If You Do

JACKSON

"Why did you need me to come with you exactly?" Mark raised an eyebrow, even though he hadn't stated any objections up to this point. I think he might have just wanted out of the apartment, or he was still curious about Charlie, I did catch him stalking her Instagram again the other night. Of course, he had an excuse for it, like it was an accident. How exactly do you accidentally click on someone's profile and scroll halfway through their posts?

"I needed a buffer," I stated rather than making a comment about him wanting to see Charlie again.

"A buffer?"

"Yeah, a buffer. I'm not sure if Thea is actually interested in dating me and I don't want to do something stupid if that's the case," I nodded.

"She invited you didn't she?"

"I'm probably not the only one she invited considering she also invited you,"

"I think you're thinking too much into it," he shrugged.

"Maybe I should just tell her I can't make it," I thought out loud.

"You're literally five minutes from her house,"

"So?"

"So, there is no point in turning back now," he shrugged.

"Do you want to see Charlie?"

"Okay fine, go home," he rolled his eyes.

THEA

"I smell food!" I heard Jae's voice.

"It's not for you," I called back.

"Then why was I invited? Oh my god what are you wearing?" he smirked stopping in the doorway.

"I didn't invite you," I shrugged ignoring his question.

"What did you do to your leg?" BM frowned,

"I definitely did not invite you," I sighed turning my attention back to the pot in front of me.

"Should you be standing?" I heard a girls voice. I turn back to see the girl that was with Sam the other day. She wasn't on crutches anymore and she didn't have a brace so I was assuming she was okay, which wasn't exactly a good thing.

"Um, hi," I frowned.

"Hey, I'm Olivia," she smiled warmly.

"I invited her," Sam nodded.

"I can see that," I stated, picking up my phone to text Charlie.

Thea: So Sam brought his not girlfriend.

"Dude why are you texting me when you can just call out?" Charlie called down the hallway.

"Oh," I heard she mutter.

"Should I leave?" Olivia asked awkwardly.

"I'm sorry, you just caught me off guard. I'm Thea," I smiled politely.

"Charlie is that way," I pointed down the hallway.

Sam made his way towards Charlie, Olivia following behind him. BM looked like he wanted to say something but decided to keep it to himself and followed after the new couple. Jae however, just leant against the breakfast bar and smirked at me.

"What?" I frowned.

"How did you hurt yourself?"

"Taste this," I ignored him.

"It must be really embarrassing if you're letting me in your kitchen," he laughed at me.

"Fine don't taste it,"

"Calm Down, I'm coming,"

"You better not be," Charlie stated seriously, walking into the kitchen.

"Ew," Jae and I shivered at the same time.

"Why is he in your kitchen?" Charlie frowned.

"Is that some kind of euphemism?" Jae raised an eyebrow.

"You tell me?" she shrugged.

"Why are you so moody today?" Jae retorted.

"I'm not moody," she rolled her eyes.

"She's tired," I stated, trying not to smirk.

"I'm not tired,"

"And Sam brought an unexpected friend," I added ignoring her comment.

"There are a whole lot of unwanted people going to be here tonight," she snickered.

"I'll leave then," Jae joked.

"Jackson is bringing Mark with him,"

"Who's Jackson?" he frowned.

"Seriously?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, you mean wild and s.e.xy?"

"Go away,"

"I'll leave when you tell me what stupidly embarrassing thing you did to your foot," he challenged.

"She fell over dancing, now go away," Charlie ushered him.

"Rude," he huffed but left the kitchen anyway.

Charlie waited until he left before she said anything. I knew she wasn't happy about the game night, to begin with, but Sam, who should have been her distraction or at least he buffer so she could pretend that Mark didn't even exist, brought his new plaything, and Sam dating generally pissed Charlie off on a good day.

CHARLIE

"Did you know he was bringing her?" I frowned at Thea.

"What do you think?" she retorted.

"I already hate her," I mumbled.

"You hate everyone,"

"Not everyone," I defended as Mark and Jackson walked in.

"Argh, why?" I g.r.o.a.n.e.d looking up at the ceiling.

I already wasn't looking forward to tonight, I was tired and drained and dealing with one person I didn't like was bad enough, but now there were two? I sighed deciding to take my chances with Olivia, at least if I attacked her no one would really care, and Sam wasn't about to defend her. But if I attacked Mark, Jackson was sure to have an issue with it and that would probably upset Thea, not that she would admit that to anyone.

"Why is she so rude?" Mark muttered as I left the room.

"You caught her on a bad day," Thea stated.

"Seems like she's always having a bad day," I bit my tongue so I didn't turn around and say anything.

"Oh my god, what did you do to your leg," I heard Jackson as I walked into the lounge room, where Olivia was lying all over Sam. The visual sight made my blood boil and I turned around leaving the room before I threw a hard object at her.

