She's Glitter and Gold

After watching a million disgustingly romantic movies, three of which starred Ryan Gosling, I finally escape from my crying sister. She was always one of those people who gets upset over other peoples problems. I hadn't so much as teared up the entire night, whereas she started bawling during the Ikea scene of 500 Days of Summer.
I hand her my nearly empty container of ice cream and fake a yawn. "I'm gonna go take a nap. I didn't sleep much last night," I say, which is actually true.
She gives me an understanding, and somewhat pitying smile, before pulling me into a hug. "You deserve so much better than Jim," she informs me as I pull away.
I wonder how she knows that, when she hasn't even met him, but I just nod once and mumble a 'see ya', before running up the stairs.
I climb into my bed and stare at the posters of various boy bands and occasionally Jesse McCartney. The nostalgia that I've been feeling a lot today hits me. God, what I would do to go back to my shitty high school years.
Staring at the posters reminds me of Jack. I pull out my laptop and wait for it to turn on. I click onto the internet and suppress a groan at the slowness. Finally it comes up and I go onto Youtube.
I type in All Time Low on the search bar, and click on the first suggested song.
It's a live performance, and I'm shocked at the amount of people in the crowd. Alex is sitting on a stool, looking extremely sweaty, with an acoustic guitar in hand.
" This song is called Remembering Sunday ," he announces, causing a cheer to ripple across the audience.
He starts strumming a slow song, and begins singing. I'm... impressed. He was good. Really good. I click over to another live performance and smile at the faster song. I giggle a little as I watch Jack dance like an idiot around the stage as Alex sings his heart out to the screaming fans.
Halfway through the song, my phone buzzes. I click on the text.

Unknown Number:
How's your chick flick marathon going? ;)

I frown in confusion as I reply.

Me:
Terrible, random number. I ditched before she started with the Channing Tatum movies.

Unknown Number:
Alex got your number from your sister for me... Sorry if that's completely creepy.

I grin and quickly save Jack's number.

Me:
Yeah, just a little creepy. ;)

Jack:
Oh shush. So, what are you up to?

I bite my lip, hesitating on whether or not to admit to searching him. He had told me to, so it's not like I was being a stalker. And besides, he'd gotten my number by being a creeper.

Me:
Watching some guys in girl jeans dance around a stage, singing about being weightless.

Jack:
I'm guessing you're totally turned on right now, huh? ;)

The amount of winky faces this conversation contained was a bit odd, seeing as I just met him, but it doesn't feel weird. After some debating, I send back another sarcastic text.

Me:
Yeah, turned on to the max. My ovaries omg

Jack:
Haha, well would you like to pause getting off to my sexy guitar playing and go out for dinner with me? :)

I stare at the screen, a little wide eyed. He was asking me out? Before I can reply he sends another text.

Jack:
Okay, Alex said that's douche-ish of me to ask since you just got out of a relationship yesterday. Wanna just hang out?

