Jasey Rae

"But, Mom! She's barely a guest here! She lives here now! She should clean, too!"

I laughed lightly, hearing as Jack complained to his parents about the mess. Earlier in the morning, Jack's parents had discovered the mess and were absolutely furious. They knew one of Jack's and my friends had done it as a prank. So, naturally, they're forcing Jack to clean everything up. 

"No, Jack! Let her sleep! It's probably one of your friends that did this! I want this cleaned up before I get home! And don't you dare wake that poor girl up there!" Mrs. Barakat scolded before leaving the house with her husband.

I stifled a laugh and turned on my side, pulling the covers over my head. Sucker. He's going to come in here any second. He probably knows it was me.

"What the fuck, Jasey?"

I smiled to myself and thanked God I had the covers over my head to cover me.

"Don't act like you're sleeping! I know you're up! Come help me clean." Jack groaned. "I know it was you. It has to be."

I yawned, turning so I was on my back. Maybe I can trick him out of it. "Why would I prank the house I was living in, Jack? That doesn't make sense."

He sighed angrily, jumping on my bed. "Because..." He groaned out of frustration, falling next to me. "I hate you."

I smirked. Success. "Love you, too."

"Please help me. I'll...give you something." He said, searching for the right words.

I laughed lightly again. "That sounded wrong. And nothing you could give me would want me to clean up that mess."

"Well...I give really good-"

"Stop! Don't say another word!" I laughed, reaching out to cover his mouth. I used my free hand to pull down the covers and looked over at my best friend. "First of all, I'm dating your best friend. Second of all, no." I giggled. "And third of all, even that wouldn't get me to clean up that yard."

He groaned, moving my hand and giving me a pouty face. Damn. That always gets me. "Please, Jasey! I'll be your bestest friend!"

"You already are my bestest friend!" I laughed, standing as I wrapped a blanket around my shoulders. "Come on, I'll stand on the porch so you'll have someone to talk to."

He groaned, but agreed nonetheless and we went outside. I shivered, sitting on the swing and watched Jack as he cleaned the disaster in the front yard. I smirked to myself. Alex and I did a really good job with Jack's house.

I pulled Jack's sweatshirt tighter to my body. It was really cold outside, considering it was winter. "So, Jack, you wanna do something today? Just me and you?"

"Shouldn't you be doing something with Alex?" He asked, not looking up at me.

"No, he's grounded." I laughed with myself. "Come on, please? It'll make up for me not cleaning. We'll do anything you want."

He looked at me, a strange look in his eyes. "Anything I want?" He walked over and held out his pinky finger, causing me to laugh.

"Anything." I confirmed, hooking my pinky with his.

[jaseyrae]

"Okay, so where to first?" I asked, watching outside my window as the trees and cars flew by quickly. I hated being in the car with Jack; he wasn't the greatest driver. But since it was his day, I let him.

"The movies." He smiled, turning up the heat a little.

I looked over at him, raising an eyebrow. "The movies? We could do that any day."

He gave me a shrug, a small smile on his lips as he glanced over at me. "Yeah, but it's never just you and me. And I really want to do stuff that you and I never get to do. You're really special to me, Jasey Rae."

I smiled to myself, cursing myself for blushing slightly. I couldn't help it though, that was one of the cutest things anyone has ever said to me. 

Jack and I sat down at the top row of the deserted movie. Since the movie came out a while ago, it was the last week of being in the theaters and no one was here. But Jack and I didn't mind; it just meant we could be loud.

I looked over at Jack, smiling as I watched him look at the screen, a smile playing on his own lips. 

A minute later, he looked over at me, the smile still present. "What?"

I shrugged, grabbing his hand and lacing our fingers. "Nothing.  Just looking."

A red tint adorned his cheeks, causing me to laugh lightly, and he went back to watching the previews.

After the romantic comedy that wasn't very good, Jack and I left the theater and we got back in the car, hands still laced.

"Okay, now where to?" I asked, turning down the music a little so he could hear me.

"The mall." He grinned cheekily, resulting in me laughing. Of course.

"Okay, so, since this is your day, I'll buy you any one thing in here." I smiled, walking inside the mall with my best friend, our hands still entwined. "Under a thousand dollars."

He looked down at me, smiling widely. "You don't have to do that, Jase."

