The City That Reads [1/4]
Title: The City That Reads
Author: summerdownturn
Rating: PG-13 [Overall]
Pairing: Alex Gaskarth/Jack Barakat
POV: Jack's then Alex's
Summary: "Baltimore's quiet and cold, and there's no ship in the bay to take me back home in time for the holiday..."
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the people in this story, they rightfully belong to themselves. This is purely fiction and never happened to my knowledge in real life. Please don't sue. I don't own the lyrics or song to The City That Reads by The Graduate.
Warning: Unbeta-ed. Language.
Dedications: redhotshorty because she's still the best BFFL =]
Author Notes: This is my first ever Jalex story which I wrote maybe a year ago? It's actually supposed to be a standalone, but I thought it was too long for comfort to post on here. It's based off of a song by The Graduate called The City That Reads. Go check it out. So please comment and enjoy. The other chapters should be posted soon.
Jack’s POV
It was Christmas break and I was bored out of my mind. We were visiting family in the city for the week and nothing was entertaining my short attention span for long. Yeah, the city was amazing with all of the tall buildings, but there was nothing to do! I spent all day sitting in my Aunt’s living room, surfing through TV channels until my boredness got the best of me.
I stomped into the guest bedroom that I was staying in to grab my hoodie and to tug on my Converse. I rushed back into the living room, pulling on my hoodie, and quickly told my mom I was going for a walk.
Ever since Alex left for vacation two days ago, I’ve been quiet and snapping at everyone who dares to cross my path. Zack and Rian cheered me up for a little while, but I had to leave them behind when my mom suddenly decided that we were going to stay with my Aunt for the week. I spent all day yesterday roaming around the city, so I had some clue as to where I was going. I just put my headphones to my ears, blasting Blink 182, and let my feet carry me to an unknown destination.
My mind wandered to last week, before Alex left for Essex.
Alex’s birthday was on the fourteenth and Rian’s was four days later. So the guys and I decided to hang out on those days, celebrating with video games, music, food, and gifts. Then on Friday, we threw a huge party at Rian’s house, inviting everyone we knew.
Music was blaring and beer cans were everywhere (we had to go all out for their sixteenth birthdays.) Rian was slightly freaked out that his parents would come home early from a party that they were attending in a different city, but me and Zack convinced him to relax and not worry about it. After he had a few drinks of course.
After that it was kind of a blur. All I remember was chugging down can after can on Rian’s living room couch after watching Alex and his slut-of-a-girlfriend making out in the kitchen. I think I remember Alex talking to me about something, but I mostly just remember waking up on Rian’s basement couch with the worst headache ever.
Zack informed me while I was puking up burning acids in the bathroom that the cops weren’t called and everyone else left around one in the morning. Including Alex. He had to pack for his vacation. Zack also said that he and Rian had managed to clean up the huge mess before his parent’s got home at five.
Besides the side effects of being wasted the day before, our Saturday was pretty decent. Until we went over Alex’s to say goodbye before he left.
Alex acted weird. Around me mostly, but I just figured it was because we wouldn’t see each other for a week. I was bummed. Like at the point of crying my eyes out and clinging to Alex, begging him to stay. And when I was hanging onto his leg for dear life, he just shook me off, said a quick bye, and left. Leaving Zack and Rian with a pissed and suicidal Jack.
I haven’t lived without the dude for a whole week before! I haven’t even been without him for a whole day before now! Where ever Alex was, Jack was right there next to Alex. That was just how things worked. When Alex was in bed sick to the point of dying, I was there at his house raiding the Gaskarth’s fridge. I was there when he took his first sip of alcohol. And guess whose house he came to when he got chased out of his ex-girlfriend’s window when her brother walked in on them having sex? Yup, my house.
Moral of the story is; Alex and I have never been apart for more than twenty-four hours. And that is why I’m going to die. But that would make Alex sad. And Alex can’t be sad because a sad Alex is a sad Jack and that simply just can’t happen because then I would die from an overdose of pure sadness.
And that all leads back to wondering what I did to make Alex mad at me.
I slumped down on to a public bench and groaned. I lifted my head and gazed at the ship less bay as the first winter snow began to fall.
Alex’s POV
The cold winter breeze made me shiver and made the old swing set I sat on squeak from years of weathering. I swayed silently in the swing, my eyes never leaving the spot on the ground that I was staring at for what seemed like hours.
I was currently at my Grandmother’s house, in her back yard where I used to play when I was little. But now it provided me a place to escape from my relatives who were all over here to catch up on what we’ve been doing and how we have been.
