Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

"Oh, home!" Laney screamed happily jumping into her bed.

"Ah, messy room. How I've missed you boo!" She screamed curling into a ball and wrapping herself in blankets.

"Laney? How could you even oh my god it's so hot." I whined.

"I'm a boss. That's how."

"Whatever, whore."

"Love youuu!"

"Where's dad at?"

She shrugged and shut her eyes.

"Laney, let's go to the lake!"

"Now? We just back from California, man."

"It'll be fun, come on we don't have to go to school for another three days!"

"Fine. You call the guys, I don't feel like it."

I finally got around to calling everyone and everyone seemed to be in the middle of a nap but they all agreed to meet Laney and I down at the lake just to pass time. I sat on the edge of the boardwalk, my feet splashing, 'causing the make a pretty ripple, I smiled and went to where the boardwalk started, just after the dirt and ran and jumped in the lake.

"Haley!" Laney screamed.

"What?" I asked playfully, coming to the surface of the lake.

"Physco." She muttered. I pulled myself up onto the boardwalk and sat there once again.

"Ew, you're wet." Alex joked.

"Come give me a hug, Alex."

"Ew gross you're covered in lake water, that's like fish pee."

"Hey, I'm your girlfriend, I deserve a hug." I held my arms open as I stood in front of him.

"Finneee." He whined and wrapped his arms around me and I pushed him into the lake, me going down with him.

I giggled as he pulled me up to the top with him. "You whore, making me get all wet for you." He smirked.

"Cause that's the way I like it, baby." I said sarcastically rolling my eyes.

"It is, it really is." He laughed and kissed me on the lips before we heard splashes all around us and everyone was in the lake.

"Chicken fights!" Jack screamed while Laney and I were on Zack and Alex's shoulders.

"Don't mess up my hair, hoe." I said, smacking her.

"Fuckyou bitch!" She went after me and we dove into the water, laughing.

We both rose to surface to find the guys yelling at birds. I shrieked like a little girl as a tiny bird was on the edge of the boardwalk, I swam over to it and watched it silently, holding out my hand and the bird happily hopped on. I smiled and stroked it's feathers lightly. I always had a weird connection with birds, sometimes I don't get it, but that's okay. The bird chirped at me and I waved as it flew away, as if it was telling me goodbye, and I think it was. I looked over and they were all splashing and playing. I got up to the boardwalk and searched for a towel, I went to alex's car and eventually found a towel. I sat in the backseat playing with his guitar sitting there and my hair pretty much air-dried. I played the chords to a familiar song, smiling to myself.

"If you walk away I walk away
first tell me which road you will take
I don't want to risk our paths crossing somday
so you walk that way I'll walk this way
and the future hangs over our heads
and it moves with each current event
until it falls all around like a cold steady rain
just stay in when it's lookin' this way

and the moon's laying low in the sky
forcing everything metal to shine
and the sidewalk holds diamonds like a jewelry store case
they argue "walk this way," "no walk this way""

"You listen to Bright Eyes?" Alex said, a smile on his face as he poked his head in the window.

"Yeah, I always have." I smiled.

"Well why didn't you tell me this?"

"Why didn't you ask?" I said sarcastically.

"I don't know." He laughed.

"Why'd you stop playing?" He asked after a minute.

"You interrupted me." I said playfully.

"Oh, I'm sorry your highness." He snorted. "Continue."

I picked up where I left off and this time, Alex sang.

"and laura's asleep in my bed
as I'm leaving she wakes up and says
I dreamed you were carried away on the crest of a wave
baby don't go away, come here

and there's kids playing guns in the street
and one's pointing his tree branch at me
So I put my hands up I say "enough is enough"
if you walk away I walk away
and he shot me dead

I found a liquid cure
for my landlocked blues
it will pass away
like a slow parade
it's leaving but I don't know how soon"

He smiled and looked at me, as if telling me to do the next part. So I did.

