This Could Be All I've Waited For

Jack is really good at pretending nothing was wrong and that he was completely fine. Whenever we were around people he acted the way he always acted with me. He would joke and say stupid things that only Jack could make funny rather than wildly inappropriate. He still pulled me into random hugs and was balancing his time with Marie and his time with me pretty evenly which was incredible to me. At first he even had me fooled into thinking that, overnight, he was perfectly fine with my idiotic comment about my drunken night in his bunk.

I should have known that he was still upset about it, especially after our talk at the beach. All I got is a promise and him telling me that we were best friends and that was all that matters; whatever that was supposed to mean. Who says stuff like that anyway?

Honestly the whole situation makes me itch just thinking about it. I was uncomfortable knowing that Jack would act this way rather than talk about it with me, though I would probably be the same way if I had kissed his while he was drunk and I was sober. If we’d both been drunk it’d be an entirely different situation where we’d both laugh about it.

Jack and I sat on the couch in the front lounge the way we did most every morning with his arm slung around my shoulders as we talked with the rest of the guys while something random played on the TV in the background. Matt sat at the table talking on his phone in a business manner that I’d grown accustomed to before he looked up and took the phone from his ear.

“Cadence,” he called my attention in a formal way that I definitely had never heard before.

I gave him a confused look pulling my eye brows together and nodding to let him know that I was paying attention to what he had to say. “There are a couple of girls that are paying for VIP access and they’re requesting you to be their guide around the place, you up for it?” he asked.

The first thought that came to mind was that by taking this offer I’d be able to get away from Jack for a good chunk of the day… I almost felt bad when I enthusiastically said, “Absolutely!” I couldn’t stand to be around this fake Jack that I had obviously created by one stupid not fully thought out comment; go me.

“You’ll be getting paid, too,” Matt told me smiling, “it’s the Kansas date.”

There were high fives all around even a super over enthusiastic hug from Jack… this was beginning to get tiring. I figured now was as good as any time to try and bring the real Jack back and the only way I could think of was to make him mad.

I know it’s a stupid plan. I am aware that it could quite possibly make the situation worse, but honestly I’d rather Jack be super pissed at me and show it than be this fake happy Jack. I made the decision that I would wait until after the show just to make sure I had time to make things work before the next one.

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Just as the All Time Low set was ending Marie came walking back stage like she owned the place. Okay so maybe she was just walking like a normal person but I get to exaggerate every now and then; If you want an unbiased point of view go talk to a saint.

Jack came running towards me with a wide excited I-just-played-an-awesome-show kind of way and threw his arms around me in a hug. For a moment my smile was genuine as I forgot about how weird he had been acting lately.

“You’re early, Marie,” he said brightly letting me go and moving to give Marie a hug.

I rolled my eyes when she gave me a smug smile, because at this point I wished that he would go back to spending a majority of his time with her so he could forget this whole mess. Jack let her go and took a step back, seeming a little more awkward than he normally was.

“Well we should probably get back to your tent before things get too crazy over there,” Jack said to Marie before he gave me another hug causing her to give me an ugly look.

“See ya later, Cady,” he said brightly.

“Later,” Marie sneered at me.

“Bye bitch,” I said putting my hand up without waving. Let the plan commence.

Jack’s lip twitched into a half smile for less than a second as Marie’s jaw dropped. I shrugged my shoulders and looped my arm with Alex’s pulling him with me making sure I had someone to use as a shield just in case she went crazy on me.

Alex was laughing so hard that I’m pretty sure the only reason he was walking was because I was pulling him.

“I can’t believe you just did that!” he shouted causing several people to look our way as we passed.

“Shut up, Alex,” I scolded, “You’re going to attract the mob,” I nodded in the direction of the clusters of hustlers clearly identifiable by their ATL swag.

He sucked in a breath calming himself down, “I wonder if anyone else heard you,” he pondered the thought out loud and then decided that no one had because they would have laughed just as hard as he had. “Jack is probably so mad right now,” he said smiling and shaking his head at the thought.

I sighed, “Let’s hope so,” I said feeling like he was probably just thinking it was funny.

Alex jerked me to a stop, “What are you saying, Cade?” he asked now suspicious of my motives.

I shrugged my shoulders and pulled him forward so that we were moving again.

“Are you trying to piss Jack off?” he asked like it was the silliest thing he had ever heard, which I suppose it was.

I nodded my head without looking at him and chewed on the insides of my cheeks trying to make it back to the bus.

“Why would you want to do a thing like that, Cadence?” he asked, “He’s your best friend.”

Finally, we’d made it to the bus and I pulled the door open pushing Alex up the steps before telling him why I was doing what I was doing.

“So you’re telling me that you want to piss Jack off so he’ll yell at you so that you guys can be normal again?” he asked looking like he was trying to process it all.

I nodded my head, “We don’t fight, but I think that we might need to, to get him back to his normal self.”

Alex nodded leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees, “Do tell, why exactly are you guys not okay right now?” he asked looking suspicious.

I groaned frustrated that he had asked that question, “That is unimportant,” I said shaking my head.

“Well I think it’s pretty important, Cade,” he insisted, “From what I can tell you guys seem pretty normal though you are a little bit more bitchy than usual,” he commented using his fingers to show the amount my bitchiness had increased.

