Best Thing In Town

Why did my head burn. Actually, burn wasn’t the word, why was my head pounding? No wait don’t answer that I bet it had something to do with the bottle of wine I’d snagged last night. Okay, so what happened after I’d downed the wine? I fell asleep… and now I was hung-over.
Good, then I could spend my day mopping around with a hangover and not have to face anyone else because I hated them all. Except Alex, if I remember correctly he refused to leave – hey I wonder if he ever did leave or if he’s still on… why is there an arm around my waist?

Why. Is. There. A. God. Damn. Arm. Around. My. Waist.

Slowly, fearing the beast that could be laying beside me, I turned my head. Suddenly I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders when I realised it was just Alex, a cute, sleeping, young looking Alex at that. But hey, did that mean he’d snuck into my bed after I’d fell asleep last night? Oh wow that’s gro-

Oh, oh… oh.

In the words of Celine Dion, it’s all coming back to me now. So much for thirty dates, wow Jade well done for having morals… not.

Wait, we were still clothed? Oh that’s a good thing! So I did still have morals? Good, good girl. Do you know what, all this thinking is actually really hurting my head. So, how about I wait for Alex to wake up and then I ask him? I swear, the last thing I can remember is crying hopelessly into his chest.

Which reminds me I wonder if Robin has returned home and I wonder when I’ll get my apology from Freya; slowly, I peeled Alex's arm from around my waist and slipped out of my bed and doing so made him mumble something before he rolled onto his front. My head was spinning as soon as I stood up, the bottle of red wine was almost jeering at my from my night stand as I steadied myself. Honestly, I must have made a right fool out of myself last night which wouldn’t have been pretty.

“Where are you going?” Alex mumbled into his pillow as I pulled on a clean pair of jeans and a Panic! At The Disco t-shirt, I chanced a glace at the clock beside my bed and sighed seeing it was only half past seven. It’d be ridiculous if I woke him up, especially after the state he’d possibly (because I couldn’t quite recall every detail that happened yet) seen me in. Plus, I wanted to be alone at the moment and I wanted fresh air.

“Go back to sleep.” I told him softly, he grunted in response and buried his face further into my pillows. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my phone off of the table. I pushed it into my back pocket and eyed Alex once more.

I watched as his body moved up and down slowly with his breathing, I sighed in content and slipped out of my room. Tip-toeing to the front door to avoid any confrontation with Robin, or Tony or, Kellin or anyone else that had someone how gotten into my apartment. I needed fresh air, not big fat ass rants about how silly I was inviting someone I though was brilliant.

Luckily no-one was around and I managed to get out of the apartment super easy, just call me the next Spider-Man, minus being as hot as Andrew Garfield and the whole ‘spider’ crap, because spiders scared the living daylights out of me and if one bit me and gave me superpowers I would cry in my room, under my bed for years and years. Although, the upside down kiss looks fun doesn’t it?

Beside the point, with my genuine curiosity of becoming Spider-Man I’d managed to lead myself on a short walk to one of the nearby parks. Huh, it wasn’t what I was thinking when I wanted fresh air – especially with parks being full of little kids, screaming and shouting and chasing each other. I guess at half past seven, well now quarter to eight, kids were in bed sleeping. It was quiet, peaceful even… just what I needed.

With it being that, I threw myself down onto the grass and lay back. The sun was slowly rising and the clouds were a fluffy pink, it looked beautiful and made me wonder why I’d never been bothered enough to come down to the park that early before but then I remembered how comfy my bed was and how much I loved sleep. So it was unlikely this would ever happen again.

“Why are you lying on the grass?” I squinted as a man suddenly blocked my sunlight, their tall body towering above me.

“Excuse me?” I frowned, not recognising the voice … although it sounded faintly similar.

“You’ve got a white top on, if you move around too much you’ll get grass stains and they’re quite hard to get out of clothes you know.” Had this guy got a degree in washing clothes?

“Right, well thanks for the advice…” I trailed off, a little confused to say the least.

“Anytime man,” the body then moved and plonked their body down on the floor next to me. I turned my head to the side and without the sun in my face; I was able to see their face clearly and was greeted by a smiley looking Jack. “hey,” he said when my face relaxed with a look of recognition.

“Hello,” I responded smiling slightly because Jack and I weren’t spectacular friends as of yet.

“May I ask why you’re outside lying on the grass in a children’s park at ten to eight in the morning?”

