[Complicated] We'll Throw A Party For Anything

[Claire Jayne Madden]

Claire placed her fingers through the belt loops of her shorts and pulled them up higher on her hips. Technically she was eating. When she was with Shane. But they had spent a lot of ‘meal times’ away from one another because each of them had rehearsals for what they were passionate about. Which made it easier for her to deny food lately when she hung out with him by insisting that it wasn’t breakfast, lunch, or dinner time. At any rate, she’d lost some weight and though it was noticeable to Carter and he was happy about it, she didn’t think it was enough for anyone else to really notice. She scrunched her nose as she realized she needed to invest in a few belts because keeping her jeans over her hips was getting more and more difficult. “ Okay, you promised,” she said, glaring at Shane as she picked up his favorite guitar. If he let her play that then she knew she had to be one of his close friends. Claire smacked her hand against his leg and lifted her eyebrow at him as she waited for him to finish his game on xbox. She smiled when he set the controller down. “ Aw you didn’t have to quit playing,” she said as she pushed her hand against his shoulder and pushed him back to give herself enough room to crawl into his lap,so that most of her back was against his chest but she was still able to turn and look at him.

They were each leaving in a few days, and it was a subject she hadn’t approached. She didn’t want to talk about it with him, which was ridiculous really. It wasn’t like they were going to stop talking completely, but it sort of felt like it. She pulled her hair over her shoulder facing him and held the guitar the way she watched Shane hold it. Claire narrowed her eyebrows as she tried to stretch out her fingers to reach the same frets that Shane often did. “ Oh, wait that was wrong” she said before she pouted out her bottom lip and tried again on her own. She pressed her ring finger against the third fret and lifted her second finger to the top fret and strum her right hand quickly across the strings to try and make a note before it came out sounding horribly. Claire laughed quietly. “ Well they can’t all be winners.” she said as she bit the inside of her cheek and turned her head towards her shoulder to face Shane. “ I don’t think you even really play guitar. I think there’s someone that follows you around and hides, beckoned to play when you want to look talented. You’re a finger-syncher.Big ol’ fake,” she said before she narrowed her eyes at him playfully .


Outfit

[Shane Alexander Madden]

Shane was watching the TV screen, engrossed in his game when Claire had come in and picked up his guitar, reminding him of his promise he made to her. He looked up at her when she slapped his leg and he just shook his head, shutting off the game and set his controller down, giving Claire his full attention. She told him he didn't have to quite playing, but as she crawled into his lap, he teased, "Well, apparently I have better things to do." He watched her try to play a chord, grimacing at the noise but smiled anyways, trying not to laugh when she tried again, and for a second time it didn't turn out how she'd hoped. It was cute she was trying. He nodded in mock serious while she told him he was a faker and turned around to face him. He agreed, "Yes, I am. It takes a real, certain kind of skill to be able to fake it believably. Let me show you how to be a good faker," he said, moving his arms around her to get his hands on the guitar in her lap. He took her much smaller hand over the frets, readjusting her fingers so they were positioned better, and then he strummed, making a much better sound and smiled, "See, you can fake with the rest of us." He let her strum some on her own, a clear improvement. He readjusted her hand, strumming to here the difference, and continued to show her another. He laughed, "You can play half of Blake's songs knowing just those. But we won't tell her us fakers are faking her songs."

Shane watched her keep trying. At least she was diligent. Actually she wasn't even that bad, she just needed someone to show her how, then she was all set. "I think I have a professional finger syncher on my hands. Wanna join my band? that's all the rest of us do." he laughed.

[Claire Jayne Madden]

Claire stuck her tongue out at him as he teased her about climbing into his lap. “ We both know I was over you playing that game. It’s time for us time,” she said, giving him a glare before she looked back down at her fingers on the guitar. It sounded horrible, and she knew it did. But he was being so sweet in pretending that it wasn’t the worst noise ever made on his beloved guitar. Claire smiled as Shane reached his arms around her and placed his hands over hers. “ You engulf me,” she said, noting how much bigger than her he was. She laughed as he talked about being a faker, and couldn’t help but laugh at the innuendo along with it, “ I might be new to faking, but trust me.. I think I can make it believable with the best of ‘em”. As he adjusted her fingers she tried to pay close attention so that she could remember it for later. Shane made it look so easy to play guitar, just moving his fingers all over the place so easily when he was on stage. But she was having trouble just pressing the fret down itself with the end of her fingertip. Those things really dug into your skin. When he took his hands away from her own, she hunched her shoulder slightly, trying to strum along on her own.

