Oh, Calamity!
Chapter 10: Iris
Nora's Outfit
After recuperating, Luna was back to her usual, happy and bubbly self. So much so that she insisted we all get together again to hang out. “Here’s the deal,” she said. “I know last time didn’t work out so hot with you and Jack fighting and all...but this time, I’m banning everyone who wasn’t with us in high school...except for Cassadee.”
“What time should I be over at your house?” I wondered.
“Alex and I will come pick you up. We’re going out on the town tonight,” she mentioned, and I could practically see her grinning through the phone.
I let out a long groan. “You know I hate bars though.”
“Sorry, dear. You’ve been outvoted,” she replied. “Will you be ready by 9?”
I glanced at the clock on my microwave. 8:15. I could get ready in that time, right? “Sure. See you soon.”
We hung up and I ventured to my room, rummaging in my dresser for something that wasn’t overly professional. I pulled out a bright green tanktop, holding it up to judge if it would work, when something slipped out of it and landed on the floor. Curious, I leaned down to pick it up, surprised at what it was. In my hands was an old guitar pick on a worn out string, the same guitar pick Jack had inadvertently given me almost a decade ago.
“Hmm...” I thought to myself. “I was sure I burned this a long time ago. How did it end up in my dresser?”
Without really thinking, I slipped the makeshift necklace over my head, letting it fall and rest around my neck. Back in highschool, I had almost never taken it off and here I was, touching it for the first time in years. I wondered if anybody would notice I was wearing it.
I finished getting dressed and waited for Alex and Luna to arrive, fiddling with the necklace all the way. When they finally got to my apartment, Luna squealed looking me over. “You look like a normal 25 year old! I’m so proud of you!”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh God. Please don’t start that.”
“Relax,” she giggled. “I was just joking. You look fabulous as always. Now, come on! Let’s get a move on.”
She skipped off toward the car, and Alex and I shared a look, smiling at each other. “Well, I’d say that’s an improvement,” I said.
He nodded. “Nothing makes me happier.”
We all climbed in the car and drove off toward some bar downtown, where Zack, Rian, Cassadee, and Jack were already waiting for us. We got a booth in the back and slid in together, making a tight fit. Luckily, I was on the end, next to Jack.
He grinned at me, gesturing to my necklace. “I see you’ve decided not to completely hate me.”
I shook my head. “Jack, I have never completely hated you.”
Everyone ordered a drink of some sort of alcohol, including myself. The boys had suggested I get some sort of fruity drink that I couldn’t remember the name of, so I did. Alex was the designated driver, so he just enjoyed a glass of water while we all slowly became intoxicated. Music pounded throughout the bar so loud I couldn’t even hear Jack, so the two couples at the table went to go dance, leaving me with Jack and Zack.
“I need another beer. Be right back,” Jack said, forcing me to slide out of the booth.
I gravitated toward the middle, next to Zack, and sighed. “Well, so much for the group hanging out.”
“Don’t worry; they’ll get tired and come back eventually,” he replied, taking a sip from his drink and pausing briefly. “You know, Nora, I really wish you would’ve stuck around and gone on tour with us these past few years.”
“That’s lovely of you to say, Zack, but you know exactly why I didn’t tag along,” I mentioned.
“I know, and I completely get it. You and Jack were super serious, and he broke it off out of nowhere. But I really wish he hadn’t. We’d all be better off, I think. Especially him,” he explained, gesturing to Jack at the bar.
I tilted my head to the side in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Are you kidding? Jack wasn’t even the one who got dumped, and he was wreck once we got on tour. He put on a good act for the crowd, but when we’d get back to the bus, he’d just hide in his bunk and not talk to any of us. We asked him time and time again why he broke it off, and he’d just say ‘I have my reasons’. He missed you, I missed you, Luna missed you...we all did. Our lives just weren’t completely right with you there,” he said, looking me dead in the eye.
Why had Jack been in pain after our break up so many years ago? I thought that was what he wanted. Most of all, what were the real reasons he broke up with me? “You...You guys really missed me?”
“Hell yeah we did. I don’t think there has been a day that we’re on tour that we haven’t said ‘I wish Nora was here’.” he stated.
I gave him a quick hug, bewildered by his comments. “I missed you guys too. More than anything.”
