If You Run (An All Time Low Fan Fiction)

Chapter Four

"Soo.. where you from?" he asked as we walked to wherever we were going

"Liverpool, England. Are you from here?" 

"No, my parents are from the Lebanon but I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. How long have you been in LA for?" 

"We arrived today and I'm here for the next three weeks," I replied with a smile. I found it really easy to talk to him despite us only just meeting.

"Wait, I've got an idea!" he exclaimed, stopping and turning to me.

"What?"

"It's a surprise but first I need to know what you like to drink?" what? why was he asking this?

"Errm... beer's good," I said looking at him confused

"Ahh a girl who likes beer, I like it" he laughed "Wait right here, don't move"

I did as I was told and stayed where I was as I watched him run out of my sight down the street. He returned about 10 minutes later carrying a bag and a pizza box.

"Now come with me," he said running off in a different direction to where we were previously heading. It took me a minute to catch up to him. My smile spread from ear to ear. This was completely mental but it felt so right.

We'd been running for about 5 minutes when we came to some steps leading down to an empty beach. I stood there for a moment just taking in my surroundings. I looked down to see Jack already at the bottom of the steps waving his arms in the air and shouting to me
"Come on! you're going to miss it!"

 "Miss what?" I asked as I ran down to join him on the sand

"You'll see," He said with a smug smile as he walked further away from the steps and sat down on the white sand. He patted the space beside him, signalling for me to take a seat.

"I didn't know what you liked on pizza. So I just got everything" He laughed opening the box 

"Everything is good" I said taking a piece. As I took a bite it hit me just how hungry I was. Jack handed me a bottle of cold beer from the bag he'd been carrying.

"Well don't just stare at it, aren't you going to open it?"

"How? I don't have a bottle opener" I said confused at how he was drinking his already

"Ahh your British mind! That is not needed here in America, the land of the free and twist off caps" he sang as he took the bottle from me and took off the cap then handed it back

"What is the genius?!" I laughed before I took a long sip.

A whole pizza and about five beers later we were both lying on the sand watching the sun set over the sea.

"I always come out here, it's like my thinking spot" Jack said looking at me. When out eyes met it made my stomach do a back flip, well it felt like that.

"When I was younger wherever I was at that time, I moved around a lot you see, if things got too much I used to climb up onto the roof and watch the sun set. It's hard to explain..like in that moment I feel in control, like nothing can go wrong, like I'm finally away from everything," I single tear slid down my cheek as I remember the first time I'd ever climbed up onto the roof.

It was a couple of weeks before my dad died, I was upset about something stupid so he took me up there to watch the sun set. Straight away I felt free, that was the real reason I always escaped to the roof. It felt like he was there with me again and that's what made me feel safe. I quickly wiped it away and hoped Jack hadn't seen.

After a moment of silence Jack spoke again
"So, who are you here with?"

"Shit!" I said sitting up searching for my phone. I'd left it behind.