Summer Is When Everything Could Happen

“Jack.”, I sighed and cupped his face in my hands. “I like you, so much, but not in a romantic way.”

His smile fell and he got off of me, sitting down on the ground. I sat up straight and tilted my head to the side so I could see Jack’s face. He pulled his legs to his chest and looked over to the arena. “Jack?”

“Why can’t you just give me a chance?”, he asked without taking his gaze off from the view. “Why?”

I sat next to him and leaned my head on his shoulder. “It’s because I don’t want our friendship to be replace by a romantic relationship that would last only months or years, and I love you like my brother, I couldn’t lose you just because we date and we break up.”

We stayed quiet for a few minutes and then, Jack wrapped his arm around my shoulder before kissing the top of my head. “You’re right. I don’t want to lose you either, Ally cakes.”

“Thank you Jacky.”, I wrapped my arm around his waist. “I already have too much drama, and it’s only three weeks since Warped started!”

He chuckled and rested his head on the top of mine. “Stephen?”

“Not only him. his brother too.”

“John?”

I nodded. “Yeah, he admitted that he likes me too.”

“Ally, Ally, Ally.”, Jack clucked his tongue. “You’re too hot and pretty, you’ve become a guy magnet!”
“Shut up!”, I giggled and slapped Jack’s stomach, followed by his laughter. “I don’t know, I love Stephen, but he cheated on me. John could give me a whole different type of love.”

“Well, as your unbiological brother, all I could say is, you have to pick the one that could make you happy all the time, that could be there for you through the ups and downs and of course, won’t be jealous of your male friends.”

I looked up to Jack and cocked my eyebrows. “Am I seriously getting advices from Jack Barakat?”

“Oh, it’s on now!”, he tickled my waist, which was my tickle spot. I fell back to the ground as he tickled me, not giving me any mercy.

“Jack! Stop!”, I breathed betweens my hysterical laughter. After he let me go, we packed up the basket before walking down from the hill. Jack gave me a piggy back ride on our way back.

When we were already back to the arena, it was already dusk and I went back to the van. I changed because my clothes were covered in dirt and grass. When I was done, I saw John walking towards me with smile plastered on his face.

“Hey.”, he smiled and took my hand. “Some bands are going to a bowling alley. Pat and Lance said they’re going, so does Dana. Do you wanna go?”

“Sure. I don’t want to be all alone in the van.”

His smile grew wider and he led me to the arena’s gate. We hailed a cab since the others were already left. When a cab stopped in front of us and we got in, he told the cabbie the address. Our fingers were intertwined with each other. We couldn’t do much on the backseat, he just played my hair and kissing my cheek, down to my neck.

After a fifteen minutes drive, we stopped in front of a bowling alley. He gave the cabbie the money before we exited. When we were about to enter the alley, he wrapped his arm around my waist, declaring to the world that I was with him for tonight.

The bands who were in the middle of their bowling games took a second to look at us. Some people were whispering, some of them crooked a forcing smile, and a little of them smiled sincerely. I saw Stephen, sitting on the bench at the Mayday Parade’s lane.

John led me to my band’s and VersaEmerge’s lane. Sierra and Dana smiled at us before they ‘borrowed’ me for a moment. They kidnapped me to the bathroom, locking the door so no one could interrupt us.

“Wow.”, Sierra breathed as she leaned on the sink counter. “That was a zoinking move. Bringing little Gomez?”

“It’s not my plan, nor a plan to make Stephen jealous.”, I crossed my arms across my chest. “He asked me to go.”

“And you accepted?”, Dana asked while she sat on the counter.

I nodded. “I kind of have to.”

“Well, we could tell that he likes you, since the first time.”, Sierra shrugged her shoulder. “Anyways, you really need to straight them up.”

“Did Jack already confess to you about…his feelings?”, Dana asked carefully, maybe thinking that I hadn’t know about Jack’s feelings for me.

“Actually, yeah.”, I nodded again. “He told me today.”

“And what did you say!?”, Sierra and Dana exclaimed in unison.

My eyes widened on their action. “Before I answer, did you guys already know about Jack before today?”

They exchanged some glances before Sierra sighed and leaned her head back a bit. “We already know since the first time you guys become best friends.”

“That long?!”, I was surprised. I didn’t know that Sierra and Dana already knew about it that long. I didn’t even know about it till’ today.

Dana nodded. “Yeah, I mean, I’m dating his band mate, so I know all their inner gossips, but still, he told me not to tell you about it.”

“Why, though?”

“Because Jack doesn’t want you guys to be weird and awkward just because you know how he feels about you. Not in a friendly way.”, Sierra continued.

I buried my face in my palms. “I feel really bad to him. all this time…all the guys that were trying to get close to me, and then Jack just stand there next to me, holding back the jealousy…”

“Well, now, you have the Stephen-John drama.”, Dana rolled her eyes and jumped off the counter.
“I have to make this right, at least.”

“But, do you like John in not a friendly way? I mean, in more than that way?”, Sierra asked with her eyebrow cocked.

My eyes flew down to my shoes and I sighed. “I don’t know. He’s really sweet and nice and amazing, but I just don’t know. I’m still in love with Stephen.”

Dana walked over to the door and unlocked it before swung it open. “Then go ahead.”