Claire narrowed her eyebrows as he said that you could play half of Blake’s songs with those chords. “Does that mean she’s not very good at guitar?” she questioned curiously before she focused back on trying a few more of the strums on the same chord. When he jokingly asked if she wanted to join the band she scoffed playfully. “ I’m too pretty to be in your band,” she said sarcastically. “ Actually, you’re too pretty to be in your band,” she said as though it had just dawned on her. She coughed in mock seriousness. “ I’ll audition,” she said, strumming her fingers quickly along two alternating chords back and forth, nothing special. ‘ tequila shots in the dark scene of the crime. Suburban livin with the feelin that I’m giving up everything for you. Oh oh oh, how was I supposed to know that you were o-o-over me I think that I should go, something’s telling me to leave but I won’t, cause I’m damned if I do ya, damned if I don’t”she sang casually before she smiled before she looked over the shoulder. “ Made the lyrics up on the spot,” she said sarcastically. “ Wasn’t too hard, they suck” she said before she laughed to herself. Claire bit the inside of her lip before she looked back over her shoulder at Shane and smiled slowly. It really was going to be torture to be away from all of her friends for so long. Especially Shane. He made everything better. Rainy days turned into walking in the rain, burnt toast turned into adventures out into the city to go shopping for groceries. Stubbing your toe meant getting carried everywhere. Him leaving meant she could feel the excitement of seeing him again. Pushing herself too hard in the dance studio turned into goofing around with him and dancing for the fun of it, reminding her why she wanted to do it in the first place. But she needed to go to France just as badly as he needed to go on tour, and they both couldn’t be more supportive of each others’ passions.

Claire sat up away from his chest and set his guitar carefully down on the cushion of the couch before she turned to face Shane entirely. She held her hand lightly against his jaw, tracing her thumb over the edge of it. How was she supposed to go a month without waking up to his scruff. He’d become such a crutch to her with their friendship. He’d given her a gift that she appreciated more than he’d ever understand, to see her as an individual instead of being connected to someone else. He wasn’t ready for a relationship, and hell she was young and didn’t even know what she wanted. But she knew what she and Shane had was special. How many of your friends supported you through absolutely everything? She was fortunate enough to have two. “ Shane when you’re gone, Im gonna… “ she shook her head, trying to find the words. She’d avoided talking about him leaving for so long. “ I’m really going to miss you,” she whispered. “ I’ll miss your.. ability to fake laugh at my horrible, horrible jokes. The fact that you’re brave enough to try and wake me up in the mornings. That you remind me to just live every once and a while. You’re stupid scruff.” she said, laughing again as she traced her thumb over his jawline once more. “ I’m going to miss all of you,” she said, giving a small smile at one of her best friends. She leaned forward closer to him, hesitating as she sat over his hips. She’d need to have contact with him while she was away. She wanted him to go on tour. He needed to, that’s what his job was, that’s what made him happy. But she also wanted text messages, phone calls, skype sessions; atleast, she wanted those things when it was convenient for him. But she didn’t need any of those things right now, she had him here and there wasn’t really any point in wasting it.

[Shane Alexander Madden]

Shane laughed, watching her greatly improve in just a few seconds, "Okay you can audition, but just because we're friends does not mean we will go easy on you." He listened to her sing his own song, hitting every note perfectly, in tune and on the right pitch. Dang, she was actually a decent singer. The more she sang he started to realize she was actually a really kick ass singer. He'd do a collaboration with that voice any day. "Claire, I didn't know you were good at singing, you're really good." He sat back, watching her put the guitar down beside her and sat on his lap, facing. It was so weird, if people didn't know how good of friends they'd become, they'd have thought they were dating, or at least hooking up. Not that Claire wasn't pretty, because she was. She was very, very pretty. But Shane was going on tour and he needed to focus. He just saw Claire like a best friend, and it wasn't that long ago that he's been in a relationship. He needed a little break from dating, focus on tour ans all that. But while he was on the thought, he thought to himself, why am I even thinking of that anyways? It wasn't like he wanted to date Claire, so why was he even talking himself out of nothing? Whatever, they were really good friends, he just cared about her a lot. And so did she, which was why she was straddling him and telling him how much she was going to miss him. They were that close of friends.

