Take a Sad Song and Make It Better

Jade's POV

Dancing around my room, I couldn't find anything wrong with the world. It was one of those choice moments when everyone knew that I was happy and all was right in my perspective. It was the time where I was most vulnerable with my emotions and they were easier to determine behind my rock solid wall my body had constructed to hide behind over the past few years. Why was I so happy? My week had gone better than I had ever imagined.

I'm sure not all new kids are faced with such good luck as my sister and I were, but in the space of 5 days, we had made at least six or more friends. To me, that had to be an accomplishment. Being the new kids on the block, I didn't think anyone would want to talk to me because they wouldn't know how to interact. It would have been difficult, had I not met Rian that first day in the hall. He was definitely the sweetest guy I had ever met, and his smile was contagious. Kara, his girlfriend, was also such a great friend to Bailey and I, and like I had said, we clicked instantly. Melanie and I were a pair, similar in so many ways the world would have to prepare themselves for us. Kaylie and Jack; I hadn't really spent that much time with the former of the pair, but Jack and I were definitely tight. He always knew how to make me laugh, and everything he did seemed to be crazy and stupid, but hilarious. Bailey didn't seem to like him all that much.

And then there was Alex.

Though the others didn't know it too well, Alex and I had become the best of friends in merely an hour. My first impression wasn't all that great of him, but after we had crossed that bridge, I knew that he was a keeper. Which is unfortunate in thinking that soon I would be leaving; well, as soon as Bailey recovered that is. We skipped our last period class, the class we had met skipping together in, and made it into a game. Whoever could reach the field first received a dollar from the loser. I had one three out of the four days. But in that space of time, I had learned more about Alex and he had done the same with me, except for a few details I didn't wish to share.

So back to the present. As I was dancing around my room in sweatpants and an old, ratty t-shirt, ear buds plugged into my ears, I noticed the screen of my phone light up, indicating a text message or a telephone call. It was the former of the two.

Hey. you wanna come over and hang out w/ me kara and kaylie?

I laughed, beginning to type a reply.

Sure. now? and im bringing jazz too.

That's fine and yes now.

Okay see ya soon

I quickly shut my phone and ripped through my closet for appropriate wear to be seen in over at Melanie's. After settling on a hoodie, pair of jeans, t-shirt and converse, I pulled my hair back into its original ponytail and trotted over to Bailey's room.

“Hey. You busy?” I asked, leaning against the archway of her bedroom. Bailey turned her head from her seat on the bed.

“No. Why?” I shrugged, walking over to her and picking up one of books she was flipping through.

“Melanie just invited us over to hang at her house with Kara and Kaylie. You want in?” She nodded a couple times before standing up and grabbing a pair of shoes, before walking out the door, myself following shortly after.

Go back to the place we knew before
retrace our steps to the basement door,
I'll ask you if the rain still makes you smile.

All girls in the room continued to sing the lyrics softly as conversation began to ensue.

“So, you guys still wanna see an All Time Low show with us some time?” Melanie asked, turning to Bailey and I. I nodded my head furiously while Bailey merely shrugged.

“Fuck yeah! Most definitely. They are so good.” All the girls nodded, whilst Kara giggled.

“And there drummer is pretty hot, too.” She said, placing her hand over her mouth to try and stop the giggles from exploding from her lips. I furrowed my eyebrows and looked her over. But before I could question her further, the bedroom door opened and in walked Matt.

“Hey, people are downstairs for you guys. And you might wanna turn that off before they hear it. You know how they get when they here that music.” We all nodded and bounded for the door, rushing downstairs in a mob before stopping at the bottom floor.

“Hello, ladies.” Alex said, his ever famous smirk gracing his lips I must have squealed with excitement, because by the time I had pushed my way out of the crowd, the group was staring at me. “Jay!” Alex said with just as much excitement and pushed past Jack, almost knocking the boy over, before wrapping me in a huge hug.

“You two are a little ridiculous.” Melanie said as she and Kaylie gave Jack a quick hug, while Kara and Rian exchanged a sweet kiss. My sister, however, merely stood awkwardly in the back, not really knowing what to do.

“Bailey!” Jack squealed starting his way toward her, but not before I saw the look of sheer terror on my sister's face. I adverted my attention from Jack and my sister' s exchange, instead focused more on the boy now with his arms wrapped around my waist.

“So, how hangs it, Jay Bird?” I laughed softly and disentangled myself from Alex's grip, a pout now forming on his face.

