The Reckless and the Misbehaved
Three Cheers For The Not-So-Happy Couple
Blaire’s POV
I hardly wanted to go anywhere with Alex Gaskarth and I would’ve been glad if he’d just kept away from me, but he didn’t. I wouldn’t deny him dinner, though. It could lead him to dropping out of my film, and then what? I’d have to start from square one and hastily pick a new subject and I was not willing to do that. The car ride was pretty awkward. After a few minutes of silence passed, Alex started blaring Blink 182 and at some point I subconsciously started singing along to “All The Small Things” as I looked out the window vacantly.
“You know Blink?” Alex turned down the music and gave me a sideways glance.
“Clearly.” I said, quietly but certainly.
“They’re a damn good band. What’s your favorite song?” Alex asked. I was shocked at his effort to finally get to know me somewhat and I was glad to oblige answers to his questions.
“Boxing Day.” I said simply. Alex chuckled and I turned to him. “What the hell is wrong with that?”
“Nothing.” Alex said. “It’s a great song.”
“What’s your favorite then?” I spat.
“What’s My Age Again?” Alex said confidently. I scoffed. “What’s wrong with that one?!”
“Nothing.” I said slyly. “It’s a great song.” This made Alex laugh, and I felt somewhat accomplished making him laugh, since he’d treated me like shit for as long as I’d known him. “What’s your poison, Gaskarth?”
“What do you mean?” Alex asked calmly. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked.
“Why are you such a douchebag all the time?” Might as well follow through. He couldn’t hate me any more than he already did.
“I really dislike you, you know that, Blaire?” Alex said. His voice was so calm and confident but so demeaning at the same time, and his eyes were completely focused on the road. Even though he was completely blunt, he was impossible to read.
“Why is that?” I asked, trying to imitate his nonchalance to no prevail.
“You don’t treat me like everyone else does. Everyone else sees a rock star—an idol. They treat me like a god sometimes. Girls would die happily if they could spend one night with me first and no one has ever been an exception to that. Except for you. You come in here with a film project and that’s it. You befriend the other guys, but not me.”
“I treated you the same way I treated them. I hardly knew any of you, so it was a clean slate for all of you. You’re just the only one who rejected my friendship.” I said, getting slightly frustrated.
“That was only because I thought you’d be like everyone else. All the other girls who come by, realize I’m too good for them, and then step up their game to get me in bed. That’s how I play.” Alex said. He was making me sick. I’m not a fucking slut.
“The only problem is,” I started, “I’m not attracted to you, Gaskarth. Sure, you have great hair and sing like a fucking angel, but your personality turns me off. You don’t hate me. Hell, you don’t even dislike me. You’re just upset someone is beating you at your own game.” Alex turned to me, wide eyed. Every second his eyes were off the road I was afraid we were going to wreck.
“You might be beating me right now, but you won’t win.” Alex said. “I’ll come back, you’ll see. No one can stay away from me for that long. No one ever has and no one ever will.”
“Challenge accepted, douchedick.” I whispered, but I was sure Alex heard me.
Alex’s POV
This girl was more frustrating than anything else. Why didn’t she want me? Girls always wanted me. I hadn’t had this problem since middle school. I was relieved when we pulled up to the restaurant-- a somewhat expensive steak house. Blaire and I climbed out of the car and went inside. Everything was dimly lit and most of the people there were rich couples. They wore nice dresses and suits and they looked happy. I thought I’d had it all. Girls throwing themselves at me, no need for college or work, the ability to party all day and party harder all night, a gorgeous face and even better hair, but that all changed with Blaire. She made me realize how materialistically I’d been living my life. The drinks, the sex, it was all material. I was more attached to material things that to my own emotions. But when Blaire showed up, it was like a slap in the face. She didn’t want me, and she didn’t want my narcissistic personality. Part of me despised her and part of me was begging her to stick around. But whatever happened, I couldn’t let her break Alex Gaskarth. But seeing these happy couples made me realize I’d never really had a healthy relationship. Fuck that, I thought, I have a record deal.
“So you want to go into film?” I asked stupidly after Blaire and I had ordered our food.
“Mhm.” Blaire said, “Ever since I was twelve. I did theatre for five years before that and realized I loved acting. Then my dad’s friend casted me in a short film and I established my love for the camera.”
“So you want to act?” I asked, confused.
“No, I want to direct. Something in cinematography would by cool, too, though.” Blaire said as our waters arrived. I had never met someone with everything as put together as Blaire.
“That’s really awesome.” I said genuinely.
“What if you didn’t have All Time Low? What would you want to do?” Blaire asked, sipping her water. I was hesitant to answer. I’d never really thought about what my life would be without Jack, Rian, Zack, and the band. It was everything to me.
“I don’t know.” I said, frustrated that Blaire had caught me fumbling over my words while her life was all figured out. “I guess I’d still want to do something in music.” Blaire nodded.
“Yeah, I figured.” Blaire said. She was so damn casual it annoyed me.
“Or I would study astronomy.” I added quickly, hoping it would catch Blaire off guard. Fuck, was I actually trying to impress her? Anyways, it worked.
“Really?” Blaire asked, raising a perfectly structured eyebrow.
“Yeah, it’s always interested me.” I said. I went into some details about space, which Blaire actually knew a good bit about. This girl had it all and she didn’t need me. Maybe that was the difference between her and every other girl. She knew who she was.
“I guess there’s many layers to you, Alex.” Blaire said.
“Like an onion.” I confirmed stupidly. Blaire almost spit out her water.
“That was the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” I found myself laughing, too. Blaire and I were both laughing—and I mean, really laughing—and I realized that we were like everyone else there. To them, we probably looked like a happy couple.
