If You Do

MARK

"Are you ready?" Jackson asked pacing the lounge room as he had been for almost an hour.

"As I told you 20 minutes ago, yes," I nodded.

He was so nervous which was ridiculous, he had been talking to this girl for over a month and with they any they met I find it hard to believe that anything worse could happen today.

"What's the time?"

"Two minutes later than you last asked,"

"You're not helping," he frowned.

"You're worrying too much,"

"I'm freaking out,"

"Why don't just walk over there?"

"What if we're too early? What if they don't come?" He froze.

"Dude, would you calm down? You're just meeting a girl for lunch," I frowned.

"Exactly,"

"Come on, let's walk over there,"

I was hoping by walking the 15 minutes that some of his nervous energy would fade, or at least the sound of the city would drown out the sound of him.

THEA

"Should we get some lunch?" I asked as the nerves had caught up with me. I could feel the shaking in my hands.

"Sure," she nodded.

Thea: On our way, be there in five.

I sent Jackson a text message as we headed towards the food court, as we were going up the escalator I could feel my heart pounding in my c.h.e.s.t.

"What's wrong with you?" Charlie frowned.

"Huh? Nothing," I shook my head as my phone vibrated.

Jackson: We are upstairs, we already ordered food so just come on up.

"Okay, what's going on?" Charlie raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing, are you hungry or should we just get something to drink?"

"Just something to drink, I don't want to dance on a full stomach," she shrugged.

"Lemonade?"

"Vitamin water," she shook her head.

I got out drinks and started walking towards the stairs. Charlie frowned st me.

"Why are we going upstairs? We only have drinks and I thought you wanted to do some shopping?"

"I just want to sit for five minutes," I shrugged.

CHARLIE

Something was definitely going on, normally Thea is worrying about the time and making sure that we're not late. She was also way too nervous to not be up to something.

I followed her up the stairs, a guy sitting at a table next to the window waved at her shyly. He was sitting next to another guy who looked kind of familiar, actually, they both did.

"Why is he waving?"

"Because we're meeting them here," she gave an awkward smile.

"And you didn't tell me because?"

"Because I knew you would say no,"

"You could have brought BM,"

"Have you seen BM? What guy is going to want to date me after they know he's my best friend?" She raised an eyebrow.

"So you thought manipulating me into a double date would be a better idea?"

"It's not a double date, and I didn't manipulate you, I just didn't tell you,"

"Two guys, two girls; double date,"

"No, Jackson and I are just meeting in person properly and you and his friend are here for moral support,"

"I'm not sure why you would need moral support when you don't have any morals," I sighed.

I wasn't happy about it, not in the slightest and I could have left but I knew how nervous Thea was and if I left she probably would too. So I let out a sigh and followed her.

MARK

"Hey," the girl I assumed to be Thea waved awkwardly standing a foot away from the table.

"Hey," Jackson nodded nervously.

"Ah, this is Charlie," Thea smiled introducing her irritated looking friend. she was prettier in person than she was in her Instagram photos.

"This is Mark,"

"Hey," she waved again.

"You can sit down," Jackson cleared.

"Oh right," she laughed nervously.

Thea looked as nervous as Jackson but was trying harder to seem like she was fine which really only made her look more nervous. Charlie looked like she had been s.u.c.k.i.n.g on a lemon, I'm guessing she didn't really want to be here, and if her attitude didn't give her away, then the fact that she wasn't really dressed for what was, for all intensive purposes, a double date, sure did.

Most of her outfit was mesh, she had a tight cropped top on over what I guessed was a mesh bodysuit, black stockings that stopped halfway up her t.h.i.g.hs, and black shorts that I'm pretty sure were actually safety shorts that you wear under short shirts, or short shorts so that you don't show off anything you don't mean too. I'm sure that's why she had the grey and white plaid shirt tied around her waist. I'm not saying she wasn't attractive in it, it's just not exactly something you would wear to lunch, more like a club.

"We ordered some food," Jackson gestured to the plates in front of us.

"I think I'm too nervous to eat," Thea stated the stared wide-eyed, I assume she didn't want to say that out loud.

"More for Mark and Charlie then," Jackson shrugged with a smile.

"I'm not hungry," Charlie shrugged, she was leaning back in her chair, arms over her c.h.e.s.t. Clearly, she wanted everyone to know she didn't want to be here.

