that's just the way it goes

The rest of vacation went by in a blur, and Jack was ready to go back to school. He decided that it was better to get beaten up daily, than it was to sit home alone with his thoughts. At least it was some kind of human interaction. He wasn’t totally deprived of it, because Rian had come over a couple times, and Alex wouldn’t stop texting him.

Monday morning, Jack rolled hastily out of bed, grimacing at the loud beep from the alarm clock. He clicked it off, and made his way to the bathroom. As he walked, he peeked into his mother room only to find it empty. It didn’t surprise him any that she wasn’t home, but it did hurt. He quickly washed himself in the shower, taking extra time to just let the water run over his head. After he was all dried, he pulled on a dark pair of jeans and his favorite blink 182 t-shirt. He fixed his hair to his liking, then hauled his backpack onto his shoulders. He figured it would be better to walk to school, than to take the bus. He grabbed his ipod off his desk, and started for hell.

He hoped that he wouldn’t see Alex, but as it would go, the odds were not in his favor. As he walked by, he saw Alex emerge from his house, his trademark goofy grin on his face. One Jack hadn’t seen in years. He was always either scowling, or frowning.

“Jack, wait up.” Alex shouted, running to his side. Jack ignored him, picking up his pace. He felt a hand on his shoulder, so he stopped, turning to glare at Alex.

“What do you want, Alex?” Jack snapped, pulling away from Alex’s grip. His face fell slightly, at the tone Jack was using.

“I just wanted to walk to school with you.” Alex said, readjusting his backpack. Jack shook his head.

“No, you’re not walking to school with me. We’re not friends, and we never will be. Remember?” Jack said, biting back the words that he really wanted to say. He wanted so badly to hug Alex, and forgive him for everything, but he knew that was just what Alex wanted, and he didn’t deserve it.

“Jack, I...” Alex started, his words falling as he dropped it and turned back to his house. Jack watched his retreating back, before he disappeared back into his house. He returned to making his way to school, and avoiding Zack at all costs. He knew it would be difficult, but it was definitely possible.

As soon as he reached the school, he went straight to his locker to get his stuff for his first class of the day. He was so close. So very very close to reaching his class safely, but of course today wasn’t his day. He felt a foot slip between his, and in the next moment he was on the ground. He could hear Zack laughing above him, and he saw Alex standing silently behind the group. Go figure. Jack stood up, and turned to Zack.

“What the fuck is your problem?” He shouted, gaining a burst of confidence. A surprised look filled Zack’s, but it slowly turned into amusement. He stepped forward, Jack unmoving.

“What are you gonna do, Barafag?” Zack sneered, earning laughs from his friends. That’s when it happened. It was quick, and it was definitely unexpected. Jack punched him hard in the jaw. Zack stumbled back into his friends, and Jack took off down the hall leaving his binders behind him. Zack took off after Jack, catching him right before he could run into the handicapped bathroom. He began wailing on his face, the blows harder than ever. “That’ll teach you, you fucking faggot!” He yelled, not letting up on his blows. It was a good five minutes, before someone pulled Zack off, and of all people, it had to be Alex. He shoved him into the wall, pinning him with his arm.

“That’s enough, let’s go.” He said, pushing him forward. Zack glared at Alex, before finally retreating from the scene. Alex shot a sympathetic look to Jack, before following Zack down the hall.

Notes