I can't help but smile. I look back up at the screen that was paused on his face. He's cute, and it's not like I have anything better to do ... I bite my lip, then lick it and reply.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"So, Miss Hawkins," Jack says as he finishes his pasta. "What were you doing in Philly for five years?" A little smirk flickers across his face and he adds, "Besides your dickfaced boyfriend?"
I laugh and kick him under the table. "How long have you wanted to say that?"
He blushes a little. "Um, since earlier today."
I grin and, even though I should probably be offended by his joke like any other girl would, I wasn't. "I was going to college."
He raises his eyebrows a little and takes a sip of his drink. "For?"
I shrug and twirl the last of my spaghetti around my fork for a while. "Everything." I swallow the food and push my empty plate forwards a little.
"Nothing interested you?" he asks as he finishes his soda.
I shrug again and twirl my straw around in my cup. "I liked psychology. Only problem is, everyone does psychology."
He cocks his head to the side, and he locks his eyes with me. "What's wrong with that?"
"I'd never get a job..." I say with a laugh.
He shrugs his shoulders, just as our waitress stops with our bill. "Everyone wants to be in a band, and I still made it." Before I can process his attempted deep, inspirational statement, he giggles at something written on our bill.
"What?" I ask, trying to lean over the table to look.
"On a scale of one-to-ten, how hot is our waitress?" he asks, looking up at me through his thick eyelashes.
I frown and look past him to where our waitress, a pretty, petite blonde is watching us from a distance. "She's cute," I say before grabbing the bill from him. I study the pretty, cursive handwriting. Give me a call sometime . ;) Her number is scrawled out beneath the message. I snort and glance back over at the girl who gives me a dirty look before walking towards the kitchen.
"So I should call her?" he asks, taking the bill back as he digs out his wallet.
"If you want." I grab my wallet and hand him the money for my food, but he pushes it away.
"It's on me," he says as he sets down his money.
"No, I don't let people buy me food," I say with a laugh as I grab his wallet and shove my money in it.
He pouts as he takes the wallet back. "You're disrespecting my manliness by paying for yourself. I can practically feel my penis shrinking."
I roll my eyes and stand up. "I think you kind of rid yourself of any manliness and penis when you put those pants on this morning," I say as I nod towards his black skinny jeans that are nearly as tight as my own.
He grins and follows me out of the restaurant into the cold night. "How long do you think you'll stay in Baltimore for?" he asks as we get into his car.
"As little time as possible," I say honestly.
He starts driving and glances at me out of the corner of his eye. "Why's that?"
"I don't know." I curl my legs up onto the seat and look out the window at the buildings as we pass by. "There are just so many different places, why would I stay in the place I spent eighteen years in?"
I see his reflection in the window nod once. "Good point."
I look back at him, and study his profile for a minute. He really was attractive. "What about you? Are you guys going on tour soon?"
He shakes his head, a small pout coming onto his face. "Nah, we just finished up last month."
I look back out the window and frown when I realize we're not going in the direction of my mom's house. "Are you kidnapping me?"
"I am indeed," he says with a chuckle. He pulls into a bar, and parks. "Since you wouldn't let me buy you dinner, I'm buying you a drink."
I laugh, but don't object as I follow him out of the car and into the dimly lit building. It's practically a ghost town inside. Its only occupants, a few middle aged men playing pool and the bartender.
Jack and I sit on stools at the bar and order our drinks.
We sit in awkward silence for a long time, drinking beer and reordering whenever we ran out. Finally, after it gets too awkward, I ask, "So how long have Alex and Bonnie been together?"
He raises an eyebrow and sets his beer bottle down. "You guys don't talk a lot, do you?"
I shrug and take a sip of the beer I'd just ordered. "I call her on her birthday."
"Really?" he asks before draining his bottle and ordering another. That had to be his fifth. "You guys seem closer."
I roll my eyes. "No, we actually almost never get along."
He seems surprised, but instead of pushing that further, he says, "Eight months."
My eyebrows shoot up. "Eight months?" She was with a guy that long and hadn't even mentioned it to me? That was... strange. Especially for her.
He nods once. "Yeah, I don't know why she didn't tell you." Just as he's saying that, I realize why she didn't. I laugh a little and finish my beer. "What?" he asks, tilting his head to the side.
"I didn't tell her about Jim until we'd been together for three years."
"Why?" he asks, looking even more confused.
"I dunno," I shrug and contemplate whether or not I should order another drink. The alcohol is already buzzing through my veins and my head's spinning a little. "I didn't want her to insist on meeting him or whatever." I order another beer. It's not like it was strong enough to get me drunk or anything.
"Why's that?" he asks, crossing his arms over the bar, and leaning forward, never taking his hypnotizing eyes off of mine.
"I- he..." I think over my reply for a second. "My mom wouldn't have liked him."
"Why's that?" he repeats.
"Do you always ask so many questions?" I take a long drink, and he chuckles.
"Sorry, it's none of my business."
I set the bottle down and smirk. "You're right, it's not." We fall into another silence, until I ask, "What about you? You have a girlfriend?"
He smiles and shakes his head. "Relationships aren't my thing."
"Oh," I nod. "So you just asked me out in hopes that you'd get laid before I leave town."
He smirks and snaps his finger. "Damn, you caught me."
I roll my eyes and my index finger makes swirling patterns in the small puddle of water that had sweat off my bottle. "Sorry, I'm gonna have to pass," I apologize sarcastically.
"If you change your mind, just let me know," he teases as a smile plays across his lips.
I finish my drink and sigh. "I should get home."
We stand and he pays our tab, then walk out to his car. Once we're inside he cranks the heat up and, after noticing my uncontrollable shivering, he shrugs off his coat and hands it to me.
"I'm fine," I inform him, but pull the warm jacket on anyways.
"I doubt your mom would like me very much if I let her coat-less daughter freeze to death."
I laugh and look around the city as we pass by the familiar buildings. "Everything's the same..." I murmur quietly.
"Actually, that strip club was just put in last year," he informs me as we pass by one of the few buildings that seems alive.
"Ooh, I'm gonna have to go job hunting there," I joke.
"I tried," he says with a dramatic sigh. "Apparently I'm under-qualified up top, and over-qualified below."
I laugh and notice we're turning onto my mom's street. "I might have better luck since I'm an owner of a vagina."
He sighs again, shaking his head. "Such sexism these days."
He pulls up the drive and I notice that all the lights are off in the house. "Thanks for tonight, " I say as he stops the car.
He smiles and turns to face me. "No problem. If you ever need rebound sex, I'm your guy."
I laugh and, since I don't know what else I should do I give him a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll let you know," I tease as I get out of his car and shut the door. I hurry up to the house and step through the unlocked front door. I turn and wave to him, then walk up to my room.