Kisses Under Starry Night Skies

Alex's staring broke me out of my thoughts.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing." He said propping himself up on his elbow.

Slowly he started moving his head towards me.

"Alex, I-." I began but was cut off by his lips.

Just then Jack walked outside and just as quick as he came out, he went back in again.

"Shit!" I said pulling away from Alex, standing up and running after Jack. Leaving a very confused Alex behind.

"Jack, wait!" I yelled making a few heads turn. I followed him through the house and to the front lawn. "Wait! Please." I yelled again.

"What?" He yelled back.

"It's not what it looks like, I swear." I said.

"It looked pretty clear to me."

"It was a mistake, he kissed me." I said trying not to cry.

"A mistake?" Alex asked walking outside. "I thought you wanted to."

"No Alex, I didn't want to. You're like a brother to me." I said.

"Oh, shit!" He said.

"Yeah, oh shit." Jack yelled. "I like you, Paige. I always have. I thought you knew that." He yelled at me.

Half the party was outside watching us now.

"I-I'm sorry, Jack. I really am. I never wanted it to happen." I said letting a tear escape.

"And, you Alex. You're my best friend, man. How could you do that to me?"

"I can't help how I feel." Alex said. What? They both like me. No, I can't take this, it's too much.

"Can't help how you feel?" Jack asked rhetorically.

"Well I can't, man and I'm sorry."

"Jack?" I asked looking at him with tears in my eyes.

"What, Paige?" he asked angrily.

“Forgive me?" I asked helplessly.

"I don't think I can." He said. Then he was gone. He took Zack's car.

Rian came up behind me and I turned around to be greeted with a hug. I nuzzled my head into Rian's chest.

"Rian, I really messed up this time!" I said crying now.

"It's okay, I should have told you Alex liked you as well." He said apologetically.

"It's okay."

"Do you need a ride home?"

"No thanks, I just wanna walk."

"Okay," He said letting me go.

I needed to get away, far away.
Once I was out of sight I ran. As fast as I could. I ran 8 blocks to Kara's house.
When we were younger Kara and I had a secret way of getting me into her room in the middle of the night. There was a tree, about as tall as her house just outside her window. I climbed it until I got to her window.

"Kara?" I whisper-yelled tapping on her window.

I was greeted with a very wild looking Kara, her hair sticking in every direction from sleep.
"What are you doing here at 4am?" She said opening her window for me to climb through.

"It's a long story." I said wiping the tears still running down my face.

"Shit! What happened?" She asked concerned.

"Well," I began.
I told her everything, about Jack and I dancing, then Warped tour. Then about Alex and the kiss. Then the fight in Alex's front yard, and how Alex said he likes me too.

"Wow!" she said lying down beside me on her bed.

"Yep, I fucked up!" I said.

"You sure did." Kara said. At least she was being honest.

"How do I fix this?"

"Give it time," She said.

"But Warped is in two months, how am I going to handle that?"

"You will don't worry."

"If you say so." I sighed.

We drifted off into another conversation about random things. We were talking for almost two hours, when in almost unison we both fell asleep.

I rolled over and looked at the clock 11:45 it read. This was early for me, I usually wake up around one in the afternoon. I had a hangover that's for sure. My head was throbbing and I really needed a shower. I rolled out of Kara's bed and made my way downstairs.

"Afternoon." She said as I walked into the kitchen.

"Hey."

"Sleep well?" She asked.

I shook my head.

"I really need a coffee, though."

"Well, the milk is in the frid-"

"Fridge, and the coffee is in the right hand cabinet above the stove, and the kettle is on the bench, I'm pretty sure." I have a thing for cutting people of mid-sentence.

"Smartass!" She laughed.

"What you watching?" I asked.

"MTV."

"Cool." I said sitting down beside her on the couch, coffee in hand.

Just then the All Time Low's 'Poppin' Champagne' video came on.

"You've got me Poppin' champagne I'm at it again
Caught up in the moment But not in the right way
I'm falling in between
Tearing up at the seams
We're just aiming to please
And aesthetics don't hurt one bit

So follow me down
Take this all the way
Any way you want to
Why don't you say so?
I think I'm caught in between
The nights and days fly by
When I'm lo-"

“What the hell, dude?" Kara asked. "Why'd you turn it off?"

"I'm sorry. I just can't deal with that right now."

"Oh, right sorry."

"It's okay." I said getting up. "I need to take a shower, can I borrow some clothes?"

"Sure."

"Thanks."

So, I went upstairs and grabbed a pair of Kara's shorts and a t-shirt. I still had my hoodie from the party last night so I didn't need to borrow one.

I showered slowly making sure I was completely free of any smell that would remind me of last night. I scrubbed at my skin until it was red raw. I knew that when I saw Alex and Jack again it would all come back. But I had to try.

When I finished I overheard Kara talking on the phone with someone.

"I know!" She said. "Look, she's in a really bad state right now and doesn't want to talk to either of you!" She said abruptly and hung up.

I made my way towards her quietly.

"What was that about?" I asked making her jump.

"You scared the shit out of me." Kara said.

"What was that about?" I asked again.

"Oh, nothing." She said quickly trying to cover up whatever it was.

"I know you're lying now tell me!" I almost yelled.

"Okay, Okay. It was Alex, he wants to talk to you. He's been ringing you non stop for the past fifteen minutes."

"Oh."

"I'm sorry for answering it; I didn't think you'd want to talk to him."

"It's okay, I don't want to talk to him but I guess I have to sometime." I said gesturing for the phone.

She handed it to me reluctantly. I went into my contacts knowing Alex would be first on the list and pressed dial.
Alex answered after three rings.

"Hello?"

"Alex?" I asked.

"Oh my god! Thank god you called. I've been so worried. Zack called and said Jack never came home and we can't contact him an-"

"WHAT?!" I yelled.

"I said th-" he started again but I cut him off again.

"I know what you said. What do you mean Jack didn't come home?" I asked just as Kara threw me a worried glance.

"He didn't go back to your house and we can't call his mobile coz it’s turned off!" Alex repeated.

I fell to my knees nearly dropping the phone. I let out a whimper.

"Paige, are you okay?" Alex asked.

"No!" I whispered.

"Look, Zack, Rian and I are coming to Kara's right now."

"Okay."

"We'll see you in a few minutes." he said and hung up.