A Recollection of Ideas: A Series of One Shots

I rolled out of bed, not feeling particularly inspired to do a single thing at the moment. This week has sucked. And when I mean sucked, it really sucked.

On Monday, my dog that I’ve had since I was eight died. He was twelve years old and that’s pretty aged for a dog, but I miss him all the same. I wasn’t ready to let him go. I didn’t want the cancer to take him, but it did. Things you can’t control continue to ruin my life.

I had buried him out in my backyard, under the shady tree where we used to nap together. I had cried over his freshly dug grave, mourning the six feet that separated us.

On Tuesday, my guitar had broken down. It would take weeks before the shop could get the right parts in to repair it. I felt so empty without it in my hands.

Wednesday wasn’t any better. I got news that my parents were filing for divorce. I had cried for hours that afternoon. I had to take work off because I couldn’t function. What used to be a happy family was now shattered into millions of pieces.

Speaking of work, Thursday slapped me hard in the face. To make my week worse, my coworker bailed on me and left the afternoon rush for lonely only me to manage. While she was getting stoned, I was getting double the duty trying to sell band shirts at the local Hot Topic. Great.

Today couldn’t get any worse, right?

With a sigh, I realized that even though I had today off, I would have to get out of bed and visit my boyfriend, Ben. He had just gotten back from touring with his up and coming band, but he would be happy to see me, right?

I let a little smile spread to my face as I crawled out of bed. Getting dressed was a little easier with the thought of seeing my boyfriend. It took me eight minutes to drive to his apartment and another four to climb the stairs and knock on his door. The wait was going to be worth it, I just know it!

The door was open and there was some noises from inside. We’ve been dating for a year and I felt comfortable enough to go inside without knocking. I closed my eyes and inhaled the scent of safety and love as I entered his living room, quietly closing the door behind me.

“Ooohhh, yeah, Ben! Mmmm, faster!” A female voice moaned loudly from his bedroom. A knot started to form in my gut. Taking a hesitant step forwards, I felt tears start to rim my eyes. What was going on?

I just had a bad feeling about this.

Managing to make it to the cracked bedroom door, the grunts and moans increased as I opened the door, finding a horrifying sight. Ben was screwing some girl wrapped around his hips. The tears flowed from my eyes. The two stopped their…activities…as I entered.

Ben just stared in mute horror as I shook my head and I turned tail and fled the apartment, letting the door slam shut behind me.

I thought the week couldn’t get any worse, but of course, fate had screwed me over.

I made it back to my own little home before breaking down, slamming hands down on the steering wheel. Silent sobs choked my throat, filling me up with pure agony. The blonde hair fell around my face as I stumbled out of my car and went back to bed, falling into the covers and hating the world forevermore.

It was hours later after I’ve fallen asleep, woken up, and repeated the cycle. Tears have stained my pillowcase and the baby green sheets that tangle me up. It’s late at night by now and I’m hungry.

If there’s something I always eat when I feel sad and down, it’s cheese-its. Nothing is better than drowning your feelings in cheese-its and snuggling up with your favorite blanket or sweatshirt.

Managing my way to the pantry, I looked through blurry vision, searching for my favorite snack. There was none.

Oh yeah, I must’ve eaten all of those after my dog died.

Friday night fun, woohoo.

Putting the sarcasm aside, I made my way to my car. Sure, it’s nearly midnight, but I want my cheese-its and I won’t be able to function without them. Snagging the silvery key ring, I managed to stagger to the car and clear my vision long enough to back out of the driveway.

The local grocery store was just fifteen minutes away. The roads were empty and I was anxious. As I pulled into the parking lot, I got of my keys and wallet, shoving them deep in my pocket. There were only two cars in the small lot.

I was wrapped in my tee shirt and shorts, sniffling all the way. My face looked horrid but the only people to scare with my ugliness are the poor teenage cashiers working the night shifts.

I walked through the aisles, rather, I shuffled slowly through each aisle trying to find the snacks. I made my way to the far end of the store before nearly running into someone coming down the aisle. Actually, it was two someones.

