Mess of Fading Lines

"John go tell everyone's the food is ready," Jared said wearing an apron that said kiss the cook, I wondered how a grown man came into possession of an apron at all, but whatever. I flicked him off and finished up my beer, walking towards the sliding glass door. I dropped the bottle into the trash can next to the door before clearing my throat preparing to announce.

"Food's ready! Everyone bring yo' shit outside!" I yelled, earning a disapproving look from Garrett's mother before I gave her a big innocent smile, I quickly snuck into the house as I almost got run over by a stampede of guys headed by Eric Halvorsen. I received random pats on the back from people as I walked against the flow of traffic. I turned and saw a black-haired girl laughing as Kennedy handed her a red cup. He had gotten some cashier's number at the grocery store when we were stocking up on hotdogs and hamburger meat, and now he was chatting up so mysterious brunette, he was having a good day.

I walked into the bathroom rubbing my forehead, going crazy in my own head. I looked down at my phone seeing the Emily, my latest fuck buddy, was calling again. For the third time in the past five minutes. At first things were good between us, we both had zero expectations then recently she's been clingy as fuck. So I've been looking for a new girl. My mind drifted back to the girl I had met earlier to day. She was different, I mean, I've been slapped before, but usually it was post-relations, whatever they may had been. I liked how she didn't make it easy.

I pressed ignore and turned on the sink, splashing water on my face. I had been outside with Jared cooking all the food for Garrett's random ass party. I knew something was up because he wasn't the kind of guy to randomly throw a party. I sighed after grabbing the hand towel and patting my face dry, feeling the soft texture of the towel gently rub my skin. I groaned when I felt my phone vibrating again and saw Emily's name on the screen, yet again.

"Hello?" I groaned, after pressing the accept button. I heard an angry huff followed by a large inhalation of air and I was starting to get freaked out. I stared at the striped wallpaper that was included in the house when Garrett and Trey moved in. "Emily?" I asked picking the wallpaper hoping to keep our inevitable fight as short as possible.

"Why didn't you pick up the phone when I called earlier?!" She yelled, it was obvious she had been crying and I sucked in a breath, knowing this wasn't going to be a short fight, but I didn't know exactly what I was fighting for. Emily was completely replaceable to me.

"I was busy," I shrugged shortly, I knew that was the wrong thing to say, but frankly I didn't care. I felt my stomach grumble deep within me and impatiently tapped my foot waiting for Emily to respond.

"You were busy," She repeated with an emotional numbness, like she needed to repeat it to comprehend it. I wondered where she was, the sounds of cars whooshing past her noisily. "Fuck you John O'Callaghan, I just thought you should know that even though you have no human emotion or the capability to love someone I hope you can stop being a small child and get over your idiotic fear of commitment," She spat angrily taking a breath after she was finished, like a runner who had just finished the last leg of a race in full throttle.

"Whatever babe, it was fun," I said cooly, not letting her words that cut as harsh as the shrill voice they were yelled in and I smiled as she let out a frustrated grunt and hung up on me. You are a child, I conceded with her mentally looking in the mirror seeing my hazel green eyes pop on my sunburnt face, but at least you're young and having fun. I cheered myself, the very little amount that I actually needed cheering until my stomach growled reminding me how hungry I was and I walked through the house quickly and saw Kennedy sitting on the poor girl he was talking to earlier and chuckled to myself. How on Earth was he getting any?

My phone vibrated and I looked down seeing I had a text message from Candice, a girl I had met at a party a couple of days ago and hooked up with. I smirked , seeing a rather raunchy message accompanied with a winky face on my screen. I responded accordingly before walking out of the screen door staring at my phone making sure it sent.

"What the fuck! I fucking cook y'all a feast of burgers and corn and y'all start without me?!" I yell, a smile on my face so everyone knew I was joking. I saw everyone looking at me with guilt in their eyes, their mouths full of food. I let out a laugh as I saw the black-haired girl Kennedy was talking to earlier with her face in a napkin awkwardly but made my way over to the table where the majority of my bandmates were, Garrett and his girlfriend Lucy looking like they had been waiting for me.

