You're No Good At Lying

Two weeks had passed into tour, and it seemed as though Spencer’s entire outlook on the world had shifted. She no longer handed back change for shirts with a fake smile plastered to her face, but a real one gracing her lips. Her arguments with Morgan were few and infrequent, and whenever they did get into a fight, Spencer took it upon her to apologize as soon as possible. To say the least, he was beyond stunned. Wanting to get to the bottom of his sister’s change, he asked Zack what exactly he had said to Spencer. Zack just shrugged and said that all he had told her was that she would feel happier whenever she fixed her mistakes (even if, and this part he had left out when talking to Morgan, she didn’t realize she had made one). And so Morgan just stood there aghast, wondering how nineteen years of living with her and he had never gotten a word in edgewise, yet Zack had managed to change her into an agreeable person in a mere two weeks.

“How was your show?” Asked Spencer as she folded up a couple of shirts meticulously.

“It was good,” Zack replied, adjusting the watch on his wrist. “The biggest turn out on tour so far.” Spencer smiled, continuing to fold shirts while humming softly. “Have you met Jillian yet?” Zack asked abruptly, and Spencer looked up.

“Alex’s girlfriend?”

“Yeah,” Zack replied, nodding.

Spencer shrugged, taping a box shut. “I’ve seen her around.”

“She wants to meet you,” Zack continued, pulling around a white plastic chair and taking a seat. Spencer blinked a couple of times, wondering why she wanted to meet her. She supposed the only reason was because they were both dating (or whatever Spencer was doing with Zack) boys from All Time Low – but then again, Kara hadn’t made much of an attempt to get to know Spencer.

Still, a small part of Spencer yearned for the excitement of meeting a person for the first time, the concept of having a new person to figure out making her shake from happiness. Spencer had spent all of her time trying to figure Zack out in the past two weeks she had known him, that everyone else on tour took second place. “I’d like to meet her, too,” Spencer responded flatly.

Zack’s brow creased in confusion. “Oh, okay. You can come tonight, then. And Spencer,” his tone changed so dramatically, it almost took the life out of her eyes when she heard him. “Don’t pull any stunts tonight.”

Where had she heard that before?

------------

“Spencer, this is Jillian. Jillian, this is Spencer,” Zack introduced politely, and a content smile found its way to Spencer’s lips. Her mind was in overdrive for what seemed like the first time in weeks – and she relished the feeling. This whole ‘taking life easy’ crap that Zack had her on was overrated. This was the feeling she missed. This was the feeling she lived for.

“It’s nice to meet you, Jillian,” Spencer replied calmly, shaking her hand before sitting down next to Zack across from Jillian, who was seated on Alex’s lap. Kara and Rian were sitting on the chairs, and Jack was out with another band.

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” replied Jillian, and even though she wasn’t sitting on Zack’s lap, Spencer felt Zack’s hand squeeze hers tightly.

“So how long have you two been going out?” asked Spencer, leaning forward slightly in anticipation.

“About two months now,” Jillian said, and Spencer just smiled.

“How nice.”

The conversation continued on its own from there, with Spencer choosing to remain silent the entire time. Her whole being was completely focused on Jillian, watching her every move and interaction with the people around her. For a while, Spencer wondered if there was anything there to find; her talking seemed effortless, her jokes cracked perfectly. But then again, everybody lies.

“I think I’ve got to go…” Murmured Jillian as she flipped open her phone, and then moved it away slightly so Alex couldn’t see the screen.

“Do you have to?” Whined Alex, and she laughed before shushing him by putting her mouth on his. Spencer’s brow crinkled in disgust as things became heated – and suddenly she was jealous of Kara and Rian who had opted to go outside half an hour ago.

“See what I mean?” Zack whispered lowly in her ear, and Spencer nodded.

“Alright,” Jillian said, pulling away and looking down at her phone again, “now I’ve really got to go.” Alex chuckled and wiped the lip-gloss of his mouth. The group exchanged goodbyes and Jillian left the bus, leaving Alex slumped back on the sofa.

“Isn’t she fantastic?” Alex asked Spencer, who nodded slowly.

“A real character,” she replied.

“Well,” Alex responded, before standing up and stretching his arms above his head, “I’m going to bed. Don’t get too frisky out here,” he finished with a wink, making Zack shake his head and Spencer bite her lip. When Alex had left for the back of the bus, Spencer felt Zack snake his arms around her middle and pull her on his lap.

“Why were you so quiet?” He whispered, toying with the hem of her shirt. Spencer shrugged.

“I didn’t have anything to say,” she responded expressionlessly, placing her hands over his softly.

Zack sighed and pulled her a little closer to his chest, Spencer letting her head roll over so it was nestled right in between his neck and shoulder. “Since when have you never had anything to say?”

“I don’t want you to be angry with me,” Spencer whispered so softly, Zack had to strain his neck slightly just to hear her. He opened his mouth to respond, but just before he could get a sound out Jack stormed in, smelling strongly of alcohol and sweat. Spencer mentally sighed at the distraction, before standing up off of Zack’s lap. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said quietly to him after kissing his lips gently. Zack didn’t even have a chance at responding before Spencer had exited the bus, leaving him with a brow furrowed in confusion and a sweet taste lingering on his lips.