile on my face.

"No one," She said quickly, I rolled my eyes and laughed to myself. Katie liked to pretend that she and her boyfriend didn't do the nasty. She also liked doing it so, it was a little bit of a problem there.

"Whatever you say," I sang and she told me to shut up, "did you call me last night?" I inquired hoping that I didn't tell her anything. I had told her about Jack and she, along with my mother thought that I should've gone for Alex.

"Anyways, what time is your flight?" She asked, she was biting her nails or something because it sounded a little muffled.

"I think I land at noon?" I guessed, my mother had made the reservations while trying to convince me to stay the summer in Baltimore or go with Alex and All Time Low to their local tours. I had already made a commitment to Katie and I needed money really bad and touring with them wasn't gonna get me very much.

"Sweet, I think I might be working so Kennedy's gonna pick you up alright?" She asked and I agreed, "So I have to go-" She giggled and I knew Kennedy was there, "I'll talk to you later, love you," She said happily and then hung up before I had time to return the goodbye. I held my phone awkwardly looking for a pocket before returning it to Alex.

"I can't believe your not coming on tour with us," Kara whined slightly and I laughed and nodded sympathetically. "It would've been so much fun, I'm gonna be stuck with a bunch of smelly boys forever."

"I know I'm so bummed! Are you going to Arizona at all?" I asked biting my lip looking around at them. They were thinking and then Alex nodded.

"This fall! We're doing the southwest," He said a smile spread across his face. I nodded and jumped up excitedly. I hugged him, "You guys have to come to visit me!" I begged.

"Uh, duh!" Zack said who seemed to be slightly better. I smiled and a sudden sadness came over me and I looked around at these faces that I had only known for so long, but I loved seeing.