Not So Jasey Rae.

Monday, April 20th, 2009

The girls woke up all piled in Amelia’s bed, Nicole having crashed there last night. Nicole looked at her watch. “Shit! I have a job interview today! I’m gonna be late!” She hugged all three of the girls and grabbed her bags, rushing out to catch the cab she had called, as she refused to let anyone of the girls take her. And then she was gone.

At around ten, Amelia and Skylar got up, having to go pick up the boys from the airport, and Taylor couldn’t go, they didn’t have enough room. But they told her that when they got back, they knew Jack would most likely want to do something, so they forced her up as well, and all of them got dressed, before Amelia and Skylar left, and Taylor began breakfast for her and her father.

The hour and a half drive to the airport was spent shouting to random songs on the radio, laughing at old memories, and planning pranks to pull on the guys, though they were aware that none would fall through. When they finally got to the airport, they drove up to where the guys would meet them. There sat four very bored looking boys. Jack was rocking back and forth on his suitcase, with a pack of sour skittles in his hand. Rian was pacing, talking on the phone. Zack was messing with his iPod, sitting next to Jack. And Alex was writing something in a notebook. The car slowly pulled up, and Jack was the first one to notice as Skylar and Amelia exited the car, and ran to ‘hug’ the girls, almost tackling them to the car. He let go and dragged them to where the other guys were standing. Rian came up to give a hug while Zack put his headphones up. Alex and Amelia were already locked in a heated lip-lock.

When Rian let go with a smile, Zack came up, pulling Skylar into another hug. The moment was ruined of course by Jack, who yelled “Group hug!” and almost jumped on them. They all laughed, before letting go.

Alex walked over, “Hey, shorty.” He ruffled Skylar’s hair, Sky swatting him away. Then, she smirked.

“I call shotgun!” She ran to the passenger seat, getting in and buckling her seatbelt, locking the door behind her. In Alex’s moment of confusion, Jack, Rian, and Zack ran to the beck seats, quickly getting in themselves.

Alex pouted, looking at Amelia, who giggled, and just responded with, “Sorry, babe, looks like you’re sitting in someone’s lap.” She ran to the driver’s side, copying Skylar. Alex continued pouting as he went to sit in Jack’s lap.

Let the fun begin.

|~|~|~|

Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is a store; Wal-Mart is a place where you buy things. Wal-Mart is not a place to cause chaos. But, Jack Barakat simply didn’t care about this little fact. First, he jumped in the cart, and made Rian push him throughout the dairy section, followed by making Taylor, whom they had picked up earlier, Zack, and Skylar do the Macarena in front of the tomatoes. He then did a reenactment of ‘MOM?!’ with Alex, and dared Amelia and Nicole, whom they had also picked up a few hours before, to hit on the manager, who was a woman. On Alex’s agreement, Amelia did so. It took a little begging and pouting faces by Jack though, to fully convince Nicole, before she just gave up and did as he asked.

Finally, the poor woman had had enough, and sent them on their way, and all but Alex and Jack agreed, who started a rant, and began reciting lyrics from Three Days Grace’s song, ‘Riot!’.

This didn’t help their case. At all.

Once Alex saw the security guard, he was out the door. Jack, however, had other plans in mind. He stood tall, hands on his hips, legs spread with about a foot of space in between them. Classical ‘superhero stance’. The larger, buffer man came up to Jack, putting his arms around his back, and guarding him out the door, releasing him, and walking back inside. “That was jack, yo.” Jack spoke, turning his cap a little more to the left. He strutted towards the rented van with a well known ‘swag’.

He looked like a major idiot doing so, succeeding in making the girls giggle, and the guys to laugh at them.

Of course, there was a reason why they had come, other than just to destroy the place, but it was Zack’s birthday the next day. Everyone had gotten him presents at separate times, with the exception of Taylor and Nicole, whom had been invited to Zack’s beach party earlier that day.

By the time they got back to the hotel that the boys would be staying at, it was five, and Zack had something in mind. He walked over to Skylar, who held a Monster and was talking to Nicole in the kitchen. Nicole looked at him before excusing herself.

“So, I do believe I promised you a date.”

Sky smiled. “I do believe so.”

“Well, why don’t you go talk to Amelia, she knows where we’re going and what you should wear.”

He pushed her lightly in the blonde’s direction, smirking. “I swear, Merrick, if you go overboard…” She trailed off.

“Empty threat. I’ll see you in about an hour. I know how long it takes you girls to get ready.”