I shrugged. "I know, but I want to."

He smiled, leaning down to kiss my head and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close to him. I smiled to myself, wrapping my own arms around his waist and we continued to walk. I've always loved how Jack and I can be so comfortable around each other. After an hour of walking around, Jack and I sat down to get a quick lunch, then set out for something I could buy him. But, he was being shy about it and kept telling me I didn't need to buy him anything, and I kept telling him I wanted to.

"Jase, really, you don't-whoa." Jack said, his eyes going a little wide.

I looked over, my eyebrow raised in confusion. I smiled to myself. A white gold chain with a blank slate in the middle was resting on a white pillow, sparkling vibrantly in one of those designer jewelers windows. I bit the inside of my cheek, watching Jack stare at it. "Do you want it?"

Jack shook his head, looking down at me. "No, Jasey, that'll be way too expensive."

I smiled widely, seeing right through his lie and ran inside the store, ignoring him as he called after me. I stepped up to a consultant and smiled at her. "Excuse me, I'd like to get that white gold necklace from the window."

"Jasey-" I shook my head, covering my best friend's mouth. I gave him a look. 

"No, Jack, I want to do this, okay? You're my best friend." I said, causing him to sigh. It was true; I really wanted to do this for him. Jack is my best friend and has been so loyal to me this whole time. He's been truly my best friend ever, and there aren't words that can thank him enough. I felt him smile under my hand. "Good. Now, no fuss."

He grabbed my hand and kissed my palm gently, looking at me with his big brown eyes. "Fine. But I get to choose what to get engraved."

I grinned. "Deal."

"Okay, so, this is it, correct?" The sales clerk asked, holding out the necklace. I grinned, nodding excitedly. It looked so much like Jack.

[jaseyrae]

"You really didn't have to get Jack & Jasey on it." I blushed, watching as we pulled out of the mall parking lot. 

He merely shrugged, shaking his head. "No, but I did because I wanted to. I wanted to be reminded of how my best friend is so amazing." He grabbed my hand and weaved our fingers; by now it just felt habit, and I loved it that way.

I smiled, looking over at him. He's so sweet. "I don't get it. You constantly say all these incredibly sweet things, yet you have no girlfriend. How come?"

He shrugged, his hand tightening a little around mine. "I don't know. Looking for the right girl, I guess."

"You're seventeen. You shouldn't be looking for the 'right girl.' You should be looking for just a girl to date, have fun with, get a little, break hearts, get your heart broken. I mean, live a little, you know? That's what being a teenager's all about."

He chuckled lightly, shaking his head at me. "You are by far the first girl to say that to me."

I shrugged, looking out my window. I noticed we were headed towards the beach. "Yeah...but I'm not like other girls. I'm different...and not in a very good way."

"Jasey Rae, don't you ever say that again." I heard my best friend say sternly. I just sighed, leaning my head against the glass. Jack pulled into a small beach parking lot, cutting the engine quickly. If he thinks I'm going to the beach in this weather, he's crazy. "Jasey, you look at me." I sighed, looking over at him. "Now you listen and you listen good: You may be different from all those millions of other girls out there in the world, but it's a good different. I mean, Jesus, you fucking play major league baseball for Christ's sake! That's the fucking coolest thing ever! And look, so what if you're a little different. I mean, you wouldn't want to be a clone of all those other girls out there, would you?" I shook my head. "No, you don't. You want to be different, unique. And that's what you are."

I smiled, biting my lip. God, he's so amazing. Why can't he be like this all the time? "Thanks, Jack."

"Let's go to the beach!" He yelled, ripping out of the car as fast as he could. I laughed, thinking 'What the hell? and ran after him after grabbing a few blankets from the trunk of his car. How many people can say they swam at the beach in winter?

[jaseyrae]

I laughed, holding my aching stomach as I fell to the ground on one of Jack's blankets, absolutely freezing. "O-Oh my God, that was hilarious!"

Jack laughed loudly, falling next to me. "It was not! I almost died!"

"I know! That's what's so funny!" I laughed, snuggling closer to him as he wrapped another blanket around us. It had to be nearly freezing out, but we didn't care. The sun was setting, making the sky a beautiful mixture of reds, oranges, purples, and yellows, Jack and I were the only two on the beach, and the huge waves were crashing on the shore. It was one of the best days of my life, and not a freezing temperature could ruin it. 