Shane smiled, "Well I'm gonna miss you making me eat fruits and vegetables. And making me quit playing video games. And making me leave my apartment to go socialize. With out you, I would be a fat, socially awkward video game freak." He laughed, maybe he wasn't that bad, but he had definitely changed a few of his bad habits for the better. He felt her thumb along side his stubble he should probably shave, watching her. He really was going to miss her. She leaned in to him, silent for a second. But now he had that funny feeling, when someone leans in too close to you and just want to, kiss them? This wasn't the first time this had happened, there was the time at her audition when she'd jumped on him. He'd thought she wanted to kiss him then, and he thought he had kind of wanted to kiss her too. He was getting the same feeling now. They kept having these moments... where he found himself wondering what it would be like if he just leaned in and kissed her, wondering if it were really that easy, then why hadn't he done it by now? He felt his own eyes move to her lips, sure his face said it all. She must be thinking the same thing... But now, they were just... they were both leaving for a long time. They wouldn't see each other until like December, and they had gotten really close so it was normal to miss each other. That was what it was. He had grown attached to her. Maybe he was just so used to being in a relationship he was confusing his feelings of friendship for something else. But deep down, he just couldn't be so sure... He found himself subconsciously leaning toward her, even just the littlest bit, like magnets. He had to figure this out, what on earth he was feeling for Claire. Because she was young, and he was freshly single and surely he wasn't about to rebound, that was ridiculous. But he found himself changing things, for the better. Eating better foods, finding things to do that wasn't a video game, enjoying other things besides his own music. He was kind of ridiculously happy, and he knew it meant something, but he wasn't sure it was the best time to act on it, whatever it was. He had a feeling maybe it wasn't just friends... but then what did that mean? They wouldn't see each other for like, three months. Maybe he was just caught up in the moment. If he still thought he felt something in December when he got back, then maybe he'd figure it out. Until then, they both needed to focus on their stuff. he just wasn't sure he was going to be able to.

[Scarlet Rose Harris]

Scarlet yawned as she stepped out of the elevator and headed down the hallway of Shane’s apartment complex. “ He doesn’t know that we’re surprising him with a party does he?” she asked cautiously before she threw a look in Mackenzie’s direction. “ We can swing by Claire’s place afterwards and get her. What’s the story, we’re going to the movies?” she said before she got to Shane’s apartment. She brought her hand up in the shape of a fist to knock but changed her mind at the last second and decided to try the handle instead. She smiled at Mackenzie as it turned to the side and stepped inside quietly. Scarlet ran her hand through her hair before she stepped out of her high heels and made her way into one of her closest friends apartments, which smelled a hell of a lot better lately now that there were flowers in almost every room. Scarlet made her way into the entrance of Shane’s living room where she saw him and Claire tangled up in a unfriendly position. “ Wow!” she yelled out, hoping that the sudden noise would stop them from what they were doing. Like yelling at an animal when they were caught doing something they shouldn’t. Scarlet placed her hand on her hip and smiled broadly as she looked at them. She loved catching other people lying to themselves since she got called out on it so much.

“ Hey Mack…” she said as she tilted her head to the side. “ Have you seen Shane anywhere?” she sighed before she looked around the room, pretending to look for him. “ Oh hey… maybe he’s under that tiny ballerina. “ she said , pointing her finger lazily in Shane’s direction as she tossed her hand in front of her upside down. “ Excuse me, little kangaroo girl… have you seen a matured up rock star? I think you’re mounting him. Like the stuffed deer head up on my Uncle Earl’s fireplace from his last hunting expedition,” she said before she took in a deep breath and sighed. “ Okay but seriously. You two are gonna miss each other blah blah blah …. Summer lovin’, it happened so fast. But we have plans. Get up and let’s go,” she said, tilting her head to the door. Scarlet headed back to wear her shoes were in the entry way with her back to Shane as she yelled at him, “ Change your shirt, shithead!” She looked at Mackenzie and gave a small shake of her head. Tonight should be interesting to say the least. “ I’m glad you and Riley get a chance to hang out and be kids. I know you love Lily, but it’s okay to have the night to yourselves. I’m kind of hoping that him and Zach get along really well.” she said as she smiled softly and looked down at her hands nervously.

