Waking Up with Headaches

*[WARNING: THERE IS A SAD PART AT THE END! YOU WILL UNDER WHAT IT IS GOING TO BE ABOUT AS YOU READ! IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO READ IT DON'T!]* *[enjoy]*

(Jack‘s P.O.V.)

People oddly showed up to see all the bands. The building was packed! We were kind of out of place since most of the groups were country. Other than us and one other band

“Hey Jack!” called Rian walking towards me as I tuned my guitar “Listen, don‘t tell Alex but there is a scoots here tonight! Zack and I don‘t want him to freak out and panic on us.”

“Are you serious?” I asked searching the room for the possible scoots “Who told you Ri?”

“I met one! I was talking to his punk looking guy about other bands and he told me that he and other scoots were here looking for fresh acts! He told me if he likes us, we could go to New York City and play for his recording company then maybe get signed!”

I laughed “Dude, who in their right mind would sign us? We‘re just high school kids trying to find something fun to do.”

“Trust me, if we are better than you‘re echo thinks we are, we‘ll be driving down to NYC in the morning!” Rian mocked pulling his finger into my chest and walking over to his drum set. I ignored his idea and went back to finish tuning my guitar. Something I was never that great at.

After I tuned my guitar and warmed up a little I began to search some faces. I ran across the beautiful blue pairs of eyes I reminded myself are Lily’s. I smiled at her as she copied my action and lipped ‘good luck’ from across the open room.

Lily was with the rest of the girls doing what they do best, gossiping. I always wondered if they talked about me. Would it be bad or good? Do they think I am hot or not? Do they think the same way guys sometimes think, ‘yea I’d fuck them for sure’ or ‘that bitch couldn’t pay me to let her suck my dick!’. Okay maybe that last part would be worded a little differently.

Before I knew it they all began to giggle at each other and point to me. I got an idea and began to creep up behind Alex as they watched me in the crowd. They laughed at my goofy walk as I got closer to the singer. I froze when I was standing silently behind him to put my head right next to the dazed boy’s ear. “Look at the girls, they are judging us! I don‘t enjoy this type of judgment, Alex!” I whispered teasing then quickly pressed my lips hardly to his cheek cause him to tumble to the side a little. “Play along!”

I turned back to my spot on the stage. The confused singer raised his mess of an eyebrow at me. I blow him a kiss jokingly and cause him to start laughing. He went along with it and pretended to caught the kiss then put it next to his heart. I laughed then looked at the girls who were dieing laughing at us ‘flirting’.

“Okay!” stared the main ring leader of this circus of music “The rounds tonight are, round one, cover song. Round two, one of their own. And finally round three, free pick! Then winners will get an encore song! The first band to kick us off tonight in this battle is All Time Low! Gave them a hand if you think they won‘t suck!” He joked.

The crowd some what clapped and cheered. I looked at Zack, Rian, and, Alex all nervously. We didn’t plan for three rounds! Or at least I didn’t!

“Ok how you guys doing tonight!?” Alex yelled into the microphone with his sing song voice then looked back at us thinking then to the crowd again. “Mhm, do you guys like party?” The crowd went crazy for partying and I read his mind. “This is The Party Song!”

I waited for Alex to count us into the start of the song. I played along to the funny dance song. I ran back and forth across the stage freely full of energy and excitement.

I felt crazy! By the time it was over it felt like it just started. I wished it didn’t stop. I smiled at the cheering wild crowd. “Wow! That was a great start! Next band in round one is Barn House Bliss!” I ran to the guys and formed a group in our little area of the room as the country band began to play.

“That was awesome!” I said coming into the group

“I know!” Zack agreed staying next to me then turned to Alex “What song next 'Lex?”

We all look at the shaking nervous singer. He was watching his shoes kick up some dust in his thoughts. “I don‘t think I‘m ready to perform Lullabies yet.” He said sadly.

There was a silent between us “Then how about Circles?” Rian piped up

“We‘ve only played that once so far? Do you think we‘re ready?” I asked

Alex nodded “Yea, we are ready. Lets do it. Quick lets practice our parts before round two.” Alex went to one part to of the stage to go over the words, Rian to his drums, and, Zack to Katie for a second then to practice. I stayed near the center of the stage and place my finger playing to riffs without making a sound.