“May I ask what you’re doing sitting next to me, lying down on the grass at ten to eight in the morning?”

He smirked with my response and decided to lie down next to me. “So you’re not going to tell me why?” He asked sadly.

“Nope,” I responded sympathetically “it’s a bit of a long story though,” I shrugged as well as I could whilst being led down. I mean, I could have told Jack right, seeing as everyone else seemed to know, but I’d came to think away those thoughts rather than tell them all again.

“Does it have anything to do with the fact Alex didn’t come home last night?” He asked, I sensed the hidden question in his voice and the jab in my side with his elbow confirmed my exact thoughts; dirty sod “How bad was he?” he asked seriously when I didn’t respond.

I tutted “Shut up Jack,”

He rolled onto his side and grinned cheekily.

“he just stayed because… because it got late by the time everyone had left.” Lie. “Anyway he slept on the couch,” another lie “and we’re just friends, so leave it!” truth.

Jack scoffed and rolled back down onto his back “Don’t hurt him,” he piped up.

“You know, when I said I’d had a sex change I was joking right?” I scoffed.

“I’m not on about you hurting him like that,” Jack screwed his face up at the thought “I know you’re a girl, your boobs gave that one away.” He said openly, as though looking and expressing things about women’s boobs was acceptable.

“Thanks,” I responded sarcastically.

“I mean like, physically and mentally…” he trailed off, annoyingly with that.

“Physically and mentally?” I asked, confused with wherever the hell he was going. Had I mentioned I was too hung-over for this? My brain wasn’t at a suitable level to work out skunk haired farm born riddles.

“You know,” Jack sighed expecting me to know what he was going on about “don’t hurt him and by that I mean don’t get his hopes up if you’re just going to ditch him,” hold on, where was he going? “I can’t work out if you actually consider him a friend and you actually like him, or if you’re using him for the dates because it means you get to go to cool places. He’s told me about it you know. I’ve never seen him make an effort for a girl before,” he said honestly “But I’ve seen him have his heartbroken so many times and I don’t want to have to see it happen again, so if you have no intentions of actually being there for him or just being a friend after this whole dating bullshit is over, then I suggest you just quit now whilst he isn’t attached and whilst he has time to get over you.”

“Do you give this chat to everyone that Alex likes?” I scoffed offended with the way he was speaking to me.

“I’m being serious Jade,” he said sternly.

“So am I because if you do speak to them like this then I can understand why they ditch him,” I folded my arms across my chest “but I have no intentions of doing so alright? Because Alex is the first friend I’ve had in a while that I actually feel like I can trust and I really don’t know what I’d do without him at the moment. Plus right now I can’t work out if I’m sober yet or if I’m still partially drunk,” I pushed myself up into a seated position “And I’ll have you know Mr. Skunk, that I would never stoop so low as to use somebody. I might come across to be a little forward sometimes, but that’s not the kind of person I am. At all!” I huffed in Jack's direction and pushed myself up and off of the grass.

I was ready to storm off when Jack's hand clamped around my wrist “That was all I wanted to hear,” he said “thank you.” I looked at him confusingly and just pulled my hand away.

“You’re welcome?” what a freak “I’m going home now, okay?" Jack just smiled and nodded. I shook my head and started wondering back when he shouted my name again. I spun around on the spot and raised my eyebrows.

“I think we’ve got a brilliant friendship here,” he shouted across the park “tell Alex I said hi!” I gawped at him for a few moments and then being myself, I stuck my middle finger up in the air and curtseyed; I watched as he fell back against the grass and heard his laugh bellowing across the park. With his reaction I smiled and walked away.

Maybe I did like Jack, but maybe I didn’t want to quite admit to that openly yet hey?

I pushed open the apartment door and snuck quietly inside, because you know the whole avoiding Robin and everyone else thing. I turned around quickly and a shrill squeal escaped from my mouth as I faced Alex standing with his arms folded across his chest.

“Jesus Christ you gave me a heart attack!” I frowned, bending over to catch the breath I’d just lost due to being shocked.

“I was supposed to be awake before you,” he pouted “so that I could make sure you weren’t too hung over!” his arms dropped to his side and he hesitantly walked towards me “Are you hung over?” he asked.

“Urm,” I frowned, loosing my trail of thought as he stood almost inches away from me “my head is pounding a little, nothing I can’t handle…” he reached out and cupped my chin “And anyway you were kind of awake, but I told you to go back to sleep.”