We’ve only been in Essex for a day and I already want to go back to Baltimore. I was tired of all the questions and comments about how much I’ve grown. And I was sick of my little cousin trying to convince me to play with her and her dolls. So I disappeared to the old wooden swing set where I could clear my head and think about what the hell happened between me and Jack on Friday.
Jack and Zack were throwing a party at Rian’s house for our sixteenth birthdays. Rian’s parents were out of town at some party, so we got some people to bring the beer.
All was well until my girlfriend Natalie showed up. At first I was happy that she was there. I didn’t have too much to drink because I had to be home later that night completely, almost, sober. So I had a realization of what was going around me the whole time.
It started when she led me into the kitchen where there were less people. She started kissing me slowly, just sweet innocent kisses that I gladly returned. And then it started escalating when she started nipping at my lips and ended up shoving her tongue into my mouth.
I was a little shocked because we’ve only been together for a week and we have only made out once before. But I put that aside and quickly took back control of the kiss.
It then continued when she started grinding her hips onto mine. Whoa there. I won’t deny it that it didn’t feel good, but something just didn’t feel right. I let her continue as I pushed all thoughts from my head until she asked if we could go upstairs.
My mind came crashing back down to reality as she started to lead me to the staircase. I stopped abruptly and pushed her away when she started kissing my neck.
“What?” She asked.
“What are you doing?” She looked slightly taken aback but quickly laughed it off.
“Well, I was going to give you your birthday present,” she giggled, took my hand in hers and kissed me on the lips, but stopped when she saw the confusion and seriousness on my face.
“Natalie,” I started, dropping her hand, “I’m not going to have sex with you.”
Her face fell, showing confusion and then anger. “Why not?” She nearly yelled, and the quickly added, “You slept with that bitch Rachel.”
I stepped away from her before answering, “Yeah, but Rachel and I were together for nearly a year before we did anything.”
She crossed her arms and snapped, “Whatever,” and then walked away. Of course, I managed to hear, “We’re done,” before she slammed Rian’s front door. Slut.
Just because I constantly go from girl to girl, doesn’t mean that I’m a man-whore and that I’m not looking for a serious relationship. Things just never worked out for me.
After that, I did what I always did after a break up. I went to find Jack. It only took me stepping into Rian’s living room to find him sitting on the couch with a beer in his hand. And even though he was clearly wasted, I led him into the basement to talk. And I still can’t decide if that was a mistake or not.
First, I decided to see what was on his mind, since I knew he only got completely slammed if something was wrong. I sighed as he gulped down the last contents of the can as we took as seat on the basement couch.
“Jack, what’s wrong?” I asked concerned for my friend’s lost and dwindling brain cells.
“I’m mad at you,” he said childishly before throwing the empty beer can at me.
“And why would you be mad at me?” I was slightly annoyed with him, but he had no clue what he was doing in his drunken mindedness, so I put on a slight smile and waited for his answer.
“Because I saw you making out with that slut Natalie,” he slurred as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He was looking everywhere but at me, his hands were trying to occupy themselves.
“And why would you think that she’s a slut?” Apparently everyone but me could see that she just wanted to get into my pants.
Jack started to giggle out of nowhere, startling me. “Well first off,” he started, and then continued in a whisper, “she was sleeping with everyone behind Alex’s back,” he frowned, wringing his hands.
Great. He’s in the phase where he doesn’t know who he’s even talking to. I’ve seen him spill a lot of secrets and get his ass kicked afterwards because of this. He just says anything to anyone.
“She even came on to me! But of course, being the amazing friend that I am, I told her to screw herself and then I walked away,” his eyes adverted to staring at the wall across from him as if trying to think of something.
I looked down at my hands, feeling like shit for not seeing these things myself, and I waited for him to continue. He didn’t. I sighed and figured he had passed out.
“Alex?”
“Yeah?” My head snapped up when he interrupted the silence.
“I’m sorry.”
My face scrunched up in confusion. “For what?”
“For being jealous,” he whispered, eyes still holding their gaze on the wall in front of him.
“Jealous of what?”
He sighed, “Of Natalie,” he paused, but started again right when I was going to speak, “And of Rachel. And every other girl you have been with,” he blushed.
My heart skipped a beat and I just stared at him, trying to make sense of what he was telling me. His eyes still stayed front, until his head suddenly looked towards me.
His eyes looked sad and distant and he put on a small smile, but even in his drunkenness and my confusion, I could still tell it was fake. I didn’t know where he was going to take this, so I looked back down and waited for him to keep talking.
The next thing I knew, Jack was right next me, practically in my lap, his big brown puppy dog eyes staring into mine.
