Take My Hand

“Gabe, I never thought you’d be one to watch Gossip Girl,” I said as he plopped down on the floor since there was no more space for him on the couch.

“I’m not a predictable guy,” he said, winking at me before looking back at the screen.

We sat there devouring all the junk food Gabe bought for hours. When the credits of the last episode rolled, Gabe made me scoot over so he can sit right between Vicky and me.

“Well, I think I’m gonna go take a nap,” Vicky said going back to the bunks after I nodded and gave her a smile.

Once she was gone, Gabe turned in his seat and faced me fully. He placed a hand on my arm to get my attention. He waited patiently for me to answer him.

“Jack and I got drunk last night and we ended up having…” I trailed off moving my head side to side to see if he got the idea. He nodded and told me to continue. “Well, when we woke up this morning, Alex and Jack had this talk and Jack told me that Alex said that what we did last night was wrong and I’m all mad at him right now because he doesn’t know how to mind his own fucking business,” I said getting all heated up as I thought about how stupid he was being.

“Whoa, girl, calm down.” He said with a laugh. “Look, maybe he was just tryna-”

“Wait, please don’t tell me you’re on Alex’s side too,” I said frowning slightly and he smirked.

“It’s complicated, Brit.” He said looking up at me as my forehead creased.

“What do you mean?” I asked confused.

Gabe just kept quiet for a while wishing he didn’t say what he did but he couldn’t take it back now.

“Gabe?” I prodded with an eyebrow raised. He seemed nervous and really tense. This got me really worried. “What are you not telling me?” I asked and he was about to get up but I reached out and pulled his arm down.

“Okay, if I tell you, will you promise me that you won’t do shit about it?” he said and I looked from side to side thinking about what I might do with the information that he was going to share. “I mean you’re not going to talk about it with anyone else but me,” he said and I nodded.

“Yeah, sure,” I said lightly and I watched as all the positive energy in Gabe washed out. Oh dear, this was something bad.

“Well, the reason why Alex is trying to slow you guys down is because…” he paused as he watched me intently.

“Because what?” I asked him eagerly.

“He likes you, Brit.” Gabe said and I was about to say something but he held up one finger and urged me to listen first. “I don’t mean in a friend kinda way. I mean that he really likes you and he’s jealous about you and Jack.”

“And I should believe all this because?” I asked sitting back on the couch looking down the hallway not wanting to meet Gabe’s eyes. I crossed my arms and thought about how shallow Alex was being.

“Because Alex told me truthfully,” he said and I looked at him as I sighed heavily.

I didn’t know what to say. Why would he like me? He didn’t even know me. It wasn’t like I spent a lot of time being around him and he never showed any signs. But then again, guys hide their feelings more than girls do but I just don’t understand this at all.

“Who else knows about this?” I asked him and he bit his lip as he thought. Oh God, don’t tell me everyone else knows too.

“Just me,” he said and a wave of relief hit me. He laughed at my reaction and I hit him on the arm.

“This is so fucked up,” I mumbled into my hands as I yawned.

“Tell me about it,” he said rolling his eyes and getting up. He left me to get something from the kitchen.

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[JACK’S POV]

The whole time the bus was travelling to the next city, I just lay in my bunk and thought about last night and how it went down. Maybe Alex was right. Maybe our relationship went by too fast.

Who am I kidding? Since when did proper relationships ever occur to me as something planned? Since when did I grow the patience to not want to fuck a girl as gorgeous as Brittany? Since when did I want a girl to make the first move? And since when did Alex’s silly advice ever matter to me like this? Maybe he was right sometimes and when I tried to listen to what he had to say, there were up sides but there were also down sides.

I’ve had about enough of this waiting and now, she’s not even on the bus because she’s probably upset about what I said – I mean what Alex said. I can’t believe I even listened to him. How stupid can I get?

“Oh, Barakat!” Speak of the fucking devil.

“What do you want Gaskarth?” I asked not moving from my bunk. I just stared at the wall that divided this bunk and the next. I wasn’t really planning on getting down any time soon.

“Oh, are you having your period today?” he asked as he climbed in my bunk.

“Shut the fuck up!” I said angrily. I needed to calm down but the reason why Brittany was in Cobra’s bus right now was because she couldn’t be here with me because of Alex. It all comes down to him. Why was he trying to rip us apart?

“Whoa, what did I do now?” he asked and I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Why are you trying to rip us apart?” I asked him sitting up straighter.

“Jack, I’m not trying to break you guys apart. I’m just trying to save you from-”

“Bullshit!” I yelled throwing my arms up. “Do you think she’d hurt me? Jesus Christ! You don’t even know the fucking girl! How the fuck would you know how to protect me when you don’t even know what to protect me from?!” I exclaimed. I was too frustrated with him to keep it cool. He looked at me with narrowed eyes. Psh, like that would scare me.

“Jack, Kristy was just like that too. She was nice at the start and we all fell in love with her and thought that she was innocent and whatever but look at what she did to you,” he said as calmly as possible.

“Don’t you get it?! She’s not Kristy! Brittany is Brittany Addison fucking Taylor and no one else!” At that moment, everything seemed silent. Zack and Rian are probably listening to our conversation but I was too far out to care.

Alex sighed and gritted his teeth together. He knew I was right and he couldn’t say anything else about it. He didn’t give any more comebacks, no more comments whatsoever.

“So tell me, why the fuck are you trying to break us apart?” I asked less angrily however, suspicion filled every single word that spilled from my mouth.

“You really wanna know?” he asked bitterly.

“What do you think?” I asked sarcastically pushing each and every button he had.

“Okay, fine, I was trying to push her away from you because I sorta like her okay?” he said.

It didn’t take long for me to connect my fist to his face and make him fall out of my bunk. I got out of the small space and stepped into the hallway awaiting his strike. Zack and Rian came out to check on us and they saw Alex who now had a bleeding lip.

“What the hell is wrong with you guys?” Zack asked looking at me and then back at Alex.

“Why don’t you ask Mr. Every-Girl-I-Want-I-Get over there? I’m sure he’d love to fill you in,” I spat as Alex just stayed on the ground wiping his bottom lip.

They both looked at Alex expectantly but he didn’t say anything. I was about to start talking when suddenly Alex got up.

“Fine, maybe I deserved that,” he said wiping the blood that continued to stream from his lip totally ignoring the conversation that Zack started. He got an ice pack from the mini fridge and a towel from the drawer and put it up to his lip. “But, you still can’t ignore the fact that she might hurt you in a way.” He said and I was just about to lunge at him and strike another punch but Zack and Rian held me back.

“You can’t fucking say that Gaskarth! You don’t fucking know her and I hope you’ll never get the chance to!” I cursed at him. He looked hurt but I didn’t care.

I didn’t care because he deserved this.

When Kristy cheated on me – or at least when I found out – she told me that one of the guys she was with was Alex. I couldn’t believe it myself. I thought that when he apologized, it was sincere. Apparently, it wasn’t and he was still out there to take away the people I find myself falling for.

But this was way out of line. Even for him. I never thought that he would be someone who would turn his back on me and get with all the girls I tried to date. I never thought I’d have a friend like that. He is such a fucking dick.

I pushed away from Rian and Zack as soon as the bus stopped. I stepped out of the bus and just ran out of the venue. I couldn’t be anywhere near that fucking prick.

I guess what Hayley Williams once said in Misery Business was true.

Second chances, they don’t ever matter; people never change. Once a whore you’re nothing more, I’m sorry that’ll never change.