[Mackenzie] If You Are A Cliffhanger Ending..

[Katy Alexis Sutton]

Kat laughed quietly against his lips as he said that he didn’t share. Seriously? Because they shared a bunk all the time. “ I’ll keep that in mind,” she said, finding herself elated as he kissed her again. Even if he was drunk and would regret this in the morning, at least she finally got to find out what his lips tasted like. But it seemed like as soon as he kissed her again, the door was being flung open. Which apparently was a theme because Matt threw her against the couch away from him. Kat sat up uncomfortably on the couch and tried to catch her bearings as she watched Shane laughing on the floor after being hit by a pillow. She opened her mouth to say something but when she looked back at Flyzik he just had his eyebrows raised at her like, ‘whatdoyado?’. She closed her mouth and put her hands on the couch and stood up. Everyone knew she liked him, and he just threw her off of him in front of someone. So it was pretty clear where he stood. Kat walked out of the lounge, pausing by Shane to kick him between his legs before she started back into the main part of the bus on her search for Mackenzie.

[Zack Derrick Grant]

Zack looked down at Natalie as she processed everything he had said. Not that it took that long, it wasn’t much. But he sort of wondered if she caught the gist of it; you hook up with Rian, I’m not gonna’ be tryin’. It rhymed, it was serious. He felt a small sense of relief as she said that she respected his pace and could slow things down. But she seemed sort of apprehensive about it. Well it was a lot to figure out all in one day. She’d known him for years now and was just finding out that he had a crush on her, and he wasn’t about to admit to her for how long exactly. But it was sure as hell a lot longer than this tour. “ Well..” he said, trying to figure out how to phrase himself. She’d known that he liked her for all of what.. three hours? Could she really make a sound decision about whether or not she wanted to try whatever this was? Because it wasn’t just a casual thing. If you wanted a chance with him, you couldn’t be hooking up with other guys. And you didn’t really make that sort of commitment to get to know someone unless you were invested. And why should she be invested in him this quickly after finding out he liked her? “ Is that uh.. something you would want?” he asked, knitting his eyebrows together slightly as he looked away from her out of nerves.

[Logan Chase Renner]

Logan cringed after Shane had flung open the door to the back lounge, got hit in eh face with a pillow and then kicked square in the balls by an annoyed looking Kat who had come out. That had to hurt. Logan didn’t think she would have kicked him unless he’d walked in on something he wasn’t supposed to. Bingo. He glanced over at Mackenzie who was sitting, watching the same things he was. Probably over analyzing it and trying to see through the bus walls with her xray vision. After a moment, his phone went off in his hand and he unlocked the screen, seeing the message that Blake had sent back. A picture of Kenzie sleeping. Good. He was glad to see that she was sleeping and hadn’t given Blake too much trouble. And even if she had, what might he have done anyways? Blake wouldn’t have texted him to tell him so, he knew she wouldn’t have. If they were at home he would have dropped everything and helped get her to sleep. Even not being home he would have. But he didn’t think Blake would have asked anyways. None the less, he typed back a reply, sighing, “We made a cute baby. She looks exactly like you”. He hit send, tossing his phone down on the cushion next to him. At the moment he felt fine, but he knew when he went to sleep he’d fall asleep thinking about both of them. The entire other half of him that he’d made for himself and somehow taken away from himself. Blake and Kenzie. Logan picked up the bottle closest to himself, taking a drink and handed it to Mack as Kat found her, “Here, have another drink my friends.” He shrugged, what was one more drink?

[Matthew Tyler Flyzik]

