□□ "You're the exception."□□
"Yeah! Such a spoiler. I don't know when was his right time in saying it."Kirsten laughed out while she was talking with Abby, her college friend. They stumbled upon each other at Starbucks, with Rian's lead of course. Kirsten was talking about the marriage plan that Jack shared with her during their date.
"But that was so sweet, Kirsten!" Abby wasn't aware of who All Time Low was. She felt weird though, because some of the other customers were all smiles, and their heads were turned to Kirsten and her friends.
"Hey, we've been talking for 15 minutes now. Why are you with these guys? Who are they?"
"I've already introduced them to you, Abby."
"I know. But aside from them, being them, why are all these people looking at us like this?"
"They're in a band. All Time Low." Abby looked around them, trying to get something out of her memory where she would have met the four. But she was never a fan of any band so she just, "Nah. I don't know that. Nice meeting them though. Anyway, I'm really creeped out right now on how much of an innocent I am to not know them so, I have to go."
"What? Already?" Kirsten pouted at her friend, hoping she wouldn't leave yet.
"No, Kirsten. That won't work on me now." she kissed her friend and bid good bye to everyone.
"Bye Abby."
"I never thought you were such a clingy friend." Alex poked her as soon as Abby left the shop.
"You know Alex, seeing acquaintances here makes me very happy. I'm from the other side of the world so seeing them means a lot to me."
"I understand, but really? You girls like screamed out from each end of the room."
Kirsten's eyes popped out then she covered her face, "Were we really that loud?"
The four laughed at her embarrassed reaction. Jack pulled her closer and placed his arm on her shoulder, "We could get louder than that."
"Oh yes we could!" Alex almost shouted, getting more glances. Rian and Zack booed him off.
"You shared about our date, huh?" Jack whispered to her ear. Kirsten turned to him slowly with a hint of confusion in her eyes.
"I.. ugh.. I shouldn't have said that!" she quickly realized that she just awarded a giveaway. They've been trying to hide it from other people, but she just shared their relationship status with Abby. Kirsten thought that Jack was referring to that, but he wasn't.
Jack shook his head as a smile beamed on Kirsten, "I was just surprised, Kirsten. I don't really care if it will go out anymore."
"Really?" Kirsten's eyes sparkled and it seemed that all the butterflies in her stomach were awakened. He doesn't care anymore. He never did actually. It was Kirsten who asked him to keep everything a secret. It was her idea that it's not a good thing for Jack to be seen with a girl like her. It was her low self-esteem that made them hide from the fans and have discreet dates.
Jack never liked the idea, but he knew that it would turn out to something if they pressed on letting the fans know about their relationship. He knew of Kirsten's fears of what the others would say about her, about Jack and ultimately, their acceptance for the band.
He wasn't the first one to have a girlfriend whose outside the industry that they were working on. Jack knew some people, the band dudes whose relationships suffered because of publicity. A lot broke up and those who stayed strong until the knots were tied, are his inspiration. He looked up to them with the hopes of having the same ending.
But however inspirational their stories are, Kirsten could never see herself in their shoes. She never had the courage to even try to drop hints about their relationship. Even to those people who knew about it, whether they are on the same continent or not, she would always remind them to keep their mouth shut.
But that time, she was the one who accidentally slipped. Abby wasn't interested about who they are so she felt relief about it.
"Your'e not just a normal fan girl anymore, Kirsten." Jack said as they settled down on the van to get back home.
Rian held on to the headrest of his seat to turn his body to the two. "He's right. Sooner or later the people will see for themselves. But by that time, you're not just a normal person anymore. Don't take it the wrong way, okay?"
Kirsten sighed and said, "I know. I just hope that I could live up to that."
"Work hard, Kirchie. We'll do the rest."
She shook her head and rejected Alex's idea. "That is not fair, Alex." Her reaction made Alex's eyebrows raise. "I mean I get it. That you guys would help me out, but if it doesn't work, then so be it. I don't want to push myself to a world that's not for me."
Alex and Zack looked at each other, as well as Rian and Jack. Kirsten's sight bounced from each one of them.
"All right you hard-headed bitch." Jack held on to her forehead and pulled it back to him.
