Save some face, you know you've only got one
Change your ways while you're young
Boy, one day you'll be a man
Oh girl, he'll help you understand
Looking back at sunsets on the Eastside
We lost track of the time
Dreams aren't what they used to be
Some things slide by so carelessly         

"Aren't you scared, man?" Charlie takes a sip of his beer, and watches me closely.     

"Nah. Not really." I shrug. "We've been together for fuckin ever, and I love her."    

"That's cool, ya know? A lot of people couldn't do it so young." He nods and starts to shuffle the cards in front of us.    

I know what you're probably thinking, but you're wrong. I am not betraying Justin by hanging out with Charlie.     

Justin is...well...to be honest, he's a God damn idiot. He let his childish, it's all about me attitude, take over, and that's why Ally can't stand his ass.     

I guess it's bad that I'm so back and forth on this whole thing. See, at first...I had Justin's back all the way. Ally had a really good affect on him. He was finally growing the fuck up, and it was all because of her. But, when she started working for Charlie, it was like he took five steps back.     

Honestly, it could have been any guy...even me, and he would have acted the same exact way. It's not some major hatred for Charlie...it's the fact that someone else had Ally's attention.    

Justin's always been like that, and really...it's not totally his fault. He grew up in a single parent household, and until Lynn got re-married, when we were 14, Justin was her sole focus. Of course, by then...his career was taking off, and that was just one more thing that was all about him.    

Nsync may have been made up of five guys, but Justin was the attention getter. The group fucking broke up, because of him. That says a lot right there, if you ask me.     

I'm not trying to dog him or anything...he's my boy, no matter what, but you just can't ignore some shit.     

Like I said, I'm not betraying him here. Besides, even he said Charlie's cool. Me and him have actually gotten to be pretty tight the last couple months.     

According to Laur, Justin thinks I'm replacing him. Which, I'm sorry...but that shit's just funny. We aren't in third grade anymore.     

Justin just wants me to feel bad, so that I'll sit around and dog on Charlie with him.    

In a way, I kind of understand it, but I still think it's stupid. I mean seriously...if Charlie really had a thing for Ally, wouldn't he have made a move by now? They've been broken up for close to two months.     

Justin has this theory that Charlie is trying to take over his life.    

Personally, I think Justin's gone off the fucking deep end. I mean seriously...he should probably seek counseling. This isn't invasion of the body snatchers, but he's still acting like a fuckin weirdo when it comes to Charlie.     

Although, he's gotten a little bit better the last couple weeks. Him and Ally don't talk much, but since Thanksgiving, he seems to be handling everything fairly well. They can finally be in the same room, without screaming at each other, so that's a small victory in my book.     

I mean, I'd love to see them get back together, and I've tried really hard to make it happen, but I think they both need some time. Their decision to just be friends, was probably the best one either of them has made, in quite awhile.     

In the week since Thanksgiving...it's been almost eerily calm around the house, but it's good. It's about God damn time everybody pulled their heads out of their asses, and focused on the wedding.     

I'm just as guilty as anybody else, though. I just...I didn't have anything better to do. My duties as the groom were all taken care of, months ago, so all I've really had to do, is kick back and wait for the wedding day.     

Getting into Justin and Ally's shit, kept me from being bored out of my damn mind. Although, I kind of wish I would have just stayed out of it. It was way too intense for me, but it was upsetting Lauren, and I wasn't about to have her freaking out about those two, and the wedding. The girl just doesn't handle stress well, so I felt like I needed to intervene.     

I'll be so glad once the wedding is over, we can move into the new house, and finally settle into our lives. It's been go, go, go the last several years, and we're both just worn out.  I've really loved my life in L.A, but I'm more than ready to give it all up. I'm just too old for this shit, man.    

"So, what's the plan for tomorrow night?" Charlie asks suddenly.    

"Oh...uhh...we were just gonna hang out here, but Justin rented out some bar, and invited a shit ton of people, so we'll do whatever down there."    

"Alright, cool. I'll just meet you guys there, then. Anyway...I gotta get going. I've got some post production stuff to do at work."    

"Alright, later man."     

Before Charlie can even get out of the living room, the front door open and closes, then Justin strolls into the house. They pass each other in the hallway, and without so much as a glance, Charlie leaves, and Justin plops down on the couch. It takes a few minutes before he finally asks the question, that I'm sure has been eating at him since he pulled in the driveway.    

"What the fuck was he doing here?"    