“It doesn’t take that long. But, I’ll go.” She began walking, only to turn back around. “Oh, and that wasn’t an empty threat.”

|~|~|~|

Zack pulled up to a mini parking lot, leading to three different trails. Skylar was confused. “I love hiking, but what am I in a dress and heels for?”

Zack just got out and moved to the other side of the car, and once again, before he could even touch her door handle, she was out of the car. He laughed, “Sorry, forgot you didn’t like that.”

“Not surprised. So where are you taking me? And how am I gonna walk through shrubs with these heels?”

“The trail is specifically made for things like this, it’s smoothened out. You’ll see when we get there.” Zack softly took her hand, walking towards the trail.

He was right, it was smoother than hiking trails. Soon, she heard a faint sound of soft, melodic music running through the path. There were little lights up ahead, from what Skylar could see through the trees, anyway.

A few silent, but not awkward, minutes later, they came up to a lovely, nice sized clearing in the trees. In the center was a small, wooden gazebo, with lights hanging from its rooftop to the branches of the closest trees. A soft John Mayer song was playing in the background.

“See? Told you.” Zack spoke.

“What-what is this place?” She just noticed the all tables, and the other couples.

He scratched the back of his neck nervously. “I, truthfully, had to look up places for a date in this area, but I found this. It’s like an outdoor couple’s retreat restaurant. I, thought it’d be cool. I mean, it just opened and stuff and I hoped-” Zack’s nervous babbling was cut off by Skylar.

“Shut up,” She laughed. “I love it. It’s amazing.” He smiled, happy that he wasn’t being a total failure tonight. He took her hand again, and led her to the podium, where the waiter was standing.

“Two?”

“Yes, reservations for Merrick.”

“Right this way.” He guided the pair to the only empty table, near the center, but that was fine.

“Thanks,” Zack moved to pull out her chair for her, but she was quick to sit down. He laughed again, “Guess you don’t like that either?”

She blushed, “Sorry,”

“Eh, nothing to be sorry for.” He sat in his seat across the small, circular table. She looked at the menu.

“Whoa, Zack, do you know how much this is?”

“Yeah, I’m aware. What do you want to eat?”

“It’s too expensive! How hard was it to get a reservation here, anyway?”

“A little hard, because it’s new, and it opened like, a week ago. But, all’s well. Just relax, choose what you want, and enjoy our date.” He smiled at her, and she mimicked him, and took his hand over the table. His smile grew at that.

“Thank you,” She spoke, looking into his eyes. “For all this, everything. You’re amazing. Truly.”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad I did it, because I’m already enjoying myself.”

“That’s good to know.”

“Yeah,” They looked at each other, not speaking, when the waiter came up and asked them for their drink order.

|~|~|~|

By the time Zack pulled up to Amelia and Skylar’s house, the pair had talked about everything, gotten to know each other so well. Music, movies, books, photography, food, her job, his career, touring, the crew, everything. He felt as if what he was about to do was right.

She got out and walked up to the door, him following behind quietly. “So,” He spoke when they reached the door. “I know I haven’t known you for that long and everything, but I really like you, and you say you like me too. And we’ve been on practically three dates, because I hung with you most at the carnival But I don’t want to push this into you or anything, so if you don’t want to you don’t have to. But I’d really like you to-” Sky’s giggling cut him off. “What?”

“You’re cute when you ramble.” They both blushed.

“Thanks. But, anyways, I was wondering if,” Queue deep breath. “You would like to be my girlfriend?”

She teased him, “Are you asking me if I want to be, or if I will be?”

He looked confused for a second, “If you will be, defiantly. Well, unless you don’t-”

“Yes, I will be your girlfriend.” They both smiled, and subconsciously leaned in, their faces loosing distance. He tucked some hair in behind her ear, and just as their lips brushed, the front door flung open.

“He- Whoa! Sorry, man!” There, standing in all his ‘wonderful’ glory, was Alexander William Gaskarth. Skylar glared at him, he had done that on purpose, his acting skills weren’t that good.

Zack sighed, being too nice, “No problem. You leaving?”

“Uh, yeah. Can I have a ride, Amelia drove me here.”

“Yeah, sure.” He turned to Sky, giving her a quick hug, obviously feeling embarrassed. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” and he walked to the car. Sky turned to face Alex with a glare. “You did that on purpose.”

“Maybe,” He smirked. “Maybe not.” His eyes flickered to Zack’s direction before quickly leaning in, and pecking Skylar’s jaw.

“See you tomorrow!” He waved as he bounded down the steps, and to the car, getting in.

Leaving a dazed and confused Skylar standing there.

But there’s room for two, six feet under the stars…