No Pads… No Helmets… Just Memories!

"So..." Cass trailed off falling into the bank of lockers as I began to fiddle with the lock "anything you want to tell me?"

"Uhm no?" I questioned with a smile as I slid my bag of my back to exchange my textbooks.

"Really now?" She laughed getting to her feet to lean on the locker beside mine. "You and Alex?"

"I already told you we worked things out on Monday!" I said furrowing my eyebrows at my friend.

"Yeah..." She trailed off, "but you didn’t tell me what’s up with you guys... Really" she said taking her time to finish her thought.

"What’s that even supposed to mean?" I asked confused as I swapped my last book from bag.

"Please!" She scoffed, "he stops a song, runs off stage to go after you, then you two disappear, and no one hears from Alex or you till Sunday night, then yesterday he runs off, you follow him and it’s the Great Jasey and Alex disappearing act of 2004 2.0, where the hell were you guys?"

"We went back to Alex's, we were across the street from my house, wasn’t like we were in timbucktoo." I shrugged closing my locker door.

"Until 10?" She asked shocked raising her brows, "Yeah I know about that, I waited up for you because I thought we were going to the mall but when you never showed I just dipped."

"I’m so sorry Cass!" I said sincerely, "I guess we just lost track of time and I just stayed for dinner."

"You didn’t..." She ushered leaning in, "you know-"

"Oh God no Cass!" I laughed shoving her arm. "NOT EVEN CLOSE!"

"Mhmm..." She chimed as I stepped past her heading for the front doors as she pushed off the lockers to follow in suit.

"Why does everyone always think there’s something more to us?" I spoke, "like if it was Matt or Marc no one would second guess it but just because its Alex it’s different?"

"Well..." She trailed, "Alex hasn’t had the cleanest track record Jase."

"What do you mean?" I asked pushing the door open and joining the crowd of people flooding from the school.

"He’s become a bit of a..." She paused fiddling with the ends of her hair as she contemplated her wording, "well a manwhore."

"A man whore Cass?" I repeated with a chuckle, "I mean Alex has always been a flirty kid but a manwhore?"

"You haven’t seen anything, him kissing Tammy was nothing."

God. Why was she telling me this? Everything was finally falling into place now this?

"I don't see how this affects me?" I said with a little more edge in my voice than intended.

"Huh?" She scrunched her eyebrows.

"I don't see how Alex being a "manwhore" affects me hanging out with him AS A FRIEND."

"Well because." She said as we reached the corner and I turned to her.

"Because why?" I asked looking her in the eye, "nothing happened nor will anything, Alex and I are and always will be just friends."

"I don't know maybe I just don't want him getting the wrong impression about you forgiving him so easily." She trailed off.

"Cass I don't think Alex wants to make my life any more complicated than it is," I sighed running a hand though my hair waiting for the traffic to subside so we could cross, "I know better than to assume everything will snap back into being hunky dory but it’s nice to feel slightly normal for once."

She muttered in an inaudible tone to me at the time as I heard my name being called and I snapped my head behind me to see Jack and Alex running in our direction down the sidewalk.

"GUYS!" Jack yelled out of breath as the reached us.

"WHAT?" I called in a similar tone at his exasperating weak lungs.

"GUESS..." He paused to catch his breath, "WHAT!"

"You learned you need to run a mile or two?" I laughed.

"HA HA real funny!" He taunted poking a tongue out at me as he rested his hands on his knees, "but no!"

"Well yes," Alex trailed off, "BUT THAT'S NOT WHY WERE HERE!"

"Okay spill Gaskarth" I laughed rolling my eyes towards Cass over Jack as she giggled and we all started towards mine and Alex's street.

"RIAN JUST RAN UP TO US AND TOLD US THEY SOLD ACTUAL TICKETS TO THE SHOW TOMORROW AND THEY ACTUALLY SOLD OUT!" Alex shouted jumping slightly like a little girl.

"OMG ALEX THAT’S AMAZING!" Cass exclaimed pulling him into a hug once we finished crossing the street.

"I’m proud of you boobs!" I laughed patting Jack on the shoulder as he stood to his full length.

"You better be there!" Jack pointed a finger at me before shifting it to Cass.

"Where else would we be?" I laughed causing Jack to narrow is eyes and my wise crack comment.

"Hush you!" He laughed pointing a finger my way.

"Hey guys where is Rian?" Cass asked looking side to side as we all walked.

"Rita’s," I shrugged, "he picked up an extra shift because someone broke there pedal!" I laughed raising a brow at jack.

"IT WAS ZACK!" He yelled jumping up a bit.

"Dude!" Alex laughed smacking the back of his hand across his friends chest, "Zack doesn’t even use a pedal you goon!"

"So..." He muttered crossing his arms over his chest in protest causing us to all laugh at his efforts.

"You’re ridiculous!" I sighed as we stopped outside Alex's house.

"You guys wanna come in?" Jack asked pointing his thumb towards Alex's house. "It’s not like we can have practice anyway."

