Falling// Jack Avery

04.

I slept in Caroline's room that night. My phone is blown up the next morning with texts from this new groupchat. I smile reading through it. I'm glad for the new friends, despite the unfortunate circumstances of our meeting. Both times.

Caroline is already up and making pancakes. I know this because she sent it in the groupchat.

Care Bear: I am making pancakes!! Be jealous 😎

Corbean: Why would we do that when we can come take yours??

Care Bear: Good luck getting through the locked door

Noodle Head: Ella will let us in. Right Ella?????????

I roll my eyes and get out of Caro's bed. I go to my room and put on some appropriate clothes for when I do inevitably let them in.

I send a text separately to Jack

ELLA: Come down the fire escape. I'll let you in 😂

Noodle Head: 🙌🏼

I quickly throw a hoodie on because it is so damn cold in this apartment. I hear a quiet knock at my window, and turn to see five pitiful boys. I open the window and sneak in. We all run into the kitchen and start grabbing pancakes. Caroline screams and throws the spatula she was holding. It hits Zach in the face.

"Why do these things only happen to me?" he yells, while holding his nose.

Caroline turns to me and fear strikes in my core, "You traitor!"

She lunges over the counter and I scream and run. I run to the other side of the couch and try to stay as far away as possible. I fail.

"I'm sorry! Don't hurt me!"

She tackles me to the floor and all of the boys fix their plates with pancakes. What great manners. Caroline and I wrestle for a few minutes before she lets me go. She grabs the spatula off of the floor and points it at me, "Don't betray me again."

We go back into the kitchen and fix our own plates. Caroline made enough pancakes to feed a small army, so she was planning to let them in eventually. I keep my mouth shut, though.

We sit around the kitchen, some at the bar and some at various open places. Our apartment isn't big enough for a table so we make do. I'm sitting between Jack and Jonah on our barstools. Zach and Daniel are sitting on the floor, leaning on the counter that Corbyn and Caroline are sitting on directly across from us.

"I don't understand why I have to sit on the floor," Zach complains and stabs his pancakes.

"You're the youngest," Corbyn says and kicks his head with a socked foot. Zach turns and glares at him.

Daniel turns too, "Hey, what about me?"

Corbyn shrugs, "You're too nice."

Daniel nods, content with that answer. I look over a Jonah's plate beside me, and he's already eaten all of his pancakes.

"What the hell? Did you even have pancakes?" I ask.

He laughs, "I'm a really fast eater. It's my talent."

I turn to Jack with a look of shock on my face, my mouth gaping. I still have most of my two pancakes left. Jack laughs and says, "It's true. He is always the first one done."

I shake my head in awe and continue eating. I'm the last one done, and it doesn't go unnoticed.

"Hurry up!" Caroline groans.

I stick my tongue out and shove the rest of my pancakes in my mouth. I was almost done anyway.

After we finish eating we all hang out. We sit around the apartment talking about what we should do. As a typical summer day usually goes.

"We should go to the beach," Jonah says. Finally an offer I like the sound of.

"Ooooo yes!!" I nod, "Let's go to the beach!"

"We could get ready and go to Venice beach, it's around a forty minute drive. We could go and still be back tonight."

Caroline interrupts, "I'm sorry to be the party pooper, but I have to pack for my trip. I'm visiting my family for around two weeks, and they got me a flight for tomorrow night. Y'all can go, I just can't!"

I shake my head, "Uh uh, we will wait and go another day. Let's do something we can all do while we have you."

No way was I not going to enjoy today with her. I can't believe she's leaving so soon though.

"What if we play hide and seek?" I offer, you know, like a child.

"I'm down," Jack agrees.

"NOT IT!" is suddenly screamed by everyone, except unlucky Corbyn.

We set the whole complex as in bounds, because my apartment is small af. We make anywhere fair game, and he has to count to thirty.

He closes his eyes and counts super loud. We all run in different directions. I decide not to stay in my apartment because it's too dangerous, so I run to the fire escape. Jack is a few steps ahead of me so I follow him, because I have no idea where to go.

He jumps into what I'm assuming is his room, and I say screw it and run after him, "Jack! I don't know where to hide!" I whisper-yell.

He grabs my hands and we run to another room in his apartment. He leads me to what looks like a little girl's bathroom and we hide in the tub.

His little sister comes in and asks, "Jack, what are you doing?"

"Playing hide and seek, just don't tell Corbyn we are here!" he tells her.

She goes back to her room without even asking who I am, though I guess she knows how time sensitive hide and seek is.

Jack realizes he is still holding my hand and lets go. I look over and we are standing really close. I guess I should have expected that, because we are literally in a bathtub. We are inches apart and I take the time to look at him. He has a few tattoos, and they are really cool. I look at the ones on his neck, and then my eyes travel to his arms. I think the galaxy one is my favorite.

"Like what you see?" Jack smirks.

I nod, "You have really cool tattoos."

"Do you have any?"

I shake my head, "No, not yet at least. I don't know what I would get."

Before he can respond Corbyn rips back the curtain and tags Jack. His little sister is standing behind Corbyn with wide eyes and a guilty grin.

"I told you not to tell him, Isla!" Jack whines.

I laugh and step out of the tub, "You're it, not me."

"No way, we are in this together now," he refuses.

My phone buzzes.

Corbean: I got jack and ella

Care Bear: They were together...? 👀😏

My cheeks heat. I'm going to kill her for that one.

Noodle Head: Um yeah, she's my best friend now

Care Bear: Square up Jack

I shake my head laughing at these fools as we walk down the fire escape.

A/N:

Okay guys so I went back and made a change! I edited my previous chapters and removed mentions of Ella having a job out of the story because I decided not to continue with that story line, so if you wonder why I don't mention it again- that's why!

Also I swear I'm not five lol, though the hide and seek scene may disagree.

Comment below how many reads this has when you are reading!