Walking Straight

Chapter 25

(sorry i didnt specify in the last chapter that I was updating this sunday, but here we go, its all been leading up to this!) GET EXCITED! (BTW MATT AND HIS GIRLFRIEND IN THE MEDIA!!!!!)

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TAYLOR'S POV:

Today is the music festival, we drive off campus to a grassy clearing full of cars, and past the parking lot, a stage with people scattered along the seating area. Jacob called Matt yesterday and we made carpool arrangements. We took Matt's four door grey Tacoma, the boys sitting up front and Matt's girlfriend, Debby,  sitting in the backseat with me. Dark brown eyes, platinum blonde hair, and pouty lips. A bubbly person, obviously deeply in love with Matt. 

The festival was basically a mini Coachella, indie and alternative bands taking up the whole lineup. Jacob finds my hand as we make our way through the small crowd of people. When we get to the front of the stage, people already had drinks slapped in the palms of their hands, swaying to the indie pop. Matt leaves with Debby to get drinks, Jacob and I left in the crowd alone. As the band onstage leaves, another replacing them, the crowd begins cheering, waving their hands as they new artsists begin to play a slightly familiar song I've heard jacob listen to. Suddenly, he kneels down and points to his shoulders. 

"Get on!" he shouts over the thumping bass. I crack a smile and climb onto his shoulders. His hands grip the tops of my thighs to steady me. I rest my hands on his head and when I feel balanced enough, reach them towards the stage, singing out what few words I know.

As the song begins to end, Matt and Debby come into view, they carry four beers. Jacob sets me down and we each take a gulp from our bottles.

This wasn't my first drink, I had countless with Will when our parents would fight and leave the house and we would be home alone together, wallowing in boredom. So, we resorted to drinking, testing each other's limits when it came to taking shots.Will turned out to be more of a lightweight than I was. 

Matt is the designated driver, so he only finishes off one drink and will stay sober the rest of the time we are here. 

A couple hours pass, and I feel a buzz between the drinks and the bass that shook my chest everytime it would thump. I'm working on my third beer, most of the drink spilling out everytime I would move with the music. I look over to Jacob. He catches my eye and pulls me closer to him. We dance along for a few minutes, a sheer layer of sweat covering both of us. His hands roam up and down my back while mine cradle his face and neck. I get o my tiptoes and look over his shoulder, and spot familiar black locks on a tall guy with pale skin and bright blue eyes. I duck back down and turn to face the other way, Jacob's chin now resting on my head every so often. I check back to see if the guy was still there by peeking over Jacob's shoudler again. A wasted girl has taken his place. I run my hands through my hair and pull Jacob's face down so he can hear me.

"I'm gonna run to the girls's room, yeah? Be right back!" I turn on my heel, but Jacob's hand grips my wrist. 

"I'll come, I don't want you going alone!" he shouts over the music. 

"No, it's fine, really, I'll be fine." I reply and make my way out of the crowded area, just trying to find a little bit of quiet. My head is pounding, my hands shaking. I cannot run into someone from my past anymore, I am finished with everyone from there, everyone who treated me like a child. I find a water bottle in Matt's truck and splash my face with the water, trying to stop this raging headache. After cooling off for a few minutes, I take a couple Advils from my purse and head back to the audience, my head down and my feet moving quickly. I look up in time to crash into a guy holding a drink. The beer spills everywhere and the bottle shatters, glass littering the dirt. 

"Oh my god, I'm so sorryy I will totally buy you another bottle!" I kneel down, picking up the larger pieces of glass. 

"No, it's okay, it's fine..." My head snaps up. I stand up and back away. That voice. 

"Shit.." is all I can utter before I spin around to run back to the concert. A hand wraps around my forearm, spinning me back around. 

"Taylor, hey." I swallow, not ready to be meeting with him again. Especially so unexpected again.

"Landon... what are you doing here?"

RHETT'S POV: 

"Rhett? Hon? We're going to get the christmas tree, come on."  Mom peeks through the door, finding me once again, laying in bed.

"Rhett, it's the weekend, go out, come on are you going to be like this when break starts at the end of this week?"

"Mom, I'm really not in the mood, okay? I have no one to go "out" with righ now, okay?" I use air quotes, emphasizing the sarcasm. 

"Rhett, you've been holed up in here for three days, come be with the family. Your sister's home for Christmas for the first time in five years. Come on." She begs, sitting on my bed. I roll into the covers bury my face in all the fluff.  I let out a low groan and swing my legs off the edge of the bed, almost wacking my mom in the process. 

"Yeah, and shave today why don't you?" Mom says kissing my rough cheek. 

I stumble intot the bathroom and examine myself. My jawline and upper lip are stubbly, giving me an aged and alchoholic look. I shower for the first time in a couple days, washing away all the grease from my hair. I shave as well and when I get out of the shower, I don't look as much like a wild animal as I did just a few minutes ago.

And that's when I know without Taylor, the girl who hanged my life, I woudn't be able to go on like this. 

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hey guyyyyys thanks for being patient and bombtastic readers, love you all, next update for both stories is on thursday! <3 MAKE SURE TO COMMENT VOTE FOLLOW AND SHARE! <3 Xx, Carla