Echoing J.A.C.I.E. (All Time Low Fanfiction | Jack Barakat)

Chapter 3

I huffed as I put my heavy backpack on my back, quickly scanning the living room to see if there was anything I was forgetting. It seemed like my knack for planning had done it again, and I was ready to go. Part of me was hoping there was one last thing I'd have to grab, to stall a little, but even my phone was already in my pocket.

So, with my hands on the straps of my backpack, I exited the apartment through the front door that was already open wide. I stepped down the communal stairs, careful not to trip over my own feet. By now, I'd gone up and down them too many times to count. I knew exactly where the steps were worn more than in other spaces, as well as the sneaky little ledge that always made you stumble.

I exited the building, immediately greeted by the busy New York streets. The honks from cars were plentiful, people rushing in every direction, not paying mind to each other. But there were three guys standing at the edge of the sidewalk, just in front of me, watching over the pile of black bags beside them. A black passenger van already approached, stopping right in front of us.

I quickly took the last few steps as the driver got out, staring at the bags in shock.

"That's a lot of luggage," he commented. To be fair, it wasn't insane. Just two large suitcases and two cases for my guitars and other equipment.

I chuckled in embarrassment, "I know."

"Everybody here needs to fit?"

"No, just me."

At least the driver seemed relieved by that and opened the trunk of the car to start loading all my belongings. In the meantime, I turned to the three men that had been kind enough to help me carry everything down in the first place – the three men I had been living with for four long messy weeks. Now came the part where I had to say goodbye to everybody.

Of course, my priority was Jack. He was standing there, hands in his pockets, watching how the driver puzzled together how all my stuff could fit in the car. I went right up to him and threw my arms around his neck, pulling him into a warm, tight hug that was going to have to last us a long time. For a moment, I could forget everything else. It was hard, though, with my impending departure.

It felt like an eternity before I slowly unravelled myself from him. When I was far enough away, I kissed him. We didn't need words, all we needed was this gesture. We'd said goodbye so many times before, we already knew what the other was thinking: a demand to take care, that we were just a call away, that we'd drop everything for each other if needed. It was always the same routine.

Next, I went over to Alex, tackling him with his own hug. He had to take a step back for us to keep our balance.

"Take care of Jack for me," I told him once I let him go, quickly turning to Jack again. "And you take care of Alex."

Alex laughed and slapped Jack against his back. "We've taken care of each other for twenty years, what's another six months?"

"Ow!" Jack pouted, rubbing his back. "I think I like my wife more."

"As you should."

I rolled my eyes and shuffled over to Marcus, giving him a quick hug as well. "All I need from you is to make sure that these guys don't make any shit songs."

"I'll try my best," he chuckled, giving me a smile.

We'd only know each other for four weeks, but it was great working with him all that time. Literally living together for the entirety of that time had made him a friend as well. But who knew when the next time would be that we saw each other.

I heard the trunk of the car being closed behind me, the sound signalling that it was time to close this chapter. The driver opened the sliding door for me to get into the back. As soon as I stepped inside, I'd be gone for six months. Well, I was flying back to visit, but I would officially be living in a different country.

Before I did that, I rushed up to Jack and pecked him on his lips one last time. He seemed to be caught off guard, but quickly kissed me back before the short moment ended.

"Six weeks," I stated, pointing at him.

He nodded and repeated it back. "Six weeks."

I had to bite my smile back as I said my final goodbye and got into the car, heading towards the airport. As we pulled away and I waved towards the guys sending me off, my heart broke just a little. Especially seeing Jack be so excited for me, but with a hidden tinge of sadness.

Six weeks was officially the longest we'd be apart. We had our rules of not going too long without seeing each other. There wasn't a time that we'd be apart for longer than three weeks. This time, though, it was impossible to figure out how we could see each other before the six week mark. Jack would continue to work with Alex for a little longer, I had multiple short but intensive projects, he had a few shows scattered around that didn't make it worth it for him to come see me. It was only at the six week mark that it all made sense.

But, fucking hell, this was going to be exciting. And I was determined to make it feel like the weeks would pass in no time. I had things to do, explore, and discover. There weren't enough hours in a day to do it all. Time would feel like it was shortened.

The journey to the airport took me through the bustling streets of New York. I'd planned for a lot of extra time before my evening flight took off, but I was still a bundle of nerves. Luckily, my thoughts drifted off to what awaited me in London, and not what I was leaving behind. It was a new adventure and such an incredible opportunity. Honestly, it was amazing that I was still able to have this experience. Jack never hesitated to let me go. And there was so much to look forward to: new projects, interesting collaborations, and living somewhere other than my home 'town'.

My phone buzzed as I got closer, telling me I'd gotten a message.

Hazel: Just landed! Heading to our gate. Can't wait to see you soon!

It was a reminder that I wasn't embarking on this adventure alone. I had my bestest friend to face every step of the way with. Her flight from LA arriving on time was a sign that everything to come could only go smoothly. Everything was going to go just how we wanted it to.

The luck stayed with me. It wasn't long until I'd made it to the airport myself, managed to check in all my luggage, and got through security. I was fully expecting at least one thing to go wrong. But there wasn't even a single complaint about the guitar cases I had with me.

Which meant that my next job was finding Hazel. Luckily, we had these magical things called phones, allowing us to coordinate and plan where we'd meet. I eventually spotted her familiar face amongst the crowd. She was already grinning from ear to ear, her excitement contagious.

"Jacie!" She exclaimed as she ran up to me, pulling me into a tight hug. "I'm so excited!"

I hugged her back, the weight of my backpack making it a little challenging. "I've missed you!"

Hazel stepped back and gave me a once-over. "You look amazing. New York clearly agrees with you."

I chuckled and gave her a little bow. "Why, thank you. It's tried its best."

"Gosh, a month long without you and now I get you for six months!"

"I know, it's like we're twenty-one again."

"This is going to be the best."

It really was.