My mind wasn’t really working properly and I was a little confused as to what the hell had happened that allowed him to be able to get so touchy, touchy with me?

“Jack said hi by the way,” I mumbled awkwardly. Did you know it’s quite hard to speak when someone is cupping your chin for no valid reason?

“Hmm, Tony told me to tell you hi too,” I frowned, when had he spoken to Tony? "He also told me to tell you that the wedding plans have been put into action and that he’ll ring you later. Oh, he also told me that he’s sorry for last-night but he was just trying to look out for you,” he smiled sympathetically “aaaaand,” that was how he said it… he literally dragged the word out and made a one syllable word have three “your Mother is wondering why you haven’t rang her in almost three months.”

I frowned even further and groaned, Alex chuckled which led me to poke him in his gut “Don’t laugh! Do you know what this means?” I questioned “This means I’m going to have the old hag on my back for the next however many months and this means my life is going to be over run by her and how much she disapproves of everything I do. I bet she could find a fault the way in I breathe if she wanted too!” Alex laughed and dropped his hand from my chin, finally, only to wrap it around my shoulders, pulling me in against his chest.

“C’mere babe,” he cooed “why haven’t you spoken to her in three months though, that’s a long time Jade.” I could here the judgement in his voice and pushed him away.

“No, don’t make out like I’m the bad person here!” I folded my arms across my chest “The only thing that woman has ever been interested in anything I do, all she’s wanted is for me to be the perfect child – which clearly I’m not!” True “She sets out to ruin my life because I wouldn’t accept her money and because I want to do things on my own.” True also, the day I moved to Towson and refused their money funds was the day she turned on me “And then there’s the whole she’s convinced I’m a lesbian thing!” I roared “Like, she even convinced my Dad too, the poor man was distraught and this was all because I refused to take one boyfriend home with me once. Awful it was, she still doesn’t believe that I’m straight either!” I groaned, absolutely deflated.

“I can vouch for you if you want,” Alex smirked… wait, what?

“Vouch for me what?” I questioned slowly.

“That you’re not a lesbian…” his smirk grew and he leaned back against the doorframe, stuffing his hands into his jean pockets.

“And how would you do that, huh?” I disbelievingly raised my eyebrows and placed my hands on my hips; Alex ignored me and stepped forwards. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and reached out, hooking them around my wrists, prying them from my hips. Suddenly, he jerked me forwards so that my body was pressed against his and so that our faces were inches apart.

“Well,” he started slowly “there would be the small matter involving you…” his thumb began circling the inside of my wrist and by god my heart was beating at ninety miles per hour “A drunken you, should I say…” he corrected himself “trying to kiss me last night.” His tongue poked out of between his lips and wet them.

“Lies,” I whispered mesmerised by the action.

“Oh no,” his smirk grew “I’m definitely telling the truth! You’re quite a lovely drunk,” his smirk grew into a wide smile.

“Wh-what do you mean?” I’d seemingly developed a stutter. Bugger.

“Nuh-uh,” he grinned “if you can’t remember then I’m going to forever use it all against you!” My eyes narrowed into slits and he winked. Just winked at me, like where the hell did that come from and why wasn’t he shy and bashful anymore and what the hell had I done to make him feel okay around me. I was supposed to be like a lion you wouldn’t dare go near. But now, oh now I was pressed up against his body.

Jesus Christ I was pressed up against his body.

“Okay, that’s it.” I pushed myself off of Alex's chest, walked away towards the front door and opened it widely “You need to leave right now before I end up doing something or saying something or going against something and oh my god, we will never ever speak of my drunken happening ever again if you want to remain a male, so goodbye Alex see you whenever I next see you!”

Alex broke out into laughter and grabbed his hoodie off the back of the couch; still chuckling he walked towards me and the door. Stopping just before he was outside. “Alright, alright,” he smiled “if you need me, just ring and I have made plans for tomorrow, so keep yourself free alright?” He grinned and then leaned forwards, pressing a kiss to my cheek which made me gasp and reach out to hit him “Temper, temper!” he laughed loudly as he jumped out of my way.

“I swear to god,” I muttered.

“I think you might be perfect too by the way!” He added, jogging out of the apartment and as far away from me as he possibly could.

Not that I was going to chase him, because I was confused as to what the hell he was on about. But then again, wasn’t everyone most of the time? Plus, I still didn't feel completely sober and running would have been a very, very bad idea.

Notes

It's been a month, I apologise :(