Matt watched her leave the lounge, that stupid look on his face like, what now? He wiped the look off his face, cursing himself for reacting so quickly, tossing her off like that. She was probably pissed. Or, what was the word? Rejected? Yeah that was it. He hoped she didn’t feel rejected. Because as he watched her leave, he legitimately watched her leave, for the first time ever, actually paying attention and realized she was just his type. Up until this point she had been on the, ‘girls you don’t date’ list because she had dated Shane and technically he worked for her, no matter how much they wanted to joke that they all worked for him. He really shouldn’t mix work and play, but the thrill of it made it all the more appealing. Plus, as he said before, now that she’d jumped off the list of girls he couldn’t date and right to the top of the ‘girls I would so totally date’ list, he got that feeling that you get when you realize for the first time that you really dig someone and its all really exciting and makes you blush on the inside and scream at the same time, all while playing it cool on the outside and trying not to look like a grinning fool. It was just one of those situations where he had to ask himself, why didn’t I see it before? But he knew why. He physically cringed when Kat kicked Shane and went back out to the party. That was why. Matt walked over to Shane who sang a very off key version of A Party Song, “Nothing more than a casual fuck, isn’t that just how we operate…” Matt shook his head and leaned down, quietly asking him, “Hey man, is that cool? I mean, would you be mad…?” Shane looked at him quizzically then shook his head, “Nah dude, I got this pregnant ballerina back in New York that I’m totally in love with, ‘cause you know, she basically rules. And is awesome.” Matt fought back a laugh and Shane added, “If you’re into her man, I mean like, go for it. Get it bro. Seriously.” He was still lying on the ground so Matt asked, “She kick you good?” “I think this is what dying feels like.”

[Natalie Paige St.John]

Natalie processed what Zack was telling her. And it basically boiled down to the fact that, he liked her, but he wasn’t looking for easy. He was looking for a real relationship. Something that took time, and energy, and thought, and feelings, and communication. Something that took telling someone how you really felt and sticking by them and making it real. Not fooling around with other people, make that person your only one that you had, wanted, would ever want at that point in time. Zack, quiet as he was, did not mess around. He just wanted the real thing. Didn’t they all, deep down, just want the real thing? Somewhere deep in her mind she agreed, yes. She wanted that too. With the right person. Somewhere else in her mind she knew that casual hook ups would not find her that person. Everyone else around he was finding it, Shane of all people, had Claire and Natalie could honestly say as his cousin, she really thought they’d stick it out. That was the real thing. Mack and Riley. Even Logan and Blake, for all the digging through the muck they had yet to do, seemed inevitably meant for each other. Regardless of Logan and his muddled confused mind, had he closed the door on Scarlet, moved forward? Natalie didn’t know much about it, but he was out here wasn’t he, and Blake too? Though there was much to figure out, that had to mean something, right? It meant they had something real, something tying them together, something that was lasting. Natalie wanted that. Maybe Zack was someone to find that with. Which was why when he asked her if this, meaning him, and an exclusive relationship, no other men included, was what she wanted. She answered with a small smile. Small, but one with definitive reasoning behind it. “Yeah.” One word. He never used that many words, but he got by. One ‘yeah’ could say that all. Natalie pointing her thumb over her shoulder back at the bus, “Rejoin the party?” She climbed back on the bus with Zack. It wasn’t long before Rian was making eyes at her, but she just shook her head at him. Done.

[Blake Emma Renner]

Blake stared at her phone, responding to text messages from Riley and Dani. Apparently she was trying to put together a surprise for Jake but it was pretty difficult to keep things a secret from people when you lived with them. She saw the banner scroll across the screen that said that Logan sent another text message to her. She knew he was probably drunk. She knew that whatever he was saying was probably from the influence of Jose or Jack. But .. so what? You know that light headed feeling you got when you drink? She got that from talking to Logan a lot of the time anyways. He was what made her feel drunk, and giddy and carefree. And now they had all of this heavy stuff. Could she really let herself just let him back in? He needed to do this thing for himself. And she was supportive, but did that mean she needed to open herself to being hurt? Would he hurt her again? .. Did she really care? But as she read her message, she knew. No, she didn’t. She didn’t care how much he hurt her because honestly, as long as he was hurting her, then at least he was still a part of her life. Blake took in a deep breath and weighed her options. Finally she picked up her phone and texted him back, ‘ Well you and her have a lot in common too, like my heart”. Blake set the phone back down, looking over at where Kenzi was sleeping before she whispered quietly, “ Your mother is an idiot,” she said before resting back against her pillow.

