Time Bomb

“Josh! Hey, Josh!” Jack shouted jogging toward the older man. “Hey, can we talk?”

“Shoot.” Josh nodded, tossing his coffee cup in the trash and heading inside the quiet venue, with Jack on his heels

“Look, I know this is going to sound bad but I promise it isn’t.” Jack began, he didn’t know how to ask Josh this exact question, but he felt he had to ask before just making the choice.

“Oh man, don’t tell me you killed Flyzik and need help hiding the body, because you’re right that does sound bad.” Josh joked, trying to break the mood.

“No, nothing like that.” Jack laughed. This could potentially be worse. “Rian’s girlfriend, Cassadee is here tomorrow and we’re in the hotel. I have to share a room with Rian.”

“Tough.” Josh nodded waiting for Jack to continue.

“I know Riley will have a single room, would it be okay if she swapped Rian and stayed in my room so he and Cass can do what they want and I’m not scared for life.” Jack finally blurted out his question.

Rian had already spoken to Josh earlier, upon his own discussion with Jack about the situation. Josh wasn’t entirely thrilled with the idea of Riley sharing a room with Jack, especially with the reputations they both held. On the other hand, Rian did seem desperate and who was Josh to deny a man with needs?

If he went against it then he was breaking to bro-code toward Rian and that wasn’t fair. If he went with it, then it was allowing his cousin free rein which also posed a problem. Riley wasn’t here on vacation and Jack knew this. That fact was why Josh also felt apprehensive to encourage Jack to take Riley out the next evening for a bit of fun. Still, Riley had been doing pretty well and Josh did owe her for his blow up over her and Jack.

“I promise I’ll keep my hands to myself, we’ll even have two different beds. I just think that since I want to help her, being together might not be a bad thing.” Jack rambled on.

“I’m going with my instinct that your intentions are the right ones.” Josh shrugged handing over Jack an envelope. “So, take Riley out and have fun, but remember if you hurt her...”

“I’m a dead man.” Jack finished the sentence opening the envelope to find out what was inside.

“You learn fast young grasshopper.” Josh smirked before turning and leaving Jack alone to digest what just took place.

Getting Josh to let Riley share a room with Jack had been way easier than Jack had expected, of course Josh expected Jack to hold a level of respect which Jack was fully intending to do anyway. Riley was special, Jack wouldn’t tarnish that trust he had somehow managed to build with Josh. Knowing that Josh had pretty much set Jack up for the ultimate date with Riley was also showing Jack that maybe the odds were in his favour. A bit baffled as to why Josh gave him the opportunity to take Riley out instead of taking her himself, Jack didn’t question that any further.

The band groups had been divided upon their day off, Jack had spent most of his day with Riley and Alex, the three had hung out in Alex and Zack’s hotel room playing video games and goofing off. Sometime early afternoon, Rian had showed up with his girlfriend, Cassadee Pope in tow. The brunette singer was all over the fact that for once, while visiting Rian on tour she wasn’t the only girl.

Cassadee’s perky personality and cheerful manner was almost polar opposite from what Jack had seen so far from Riley, but the two girls managed to get on quite well. They sat on the vacant bed chattering back and forth about god knows what while the boys continued their video games. After kicking both Jack and Alex’s ass at a round of Halo, Rian declared he was hungry and asked Cassadee if she was ready for dinner. Claiming that she could eat the ass end out of a hippo, Cassadee bounced off of the bed to stand next to Rian.

Pulling on coats and boots, Alex and Rian waited at the door while Cassadee scooted back into the room to see if Jack and Riley wanted to join. Alex had already told her it was no use, Jack had other plans, but she wanted to be polite and ask anyway seeing as both Alex and Rian had just said goodbye and walked out.

“Hey we’re going out, did you want to come?” Cassadee asked flipping her hair over her shoulder.

“Y..” Riley was cut off by Jack.

“You go ahead; we’ve got plans.” Jack interrupted standing up from Alex’s bed for the evening.

“Oh well have fun.” Cassadee replied waving before skipping back out the door.

“We do?” Riley asked Jack with a questioning glance.

Jack nodded. “We certainly do, Miss Smithson. I hope you don’t mind, but I thought maybe we could go out for our own fun. Something different to get off these buses and out of a hotel room.”

“Are you asking me on a date, Mr. Barakat?” Riley giggled as Jack handed over her coat and helped her put it on.

Jack hadn’t thought of it that way, but if Riley wanted it to be a date then Jack was okay with calling it that. He had been looking at it as two friends grabbing dinner then a show. If Riley wanted a date then a date it was.

“I have these and I didn’t want to go alone, do you maybe want to go with me?” Jack asked holding out the tickets for Riley to see.

“Where did you...how? That has been sold out for months!” Riley gushed. “Seriously, how did you get fucking Hedley tickets?”

“Wow, you’re on tour with All Time Low and Marianas Trench and you’re acting like a total fangirl over these guys?” Jack laughed in a joking manner.

“Marianas Trench, for when Hedley is sold out.” Riley recited Josh’s favourite line with a shrug and a smirk.