I let out a long breath, looking up at the darkening sky.  "This day has been amazing, Jack."

"It has." He agreed, putting his arm under my wet head for me to use as a pillow. I gave him a grateful smile, resting my head on the side of his chest. "It's all thanks to my best friend."

I smiled, blushing slightly. "I think you had a pretty big part in all of this."

He chuckled, showing off his teeth with a cute smile before looking up at the sky. A few minutes of comfortable silence passed before he spoke. "You know...I've always loved how there's so many stars in the sky."

"Me too. I can't even fathom that there's billions and billions of stars up there, and we don't even see an eighth of them. I hate how the city lights don't let you see the stars. I really want to go out to the country and look at the stars." I smiled to myself, closing my eyes. "My mother used to go hunting with my grandfather when she was younger. Her and her sisters went hunting and camping with him and my grandma. She hated it." I laughed lightly. "But, nevertheless, she said the best part of all of it was the sky. No lights were there, the only ones being the millions of stars. She told me it was one of the most beautiful things she has ever seen."

"Eh, when you're here, there's really no comparison; I think you've got the stars beat by a few hundred miles."

I opened my eyes, looking up at Jack. My heart warmed, my stomach getting knots. "That's the nicest thing that anyone has ever said to me."

He just smiled at me, a certain look in his eyes. "Well, I meant every word of it. You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen, Jasey."

I smiled, reaching up to kiss his cheek lightly. "Thank you. You don't know how much it means to hear you say that."

We looked at each other for a few minutes before he broke the stare, looking back up at the sky again. "You know, there's one more thing I want to do before the day ends."

"I'm not skinny dipping with you." I joked, sitting up. 

He chuckled, sitting up also as he shook his head at me. "As tempting as that sounds, that's not what I had in mind."

I raised my eyebrow. What could he possibly want to do? We've practically done all we can do in this town. "Then what is it?"

"You promise you'll do anything?" He hesitated, holding out his pinky finger. 

I looked up at him, nodding slightly as I hooked my pinky with his. "I promise."

He took a deep breath, his face slowly getting closer to mine. His eyes locked with mine before he shut them slowly, his head tilting to the right a little. My breath hitched in my throat as I realized what he was doing, and before I knew it, his soft lips were on mine.

Not many words could describe that kiss Jack and I shared. It was sweet and slow, as if our whole friendship was going to shatter if he made the wrong move. I didn't push him away; I didn't want to be rude. I promised we would do anything, and this fell under the category of Anything, so I kept to my word. But, as amazing as it was and how much I loved Jack with all my heart, I didn't get the butterflies in my stomach, and my heart didn't race, and my mind didn't spin like when I kissed Alex. As much as it pained me to admit that, I loved Alex, not Jack. Sure, I loved Jack, but only as a best friend. And yeah, there may be a little more meaning behind it when we say 'I love you' to each other, but my heart will always belong to Alexander William Gaskarth, not Jack Bassam Barakat.

A few minutes later, Jack pulled back, taking deep breaths to calm his slightly out of beat breathing. His nose ran along mine for a couple minutes, giving my lips little pecks as he did so before pulling back all the way. It was a cute moment, probably one of the better moments in my life, but I couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen to our friendship.

I sighed, my breath shaky as I looked down at my somewhat shaking hands. What now? Now it's probably going to be awkward between us and I really don't want that. I can't lose my best friend. 

"Come on, let's go home, Jasey Rae."

[jaseyrae]

After Jack and I got home, we didn't say much when we walked upstairs to get to our rooms. I think the awkwardness of the whole situation was going to overpower us for a few days. Still, my mind kept replaying the kiss the kiss we shared, and I felt absolutely terrible that I cheated on Alex with his best friend. 

I bit the inside of my cheek, flipping my phone in my hands as my dog slept on my feet. Maybe I can call him, see if he'll pick up. But he might not be able to if he's grounded. There's always a chance though.

"Hey, baby. I was just about to call you."

I smiled, my heart beating faster by just his voice. "Well you don't have to now. How's being grounded?"

"It fucking sucks, really. I can't see you for a week except at school. And even then I only see you for two classes."

I smiled to myself, laughing lightly. "Aw, I'm sorry, babe. It'll be over before you know it. How come you're on your phone?"