I hardly wanted to go anywhere with Alex Gaskarth and I would’ve been glad if he’d just kept away from me, but he didn’t. I wouldn’t deny him dinner, though. It could lead him to dropping out of my film, and then what? I’d have to start from square one and hastily pick a new subject and I was not willing to do that. The car ride was pretty awkward. After a few minutes of silence passed, Alex started blaring Blink 182 and at some point I subconsciously started singing along to “All The Small Things” as I looked out the window vacantly.
“You know Blink?” Alex turned down the music and gave me a sideways glance.
“Clearly.” I said, quietly but certainly.
“They’re a damn good band. What’s your favorite song?” Alex asked. I was shocked at his effort to finally get to know me somewhat and I was glad to oblige answers to his questions.
“Boxing Day.” I said simply. Alex chuckled and I turned to him. “What the hell is wrong with that?”
“Nothing.” Alex said. “It’s a great song.”
“What’s your favorite then?” I spat.
“What’s My Age Again?” Alex said confidently. I scoffed. “What’s wrong with that one?!”
“Nothing.” I said slyly. “It’s a great song.” This made Alex laugh, and I felt somewhat accomplished making him laugh, since he’d treated me like shit for as long as I’d known him. “What’s your poison, Gaskarth?”
“What do you mean?” Alex asked calmly. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked.
“Why are you such a douchebag all the time?” Might as well follow through. He couldn’t hate me any more than he already did.
“I really dislike you, you know that, Blaire?” Alex said. His voice was so calm and confident but so demeaning at the same time, and his eyes were completely focused on the road. Even though he was completely blunt, he was impossible to read.
“Why is that?” I asked, trying to imitate his nonchalance to no prevail.
“You don’t treat me like everyone else does. Everyone else sees a rock star—an idol. They treat me like a god sometimes. Girls would die happily if they could spend one night with me first and no one has ever been an exception to that. Except for you. You come in here with a film project and that’s it. You befriend the other guys, but not me.”
“I treated you the same way I treated them. I hardly knew any of you, so it was a clean slate for all of you. You’re just the only one who rejected my friendship.” I said, getting slightly frustrated.
“That was only because I thought you’d be like everyone else. All the other girls who come by, realize I’m too good for them, and then step up their game to get me in bed. That’s how I play.” Alex said. He was making me sick. I’m not a fucking slut.
“The only problem is,” I started, “I’m not attracted to you, Gaskarth. Sure, you have great hair and sing like a fucking angel, but your personality turns me off. You don’t hate me. Hell, you don’t even dislike me. You’re just upset someone is beating you at your own game.” Alex turned to me, wide eyed. Every second his eyes were off the road I was afraid we were going to wreck.
“You might be beating me right now, but you won’t win.” Alex said. “I’ll come back, you’ll see. No one can stay away from me for that long. No one ever has and no one ever will.”
“Challenge accepted, douchedick.” I whispered, but I was sure Alex heard me.
Alex’s POV
This girl was more frustrating than anything else. Why didn’t she want me? Girls always wanted me. I hadn’t had this problem since middle school. I was relieved when we pulled up to the restaurant-- a somewhat expensive steak house. Blaire and I climbed out of the car and went inside. Everything was dimly lit and most of the people there were rich couples. They wore nice dresses and suits and they looked happy. I thought I’d had it all. Girls throwing themselves at me, no need for college or work, the ability to party all day and party harder all night, a gorgeous face and even better hair, but that all changed with Blaire. She made me realize how materialistically I’d been living my life. The drinks, the sex, it was all material. I was more attached to material things that to my own emotions. But when Blaire showed up, it was like a slap in the face. She didn’t want me, and she didn’t want my narcissistic personality. Part of me despised her and part of me was begging her to stick around. But whatever happened, I couldn’t let her break Alex Gaskarth. But seeing these happy couples made me realize I’d never really had a healthy relationship. Fuck that, I thought, I have a record deal.
“So you want to go into film?” I asked stupidly after Blaire and I had ordered our food.
“Mhm.” Blaire said, “Ever since I was twelve. I did theatre for five years before that and realized I loved acting. Then my dad’s friend casted me in a short film and I established my love for the camera.”
“So you want to act?” I asked, confused.
“No, I want to direct. Something in cinematography would by cool, too, though.” Blaire said as our waters arrived. I had never met someone with everything as put together as Blaire.
“That’s really awesome.” I said genuinely.
“What if you didn’t have All Time Low? What would you want to do?” Blaire asked, sipping her water. I was hesitant to answer. I’d never really thought about what my life would be without Jack, Rian, Zack, and the band. It was everything to me.
“I don’t know.” I said, frustrated that Blaire had caught me fumbling over my words while her life was all figured out. “I guess I’d still want to do something in music.” Blaire nodded.
“Yeah, I figured.” Blaire said. She was so damn casual it annoyed me.
“Or I would study astronomy.” I added quickly, hoping it would catch Blaire off guard. Fuck, was I actually trying to impress her? Anyways, it worked.
“Really?” Blaire asked, raising a perfectly structured eyebrow.
“Yeah, it’s always interested me.” I said. I went into some details about space, which Blaire actually knew a good bit about. This girl had it all and she didn’t need me. Maybe that was the difference between her and every other girl. She knew who she was.
“I guess there’s many layers to you, Alex.” Blaire said.
“Like an onion.” I confirmed stupidly. Blaire almost spit out her water.
“That was the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” I found myself laughing, too. Blaire and I were both laughing—and I mean, really laughing—and I realized that we were like everyone else there. To them, we probably looked like a happy couple.
6/24/13