(2) Overnight Sensation: An All Time Low Fanfiction Romance

Chapter 7: Arguing

        January faded into February like a blur. I spent much of my time alone. Kara invited me out to the guys' shows, and to night activities with them, but I never said yes. It was honestly strange the way my body and mind worked. Every time Kara begged me to agree, I wanted to agree. Actually, my heart ached to say yes, to go out and do something, anything. Anything was better than being at home alone.

        And yet, the first words out of my time were, "No thanks, maybe another time."

        I could not bring myself to say yes, and the only time I would actually hang out with them was when Jack picked me up and threw me in the back seat of Alex's car. It was something in my gut always holding me back, even though I was never sure what it was.

        Alex and I still bickered about the stupidest things, mostly at lunch. We would debate about big issues, well, big issues for teenagers. He did this annoying thing with his mouth when he was waiting for you to stop talking, gaping it open, nodding his head in fake agreement. He didn't even listen to what you said, only stating something else that was completely insane seconds before my final sentance leaves my mouth.

        And that's where we found ourselves today; discussing the heated feminist topic of women's bodies.

        "All I'm saying is that it isn't terrible if a girl gets a boob job, that's all," he held his hands in false surrender. I snorted, my eyes rolling angirly.

        "Why does a girl need breast implants? SHe is just comfoming to society's expectations created by the media..." he cut me off just as I thought he would.

        "Because she is making her boyfriend hapy, and that means a healthier relationship!"

        "She shouldn't be in a relationship with someone if he wants her to change!" I growled at him, hands gripping the edge of the table. Students around us stared distantly, something that wasn't new anymore. Everyone in the school could hear our arguments, and sometimes people passing would join in. To others, our bickering was entertaining, but to me, it was just another way to shut Alex's annoying mouth up.

        "What's wrong with wanting to make her boyfriend happy?" He questioned, hands running through his hair.

        "She is changing who she was born to be to please someone else. That's just giving into the idea that women need to be stick thin, with an unrealistic chest and a nice ass to have a chance at happiness!" I groaned, head leaning against the table in defeat. There was no getting through to a person that liked the female body more than they liked to eat. "No one looks like Barbie."

        "Why are you arguing? You're hot," Jack asked while crunching his taco, a piece of lettuce hanging from his lips. His statement was purely innocent. There was no getting mad at him, even if his questions and comments were as ridiculous as Alex's. He was like a puppy missing his muzzle, barking at random.

        "I'm not anything," I flushed, feeling uncomfortable with the statement. "I've never changed myself to match everyone else in the world. I do what I do because I want to," I let out my breath, fingers folding between each other. Alex rolled his eyes, picking up his lunch and taking an oversized bite

        "Come on guys," Kara tried to interject, hands going through her brown hair, causing it to tumble down her shoulders. "No need to argue, you guys do it every single day," she sighed, looking at us. "You'd think you'd both be sick of it by now."

        "I love arguing," Alex chuckled, folding his hands behind the back of his head and leaning on the back legs of his chair. I hated how he always found these conversations funny, it always seemed like he did it to piss me off.

        "And I love proving Alex wrong," I said, turning my neck to the left to face Kara, fake smile plastered on my mouth.

        It was completely true, proving my point and being correct was the best feeling in the entire world. I knew that I could always be right when talking to Alex. He really doesn't think before he speaks. He puts everything on the line and most of the time sounds like a complete moron when he does.

        "Good to know that you guys found a decent balance," Kara rolled her eyes and threw a grape at Alex. It hit him on the side of the head, right where his red bandana was resting.

        "Hi Alex," A nasally voice sounded from behind me. I turned my head to watch Jessica Kinnon saunter past the table, winking once. Alex nodded towards her, a devilish grin. She blew him a kiss and I almost threw up.

        I'd had more than one instant when I've been in school so far when Jessica Kinnon had made her presence known. It was simple things like throwing my books on the ground, hitting my shoulder inthe hallway, or just calling me a slur of derogatory terms that didn't make sense with my nationality or the color of my skin. She was a piece of trash, and I couldn't stand her.

        "You're a pig, you know that?" I felt my face scrunch as both Alex and I watched Jessica walk away; mine in repulsion, his in desire. When I glanced back at Alex, his eyes were lustful while watching Jessica, how disgusting.

        "I can stare at you too if it makes you that jealous," he wiggled his eyebrows at me. I snorted and laughed. Jealousy, is that a joke?"

        "Sweets, I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole. Keep your hormones in check."

        "You guys are doing it again, let's not," Rian spoke for the first time. Alex and I glared at one another. His brown eyes were always so dark; and when he looked at me that way, I swear they were as black as charcoal.

        Sometimes I hated him so much that it made it hard to think straight.

        "Let's go golfing this weekend," Jack started after a long silence. His white, beaming smile fell on our faces. Rian nodded with a mouth full of water, reaching to offer him a fist bump. He swallowed, a grin breaking out over his lips.

        "It's been at least a month, we need to," Rian agreed, and Kara rolled her eyes. Rian's arm wrapped tightly around her waist and pulled her closer. He kissed her temple lightly and her whole body relaxed.

        It must be nice to feel so much love in a single movement.

        "It's the middle of winter," I muttered softly, unsure of how they planned on doing this. It's not even like the courses are open, or they could play on ten feet of snow.

        "We don't golf the same way other people do," Jack smirked and laughed lightly.

        "I don't get it?" I asked as a question and glanced among them. I felt my ears heat in embarrassment. I felt so out of the loop sometimes. I didn't know why I bothered sitting with them.

        "Come with us," Kara tried to persuade me, patting my knee lightly as encouragement. Alex's smile grew from across the table, eyes fixed on me.

        "Yeah, Stella, come with us," Alex treased. "It'll be the fourth and last time you'll ever go out with us." My fingers gripped the sides of my seat, and I could feel my knuckles go white from the hold I had on it.

        I let out a deep breath, biting the inside of my mouth in frustration. I watched my peers, and noticed Alex's eyes were still on me. He smirked casually, the challenge always visible in his eyes. I had to prove Alex wrong, and this wouldn't be the last time, either.

        "Sure, I'm in."