Jess and I pull up to Sam's house. We walk in and it smells like weed and alcohol mixed with a hint of sweaty teens.
"HEY! MY TWO FAVORITE GIRLS! GLAD YOU COULD MAKE IT!" Sam yells over the music.
"HEY SAMMY" I say wrapping my arms around him.
I see Jack staring at us out of the corner of my eye.
"LET'S GO DOWNSTAIRS! THE REST OF THE GUYS ARE DOWN THERE, AND IT'S NOT AS LOUD!"
"OK" Jess says.
Sam grabs Jess' hand and my hand and we head downstairs.
"Wassup ladies!" Johnson says.
He grabs Jess and brings her over to a group of his friends.
Sam grabs me and leads me to where Nate is standing.
"Hello beautiful" Nate says hugging me.
"Hi!"
"You look gorgeous tonight" Jack whispers into my ear.
I jump and my heart starts to rapidly beat. It feels like it's going to leap out of my chest.
"Oh my god Jack! Don't do that! You scared the hell out of me!" I say laughing.
"Sorry."
"It's fine."
"Hey I'm going to go grab us some drinks" Sam says.
"I'll come with you" I said.
"Actually, can we talk?" Jack asks.
"Uh, yeah sure."
"Ok, well, I leave you two alone. I'll come back later" Sam says.
"Let's go outside, it's not as loud, and it doesn't smell as bad" Jack says grabbing my hand.
He leads me upstairs and we walk outside.
"Listen, before you say-"
Jack cuts me off by crashing his lips onto mine. God I've missed this. I really like this guy.
"Sorry, I just really wanted to kiss you."
"Look Jack, I like you, ok? But I hate the way you make me feel. I mean, I don't hate it, it just scares me. I've never felt this way about a guy before, and I'm terrified. I'm sorry but I just don't think I can be with you. I don't think I'd be able to trust myself around you. I just don't really know what I want right now. I do want to apologize for the way I acted on our first date. I just kind of freaked out. I'm sorry."
"What? You're joking right? That's like the worst excuse I've ever heard. You don't think I'm scared? I didn't want to screw up what we have. You drive me crazy, and not always in a good way. I really like you, ok? I want us to work. I've never felt this way about a girl before."
"Jack, I'm sorry but I just don't think it's a good idea."
"Is it because of Sam? Are you two together?"
"No, Sam's just a friend."
"Well I don't think Sam knows that he's just a friend."
"What are you talking about?"
"He's totally flirting with you."
"No he's not."
"Alyssa, he's definitely flirting with you. Sam's one of my best friends, I've been around him long enough to know when he's flirting with a girl."
"Jack just stop, ok? He's nothing more than a friend. I think you're just jealous."
"Me? Jealous? I don't think so."
"Whatever you say, tough guy."
"Whatever, can we at least be friends?" Jack asks laughing.
"Yeah, I'd like that."
"Oh and I'm sorry for the way I acted on our first date. I told you that you weren't like other girls, and I ended up treating you the same way I treated them. I'm sorry."
"It's ok Jack. I forgive you."
"Alright well, let's head back to the party."
"Ok."
Jack grabs my hand and leads me back into the house.
"I'm going to go look for Sam" Jack says.
"Ok, I'll just hang out here."
Jack walks away and leaves me standing in the middle of the kitchen. I'm surrounded by drunk idiots. I decide to grab a drink.
"Well hello again" Nate says smirking.
"Hey Nate! What's up?"
"Not much gorgeous. What are you doing alone at a party full of guys?"
"Well, right now I'm getting a drink and I'm talking to a very cute guy from Omaha."
"Oh really? Do I know this stud?"
"You might" I say smiling.
"Well what's this cute guy like?"
"I don't really know him yet. I do see a couple tattoos, and I know he has some pretty cool friends."
"Wow, he sounds oddly familiar" he says winking at me.
All of a sudden I hear Sam and Jack yelling at each other from the living room.
*Jack's POV*
I find Sam sitting on the living room couch sucking on some girl's face.
"Sam, can I talk to you for a sec?"
"For sure bro, what's up?"
"I just talked to Alyssa, we're all good now."
"All good as in, back together?"
"No, all good, as in, we cleared things up and now we're just friends."
"Oh, well I'm sorry bro."
"It's cool. Sam I need to ask you something."
"Ok, what?"
"Do you like Alyssa?"
"Who's asking?"
"Are you serious right now?"
"What? Did she say something?"
"No you idiot, she didn't have to. I know you well enough to know when you're flirting with a girl."
"Alright, listen bro. Alyssa may have forgiven you, but I haven't" Sam starts to say.