[Katy Alexis Sutton]

Kat stood in front of Mackenzie and Logan, placing her hands on her hips. “ First of all…” she said, lifting her right hand to point at Mackenzie. “ All is forgiven, second of all..” she said, looking back over at Logan, “ What are you, the dos equis guy? Stay thirsty my friends,” she said before she took the bottle and threw her head back taking a few gulps. She lowered the bottle, coughing at drinking too much. “ But I need to borrow you, I’m sorry” she said, still coughing before she grabbed Logan by his shirt and pulled him up off of the couch. “ Here’s the sitch,” she said heading over to the kitchen where she took down a few more bottles. “ I don’t handle rejection very well. Mainly because I don’t go after that many guys in the first place. I mean.. I have a certain type.. and then- .. it doesn’t matter. You’re doing a shot of me.. Stay thirsty, Logan” she said before she reached down and lifted her shirt off of her body. She tossed the band shirt down on the ground before she put her hands back up on the counter and pulled herself up, knocking a few plastic cups out of her way before she laid back against the cold surface.

[Zack Derrick Grant]

Zack took in a deep breath and watched as it formed against the cold air when he sighed. Winter was pretty much his favorite time of the year. It was the perfect amount of chilly, not to mention he loved being outdoors. So when it was cold he could stay out longer. He looked down at Natalie, who still seemed to be processing everything he said. He smiled slowly when all she said was ‘ yeah’. It was enough. People didn’t need to go into tedious explanations. So she knew where he stood, and he knew that it was something she might want. “ .. Yeah..” he said, awkwardly going to wrap his arm around her shoulders but then stopping himself. He opened the door for her instead. One thing at a time, yeah? He smiled at her, wanting to say something else. But good things were worth waiting for. And Natalie? She was a good thing. At least, he thought so all the years he knew her. “ Your next drink is on me,” he said playfully, since all of the alcohol was paid for anyways. When he stepped inside the bus he looked around to catch his surroundings. Alex had saddled his way up to Mackenzie and wrapped his arm around her and was deep in conversation with her about god knows what. Shane was laying in the hall and looked like he was dying and Kat was half naked laying down on the kitchen counter. Yeah.. this was an All Time Low party.

[Alex John Harrison]

Alex put his fist to his mouth when he saw Shane laying against the ground looking like death was knocking at his door. “ What the FUCK?” he yelled out before looking at Flyzik, shoving a hand against his chest jokingly. “ What the fuck did you do to him bro?” he said through a small amount of laughter before he turned and headed back towards where the larger group of people was. “ Mackenzie, Mackenzie, Mackenzie” he said, plopping down in Logan’s now empty seat since Kat was dragging him away. He leaned back, wrapping his arm around Mack’s shoulders before he grinned over at her. “ You know…” he said, waiting until everyone else around them sort of dispersed and was distracted by their own things. “Everyone is finding love,… fuck even my boss who works all the fucking time is at least finding a girl to stick it to,” he said. Kat and Flyzik. That was never gonna happen. They could play pretend all they wanted, but after a casual fuck or two it’d be done and awkward. “ I liked a girl once.. but I think she likes someone else,” he said, looking down at his bottle of beer. “ I’ve seen the way Dex and Felicia act around one another when he brings her dinner at the studio,” he said , giving a small smirk before he lifted the bottle to his lips to take a drink.

[Logan Chase Renner]

Logan looked up at Kat when she came back over, seeing Mackenzie’s face light up when Kat said she wasn’t mad at her. Which was good because Mack drunk was like watching a bipolar person go through highs and lows at rapid speed. One minute she was super happy, the next she was moping about Kat being mad. But luckily, for the rest of the night they would hopefully just have happy Mack. Logan handed Kat the bottle, and then looked at her confused, “Huh?” when she pulled him up and said she was borrowing him. He forgot his phone on the couch. He followed Kat to the kitchen and she explained that she didn’t take rejection very well and basically, she just wanted him to do a body shot of her. Logan laughed out loud, shaking his head, thinking of all the times in high school he’d done this. “Shit, this is just like old times.” He’d taken her to the senior prom after all, this was just routine. Once people on the bud figured out what was going on, basically, the entire male crew, they had crowded around to watch and were cheering obnoxiously. Logan licked the salt off her stomach, took a shot, and then bit the lime, and apparently earned a few pats on the back. As if on cue, the song on the bus changed appropriately, bringing for yelling and the decision that everyone on the bus needed to do a shot. “Kat, I can’t pour shots fast enough, help me!” Logan was laughing, trying to pour as many shots as he had cups around, passing them out. Someone had assembled everyone in the middle of the bus, shots in hands, and just in time for the chorus because they had all starting taking shots down the line, tossing cups, cheering, generally being a really obnoxious crowd of kids. Logan leaned over to Kat who was next to him, probably unheard by anyone else over all the yelling, “Wait until tomorrow before you give up on it, might be the alcohol, might be the alcohol bringing out someone’s true colors…” he shrugged. He wasn’t gonna lie, he was drunk as fuck and it only made him more aware of how in love with Blake he was and made him retarded enough to drunk text her, honest as his texts were. Maybe Flyzik really was attracted to her, but the drinks were making him more confident? Who knew, had to wait and sober up to find out…

