Go Around

Jack was in Alex’s room with him, sitting on his bed with his back up against the wall. Alex was in his bathroom and was straightening his hair to get ready for the ‘small gathering’ that was being thrown at his house in a few hours.
Jack had been at Kennedy’s house a few hours prior and had been bombarded with hugs and sobs coming from Kennedy the minute he even stepped through the door. Kennedy had completely abandoned Audrey so that Jack would be the one to comfort her. There was just something different about being comforted by a girl and being comforted and held by a boy, even if you had no actual feelings for that boy. It was almost like if you were being hugged and comforted by a girl then they were saying ‘yes, I know that guys suck’, but when it was a guy it was like they were admitting that they suck and that they knew it.
Jack had done his best friendly duties and had held her while she cried on his shoulder and got snot stains on his shirt while they were watching the Power puff Girls, but she had eventually grown tired of sobbing and had fallen asleep on Audrey’s lap on her couch.
Jack was pretty much ready to strangle Alex the minute he saw him. Even though Jack knew what Alex said, he would have done anything to spare Kennedy from having to hear it.
“So how are you and Kennedy?” Jack asked. He didn’t want to give any indication to Alex that he had been to see Kennedy that afternoon because he wanted Alex to find out the hard way how much he had hurt Kennedy.
“We’re good. Her snobby friend has been at her house so I haven’t been able to go over there, but we still talk on the phone and I’m really missing her,” Alex told him, unplugging his flat iron.
“Do you not like Audrey?” Jack asked, fiddling with Alex’s clock that was sitting on his night stand.
“She’s… interesting,” was all Alex said and Jack just nodded.
“What was with what you were saying about Kennedy last night?” Jack finally asked, trying to still play it cool and sweeping his black and blonde hair out of his face.
Alex let out a sigh. “I don’t know. Half of me meant it and half of me didn’t. The half of me that did mean it only said it because I think that Audrey’s a bad influence on Kennedy and it definitely shows in what she wears and how she acts, but the other part of me only said it for Lisa’s benefit. I know that she feels a little leery about the whole Kennedy situation and I’m just trying to show her that I’m on her side as much as humanly possible,” Alex explained, but for Jack it still wasn’t an excuse.
Jack started to say something but then his phone started ringing and Jack didn’t recognize the number so he picked it up. “Hello?” he asked, unsure of what voice would come from the other line.
“Jack?” Audrey’s voice asked.
“Yes?” he asked.
“Alex is having a party tonight, right?” Audrey asked and, even though Jack hadn’t known Audrey for very long, Jack would hear the lividness in Audrey’s tone and she was out for blood.
“Yeah, why?” he asked, trying to keep it to as many short responses as possible so that Alex wouldn’t feel the need to listen in.
“I want to go, but it’ll just be me,” Audrey said.
“Why?” Jack asked.
“Because Kennedy doesn’t want to go. She wants to stay home and wallow, but I intend to do something about it,” Audrey explained to him. “So?” she asked after there was a short pause in their conversation.
“So what?” Jack asked, confused.
“So will you pick me up?” she asked as though it were obvious that that’s what she had been getting to.
“Oh,” Jack said in understanding, “sure, I’ll come get you now.”
“Sweet, I’ll be in front,” Audrey said and just as Jack was about to say something he heard the line go dead. Apparently people from New York had no manners when getting off the phone.
“Hey, Alex?” Jack asked, getting off Alex’s bed.
“Yeah?”
“I have to go pick someone up who wants to come to your party, I’ll be right back,” Jack said.
“Is Kenne coming?” Alex asked, stepping out of his bathroom.
“I don’t think so,” Jack said slowly and then, without another word, Jack turned and walked out of Alex’s house.