The Party Scene Saga: Stories Yet To Unfold

Part 18

I was out on the roof smoking a joint and waiting for Jack. I wasn't expecting him to turn up for a while, but I just wanted some time alone to think. It's odd, how happy I've been lately. I say lately, I mean in the last year. Everything seemed to be going my way for once, but there was something that creeped me out. I could tell that, in the end, something will just spring out of the woodwork and hurt me all over again. Zack made me a mixtape a while ago, full of songs I loved that got me through the shit times before. He told me he'd heard me singing most of them whilst I was in the shower, so he put those ones on and then kinda guessed I'd like the rest of them. I was listening to it now, and Homecoming by Green Day was on. I remember buying American Idiot the very day it came out. Every song on that record spoke out to me on a level that no song had ever done before. In the distance, I could just about hear someone cursing a hell of a lot, but they were trying to be quiet. Trying, but failing miserably.

"Wait that kinda sounds like Jack..." I murmured.

I waited for a couple more minutes and the voice seemed to get closer. It was definitely Jack! I saw movement in the trees, so I decided to start blowing smoke rings to let him know I was out here. I watched him walk down the garden, trying his best not to make noise, but again he was failing. My favourite part of Homecoming was coming up, the bit Mike Dirnt sings - Nobody Likes You. I smiled to myself. When American Idiot came out, I was genuinely hating myself at the time. I had it in my head that everybody hated me, even my best friends. I basically love Mike more than life itself; he's my ultimate hero. I loved the fact he wrote and sung it...

"I fell asleep while watching spike TV after 10 cups of coffee and you're still not here. Dreaming of a song but something went wrong, but I can't tell anyone 'cause no one's here. Left me here alone and I should have stayed home. After 10 cups of coffee I'm thinking..." I sang quietly. "Nobody likes you..."

I continued to sing along quietly, getting lost in the song and watching Jack creep up the garden. He disappeared from sight. I leaned round my window to put everything back inside and waited for Jack to appear again. He soon did, cute smile plastered on his face.

"I'm sorry about earlier." I said quietly.

Jack climbed up onto the roof and sat next to me, pulling me into a tight hug. I felt him kiss the top of my head gently. He was such a sweetheart.

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry." he sighed. "I tried to force my tongue down your throat..."

I burst out laughing at his remark. He really did have a way with words! The mixture of me being high and Jack making me laugh was never good; I find everything funny anyway, but it's just ten times worse when I'm high. I finally managed to stop after realising my parents or Zack could easily hear me and know I'm with someone.

"But seriously Lily," Jack continued. "I would never dream of forcing you into anything. Before was just me being a stupid horny teenager. You know I love you, I've said it enough tonight."

"No, I overreacted. I understand why you tried to do it, but it was a total overreaction on my part." I muttered into his chest.

Jack still had me in a tight hug. I wriggled out of his grip a little so I could actually move and pulled his jacket tighter around me. It was almost midnight (probably) and, even though it's summer(ish), the nights in Baltimore can be pretty cold. Jack noticed I was shivering and he rubbed my arms, hoping the friction would warm me up. It kinda worked, but I was still freezing.

"Wanna go inside?" I asked, my teeth chattering slightly.

Jack nodded quickly and followed me back into my bedroom through the window. I quietly closed it and pulled the curtains closed, then turned my music down a little. It was more like background music on a tv show, where it doesn't really affect whatever's happening in the foreground. Jack was awkwardly stood by my bed scratching his arms, hoping I'd say something soon. He knew I wouldn't though. I walked over to him, kissed his cheek and climbed into bed, resting against the wall. Jack joined me, pulling the covers around the both of us tightly.

"So why did you want me to stay tonight?" he asked.

"I just wanted to spend the night with you." I told him, sighing slightly as I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I missed you when you went home."

"There's something else." he murmured. "Isn't there?"

Fuck. Was I that obvious? I played with the ends of my hair, getting more and more nervous as the seconds ticked by. I could tell Jack was getting pissed with my awkward silences because he was glaring at me slightly. I took a deep breath and started to tell him.

"I'm scared." I admitted, feeling the tears in my eyes. "I'm scared because I'm so happy right now and I know that something's gonna come up and make me fucking miserable again. That's just the way my life works, but I wanna change that. I just want to be happy with you, my brother and my best friends...is that really too much to ask?!"

Jack pulled me closer and quickly kissed me on the lips several times. He held me tightly and leaned closer to my ear. I listened closely to the music; I Miss You by Blink came on.

"Hello there, the angel from my nightmare. The shadow in the background of the morgue. The unsuspecting victim, of darkness in the valley. We can live like Jack and Sally if we want..."

We smiled at each other; Nightmare Before Christmas is my favourite movie ever. Jack carried on singing to me as my eyes got heavier and heavier. I felt totally relaxed. My eyelids soon totally dropped. The last thing I heard was Jack's voice and the last thing I felt was his arms tighten around me as I drifted into a deep sleep.