[Katy Alexis Sutton]

Kat lifted her arms up in the air as Logan ran his tongue against the skin of her stomach. He hadn’t done it in a while but it was one of those things that just sort of felt routine once it started. How many times had they done this in highschool? In fact, it was so normal that she was completely unaware of whoever was around them and instead laughed as she sat up and watched Logan trying to pour shots out for everyone. “ Shots!” she yelled out but hopped off of the counter. “ But first I need a shirt,” she said to herself before she stopped Zack. “ You sir,… disrobe your shirt!” she yelled out. Zack shook his head and held his cup out to Natalie for her to hold before he picked Kat up. He basically served as a transportation service on this tour. He carried her to the back of the bus back towards her and Flyzik’s bunk and went through her duffel bag, grabbing the first t-shirt he could find and turned towards her. ‘ Your lady bits are almost showing. Put clothes on.’ he said with an uncomfortable expression. Kat laughed as she pulled on the t-shirt and headed back to the large group of people, looping her arm through Logan’s before she picked up a cup. There was liquid in it, it probably had alcohol. She took a sip from her cup, listening as he spoke and then he licked her lips. She gave a small shake of her head and looked at Logan. “ He’s known me for years,” she said before she rested her head against Logan’s shoulder. “ You’ve known me for years. And you never noticed me before… why? Because we aren’t interested. That’s the way it goes,” she said, lifting her head up before she looked at him, narrowing her eyes as she wondered about how his own words applied to him. “ What about you.. “ she smiled as she looked over him. “What’s your heart telling you?”

[Natalie Paige St.John]

Natalie smiled back at Zack when he said her next drink was on him, and she laughed jokingly, “Ooh, hey big spender,” and she was immediately handed a cup of she wasn’t sure what, looking around at the group and clearly it was time for shots. Natalie laughed slightly when Zack handed her his cup and went to go make Kat put a shirt on. Poor guy, he really just hated nudity. What did he do when he was nailing someone, close his eyes? Maybe he just hated nudity when it was unnecessary. Natalie walked over and hooked her arm around Mack’s neck, both of them dancing in place, waiting for their cue to drink. Zack had come back, standing beside her and every one took their shots. It was funny, right in this moment was like the highest point of the evening. Everyone was at the peak. You could tell just by looking who would end up passed out in an hour, and the rest would end up smoking weed to mellow out until they went to bed. Rian had come over, putting his arm around her and leaned in to kiss her neck, but she put her hands on his chest and pushed him away, wiggling out of his grasp. He looked at her like what the heck? But Natalie was serious. Maybe she really did want to see what could happen with Zack. In order for that to happen she couldn’t fool around with other dudes. She glanced at Zack, he had to know why she did that, but walked back over next to Mack, grabbing her to go find another good song to put on.

[Zack Derrick Grant]

