Bruised (Jack Barakat)

Chapter 9

Alex Gaskarth

I watched Jack, who was sitting next to me, and Scarlett, who was across from me on the love seat, eat their food in the same way. Each of them struggling with the chopsticks. but trying to seem like they got the hang of it. It's actually kinda cute. 

Oliver seemed to agree with me since he started to shake his head at them. That made me laugh softly and focus my attention on my own chopsticks. "Alright, so let's tell secrets... " I heard Rian burst out.

I looked up at my best friend with an eyebrow raised. 

"What the hell got into you?" Vinny said, obviously confused. 

"Oh, sorry. Cassade and I are texting and I said my text out loud" Rian said, with a shy smile.

"I think you worded that wrong, Vinny. The question should be, 'What the hell is wrong with you?' " Mack said, laughing.

"I second that!" I said, smiling and laughing as well. 

 Rian gave us a sarcastic laugh as he continued on his texting.

"Ugh, I give up on this damn chopsticks" I heard Jack's voice from next to me, "Someone get me a fork"

"I'll get it. I have to throw away some things anyways.. " Vinny said, getting up from next to Jack and grabbing all his trash. 

Vinny walked out the living room and into the kitchen, making a clicking sound with his mouth as he walked.

I turned towards Dilan, who had her food next to her on the cushion right to me as she played Candy Crush on her phone. "So what do you guys have planned for Monday?" Dilan shrugged at my question, "Scar has to work, I think.. ?" She looked up from her phone at Scarlett to get approval at what she stated.

Scarlett nodded at Dilan and then Dilan turned back towards me, "So that answered that"

"But what about you and the boys?" I asked, shoving a egg roll in my mouth. 

Dilan ran her hand through her hair and shrugged once again, "Nothing really.. " Dilan said, turning her attention back to her phone. 

"So are you guys up for some go-karting or something?' I said, with much excitment.

Oliver smiled, "Hell yeah"

"We still owe you guys from ditching you last night.. " Mack laughed, pointing his chopsticks at me.

"Wait- what time do you think we would met up?" Pete said, scrunching his eyebrows.

"I don't know. I guess around twelve or something" Jack said, with a mouth full of food. I shook my head at him, smiling, "Yeah, what he said" 

The boys nodded and muttered all of their 'sounds good' and 'okay's while they finished their food. I have a great plan for Monday, but the only problem is if Dilan doesn't come.

We need Dilan.

Scarlett Wonders

 I listened to the excitement in my friends voices as they talked about Monday. I didn't mind not being able to go, if you think that I was about to get upset over this. Honestly, I thought it would be good for them to do something with the band without me. 

I can kinda be a drag when it comes to those kinda things, so I mean, it's okay and all. 

"Psst- Kitty!" I heard someone spat in my ear. 

I whipped my head to the side that the voice was coming from and found myself smashing heads with the voice.

"Ow, shit." Vinny said, rubbing the spot where we hit.

I started rubbing the spot where we hit too, and felt the soft bump under my fingers. "Talk about hard headed.. Shit" Vinny said, smiling at me.

I gave him a shy smile, "Sorry.. " 

I turned to everyone else and found them laughing at us. "Not funny... " I mumbled, pooching my lip out. 

"Awe, kitty! Don't get upset" Jack said as he frowned playfully. 

 I rolled my eyes at him in a joking manner as I mocked him silently. Everyone laughed at the two of us as both of us pretended to be mad at each other. 

I have to stop this.. this whole.. yanno, love thing going on.

It's too soon and way too much for me at the moment. 

I decided to end our little argument with me finishing my food and keeping quiet. I guess Jack thought he did something wrong, because he gave me a weird face and contiued on with his eating as well. 

It's not that I didn't enjoy flirting with the one guy I have been in love with since, well, forever. It's just the fact that I can't stand knowing that he'll hurt me or I'll hurt him if we even dare try something. 

That scares me.

I can't live on knowing that Jack and I will end up hurting each other to a point we can't even make eye contact anymore. I couldn't live with that pain of losing the him out of my life.

It kills me thinking of it.

When I first met him, I was completely unaware of everything, even my feelings. Now that I took a moment and let this set in, I'm determined to not let myself get hurt by someone close to me again.

I don't want to be sitting in my room again, not eating or moving until I end up becoming sick.

I can't do that to myself again.

I won't have it.

I can't have it.

So even if that means I have to kill myself mentally before Jack can leave me alone and go back to where we were, then I'll do it.

 I'll do it.

I then looked up at Jack, who was oddly enough staring off into space, just as I was. I could see all the curiousity that ran across his face and the hand that was tugging at his hair as he sat, not touching his food. 

I wanted so badly to just snap him awake and ask him about what he was thinking of, but if I was going to keep myself from him, I had to stay strong.

Even if that meant crushing my teenage dreams.