"Then why did you come to lunch?" I frowned, a little annoyed at her attitude.

CHARLIE

He raised an eyebrow at me, he was dressed like a douche, plain white shirt, denim jacket, black snapback on backwards. Of course this was the guy that Jackson was friends with, Thea thinks she has found the perfect guy and his friends is a total douche nugget, and of course, I was tricked into so weird double date. This is why you don't so nice things for people.

"I wasn't aware of the fact we would be dining with people," I retorted.

"She didn't know?" Jackson asked Thea.

"I'd asked her to come but she hadn't answered me so I just didn't tell her you would be here," Thea shrugged avoiding all eye contact with me.

"I'm sorry," Jackson apologized for Thea. The look on her face was the same look she gave BM when he did the same thing the only difference here was she bite her tongue.

BM

Sam was sitting on the floor under his bed with stacks of notebooks and loose paper surrounding him.

"What are you doing?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Shush," he frowned continuing to read the paper in his hand.

"Okay," I nodded.

"Dude, shush," he huffed.

"Yeah, god BM can't you see the man is trying to read his diary?" Jae commented coming up behind me.

"He doesn't keep a diary, like some people," Coco added slumping onto the lounge.

"Basically love letters to a girl he has never actually confessed too, sounds like a diary to me," Jae shrugged.

"They are not love letters," I rolled my eyes.

"What would you know?" Jae frowned at me.

"Would you guys go away?" Sam sighed.

"Are they love letters?" Coco raised an eyebrow.

"They're lyrics, to songs that I've written," Sam sighed again.

"So, yes, they're love letters," Jae mumbled.

"Stop being a d.i.c.k," Coco smacked his shoulder.

SAM

"Sorry," BM gave a small smile before ushering the other two away.

Jae wasn't exactly wrong, most of these songs were written with Charlie in mind, with different feelings. Some were curiosity, some were from when I felt like it was a crush, and somewhere from some strong feeling, I felt, both good and bad. So in a way, these songs were kind of like my Charlie diary, a one-sided conversation she hadn't heard and wouldn't even know as about her. But it helped me work through my feelings and they were good relatable songs. Perfect for a band.

Charlie was right, this band was probably the closest thing I was going to have to music in a while. It was definitely going to make me miss guitar but it was better to miss guitar while still being a part of music than to not have either.

"We're going to go get some lunch, do you want to come?" BM asked.

"Can you bring me something back?"

"You're not hungry?" He frowned.

"I'm starving, but I'm trying to organize all of this and I don't want to leave it halfway through,"

"Why is this suddenly so important?" Jae frowned.

"Because if I'm joining a band then I need to be contributing somehow," I shrugged.

"You're joining a band?" he raised an eyebrow.

"You knew I was going to band practice with Leo,"

"But I didn't think you would actually join his band," Jae continued to frown.

"Why do you care if he joins a band or not?" Coco asked.

"Because he's my guy, who am I supposed to busk with?"

"Technically you make him set up and do a few songs to draw an audience, you don't really busk together," BM pointed out.

"Are you going to take his place?"

"No,"

"Then shut up,"

"Dude, you're currently forming a band," I stated.

"Maybe I was going to ask you to join my band,"

"Where you?" Coco raised an eyebrow.

"Are you kidding me? We're both lead vocal, you can't have two of those in one band,"

"Also his voice is better than yours," she smirked.

"Okay, rude," they stated bickering with each other.

"I'll bring you something back," BM stated.

THEA

Charlie was so mad right now, honestly, if I had of known that Mark was going to be a total douche then I wouldn't have tricked her into coming, but Jackson made him out to seem great and I didn't see the harm, until now.

They were all but glaring at each other across the table, as if I wasn't nervous enough now I was worried about how awkward the atmosphere was and how mad Charlie was going to be when we left. She wasn't exactly fun to be around when she is mad, especially when she is mad at you, she is actually a little frightening.

"Why don't we eat?" Jackson suggested.

"She doesn't want to eat," Mark commented. I frowned at Jackson, he just shrugged, he seemed to be as confused as I was.

"Dude, what's your issue?" Jackson tried to ask quietly.

"I don't have an issue," he shrugged.

"Are you seriously all pissy because I don't want to eat lunch with you?" Charlie frowned.