I looked over at Cass as a light smile perked on her lips. I shook my head at the sidewalk at my friends before shrugging my hands in the air, "I don't see why not it’s not like we have anything better to do on a Friday afternoon!"

We filed into Alex's home and down to the basement as we stepped over the clutter littering the floor to locate the sectional pressed to the wall in the back corner of the room. Alex stepped over flicking on the GameCube before tossing Jack a remote and stumbling over to the couch.

I laid down on one end by the attached ottoman as Alex crawled over and placed his head on my hip to view the television screen.

"You’re a pain in the ass you know that!" I laughed as I fiddled with the knot of the silly bandana tied around his head.

"Oh hush!" He laughed as he flicked through the Mario Kart menu.

"ALEX I WANNA BE YOSHI!" Jack whined from the floor at the other end of the couch.

"Just be Dry Bones!" Alex laughed, "And quit being a lil bitch!"

"You both are ridiculous!" Cass giggled shaking her head as the boys began to select their characters.

"Hey give me a controller!" I laughed causing Jack to crawled to the TV set and toss one over as I fumbled to grasp it.

"Tell you guys what," I laughed selecting a random character and sending the game to the countdown, "loser has to pay an order pizza!"

"You’re so damn on Dawson!" Alex laughed lifting one of his legs as he tried to navigate the course. "Hope you brought your wallet!"

"You talking to Jack?" I laughed as I slipped past a computer player and took lead. The action causing Jack to curse under his breath as he failed to pass an obstacle and Alex to slam his foot back down on the cushion. Little did they know sitting around in one of the rainiest states makes for lots of lonely nights and video games.

"NOT FAIR!" Jack shouted as he threw his controller to the carpet as the purple font reading 'loser' flashed over his corner of the screen.

"I can’t believe you beat us!" Alex gushed ripping his bandana off and throwing it at the screen.

"Quit being babies!" I laughed tossing my controller to my feet over Alex’s head.

Jack crossed his arms over his chest letting out a puff as Cass giggled at the boys.

"I’m feeling bacon pizza today!" I smiled at Jack as he scrunched his brows at me. "You shouldn’t have been so sure you'd win!" I laughed poking my tongue out at my skunk haired friend.

"You all suck!" He sighed climbing to his feet, "we should have just watched home alone!"

"I’ll go with him," Cass stated sending me an odd look as she stood causing my to wrinkle my features, "you know so he doesn’t order anything stupid or burn the house down."

I nodded my head not convinced as to why she insisted to follow jack up the stairs as Alex let out a grunt in response. I smiled down at Alex as he slid his eyes shut sucking in a deep breath.

"You guys suck at Mario Kart you know that!" I laughed as I ran a thumb over the indent left on his forehead when the two disappeared.

"You cheated!" He scoffed rolling on his side to look up at me with his large brown eyes.

"Okay pretty boy!" I giggled letting my head fall back to be supported by the arm rest.

"You think I’m pretty?" He laughed as a smile hinted at my lips.

"I think you’re desperate!" I laughed holding a finger in the air.

"YOU THINK IM PRETTY!" He laughed lightly smacking my stomach.

"OW-AH, don't do that you goober!" I laughed pushing his shoulder as I lifted my head.

"ADMIT IT!" He laughed pulling his head from my hip bone to sit on his knees, "You think I'm pretty!"

"I never said that." I retorted crossing my arms.

"Just say it!" He laughed holding his hands out at my sides and I know what his intentions were.

"ALEXANDER DON’T YOU DARE!" I shouted a moment to late as his hands graced my sides causing my body to jolt in laughter.

"ALEX STOP!" I laughed smacking at his arms and hands as he continued to tickle my sides.

"Admit you think I'm pretty!" He laughed.

"No!" I said trying to control my fit long enough to sound stern.

"Jasey Rae." He taunted crawling so he sat on my hips, his legs on either side of my body restraining any movement of me incase his tickle attack commenced. "Admit you think I’m pretty!"

"Alex, this is pathetic." I laughed as the moment the words slipped past my mouth he continued his torture on my sides, "ALEX STOP!" I laughed.

"Just admit it!" He giggled.

"Fine! You’re very pretty!" I laughed as he stopped his assault.

"I’m sorry what’s that?" He laughed cupping his hand behind his ear, "I didn't hear you."

"You, Alexander, are the prettiest girl in all the land." I giggled.

"Oh stop!" He laughed flicking his wrist, "your making me blush!"

"Yeah, yeah will you get off me now you bo-"

"WOAH!" A voice shouted as the noise was tailed with a chuckle causing Alex to roll off of me allowing me to sit upright. "We interrupting something?" Jack laughed with a smirk as I bit down on my lip, soaking in Cass’s what I like to call her 'what was that I said earlier, OH RIGHT!' face. My eyes slid to Alex as he dropped his head and scratched at the back of his neck.

Did it look as bad as I thought it did?

Something told me Cass wasn’t going to buy into the truth of playful friends anymore.

Notes