"Nothin, man. He was bored, so he stopped by."    

"Oh...so he comes and goes in my house as he pleases? That's cool." Justin rolls his eyes, and his sarcasm isn't going unnoticed, but I'm really getting tired of this bullshit.        

For the longest time, we never had any problems. Everything between the four of us was cool. Everything started downhill when Charlie entered the picture, and it's Justin's fault.    

I mean yeah...Ally isn't helping by having the guy here all the time, flirting with him and shit, but Justin seriously needs to get over it. He dumped Ally. He's the one who lost his shit. I think he deserves every bit of what she's dishing out.    

But, I'm not gonna go there with him right now. My bachelor party is tomorrow night...my wedding is in a week. He can pout and be a dick, as much as he wants, I'm ignoring it.    

There's more important shit than worrying about Justin and his fucked up love life.     

"So, anyway...everything's set for tomorrow night. Everybody knows to meet at the bar."    

"Cool." He nods slowly, then looks around the room. "What are the girls doing?"
    

"Clubbing or something. Hell if I know."    

At first, I wasn't too thrilled with Justin for switching up our plans, at the last minute. I just wanted to get together with a few of my boys, drink and hang out. I didn't need some big ass party.    

But, now that everything's set...I'm pretty excited. It's technically my last night of freedom, so we might as well go all out.     

The next week is going to be fuckin nuts. We've got meetings with the church, last minute suit fittings, the rehearsal dinner...it's going to be non-stop. Plus, all of our nutty ass families will be here, and that only adds to everybody's stress.     

But, I think it's all going to be worth it. This time next week, I'll be married to the most amazing woman in the world, and no amount of stress or drama can ruin that for me.

************************************    

I enter the bar, with Justin on my heels, and can't help but grin. Practically every guy I've ever known is here. My older brother, a few of our friends from back home, Charlie, Johnny Wright, all three of Ally's brothers, mine, Justin's, Lauren's and Ally's Dads, several of mine and Lauren's cousins, and of course..the four guys, I almost never get to see anymore.    

I guess it's kind of weird, but I'm about as close to those guys as Justin was, so it's really good to have them here.     

I make the rounds, and greet everybody, before settling into a booth with my brother, Jeremy, and a couple of the guys from back home.    

This wasn't originally what I wanted, but I gotta admit, it's pretty damn cool. We've got the entire place to ourselves, so we can get as loud and crazy as we want. If there's one thing Justin knows how to do, it's throw a party.     

After a few hours, everyone's good and buzzed, and the old guys have taken off. Before I know it, we're trading relationship horror stories and rocking out to 80's hair-metal.   

Call me a lame ass...but I love that shit.     

The opening to "Livin On A Prayer", begins to boom through the speakers, and out of nowhere, the doors to the bar bust open. I don't know where they came from, or how the hell they even got here, but as Ally and Lauren stumble into the bar, the whole place erupts in laughter.    

Clearly, they've both had entirely too much to drink.    

Lauren makes her way over to me, bumping into tables, and giggling the whole way. She stops in front of me, attempts to straighten the small veil on her head, and smiles.         

"We're crashing, baby!" She gives me a sloppy kiss, then starts belting out the words to the song.    

"How'd you get here?"
    

"Well...my party was over...but we didn't want to go home, so we came here." She throws her arms around my neck, and I can't help but laugh at this entire situation.         

Only these two, would crash a bachelor party.     

I walk Lauren over to a booth, and after helping her sit down, I turn my attention to Ally. She seems to be a little more sober than Laur, but not by much.     

Now...I'll be the first to say, that Lauren is, hands down, the absolute most beautiful woman in the world, but tonight...Ally's definitely giving her a run for her money.    

Her jeans are so damn tight, it looks like somebody had to have painted them on her, and she has on this silky, shiny, dangerously low cut black, strappy shirt.     

If I wasn't in such a good mood...I'd probably go kick Justin's ass for letting that go.    

I guess God gave him talent, to make up for the brain cells he is so obviously missing.    

Ally gets a beer from the bar, then saunters over to Charlie, and plops down in his lap. I swear to God, women are complete bitches when it comes to stuff like that. I mean, I'm all for revenge on an ex who dicked you over or whatever, but really...what Justin did, wasn't all that horrible.    

It was stupid, but hey...he didn't cheat, and he wasn't beating her. As far as I know, stupidity still isn't a crime, even though it probably should be.    

He proposed out of fear, and in a way...I get it. When everything is turning upside down, you want something to hold onto.    

