*Alex's POV*
The house is empty when I get back. Empty and Silent. Zack and Rian havent returned after their disapearances and I find myself wondering in what they could ne doing.
Rian is probably trying to win Cassidy over, he would do that. Risk his emotions and feelings for someone and not stop until his love has been proven. Zack, on the other hand. Is a silent observer, not willing to step from his stiff persona. He's an admirer, a secret lover, Rian is the Romeo, the main man.
I'd to consider myself a ladies man, a strong kind of man. I dont really feel like a man next to Rian or Zack or Kellin or Vic, but i do feel like an older brother to Jack. He's just naturally little, natural a boy at heart, and proud to show it. I think about the way Jenna had stopped and looked at him, no other girl had stopped to look at him like that before. Maybe she saw something that other girls didn't. He wasn't dressed any differently than normal, he didn't act or look like anyone but Jack. And yet she stopped, and looked at him as though he wasn't the little boy we all new, but rather a strong, attractive, man.
It's just sad he didn't notice her like that.
I had slumped onto the couch in the midst of my thoughts and now I found myself twirling the threads of the pillows between my fingers. A long sigh escaped my mouth and was soon followed by a yawn, despite my lack of fatigue. I couldn't sleep now, I had to make a plan.
In case you haven't noticed, I'm big on plans.
I couldn't be quite sure, but I'm pretty sure the look Jenna gave him meant something. People don't just look at other people like that with out it meaning something. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense that Jack and Jenna would be great for each other.
Jack was fun, cheerful, optomistic.
Jenna was sarcastic, cynical, pessismistic.
Opposites attract, they say. They would balance each other out nicely. I made it my mission to try and get them together, and them being alone in that bar was a good first step in my opinion. It was as I made my mind up about Jack and Jenna when I heard footsteps and voices creep up on the van.
The was a lot of shuffling, alot of stuggled noises. A loud voice, a male voice, boomed but I couldn't make it out due to the slurred words. It was followed by a female voice, quiet and pleading.
"Let go of me. Now." it demanded, but with no avail.
"Don't tell me what to do, slut! Go get me a beer!" the booming continued. A loud thud followed. I found myself rushing to the window, it was instinct.
A tall guy, muscular and drunk towered over Tay. She clutched her arm, her face grimaced in pain.
"Stop! Stop!" She screamed. He lifted his fist. Anger boiled inside of me as I rushed outside to stop him. He was a few centimetres taller than me, blonde hair, bloodshot eyes.
"Leave her alone!" I yelled, approaching them quickly. I stopped in front of her, shielding her with my body. A smug smile spread across his face.
"Move out the way, pretty boy." He slurred, spitting.
"Look, calm down. Stop this!" Tay shouted, unsuccessfully masking the fear and the pain in her voice.
"I sad, move out the way!" He demanded, balling his airborn hand in a fist. I didn't say anything, just stood there, fists clenched, eyes like daggers. He took a swing, i got there first, smacking his jaw. He swung at my gut, then my face, leaving a searing pain as though I had been stabbed. I almost fell backwards, my skull burning. I retaliated quickly, aiming for the gut and kicking his legs in. The fight went on, and when i was sure my body was covered in bruises, he fell to the floor and scrambled away, half-concious.
I turned to face Tay, who looked horrified and angry.
"What the hell did you do that for you idiot!" She screamed, getting up. I was so confused, a literally just saved her being beaten to a pulp and she's made at me.
"I saved your life, that's what I did!"
"I had everything under control! I didnt need you help!"
"That's what you call under control! Are you crazy?!"
"I din't need you playing superhero for me you arse! I don't need you running around after me saving my life!"
"I just stopped you're dickhead of a boyfriend for beating the shit out of you Tay!" She was silent, her eyes widened, pupils dialated. She was staring at me as though I had just murdered someone. I stood there, trying find something about her that made me more angry, something to hate, something that maybe told me that she was thankful.
She kept looking at me, kept watching. I wondered if she was doing the same, looking for something to be angry at and hate, or maybe something that told her that I really wanted to save her.
"You're a mess... you look like a trainwreck" She whispered, and while she intended it to be an insult, her voice was ridden with guilt. She took my hand roughly, leading me into the van. She pushed me on the couch and disapeared. She came back with a packed of frozen peas wrapped in a dishcloth. She sat beside me, brushing my hair from my eyes. Placing the frozen peas on my eye, she moved closer. Our legs were touching now, and I could help but look for a reaction, a repulse or a twitch. but there was nothing.
She looked me in the eye, furrowing her eyebrows.
"You're a nosy little shit you know?" She said, retaining her harsh tone, but now she was less angry, less impulsive.
"So I've been told" I answered briefly. she didn't smile, but her gaze softened.
"You didn't have to do that."
"We've been through this Tay, there is no way you could've stopped me from interfering." I argued, irritated that she wouldn't drop the subject. She was silent for a while, pressing the peas on my face.
"He's not a dick you know." She spoke softly.
"Really? Because last time I checked drunken, abusive boyfriends classify as being dicks" I raised my voice. I am so angry at him, and yet so angry at her for defending him even though he just tried to beat her up.
"He's not normally like that." She snapped, pushing a bit hard on my bruising eye so that i grimaced in pain. I didn't argue. The wellbeing of my face was at stake. She stared at the peas for a while and then her eyes flickered to my face.
"You're lips pretty busted, but your eye will just be bruised for a while." She removed the peas from my eye. Her hand stretched out slowly, as if testing if the distance was fine. Her fingertips brushed my lips, smoothing them. They stung but I didn't say anything, I didn't push her hand away or move my head. I just watched, took in the feeling of her fingers. Her arm pulled away eventually. She looked haunted, shocked, surprised.
And then she got up in a hurry, whizzing out the front door woth out a good bye or a thank you or a sorry.
My heart felt broken.
