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

Chapter 7

I stood in the doorway of the guest bedroom, staring at all the furniture. The bed currently took up most of the space with its footboard bench, bedside tables, and large carpet. Things probably could have been configured more space-efficiently, but the built in closet seemed to make it hard.

"What are you thinking?" Jack said as he appeared behind me.

My eyes scanned the room again and I pointed to the far wall. "We move the bed over there, then we can squeeze in our desk. But I haven't figured out the guitars or drums yet."

He hummed in response. "Maybe Meerkat should just get used to constantly being surrounded by instruments."

"We can't do that!"

"Hey, if we want her to be a rockstar, it's never too early to start!"

I chuckled at Jack's logic. "We're setting up a nursery, not a concert hall."

He grinned, leaning against the doorframe. "Fair point. How about we just start and see what happens? I just need to figure out how to move this bed... I don't want you lifting anything heavy."

I agreed with a nod, appreciating Jack's concern for my well-being. "We'll just begin with the smaller items."

And so began the next important step in this journey. I began with clearing the bedside tables, taking the table lamps out of the room so we wouldn't accidentally knock them over. We pushed the tables out of the way so manoeuvering the bed would be easier. But, soon, only the bigger pieces of furniture were left.

"Now, the footboard bench," Jack suggested, eyeing the sturdy piece of furniture at the end of the bed.

I shrugged, knowing I was the one who set it up in the first place. "It's lighter than it looks."

"Okay," he took one side, "just please be careful."

I took the other side and we started to lift with caution. I made sure to carry the weight with my legs, and not my back. Jack just watched me with worry as we also moved the bench out to the living room to have it out of the way. The bed now stood alone, a substantial piece that needed strategic thinking to relocate.

Jack and I exchanged glances, silently contemplating the logistics of moving the bed to its new spot. It was a sturdy queen-sized bed that seemed like a great choice at the time. Now, it wasn't the smartest choice. It was going to be hard to move.

"Alright, I got this," Jack declared, a determined expression across his face as he stretched.

He walked right up to the bed and started pushing. Despite using all his strength, the bed refused to move. He tried to plant his feet steadily on the ground, letting him use his entire body, but that only moved it the tiniest bit.

I bit my lip, knowing Jack wouldn't like my suggestion. "Let me help."

"Jace, no." He shook his head and attempted to do it alone again. But he didn't just suddenly gain more strength.

"Come on, I won't push myself too far."

He sighed in defeat, realising he really wasn't going to be able to do this himself and we didn't have anybody nearby to call to help at that moment. "Alright, but we do this together, and you let me do most of the heavy lifting."

"Deal," I agreed, relieved that he wasn't being too stubborn. "What if I sit and push with my back instead?"

He shrugged, still giving me concerned looks as I positioned myself next to him. I followed my idea, pressing my back up against the bedframe and bringing my feet close to me so I could do the work with my legs.