Waking Up with Headaches

(Jack‘s P.O.V.)

Day flew by as I pushed myself out of the heavy school doors and into the day light. Leaves snapped under my feet as I headed over to Zack’s car.

“Hey Jack!” greeted Zack cheerfully as I sat into the passage seat.

“Why so happy?” I asked crudely.

He started up his car telling his story “Well first of all the battle is tomorrow! I‘m excited for that. And Katie is coming.” He said smirking over to me.

I could tell he really like her. “Awesome. I‘m happy for you Zack. I bet she‘s awesome” I told him giving him a little push in the arm. “Wait, the battle is like almost an hour away.”

“Yea I know.” He said with his smirk writing out the story. There was only one reason way she would go on the long drive.

We finished our small talk back to Zack’s house. We didn’t have band practice, we just were hanging out till the battle. Once we walked in we ordered pizza and waited around the TV.

“So Barakat, what‘s up with the whole Lily thing?” Zack asked flipping though channels.

I sighed and took a sip of soda “I don‘t know.” I honestly said “After the whole thing in the beginning of the year, I don‘t know. I still get butterflies was we talk but she‘s with Matt. And there is nothing I can do about that.”

“I know I‘ll sound cheesy after this” Zack started already making me want to tune him out “But why can‘t you tell her? If you tell her that you still like her maybe she‘ll tell you that she feels the same way. You know?”

“She is with Matt!” I pointed out “I rather hurt myself than hurt Matt! Sandbox buddies forever. Right?”

“Just because you were friends in preschool does not mean you stay friends forever. People changes, you met new people, and, you grow older. You can‘t be scared of hurting people. If you let other people hurt people and then let you hurt yourself, you will go no where but back.”

The door began to ring hopefully ending the conversation. I picked up the couple of bucks Zack’s parents left out of his and paid the older kid Zack took the pizza from. He gave me a sour look and I just handed him the money before he made his way back to his car. I then joined Zack in his kitchen and took a huge bite of the hot mess. Hot mess of pizza, not Zack. Zack, honestly would be thought of as a hot guy and he is messy. A.k.a. Hot mess. But I took a bite of pizza not Zack. He would taste like sweat and muscle juice. I like pizza.

“If you don‘t talk to Lily, I‘m talking to her for you.” Zack warned “I‘m not kidding too! If you don‘t tell her you still have feeling for her, I‘m going to for you.”

I chewed onto the pizza speaking back at him “You fucking wouldn’t!”

“No but you would” He said looking down at the table top. I followed his eyes to the marble covered table were my phone sat. I peered back up at Zack with my eyes wide. He smirk and took the phone and started running down the hall. I tossed my pizza onto the lid of the box and chased after him.

The door slammed at the end of the hallway. I met the door and hit on it with full fists. “ZACK OPEN THIS FUCKING DOOR! You can‘t talk to her! I‘m not going to hurt them” I snapped at him.

“Dude,” came a scared voice from Zack behind me “Worse door.” I walked by him punching him in the shoulder and taking my phone. Zack’s silent footsteps followed behind back into the kitchen. “You must really like her Barakat. If you‘re that scared of telling her.”

“I‘m not scared of telling her,” I explained before giving up to the teasing cheesy mess of the pizza “I‘m scared of words. No one can leave this situation without getting hurt, I rather it be me. Liles has her problems, we all know what happened with Matt and his mother, I‘m just a kid at the pet store in love with the puppy in the window my mom won‘t let me get.”

I chew on the pizza and Zack just joined before arguing back “But what happens when you get the puppy for Christmas? Maybe it‘s just in time and you‘re time is now.”