"Don't flatter yourself, I could care less if you ate with me, but you would think with your friend being nervous and on a date, you could be a little more supportive,"

"Okay, one, we're not friends. Two, you're one to talk, you're actually attacking me right now, and three, even if I wanted to eat something, that looks like it would melt a volcano so why would any sane person choose to consume it?"

"I think you're just coming up with an excuse to not eat," Mark muttered.

"What?"

"I'm just saying girls like you, usually have an eating disorder," he shrugged.

"Girls like me?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Mmm," he nodded waving his hand up and down gesturing to her body.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm just saying that you don't look like you ever eat,"

"And you look like you hand out at a skate-park all day but can't actually skate," she retorted.

"He can skate," Jackson commented.

"I don't hang out at a skate park all day, I actually have a job," he looked at her accusingly.

"I have a job,"

"I mean a real one, that pays taxes,"

"Seriously?" Charlie snapped.

"Dude, what's that supposed to me?" Jackson frowned, confused.

"He's insinuating Charlie is a lady of the night," I filed him in.

"Not just the night apparently,"

"Dude," Jackson frowned.

"Whatever, even losers are allowed opinions, even if they are wrong," Charlie said, looking away from the table. She was just getting more irritated and Mark wasn't helping but I'm sure he already knew that.

"We actually have to be somewhere tonight, so we should probably get going,"

"Off to work?"

"Are you worried you'll see me when you go and hire your entertainment for the night?" she raised an eyebrow.

"I don't pay for s.e.x,"

"So is that **** or stealing?" Charlie challenged.

"Oh my gosh, we should leave now," I sighed.

"I'll text you later," I waved to Jackson as we left.

"What the hell?" I frowned at Charlie as we walked away.

"Don't you what the hell me," she retorted.

"You didn't need to be so rude,"

"You ambushed me with a double date, how exactly did you expect me to react?"

JACKSON

"Sorry man," Mark stated as he continued eating.

"It's not really your fault, Thea shouldn't of surprised her friend," I sighed.

"Her friend is kind of a bitch," he mentioned.

"You did basically call her a p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.e with an eating disorder,"

"I said girls like her, she's the one who decides to take it personally," he shrugged.

Thea: Hey, I'm sorry about that. She isn't normally that rude, I shouldn't have ambushed her.

Jackson: He doesn't normally get like that either, he would have just been silent and ignored her. I don't know what's wrong with him today.

Thea: S.e.x.u.a.l tension? haha.

Jackson: They would be perfect for each other, wouldn't they?"

Thea: Only one way to find out.

Jackson: Sounds like a plan.

Thea: My birthday is next week, I'm having a party on the Saturday, you should both come.

"Did you see the way she was dressed?" Mark mumbled to himself.

"She's a dancer, I'm pretty sure she has a show tonight,"

"Doesn't she need more clothes to be taking them off?" he commented.

"She'snot even here to defend herself," I frowned at him.

"Just because she wasn't aware of this lunch doesn't really give her the right to be rude, there are other ways to handle it than having an attitude," he continued, ignoring my comment.

"You're really not going to let this go?"

"Let what go?" he shrugged as if he hadn't been ranting out it.

"I'm just saying that you two were already nervous enough, she didn't have to make things worse so that they left early,"

"You say that like you didn't help her make things worse?"

"Whatever," he shook his head.

"You really don't like her?" I raised an eyebrow.

"What gave it away?" he frowned at me like I was an idiot.

"I'm just saying, if you actually hated her then you wouldn't be wasting your time getting mad about it," I shrugged.

"That's the dumbest theory I've ever heard,"

JAE

"Yo Bro," I called out when Thea and Charlie walked through the bar door. Thea frowned at me.

"Not you dwarf," I frowned back.

"Is BM upstairs?" she rolled her eyes at me.

"I'm not his keeper," I shrugged.

"You're such an a.s.s,"

"Are you guys just s.e.x.u.a.lly frustrated with each other?" BM commented coming out of the storeroom.

"That's disgusting," I dry heaved.

"No, disgusting is see you two make out," he added.

"Seriously?" Thea snapped at him.

"If you guys are coming to my show tonight you need to get ready, I have to be there in an hour and a half," Charlie commented dropping into the seat next to me.

"I've got to man the bar tonight," BM shook his head.

"You're leaving me alone with that?" Thea pulled a face at me.