“Pretty good, Gaskank.” He laughed at the nicknames we had given each other a few days previous, and wrapped me in yet another hug. But this one was interrupted by soft footsteps moving rather hurriedly across the wooden paneling of the floor. I pulled out of Alex's arms to see Bailey making her way to the front door, tugging on her converse sneakers. She met my gaze after tugging on her other shoe and I saw the sad expression in her eyes. I had seen it before, but this time, I had no idea what had caused this change in emotion so suddenly.

“I've gotta go.” She said, as if answering my unspoken question. I nodded softly and watched as she opened the front door.

“Jazz, where are you going?” I asked softly, walking towards her as she stood in the archway, her hand on the doorknob.

“Running.” and with that, the door shut as softly as she had uttered the words, and I stood there in the hallway, knowing exactly what was going on. Whenever Bailey was upset or angry or any other emotion you could muster up, she went running. It was the only way she could think or process things to the point where she would calm down again.

“Is she, you know, going to be alright?” Sighing, I turned back to the group, their worrying eyes now fixated upon me. I merely shrugged, beginning to walk back towards Alex. “Should we go after her?” Although the whole group, I'm sure, was worried about Bailey, it had been Kaylie to speak up about their concern and who looked the most afraid of my sister's antics. What she didn't know was that this was a semi-familiar happening with Bailey. To ease her worries however, I shook my head and let Alex drape his arm around my shoulder before following the rest of the group into the living room.

“So...” Melanie began, trying to break the awkward tension that the room now held. “Movie?” There were choruses of agreement and Melanie silently climbed off the couch to go and pick a movie from her many shelves.

“Jay,” I turned my head and looked over at Jack, a sullen expression on his face, “I'm sorry about Bailey. I didn't mean to make her upset.” I nodded and smiled softly at Jack. He really seemed genuinely upset over causing my sister to freak out like that. I had never seen her do that to another human being that she had known in such a small time frame before. It was completely out of character for her.

“It's fine, Jack. No worries.” He gave a short nod and turned back to the television, probably reveling in his thoughts. Melanie had finally put a movie into the DVD player and ran back to her spot on the couch next to Jack, and the movie began to play.

About halfway through Finding Nemo, however, I began getting restless. Conversation had floated throughout the whole film, sometimes the occasional throwing of popcorn when Rian and Kara would steal a couple kisses, but my mind hadn't really been focusing on the clown fish in search of his special finned son. Sometimes it flitted between where my sister was, how she was doing, or Jack's whines when Melanie would refuse to go and get him a soda, or the arm casually draped around my shoulders, like it had been for the past hour.

Through all of this, I found myself humming the tune to music we had been previously listening to about an hour before, and when silence engulfed the group, all that could be heard was my soft humming. All eyes were on me in a matter of seconds. I blushed at their probing eyes and turned away, looking at anything in an attempt to get away from their eyes.

“Sorry. I know I have a terrible voice and all-”

“What song was that?” Alex asked, his tone of voice making me turn to face him. It was filled with interest, shock, and amusement. I know, I can pick up on other people's emotions like it was nothing, but showing my own was the hardest thing in the world.

“That Girl's a Straight Up Hustler. You know it?” The group chuckled softly, Alex nodding his head with a huge grin on his face.

“You could say that.” I scrunched up my face in confusion and Alex chuckled softly. “You've heard All Time Low?” I nodded, a smile growing on my face.

“Yeah. Mel introduced me to their music on Monday. I'm hooked.” The boys in the group laughed and Melanie smiled over at me, winking ever so slightly in my direction. “She said she would bring me and Bailey to a show sometime.” Alex, looked over at me again, a huge smile on his face.

“I could get you backstage.” My eyebrows shot up on my head and a huge grin formed on my face.

“Do you know them?” I asked. He nodded again.

“They're a pretty hot bunch of men if you ask me.” Jack said, stretching casually so he could place his arm around Melanie shoulder, who, in return, gave him a sharp look and jab in the stomach, causing his arm to retract rather fast.

“I think they're all ugly.” Jack frowned at this and stuck his tongue out at her.

“Kara thinks the drummer is cute though.” Rian smiled over at his girlfriend and gave her a quick kiss while the rest of the group laughed. I was officially confused.

“Well, Kara would think the drummer's cute. She dated him.” My eyebrows shot up at Alex's words. I could never imagine Kara dating anyone other than Rian. “Or still is dating him.” I stand corrected.

“Wait. Are you telling me, that Rian is the drummer for All Time Low?” I asked cautiously, judging the faces of the people around me. Alex gave out a soft chuckle.

“Jay, we are All Time Low.” My body froze and my eyes widened.

I felt like an idiot.