Your Favorite Enemy
Chapter 12: Dammit Jack
By the time I woke up, the bus was already in motion again and the boys were up and causing mayhem. I stretched before climbing out of my bunk and grabbing clothes to change into. Alex was waiting for me as soon as I had finished changing.
“Hey, come talk to me,” he said, grabbing my hand and leading me to the very back of the bus.
“Before you say anything, I just wanna say that you were right,” I replied.
He looked at me, confused. “That wasn’t what I was expecting.”
“I heard you and Jack talking last night. He told you I liked you before I did, so I guess you were right in saying he’d blow our cover. So, I’m sorry,” I explained.
“Well, I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have called your idea stupid and instead told you why I disagreed,” he mentioned.
“I guess we both need to learn a lot since we can’t keep fighting like this,”I commented.
“Yeah,” he said with a slight laugh. “But, are we good? At least for now?”
I nodded. “Might as well be. Though I guess I owe you since I was wrong.”
He smirked in response. “I can think of something.”
I paused. “Alex...you know I’m a virgin, right?”
“I didn’t mean have sex, Max. I was more thinking of a serious make out session when everyone’s asleep. Besides, I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to do,” he stated.
“I’d be okay with a make out session. The other thing will be saved for later,” I grinned.
He smiled in response and leaned down to kiss me, holding me closer at the waist. I was getting lost in it when we heard a gasp and then a shout.
“I FUCKING KNEW IT,” Jack screamed. “ALEX AND MAXINE ARE TOGETHER.”
“DAMMIT JACK,” I yelled back.
He ran down the hallway of the bus, arms thrown up in the air, letting everyone know that our secret was out. We followed him out to the living room, where everyone was sitting with shocked faces plastered on.
“Jack, this is why nobody tells you shit. You always blow everything,” Alex commented.
“Only on days that end in y,” Jack said with a wink.
I rolled my eyes at his innuendo. “Besides, this has been going on since Alex and I had breakfast the other day. I’d say we managed to keep it a secret for a good 24 hours.”
“As surprised as I am, I think this is a good thing,” Rian mentioned. “We could even all go on a double date.”
I had almost forgotten that Rian had a girlfriend. “That’s not a bad idea,” I said.
“Cassadee is supposed to meet us in the next town. We should be there at about 8, so we could all go to dinner,” he added.
I looked to Alex for approval, and he nodded. “That sounds awesome.”
Rian went off to call Cassadee, and Alex turned to me. “We have a few hours to kill. What would you like to do?”
“Oh no,” Matt cut in. “You are not canoodling with my niece on this bus, at least while I’m conscious. Save it for the hotel or whatever.”
“Aww Matt,” I grinned. “Who knew you were so overprotective?”
“Maxine, I still remember when you were in diapers. Even if I’m not much older than you, you’re still family,” he stated.
For some reason, I was surprised by this. “Thanks.”
Alex and I ended up watching a couple of movies in his bunk before we finally arrived in the next town and had to get ready for the double date. I was so nervous, and I wasn’t sure why. Maybe it’s because we’re going someplace where we have to dress up a bit. I thought.
I found a black t-shirt and pleated skirt that I chose to wear, and I curled my hair instead of pulling it back into a ponytail. Once I felt like there was nothing more I could do, I emerged to find Alex and Rian on the couch, already dressed. Nothing against him, but I paid no attention to Rian and instead felt my eyes wander over Alex. He had a nice button up shirt on, a sport jacket, and a pair of skinny jeans, but that was enough for me.
He had a similar reaction when he realized I was in the room, his head snapping in my direction and his eyes widening. I grinned. “You like?”
He nodded, and he and Rian stood up so we could head out and meet Cassadee at the restaurant. Rian drove, with Alex in front and me in the back, to a place called Chez Jean. Cassadee was standing outside waiting when we arrived, and she looked fantastic. I felt inferior just by looking at her.