"My parents left for an evening out, and I happened to find it in their room. So, for about two hours or so I get to use it."

"Aren't you quite the sneaky one." I teased, getting a chuckle from him.

"If I was so sneaky we wouldn't have gotten caught and none of this would've happened." He sighed. "So, how did the Barakat's react upon seeing the catastrophe?"

I laughed lightly, remembering this morning. "Absolutely furious. They suspected it to be one of Jack's friends and they ordered for him to clean it up. Thankfully I was, quote unquote, "asleep," so I didn't have to."

"That must've made him pretty angry." Alex laughed, causing me to laugh as well.

"He was so furious. He tried to get me to help him, but I refused and told him I'd take him out for a day to do whatever he wanted."

"Oh? So what'd you do?"

I shrugged, forgetting that he couldn't see it. "Eh, nothing much really. We went to see a movie, went to the mall, then...went to the beach." A pang of guilt shot through me as I mentioned the beach.

"The beach?" He asked, surprised. I would be too; it's not very normal for people to go to the beach during this season.

"Y-Yeah. We just swam around and looked at the stars. It was nice actually. Jack and I got to hang out alone, which we haven't done in a while, so it was fun."

"That's good; I'm glad." He said, letting out a long breath. "I wish I wasn't grounded."

"Me too. So, you said you were grounded for a week? I would've expected more from your mom." 

He chuckled lightly. "Yeah, only a week because I told her I was only in there for a prank and we got caught. I never really told her who it was on. So she grounded me just for a week."

I smiled. "That's good."

Alex and I talked for a while longer until he heard his parents pulling up, which then he quickly told me he loved me and that he'd see me tomorrow, and then he cut the line. I smiled to myself, the butterflies in my stomach as he said those three words to me. I'll never get tired of that.

[jaseyrae]

"Chicago!" I let out an umph! as I felt someone's arms wrap around me tightly. "Thank God! I fucking missed you so much!"

I laughed lightly, pulling back so I could look at my boyfriend. "You just saw me the other day."

"Yeah, but that was different then! We were in jail." He whispered, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "And besides, I spent the whole day without you yesterday. I practically died!"

"Oh God, if you become one of those really clingy boyfriends, it's over right now." I joked, laughing lightly.

He chuckled, kissing my nose. I smiled to myself. Little gestures like that always made my heart flutter. "As if. I think we can both agree that you'd be the clingy one in this relationship. You can't keep your hands off me."

My jaw dropped as I took a step back from him. But, he was quick to take a step towards me and reposition his arms around my waist. An idea popped in my head, causing me to smile up at him. "Wanna bet?"

"On?" He asked, leaning down to give me a short kiss. 

"I bet you fifty bucks I can go longer than you without touching you."

He looked down at me, his eyebrow raised, a smirk adorning his lips. "You sure you wanna bet that? Fifty bucks is a lot of money."

"I'll double it. No, you know what? I'll quadruple it. Two hundred dollars says I can go longer without touching you."

His smirk widened, turning into an almost evil grin. "Deal. Easy two hundred bucks in my wallet."

"Aw, baby, I think you fail to realize I didn't have a boyfriend for the longest time before I met you. Not touching you-" I giggled to myself lightly, thinking how dirty that actually sounded. "-is going to be a lot easier for me than you." I smiled up at him, giving him a wink. "See ya in class, Lexi." The bell rang, and I pulled away from my boyfriend, and walked to class. This is going to be so easy.

[jaseyrae]

Not interacting with Alex physically was too easy. Sure, we talked and flirted, but we made sure to stay clear of each other so we wouldn't give in. That was fine by me; this bet was probably the easiest bet I've ever made. Alex looked at ease with the whole thing, but once he sees me tomorrow, he'll have another thing coming.

No, I wasn't going to cheat; I was merely going to...'enhance my change of winning.' All I was going to do was dress myself a little better so he would have a harder chance of winning the bet.

Jack and Rian had heard about the bet, and they were more than happy to watch the whole thing. Jack was on my side, saying Alex was going to cave first, but Rian saw it Alex's way. And, eventually, the two made their own bet, only betting a lot less than Alex and I were.

After school, the boys decided to have practice since they hadn't done it in a while, so I came with, sitting on the couch in front of them as they watched.

