I stood in my room, bored out of my mind. I had nothing to do, which wasn't fun. Dahvie and Jayy were in sound check and recording new songs for their album Bad Blood, Blaze and Wyatt were doing... couply things around New Orleans, Talon just didn't seem appealing to talk to at the moment considering he had his eyes closed and was blaring his music through his earphones to where I could hear every word (he was listening to Not The American Average... nice taste), and A and Jace were whispering about things off in the dining room. I wasn't worried about her completely stealing my crush (she wouldn't do that purposely) and we already made a deal that if our crush liked the other one (Jace liking her, Talon liking me, etc) we would let each other have them. I looked at the clock. 3:54. Ugh. I sat upright and crossed my legs before letting my muscles relax. I was going to meditate. My mind cleared completely and I was at peace.
"Hey, Twiggy!" (One of the many nicknames I'm known to have) I heard yelled before my door flew open. The 'bang' of the door hitting the wall jolted me out of my reverie and I jumped, falling of the bed in a heap.
"What?" I asked her. I sat up.
"What were you doing?" she asked.
"I was," I paused to rub the sore spot on my head, "meditating." She gave me a sheepish look.
"Oops. Anyways, I want to show you something!" she practically squealed, which was new for her. I shot her an odd look.
"Okay?" I said, though it sounded like a question. She grabbed my arm and hurriedly pulled me up. I've never seen her this excited before, not even when Emmet proposed to Celina (which was a month ago... it was so adorable! Celina was nineteen and Emmet was twenty, about to be twenty-one.)
"Come on!" she screamed at me. "Hurry up!"
"I'm coming! I'm coming!" I screamed. She stopped in the middle of the hall.
"Girl... no... That sounded dirty!" Before I could get a word in, she started pulling me again. She stopped at a balcony door (who knew we had a balcony? I didn't!). The glass was covered by a cream colored curtain, so I couldn't see the glowing view of New Orleans. I turned to A.
"A door? You wanted to show me a door?" I asked. She rolled her eyes and opened the door before shoving me onto the balcony.
"What's behind the door!" she said before closing it. I looked at the door before turning around. I looked around the balcony and saw Jace sitting on a stool in the corner but not too far away from me.
"Hi," I said stupidly. He chuckled.
"Hey," he said back. We went silent for a few minutes until he muttered something that sounded vaguely like 'I can't do this'. A knock sounded from the balcony and a paper was taped on the window that said 'You can do it! Don't chicken out now!' He rolled his lips into his mouth, his snakebites shining prominent in the slowly setting sun, and looked to the sky as if saying 'please don't let me mess up!' He looked back down before pulling his soft maple and polished acoustic guitar out of its case. I admired the guitar's beauty until I heard the notes being played from it. After a couple of notes, I realized the song was Broken by Seether and Amy Lee. My eyes widened and a smile stretched across my face. Then, I heard him start to sing. His voice was velvety, but also had a rough undertone. Most people would say it wouldn't be a singer's voice, but I still found it beautiful. I started to join in at the appropriate times until the song was over. I was smiling wide now, and when Jace noticed, he smiled wide, too.
"So, Alexx, I so hope the song helped. Would you please consider going on a date with me tonight?" he asked me. I blushed bright red and nodded, since I was too happy to actually try and form words. I knew he was a talented guitar player, and I was ecstatic he played a song for me. He excitedly grabbed my hand and pulled me through the now open balcony doors. "Come on!" he exclaimed. I stopped him.
"I still need to get changed!" I said.
"No you don't, that's perfect!" he said, still not off of his high, I presume. I looked down at my outfit. I was wearing dark wash jean shorts that reached mid thigh and his Avenged Sevenfold shirt (I didn't return it. Sue me!). My hair was in a loose ponytail and my bracelets were on my wrists. My drawn on and paint splattered converse were on my feet. He grabbed my hand and we passed the kitchen. He snatched a basket off of the counter, as well as his car keys.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"Something I found not too long ago when I came here. I passed it before entering the main part of New Orleans. It was gorgeous and I know you would love it!" he said. I laughed at his excitement. He seemed like a four-month-old kitten given catnip. It was adorable! He placed his hand above mine and held it. I smiled at him and he looked at me through the mirror and smiled back. After a bit of driving, we reached a small trail. "It's just around this trail!" he said. I went to get out of the car but he shook his head.
"What?" I asked. He grabbed me and hoisted me onto his back. "Put me down!" I said laughing.
"Nope!" he said.
"Fine, at least let me hold the basket!" he handed me the basket, knowing I would pester him until he did. We continued walking in a comfortable silence. "I would've never really expected you to be this romantic. You are a sweet dude, but you also are a comedian with a lot of tricks hidden under your sleeves!"
"Well, like someone said, just because someone acts a certain way with their friends doesn't mean you could ever figure out their romantic side until you experience it yourself." I rested my head on his shoulder. After a couple more minutes, we reached our destination. He set me down on my feet and I looked around. The clearing was gorgeous! There was an arch made of fallen trees, and vines of white flowers crawled up and around it, some of the vines hanging in the entrance of the arch like a curtain. Trees were around us and a couple of them were propped up against each other, making the perfect spot to sit. There was a small creek running through the clearing and read and purple flowers grew around the creek bed. The fallen trees were slightly mossy, and it gave me a bit of comfort from the rough bark when I sat down. Jace sat down next to me and set the basket on a lower branch that kept it balanced.