I looked up to see a certain Jack Barakat and Alex Gaskarth pushing a shopping cart full of food that you would only find at a frat boy’s house. Monsters, fruit snacks, Twinkies, and burritos, of course.

“Sorry ‘bout that!” They chirped.

“Sorry.” I mumbled and continued to shuffle down to the farthest lane. The boys kept on chattering as they passed me by. I watched the two laugh and joke as they turned onto the aisle that I needed to go.

Following them, I tried to keep the pace. As I turned down the snack lane, I spotted my precious box of cheese-its at the middle of the aisle. My eyes brightened a little bit. My week had been a disaster to say the least, but at least my comfort snack would be able to help.

“What should we get, Jacky?” Alex teased. Jack rode on the back of the shopping car, standing on the little bar across the bottom, as Alex had his arms on either side, struggling to push the cart with all the weight on it.

Please don’t say cheese-its….

“Those!” Jack pointed to the box of thin mints and then moved to the crackers, constantly nearing my prize. I sped up the pace. They were six feet ahead of me. I NEED my comfort food!

Alex pulled out some crackers and tossed them into the cart. I stopped just short behind them, pretending to be interested in some chocolates. The two boys were stopped directly in front of my prize, inspecting all the shelves. I didn’t want to have any confrontation and ask them to move, so I just waited.

They would move eventually, right?

Alex looked to this friend. “What else?” He asked. Jack reached up. I moved my sly glance to watch as Jack picked…

The cheese-its.

And it was the last box, too.

My face fell but I ducked my chin, squatting down to look at prices and pretend to be interested in red vines all while my face fell deeper and deeper into a frown. Tears rimmed my eyes.

I wasn’t sad about food, but I was sad that my week just seemed to be getting worse. I would go to bed tonight without my favorite comfort food.

Standing up, I took out my phone to pretend to read a text message. I hid my face as a tear streaked my cheek. Out of the reflection on the screen with an empty message on it, I saw Jack look at me, look at Alex, then back to me.

They moved down the aisle. I stood up straighter, getting on my tippy toes to check the top shelf, where my snacks used to be located. What if there was a box in the back?

No, there were no more.

My shoulders slumped in defeat. My week would only get worse from here, I guess.

A shattered sigh escaped my lips. I turned down the aisle, away from the boys. A little sniffle escaped my lips and disappeared into the quiet shop. I wiped my eyes again.

Walking to the drinks, I was a little relieved to see that there were a Monsters still on the shelf. Snatching one, I wrapped my hand around it and let my shoulders go back to slumping over, my head held low to avoid anyone seeing my tears.

Slowly, I shuffled down the hall back towards the self-checkout. I halted as the lone shopping cart with the two boys cut me off suddenly.

“Oh, sorry again I didn’t…” Alex drifted off as I looked up. He must’ve seen my tear streaked face and watery eyes. I smiled weakly and shook my head.

“It’s okay.” I whispered and continued on my way. I managed to get four feet before Jack stopped me.

His hand fell on my shoulder as I turned around, not really looking him in the eye. I managed to glance his concerned face a couple of times before fiddling with the energy drink in my hands. I wasn’t going to sleep tonight anyways, so I might as well have a little boost.

Jack’s hand slipped away. “Hey, are you okay?” He asked me kindly. I shrugged a little and let a fake smile slip onto my lips before wiping my eyes with my sleeve again.

“Yeah, yeah, just a really rough week.” I mumbled softly. The two seemed to be at a loss for words.

I clutched my energy drink to my chest as I looked into his face and cleared more tears that threatened to spill. Taking a shaky breath, I explained, “Everything just kind of sucks, you know? My dog died, my parents are getting a divorce, my guitar broke-“

The two boys gasped. “Not the guitar!” I laughed quietly for the first time this week.

“Yeah, the guitar broke and the store can’t fix it for a couple of weeks. Coworks are assholes, Hot Topic’s too busy, and to top it all off, I caught my boyfriend screwing another girl this afternoon.” Another humorless laugh escaped my lips. Jack’s lips fell to a pout.

