Kisses Under Starry Night Skies

It's 8:00 on Tuesday morning. Kara's parents just left for work. Jack has been missing for two days. I don't know what to do. So, I got out of bed and went downstairs. Kara was watching MTV in the lounge room. I went in and sat down on the couch next to her.

"Morning." I said putting on a smile to try to cover the fact that I cried myself to sleep last night.

"Morning." She said looking at me with curious eyes.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing, you just seem different."

"How so?"

"Well, I don't know you don't seem as down today." She said carefully.

"Really? Coz I feel worse." I said leaning my head on her shoulder.

"Hmmm." She said just as her phone buzzed on the coffee table. She picked it up and answered it.

"Hey baby." She said into the phone. It was Rian.

"Okay, yep, see you in 10."

"Who was that?" I asked.

"Rian, him and Zack are coming over to look for Jack again." She said.

"What about Alex?" I asked not liking the thoughts coming to mind.

"Rian said he hasn't been out of his room since they got home yesterday. He hasn't been sober since the party." She said looking at me. "He's really cut up about what happened at the party."

I got up off the couch and headed for the stairs ignoring her. Kara grabbed my arm before I could get far enough away.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"To get ready to find Jack." I said and pulled my arm from her grip.

What is happening to me? I'm pushing my best friends away, it's like life doesn't matter without Jack. This needs to stop he needs to come home and everything needs to go back to normal. There's only one problem, Jack coming back won't change things. It'll still be awkward around Alex and I doubt Jack will talk to me.

I ran upstairs and into the bathroom to shower and change. When I was done I ran back downstairs. The guys weren't there yet. I grabbed my keys and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To look for Jack." I said. Obviously.

"What about Zack?"

"He can go with you or Rian." I said and went out the front door.

I got in my car, turned up the radio and backed out of the driveway. I headed towards the centre of town. I wasn't sure what to look for. Obviously, I was looking for Jack but I wasn't exactly sure what to look for.

I was driving around for a while just looking at everyone who could resemble Jack, taking in their faces. My phone rang on the seat beside me breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Time to lay claim to the evidence
Fingerprints sold me out
But our footprints washed away
From the docks downtown
It's been getting late for days-"

"Hello?" I sighed into the phone.

"Paige?" The person asked.

"Who's this?" I asked not exactly caring.

"Alex." The voice breathed.

"Alex? Are you okay?" I asked, not that I cared at the moment.

"No." He sobbed.

"Have you been crying?" I asked starting to get a little concerned.

"We need to talk." He said avoiding my question.

"Look Alex, if it's about the party I don't wanna hear it." I said bitterly.

"Just hear me out." He said, I could hear the hurt in his voice.

"Why should I?" I asked.

"Just meet me at the park in 10 minutes." He said and hung up.

"He hung up on me." I said to myself while making a u-turn to head to the park.

When I got there Alex was nowhere to be found, I couldn't see his car anywhere. He musn't be here yet I thought.

Then I saw a tall, skinny boy sitting on a park bench. It was Alex. I walked toward him slowly with my head down so I didn't attract attention. He noticed me as I approached him.

"You came." He said.

"Yeah, I came." I replied.

"Zack, Rian and Kara are out looking for you and Jack now." He said looking at me; I looked away.

"Why?" I asked sitting down next to him.

"Because they're-we're all worried about you." He said.

"Worried about me? You should be worried about Jack." I said looking at him this time.

"We are worried about Jack. But I'm more worried about you." He was telling the truth, I could see it in his eyes.

"Why?" I asked again.

"Because-" He said pausing to think. "Because, I like you alot and I don't want to see you hurt by all this."

"Alex, you're making this harder for me." I moaned lying back on the table.

There was so many questions I wanted to ask, but I just didn't know how.

"How? How am I making this harder for you?"

"How are you making this harder for me?" I said not giving him the chance to answer I
continued talking. "Alex, you having feelings for me is making this harder." I said looking over at some kids playing on the swings.

I've always wanted that. To have a little girl or boy running around, laughing and having fun. Everyone tells me I'm too young and not mature enough, blah, blah, blah.

"Paige? Paige?" Alex said bringing me back to reality.

"What?" I asked turning to look at him again.

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Uh, what did you say?"

"I said, I can't help how I feel and if Jack had've made a move earlier I wouldn't have kissed you at the party."

"It doesn't matter Alex, you know I have feelings for him, but you still did it." I said turning my attention back to the kids on the swings.

"I know and I'm sorry, I'm really and truly sorry for that." He said, I could see the sincerity in his eyes.

"I know, I believe you." I said as I watched the kids leave. I stood up and walked away from Alex.

"Paige, where are you going?" He asked standing and following me.

"To swing." I said walking toward the playground.

Alex and I sat on the swings and talked for what felt like hours. I didn't know what it was about Alex but he was so easy to forgive. I couldn't stay mad with him, I just couldn't.

"Friends?" Alex asked getting off the swing.

"Yeah, always." I replied standing up.

"Yay." He said giving me a huge hug.