“I mean, they get to run their fingers through you hair,” he whispered, warm breath blew on my face, making the smell of alcohol linger and stick in my nose. His fingers ghosted over my hair, barely touching it to show his point. “Beautiful, caramel coffee hair, so perfect,” he muttered. I think my heart stopped.
Then the next thing he did I didn’t see coming at all.
His face was suddenly inches from mine, “And they get to taste those perfect lips,” his head came closer, I froze. His lips barely touched mine before they were gone. I blinked. And then I realized how much I liked the idea of his lips on mine.
His face was still only centimeters away, waiting for a response, so I didn’t have to reach far for our lips to be connected once again.
Jack placed his palm at the back of my neck, tangling his fingers in my hair at the base of my head. His other hand settled on my chest and his tongue snaked out between his lips to ask for entrance, which I quickly granted. He shifted his weight on my lap and led me back on the basement couch.
My mind cleared of all things rational as his hand moved down my chest and underneath my shirt. Before I knew it, my shirt was off and the cold stale air of Rian’s basement hitting my torso all at once shocked me back into realization.
I was making out with my best friend. No. I was making out with my completely wasted best friend. Some part in me said, “This is what you wanted,” but another part said, “He’s a drunken mess. You’re taking advantage of him.”
I slightly pushed Jack away so we were no longer kissing. I had to think this through, but there wasn’t enough time to right now.
He stared at me and leaned back, reminding me that he was straddling my waist.
You’re using him. He doesn’t feel that way about you. He doesn’t know what he’s saying, he’s wasted.
He leaned back down and gently kissed me on the lips. And then the next think I did I totally regret. Because there was one thing that killed me the most.
I shoved Jack away with such a force; he ended up on the ground a few feet away. I quickly tugged my shirt back on and stormed upstairs, leaving a hurt and confused Jack sitting on Rian’s basement floor.
I did what I swore I would never do; I hurt my best friend, even if he’s too wasted to realize what just happened. I needed more time to think about what I wanted. I felt like such a stupid selfish asshole. But still, I would never forgive myself.
The swing next to me swung back and forth and I felt a cold wetness hit my cheek. I realized snow was falling for what seemed like a while now, judging from the amount on the ground.
The back door opened and my cousin yelled out that dinner was ready. I got up, brushed off most of the snow off of myself, and walked toward the house.
Author: summerdownturn
Rating: PG-13 [Overall]
Pairing: Alex Gaskarth/Jack Barakat
POV: Jack's then Alex's
Summary: "Baltimore's quiet and cold, and there's no ship in the bay to take me back home in time for the holiday..."
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the people in this story, they rightfully belong to themselves. This is purely fiction and never happened to my knowledge in real life. Please don't sue. I don't own the lyrics or song to The City That Reads by The Graduate.
Warning: Unbeta-ed. Language.
Dedications: redhotshorty because she's still the best BFFL =]
Author Notes: This is my first ever Jalex story which I wrote maybe a year ago? It's actually supposed to be a standalone, but I thought it was too long for comfort to post on here. It's based off of a song by The Graduate called The City That Reads. Go check it out. So please comment and enjoy. The other chapters should be posted soon.
Jack’s POV
It was Christmas break and I was bored out of my mind. We were visiting family in the city for the week and nothing was entertaining my short attention span for long. Yeah, the city was amazing with all of the tall buildings, but there was nothing to do! I spent all day sitting in my Aunt’s living room, surfing through TV channels until my boredness got the best of me.
I stomped into the guest bedroom that I was staying in to grab my hoodie and to tug on my Converse. I rushed back into the living room, pulling on my hoodie, and quickly told my mom I was going for a walk.
Ever since Alex left for vacation two days ago, I’ve been quiet and snapping at everyone who dares to cross my path. Zack and Rian cheered me up for a little while, but I had to leave them behind when my mom suddenly decided that we were going to stay with my Aunt for the week. I spent all day yesterday roaming around the city, so I had some clue as to where I was going. I just put my headphones to my ears, blasting Blink 182, and let my feet carry me to an unknown destination.
My mind wandered to last week, before Alex left for Essex.
Alex’s birthday was on the fourteenth and Rian’s was four days later. So the guys and I decided to hang out on those days, celebrating with video games, music, food, and gifts. Then on Friday, we threw a huge party at Rian’s house, inviting everyone we knew.
Music was blaring and beer cans were everywhere (we had to go all out for their sixteenth birthdays.) Rian was slightly freaked out that his parents would come home early from a party that they were attending in a different city, but me and Zack convinced him to relax and not worry about it. After he had a few drinks of course.