MARK

She came walking back up the hallway looking more annoyed than she had when she walked down it 10 seconds ago. What exactly was her problem? It was like she was angry at the world for not being the way she wanted to it be.

"You're back," Thea commented dodging Jackson's question.

"This room makes me less annoyed than that one," she shrugged.

"I can invite Shawn and Doobin over it you like," Thea offered.

The mention of Shawn's name made Jackson frown, I was assuming this was the name of the guy that looked after Thea all night on her birthday, the one that Jackson is convinced she wants to date rather than him. I don't think that was the case though, considering Shawn was a second thought and she hadn't bothered to invite him but she'd invited Jackson.

"Do you want to die," Charlie frowned.

"Why not?" Thea shrugged which deepened the frown on Jackson's face.

"Did you hurt your leg on purpose?" Jackson's inner thoughts escaped through his mouth, as they often do.

This question seemed to be hilarious to Charlie because she burst out laughing. Thea seemed a little stunned by the question but managed to regain her composer and glared at Charlie.

"Not exactly," Thea said slowly.

JACKSON

She didn't seem like someone who was in that state of mind but her indifference to dying concerned me. I supposed people who were severely depressed usually weren't the ones who acted that way, and it's not like I knew her well enough to determine whether or not she was.

"I think he's concerned at the fact you're cool with dying," Charlie managed to get out once she had finished laughing.

"Oh, god no, I'm not suicidal or anything. I was dancing and got distracted, I fell and broke my foot, I don't intentionally hurt myself, I'm just clumsy," Thea was quick to explain.

"Oh," I nodded slowly.

"Why is everyone down here?" the lanky one with glasses came strolling up the hallway.

"We were explaining Thea's leg," Charlie stated.

"Everyone go down to the lounge room, I'm just going to finish cooking," Thea tried to usher us away.

"Do you have any drinks here?" The lanky one asked.

"Do you really think we need drinks?" Charlie raised an eyebrow.

"Honestly, I kind of want to see her drunk in that thing," he nodded.

"Shut up, " Thea huffed.

THEA

"Hey, did you guys need help?" Olivia popped her head around the corner. Sam right behind her.

"You know what, drinks aren't a bad idea, let's go," Charlie turned to Jae, picking up her car keys.

"She doesn't seem too happy with me being here," Olivia rubbed the back of her neck.

"She never likes any of Sam's girlfriends," BM commented.

"That's because usually, Sam has terrible taste in girlfriends," I stated not bothering to look away from the pot on the stove.

"I'm standing right here,"

"And I've already told you all to go to the lounge room, it's not like I'm going to let any of you in here to help me cook anyway, I'll call if I need anything," I said.

They all wandered down to the lounge room, except Jackson who didn't seem sure he should leave. I wanted to tell him to go but I was worried that if I did then he would think that I didn't want him here and he would just go home.

I hadn't really dated anyone in a while so I felt like I was out of practice.

"You can sit at the bar if you want," I stated awkwardly.

"shouldn't you be sitting," Jackson commented.

"I mean, probably, but everyone needs to eat, and no one else cooks in my kitchen and there isn't any take away food around here that I want right now. Besides, Jae will probably have a fit if I don't cook," I shrugged.

"No one cooks in your kitchen?"

"No one but me,"

"Not even Charlie?"

"She bakes in here because I hate baking but I do the cooking,"

"Can't she cook?"

"Oh no she can cook, I just prefer to do it, it is kind of my field," I explained.

"Oh," he nodded sitting down at the bar.

"So what distracted you?" he asked.

"What?"

"When you were dancing, what distracted you to make you fall?"

"Just a kid getting himself into trouble, or at least he would be in trouble if he had of gotten caught," I shrugged.

"You didn't tell him off?"

"No one was going to get hurt, he was just having some fun, and he's not my responsibility,"

"Somehow, I don't think you stay out of peoples business that easily," he smirked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I frowned.

"I just think you like to fix things, you can't fix things if you don't know what the situation is,"

JACKSON

"Are you calling me nosey?" she sort of half frowned tilting her head. It was adorable.

"I'm saying I think you care too much,"

"Care too much?"

"You're currently in the kitchen cooking for everyone while standing on a broken foot,"

"I enjoy cooking and I don't like feeling like I'm broken," she shrugged.

"But you're literally broken," I said a little confused.

"You're broken," she retorted.

She turned back to the stove, pulling faces to herself. I had to try not to laugh at her, but I couldn't stop the smile form across my face. Then I remembered that I wasn't here alone and that Mark was probably sitting a little awkwardly by himself in the lounge room, probably on his phone.

"I'm just going to make sure Mark's alright," I said getting up, she just nodded.

I walked down the hallway and was a little surprised to see Mark engaging in conversation rather than sitting on his phone. He was talking with Sam, while Sam's girlfriend listened politely, BM was actually the one sitting awkwardly on his phone which made me think that he and Thea still weren't on speaking terms.