Rian gave the keys to a valet and greeted his girlfriend with a kiss. As I stood there awkwardly, Alex shot me a gentle smile and held out his hand, wiggling his fingers slightly. I smiled back and grabbed his hand, some of my nervousness dying down immediately.
“Hi,” she greeted with a friendly grin. “I’m Cassadee.”
“I’m Maxine,” I replied.
We went inside the restaurant, which was even fancier than the name itself. Waiters in tuxedos, paper white tablecloths, golden candelabras, and a grand chandelier looming above our heads was what we found, and I felt severely out of place. After all, I was a jeans and t-shirt kinda girl, not a foofy dress up one.
We were whisked away to a table and I felt even worse about it. My mother had taught me manners and all that, but knowing to cross your legs while wearing a skirt didn’t seem to cut it for this place. I looked over the menu carefully and helped Alex decipher what the different dishes were.
“How do you know what any of this means?” he asked, an incredulous look on his face.
“I took four years of French in high school. I’m practically certified to speak it,” I replied.
“Wow, you really were a nerd,” he grinned jokingly. “Guess I’ll have to fix that.”
“By doing what? I’m pretty sure you’ve already met the party girl,” I mentioned.
“Oh, there is so much more to being reckless than drinking too much,” he pointed out.
I was quiet the rest of the dinner, listening as Cassadee, Rian, and Alex talked so easily and fiddling with the food on my plate. Yeah, I sure was reckless. But then it suddenly occurred to me why I was nervous. This was technically my first date with Alex, but not only that, I realized I didn’t really know anybody. I had only been touring with them for roughly 2 weeks, and yet I was dating the lead singer. What the hell was wrong with me?
In high school, I had only had a handful of boyfriends, and I had always known them for months prior to dating. Here I was, going against all of that because of some boy in a band. Not to mention that I got drunk for him. Alex was bringing out a side of me that I didn’t know existed, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.
My silence continued even as we got back to the bus, and I changed into pajamas and retreated to the couch with a book. Everyone else had gone to their bunks, but I was still awake. Alex came out and sat down next to me, resting his arm on the back of the couch behind my head.
“Okay,” he said. “What’s wrong?”
I shook my head. “Nothing.”
“Then why were you so quiet at dinner, and even after?” he asked.
I paused and set my book to the side. “It’s just...I felt so out of place. Like, I suddenly realized that this isn’t my life. Maxine doesn’t drink, or go out and eat at fancy restaurants, or date someone after not knowing them long.”
He sighed. “Max, the way I see it, you have to live a little. Do things you wouldn’t normally do. I mean, if you don’t, you’re going to go crazy because you’re going to think you wasted away the prime of your life.”
“It’s just weird. I never thought I’d act like this. I thought I’d just be stuck at my mom’s house every summer until I graduated and got my own place, and by then I’d have a job to keep me busy. It’s almost like this is the wrong thing to do,” I explained.
What seemed like sadness crossed Alex’s face before he shook it away. “If you want to go home, I’m sure Matt will get you a plane ticket or something.”
I paused for a moment, unsure of what to say. “You know what? No. I’m not going anywhere.”
Alex did a double take. “Whoa, talk about a sudden change of heart.”
“There is no point giving my life completely away to books and good grades. I need to live a little, like you said. Maybe I should stop being such a Maxine and....and just be Max,” I replied.
“Okay, but-” he started, before I kissed him unexpectedly. He kissed back eagerly, but I pulled away. “What was that for?”
“I still owe you, remember?” I stated.
He grinned. “That’s my girl.”
I have to admit, a lot of why I was staying was for Alex. Maybe it wasn’t a smart decision, but it seemed like it was worth it. I was trying to learn how to live my life, and what better way than with Alex to show me?
“Hey, come talk to me,” he said, grabbing my hand and leading me to the very back of the bus.
“Before you say anything, I just wanna say that you were right,” I replied.
