Driving Me Crazy...

(Dani P.O.V.)

I took the elevator to the top floor and took the stairs the rest of the way to the roof. I didn't know what I was going to say to Jack, but I knew we had to talk. We can't go on like this. We obviously both love eachother. It took a while for me to realize my feelings for him. For me to realize I was in love with him. With Jack Barakat. Things will be better now. As long as I have him by my side.

I reached the top of the stairs and pushed the heavy, metal door open. It creaked a little with the rusty and weather worn hinges. Jack sat on the small wall at the edge of the building, looking down at the street below him. I approached him quietly, but he seemed to hear me walking, as his eyes snapped from the street, to the building across from us, then back to the street.

"I came up here to think about everything."

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright, I'm fine. I'll live." He says, looking back and shooting me a weak smile. "No worries."

"It's not alright, Ja-"

"D'you remember when we had that talk at the park?"

"Uh, yeah."

"I thought a lot about that night. When I asked you for a second chance." He told me. "I think, maybe, that chance is lost. It was lost the moment I tried to get in bed with you again. And I'm sorry, But-"

"Jack, don't be. I mean-"

"Dani, no. I need to do this. I need to say this. Please." He counter-interrupted me, looking like he was on the verge of tears. I nodded, allowing him to continue. He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry about that, but that chance is gone. I thought long and hard and I decided that it's probably time I move on. You obviously have a thing for Alex and more than any thing you might have had for me. Kellin likes him more than he likes me. He definitely trusts him a lot more. I've made the decision to let you go and to move on." Jack says, not being able to hold eye contact. He looks down at the street, to the door that leads back to the stairs I took to get up here, to the buildings across the street. He looks everywhere as he speaks, but at me, before finally landing his eyes on his hands that lay in his lap.

"Jack, if this was about when we had sex, then it's fine. It's okay. But, you can't just leave me now. You can't just fuck me and lea-"

"We didn't have sex."

"-eave! I- W-What?"

"We didn't have sex that night. Nothing happened."

"But, I thought that- How?"

"We almost had sex, but we didn't. Like, we didn't even get naked. We stripped down to our underwear. That's it. I stopped us." Jack admits. And here, all this time, I thought I lost my virginity. Well, shit.

"Then why are you-?"

"Because you would be so much happier with Alex."

"But, Jack, I don't love Alex. I mean, I might have had a little crush on him, but nothing more. I realized I've been pushing away a lot of feelings. A lot of feelings that I have for you, Jack. I didn't notice it before, but I think- I think I love you." I admit to him. Jack finally looks up at me, a spark of hope glinting in his eyes before he suddenly pushes it all back and all you can see is the sadness and regret that takes over his eyes. He looks back down.

"No, Dani. If you really loved me, if you really had feelings for me, Alex wouldn't phase you. If you love someone, but begin to fall in love with someone else, always go for the second. Because if you truly loved the first, there would never be a second." I see a tear fall from his eyes before he composes himself, wiping it away. "I'm sorry, Dani. I am. But, I can't keep doing this. Not to you, not to myself. I'm going to end up hurting you. Somehow, someway, I'm going to fuck everything up. I'll probably end up at a bar every night with the guys and you'll end up getting worried and thinking I'm off sleeping with some chick. I'll leave you hurting every night, so I won't be coming back." ( Yes, I did it again. ;) )

Now I was the one crying. I felt the tears start to fall, as a choked sob escaped my throat. I can't believe he was doing this. Just as I finally come to terms on how I feel for him, he's going to just give up?? He can't fucking do this. I was in hysterics by now. I had basically thrown away the man I love. The man who actually loves me and wants more from me than just sex. The man who tried to give dating another shot just for me.

Jack wrapped his arms around my shoulders, holding me tightly, his face buried in my hair. I hug him back, arms wrapped around his waist, my face in his chest, tears soaking his shirt.

"I'm sorry, Dani." He whispers and releases me. He looks back at my tear streaked face, caressing them in his hands as he wipes them away with his thumbs. He gives me that weak, broken smile once more before walking back to the stairs, leaving me on the roof. Alone.

(Jack P.O.V.)

I had to do it. I had to. It was killing me to not be able to be with her and watch my bestfriend steal her from right under my nose. And it hurt to see that she was letting it happen. That he wasn't stealing her, but she was the one voluntarily going with him. I can't take it. It kills me to not be able to hold her in fear of fucking things up, but he can. He can kiss her, he can hold her, and now he can even call her his. I'll only end up hurting her worse than she did me. This is better for both of us. Hell, I was never good with relationships anyway. I can just go back to my old ways. It was much simpler that way.

