You Planned It, You're a Bandit

I was lying on Alex's bed laughing my ass off. In my whole entire life, I've never laughed so freely in a day. It was remarkable how easily this kid could place a smile on my face. Almost as easily as Jack used to. Alex kept rambling and telling me to hush up because apparently my pretty boy was trying to earn his beauty rest.

"Andy, put that thing away!" Alex scolded me playfully, with his brows raised in mock shock. I had stuck my finger down my pants. and through the fly to imitate a penis.

My mouth let loose a ton of giggles as I said, "Lick it Alex, you're a wiener licker!" Alex approached me, his face squirmed up in horror. He quickly stuck his tongue out, licked my finger, and retreated back into his mouth.

"I think I should come out of the closet now," Alex whispered very seriously. My body shook from the never ending laughter; it was hysterical.

My body was feeling rather warm from all this goofing off and laughing. I never knew you could get so worked up from laughing. It took me a moment to realize I was still wearing my coat. Like a snake slithering out of an old skin, I pushed myself out of the coat, and it rested limply against the edge of his bed. The shirt I wore was just bound to show some cleavage, it was inevitable no matter how many times I pulled it up, or tightened the straps.

"Alex, look away, you're too young to see boobies," I said, grabbing my boobs and shaking them. Alex looked a tad disturbed but even he began laughing.

"Jacko's calling! Pick it up, pick it up, pick it up! Jacko's calling!" Alex's ringtone went off in Jack's voice. I chuckled at Jack's fail attempt to try and sound like a girl. Alex groaned and smiled sheepishly at the ringtone coming from his phone. Yeah, it was a girl thing to have a ringtone like that for a best friend. Cherry made her ringtone on my phone. You hear ticking, like a bomb, and then her saying: Charity's calling. Hurry, your phone will blow in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Cherry Bomb! Pick up! It was ridiculous I admit but I liked it. I actually haven't heard that tone come from my phone in a long while.

It hit me that Jack's called a lot ever since I arrived. First in the car, and it was rather frightening. Alex swerved a bit, causing my insides the spin, Jack's distressed voice begging for him to let us talk. I didn't really want to talk to Jack, I didn't know how my heart would react to that.

I heard mumbling from the other end of the line. It was coming out very distant from where I was sitting still giggling over some stupid inside joke Alex and I had come up with in the past hours.

"Jack, what do you want?" Alex said, and I made a funny face at him, causing him to release a chuckle.

Not bothering to listen onto their conversation, because I didn't care what Jack had to say. Right? Affirmative. Instead gently tugged open Alex's nightstand, snooping around for what skeleton in the closet he had stored. Unsuspectingly, I came across a bunch of Polaroid photos. Adventures of Alexander The Great & Lisa The Beauty were what most were labeled. The closer I looked at each photo, the more I realized how washed out and dull Lisa's figure was. Almost like he seriously tried to take an eraser and erase her.

I picked up a photo of them, analyzing it. The picture was obviously zoomed up on their faces, and they were nuzzling each other. There was dreamy stars and a love stricken glaze to Alex's eyes, while Lisa just had a fake look of adoration. It was obviously faked, her facial features looked too forced.

Alex's voice in the background was hushed once more, and he was whispering something. Of course, I only caught onto the profanity used in the sentence.

Alex was off the phone as soon as I closed his drawer of memories. Maybe he literally locked them all up. I wondered if it helped him overcome the sadness from Lisa's departure.

"Hey, Lex," I mumbled. A guilty feeling swept through me for looking through his stuff. "I need my luggage,"

Alex was up on his feet, storming out the door eagerly like a puppy. I smiled, what a sweet heart, but I didn't want him going without me.

"Mister, where do you think you're going?" I said, tapping my foot, arms crossed. Not like I actually meant the stance.

"To get you're stuff...derrhh!"

"I'm coming!" It started a small argument between us whether or not it was a good idea for me to see Jack again. I'm a very stubborn person, so of course that left Alex conforming to my wants. I handled our meet up last time very well, after all we just both avoided each other.

The ride to Jack's was anything but silent. There were no lights on in the house, and his car was missing. Was Jack even home, or did Deena take off with his car and he was sleeping? Huh.

Rain gently started drizzling down, sprinkling the earth with dark ink-lets falling from the shadowy night sky, We walked up the steps, our feet pattering against the pavement with the rain. Alex rattled Jack's door, but it was locked, allowing no entry. He rapped his fist against it a producing a few steady knocks and chimed the doorbells numerous times but no response. I would really love to have my stuff in my possession and not sitting in house full of stale memories and hurtful people.

"He's not home, and I don't have a key anymore," Alex finally said, dropping his attempts to get something's attention to unlock the door.

"Call him?" I whispered, which I was unsure if it was audible over the heavier rainfall now.