"and the world's got me dizzy again
you'd think after 22 years I'd be used to the spin
and it only feels worse when I stay in one place
so I'm always pacing around or walking away

I keep drinking the ink from my pen
and I'm balancing history books up on my head
but it all boils down to one quoteable phrase
"If you love something give it away"

A good woman will pick you apart
a box full of suggestions for your possible heart
And you may be offended, and you may be afraid
but don't walk away, don't walk away"

Then it was his turn, once again.

"We made love on the living room floor
with the noise in the background from a televised war
And in the deafening pleasure I thought I heard someone say
"If we walk away they walk away"

But greed is a bottomless pit
And our freedom's a joke we're just taking a piss
And the whole world must watch the sad comic display
If you're still free start runnin' away
'cause we're comin' for ya."

Then we both sang on the next part.

"I've grown tired of holding this pose
I feel more like a stranger each time I come home
So I'm making a deal with the devils of fame
Sayin' let me walk away, please

You'll be free child once you have died
from the shackles of language and measurable time
And then we can trade places, play musical graves
till then walk away walk away walk away walk away

So I'm up at dawn, putting on my shoes
I just want to make a clean escape
I'm leaving but I don't know where to
I know I'm leaving but I don't know where to."

"You're really good." he laughed.

"Thanks.. I don't play a lot, really."

"Why not?"

I shrugged. "Never really found the time." I sighed and leaned my head on his shoulder as we sat in the backseat of his car, Laney screaming and laughing in the distance and warm spring air all around us.

"I'm hungry." I sighed, lacing my fingers through Alex's. "And my hair is all messy."

"Your hair looks fine."

"Whatever." I stuck my tongue out.

"Let's go get some food."

"What about them?"

"They'll find a way home, Laney has her car."

"Alex, as flattering as it is.. I don't wanna be one of those bitchy girls who never leaves you time for your friends." I said as we got out of the car, I felt the heat off the trunk of the car on my back.

"eh, It's worth it, I spend too much time around those creeps anyways. " I giggled and he wrapped his arms around me, kissing me softly, but just enough. I bit my lip and kissed him once more when he pulled away.

"What are we gonna eat?"

"Taco bell? I hope they let me in, I'm kinda half naked in a bathing suit."

He shrugged. "Taco Bell doesn't mind, I hope."

We got to Taco Bell and they didn't really care, like Alex had said, I ordered what I wanted, which was really just a Frutista Freeze and Alex got the same.

"Now that I think about it, I wasn't even all that hungry, just thirsty as fuck." I laughed and leaned my head against the window, playing with my hair.

"I need to wash my car..."

"Where did that come from?" Alex laughed.

"I dont know," I shrugged. "I just thought about it, my car is dirty."

"Let's go wash it."

"Are you willing to get dirty?"

"Aw of course!" He said playfully.

"Whore. Lets go." I jumped on his back and her carried me out of taco bell, throwing our empty drinks away and we headed over to his car then back to my house where everyone else already was.

"Ugh, you have an SUV, that's too much to wash."

"Aw, teamwork baby!" I smiled, hugging him and grabbing a hose and a bucket and some soap and old rags to clean the car with.

I started at the back of my dirty car, scrubbing off the mud and alex was at the front.

"Jesus fucking christ, Hales, what did you do?"

"Me and Laney went offroading, even though this isn't even that kind of car..."

"Idiots." He laughed.

I hosed down the back of the car and started on the side and frowned.

"What?"

"There's mud on the top of the car.."

Before I knew it I was being lifted up, put on the top of the car, getting a rag thrown at me.

"Asshole!" I yelled. "You're lucky I can't get down!"

"Then clean the top of the car!" He laughed.

I rolled my eyes and started scrubbing it squeaky clean and Alex finished the sides.

"Yay we're done!"

"Okay, get me down."

He held out his arms and I pouted. "What if you drop me, or let me go and I fall or something?"

He sighed, leaving his arms stretched out, "I'll never let you go, I promise."

And with that all fears of jumping off of a huge car left my brain and body, and you know what? I jumped.