“PST!” came a loud voice from the crowd “Barakat!” I picked my head up to see Lisa showing me to come over with her hands. I put my guitar down and headed over to her.

“What it is? Do you need Alex?” I asked without an idea of why she was talking to me.

“No! He‘s my boyfriend by the way not yours!” Lisa laughed “I wanted to know what‘s with you and Lily? I thought she was with Matt?”

“She is with Matt. Why are you asking? You knew that.” I painfully answered. Deny till I know if I shouldn’t. I can’t hurt them after I already fuck up their relationship in one way.

She sighed a pulled me in to whisper in my ear “We are not fucking blind! Everyone can clearly see something is going on between you two! Tell me please! I won‘t tell Matt, I promise.”

Deny Jack, Deny it! As nice as Lisa is she is a terrible gossip bee. “Tell you what?”

She punched me in the arm as I felt an arm wrap around my neck. “What you two fuckers talking about?” Alex asked choking me

Lisa kissed his cheek “First of all you did great and Jack won‘t tell me what‘s going on between him and Lily!”

“Yea I noticed that earlier! Something is different, I saw the looks.” Alex chipped in. “Don‘t deny it Barabra!”

I pulled myself under and out of the singers arm and denied everything “Nothing” then backed a way “yet…” I mumbled teasingly for them to hear. I picked up the guitar and practice more till it was our turn again.

When that song was over we picked our next song for round three, Good Riddance by Green Day. They crowd went crazy for the classic punk rock song and we took our break. It would take about an hour till the secret judges met up and picked the winners. Alex said if we win, we’ll play Lullabies.

We all headed out into the crowd to find the rest of our group. The girls found us quickly and hugged us telling us how great we were. I took a spot in the small crowd next to Lily. The group made small talk as Alex told them the plan.

I didn’t listen to much. I hate to admit it but I was looking over at Lily to much. If I wait any longer to talk to her about our kiss, I’ll fuck up for a second time and lose her again!

“Hey, can I show you something?” I shouted over the music into Lily’s ear. She nodded and I took her hand and headed to a backdoor I saw earlier. I pushed us out the heavy door to the blissful water side. The sun had just set and the sky was till full of lively full colors. Golden orange by the horizon to a royal dark blue by the full moon glowing brightly above our heads. “Come on.” I said pulling her a wood block path to the sand.

She stop when we got closer to the sand “Wait Jack! Hold on!” She said pulling onto my hand. I stop at the end of the path. She smiled widely “I don‘t want to get sand in my sneakers!” She told me and sat down to pull her shoes off.

“Good idea!” I admitted copying her. We tried the lace of our shoes together and stuffed our socks into the shoes. I put our shoes into the tall grass on the side for no one but us to find.

I popped myself on the edge of the wooden block and smiled up at Lily. “So, can I have a piggy back ride Jack Rabbit?” She asked playfully swinging her shoulders to each side.

“I don’t know. Can I have a kiss?” I asked pushing my lips out to her.

She giggled leaning down to put her forehead next to mine “Only if you can caught me!” She teased before running to the sea line. I jumped up and quickly chased after her. Kicking up tons of sands in my way as it covered our feet as we met at the water.

We laughed playful as she bent down splashing freezing water at me. I quickly wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her feet off the wet cold sand. I started spinning in circles making us both get dizzy and light headed. I put her down she we continued laughing gleefully.

“Do I get my kiss now?” I asked lacing my finger around hers. She smiled and answered by pressing her lips gentle on mine. I kissed back lightly closing my eyes to enjoy the kiss. My head filled with sparks as the chilling icy water covered our toes.

“You get your kiss. Now can I have my piggy back ride?” She smiled.

I laughed and turned around letting her jump onto my back. She didn’t put to much pressure on me as she supported herself by wrapping her arms around my neck. I started walking farther away from the large gym like building.

“Can I ask you something Liles?” I finally choked up. Do it now, before I fuck up again!

She sighed and pulling her head off my shoulder “Of course. Is it about Matt?” She said reading my mind.