He looked at me, confused. “That wasn’t what I was expecting.”
“I heard you and Jack talking last night. He told you I liked you before I did, so I guess you were right in saying he’d blow our cover. So, I’m sorry,” I explained.
“Well, I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have called your idea stupid and instead told you why I disagreed,” he mentioned.
“I guess we both need to learn a lot since we can’t keep fighting like this,”I commented.
“Yeah,” he said with a slight laugh. “But, are we good? At least for now?”
I nodded. “Might as well be. Though I guess I owe you since I was wrong.”
He smirked in response. “I can think of something.”
I paused. “Alex...you know I’m a virgin, right?”
“I didn’t mean have sex, Max. I was more thinking of a serious make out session when everyone’s asleep. Besides, I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to do,” he stated.
“I’d be okay with a make out session. The other thing will be saved for later,” I grinned.
He smiled in response and leaned down to kiss me, holding me closer at the waist. I was getting lost in it when we heard a gasp and then a shout.
“I FUCKING KNEW IT,” Jack screamed. “ALEX AND MAXINE ARE TOGETHER.”
“DAMMIT JACK,” I yelled back.
He ran down the hallway of the bus, arms thrown up in the air, letting everyone know that our secret was out. We followed him out to the living room, where everyone was sitting with shocked faces plastered on.
“Jack, this is why nobody tells you shit. You always blow everything,” Alex commented.
“Only on days that end in y,” Jack said with a wink.
I rolled my eyes at his innuendo. “Besides, this has been going on since Alex and I had breakfast the other day. I’d say we managed to keep it a secret for a good 24 hours.”
“As surprised as I am, I think this is a good thing,” Rian mentioned. “We could even all go on a double date.”
I had almost forgotten that Rian had a girlfriend. “That’s not a bad idea,” I said.
“Cassadee is supposed to meet us in the next town. We should be there at about 8, so we could all go to dinner,” he added.
I looked to Alex for approval, and he nodded. “That sounds awesome.”
Rian went off to call Cassadee, and Alex turned to me. “We have a few hours to kill. What would you like to do?”
“Oh no,” Matt cut in. “You are not canoodling with my niece on this bus, at least while I’m conscious. Save it for the hotel or whatever.”
“Aww Matt,” I grinned. “Who knew you were so overprotective?”
“Maxine, I still remember when you were in diapers. Even if I’m not much older than you, you’re still family,” he stated.
For some reason, I was surprised by this. “Thanks.”
Alex and I ended up watching a couple of movies in his bunk before we finally arrived in the next town and had to get ready for the double date. I was so nervous, and I wasn’t sure why. Maybe it’s because we’re going someplace where we have to dress up a bit. I thought.
I found a black t-shirt and pleated skirt that I chose to wear, and I curled my hair instead of pulling it back into a ponytail. Once I felt like there was nothing more I could do, I emerged to find Alex and Rian on the couch, already dressed. Nothing against him, but I paid no attention to Rian and instead felt my eyes wander over Alex. He had a nice button up shirt on, a sport jacket, and a pair of skinny jeans, but that was enough for me.
He had a similar reaction when he realized I was in the room, his head snapping in my direction and his eyes widening. I grinned. “You like?”
He nodded, and he and Rian stood up so we could head out and meet Cassadee at the restaurant. Rian drove, with Alex in front and me in the back, to a place called Chez Jean. Cassadee was standing outside waiting when we arrived, and she looked fantastic. I felt inferior just by looking at her.
Rian gave the keys to a valet and greeted his girlfriend with a kiss. As I stood there awkwardly, Alex shot me a gentle smile and held out his hand, wiggling his fingers slightly. I smiled back and grabbed his hand, some of my nervousness dying down immediately.
“Hi,” she greeted with a friendly grin. “I’m Cassadee.”
“I’m Maxine,” I replied.