Like I said, stupid...but not bad. His intentions were mostly good, so points to him for that.    

But, Ally's just flat out being a bitch. She's shoving Charlie in his face, just because she knows it gets under his skin. She just wants a reaction.     

But, then again...maybe she has moved on from all this Justin bullshit, and she really does have a thing for Charlie.    

It's highly unlikely, but it is possible.    

It's taking Justin much longer than I expected, to notice what's going on here. But, maybe that's a good thing. He's still huddled up in a corner, talking with Jc and Joey, completely oblivious.    

Thank God, our fathers left...they really don't need to see this nonsense.    

The more I think about it, the worse I feel for Charlie. He didn't ask for any of this shit, but Ally is determined to pull him into it. Girls are fuckin ruthless, man. Especially when they're pissed off.    

If Lauren ever gets pregnant with a girl, we're putting her up for adoption. I don't think I could handle two crazy ass women bitching me out when I do something stupid.     

"What is she doing?" Justin suddenly appears at my side, and looks over at Ally and Charlie.     

She hasn't moved from her spot on his lap, and her arm is draped over his shoulder. Their faces are so close together, they're damn near touching, and they're whispering and giggling about something. Even I'm starting to get a little irritated.    

If Charlie's the guy he presents himself as, he should know better than to be macking on a chick in front of her ex. But, then again...Charlie has no tie to Justin. I don't think they've ever spoken more than two words to each other, so why should he give a shit what Justin thinks?    

Ally, however, should definitely know better. Drunk, or not.     

"She's just trying to fuck with you, man...just ignore it." I shrug and down the rest of my beer.     

"I think I know why." He sighs and shakes his head. "I slept with her in Memphis."    

"You did what?"
    

"Yeah...when I spent the night at Jack's...I slept with her."    

"God...how fuckin stupid are you, J? You flew across the country for a piece of ass?"    

"It wasn't like that." He rolls his eyes and finally looks away from the two of them. "I was sleeping on the couch, and it was seriously the most uncomfortable thing ever...so, I got in bed with her, and...it just kind of happened. I couldn't lay next to her, and not touch her."    

"What happened the next morning?"    

"Nothing." He shrugs again. "She was sleeping, and we had that early flight, so I left."    

"You're a God damn moron." I roll my eyes, and fight the urge to know him on his ass. "I bet you anything, she thinks you just wanted to get laid. Good job, dumb ass. Keep digging yourself in deeper."    

I roll my eyes again, and walk away from him. It all makes sense now. Why Ally's being so bitchy, why she suddenly wants Charlie around all the time...she thinks Justin used her.     

Granted, she should know him well enough, to know it's not true, but she's probably knee deep in all that scorned woman shit, so now she's out to hurt him as bad as he hurt her. From the looks of it, she's doing a damn good job, cause he looks like he's about to cry.    

The only problem is, she doesn't know the truth, and really...she's hurting Justin, for nothing.      

He may not be smart, but how can you not feel bad for the guy? For once, he's actually innocent, but still suffering the consequences.     

They're both just so damn childish and self centered. Which, is just more proof that they're fucking made for each other, if you ask me. Unfortunately, they're both too stubborn to see it. I know they will, eventually. Hopefully, for their sakes...they'll realize it, before it's too late.    

All I know is, the shit better not hit the fan until after the wedding. If they ruin this for Lauren, I'll have to kill em both, and that just won't be pretty.     

"Trace...why don't you have a stripper? Ally got me one...he was hot too!" Lauren giggles and tries to stand up. She stumbles a bit, and leans on the table to balance herself.     

It's a good thing she doesn't drink much. She's never been able to hold her liquor, and I'm sure, once we get home, she'll spend the rest of the night with her head in the toilet.     

"What kind of best man doesn't get the groom a stripper? Where's Justin? We need to talk about this."    

"Laur...it's fine. I don't need a stripper."
    

"Alrighty then." She shrugs and reaches for the hem of her shirt. "I'll do it myself."    

"No...no...it's cool." I laugh and help her back into the booth.    

It's nearing three a.m., and I hope to God, we'll be leaving soon. If Lauren's going to start removing clothing, it needs to be done in the comfort of our own home. Atleast that way, it'll save her some embarrassment.     

Ally makes her way over to us, and grins down at Lauren. "Can you believe, four rum and cokes did this? She's such a light weight." She giggles and rolls her eyes. "Anyway...I'm heading out."    