"Just don't make out, Sam doesn't need that and it will distract Charlie from her performance,"

"When are you going to let that go?" Thea snapped.

"Uhh, never,"

"I'm going home to change, do you need anything?" Thea turned to Charlie. Charlie just gave her a look, Thea nodded and turned on her heels.

Charlie looked pissed, Thea was quick to leave the room so I was assuming that the surprise double date had gone exactly the way I'd expected it. BM went back into the storeroom to continue with stock take.

"How was your date?" I raised an eyebrow.

"You knew about it?"

"Hey, no, I found out about it this morning. Would I have let you blindly walk into that if I'd of known in advance?"

"You are a d.i.c.k,"

"I'm also you're bro," I pointed out.

"I guess,"

"So how did it go?"

"You thrive on drama huh?" she frowned at me.

"It's where I get my energy," I nodded.

"The guy was a total d.i.c.k," she began to tell me about what had happened. The more she told me the more I hated the guy. How dare he insinuate she was a whore, that's only okay when I do it, or Thea, but it takes one to know one.

"Rude," I frowned.

"Right!" she sighed.

"What a tool, do you want me to fight him?"

"You would die," she raised an eyebrow.

"Not in a mental fight," I shrugged.

"What are you going to do? Insult him until he cries?"

"If that's what it takes to defeat him,"

"I think you're confusing real life with a video game," she sighed.

"No, if I was I would have threatened to shoot him,"

"Dude, you suck at first-person shooter games,"

"No, I suck against you because you've found a way to cheat and won't tell me,"

"I don't cheat, you just can't play," she frowned.

"That's what a cheater would say,"

"You're an idiot," she rolled her eyes, but she was in a better mood and that's really all I was aiming for.

Charlie was the closest thing I had to family, I mean I have parents but I don't see them often and they don't really know me as well and Charlie does, she's like a second brother. I joke and insult her, but I would kill someone for her, or help her cover up a murder. Not that I would ever tell her that.

SAM

"Hey," Thea wandered into the lounge room. Jae and BM kept interrupting me so I'd mad BM bring me and my piles of paper and books back to the girls' house.

"Hey," I nodded.

I had finally gotten some organisation, I had finished songs, half-finished songs, melodies, lyrics without melodies, verses, and just music lines. I didn't realise how much I actually had until I'd started going through it.

"What are you doing?"

"Figuring out what songs would work for a band,"

"Oh, are you coming to Charlie's dance show tonight?" she asked even though she knew the answer.

"Yeah,"

"Well, I'm just here to get changed and then we are going to head up there,"

"Okay, I'll get ready in a minute," I nodded as I started packing the paper up. I knew if I left it out either the cats or dogs would get into it and because this is old work I didn't yet have a digital copy which means these are the only copies I have.

"No problem," she nodded.

"So how mad is Charlie at you?" I smirked slightly.

"Don't even go there," she shook her head walking away.

BM

"So why aren't you coming tonight?" Jae frowned at me.

"Because I could only find someone to cover this shift one day this weekend and I need tomorrow off,"

"Why?"

"Thea's burlesque show," I shrugged.

"Ew," he visibly shuddered.

"She has a show tomorrow?" Charlie frowned.

"As far as I know, I wrote it down so I could work it into the rosters," I nodded.

"Why? Who actually wants to see her dance around half-n.a.k.e.d?"

"I'm pretty sure you do," Charlie commented.

"That's disgusting,"

"It's okay, you can tell her I forced you to go so you can continue to pretend you hate her," Charlie patted his shoulder.

"You say that like I'm going,"

"You are going," she stated.

"Why?"

"Because you're in love with her,"

"And she's our friend, we should go and support her," I added.

"She is not my friend, and I am not in love with her," he defended himself.

"Sure you're not," Charlie nodded.

"Are you jealous?" He countered.

"If you're not friends then why did you pull out the photos of her being fat and throw them out?" I challenged.

"You pulled photos out of the Polaroid box for her? My god you really do love her," Charlie stared at him shocked.

"I did not,"

"I watched you do it," I nodded.

"So you get her drunk, pull out the photos she hates from a box that has a strick 'DO NOT REMOVE' rule, and then you make out with her? Who are you?" Charlie shook her head.

"Why is this on me? We were both there,"

"Yeah but she went on a date today, clearly she isn't hung up on you like you're hung up on her," Charlie stated.

"I actually hate you, people,"