"Johnoh where the fuck did you go? Me and Lucy were waiting for you," Garrett asked giving me a handshake, where you clutch on to the person's hand and do weird shit, I don't know how to explain it I just did it. I smirked at the fact I had just been thinking that in my head.

"You know I had to take a leak," I shrugged bringing my attention to the short blonde girl, loyally at Garrett's side and she grinned at me excitedly. I noted the silver ring on her left ring finger, a simple silver band and quickly moved on from my mind seeing the back of black-haired girl's head. Her bare back facing me and Kennedy looking at her like she was Tom Cruise jumping up and down the couch. I was curious why I hadn't seen this girl's face yet, but then brought my attention back to Lucy. "Hey Lucy, it's good to see you," I smiled, she stood up and gave me a weak, platonic hug.

"Yeah you too! Warped Tour was good to y'all!" She said looking intently at my tan before something clicked in her mind and her eyes grew wide and she smiled, scaring me a little bit, "Oh! So, I'm sure Garrett's told you about my sexy friend who you should totally meet," Lucy said, leaning down towards the black-haired girl grabbing her wrist. Garrett had told me about a friend Lucy wanted me to be introduced to, but it was more of him telling me not to use her and fuck things up. Please, like I deliberately try to ruin relationships. I raised my eyebrows surprised at how this was all working out, I observed her, looking at her smooth tan skin over a thin, but not too thin, frame, curves that could kill and a pink blouse that revealed a lace something (I don't know girl's clothes), from what I could see she was attractive, but she seemed to be fighting turning around.

"This is Holden, Holden this is the guy who I've been talking your ear off about, John," Lucy said finally winning and getting Holden to turn around. I smirked remembering her from earlier, her bright blue eyes weren't hidden behind sunglasses and I saw a mix of an emotion I wasn't sure of and spite. I could spot spite from a mile away.

"Well, well, well. Sammy Sosa," I smirked hoping she would get the joke, feeling a little nervous. She took a sip of her drink rolling her eyes at me, I tried to keep my eyes on her waiting for them to meet mine again.

"Well, it's... good to see you again and that doesn't make any sense, I hit you with my hand, not a baseball bat," She spat sarcastically, moving instinctively towards Lucy who seemed completely flabbergasted and lost. I ignored the second blow to my ego she had done today and kept strong.

"I was going to say the same thing," I said, before giving her my patented crooked smile that seemed to work wonders with the ladies. I saw her shoulders tense up and a light blush go to her cheeks and I knew it was already working until she gritted her teeth and flipped her hair.

"SO, Kennedy, where are you from?" She asked turning back to him, ignoring my presence, I looked at her confused at what had just happened until Jared walked over with two plates and handed me one.

"Hey, we never, like, formally met, I'm Jared," He smiled holding his now free hand out to Holden for her to shake it, she let out a big smile, showing off her perfectly white teeth and I was surprised at how... nice she was.

"Holden, do you wanna sit down?" She asked standing up and pulling over a chair next to Kennedy and sitting down in it herself. Jared jutted out his bottom lip and smiled, sitting where she had formerly been sitting. Kennedy looked disappointed, but didn't say anything as I grabbed a free chair between Garrett and Pat, holding my burger and having a clear view of Holden and her chest. I smirked again until Garrett inhaled sharply and stood up making us all curious, and even more so when Lucy stood up too.

"We wanted to thank everyone for coming. Thanks to John and Jared for making this kick-ass food for a celebration they weren't aware of, but Lucy and I actually wanted to announce that..." He said clearing his throat and looking at her anxiously twisting her ring, I caught a glimpse of something shiny and my jaw dropped.

"We're engaged!" She said jumping up and down giddily before everyone started clapping and whooping, their jaws on the floor as well, when I just saw Holden smiling and clapping with nothing but happiness in her eyes I knew she had already known. She caught me staring at her and looked at me like I was crazy, a look of which I ignored. She was definitely intriguing, two times in one day, that coincidences don't just happen like that. It was like the universe was giving me a whole new game to play.