No Strings Attached ; j.g

e i g h t e e n

'Marley' and I were staring at the starry sky, a few feet away from the hippie camp. His arm was behind my head and I was leaning against his bare chest. "I don't wanna leave tomorrow," I say.

He's silent for a moment, "you can't leave Jack hangin, he'd be so upset."

"He's already mad, I know it." I sighed and looked at the stars again. "Part of me wants to go back, to be with him. But the other part of me, I just want to stay here for a while and then be off. Do some more exploring."

"I have something for you," he sits up and I sit up too. He pulls a white box out. of his pocket and hands it to me.

"You got me an iPhone?" I ask and he nods with a smile. "Why?"

"Well, I know we both do a lot of traveling. I just thought we could stay better in touch, in case we never see each other again." I smiled at him. "And Jack of course," he laughs. "I already put his number in there, and mine," he smiles at me, his teeth so perfect.

"Do you think he'll hate me?" I ask as I look back to the stars.

"No, he's in love with you."

Jack? In love? With ME?

That's a lie.

What?

He's not in love with you. How could anyone be in love with you? You're not pure.

"No, I don't think so," I said as I wondered. He pulled me closer and kissed my forehead.

"I think he is, who wouldn't be?" he asked blankly. I looked at him confused. "I mean, you're the girl everyone wants. You're fun to be around, you're cute, sweet, you're chill, you've got a really hot bod," he smirked. "Although you could gain a few pounds," he laughed.

"Well if ya ask me, it sounds like Marley's the one that's in love with you!" Hash called.

"Awwwwww," Koi cooed. "I love love," he sounded all gushy. "CUUUUUTEE, don't ya think, Cotton?"

"You guys would be cute!" Cotton said all bubbly.

I looked back at Sam. He was smiling as he stared into space. "Sam," I shook him. He jumped a little and looked at me.

"Okay, maybe I'm the one in love with you.." he admits. I stared at him blankly and felt my face heat up. "But there's Jack, he's what's between us. Yanno? You just can't have both," he put his arm behind his head.

I sat up and looked at him. "What, you're asking me to pick?" He sat up as well.

"Well, I mean I'm not asking you to, but you can't have me and Jack. It doesn't work that way," he said with a shrug.

He was making me pick, at a time like this, when Jack wasn't around to prove his love, and he probably hates me.

You can't have both, but either way, you're just going to get hurt. You're unpure, they're not going to want you that long. They just want you for sex.

THATS NOT TRUE, DAMMIT.

My head was spinning in circles. I rested it in my palms and closed my eyes. I looked up, I was really light headed and things were starting to spin.

"I-I need some sleep," I stood up and felt my legs turn to mush. Sam quickly stood up and caught me.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

"I'm fine," I say trying to walk up the beach. My legs wouldn't carry me, I was getting frustrated. "I can't-" I whined.

"C'mere," Sam cooed. He picked me up and said goodbye to the hippies. He carried me to the hotel room.

Once we were inside, he sat me on the bed. He started walking away. "Where are you going?" I whined.

"You sounded kind of mad at me, down at the beach.."

"No- no I'm not mad. Pleeaaase don't leave. Come cuddle with me," I opened my arms.

"Alexis, you gotta pick. It's me or Jack." He walked out of the hotel room and slammed the door.

Asshole.

For once we agree on something.