I groaned again and put my face in my hands. I should have known that by telling Alex my plan to piss Jack off that he would try and figure out why I was trying to piss him off in the first place. I know that I shouldn’t tell him because if Jack hadn’t told him yet then he probably didn’t want him to know. Why were Jack and I so similar? Why couldn’t he just tell people how he was feeling and why he felt that way so I could be the difficult one?

I sighed slipping my hands from my face, “He kind of kissed me,” I said quietly clasping my hands together and looking straight ahead.

Alex jumped off the couch in surprise, “He what?” he said looking down at me with a grin playing on his lips.

I rolled my eyes at his reaction and repeated myself, “He almost kissed me,” I said stressing the almost.

“What exactly does almost mean?” Alex asked me still smiling as he sat down.

“It means that it wasn’t on the mouth it was here,” I said pointing to the place that Jack’s lips had been a few days ago.

“I’m in,” Alex said leaning back into the couch and stretching his arms across the back of the couch.

“What?” I said asking him to clarify what exactly it was that he was in for.

“The plan,” he said gesturing with one of his hands, “I’m in.”

I rolled my eyes, “I don’t see how you could possibly help me piss Jack off,” I said honestly.

Alex frowned in a way that said he really didn’t care if there was anything that he could help with, “Doesn’t matter,” he said, “I approve.”

I rolled my eyes. I hadn’t been asking for approval I was going through with my plan with or without it.

-------------------------------------------

Jack hadn’t gotten mad when I’d called Marie a bitch, which was a huge let down because while I was daring I didn’t want to get into an actual fight with her… though I did know that I would win.

I decided I’d have push his buttons even further, so I planned to be extra bitchy towards Marie hoping that it would bristle some feathers. Given that I didn’t really come into contact with Marie all that often I was pretty much forced to say the random ‘fuck you’ in passing. Apparently saying the F word to Marie is slightly upsetting, I can’t say that it made me unhappy. I was beginning to get curious looks from Jack and harder glares from Marie. Jack obviously thinks too highly of me to get mad over words, which is enough to piss me off.

“You aren’t really accomplishing much,” Alex pointed out as we made our way to the signing that Jack was walking with Marie too.

I shrugged my shoulders, “There isn’t much that I can do,” I said frowning, “Jack doesn’t know how to be mad at me.”

We walked in silence for a moment while we both wracked our brains for ideas. I knew that I had to really piss Jack off to make him want to yell at me… but I’d never once made him that mad in all of the time that I’d known him. How do you piss someone off? It’s never been so hard to make someone mad.

“If you were a bigger slut I’d say you should just find someone to makeout with because that pissed you off pretty bad,” Alex said laughing at the idea or the memory one.

I frowned, “I don’t think that me makingout with someone would help my situation,” I said referring to the fact that I’d gotten myself into this mess over a kiss.

Alex’s eyes were wide for a moment with realization, “Yeah, yeah you’re right. You are not makingout with anyone, that is a terrible idea,” he said in a tone that sounded absolute.

The tent started coming into view and I could see Jack standing with Marie talking about something that I couldn’t possibly care less about. She threw her head back to laugh at something that Jack was only mildly chuckling about and I noticed how witch like she was.

“Can we call her Maleficent instead of Marie?” I asked Alex with my lip curled in disgust.

Alex chuckled as we made our way up to the two, “Absolutely,” he declared as we came to a stop in front of them.

“Cadence did you know that Jack has a tattoo on his chest of Jack Skellington?” she asked giving me a smug look as if I should feel left out somehow.

I rolled my eyes, “Ah geez no, Marie,” I said eyes wide as I continued sarcastically, “I’ve only known him since before he got the damn thing.”

Jack frowned at me as Marie continued as if I hadn’t said anything at all.

“Isn’t it funny that he has a tattoo of a Disney character with his name and I have one with my name?” she asked smiling like it was astonishing, “It’s like we were meant to be!”

I chuckled and shook my head, this girl was dim. “Yeah totally,” I said sarcastically, “Disney soul mates or some weird shit like that.” I rolled my eyes walking past them to go sit with Matt until the signing started.

I didn’t get very far before Jack’s hand caught my wrist, “Hey,” he said pulling me to a stop. I looked up at him expectantly waiting for him to get whatever it was out hoping that he’d be yelling it. “Did I do something?” he asked inside I was starting to give up on ever making Jack mad.

I shook my head and shrugged my shoulders, “Nope,” I said popping the p.

“Are you sure?” he asked, “It seems like you’re taking out your anger on Marie,” he jutted his thumb back in her direction behind him.

“I’m taking Marie out on Marie,” I said smiling in a way that I was hoping was maddening.

Jack only sighed and pulled me into a hug. I begrudgingly hugged him back hoping that he could feel my angry face against his chest. I felt him sigh before he said, “Will you do me a favor?”

I pulled away from him enough to look at is face curiously. When I found that he looked sincere I put my head back on his chest and said, “It depends.”

I felt his chuckle before he hugged me tighter and said, “Bring back the real Cady,” he sighed again, “I miss her.”

The comment caught me off guard and I wasn’t sure how to respond. Thankfully, I didn’t have to because Matt was calling the guys to the table so they could get the signing started and I was left standing there wondering how the eff I was going to piss Jack off and be the normal me at the same time. I guess I could say that I never agree to fulfill his favor.

Better question: Which one of us was being real, and which one of us is being fake?