After that it was kind of a blur. All I remember was chugging down can after can on Rian’s living room couch after watching Alex and his slut-of-a-girlfriend making out in the kitchen. I think I remember Alex talking to me about something, but I mostly just remember waking up on Rian’s basement couch with the worst headache ever.
Zack informed me while I was puking up burning acids in the bathroom that the cops weren’t called and everyone else left around one in the morning. Including Alex. He had to pack for his vacation. Zack also said that he and Rian had managed to clean up the huge mess before his parent’s got home at five.
Besides the side effects of being wasted the day before, our Saturday was pretty decent. Until we went over Alex’s to say goodbye before he left.
Alex acted weird. Around me mostly, but I just figured it was because we wouldn’t see each other for a week. I was bummed. Like at the point of crying my eyes out and clinging to Alex, begging him to stay. And when I was hanging onto his leg for dear life, he just shook me off, said a quick bye, and left. Leaving Zack and Rian with a pissed and suicidal Jack.
I haven’t lived without the dude for a whole week before! I haven’t even been without him for a whole day before now! Where ever Alex was, Jack was right there next to Alex. That was just how things worked. When Alex was in bed sick to the point of dying, I was there at his house raiding the Gaskarth’s fridge. I was there when he took his first sip of alcohol. And guess whose house he came to when he got chased out of his ex-girlfriend’s window when her brother walked in on them having sex? Yup, my house.
Moral of the story is; Alex and I have never been apart for more than twenty-four hours. And that is why I’m going to die. But that would make Alex sad. And Alex can’t be sad because a sad Alex is a sad Jack and that simply just can’t happen because then I would die from an overdose of pure sadness.
And that all leads back to wondering what I did to make Alex mad at me.
I slumped down on to a public bench and groaned. I lifted my head and gazed at the ship less bay as the first winter snow began to fall.
Alex’s POV
The cold winter breeze made me shiver and made the old swing set I sat on squeak from years of weathering. I swayed silently in the swing, my eyes never leaving the spot on the ground that I was staring at for what seemed like hours.
I was currently at my Grandmother’s house, in her back yard where I used to play when I was little. But now it provided me a place to escape from my relatives who were all over here to catch up on what we’ve been doing and how we have been.
We’ve only been in Essex for a day and I already want to go back to Baltimore. I was tired of all the questions and comments about how much I’ve grown. And I was sick of my little cousin trying to convince me to play with her and her dolls. So I disappeared to the old wooden swing set where I could clear my head and think about what the hell happened between me and Jack on Friday.
Jack and Zack were throwing a party at Rian’s house for our sixteenth birthdays. Rian’s parents were out of town at some party, so we got some people to bring the beer.
All was well until my girlfriend Natalie showed up. At first I was happy that she was there. I didn’t have too much to drink because I had to be home later that night completely, almost, sober. So I had a realization of what was going around me the whole time.
It started when she led me into the kitchen where there were less people. She started kissing me slowly, just sweet innocent kisses that I gladly returned. And then it started escalating when she started nipping at my lips and ended up shoving her tongue into my mouth.
I was a little shocked because we’ve only been together for a week and we have only made out once before. But I put that aside and quickly took back control of the kiss.
It then continued when she started grinding her hips onto mine. Whoa there. I won’t deny it that it didn’t feel good, but something just didn’t feel right. I let her continue as I pushed all thoughts from my head until she asked if we could go upstairs.
My mind came crashing back down to reality as she started to lead me to the staircase. I stopped abruptly and pushed her away when she started kissing my neck.
“What?” She asked.
“What are you doing?” She looked slightly taken aback but quickly laughed it off.
“Well, I was going to give you your birthday present,” she giggled, took my hand in hers and kissed me on the lips, but stopped when she saw the confusion and seriousness on my face.
“Natalie,” I started, dropping her hand, “I’m not going to have sex with you.”
Her face fell, showing confusion and then anger. “Why not?” She nearly yelled, and the quickly added, “You slept with that bitch Rachel.”
I stepped away from her before answering, “Yeah, but Rachel and I were together for nearly a year before we did anything.”
She crossed her arms and snapped, “Whatever,” and then walked away. Of course, I managed to hear, “We’re done,” before she slammed Rian’s front door. Slut.
Just because I constantly go from girl to girl, doesn’t mean that I’m a man-whore and that I’m not looking for a serious relationship. Things just never worked out for me.
After that, I did what I always did after a break up. I went to find Jack. It only took me stepping into Rian’s living room to find him sitting on the couch with a beer in his hand. And even though he was clearly wasted, I led him into the basement to talk. And I still can’t decide if that was a mistake or not.