Jack and I were still a little awkward around each other, but we kept it to ourselves. We didn't want Rian, Zack, and Alex to suspect something, especially Alex since we had just made up. The kiss was sworn to secrecy even though we didn't discuss it; just like Jack knowing my secret before everyone else, we were going to take it to the grave.

"Dude, someone fucking pranked my house." Zack said as they finished up one of their songs. Earlier, I had told him about the bet and he quickly joined in, saying he was on my side.

I smiled as I saw Alex's eyes flick towards me for a second, giving me a sly wink. "Oh?" I asked. "That sucks. Someone pranked Jack's house, too."

"Yeah, and my house." Rian groaned. "I had to clean the whole fucking thing up!"

"Me too!" Jack and Zack said together.

"Jasey wouldn't help me." Jack frowned.

"Hey, I made it up for you, didn't I?" I said, looking over at him. I looked down at my hands, the kiss replaying in my mind for a second. I still hate myself for that.

"Yeah, you definitely did." Jack said, quieter now. He started the next song, causing the band to jump from shock before joining in quickly, a little confusion in their eyes.

[jaseyrae]

"Okay, whoa, Alex is definitely not going to be able to keep his fucking hands off you. Damn, Jasey."

I smiled, a blush creeping on my face as I descended the stairs. "You think so? It's not too much, is it? I don't look like a whore, do I?"

Jack shook his head, his eyes looking at me up and down as a large smile was present on his face. "No, it's absolutely perfect. You look incredible."

I smiled, tugging at my chest short jacket a little. "Good. This is going to be an easy two hundred in my pocket."

"I'm not sure it'll fit inside those pockets." Jack chuckled, looking down at my tight jeans. "Fuck, Chicago, you look so damn hott. I can barely keep my hands off you."

I giggled softly, getting on my toes to give him a kiss on the cheek.  "Thanks, Jack. Come on, let's go rock Alex's world and win me two hundred bucks." I hooked my arms with his and we were off.

I felt as if Jack and I were in one of those Hollywood movies when we walked into school. Everyone's eyes just seemed to go in our direction as we stepped down the three stairs to start getting to our lockers. Guys whistled and whooped, calling out phrases of 'What are you doin' tonight?' and 'Let's go out!', making my cheeks tint red, but I kept my cool and ignored them. Girls turned to whisper to friends, and I quickly ignored that too. I felt on top of the world right now. Hah, if only they knew who I really was.

"Chicago?" 

I looked up, smirking as I recognized the voice. Alex was before me, his jaw slack as his eyes looked up and down at me a few times. Smiling widely, I did a little twirl for him. "Like it?"

He cleared his throat, his mouth searching for the right words. "Fuck yes, I do." He stepped closer, his arms stretching out to reach towards me. Fuck yes! Easier than I thought. But, at the last second, he shook his head and took two steps back, a smirk on his lips. "You're not gonna get me that easily. Well played though; I nearly lost." Damn.

I shrugged, giving him a wink. "Trust me, this is just day one, Gaskarth. You'll see what I can really do."

He chuckled lightly, nodding his head at Rian as the boy walked up as a greeting.

"Holy shit, Chicago, you fucking look incredible." Rian said, his eyes slightly wide.

I smiled. "Thanks, Rian. Hey, let's go swimming tonight. My mom and brother are out of town this week and next week, so we got the house to ourselves. Besides, I got a new bikini I wanna show you guys."

"Okay." Jack and Rian said immediately, causing me to laugh. Oh gosh. Alex laughed as well, giving me another wink. I blew him a kiss, sending him another flirtatious smile before heading off to class with him and Jack. Alex made sure to have Jack in between us. 

The day continued on like that, I kept getting stares and guys asking me out on dates, but I was quick to decline, telling them Alex was my boyfriend; they were quick to back off. Alex always had a reputation for defending the girl he was going out with at the time, nothing holding him back to keep him from fighting someone if he had to. Girls whispered about me and I'm sure the teachers were talking about me too, probably telling each other something was up. But, I kept my chin held high and went through the day, staying on the opposite side of Alex at all times, making sure to keep flirting with him as much as possible so he could cave. But, Alex can keep his hands to himself so it only means I'll have to try harder.

After school, the boys and I decided to meet up at my house to go swimming, so we all went home and got on our suits before heading over to my place. 

