Five Years

Ever since I broke up with Alex things have just been looking up, at least for me. Jack decided that we needed to go on our first date so tonight that’s what we were going to do. Usually on a first date you spend your time trying to get to know someone through stories and questions that don’t seem to have any real meaning. The hardest part is what to talk about on the date because we already know so much about each other. He told me that we were doing something fun, so he advised me to dress casually.

I walked downstairs in my jeans and vans plus a hoodie to almost keep me warm. Zack was gone for the night; he decided to go to the gym which was odd because going to the gym at night didn’t seem very pleasant. The house was quiet and I sat down on the couch in the living room to wait for Jack to pick me up.

There was a knock on the front door and I immediately jumped up. As I walked to the front door I couldn’t help but replay the words he spoke to me when he asked me out. “Wear something casual,” he smirked, “It’ll be too difficult for you to do in a dress and heels.”

I opened the door and saw Alex standing there with a bouquet of flowers in his hands and a frown on his face. “Alex?” I tried not to sound too surprised, but he wasn’t what I was expecting at all.

“Shay, I’ve been a complete asshole, I just want to make things right with you again…” He sighed and looked down at the flowers in his hand. “Do you think I could come in and talk to you about things? I feel like we left things off on the wrong foot and you at least deserve some closure.”

I gulped and looked past Alex, seeing Jack’s car pull up into the driveway. I groaned and let my head fall back.

“Sorry, I didn’t know that you had plans tonight.” He let his hands fall back down and he glanced at the car, immediately realizing who was here. “Wait, you’re going out with Jack?”

I bit my lip and tried to avoid what was happening. Jack stepped out of the car with a small stuffed animal in his hand and saw Alex standing at the front door with the bouquet and stopped in his tracks.

“Hey man, what are you doing here?” Jack seemed almost as surprised as I was to see him standing there.

“I think I could ask you the same question.” Alex’s voice was raised and his grip on the flowers was a little too tight for my comfort, his knuckles were turning white. I stood in the doorway and let my hand fall from the doorknob so I could cross my arms to keep me from being cold.

Jack chuckled and found his way up to the porch. “I asked you first bud.”

“I came to talk to my ex-girlfriend and try to make things right.” Alex’s other hand started to tense into a fist. “Now what are you doing here?”

“I’m here to take your ex-girlfriend out on a date.” Jack smiled and held his hand out, waiting for mine. “Now if you’ll excuse us, I have a wonderful night planned.”

I kept my hands on my arms because I knew that if I stepped out on that porch that I would have to make a choice between these two boys and I wasn’t ready to step out into the middle of this, their anger was palpable from where I was standing.

“So this is why you haven’t talked to me?” Alex scoffed and let the bouquet fall to onto the concrete. “You’ve been avoiding me because you were too afraid to tell me that you had a little crush on Shay? That’s a little weak, even for you.”

Jack’s smile grew even wider and he shook his head. “Well if my ‘little crush’ was so weak then why did she pick me over you?” Jack’s words stung and Alex’s anger grew stronger. His hands were formed into fists and his knuckles were white. He was shaking his head, holding back. “What’s wrong?” Jack pushed. “Cat got your tongue?”

Alex raised his fist and struck Jack right on the cheek, catching him off guard. Jack raised his hand to his cheek and seemed shocked to see blood left on his fingertips. Jack shook his head and went to strike Alex back but Alex’s fist found its way back to Jack and hit his lower lip. At this point both of their gifts were on the ground and Jack had made his way into the fight, striking Alex back each time they made a hit.

“Stop it you guys!” I yelled but they wouldn’t listen. They were on the ground and I was afraid that someone would get seriously injured. Thankfully, Zack pulled up and ran out of the car. He ran up to the guys and pulled them apart, acting as a divider between the two of them.

“Can someone please tell me what the fuck is happening here?” Zack almost yelled. The two boys were glaring at each other and trying to catch their breath. And this was all happening because of me.




We all sat in the living room now and Zack was sitting between the two boys, acting like a divider must’ve been getting old by now. At this rate it was hard to tell what I should even do, and after their fight, I don’t think that I should be dating either of them…

“So, is there anything that the two of you would like to say?” Zack crossed his arms and sat back so that Jack and Alex were looking each other in the eyes. Jack looked away and Alex was looking down at the ground. “C’mon you guys, I don’t have all night to sort out your problems.”

I rolled my eyes and got up from where I was sitting. “This is hopeless.” I sighed and starting walking toward the front door.

“Shay wait, where are you going?” Jack asked.

I ignored him and grabbed my jacket and put on my boots. My purse was the next thing that I grabbed off the stairs. I went out the door and walked until I reached the building I was looking for, the bar.

Notes