"Did you want to sit down?" Sam paused when he noticed me standing there.

"No, I'm good, just came to see what you were up too," I shrugged.

"He's making sure I'm not a loner," Mark commented.

"Well clearly you're not," I retorted making my way back to the kitchen.

"I take it, he's fine?" Thea asked.

"Yeah, he's just chatting away with Sam," I nodded.

"Great," she sighed.

"Is he not supposed to get along with Sam?" I frowned.

"Sam is Charlies', that just the way it has always been, it's why she doesn't like his girlfriends. Sam is her person, and she does not like Mark, at all. She's already mad about the whole Olivia thing, and now he's getting along with Mark, Charlie is not going to like that, at all,"

"I don't get why she hates Mark so much," I frowned.

"Really?" she gave me a look.

"He's not actually a bad guy," I defended.

"I'm not saying he is," she shrugged.

CHARLIE

"Who's paying for this?" Jae asked holding up the basket.

"You are, it was your idea to have drinks,"

"But I'm broke,"

"And I don't drink," I retorted.

"I left my wallet at your house,"

"Of course you did," I frowned shaking my head at him.

"You were in a rush to get out of there, I didn't really have time to think about picking up my wallet," he stated.

"Whatever, let's just pay for them and leave," I sighed as a message came through on my phone.

Thea: So, Mark and Sam are getting along...

"Perfect," I sighed.

"About time someone acknowledges me,' Jae nodded.

"Not you," I rolled my eyes.

"Rude,"

"You have to be my buffer tonight," I told him.

"That sounds gross," he pulled a face.

"But okay," he shrugged.

"Sam's getting along with Mark and I don't want to deal with that on top of him already bringing what's her face,"

" I told him bringing her was a bad idea, and how dare he get along with that douche canoe. Doesn't he know what he said to you?" Jae sided with me. Even if he thought I was wrong he would still side with me.

"Right! You don't see me being friends with people who attack him," I huffed.

"Got your back bro,"

SAM

The guy wasn't so bad, I was guessing that Charlie had just caught him on a bad day. I'm not going to lie, I did only start talking to him just to get on her nerves, but he didn't seem like a bad guy. The look on Charlie's face when she walked back through the door gave me a small wave of satisfaction, knowing that it annoyed her until I realised that I was me she was annoyed at, but at least it was a reaction I suppose.

"Drinks," Jae spoke when no one else did.

"It's only 3 in the afternoon," Thea frowned, most of the room mirrored her frown, but it was directed at her,

"Since when has that stopped you?" BM raised an eyebrow. His tone was light-hearted so I was guessing he was trying to joke, but he still hadn't acknowledged he had done anything wrong so pretending it didn't happen wasn't going to work with Thea.

"Since when you invited?" she retorted.

"Who wants to play a game?" I asked.

"A drinking game," Jae nodded.

"Is it a good idea to drink with injuries," Olivia looked between myself and Thea.

"I'm not on medication anymore so I'm fine," I shrugged, everyone sort of turned to look at Thea.

"You guys play, I'm going to go and finish cooking. Some people should have food in their mouth so they don't speak," she commented towards BM.

"At least it's food in mine," BM retorted. I don't think he had meant to actually say it out loud. the second the words left his mouth he snapped his mouth shut. Everyone fell silent, the colour drained from Thea's face.

"Dude," Jae gave BM a disapproving look.

"Thea," Bm said, his facial expression looked like he was torn between backing up his statement and apologising.

"Don't," she was trying to keep an expressionless face but anger and hurt slipped through the cracks.

THEA

I wanted to scream at him to get out, it took all the restraint that I had to not cause a scene, I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of Jackson any more than BM just had and I didn't want everyone to be stuck in the middle of our drama, it wasn't fair for the group to have to pick sides. I wasn't sure who this person was but he wasn't the BM I knew and I was pretty sure whoever he was I didn't want to be friends with him.

BM

I wasn't sure what to do, I expected her to explode, to yell and scream at me, throw something even. But she just stood there and stared at me like I had slapped her across the face. She took a deep breath and I thought this was it, this is were she reacts, but she just composed herself.

"Thea," Jackson frowned at her.

"I'm going to finish cooking, you guys play without me," she plastered on a smile and turned around leaving the room. Jackson hesitated but went after her, everyone else was silent, I think they were all as shocked as I was about how calm she had just reacted.

"I think you pushed her a little too far," Jae commented.

"You know you've pushed her too far if Jae is telling you," Sam agreed.

"I thought you were her friend?" Olivia frowned.

"He is supposed to be," Charlie shook her head at me.

"Do you think maybe it's time for you to apologise?" Sam raised an eyebrow.