"It's hard to imagine that this is so close to the bustling city of New Orleans!" I exclaimed.
"I know. That's why I remembered it. I knew I would be able to use it for something important and the beauty of it was amazing," he replied. I grabbed his hand. He smiled at me before opening the picnic basket and pulling out two sandwiches. I unwrapped mine and took a bite. It was exactly what I loved! Thin sliced honey ham with cheese, mayonnaise, and a bit of lettuce. I looked at him.
"A helped me make it. She told me what you liked and didn't so I knew what to make," he said. I smiled at him and pecked his cheek before taking another bite. When I looked at him from the corner of my eyes, I swore he blushed. I blushed, too, wondering why I was being so bold. Once we both finished our sandwiches, he pulled out dessert and our drinks. The drink was a mix of rum and coke. I looked at him and he shrugged, so I laughed and took a sip. "For dessert, chocolate turtle cupcakes and dark chocolate truffles." I stared at him and pulled him into a tight hug. He chuckled and hugged me back. "I'm guessing you love the dessert?" he asked.
"I love everything. It's so wonderful and no one's ever really tried to go out of the way for me!" I exclaimed. We pulled back form the hug and he smiled warmly at me. I smiled gratefully back. He unwrapped one of the truffles (he brought two for each of us) and held it at my mouth. I laughed and opened my mouth to let him put it in. Once I was finished chewing, I said, "You are so cheesy, you know that?"
"Sometimes," he said, "Just the right amount could create the perfect date."
"When did you become mister romantic?" I asked. He shrugged his shoulders and smiled at me. I grabbed a truffle and placed it in his mouth. Just like he did for me.
"Mm! This is good!" he exclaimed. I nodded my head.
"Yeah, they are!" We finished the rest of our dessert and I went to stand up. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me back down.
"It's not over yet," he said and pointed up. I looked and saw a gorgeous view. The sun was different hues of red and orange, and was setting slowly. We sat and watched the sunset.
"Are you going to put on the cheesy music they have in the movies?" I asked jokingly. He looked at me.
"Nah," we both said. He pulled out his IPod and hit shuffle. A Little Piece of Heaven by Avenged Sevenfold played through the speakers. We laughed, considering that was both of our favorite song. Right when the stars came out, Jace turned to me. He slowly leaned in, and his slightly chapped, warm lips met mine. He pulled back after a bit and I looked into his eyes. I couldn't control the blush that spread across my cheeks. "Now it's over," he murmured. He picked me up and put me on his back again. He insisted on carrying the picnic basket, even though I managed to grab it from his hands while he was walking. The drive back was full of small talk and comfortable silences. We reached the hotel room and he opened the door like a gentleman. I grabbed his had when I walked through the door.
"Well, finally!" a voice exclaimed. Everyone was in the living room, including Connor and Rusty. Connor was the one who screamed out 'finally'. I let go of Jace's hand and ran towards Connor and wrapped my arms around him
"Connor!" I said and let him go. "Nice to see you sober this time!" He laughed.
"When were you going to tell me that you've started dating him?!" Connor exclaimed dramatically.
"I probably would've. Except for the facts that we just started dating today and I don't have your number!" I said back. He quickly typed his number into my phone. He grabbed my wrist and started dragging me to my room.
"We're going have a girl talk! Anyone who wants to join, hurry up!" he said, reminding me a lot of Jayy. A, Rusty, and Jay followed behind.
"Now spill! What happened? How was it? Was it adorable?" A asked, firing questions like a semi automatic.
"... and then he kissed me under the stars and carried me back to the car," I finished explaining. Connor and A 'awwed'.
"I think someone finally found the person for them!" Connor exclaimed giddily. I smiled like a goof.
"Now, tell me what's been going on with you two!" I said to Connor.
"We've been working in one of the vet centers in New Iberia. The animals adore us! We got our own place and our own dog. She is so cute! Rusty and I went out not too long ago and went to a fancy restaurant. Did you know how romantic he is? It is so sweet! Rusty also got me a promise ring since we can't get married. I love him!" Connor started gushing, probably forgetting that Rusty was sitting next to him. "We're thinking of adopting, actually. I want to provide a child with what they need to feel comfortable. I also got my haircut and went visit paw paw. He really misses when the family would always get together. Aunt Cecile and I talked recently and she's doing well. I'm still mad at your father for kicking you out like that! Angel's as well! They're assholes. Homophobic motherfuckers! I swear I'm going to help you until you don't need it anymore!" Connor continued to say. Rusty agreed. A, Jayy, and I listened intently to what Connor was saying. The stories he was telling were adorable! Connor and Rusty were easy to get along with and fun to talk to. They always have a story to share, as well as an opinion. That's why I love my cousin so much.
"You know, Connor, I really miss when we used to talk about things constantly," I said.
"So do I," he said before giving me a hug. "We have to go so we can make it back home. Talk to y'all later!" After they left, we went back into the living room. After a while of watching mindless things on TV, I decided to go to sleep.
"I'll go to your room with you," Jace offered. He started walking with me. Once we reached my door, he stopped me. He leaned down to give me a soft kiss once more before saying, "Goodnight, love." he covered me with the blankets after I showered and changed and left the room. I closed my eyes and drifted off into sleep.