[Mackenzie Janelle Collins]

Mack walked beside Scarlet, digging through her purse for a chapstik as she walked off the elevator. She answered both of Scarlet's questions, "No he doesn't know, which is good since that would completely ruin the surprise. Actually I'm surprised no one spilled the beans, we're all horrible at keeping each others secrets." Mack found the tube of chapstik she was looking for, pulling it out, "Yeah we'll just tell them we're going to the movies or something, I don't think either of them would think that was suspicious..." Mack followed Scarlet inside, kicking her shoes off behind her and trailed after her into the living room, stopping mid way through putting chapstik on. "Uhhh..." she said, frozen and then put her chapstik in her purse, "I don't see him anywhere, Scarlet." Scarlet went on to say he was obviously underneath Claire, and Mack crossed her arms, smiling, "Oh, I see him now." Mack covered her mouth with one hand, trying not to laugh at what Scarlet had to say, and then watched them get up, Shane presumably changing his shirt as he was told, and then Mackenzie went back to get her shoes too.

Mack sighed, swinging the door open and leaned on it, "Yeah me too. I think me and Riley just forget about hanging out by ourselves. But I think Zach get's along with pretty much everybody. But you haven't really said, what does he do? Does he work, or go to school...? I don't know that much about him." Mack looked past Scarlet to see if they were coming and that back at Scarlet, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. She was happy for Scarlet and the fact that Scarlet seemed happy. Zach made her happy. He also scared her, but still. That was something that didn't happen all the time for Scarlet, but she of all people deserved to have it. She had always been a good friend to Mackenzie, and to Riley too, why shouldn't she get to be the one who found someone great.

[Claire Jayne Madden]

Claire held her breath as she felt Shane pulling closer to her. Seriously, whatever they were doing, it only had meaning if they put meaning behind it. But they were just friends so they could feel free to do whatever they wanted without having the fear of labeling it. She cared for him like she cared for any of her other friends, it’s just that he understood her a lot better than some people did, and she appreciated him greatly for it. So what was happening between them, was just a kiss between friends. People did that. Right? But before she could close the small space between them and finally kiss him she jumped as Scarlet yelled at them and turned to look over her shoulder. She stayed sitting in Shane’s lap as Scarlet teased her and Shane and laughed dryly at the witty exchange between Mack and Scarlet. “ You guys should take your act on the road.” she said sweetly, hinting for them to beat it before she placed her hands on Shane’s legs and pushed herself up off of him and made her way towards her shoes in the corner.

Claire watched as Scarlet and Mackenzie made their way back to the doorway before she turned to Shane. She wanted to say something, to explain herself, to explain what had just happened but she kept opening and closing her mouth like a fish just pulled out of the water. Which, to be fair, was kind of how she felt. Instead of saying anything to make it more awkward, instead she smiled and kneeled down to tie her shoe laces before she made her way back over to Scarlet and Mackenzie. “ Zach? He goes to NYU. And I think he’s studying criminal justice if I remember Zoe correctly..” she trailed off, trying to remember. “ Hey him and Mandi should get along pretty well then if she’s pre-law” she said, smiling at the connection she had made while trying to tone down her accent from Scarlet’s kangaroo jest.

[Shane Alexander Madden]

Shane was lost in his thoughts for a moment, watching Claire, when he heard an all too familiar voice yell out from near the front door. Now he snapped back to reality, looking over his shoulder at Scarlet and Mackenzie who had let themselves in. He tried to hide a smile and rolled his eyes, letting Claire climb off him before he stood up, stretching his arms over his head and decided to take Scarlet’s advice and go change his shirt. “K, hang on,” he said before he went to his room and opened the closet door, finding all but two or three clean shirts. He grabbed one, tossing it on the bed and stripped off the dirty one, pulling the new one over his head. He was still kind of stuck on whatever just happened with Claire. They had definitely been about to kiss, but what he couldn’t decide was whether or not that was acceptable friend behavior. The only thing he was sure of was that if Claire was going to brush it off then so would he. He was thinking crazy, there was no reason to think it meant anything.

He went back out to the entry way, slipping his shoes on and caught the end of their conversation about Zach. Scarlet really did like him. But Shane wasn’t under the impression he was going to school, that was news to Shane. The guy probably just didn’t talk about it. Shane wouldn’t either, he’d hated school. “Okay so where do I get the honor of going with three gorgeous blonds? Don’t tell me we’re going shopping.” He joked, closing the door behind all of them and locking it before following the three of them in to the elevator.