First, I decided to see what was on his mind, since I knew he only got completely slammed if something was wrong. I sighed as he gulped down the last contents of the can as we took as seat on the basement couch.
“Jack, what’s wrong?” I asked concerned for my friend’s lost and dwindling brain cells.
“I’m mad at you,” he said childishly before throwing the empty beer can at me.
“And why would you be mad at me?” I was slightly annoyed with him, but he had no clue what he was doing in his drunken mindedness, so I put on a slight smile and waited for his answer.
“Because I saw you making out with that slut Natalie,” he slurred as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He was looking everywhere but at me, his hands were trying to occupy themselves.
“And why would you think that she’s a slut?” Apparently everyone but me could see that she just wanted to get into my pants.
Jack started to giggle out of nowhere, startling me. “Well first off,” he started, and then continued in a whisper, “she was sleeping with everyone behind Alex’s back,” he frowned, wringing his hands.
Great. He’s in the phase where he doesn’t know who he’s even talking to. I’ve seen him spill a lot of secrets and get his ass kicked afterwards because of this. He just says anything to anyone.
“She even came on to me! But of course, being the amazing friend that I am, I told her to screw herself and then I walked away,” his eyes adverted to staring at the wall across from him as if trying to think of something.
I looked down at my hands, feeling like shit for not seeing these things myself, and I waited for him to continue. He didn’t. I sighed and figured he had passed out.
“Alex?”
“Yeah?” My head snapped up when he interrupted the silence.
“I’m sorry.”
My face scrunched up in confusion. “For what?”
“For being jealous,” he whispered, eyes still holding their gaze on the wall in front of him.
“Jealous of what?”
He sighed, “Of Natalie,” he paused, but started again right when I was going to speak, “And of Rachel. And every other girl you have been with,” he blushed.
My heart skipped a beat and I just stared at him, trying to make sense of what he was telling me. His eyes still stayed front, until his head suddenly looked towards me.
His eyes looked sad and distant and he put on a small smile, but even in his drunkenness and my confusion, I could still tell it was fake. I didn’t know where he was going to take this, so I looked back down and waited for him to keep talking.
The next thing I knew, Jack was right next me, practically in my lap, his big brown puppy dog eyes staring into mine.
“I mean, they get to run their fingers through you hair,” he whispered, warm breath blew on my face, making the smell of alcohol linger and stick in my nose. His fingers ghosted over my hair, barely touching it to show his point. “Beautiful, caramel coffee hair, so perfect,” he muttered. I think my heart stopped.
Then the next thing he did I didn’t see coming at all.
His face was suddenly inches from mine, “And they get to taste those perfect lips,” his head came closer, I froze. His lips barely touched mine before they were gone. I blinked. And then I realized how much I liked the idea of his lips on mine.
His face was still only centimeters away, waiting for a response, so I didn’t have to reach far for our lips to be connected once again.
Jack placed his palm at the back of my neck, tangling his fingers in my hair at the base of my head. His other hand settled on my chest and his tongue snaked out between his lips to ask for entrance, which I quickly granted. He shifted his weight on my lap and led me back on the basement couch.
My mind cleared of all things rational as his hand moved down my chest and underneath my shirt. Before I knew it, my shirt was off and the cold stale air of Rian’s basement hitting my torso all at once shocked me back into realization.
I was making out with my best friend. No. I was making out with my completely wasted best friend. Some part in me said, “This is what you wanted,” but another part said, “He’s a drunken mess. You’re taking advantage of him.”
I slightly pushed Jack away so we were no longer kissing. I had to think this through, but there wasn’t enough time to right now.
He stared at me and leaned back, reminding me that he was straddling my waist.
You’re using him. He doesn’t feel that way about you. He doesn’t know what he’s saying, he’s wasted.
He leaned back down and gently kissed me on the lips. And then the next think I did I totally regret. Because there was one thing that killed me the most.
I shoved Jack away with such a force; he ended up on the ground a few feet away. I quickly tugged my shirt back on and stormed upstairs, leaving a hurt and confused Jack sitting on Rian’s basement floor.
I did what I swore I would never do; I hurt my best friend, even if he’s too wasted to realize what just happened. I needed more time to think about what I wanted. I felt like such a stupid selfish asshole. But still, I would never forgive myself.
The swing next to me swung back and forth and I felt a cold wetness hit my cheek. I realized snow was falling for what seemed like a while now, judging from the amount on the ground.
The back door opened and my cousin yelled out that dinner was ready. I got up, brushed off most of the snow off of myself, and walked toward the house.