"Dude, what the hell? I thought you were my friend?" I ask.
"I am, but I'm also Alyssa's friend and I don't want to see her get hurt. I know you Jack, and I know that you're not capable of being in a relationship. I'm glad you and Alyssa are friends, but that's all you can be. She doesn't need someone like you screwing up her life."
"What the hell does that mean? Are you saying I'm not good enough for her?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
I grab Sam's shirt and shove him up against the wall.
"Sam, did you forget who you are? You're the same way I am. You're a player. You can't be with Alyssa either. You'll just break her heart."
Sam grabs my hands and pushes me away.
"Yeah but there's a difference between us Jack. You can't change your ways, and I can. I can be the guy that Alyssa needs."
"How the fuck do you know that? How do you know what she wants?"
"All I know is that she doesn't want you" Sam says as he slams me up against the wall.
"Dude seriously, what the hell is your problem?" I said shoving Sam off of me.
*Alyssa's POV*
I walk into the living room and I see Sam and Jack arguing back and forth. Oh god, are they fighting over me? What the hell is going on? I have to find someone to break this up.
"Johnson!?!? Nate?!?" I yell trying to find them.
I run downstairs and see Johnson and Jess making out on the couch.
"Sorry to break up your little make out session, but Jack and Sam are fighting upstairs."
"Fighting? Why the hell are they fighting?" Johnson asks.
"Can you please just help?" I ask getting pissed off.
I drag Johnson upstairs. Jess follows behind us.
"What the hell is going on in here guys?" Johnson asks.
He sees Jack holding Sam up against the wall.
"Oh, I guess Sam told you about his feelings for Alyssa" Johnson says to Gilinsky.
"WHAT?" Jack yells.
"Really JJ? We didn't really get to that part yet, but thanks for speeding things up" Sam says.
"SO IT IS TRUE?" Jack says angrily.
"Well, yeah but..." Sam starts to say.
Jack punches Sam in the face. He lets him go and then Sam slides down the wall until he's on the ground.
"Ok, I guess I deserved that one" Sam says standing up.
"JACK, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?" I ask walking into the room.
"Alyssa, I can explain" Jack says.
"Save it" I say shoving past him to help Sam.
Jack and Sam didn't even realize that I was standing there trying to get them to stop fighting. I heard small parts of their argument and they all included a "she" or "her". I'm so confused right now.
"Jack are you always like this? Because if this is what you're like then I think you need to just leave right now" I said as I angrily pointed to the door.
"FINE, I'LL LEAVE, BUT JUST KNOW THAT I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG. YOU DIDN'T HEAR WHAT SAM SAID BEFORE I PUNCHED HIM!" Jack says as he walks towards the door.
He slams the door on his way out.
I grab Sam's hand and lead him into the kitchen. He hops up onto the counter.
"Do I attract psychos or something?" I ask Sam as I toss him an icepack.
"Come here" Sam says.
I walk over to Sam and he wraps his arms around me.
"Jack just isn't used to the whole "relationship thing". He's not good at being good. Does that make sense? Well, I mean I'm sure it doesn't now, but just give it s couple of days. You'll see what I'm talking about" Sam says.
"I thought he had been in a relationship with his ex for like a year? And I still have no idea what you're talking about. You're just confusing me even more" I say wiping tears away.
I didn't even realize that I was crying.
"Well yeah but that doesn't mean he didn't suck at being in that relationship. And I'm sorry, just forget I even said anything" Sam says.
"I just don't get how he can be with the same girl for almost a year but he can't even last a day with me. Is it me? Is there something I'm doing wrong?" I ask as I begin to cry even harder.
"No, Alyssa. Of course it's not you, you haven't done anything wrong" Sam says pulling me closer.
"I'm just gonna go home. I don't feel good."
"Ok, I'll come with you" Sam says.
"Ok, but I'm driving."
"Ok" Sam says as he tosses me his keys.
"Wait, isn't this your party? Don't you think you should stay?"
"Nah, Nate can handle it. I'll help him clean up tomorrow."
"Ok then, let's go."
I grab Sam's hand and we walk to his car. He's still holding the ice pack up against his face.
As soon as I started the car, I turned up the radio right away. I was trying to avoid an awkward conversation. Sam's turns down the radio and looks at me. Shit.
"How long were you standing in the living room for?"
"Uh... I don't know, why?"
"I know you heard what we were talking about."
"Sam, I don't want to talk about this right now, ok? I just want to go home and go to sleep."
"Alright fine, but we're going to have to talk about it eventually."
"As long as we don't have to talk about it right now, then I don't care."
I turn the radio back up and the rest of the car ride is silent.
We pull up to my house and walk in.