"If that's what you want, Kirchie!" Rian followed up.
"We'll give you hell." Alex dropped with a soft chuckle and a high five with Zack.
As soon as they hit the highway back to Baltimore, the three were already asleep again. Rian wakes up every now and then to check up on his phone. Jack and Kirsten were busy playing Minecraft on his phone.
"You guys really performed on that stage?" Kirsten asked as she remembered their short lunch date on the basement stage.
"Yeah, we did. Man, it was awesome. There was this happy crowd that really made us feel like family." Jack replied while his eyes were fixated on his phone.
Kirsten looked out the window and said, "Must be cool, huh? Was it like a mini-concert?"
"It was our night. All Time Low full gig performance. I couldn't jump around though, but it was alright since I'm not yet into jumping at that time."
"Rad. Any bras thrown on stage at that time?"
"Nope. No bras yet. If you were there, would you throw one?"
"I'm probably crying at my room because I'm a bullied senior student."
"Yeah! Probably. "
"Do you guys always do this with every tour? Why is Matt missing in the picture? He's the tour manager so his signature is important as well, right?"
Jack smirked as he continued to flip the blocks, trying to build up some kind of fuck tower. Kirsten poked his side, she was waiting for an answer.
"Well. We're not really required to go to the headquarters."
"Any exception for today's signing?"
"You're the exception." He said while pressing the lock button. He turned to Kirsten and her face was in awe.
"We went there so I could show you how we started. And right now, we've been into your shoes years ago. The signing and the spirit of doing your best independently. I know what you feel." he poked her nose for being hard-headed and free-spirited.
Her eyes were almost tearing up when she said, "For me? We woke up so early. We're all tired, but still?"
"Yeah! Still!" Jack kissed her nose as she gave up her very-big-i'm-so-happy-i-don't-care-about-anything-else-except-dying smile. She felt like she was the most special girl, just like what Jack wanted her to feel as they pulled off the plan.
Kirsten buried her head to Jack's chest, causing him to skip a heart's beat. He hugged Kirsten back. She couldn't find the right words nor the number of thank you's she must say that would be enough to make Jack feel that she appreciates him and all the things he's been doing for her.
She recalled their past dates as she rested on his body. Their first date was on a pizza parlor, the night before the last segment of their mini-tour and signing. They sneaked out, changed clothes, got caught in a gossip news and it was the night where their first sober sweet kiss happened.
The second date came from another successful escape plan from their engagement party which turned out to be an advanced baby shower. It all happened on the playground where they played before. Even if the second date includes Alex, Rian and Zack, the two still found a short time just for them.
Finally, the third date. No sneaking out. They brought Kirsten to a makeshift date stage. It wasn't just any stage. It was the stage were they performed as part of the Hopeless Records Family.
Jack brought out the ring he used to propose to Kirsten during her first night after the hospital stay. Kirsten gasped at the sight of it. She almost flipped the makeshift table where their food was. But Jack calmed her, "I'm not going to propose. But I'm not saying that I won't do it ever! Its just won't happen right now." He was struggling to explain his actions. Kirsten softly laughed at him.
"I just want to let you know" he took Kirsten's hand and gave the ring box to her. "that I'll be waiting for you. If you're ready for a new life with me, then just give this back."
"Why does it look like I would be the one who will propose?" Kirsten asked with a sweet grin. She took the box to the pocket of her hoodie still.
"Are you turning me down already?" he whined out with sad puppy eyes.
"No I'm not. I was just asking! Geez." Kirsten whined out on the same tone as his.
Jack laughed her defensive stance. It was actually more of a plot to make Kirsten say that she would marry him soon enough. He wasn't as pushy as before when it came to marriage. He learned already during the past year, that sometimes if you push something too much to another person, there's a great possibility that you will be pushing that person away. It happened to him and Kirsten so he knew the feeling and the regrets.
He learned that it takes time. As much as Kirsten finds herself unfair in the relationship, it would be also unfair for her if she will be forced to something that she wasn't ready for yet.
Jack's hopes of having all things fall into place is slowly happening. Just a little more time and thy would get to the happy ending that most people refer to as marriage.
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