“Whoa, what’s with all the PDA over here?” Jack cut in suddenly, a smile on his face.
“Just some old friend bonding. You should join us,” I replied, grinning at Zack.
“Actually, I was going to ask you if you wanted to dance,” he said, shuffling awkwardly on his feet.
“Me? Why?” I wondered.
“Come on, Nora. You love to dance, even if you look like a fool,” he offered a hand out to me. “And I requested for the DJ to play Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls, so you better hurry up and decide.”
I gaped at him, surprised. “Really? You picked Iris? That’s one of my favorite songs EVER!”
A small smile formed on his face. “Yeah, I know. Are you coming or not?”
I took his hand and quickly slid out of the booth. From across the dancefloor, Luna glanced at us beaming, and then shot me a wink. I wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but it seemed to be something along the lines of “Ooo...you go girl.” Though I didn’t know why she would say such a thing. I was only dancing with Jack.
Jack followed my gaze to the happy engaged couple and grinned. “I guess they really are happy, aren’t they?”
“If soul mates exist, I think they are the definition of it,” I replied.
“Damn. They both found The One in high school. That’s some crazy luck right there,” he commented.
I shrugged. “You can meet your soulmate at any time, any place, any age. No restrictions.”
“Do you think you’ve already met yours already?” He wondered.
“I think maybe so. I can’t imagine meeting him later in life,” I said. “What about you? Is Robin your soulmate?”
He paused. “You know, I really have no idea.”
“That’s okay. I’m not sure if Will’s mine either yet,” I added.
“Nora, I...” he began, but stopped once his phone wibrated in his pocket. “Uh, hold on. It’s Robin.”
Disappointment washed over me, but I nodded, and we left the dance floor. He stepped outside so he could hear her and I took my place back at the table beside Zack, knocking back the rest of my drink. Zack looked at me carefully, trying to figure out what was going on. “Are you okay?”
I didn’t really say anything, but instead began singing along to Iris, since it finallys began playing. “And I don’t want the world to see me, cuz I don’t think that they’d understand. When everything’s made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am.”
I got lost in the song, focusing on the music and lyrics, and only one thought crossed my mind: Son of a bitch. I still have feelings for Jack.
After recuperating, Luna was back to her usual, happy and bubbly self. So much so that she insisted we all get together again to hang out. “Here’s the deal,” she said. “I know last time didn’t work out so hot with you and Jack fighting and all...but this time, I’m banning everyone who wasn’t with us in high school...except for Cassadee.”
“What time should I be over at your house?” I wondered.
“Alex and I will come pick you up. We’re going out on the town tonight,” she mentioned, and I could practically see her grinning through the phone.
I let out a long groan. “You know I hate bars though.”
“Sorry, dear. You’ve been outvoted,” she replied. “Will you be ready by 9?”
I glanced at the clock on my microwave. 8:15. I could get ready in that time, right? “Sure. See you soon.”
We hung up and I ventured to my room, rummaging in my dresser for something that wasn’t overly professional. I pulled out a bright green tanktop, holding it up to judge if it would work, when something slipped out of it and landed on the floor. Curious, I leaned down to pick it up, surprised at what it was. In my hands was an old guitar pick on a worn out string, the same guitar pick Jack had inadvertently given me almost a decade ago.
“Hmm...” I thought to myself. “I was sure I burned this a long time ago. How did it end up in my dresser?”
Without really thinking, I slipped the makeshift necklace over my head, letting it fall and rest around my neck. Back in highschool, I had almost never taken it off and here I was, touching it for the first time in years. I wondered if anybody would notice I was wearing it.
I finished getting dressed and waited for Alex and Luna to arrive, fiddling with the necklace all the way. When they finally got to my apartment, Luna squealed looking me over. “You look like a normal 25 year old! I’m so proud of you!”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh God. Please don’t start that.”
“Relax,” she giggled. “I was just joking. You look fabulous as always. Now, come on! Let’s get a move on.”
She skipped off toward the car, and Alex and I shared a look, smiling at each other. “Well, I’d say that’s an improvement,” I said.
He nodded. “Nothing makes me happier.”
We all climbed in the car and drove off toward some bar downtown, where Zack, Rian, Cassadee, and Jack were already waiting for us. We got a booth in the back and slid in together, making a tight fit. Luckily, I was on the end, next to Jack.