"I think it might be a little too late for that, she didn't even make the effort to react, that's how you know you've hurt her. When she doesn't even have it in herself to retaliate," Jae shook his head.

"Are you defending her?" Sam frowned at Jae.

"Someone has to, her best friend isn't," Charlie snapped at me.

"Alright, I'll talk to her," I stood up.

"Don't force yourself," Charlie snickered.

"Can you just not?" I frowned down at her.

"I would leave the room before more than just Thea is mad at you," Jae warned.

I knew I was being unfair to everyone, especially Thea. I knew I was using her as an emotional punching bag, she had tried to apologise to me for sleeping with Austin, and I knew that really she hadn't done anything wrong, she didn't know he was my friend, and from my understanding, Drew and kind of taken advantage of her insecurity, I also knew back then that he liked her. But everything happened all at once and finding out that I had been stolen from, and being on the brink of losing the business that I have been working so hard towards building had me feeling like I needed to take it out on someone. In my head that someone was Thea because I knew that she would forgive me because she was probably the only person that I could treat like crap to this extent and not worry about losing her.

But it wasn't fair on her, she was hurt and probably really confused at my actions, if I just explained to her what was going on she would understand, she would try to help, but telling her means that I would have to admit and face the embarrassment that I felt about the situation.

JACKSON

"I'm fine, really," she shrugged.

she didn't seem fine, I mean she was smiling and acting as though she was fine but there was something in her eyes, the light seemed to have dimmed, all of her focus was on the stove, like she was distracting herself. I wasn't really sure why she was putting up with the stuff BM was saying to her. What kind of friend does that?

"Thea," BM walked into the room. She glanced over at him but didn't say anything.

"Can I please talk to you?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," I stated.

"It's okay Jackson, why don't you take those plates through to everyone else?" she pointed at the dishes she had already finished but she didn't look away from the stove.

I was reluctant about it but I did as she asked. I sat down on the couch after I put the plates on the coffee table.

"Did you retreat?" Jae asked.

"BM wanted to talk to Thea, she asked me to bring these in here,"

"She probably didn't want any witnesses to his murder," Sam commented.

THEA

"Look, Thea, about the comment I made," he begain.

"Don't even worry about it," I waved him off.

"No, it wasn't fair of me, I want to explain,"

"BM, stop," I sighed turning to him.

"What?"

"Look, I get it. I get that you don't agree with a lot of my choices, I understand why you were so upset about me and Drew, I should have told you when it happened, and even though I didn't know Austin was your friend I still understand why you were mad about that. What I don't understand is why I deserved to be attacked for it, if you had such an issue with me s.e.x life you could have just pulled me aside and talked to me about it. You didn't need to attack me in front of everyone. I admit that I didn't help the situation by causing scene after scene. But I'm not really sure that justifies your comments," I paused,

"It doesn't, and I," he tried to apologise, but I cut him off. I wasn't finished.

"That being said, I'm tired of fighting with you, I'm tired of being mad and being hurt, I apologised, more than once for what I did. I'm not really sure what else I can do, it's not like I can take my actions back. SO for the sake of everyone else, I think maybe it's just better if we don't talk to each other, I don't want to cause a rift with everyone else so please stay and enjoy yourself, I'll be in the same room as you but lately every time one of use opens their mouth towards the other it turns into a fight so maybe we just shouldn't talk anymore,"

"Isn't that a little dramatic?" he frowned.

"Probably, but I'm tired of fighting and attacking each other," I shrugged.

BM

"Thea, come on," I frowned. She just shrugged as if to say it is what it is.

"I'll still work at the bar unless you want to find someone to replace me then I'll work until you don't need me anymore, but I can't keep being attacked and attacking you. I'm tired of fighting,"

"Fine," I sighed leaving the room.

"You're alive," Jae commented.

"Yeah, give me a call when you guys want to come home. I'm going to head off," I nodded.

"Can't you two just make up already?" Sam sighed.

"I think it might be a little too late for that," I shrugged picking up my phone and keys.

"See you later,"

"Dude, what happened," Sam frowned.

"Nothing, I was going to have to leave soon anyway, I have no one to cover for me at the bar,"

I walked back through the house, I heard footsteps behind me which confused me. None of the boys would come after me.

"Hey, can I get a lift with you?" Olivia was standing behind me.

"Why?"

"Because I don't really want to sit here and watch the guy I'm supposed to be on a date with stare at a girl he is so clearly in love with," she shrugged. she didn't seem mad or upset which was odd.

"Sure," I nodded.

"Thank you for having me, even if it was short-lived," she smiled at Thea.

"You're leaving?" she frowned.

"Yeah, I have a feeling I'm not the one Sam wants," Olivia nodded.

"Sorry," Thea gave a small smile, I wasn't sure if it was directed at Olivia or myself.

"It's fine, we can't help who we like, bye,"

"Bye, Thea," I said, she gave a small nod.