J.A.C.I.E.'s World (All Time Low Fanfiction | Jack Barakat)

Chapter 11

The following morning, I woke up with an ache in my head that rivalled the jackhammer that had hit through my heart the day before. My mouth felt dry and fuzzy, and my body felt like it had been put through a blender. Despite Jack's protests, I had gone out with my new friends and had my fun. Drunk Jacie had hoped to forget all about the fight, but I could remember every single detail.

Unfortunately, I had woken up past my alarm. I didn't have the time to pull myself together. So, gone was the refreshing shower that could wash away every regret and in was a quick splash of cold water. I barely had the time to take off the smeared makeup and fix the mess that was my hair. And the bloodshot eyes from the one-too-many shots? Well, they were going to have to wait until later.

The bright LA sun was too much to handle even with my thick sunglasses on. I was clutching my large cup of ice water as I left the car and walked the distance behind Justin's house to the studio. I was late. Not extremely late, but I definitely wasn't on time. Gone was the one thing I could always count on: my punctuality and reliability.

I could feel Justin's eyes bore into me as I finally entered the building. He was watching me judgmentally from behind his desk, unspoken questions lingering in the air. My good reputation had been tainted by my own selfish decisions. I forced a smile despite the throbbing ache in my head and gave him a nod as I entered the studio.

The four band members were already inside, let in earlier by Justin himself. My hangover still hung over me like an unwanted guest. But this wasn't just a physical hangover, it was an emotional one as well. These four people who had been my partners in crime the past night were completely unaware of what had happened before I met them for our first drinks.

"There she is, the life of the party!" Liam hollered as I walked to my producer chair.

All four of them started clapping loudly, making pain shoot behind my eyes during each clap. How they had that much energy after the night we had, I could not understand. They must have had a better tolerance than me... or not have been as stupid as me.

I groaned as I dropped down onto the chair and put the cold cup against my forehead. "Please, not so loud. My head is about to explode."

"A small price to pay for a night like that," Joe laughed, but I couldn't reciprocate the humour.

Liam leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "So, any more wild nights planned?"

I shook my head, a touch of regret seeping in. "Not for a while. I think I overdid it."

He raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "Overdid it? I thought that was your warm-up round."

"No, no more parties for me for a while."

"Awe, come on," Olivia nudged, not accepting my answer, "you were on fire. The queen of last night! You can't just disappear like that."

"Maybe one day..." I laughed half-heartedly, trying to brush them off.

I knew better now, though. This really wasn't good for me. I felt nauseous, anxious, and uncertain about everything. The truth was, I had indeed overdone it, and it had cost me everything that mattered.

We finally delved into work, writing songs and editing things we were becoming happy with. It was hard with the pain I was experiencing, but music could always make me feel better. To an extent. As infectious as the band's enthusiasm was, there was still this pit in my stomach. My hands were trembling as I made adjustments on the soundboard, my fingers brushing over the knobs and sliders with a lack of precision that wasn't characteristic of me.

I couldn't tell if it was the alcohol shakes or something else.

Hours managed to pass, but the tension in me did not ease as much as the headache did. It only became harder to breathe. My thoughts drifted to Jack more often than not. What had happened to us? Was this the beginning of the end? Or was this the end? He said he regretted marrying me. And I was being so fucking stupid.