The house was empty, naturally. Once Mom and Jake go to visit Dad over Christmas break, they let George, Nina, and Martin go on vacation with their families as well. And, since Mom and Jake were coming back the day before we leave, Martin, George, and Nina will just meet us at home in Chicago. Which means I have the whole house to myself, the way I like it.

"Damn, it seems so empty in here." Zack commented as we walked through the front door, Rambo prancing around our feet.

I laughed lightly, nodding. "Yeah, the whole house to ourselves." My voice echoed slightly, and Jack noticed. I sighed at his pleading look. "Go ahead."

I quickly covered my ears as Jack started to scream, the other three joining in quickly to hear their own voices echo. "You're insane!" I laughed, walking in the kitchen to see if my mother left a note.

I found one on the refrigerator. "Dear Jasey, we've already left for your father's. We knew you definitely wouldn't want to come this time. I'll talk to him about your birthday, don't worry. I don't know if you'll read this or not since you probably won't come here because you're staying with your friend. Happy Christmas, honey, and Happy New Year. Jake sends his love. See you on the second. Love, Mom." 

I sighed, tearing off the note and crumpling it in my hand before throwing it away. At least they'll be back before we all leave. 

"Come on, guys! Let's go! Pool's in the back!" I yelled, starting to walk to the pool.

Once we got to the pool, Jack, Rian, and Zack instantly ripped their shirts off and jumped in. I laughed lightly, taking off my shorts and shirt. They're always so eager. I blushed at the four boys staring at me, their eyes slightly wide.

I pinned my hair up, noticing my bikini top was a little loose. Great. This'll get Alex. "Hey, Alex, can you come and tighten my top please?" I gave him an innocent smile as he shook his head at me, a smirk playing on his lips. He wants to so badly. "No? That's too bad."

"I will." Jack said quickly, already climbing out of the pool. I blushed and turned my back to him so he could retie it. "Nice tattoo, Jasey." He smirked, referring to the one below my left breast.

I grinned. "Thanks. I have three more."

"Where?" Rian asked, scrunching his eyebrows together. I laughed lightly, giving him a friendly wink.

"For me to know and you to find out. Although, one you can't see unless I'm naked." I shrugged, laughing as Jack's hands fumbled. "Don't hurt yourself, Jack."

"Sorry." He mumbled, and I could practically hear the smile through his voice.

After Jack had finished, Jack and I jumped in the pool, Alex quickly following suit. Alex and I made sure to stay away from each other, but we all had fun nonetheless. 

A while later, the four of us decided that we had had enough of the pool and got out. We all changed into dry clothes, and I quickly dried my hair before tying it up in another ponytail. 

"You guys hungry?" I asked, opening the fridge to search for food. It seemed to be empty. I heard a chorus of 'yes's and 'fuck yeah's from the guys. I sighed sadly, rolling my eyes at my mother. Although, I didn't really expect her to leave me anything since I was staying with Jack for the time being. I pursed my lips, searching through the empty cabinets. Nothing left. "Uhm, we might have to order something. It seems my mother didn't leave me anything to eat here. Understandable though, I guess."

"She didn't leave you food?" Zack asked, a little shocked. 

I just shrugged it off, pulling out my phone. "Eh, not the first time. Besides, we leave in less than two weeks so, yeah, we have to get rid of the food somehow."

"Where are your mom and brother?" Alex asked.

"Visiting my dad down south." I answered, biting the inside of my cheek. I still hated talking about my dad, even if it was talking to them. I picked up Rambo, setting him on the island so he could walk around. He eagerly pranced over to the three boys, causing them to smile widely and reach out to pet him. "Whatever. I didn't want to go. I never do. Especially not since what happened on my birthday."

The three gave me each a sad look, but I was quick to look away and pull out my phone. I didn't want anyone's pity. "I'll just order something." I mumbled, and started to dial. Whatever it takes to get off the subject of the man I should never have called my father.

[jaseyrae]

"Okay, bye guys." I smiled, giving Rian and Zack a huge before they drove off. I blew Alex a kiss, sending him a wink. "Bye, Lexi."

"See ya, Chicago." He grinned before walking off, a slight hint of sneak in his grin. I just laughed it off and drove home with Jack. This is going to be interesting.