“Mhm, yea. Cause honestly I just don‘t want to think I fucked up our friendship again and your relationship. I mean you and Matt are together and I feel like I just took a knife to my best friends back.” I honestly told her.

Lily jumped off my back and moved to face me “I‘m going to break up with him. Because honestly I did love him till just about earlier but the whole time I was still in love with you. I regret saying no to you since the second it happened, Jack.”

Her words were calming and nerve shaking at the same time. Calming because I finally knew that she felt the same way the whole time. I could have had her the whole time if I really tried and never let her say no. Nerve shaking because I still had my hand on the knife in Matt’s back. Could we ever be friends after this?

We smiled and kissed once more before walking more. We talked about everything. Lily even shared a story about her dad with me. How he would walk her and her brother John to school everyday when they were little. On Fridays they would stop by a street cart and get muffins when he wasn’t away in the navy.

We finally turned back and once we got to the wooden path we pulled our shoes out of the grass. To tried and lazy to put them on. “Lets throw our shoes over a telephone wire.” I said “I don‘t want to put them on, you don‘t want to put them on. Lets get rid of them!”

She laughed “I don‘t know Jack. It does not seem like your best idea.”

“Come on Miss. WorryPants! When was the last time you did something fun for once?”

She chuckled and started heading down to the street. I got up and followed. “You are right.” She started “This is the most fun I had since I was ten. Lets do it!”

“That’s my Liles!” I teased throwing my arm over her shoulder. When we got to the road she took a few tries to get my black converse to stay on the wire. Then they finally hang gently on the black rope. I copied and mine barely made it right next to hers.

I turned back to her. She had taken her phone out of her pocket and was smiling at me “I got a voicemail hold one.” She smiled walking in a circle as I looked back up at the shoes. I looked back at her then her face had dropped. Her eyes full of tears as she covered her dropped jaw with a weak fist. Tears started to roll down her cheek as she spoke carefully “Matt‘s in the hospital. ”

My heart stopped for a minute. We both got the same idea and ran into the building. I pushed by the rows of people standing dancing to the radio waiting for the finally song. I bummed into Rian and Kara. I shouted to him over the loud music “Matt‘s in the hospital!”

“What!” Kara chipped in over hearing me “What happened? Is it serious?”

I shrugged as Lily nodded wiped the tears off her dripping black eyes. Rian hit my shoulder to get my attention “We all can‘t go. But someone needs to take Lily. You take her!” He said pulling his keys out and handing them to me. “I‘ll find Alex and Zack to tell them what happened. We‘ll head to the hospital as soon as we can! Call me when you know what happened.”

I nodded and pulled Lily out of the crowd. Kara pulled herself out on my shoulder stepping on the back of my bare heel “I‘m coming with you two!” The three of us put ourselves in Rian’s car. I started it off and headed quickly to the hospital.

(Matt‘s P.O.V.)

I pulled into my driveway next to the small black car that was my dad’s. I quickly ran next to car window seeing the empty bottles covering the car. A loud slam and then scream came from the house as I busted to the door.

The tall dark haired men screamed at my young sister Abby. Broken glass of empty bottles covered the floor. The angry men chunked the bottle just missing her head and shattered on the dark green wall. I ran across the room knocking the drunken giant onto the ground.

“She did not to anything to give you the right to treat her like this!” I screamed at my farther. The crazy look from the beer shocked into my bones. The little girl jumped up and ran up the stair case to hide.

His fist pushed quickly and hard on my cheek bone pushing me off him and over to the ground. “You kids are the reason! And mostly you!” His mad deep voice pieced around the room as he came shaking to his feet. “It‘s your fault she‘s dead, James!” He said kicking my rib cage as a snap echoed around the room as pain overcame my body. He kicked the steel toe of his boot hardly into my side several more times crackling around my bone. Then two more kick this time to my head before throwing the bottle at me. The glass chipped and cut around my face as I tried to caught my breathe. The door slammed loudly as he left without a second thought over his action.

The worst part was he called me James. Only my mother called me James and he knew I hated it when anyone else did.

Abby ran to my side and started to wipe the blood and glass off my face carefully. I cough painfully and looked at the girls “Call 911. Tell them I fell!”