Zack took a drink from the cup that was handed to him and couldn’t help but laugh as Vinny was trying to have a heart to heart with everyone that was circled around. Dude, that is so not what they lined up for. And he just went down the line to each person, trying to start up a new conversation. Plus he was playing a new game where he placed his hand on your forehead and shouted off either ‘need to get laid’ , ‘ just got laid’, or ‘ about to pay for it I need it so bad’. But when he went to put his hand on Zack’s head he paused with it in the air, before moving on to the next person. Good choice. Zack took his shot when it was his turn and then looked over in time to see Rian trying to make his move on Natalie. Alright, he was a little peeved. Rian at least knew now that Zack liked her. Did he really need to flaunt that he was hooking up with her in front of him? That was a bit dickish. Thankfully, Natalie pushed him away quickly and left with Mackenzie, leaving Rian with a confused expression. When he turned to looked at Zack there was an awkward moment of silence before Zack gave a small shrug of his shoulder. “ ……..Bitches,” he finally said, as though that explained everything. He looked over to see that Logan’s phone was lighting up before he walked over and answered it. “ Hello?” he asked. “ Hey.. it’s Blake.. Sounds like you guys are still awake,”. Zack smiled, not giving a response. Talking on the phone was hard when you were talking to someone who didn’t talk much. “ Um… is he okay?” she asked but Zack made a slight face. “ Why are you calling?” he asked. It sounded rude, but it was just that he wasn’t going to go into explanation – who called at this hour to make sure someone was okay? For what reason? So he didn’t need to point it out to her. She was the one making a bogus excuse. ‘ Umm..’ she said on the other end of the phone. “ Do you want to talk to him?” he questioned. “ No that’s okay.. I should go,” she said before she hung up. Zack looked down at the phone and puffed out his cheeks, listening as the song changed. Apparently Mack and Natalie found something to change it to before he brought over Logans phone to him and handed it to him without saying anything. Maybe the music would change later to something they could dance to. As long as Natalie didn’t want to get all dirty dancing on his ass. That woman..

[Mackenzie Janelle Collins]

Mackenzie smiled up at Alex when he sat down and put his arm around her. “Alex, Alex, Alex,” she said back, leaning into him and placed her hand on his chest, looking at him and listened with seriousness. She nodded, she did see it happening. People getting together all around them. She was one of them. She laughed when he mentioned Kat and Flyzik, but when he mentioned that he had liked a girl she said, “oh yeah?” Ohh. Felicia. Mackenzie had forgotten about that. But Alex was right, the way she acted with Dex was… like the inevitable. Happening again. The whole, friends becoming more than friends thing. She sighed, glancing at the ring on her finger. Did everyone get lucky enough to experience what she did? How long did some people have to wait? Riley was the best thing that ever happened to her, he’d saved her ass in so many ways. It was so overwhelming to know someone loved you and had your back like that, she just wanted to share it with everyone else. Other people deserved to get what that was like too. She gave a small smile, “It’ll happen, Alex.” Because it would. It had to. Good people deserved it. Mack looked up, when someone pulled her to her feet and put a drink in her hand, Natalie coming over to put an arm a around her to do some shots. She loved these people. They were definitely a different breed, but they were all awesome. And she knew regardless of what she did in her life, these people would love her back, even when she went over and changed the song to Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepson and demand that everyone get up and dance and pretend to like it even if they didn’t.

[Matthew Tyler Flyzik]

Finally, the night seemed to wind down. Half the guys were passed out in bunks and all over the couches. Anyone who was left over had either smoked a bit or was just relaxing ad trying to get comfy to go to bed. Matt was lying in his bunk, trying to sleep, the effects of the alcohol had begun to ear off slightly, but not too much still. The only people awake were the girls, Zack and Logan. Shane was in and out, depending on what was going on. Last time he checked they were all in the back lounge, lifersizing pretty much. But Matt couldn't sleep. He knew he needed to, because while they were all going to be recovering from this all day tomorrow, he still had to be the one to get the show on the road. But every minute that he lay awake, the more the alcohol wore off, and the more he thought about the fact that he'd totally made out with Katy a few hours ago and the thought crossed his mind more than once that he wanted to do it again. Why? Because let's face it, she was totally his type and after making out with her he was definitely into her. She had his attention for sure. He just wasn't sure what to tell her because he knew she'd probably felt rejected and he felt really bad about it. it was just, he wasn't expecting it and then Shane walked in and the timing was all weird and he was drunk and it has just been a really unexpected night. But he had to do something, which was why he leaned out of his bunk, peeking into the back lounge and saw Kat through the half opened door. "psst..." he tried getting her attention, "Psst, Katy.." She'd heard him, looking his way. Moment of truth, would she come or not? But she did. Matt scooted over to make room for her, quietly patting the mattress next to him. He wasn't totally sure what to say but inviting her to his bunk when usually she invited herself was a start.