God, I'll fucking miss her.

I took the elevator back to my floor. Just as I exit the small elevating closet, I bump into Alex.
"Woah." He says with a laugh, then realizes it was me. "Oh. Hey, have you seen- never mind." He spits out, walking past me.

"Alex." He stops, not looking back at me. "She's on the roof." He turned back, giving me a smile as thanks. Before he could walk away again, I wrapped my arms around him in the same way I did Dani and, to my shock, he hugged me back. "Take care of her for me. Good luck, man." I patted his back, turned, and walked away, back to my room.

I closed the door and just as I did the tears instantly poured from my eyes. I'll never find another girl like her. Nobody will ever be able to fill that space in my heart like Dani. No girl is ever going to come along and be anything more to me than a one night stand.

Sex on legs.

Any girl that came around, that's all they were to me, until Dani. I can't even look at another girl without comparing them to Dani. It will take forever to get over her, but at least she'll be happy. She has Alex. I know he'll treat her right. If there's anybody I would want to take care of her, if I couldn't be there, it would be him.

Now everybody's happy.

(Alex P.O.V.)

"Take care of her for me. Good luck." Jack patted my back, and turned to continue on his way, but not before giving me a smile. An incredibly sad smile. His eyes were red and puffy and he looked like he'd been crying for hours. I felt bad for the young man. I really did. Jack's always been like a brother to me. I love him to death. There's just something about Dani I just can't let go of.

I made my way up to the roof as Jack said she would be there. I open the door to find her sitting on the ground, crying. What the fuck did he do?! I ran over and crouched beside her, pulling her into my arms. She clutched the shirt on my chest and cried even harder. I shushed her, rubbing small circles into her back. I pulled her with me up against an A.C. Unit. We laid there while she cried into my chest, as I pulled her closer, holding her tightly. I felt a sudden need to protect her. I don't know what Jack did, but he hurt her. He hurt her pretty bad.

It was beginning to get dark. I looked down at Dani to see her fast asleep. She looked so peaceful. I lifted her into my arms carefully, as not to wake her up and carried her with me, back inside. I stepped onto the elevator with her and got a few odd stares from some of the other guests staying here. I took her back to my room and carefully laid her on the end of the bed, so I could pull back the covers, since I haven't yet slept here. I was in Dani's room last night. I pulled back the covers and picked Dani back up. I laid her back down on the right side of the bed. I looked down at her. She was wearing skinny jeans and a tight fitting tank top.

This won't do.

You can't sleep in skinny jeans.

I carefully peeled her shirt over her head and then her shoes and skinny jeans. She was sleeping heavily due to the amount of crying she's done.

(A/N: He's not being weird. You seriously can't sleep in skinny jeans. That's just a no no.)

I took off my shirt, shoes, and jeans, and crawled in bed next to her. I pulled her into me, pulled the blankets over us, and closed my eyes, drifting off to sleep.

(Dani P.O.V.)

I awoke to the feeling of a hand rubbing up and down my side. My head lay on his chest, rising and falling with every breath he took. 'His' because he didn't seem to be any breasts and his chest was a bit hairy. As I opened my eyes, I noticed the absence of a Jack Skellington tattoo that I was used to waking up to. I looked up to meet the gaze of Alex's brown eyes. He smiled at me sweetly, but that expression changed as he saw the fear in my eyes.

"What's wrong, Dani?" He questioned, but I didn't answer. I pulled away from his arms quickly, scurrying off bed.

"Jack. Where's Jack?" I panicked. He opened his mouth as if he were about to say something, but decided against it and closed his mouth again. I bolted out the door if his hotel room, running down the hall until I ran face first into Zack's chest. "Where's Jack?" I cried out.

"He should be in his room." He pointed down the hall to an open door. "Dani, are you okay? What's wrong?" He grabbed my shoulders, but I shrugged his hands off of me and took off running to Jack's room. I threw the door open and ran in only to see an empty room. There was nobody in the bathroom or in his bed. There were clothes scattered, his bed unmade, the vanity mirror on his dresser was shattered. The only thing that stood out to me was the empty bottle of Bourbon whiskey that lay on his night stand. I rushed out of his room, running back down the hall. Zack was now standing in the hall with Alex, Vic, Kellin, and Rian. They all yelled for me to stop and Alex tried to grab me, but I dodged.

