this is the start | gilinsky

Chapter Fifteen

    "I'm assuming you don't want a drink this time." 

    I try to control the heat of my cheeks as I sit down at the stool that was my safe haven last time I was here. Seeing Nate again makes me agitated. I should've known he'd be at the bar handing out drinks like he was last time. 

    "No thank you." I mumble. I notice his eyes drifting down towards my v-neck so I stare down at the table. It's Mallory's, so it's kinda tightish but I still like it better than what she had me in last time.

    I don't know why I continue to let myself be dragged to parties when I know I'll just end up having a lousy time. Not to mention I'm still really awkward and haven't really opened myself up to anyone other than Sam. Even with him I'm still weird sometimes. 

    I sit in silence and watch Nate move around behind the counter handing people drinks, sometimes receiving money. It only takes a few minutes for me to become restless and I start bouncing my foot up and down at a fast pace.

    "Would you sit still?" Nate growls. "You're distracting me."

    I furrow my eyebrows and stop moving. "Distracting you from what?"  Nate's glare is harsh, the way he's looking at me tells me he wants to hit me. "What's your problem?" 

    "Just get out of here." Nate says angrily, his voice getting louder. How could me moving my leg possibly make him this angry.

    "And go where?" He's being so unreasonable I start to feel like I want to hit him.

    "Anywhere as long as it's not in front of me." That sentence stings. 

    I clear my throat and start to stand up when I feel a hand on my shoulder. Whipping my head around I see that it's Gilinsky and I start to hold my breath. 

    "Everything okay over here?" His eyes are full of curiosity.

    "Yeah..." I nod my head, not bothering to look back at Nate. I can tell Jack doesn't believe me and I pray he won't start asking questions. 

    "Where are you heading?" Jack's eyebrows are raised.

    "I don't know." I answer honestly. My eyes are concentrated on his forehead, not wanting to look him straight in the eyes. His head motions up towards Nate and I see him nod. Sliding his hand down to my wrist he starts to walk me out of the kitchen.

    As soon as we make it into an empty hallway he let's me go of my wrist, causing my skin to tingle.

    "You're okay, right?" Jack's worried. I can tell because the wrinkles he gets on his forehead when he's concerned are there.

    "Yes." I tell him, throwing on a half smile. He nods his head and seems to be thinking about something. 

    "Have you had anything to drink?" He questions. I don't know if he is referring to beer or water but I shake my head anyway. "Do you want something?"

    "What kind of something?" My voice comes out shaky. 

    "Beer?" Jack leans against the wall and looks at me expectantly. When I don't answer right away, I see the corners of his lips start to turn up. "Have you ever had a drink? Like ever in your whole entire life?"

    "I had a little the last time I was here." I admit. I wrap my arms around myself and take a deep breath. Don't be so nervous. I scold in my head.

    "Alright, that's a start." Jack moves his head up and down and looks down the hallway at a closed door. "I have an idea." 

    "What?" I ask cautiously. My stomach hurts. 

    "You gotta learn to live a little, Mar! Let yourself go, don't be so nervous all the time!" Jack's smile beams at me and my stomach hurts more and more. He's so cute when he's excited. He let's his hand grasp onto my wrist again and walks me down towards the room. 

    "What are you doing?" I give him a nervous laugh. 

    "Getting you loosened up," He replies. I almost choke on nothing but when I realize he doesn't mean what I thought he did I calm down a little. 

    "How exactly do you plan on doing that?" 

    Jack swings open the closed door and walks in like he owns the place. I nervously look back to see if anyone is watching us. Are we even allowed to be in here? Why wasn't the door locked? God, Nate is so stupid. 

    When I turn back around I see that he's holding a whole case of beer. My eyes widen. Where did he even get that? Is it Nate's? He couldn't possibly allow him to take that. Jack laughs as soon as he sees the look on my face and sets the case on the bed. 

    "Don't get too excited, we're not drinking all of these ourselves," Jack points out, "I'm texting Sam, Johnson, and Mallory to get their asses over here." I feel my lips curl and I try to contain my negativity towards the situation. 

    "Where's Leigh?" I utter. I inwardly cringe at myself for bringing her up. I didn't even know I was wondering that, it just slipped out. Jack looks up at me with a blank expression. He shrugs and pulls out his phone. "I don't know."

    Well that can't be a good thing.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Yo yo yooo guys. I hope you liked this chapter I know this story is kinda slow but I'm trying to show exactly who Marley is before I start with anything too exciting. Hopefully with this chapter and the next things will start to actually happen and it won't be as boring and stuff. Chapter sixteen will be out soon, if you have any advice or suggestions feel free to tell me! much love, gilinskyshigh