“That really does suck. I’m so sorry that your week is rough.” He sympathized. Alex shook his head.

“Boys are stupid. Sorry about your puppy.” He said with an apologetic look in his eyes. Jack nodded, adding, “At least you a have a Monster with you! Monsters make everything better!” he laughed. I nodded slightly.

“Yeah, but it’s really too bad. My week just keeps getting worse. I came here to get my favorite comfort food, but they’re all out.” I sighed, starting to head to check out.

The wheels of their cart clicked behind me as they started walking to catch up.

“Well, maybe we can help you find something else! What were you looking for?” Jack asked me, sweetly looking down at my small frame against his. I shook my head, knowing they wouldn’t be able to help me.

“Just cheese-its.” And as they froze, I walked off. I could almost hear their thoughts, thinking through them knowing that I followed them to the snacks just for that reason, them knowing that they took the last box.

I made it to check out, scanning my one item and limply pressing the buttons on the touch screen to confirm that I had one lonely only item. Paying for it, I got my change and shoved it back into my wallet, shuffling out of the store.

The boys were behind me, I could hear them discussing as I went out into the parking lot. They weren’t exactly…quiet.

“We got the last box! That was us! We’re the assholes!”

“But I like cheese-its!”

“But she had a hard week. Be nice, Alex!”

“Do we have an extra box at home, Jack?”

“Yes, I hid it from you because you eat those things like a fiend. Let me give it to her!” Jack argued not-so-quietly. Alex made a whistling noise. I had my hand on the door handle, kind of wanting to listen to them, but kind of wanting to go home.

“Ohhh, Jacky you like her!” Alex teased.

“She’s cute, now shut up!” Jack hissed back. I could see them load their groceries at the only other car in the lot, just ten spaces in front of me. I laughed a little at their antics. I had heard that they were pretty funny, but I never knew them personally.

Getting in my car, I fumbled for the keys in the dark as I set my Monster in the cup holders. For some reason, I just couldn’t get my keys in the ignition.

Knocks at my window scared the living crap out of me.

Jumping from my seat, I looked to see Jack Barakat’s puppy face staring back at me. I opened the door and hopped out to have the guitarist pull something behind his back.

A box of cheese-its was in his grasp. A shaky smile touched my lips as I wiped away tears, but this time, they were happy tears. The kindness of a stranger truly touched my heart.

“I know you were having a bad week and I’m sorry that we were the assholes that took your cheese-its from you, so here they are.” I took the snacks from him and looked back to his brown eyes that glowed under the harsh streetlights.

“Aw, Jack…you made my week.” I whispered. I threw them through the open window into the driver’s seat. Turning to him, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, seeing Alex Gaskarth leaning against his car, waiting for his best friend to return.

Jack tightly hugged me back and looked nervous when he finally let go. I gave him a curious look.

That’s when he blurted out…

“IHOPEYOUHAVEAGOODWEEKANDSTUFFANDIREALLYLIKEYOUANDTHINKYOU’RE
REALLYCUTE.”

…before turning around with a visible blush burning his cheeks. I laughed from true happiness, watching him speedily walking back across the parking lot. Before I could think, I trotted after him.

“Jack!” I called. He stopped and turned around, still looking embarrassed. I caught up to him, standing in front of him. His eyes couldn’t meet mine. I stood on my toes, trying to get to his height. Gently reaching up, I put one hand on his cheek, the other on his shoulder to keep my balance. I kissed his cheek, pressing a gentle kiss to his scraggly face.

“You’re a cutie.” I laughed and turned around, leaving them both in shock. I swore I heard Alex let out a low whistle. Going back to my car, I started it up and slowly drove out of the lot, waving at the two boys.

Jack looked especially happy as he jumped around and refused to stand still. I laughed at the boy.

Maybe things would go better after all.

Notes

Jack Barakat and Alex Gaskarth One shot for my own amusement!

Don't forget to keep requesting! I have a lot of good ideas for one shots!! :)