“When was the last time Hedley played a sold out show in Asia?” Jack asked shoving the tickets in his back pocket and grabbing his coat.

“Um, never but that isn’t the point Barakat. It isn’t quantity it is quality.” Riley teased following him out of the hotel room.

“If you want my opinion, neither band is half as good as All Time Low. I hear they have a really sexy guitar player.” Jack continued to make the jokes as they left the hotel and headed in search of a cab.

“Yeah, Alex is okay but not sexy. The real sexy beast in that band is Rian, yeow!” Riley whistled and cat called at the mention of the drummer’s name.

“I’m telling Cassadee.”

“I’m sure she’ll agree.” Riley stuck her tongue out at Jack as he flagged down a cab and they climbed in.

Jack had picked a diner not far from the venue while Riley continued to buzz about their evening. It was rather amusing watching Riley go on like some crazed fan, in a way she was, which is not how Jack saw her. Most of the time she was the snappy, depressed looking girl sitting by herself hating the world and as much as Jack adored that girl, he liked this girl a lot more.

The show was unlike anything Jack had been to before; Riley was thoroughly enjoying it which made it that much better. These guys knew how to entertain; it was nice watching someone else perform for screaming masses of people instead of having to do it himself, not that Jack didn’t enjoy what he did. Riley never stopped smiling, alone that was a huge reward. She sang along to every song, clapping and happily dancing, bouncing up and down beside Jack like a five year old on a sugar high.

Exhausted and exhilarated after the show, the pair headed back to their hotel, now flopped down on their beds playing twenty questions Jack asked the loaded question. He didn’t do it to be nosey or to be cruel he only wanted to know more about Riley and right now she was in a sharing mood. So far the questions they had bounced back and forth had been answered with nothing but complete honesty. Jack enjoyed hanging out and getting to know her this way, it was private and open. He could be himself and he wanted Riley to feel the same way.

“Worst drunken birthday mistake ever?” Jack asked taking a sip from his water bottle and capping it, to sit between his legs.

Riley scrunched up her face, pinching the bridge of her nose and sighing. Making Jack promise he’d never tell a soul, even going as far to pinkie swear on it. Jack waited, what could be so bad?

“On my sixteenth birthday I was pretty wasted, I lost my virginity Matt in exchange for a bottle of tequila.” Riley confessed. “Josh never found out, clearly because Matt Webb is still alive.”

Jack only blinked. He didn’t see that one coming.

“What’s the worst secret you have ever kept from your family and friends?” Riley asked, shrugging the blank look from Jack off. She had seen that expression before.

“When I was twelve, I uh...I.” Jack swallowed hard, standing up. It was easier to show than to explain.

“Jack!” Riley squealed as he lowered his pants. “Put that away.”

“Wh-Oh no!” Jack shook his head frantically, laughing nervously. “I’m not...god no. I just...I mean...” he stammered. “Unless you want me to?” he winked.

“No, keep the pants on.” Riley replied with a slight chuckle.

Shaking his head playfully, Jack continued to lower his jeans, pushing them down so they rested half way down his hips he turned slightly to his left for Riley to see what he was doing. Gently reaching out, Riley ran her fingers over his warm skin, Jack shivered out of habit.

“Are those scars? Jack, I...how?”

“When I was in junior high, I got bullied a lot.” Jack explained pulling his jeans back up and buttoning them quickly, he flopped down next to Riley on the bed. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

Riley nodded in understanding. So the happy go lucky, never let life get him down and always smiling looking for the positive side Jack Barakat had a skeleton in his closet. Even the happiest people weren’t always that way.

“After we put the band together, things just started getting better for me and falling into place and I stopped. It wasn’t easy, but my point is if I can get better so can you. You have to let me help you get better, Riles.” Jack said gently smoothing his hand over her hair.

A ghost of a smile passed Riley’s lips.

“I’ve never talked to anybody about this; I cut myself for almost three years. Zack asked me about it, once, I told him some bullshit about Joe and I fighting and I got hurt. He never asked me again, but I know he’s too smart to believe what I said.” Jack spoke softly.

“I don’t know if I can get over this, Jack.” Riley spoke with a shaky voice, the game clearly ended.

“I want you to get better; I know you can get better. We all have things in life that we need to work passed and I believe you’re going to do it.” Jack smiled. “Problems are problems. Whether its drugs, self-harm, eating disorders, alcohol it is still a problem and none of it is good for you.” Jack reasoned, pulling Riley closer.

“I don’t even know where to start.”

“You start by telling Josh you want his help and you need it. I’m going to help you and we’ll make it through, but nobody can help you more than him.” Jack explained, kissing the top of her head.

“Do you ever feel so unwanted?” Riley asked leaning into Jack’s side.

“I used to, but I promise it will get better and you’re not unwanted.” Jack said, hugging her tightly to his side.

“Yes I am, I’m so fucked up who would want me?” Riley whispered, her face buried in Jack’s neck as she hugged him back. “My own parents don’t even want me, Jack.”

“Your mom loves you, I know it. Josh loves you. The other guys love you too.” Jack whispered, his first reaction was to shout “me!” and then show her how he felt, but that was pushing it.