“Then the clock is my head is broken.” I laughed realizing how cheesy we were getting. We laughed it off.

~~~~~

“Make sure to bring Enema!” I told Zack as we ran into my bedroom. I naturally walked straight to my guitar and packed it back for the road. The second I was done I turned to Zack who had ten cd in his hands “It‘s only a hour drive Zack.” I reminded him

“Yea I know. Let‘s go.” He said putting some back on the shelf and following me down the stairs and out to the car. I put my guitar on top of his bass in the truck and headed to the side seat. “Hey so when Katie gets in the car you sit in the back. Sorry dude.”

“Fine but,” I started pretending to flip my hair over my shoulder “You better open up the door for me!” I said girly. He laughed and started playing Fall Out Boy. I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text to Rian telling him we were leaving now.

We blast the music all the way to Katie’s house about half way though the ride. I turned the song down and jumped over the seat making room for myself as Zack walked to the door to get his girl. He came back with a girl with yellowish blonde hair, big brown eyes and just under his height. They walked back and he opened the door for her.

I put my head in between the seats and told a closer look at the girl. “Hi there!” I said cheerfully “I hope you‘re Katie or we got a problem.” I joked to her. She giggled and Zack pushed my head back to the corner of the car. We chatted on the way to the jig and to be honest, I approve. The girl knows her shit.
Zack and Katie went inside to find everyone and I told them I get the guitars from the back and met them inside. I did as I said and started heading around the side of the building. I froze at the sound of fighting. I quickly found a spot to hide and over listen to the fight. I didn’t just want to walk by the mad couple and make an awkward eye attack.

(Matt‘s P.O.V.)

I was helping Rian set his drum set up in the spot in the open room assigned to the band. The girls were making a banner for the band on the other side of the room.

“Matt!” shouted Lily from the crowd of paint and glitter “Um, why is your phone calling me?”

“Oh sorry,” I said walking over to the beautiful girl “I forgot I left my phone with Kayla just incase.”

She giggled sweetly and handed me her phone before kissing my cheek and heading back to the unfinished banner.

I was nervous to hear the voice on the other side of the line “Kayla, are you okay” I asked heading to the empty corner of the room “What about Abby? What‘s the problem?”

“It’s Abby. I can‘t find Kayla.” the young child quietly mumbled into the phone. I could tell she was hiding. “Dad is back. I‘ve never seen him so mad. I‘m scared.”

I sighed and looked around. Rian was almost done. Banner is about done. “I‘m on my way back. Just stay out of his way! I will be home soon! I promise. Do you think Kayla ran into Dad yet?” There was a silence on the other side than a quick beep. Without a doubt I ran back over to Lily and handed her phone back “I‘m sorry I got to go now!” I told her scared.

“Wait why?” She asked getting off the floor to follow me. I got a few odd glazes from the other couples but I just forgot about it. I couldn’t tell Lily the truth, it was to hard to tell her I was scared.

“I‘ll explain later.” I yelled making a move to the door leaving her behind. But I heard her footsteps coming up from behind me.

Lily’s hand pulled at my shoulder stopping me in my traces outside the Oceanside venue “I’m coming with you so you are not alone.” she protested

“No, you just can‘t! Just- no!”

“I was not asking. I‘m telling you!”

“No you can‘t!” I said focusing my hands in the air as I talked “Just stay here! I will call you later, you just can not come with me this time!” I tried not to yell and turned back to the find my car.

“I am coming!” She yelled behind me. I was starting to get annoyed that she was not understanding ‘no’.

“Just stop!” I yelled spinning around quickly as my back of hand glided around her cheek bone. I froze at the look on her face. My jaw hit the floor as tried to pull Lily into a hug “Flower Lily I didn’t mean too-”

“NO!” She snapped pushing me off her “I‘m sick and tried! I do not need unwanted bullshit and more fucking drama in my life! Just run along and do whatever it is you do! Go play with your Mickey Mouse dolls or whatever!” She yelled pushing me once more

“Listen! I‘m sorry! I did not mean too I-, just-, ugh! Forget it! Can we just please talk to me later please?” I asked but Lily didn’t care. She just moaned loudly and angrily before slamming back behind the heavy metal doors back inside. I sighed and walked to my car mixed emotions.

(Jack‘s P.O.V.)

Flower Lily? Could it be Matt and Lily fighting? Was my clock right for once. Matt walked over the corner straight to his car without noticing me hiding. I quickly chased Lily back into the building. She was pacing back an forth trying to caught her breathe in the entrances room.

Her eyes met mine as she heard the sound of the door. I put the cases on floor next to my feet and wrapped my arms around her. She pushed my arms away and wiped her tears off her cherry red cheek “I‘m okay.” She mumbled pushing the black of her makeup away.

“You are everything from ok Liles” I told her trying to hug her once more. She shoved me away angrily. “I‘m just trying to help! I know when someone isn‘t okay.”

“I don‘t need any help!” She yelled grinning onto her teeth. Rubbing the mark left on her cheek.

I gripped her waist tightly. Wrapping my fingers around till my pinky and thumb would touch then holding her hand up to her face. “Look!” I yelled at her “You are not okay Liles! You haven‘t been eating and it is worrying more than just me!” Tears rolled down her face and she came lose in my hands without pulling away. I wrapped my arms around her and let her cry into my tee.

“I‘m so stupid! I can‘t even see my own mistakes Jack Rabbit” she choked gripping my fingers into my shirt “John told me this before and I didn‘t listen. What if he doesn‘t come back Jack? I don‘t know what to do anymore! I am lost.”

I squeezed her tightly in my arms and let her sob. “You are not stupid! You are perfect no matter what you do. Even your mistakes are perfect. Don‘t worry, if John is coming back. And if he doesn‘t come back I‘ll be here for you Liles.” I told her sweetly kissing the top of her head.

She sniffed in my cotton tee and looked up at me “You‘re mistakes aren‘t perfect Jack Rabbit.” She said oddly then looked up at me “It‘s dangerous. The cutting.” My heart dropped she saw.

I stumbled over my words without a clue of what I was going to say. “It‘s not what it looks like!” I said awkwardly backing a way and hiding my wrist.

“Jack, you‘re perfect” Lily smiled at me putting a hand on my cheek than sweetly whispering, “Cutting is not” I smiled with a little chuckle. The alarm in my clock head was going off.

I crashed my lips into hers. We started to move in sync with each other. Tongues together in a tangled mess as fireworks exploded in my gut. My finger laced together with her as I pulled her in for a closer taste.

She pulled away scared and looked up at me. Her eyes full of fear and regret as so mine. She has a boyfriend. Her boyfriend is my best friend! What the fuck was I thinking!

She choked a little “I-I got to go” She saw quickly heading back to the performing area. I rubbed my head before picking up my shit and following her. I said nothing and looked back and forth to the nervous girl.
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