(4) Out of Control: An All Time Low FanFiction Romance

Chapter 25: Expression

        "Natalia!" a voice called, dragging out my name as the bus door flew open, letting in the warm outside air. It was late Saturday night, and the show at Stubb's Waller Creek Outdoor Amiptheater in Austin, Texas, had most likely ended recently. For early April, it was warm, especially after running around on stage. I'd retreated to our bus to shower, changing into a fresh pair of skinny jeans and a dark grey tank-top. I hadn't left the bus after that. INtead, I'd crawled into my bed, taking the few hours I had before the rest of the bands were done to relax and catch up on the sleep I hadn't been getting lately. I was worn out and all the guys had been planning something, and I didn't want to lag behind because I was exhausted.

        "Natalia," my name echoed through the bus again, pulling me further from my sleep. The first time, I'd been too groggy to distinguish the voice, but I recognize it now as Jack's, along with a few other guys voices in the background. I rolled over in the small space, moving onto my stomach and propping my body up slightly by resting my forearms on the bed. I turned my head to the left, watching as my curtain flew back, letting the light flood into the previously dark space.

        I squinted at the sudden light, eyes on Jack's silhouette as my eyes adjusted quickly so I could make out the features of his face, his expression one I'd seen a hundred times. His lips pulled into a large, goody grin. His hair was damp, sticking to his forehead, and I would have said that he had just come from stage, except his shirt was dry and hanging cleanly off his body, which smelt strongly of Axe. The concert must have ended a little while ago, and he must have showered.

        "What?" I grumbled after a few minutes of him not saying anything. My eyes moved from his face as Xavier came into my line of vision, pushing back his curtain and grabbing something on his bunk. I watched his hand curl around his favorite knitted beanie, a green-brown color wth a stripe of red around the edges.        

        "You're coming out with us, right?" he asked from over his shoulder, asking my question as to why the guys were on the bus, and Jack was standing before me, still not saying anything.

        "Uh, yeah," I said, rubbing under my eyes, wiping at my makeup that may have smudged during the time I was asleep. I sighed, needing another minute to wake up more, but the guys apparently had other plans. I felt a pair of hands grab onto me, one on my upper arm, the other sliding under my thigh, pulling me forward out of the bunk.

        "What the hell?" I muttered, still feeling a little fuzzy, as my body moved to the edge of the bunk and I tried to grab onto something to keep from falling, but the arms kept pulling me forward, and then let go so I fell out of the bed and landed unsteadily on my feet. I grabbed onto the edge of my bunk, tryng to keep my balance from the sudden movement, but in the next instance, I was being lifted into the air again, thrown over Jack's shoulder.

        "I got 'er, let's go!" Jack screamed, voice loud above my head. He started moving foward, ignoring the fact that I was pounding at his back, trying to get him to let me go. I coudl hear Maverick and Brian towards the front of the bus, and Xavier was walking behind us.

        "Wait!" I shouted, still trying to move out of his arms. "I need my sweatshirt," I continued, looking back towards the bunk. I'd taken an old one from my suitcase, a green and white striped one that I stole from one of the guys a few years back.

        "I'll get it," Xavier said from behind us, earning a glare from me because he'd taken an excuse for me to get out of Jack's arms. Xavier grabbed the sweatshirt from my bunk, throwing it forward so it landed across Jack's other shoulder.

        I continued glaring at Xavier, raising my middle fingers at him as he just smiled at me.

        "You know," I started, trying to struggle out of Jack's arms, "my legs aren't broken, I'm capable of walking." I picked my head up, turning it as best as I could to look up at him, my eyes only seeing the back of his head until he turned slightly, allowing me to see his profile.

        "What if I like carrying you?" Jack wondered, raising an eyebrow at me with the large, familiar smirk on his lips. I shook my head, knowing his eyes were fixed on my butt.

        "What if I don't like you staring at my ass?" I countered, waching as Jack's head turned forward, his eyes moving away from what he'd previously been staring at. I reached up, trying to fix my tank top that had ridden up slightly, exposing a few inches of skin across my waist, but it was a little challenging from the position I was in.

        "Tough," Jack responded, following Maverick out of the bus. My lips turned down in an aggravated from as we stepped out of the bus. I was momentarily distracted by the setting around me, noticing immediately how the busses had been moved and set up in an attempted pentagon shape, the same way they had been on the first night as tour, except the warmer weather allowed for the space above us to be uncovered, giving a clear view of the cloudless sky.

        I was reminded of my current position by a dull aching in my stomach, brought on by it being pressed against Jack's bony shoulder.

        "Jack," I sighed, squirming again. "Put me down, now."

        "Well, since you asked so nicely," he muttered. I felt his arms unwind from around my knees, and instead fo pulilng me down feet-first, I felt him grab my ankles, pushing me forward so I was headed towards the ground face-first.

        "JACK!" I screamed, hands clamping around his legs to stop my movement. I felt him laughing above me as his hands stayed securely on my ankles, keeping me from moving anywhere else.

        "Damn, you got a good view, Nat," a new voice said, and I twisted my head, finding Alex smirking down at me. I shook my head, knowing he was referring to the fact that my head was a few inches from Jack's ass.

        "Yeah, I think she likes it," Jack said quietly form above me, and I heard Alex laugh and then his footsteps against the pavement as he moved away from us.

        "You know who else would like this?" I grumbled, feeling the blood rushing to my head. "Holly. Aren't we playing in Vegas in a few days? Won't she be there?"

        I suddenly felt myself being lifted over Jack's shoulder, my head moving further away from the ground until I was being dropped back onto my feet, the light-headed feeling rushing away quickly. I watched Jack as he reached up and pulled my sweatshirt from his shoulder, holding it out to me as I pulled down my top.

        "Thanks," I muttered, reaching out to take it. There was something in Jack's expression that was throwing me off. He almost looked annoyed, tongue-tied, trying to think of a clever way to continue flirting despite my mentioning his girlfriend. I expected him to, but this time, his expression didn't change, and he just walked away.