Meet Me on Thames Street • All Time Low

Chapter Twenty

                                                *Marianne*

While Zack and Holly were out for the afternoon, Jack insisted that the rest of us go bowling. I quickly agreed of course, because I happened to be really good at it. Unfortunately, the bowling alley had a bar and Jack was deceiving.

Not long after our second game, Jack was drunk. I wasn’t mad at him, only disappointed that he let himself give in so easily. It was like he didn’t have his own will. He was shouting things about fucking inanimate objects and eventually stood up on a table and stripped himself of his pants.

After another game was finished – Jack scored more for the people next to us than for our own team and attempted to remove his underwear – we were kicked out. Albeit, it was pretty damn funny, but it would have been much better if Jack didn’t have to be pissed drunk in order to suck and strip.

By the time I was pushed out of the building, Jack and Carly were locking lips outside of the front door. My heart fell to my stomach and I felt like throwing up. I knew he was intoxicated, but that wasn’t any excuse. I fucking loved him and all it took was a drunken state to kiss another girl.

Alex, Rian, and Cassadee walked outside just as Jack pulled away from Carly. He looked shocked to say the least. Idiot.

Oblivious to what just went on, Alex walked over to Carly and wrapped his arms around her waist before gently kissing the side of her head.

Rian said, “Zack said for us to go to the club for one last night together. Are you guys up for that?”

At that point, I didn’t care what happened. What else did I have to lose? So I joined the others and we nodded our heads in unison. Then we went for our last night as a group.

~~
It was our last night in London and we were at “our” nightclub, having our own sort of party. I took a sip of my beer, which was warming by the minute in the midst of all the sweaty people. Rian pulled me to the dance floor, saying I needed to have a bit of worriless fun, since he clearly wasn’t going to try anything on me. I quietly chuckled before agreeing, tossing my newly emptied cup to the side.

I still thought a lot about Jack while we were dancing. He had sobered up over the course of the past few hours and seemingly didn’t remember kissing Carly earlier. Either that or he just didn’t want to face up to his actions.

Rian was a pretty good dancer to be honest. He only stepped on my toes a couple of times, and that’s saying a lot since we were both pretty buzzed. I was really beginning to enjoy myself and forget about the pain Jack had caused me that day, and I was thankful for Rian being that distraction.

A few songs – and drinks – later and Rian was stumbling all over the place, bumping into strangers and slurring how he was having such a good time with his new best friend – me. Cassadee was laughing from her seat at the bar, snapping a picture on her phone – for Instagram, nonetheless. Just before he could sling his arm around my shoulder, I heard a shout. Actually, I’m pretty sure everyone in the club heard Jack’s loud voice over the booming music.

“Back the fuck off of her,” he screamed in Rian’s face before shoving him to the floor.

“Jack, what are you doing? He’s drunk and harmless.” I defended.

“Harmless, my ass. He’s got a girlfriend, you know.”

To say that I was astonished at his words would be an understatement. What was so wrong with dancing with a friend? It wasn’t like I liked him as anything more... I shipped him and Cass too hard.