He grinned at me, gesturing to my necklace. “I see you’ve decided not to completely hate me.”
I shook my head. “Jack, I have never completely hated you.”
Everyone ordered a drink of some sort of alcohol, including myself. The boys had suggested I get some sort of fruity drink that I couldn’t remember the name of, so I did. Alex was the designated driver, so he just enjoyed a glass of water while we all slowly became intoxicated. Music pounded throughout the bar so loud I couldn’t even hear Jack, so the two couples at the table went to go dance, leaving me with Jack and Zack.
“I need another beer. Be right back,” Jack said, forcing me to slide out of the booth.
I gravitated toward the middle, next to Zack, and sighed. “Well, so much for the group hanging out.”
“Don’t worry; they’ll get tired and come back eventually,” he replied, taking a sip from his drink and pausing briefly. “You know, Nora, I really wish you would’ve stuck around and gone on tour with us these past few years.”
“That’s lovely of you to say, Zack, but you know exactly why I didn’t tag along,” I mentioned.
“I know, and I completely get it. You and Jack were super serious, and he broke it off out of nowhere. But I really wish he hadn’t. We’d all be better off, I think. Especially him,” he explained, gesturing to Jack at the bar.
I tilted my head to the side in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Are you kidding? Jack wasn’t even the one who got dumped, and he was wreck once we got on tour. He put on a good act for the crowd, but when we’d get back to the bus, he’d just hide in his bunk and not talk to any of us. We asked him time and time again why he broke it off, and he’d just say ‘I have my reasons’. He missed you, I missed you, Luna missed you...we all did. Our lives just weren’t completely right with you there,” he said, looking me dead in the eye.
Why had Jack been in pain after our break up so many years ago? I thought that was what he wanted. Most of all, what were the real reasons he broke up with me? “You...You guys really missed me?”
“Hell yeah we did. I don’t think there has been a day that we’re on tour that we haven’t said ‘I wish Nora was here’.” he stated.
I gave him a quick hug, bewildered by his comments. “I missed you guys too. More than anything.”
“Whoa, what’s with all the PDA over here?” Jack cut in suddenly, a smile on his face.
“Just some old friend bonding. You should join us,” I replied, grinning at Zack.
“Actually, I was going to ask you if you wanted to dance,” he said, shuffling awkwardly on his feet.
“Me? Why?” I wondered.
“Come on, Nora. You love to dance, even if you look like a fool,” he offered a hand out to me. “And I requested for the DJ to play Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls, so you better hurry up and decide.”
I gaped at him, surprised. “Really? You picked Iris? That’s one of my favorite songs EVER!”
A small smile formed on his face. “Yeah, I know. Are you coming or not?”
I took his hand and quickly slid out of the booth. From across the dancefloor, Luna glanced at us beaming, and then shot me a wink. I wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but it seemed to be something along the lines of “Ooo...you go girl.” Though I didn’t know why she would say such a thing. I was only dancing with Jack.
Jack followed my gaze to the happy engaged couple and grinned. “I guess they really are happy, aren’t they?”
“If soul mates exist, I think they are the definition of it,” I replied.
“Damn. They both found The One in high school. That’s some crazy luck right there,” he commented.
I shrugged. “You can meet your soulmate at any time, any place, any age. No restrictions.”
“Do you think you’ve already met yours already?” He wondered.
“I think maybe so. I can’t imagine meeting him later in life,” I said. “What about you? Is Robin your soulmate?”
He paused. “You know, I really have no idea.”
“That’s okay. I’m not sure if Will’s mine either yet,” I added.
“Nora, I...” he began, but stopped once his phone wibrated in his pocket. “Uh, hold on. It’s Robin.”
Disappointment washed over me, but I nodded, and we left the dance floor. He stepped outside so he could hear her and I took my place back at the table beside Zack, knocking back the rest of my drink. Zack looked at me carefully, trying to figure out what was going on. “Are you okay?”
I didn’t really say anything, but instead began singing along to Iris, since it finallys began playing. “And I don’t want the world to see me, cuz I don’t think that they’d understand. When everything’s made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am.”
I got lost in the song, focusing on the music and lyrics, and only one thought crossed my mind: Son of a bitch. I still have feelings for Jack.
Ahhhhhhh I want more
5/2/18