"Alright. I'm gonna grab Justin and get out of here soon, too. I'll see ya back at the house."   

"Actually...I'm not coming home tonight." She smirks at me, and I'm sure the look on my face is a mixture of shock and disgust.    

"Please tell me you're joking."    

"No sir. See you in the morning." She struts off after Charlie, and the two of them quickly head for the door.     

Justin, as luck would have it, sees the entire thing, and there's no ignoring that hurt look in his eyes.     

I've had it. I have abso-fucking-lutely had it. Somebody needs to put a stop to this shit, and it looks like it's going to have to be me.    

I'm not going to sit back and watch my friends fall apart. The rest of us aren't going to suffer because they're too selfish to see what's right in front of them.

*****************************************    

I really don't know what the hell I'm doing. I should in bed, with my fiance, sound asleep. Instead...my ass is planted on this couch, waiting for atleast one of them to come home.    

I still can't fucking believe Ally left with Charlie. She's never been the type to sleep around, and Justin, is one of a very select few, of guys that she's been with. She couldn't possibly have gone and slept with her boss, could she?    

No. I know what she's doing.     

I'd bet my life, that she spent the night on Charlie's couch, just waiting for Justin to come after her, or do some other incredibly stupid thing.         

Justin...stayed at the bar with Jc, and now that it's quickly approaching nine a.m, there's no telling where the hell he is.     

I just...I don't understand any of this. Most of the time, they're both fairly intelligent, respectable people. I guess, they're just far too wrapped up in their emotions.    

But, all of that's going to change. They're both in for a world of hurt, whether they like it or not.     

I really hate having to be the peace keeper around here.    

A little before 10, the front door finally opens, and Ally enters the house as quietly as she can manage. She damn near tiptoes to the stairs, and as soon as her foot hits that first step, she looks into the living room, and freezes.    

"What are you doing up?"
    

"Get in here, and sit your ass down."    

Her eyes widen, but she quickly does as I ask. Once she sits down, she looks at me expectantly. "What?"        

I clear my throat, and sit up a little straighter. I know I'm usually the one cracking jokes, and playing around...but this shit needs to be taken seriously. They both need to know that I'm not playing around about this.    

"Lauren and I, are getting married in exactly one week. This time next Sunday, everyone we've ever known or cared about, is going to be getting ready for what is, probably the most important thing Laur or I, have ever done." I'm trying to keep my tone as even as possible, but if she starts running her smart ass mouth, I'm probably going to flip.    

"Lately...two people, who are a major part of our lives, and this wedding, have turned into a couple of fucking nut cases. They're selfish, and childish, and it seems to me that they really couldn't care less about the people around them. One of them, is even going so far as to use another person, for revenge. I, for one, have fucking had it. With both of them."
    

"Trace...I'm sorry...I just..."    

"Save it, Al. This shit's getting out of control, and it needs to stop. After the wedding, I couldn't give a fuck less if you and Justin ever even speak again. But you are not fucking this up for Lauren. She's worked too damn hard, and it's going to be everything she's ever wanted."
    

"You're right." She nods sadly.     

"You think I don't know that? Look...I know Justin screwed up. Grow up, and get over it. Acting like a bitch and trying to get back at him doesn't change what already happened."    

She nods slowly, and I think I might actually be making some headway with her. Her expression has softened, and for the first time in God knows how long, she looks like herself again.    

Since she got back from Memphis, she's looked so...bitter. That's the only way I can describe it. It was like you could see everything Justin's put her through, on her face. But now, it's all gone.    

"I'm being so stupid, aren't I?"
    

"It's not just you." I say honestly and shrug. "You're both acting like morons. You made all these promises to each other, but it's like...neither one of you will follow it through. You agreed to be friends, and try to work it out...so do it. Stop acting like you're in fucking high school."    

"Ya know...for a short guy...you're pretty scary, when you want to be."     

"I try." I chuckle and shake my head. "So...what happened at Charlie's?"
    

"Nothing." She shrugs and rolls her eyes. "He let me have his bed, he slept on the couch."    

"Good. How's the hangover?"    

She groans and covers her face with her hands. "I feel like somebody beat my head against a brick wall. Anyway...I'm going to bed."       

She heads up the stairs, and I can't help but smile. Sometimes, putting your foot down pays off. Now, everything will be back to normal, and we can get through the next week just fine.    

I'm the fuckin man.

"Smile Like You Mean It"-The Killers