My soldier in Neverland (Jack Barakat)

Chapter 26

Jack

When we go down the steps Brook grabs my arm with a scared look but then quickly returns her hands to her side. I was just about to ask what happend but her sister snatches her from me leaving me surrounded by unfamiliar faces. I get a drink before going out on to the deck where a fire is blazing and a table is filled with red cups. I grab one of the cups and walk to the side of the house, making sure no one is around I light a cigarette and breath in the lovely scent, the smell of home.  

"Wow I didn't know that you smoked Jack." I drop the lit one and rub it in the dirt with my heel. "Oh wait you don't, at least not when you were still talking to me." The tipsy girl walks out of the porch light and hangs on the gutter next to me.

"I don't." I scratch my head and try to walk past her but she falls onto me.

"Thats right you just like the smell of them. Is it because I smoke that kind?" She looks up at me with her glazed over eyes.

"No. God Carrie, how are you already drunk? Its been like an hour." I put her gently back on the wall and try to walk away but she does the same act as before and this time she holds me in a hug that I don't return.

"Jack I don't understand what went wrong, I loved you." She starts to go under my shirt layers with her sharp acrylic nails.

"Carrie I never loved you. We were never together you know that." I try to get it through her foggy mind.

"No Jack you don't remember that night? You treated me so nicely, you clung to me." She starts crying and her nervous tick kicks in with fours lines down my back. 

"Ow, Carrie stop!" Another four lines on the adjacent side. "Carrie you were a one night stand, you were a good friend, until you started to stalk me." I sit her down in the grass. "To be completely honest I would take that night back If I could. I don't know what I was thinking we were the best friends, we grew up together and I knew that it would hurt me in the long run." I look at the tree line before leaving. Slipping in the house and up to the bar I find Alex.

"Where is she?" Alex has an annoyed tone in his voice.

"Out back." He gives me something and tells me to drink up, it burns going down so I get another. After a while the edges of my vision becomes blurry and I decide to take it easy . I get down from the stool with a red cup and go on a hunt for a familiar face. I find Jess and Zack. 

"Hey what up small dick?!" I laugh but Zack doesn't find it funny. 

"Really that is the best you got." He shoves me and walks away all tense.

"Whats his deal Less?" She looks like she is going to cry so I try to hug her only to spill y drink all over her shoulder.

"Did you call me Less?" Her attitude changes and she goes to the bathroom to clean up. I sink to the ground not feeling to good. I put my head between my knees hoping it would help. I get up and run to the side door. I throw up all over the grass, I roll on to my back with a huff and look at the stars for a long time until someone finds me. 

"Jack? What are you doing out here. Oh fuck dude, are you laying in your own puke, sick!" Matt picks  me up by my arm and I lean against him. "Come on you could have at least wiped it off your face." He drags me back into the house and up the stairs to my room. "Don't leave the room." He puts me on my side in the bathroom.

"She is going to ruin everything." I say over and over again but Matt is already gone. I fall asleep but someone shakes me awake again. 

"Jack you need to stop saying that. I got Brook, she is coming up for you." I don't know what Rian is talking about I was sleeping not talking. "Jack can you open your eyes?" Rian tries to roll me on my side again because I tipped over on my back.