If It Keeps You Around Then I'm Down

It was close to one in the morning and I was driving. There was nothing but the Arizona desert ahead of me. It was another three hours to Santa Fe, so maybe we were in the New Mexican desert, I don't know geography wasn't my strong suit, but either way it was me, three snorers and two heavy breathers. I knew everyone was asleep so I decided now would be a good time to call Katie, they were all probably up anyways. I dug out my cell phone from my backpack, while struggling to keep my eyes on the road. Finally I sped dialed Katie and let it ring.

"Hello?" I heard a drunken Kennedy slur causing me to laugh.

"Hey Kennedy, is Katie there?" I asked like I was talking to a little kid, because drunk Kennedy is essentially that.

"It's Ava everybody!" I heard some people cheer in the background, and someone trying to get close to the phone saying hi, "Katie's off in the bathroom, she says I have to throw up or something, but why do I have-have to listen to what she says?"

"Yeah!" A mass of voices yelled.

"I'm just gonna tell her, I'm a man and I do what I want!" Kennedy said his voice growing louder with confidence and the phone was being passed. Somehow I was on speaker phone and I could hear the clutter of the entire room.

"Fuck yeah! Be a man!" John called out encouraging him, "Hey Ava! Miss you!" He slurred into the phone, was everyone just hanging out drunk, the road was completely empty and I could see miles ahead of me due to the flat terrain.

"Kennedy, come on!" I heard Katie call.

"NO!" Kennedy said, I heard a thud which means he fell down or something weird was going on. John was chuckling next to the phone keeping quiet to concentrate on the situation at hand.

"Kennedy!" Katie said sternly.

"Alright," I heard him as the other guys dissed him. I laughed and suddenly I was off speaker phone and it was just me and John.

"Ava, you have to come back, like, now!" I chuckled lightly, trying to hold any serious laughter from awakening the entire van.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I don't want these girls, everywhere, I want you, just you," John slurred, slightly confused as if he was trying to organize his many drunken thoughts I laughed and he called out and started again. "No, like I want you to be my girlfriend and like just you!"

"John, you're drunk," I said sighing loudly.

"You're beautiful," John chuckled, I could see him leaning up against the wall for support drawing on it with the tip of his index finger.

"You can't even see me, John, go find a very comfortable place away from other vaginas and sleep this off, and if you can remember, call me in the morning," I said bringing my voice to a low volume.

"Alright, why are we talking quiet?" John asked mimicking me.

"Because I want you to go to sleep, alright?" I said still in hushed tones.

"Oh, alright," He chirped as if it made sense to him, "Good night Ava, love you!" He sighed contently. I had no idea what he was doing or where this was coming from, but I figured John is one of those drunks that goes around saying how much they love everyone.

"Good night John, love you too," I chuckled before hanging up. I sighed scanning the desert horizon for something to change, but all I could see was what the brights would allow me to see. I looked in the rearview mirror and saw Jack up straight like a meerkat, eyes huge and scaring me nearly to death. I gasped placing my heart on my chest.

"Holy shit Jack, you scared me!" I laughed his face gave into a slight smile before returning to a serious face.

"So do you have a boyfriend now?" Jack asked looking into my eyes for the answer. I had a little victory dance in my head planned out for when I was alone or at least alone with Alex.

"Why does that matter Jack?" I asked trying to back away from him. I couldn't take another heart break from Jack Barakat at least not in one summer. I sighed and adjusted my hands on the steering wheel.

"I care about you," He shrugged slumping down in his seat. I smiled a little but kept my face straight so he couldn't see.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" I asked deferring the attention from myself, a guilty look shot through Jack's eyes and his cheeks flushed, I already knew the answer, but it still hurt to have him say the word yes. I collected myself and smiled, a tiny tear fell from my eye, maybe it was the isolation of the road being the only one conscious besides my ex-boyfriend who was the only boy to dump me, even with my father. Seriously. "Yeah, he's my boyfriend," I lied biting my lip and swiftly wiping my tear.

"Oh, well that was fast," Jack muttered to himself, now I was pissed off, what was up with these double standards him judging me. I didn't even have a boyfriend, "Night," He said, I smiled as he plugged in his iPod and I turned to Alex who was drooling and snoring next to me. I wonder how I never noticed that before.

"Alex," I whispered, trying not to wake up everyone else. He stirred slightly and swallowed his spit, but just moved and opened it again falling back to sleep. "Alex!" I said harsher, finally I sighed and slapped him hard. He shot up silently with his hands up flat like a karate master.

"What the fuck do you want Brody?" He asked looking at his flat palms then folding them in his lap. He readjusted to face me leaning his head against the seat, looking at me slightly annoyed for disturbing his slumber.

"Why didn't you tell me Jack had a girlfriend?!" I still was whisper-shouting, I had tears left over in my eyes. I was doing fine until fucking Jack Barakat came back into my life with his stupid sluttiness.

"I didn't think it was important," I gave him a skeptical look and he raised his arms over his head and sighed, "because if you knew you wouldn't have come. Besides, she's not really his girlfriend, more along the lines of a fuck buddy!" Alex attempted to excuse his lie of omission.

"I told him I was dating John," I said guilt racking up, I didn't like lying especially not to hurt someone who didn't intentionally hurt me. Alex knew this and leaned up from the seat trying to meet my eyes.

"Ava," He started rubbing my arm, checking to make sure everyone else was sleeping still. A couple more tears fell from my eyes, "Shit Ava, don't cry," He said rubbing my face as if he was trying to make them go back into their ducts. I laughed and sniffed a little.

"Now I'm glad Jack dies in the Titanic, he just fucks Rose in the car and then leaves her for some fuck buddy then judges her for having a fake boyfriend!" I said a new anger in my voice tears pooling under my eyes, now Alex was confused.

"Jack dies, he can't have a fuck buddy and judge her," He said slowly trying to comprehend. Until suddenly he gasped excitedly and his eyes grew wide, "UNLESS! Do you think they have fuck buddies in heaven?!" Alex asked in complete seriously, I laughed and my sides ached, I hadn't felt that in a while.

"I'm sure they do Alex," My laughter dying down a little. Alex looked up dreamily and smirked.

"I really hope they have fuck-buddies in heaven, that would actually make me want to be a good person. You know eternal salvation, eh, but they could totally bait people with the promise of Madden and hot babes to bang," Alex said still dreamily, I let out a snort.

"Yeah, but just for saying that, I think they're saving you a special place in hell, right next to every other football team besides the Ravens," I joked, Alex gasped and looked terribly offended.

"Not every team besides the Ravens! I'll be good Jesus! I swear!" He said looking up at the ceiling, I was crying from laughing so hard now. Alex smirked letting me know he was joking.

"Missed you best friend," I smiled and Alex nodded yawning bringing his legs around from under him to go back to sleep.

"Missed you too," He muttered sleepily before he was snoring and drooling again, I looked at him curiously since one of his legs were up against the window I chuckled to myself and concentrated back on the road. I didn't need to have Jack to have fun, I would really like to have Jack, or at the very least get some answers. That's what my newly established goal is, either get Jack or answers. Shouldn't be that hard, should it?