"On it," Alex said, phone already to his ear. We waited out in the rain for quite some time waiting for Jack to answer, but there was no avail. Alex dialed his number several times, and my hair was getting soaked by the minutes passing. I wished dearly my cute coat had come with a hood attached.

"Alex, go the fuck away., stop calling me." I heard Jack's voice, but soon after followed the automated female voice that said please leave a message after the beep. Obviously someone was aware we were trying to get a hold on him but was being a bitter Jack ass about it.

"He'd pick up to you an instant, don't talk much just ask for him to come home so we can gather your stuff, okay?" Alex instructed, and I supposed it was the only way Jack would pick up. A little shakily, I punched in Jack's numbers into my phone and waited while it rang, one, two, three; on the fourth ring he answered.

"Alex, I know it's you," Jack said with a sour tone to his voice.

"No, it's not," I said simply. My heart was thumping wildly against my rib cage. Why was I on the phone with the boy who tore my heart to shreds?

"Andy?" His voice lightened up, and sounded a little excited. Why? He didn't really care that he was talking to me was he? He had some other whore around, so why did he want me too, so desperately?

"Jackie, come home," Yes, I used an old nickname I gave him. "I need you to unlock your door so I can get my stuff," I said, a little innocent, pleading in my voice.

"So you can take it and run off with Alex?" He spat back. Someone was sure scorn. I rolled my eyes, wanting to bitch at him. I was hurt enough and him pointing fingers at my relationship with Alex was just ridiculous. He was my best friend just as much as he was Jack's.

"There's nothing going on there, why would you care anyways?" I sneered through the phone. Jack was getting the best of me-- allowing me to slump low into the dumpster, with the mangy dogs. Alex looked like he wanted to rip the phone away from me. He opened his mouth to say something, but I held a single finger up, hushing him.

"You're right, why would I care? You left for no reason,"

"Jack I'm done with you and your fucking bullshit," I snapped; I've had enough of his childish ways and persistent personality that kept arguing with me. He really did know how to drive that wedge deep under my skin.

"My bullshit?! Really, Andy? I'm not the one who just left," He sounded angered, and rather flustered as well. Maybe he was finally opening his eyes and realizing that all the begging and pleading wouldn't make me come back. Especially not after this kind of verbal abuse. I didn't deserve this, he didn't deserve me. I was nothing but good to the guy and he treated me like something disposable. In his world maybe I was disposable, and stupid, very stupid for constantly forgiving him. The process never ended until I drove far away; it took me to see it, to believe it.

"You're so dense, Jack, open your eyes and come to a conclusion on what reason I'd have to leave," I threw my one hand up in the air, rolling my eyes once more. My attention was centered on Alex, who was shaking his wet hair out like a dog. He gave me a pained look, wishing he could help the current situation, when really it was a war between me and Jack. With us, it was like World War III unleashed.

"I didn't do anything to you, you always take shit the wrong way. Overly sensitive bitch," Jack was never good with words when in an argument. At a loss for them he always felt that it was a good idea to slip in a cuss word. I should know. I've been through it all with Jack. Another pointer when it comes to trying to face with a very mad Jack; anything you say, will someone be turned around and he'll blame everything on you.

"Insensitive douche bag," I shot back. The only way to fight the fire, was with even more fire.

"I know I cared more about you than you ever cared for me!" Lies, "How am I insensitive?" Jack was frazzled, and his thoughts were coming crashing down. I've heard the same lines over and over again.

"Jack. just shut up. I put up with all that pain and heart ache you forced me through for the longest time because I love you. I was nothing but good to you, I never did anything, and you're gonna try and frame me? Go the fuck away," My words came choking out, because tears were threatening to come falling down, mixing with the rain.

Before he had any chance to add in his opinion, I finished our conversation, "Just come home, I need my stuff." I hung up, leaving him listening to the dial tone.

Unnoticed tears were damp against my cheeks, and my already wet hair clung messily to my face. I looked at Alex, feeling the hurt inside. Jack always hurt me, always, I don't remember a time when he didn't.

Why did I have to love such a heartless person? It was absolute torture.

"I don't know what to say," Alex said, but offered me a hug, which I took immediately. I snuggled up to his body, warming up from his body heat. At that moment, I vowed there wouldn't be another tear shed for Jack Barakat. He was worthless.

"I just want to sleep," I mumbled, and rested my head on Alex;s chest. He took me back to his car, where I lounged in the back seat dosing off to Blindside.

Headlights appeared right before I fell sleep, and I saw a blurry figure of Alex standing erect with his arms crossed firmly against his chest. His face was set in a stern glare. Why did I seem to be a hometown wrecker? I'm tearing two best friends apart.

Guilt followed me into dream land.