We went inside the restaurant, which was even fancier than the name itself. Waiters in tuxedos, paper white tablecloths, golden candelabras, and a grand chandelier looming above our heads was what we found, and I felt severely out of place. After all, I was a jeans and t-shirt kinda girl, not a foofy dress up one.
We were whisked away to a table and I felt even worse about it. My mother had taught me manners and all that, but knowing to cross your legs while wearing a skirt didn’t seem to cut it for this place. I looked over the menu carefully and helped Alex decipher what the different dishes were.
“How do you know what any of this means?” he asked, an incredulous look on his face.
“I took four years of French in high school. I’m practically certified to speak it,” I replied.
“Wow, you really were a nerd,” he grinned jokingly. “Guess I’ll have to fix that.”
“By doing what? I’m pretty sure you’ve already met the party girl,” I mentioned.
“Oh, there is so much more to being reckless than drinking too much,” he pointed out.
I was quiet the rest of the dinner, listening as Cassadee, Rian, and Alex talked so easily and fiddling with the food on my plate. Yeah, I sure was reckless. But then it suddenly occurred to me why I was nervous. This was technically my first date with Alex, but not only that, I realized I didn’t really know anybody. I had only been touring with them for roughly 2 weeks, and yet I was dating the lead singer. What the hell was wrong with me?
In high school, I had only had a handful of boyfriends, and I had always known them for months prior to dating. Here I was, going against all of that because of some boy in a band. Not to mention that I got drunk for him. Alex was bringing out a side of me that I didn’t know existed, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.
My silence continued even as we got back to the bus, and I changed into pajamas and retreated to the couch with a book. Everyone else had gone to their bunks, but I was still awake. Alex came out and sat down next to me, resting his arm on the back of the couch behind my head.
“Okay,” he said. “What’s wrong?”
I shook my head. “Nothing.”
“Then why were you so quiet at dinner, and even after?” he asked.
I paused and set my book to the side. “It’s just...I felt so out of place. Like, I suddenly realized that this isn’t my life. Maxine doesn’t drink, or go out and eat at fancy restaurants, or date someone after not knowing them long.”
He sighed. “Max, the way I see it, you have to live a little. Do things you wouldn’t normally do. I mean, if you don’t, you’re going to go crazy because you’re going to think you wasted away the prime of your life.”
“It’s just weird. I never thought I’d act like this. I thought I’d just be stuck at my mom’s house every summer until I graduated and got my own place, and by then I’d have a job to keep me busy. It’s almost like this is the wrong thing to do,” I explained.
What seemed like sadness crossed Alex’s face before he shook it away. “If you want to go home, I’m sure Matt will get you a plane ticket or something.”
I paused for a moment, unsure of what to say. “You know what? No. I’m not going anywhere.”
Alex did a double take. “Whoa, talk about a sudden change of heart.”
“There is no point giving my life completely away to books and good grades. I need to live a little, like you said. Maybe I should stop being such a Maxine and....and just be Max,” I replied.
“Okay, but-” he started, before I kissed him unexpectedly. He kissed back eagerly, but I pulled away. “What was that for?”
“I still owe you, remember?” I stated.
He grinned. “That’s my girl.”
I have to admit, a lot of why I was staying was for Alex. Maybe it wasn’t a smart decision, but it seemed like it was worth it. I was trying to learn how to live my life, and what better way than with Alex to show me?
So I just read this story, all in one sitting, and seriously loved it. You're a really great writer. :)
Alex and Max's relationship was so sincere, and even though the end was kind of surprising, I found it perfect in a way. Like one of my favorite endings I've ever read to a fic, actually. Instead of very cliche it more so fit the pieces together, if that makes sense.
I really loved it. If you ever choose to maybe rewrite this story, or perhaps do a sequel to it, I will definitely read. I looked on your profile and unfortunately you don't seem to have anymore Alex/OC centered stories. But if you ever write a new one of those, feel free to let me know as well.
One of the better stories I've read in a while, great job with it. :)
3/6/17