All Fucked Up//Jahren ff

Chapter 7

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(Ahren's POV)
After months of too much fucking hard work, our band, The Amity Affliction, released our first EP. To celebrate, we decide to throw a huge release party tonight. All the band members invited everyone they knew.

"Hey, how are we gonna set up the party in this amount of time?" Joel asks. Joel and I stayed up most of the night talking and doing other things a couple would do, so we slept in late and didn't set up for the party at all last night.

"I don't know, we better fucking hurry though." I look at my phone. "2 o-fucking-clock?" I exclaim. "We only got 4 hours to work with!"

"Alright, I'll go to the store and buy snacks and beer and shit, you go to the party store and get party supplies." Joel says as he pulls his skinny jeans over his thin figure and pushes his glasses on his nose.

"Agh, how could I live without you?" I kiss his rough lips and grab my car keys.

Joel and I both step out of the house and take off at the same time. I slip the CD into my player and rock out to the first track. I drive into the parking lot of the party supplies store and walk in.

I get eyed by many people, probably wondering why a guy who's tatted up like me is walking into a bright and happy party store.

I call Joel because I have no idea what I'm fucking getting. "Hey, Joel, uhm.. I'm just wondering, what exactly  am I supposed to be getting?"

"Come on, really?"

"Yeah, I don't know, honestly."

"Just get basic party shit I guess. Banners, table cloths, plates, cups, stuff like that." He explains.

"Thanks, I'll be home soon, alright?"

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

I stroll down the aisles, picking up whatever I thought I might need. Basically picking up anything I thought might be useful. I don't throw parties, I just go to 'em.

I pay for the stuff I bought and head back to my house to set up the party. Joel still isn't home, I can't imagine how much money is gonna be spent on the stuff he's buying, especially the beer.

I pull out the tables from my garage and set them up in my backyard, then throw tablecloths over them. I throw the banners up around my garage, because I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with them. An hour later, Joel shows up with bags upon bags full of food and drinks.

"Damn, Joel, do you need some help?" I ask.

"No, I'll just carry these ten million bags in all by myself." He says sarcastically.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming." I say and line my arms with bags and set them on my kitchen counter. Joel and I both unpack them and start cooking food and putting beer in coolers.

"How much did you spend?"

"Damn near 200 dollars." Joel says.

"Oh fuck, Joel. Why'd you spend that much?"

"Dunno, thought I needed to. There's gonna be a lot of fuckin people here and they're gonna wanna eat and drink so, why not?"

"Pshh, we shoulda told 'em to bring their own food and stuff." I scoff.

"It's alright, Ahren, really."

I hear someone knock on the door. "Be right back." I say and shoot off to open the door.  Dan and his girlfriend arrived along with some of the people Dan and Ryan invited.

I set up a CD player in the garage and play the new EP for everyone. Joel seems to follow me everywhere. I wonder where the people he invited are.

I turn to Joel, who is downing his bottle of beer fast. "You ok?"

He stares down at his bottle. "Yeah, why?"

"Where are all the people you invited?"

Joel's face starts getting red. "Oh, um, they're coming soon."

"You sure, Joel?"

He nods lightly and smiles. Obviously a fake smile.

"Come here." I grab his arm and pull him into the house with me. "Now, what's the real  problem?"

"Don't worry about me, Ahren. I'm fine. Let's go enjoy the party."

"I know there's a fucking problem. I'm not your enemy, Joel, you can tell me. I'm supposed to  help you." I cross my arms.

"I'm just not feeling the vibe. I'm happy when I'm around you."

"Where are all the people you invited?" I ask.

Joel puts his head in his hands. "Didn't invite any. You're all I have, Ahren."

"Oh," I pull Joel into a soft hug. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that." Joel hugs me tighter.

"I love you, Ahren." He sniffles.

"I love you too, Joel."

It felt weird saying that, especially because I'd never said that to a guy before, not even my best mates.

Joel pulls away and cleans the tears off his glasses. "Thank you."

I smile. "No problem."

Joel and I walk back out to the party, continue getting smashed and having a bloody good time with our friends. After a few hours, Joel leaves my side, stumbles over people to go into the house.

"Hang tight." I say to Dan and attempt to run in the house to check on Joel, but end up falling and scratching my cheek on a branch on the way from being so drunk. I brush the dirt off my knees and make my way into my bedroom and find Joel laying on the bed, smoke in his mouth, pen in hand, writing in a notebook.

"What're ya doin' there, Joel?" I ask and plop on the bed next to him.

"Writing a song." He says, obviously annoyed by me asking questions.

"Hmm. So, why'd you leave the party?"

"I just didn't want to be around people. I'm just not in the mood." His eyes never leave the page.

"Was I bothering you?" I ask.

"No, Ahren. Please leave me alone."

"Okay, I'm sorry." I kiss Joel on the cheek and he pushes me off. "What the hell, Joel?"

"Leave me the fuck alone right now."

"Ya know what, Joel, fuck you." I slam the door and stomp down back into the party.

"Sorry I left, Dan. Joel's being a cunt right now."

"Did he punch you or something? What happened to your cheek?" Dan asks and observes my cheek.

"I fell. I'm drunk as hell, Dan, I should just end the party and go to bed or else I'm gonna have a huge hangover tomorrow."

"Alright, mate, see ya later then."

I climb a ladder and stand on the top of my garage to make an announcement. "Hey, everybody, I'd like to say thanks to everyone who showed up to support us, we really appreciate it! We wouldn't be here today without my boyfriend, Joel, cause he's the one who came up with the idea to start the band. And here we are, almost a year later with an EP and a new album coming your way soon! Thanks again, stay safe, and have a good night!" I yell and jump off the ladder.

(Sorry my Australian slang is off a bit, I'm from America so I don't know much of the slang there. I don't feel like dealing with the monetary stuff so I'm just gonna use dollars but whatever. I have no idea what they use for money in Australia and I don't feel like looking lmao.)