I just needed to find Jack. I needed him. Nobody else. I needed to be with him. I don't need Kellin, I don't need Vic, I don't need Zack or Rian, and I definitely don't need Alex. I need Jack. I have to find him.
By now, the tears were pouring out of my eyes, almost blinding me as I ran through the halls. I went to the only place I thought he could be at the moment: The roof. I don't know why, but it seemed like the only obvious place for him to be.

I stormed through the door upon arrival, throwing it open. It was raining and my hair was flying everywhere in the wind. The wind was making it hard to see, blowing rain in my face. My eyes came to focus on a tall shadow at the edge of the building. With a bit more concentration and he closer I got, everything became a bit more clear to see and I finally identified that shadow as Jack. He was standing on the small wall I had found him sitting on before, looking down at the street again.

"Jack!" I called. He looked up at me with the same broken smile I've gotten used to lately. I didn't like it. I missed the old Jack. The cheery, cocky, little shit I knew him to be. He looked back down to the street.
What was he doing?!

I took off running after him. "Ja-!" I yelled again, but my voice was choked out through my sobs. Jack turned his attention back to me. He stepped down from the ledge as I reached him and engulfed me on a big hug, holding me for a moment, before I pulled away, crying hysterically.

I need you, I'm sorry, please don't leave me, I tried to say, but couldn't speak through my tears. Jack noticed my struggling, as I tried desperately to speak to him. He shushed me, pulling me back into his embrace.

"I'm sorry, Dani. I'm so sorry." Jack whispered. He placed two fingers under my chin, turning my head to face him. He was crying too, staring into my eyes for a moment before leaning in, pressing his lips to mine. I kissed him back instantly, but he pulled away all too soon. "I'm sorry." He whispered again, rubbing my cheek with his hand, and took a step back from me. He gave me the same smile once more, turning away and stepping back onto the ledge before jumping.

"Jack!!" I screamed, reaching out for him, but I was too late and Jack was gone. I fell to my knees, gasping for air that had seemed to have escaped my lungs, sobbing and crying, asking him not to leave, wishing to know that I had not seen what I had.

After crying for what felt like an eternity, I stood up, walking back inside. I took the elevator back to my floor. Just as I step out, I see Rian talking with Vic and I bursted into tears again. Vic immediately pulled me into a hug, Rian joining him and hugging me as well.

"I'm sorry." They whisper in unison, pulling back from me. I looked down to see they were holding their bags. Kellin and Zack then stepped out of their rooms and joined them, holding their bags as well. Alex joining them soon after.

"Where are you going?" I asked, but no one responded. Rian patted my shoulder as he walked past me and into the elevator.

"It'll be alright, Darling." Vic said, stepping into the elevator too.

"Stay strong, Dani." Kellin told me, stepping in as well.

"I'm sorry I won't be around to protect you, Dani." Zack spoke up, joining them, and with every word they said, a piece of my heart was torn from me. They were all leaving me. I turned and watched as the doors shut, not being able to say or do anything. The tears came harder as I watched them leave. I turned back to see Alex still standing there. I broke down as he wrapped his arms around me in a tight embrace.

"Please don't leave me." I begged through my sobs. "Please, Alex. Everybody's leaving me. Please don't go."

"I'm not going anywhere, princess. Shh, it'll be okay."

"Jack's gone." I cried harder into his chest as he petted my head.

"I know. It's okay, Dani. I'm here."

"It's not okay, he's gone! Jack is gone! Kellin's gone, Vic is gone, Zack and Rian are gone! Everybody's gone!" I cried. "Don't leave me! Please don't leave me!"

"Wake up, Dani! I'm not leaving you!" He shook my shoulders violently. "Dani, wake up! I'm right here! I'm not going anywhere! Wake up!"

I jolted awake. Alex sat beside me, fear and confusion in his eyes. I started crying. Alex pulled me into his arms and rubbed circles in my back.

"Shh, Dani. It's okay. It was just a bad dream." Alex shushed, calming me. We sat there for a while as he tried comforting me.

I know it wasn't real, but Jack died in my dream. He jumped off the building. He was gone. It felt so real. I was so scared.

I pulled away from Alex and stood up. He gave me an odd look, but I shrugged it off. I walked to the door and Alex appeared by my side. He grabbed my arm and I stopped.

"Where are yo-"

"I need Jack."

"Dani... I-It's 2 in the morning. He's not awake. Just come back to bed." He said, lightly pulling me with him. We laid back down and he pulled me against him. It wasn't long before I fell asleep.

In his arms instead of Jack's.

Notes

Sorry, I'm late again. There's just a lot going on right now. I'm trying to get back on track. c:

Thanks, Lovelies! c: