Holding On To Keep This Strong
Don't Let Me Go
May twenty fifth couldn't have come fast enough. It'd been the day that they'd both been waiting for all year.
Graduation day was finally there, brushing right next to the couple's finger tips.
"Jay! Come on we're going to be late!" The teen's mother called from the hotel room.
Jack had left Alex's apartment rather early that morning so he could spend it with his mother. He'd much rather be with Alex but he could deal with a few hours without his boyfriend. Besides that he was coming with Jack's family to the graduation dinner later that night, so yeah he could stand not seeing him.
"I'm coming!" He shouted back as he opened the bathroom door having finally finished doing his hair.
"How do I look?"
"Fantastic honey. Now lets go, you take your car and I'll meet you at the school, okay?"
"That's the plan." He said with a smile. "Hey mom..."
"Yeah?"
"You're a good mom...don't try and over compensate for the time you were gone, yeah?"
She only nodded and turned away from her son. "You'd better get going honey. I'll see you there, okay?"
"Yeah..." Jack sighed and stalked out of the hotel room. He wished there was more he could do to get his mother to realize that the past was behind them bbut he couldn't. It was nice to know she cared but he wasn't a fan of being coddled and smothered.
-
Jack sat in his alphabetical row, looking around for his friends in the sea of students. He spotted Rian across the stage but as far as everyone else it was probably a lost cause. But on the up side graduation officially started in five minutes and from the sounds of chatter coming through the curtain from the rest of the auditorium most people were already there. And once doors closed graduation was officially over and within the next few hours Jack would no longer be a high school student.
Only a half hour later and Jack's name was called. He stood up to get his diploma, searching for his family in the audience. He finally spotted them in the back of the room, all cheering for him. Surprisingly his mother and father sitting side by side. He smiled towards them before looking over to the front row where his boyfriend sat with all of the other teachers.
Alex smiled giving him a thumbs up, which only made Jack smile even wider.
After what felt like forever he made it up to the podium where the head dean was standing.
"Congratulations." He mouthed and patted Jack on the shoulder whilst handing him his diploma. The teen mouthed a thanks back and made his way back around to his seat on the stage.
And that was it. High school was over, after graduation he'd probably never step foot in the building where some of the best and worst years of his life took place in. No more teachers who don't care, required PE class, lunch periods with his friends. This part of his life was officially over and though he couldn't be happier about it that moment evoked a form of sadness in him. He ignored it though, he'd much rather bask in his happiness than the things that upset him. Especially tonight. It wasn't a night to be sad about the end of high school, no, it was a night to celebrate that he'd made it through. He'd survived all four years of not only school but his own life and it was time to celebrate.
So he would.
-
"Jack, I'm so proud of you!" The teens father explained as he wrapped him into a hug.
They were now at the restaurant that Alex had picked out for dinner. So far only Jack, his parents had made it there. They were still waiting for David and
"Hey Dad...can...a little space please."
"Oh, I'm sorry...hey what happened to your step dad? Shouldn't he be here?" His father questioned, clearly clueless of the past month. "Your mom said she'd talk to me about it after the ceremony but I guess it slipped her mind."
"He and I are getting a divorce." His mother stepped in, saving Jack from giving any form of an explanation himself.
"What, why? I know you're a difficult woman to please but not two divorces worth. With us the spark was just gone. Admittedly we said things that we didn't mean...but I thought you were happy with him. Why on Earth would you break up?"
"It...this isn't the time or place to talk about that. We're celebrating with Jack, that's it. Can you handle that Bassam?"
"Yeah, sure. I just don't understand it h-"
"That's enough. It's Jack's night, leave it alone."
The teen's father rolled his eyes but said nothing more. If anyone knew Joyce he did and me knew better than to cross her especially when it came to her children.
-
Eventually Alex and David had arrived, now sitting at their table an awkward silence shrouded around the group.
"Okay so I know you're not gonna so it, so I will." David said, looking dead at his father and then to Alex who sat next to his younger brother. "Whose the suit?"
"He's my boyfriend?" Jack offered, shying away from his family.
"Isn't he, like, old? I mean for you anyway, dudes gotta at least be like twenty one."
"Let's not do this, please? David your brother has been through a lot the past few weeks. The last thing he needs is more people questioning his relationship." Joyce said rather sternly, which was clearly off putting to David. This was the first she had said to him all night and it was with complete authority.
"I...I don't have to answer to you." He sneered back, sounding rather unsure if himself. "So, how'd you two meet?"
"David I said to leave it alone. Please just stop, Jack can talk to you about it on his own time. Are we clear?"
"Look, you-"
"David, shut the fuck up." Jack finally piped up, grabbing the entire table's attention. "I know you're upset with her but she's our mom, she's been here for me through more that you could know or want to know, okay? Just please leave this alone and let tonight be peaceful."
Everyone fell silent after that. Jack peering over at Alex who just weakly smiled at him.
"Hey, Lex...can I talk to you for a minute?" Jack asked, grabbing the teacher's hand underneath the table.
"Yeah, sure." He replied beginning to shift his seat backwards and stand. Jack did the same before
leading him to one of the less populated areas of the restaurant near an empty corner table.
"I...can we please leave? My mom would understand, she could tell them alone or something. I know David and he's not going to let it go."
"Jack, this is your graduation, your dinner. It wouldn't be right to leave and you should celebrate with your family."
"But I will be...I'll be with you."
Alex smiled at that but Jack knew it would take a bit more to convince Alex.
"Tell you what, we can go. But tomorrow we're gonna do something with them."
"Tomorrow is the beach party with my class."
"And that starts at like seven, you've got practically the entire day."
"No...no...cause when my mom tells them what happened they're gonna act all weird if we see them tomorrow...can we just sit this one out? I don't think I can handle this, I'm sorry Lex...I just can't."
"I know you can, but I'm not gonna push you. It's your night so if you want to leave we can leave...you can't avoid them forever y'know."
"I know...just...I need to talk to them on my own time. I'm still not really okay after what happened...I'm not ready to tell anyone."
Alex didn't respond, no he simply wrapped his arms around his boyfriends waist, hugging him close.
"Lets get out of here." He whispered, stepping back just slightly from the younger.
They made their way back to the table hand in hand a few moments later.
"Mom, I'm not feeling too well. Alex and I are gonna go home."
"But we haven't even ordered food yet, could you at least stay a little while longer?"
"No...I really just want to go home...Ma, could you maybe tell them everything?" He said looking towards his father and brother.
"Sure sweetheart. I'll stop by later, okay?"
"Yeah, thanks Mom." He smiled weakly at her, she returned the gesture then looked over to Alex.
"Take care of him."
"I always do, it'll be fine."
"Thanks Alex."
-
The teacher lay in bed with Jack curled into his side. It was only seven and he wasn't tired at all but for Jack he would sit still for awhile. Besides that he'd grown accustomed to the younger wanting to sleep in the middle of the day. As far as he saw it nothing was new, he was only hoping for it to be different.
Graduation day was finally there, brushing right next to the couple's finger tips.
"Jay! Come on we're going to be late!" The teen's mother called from the hotel room.
Jack had left Alex's apartment rather early that morning so he could spend it with his mother. He'd much rather be with Alex but he could deal with a few hours without his boyfriend. Besides that he was coming with Jack's family to the graduation dinner later that night, so yeah he could stand not seeing him.
"I'm coming!" He shouted back as he opened the bathroom door having finally finished doing his hair.
"How do I look?"
"Fantastic honey. Now lets go, you take your car and I'll meet you at the school, okay?"
"That's the plan." He said with a smile. "Hey mom..."
"Yeah?"
"You're a good mom...don't try and over compensate for the time you were gone, yeah?"
She only nodded and turned away from her son. "You'd better get going honey. I'll see you there, okay?"
"Yeah..." Jack sighed and stalked out of the hotel room. He wished there was more he could do to get his mother to realize that the past was behind them bbut he couldn't. It was nice to know she cared but he wasn't a fan of being coddled and smothered.
-
Jack sat in his alphabetical row, looking around for his friends in the sea of students. He spotted Rian across the stage but as far as everyone else it was probably a lost cause. But on the up side graduation officially started in five minutes and from the sounds of chatter coming through the curtain from the rest of the auditorium most people were already there. And once doors closed graduation was officially over and within the next few hours Jack would no longer be a high school student.
Only a half hour later and Jack's name was called. He stood up to get his diploma, searching for his family in the audience. He finally spotted them in the back of the room, all cheering for him. Surprisingly his mother and father sitting side by side. He smiled towards them before looking over to the front row where his boyfriend sat with all of the other teachers.
Alex smiled giving him a thumbs up, which only made Jack smile even wider.
After what felt like forever he made it up to the podium where the head dean was standing.
"Congratulations." He mouthed and patted Jack on the shoulder whilst handing him his diploma. The teen mouthed a thanks back and made his way back around to his seat on the stage.
And that was it. High school was over, after graduation he'd probably never step foot in the building where some of the best and worst years of his life took place in. No more teachers who don't care, required PE class, lunch periods with his friends. This part of his life was officially over and though he couldn't be happier about it that moment evoked a form of sadness in him. He ignored it though, he'd much rather bask in his happiness than the things that upset him. Especially tonight. It wasn't a night to be sad about the end of high school, no, it was a night to celebrate that he'd made it through. He'd survived all four years of not only school but his own life and it was time to celebrate.
So he would.
-
"Jack, I'm so proud of you!" The teens father explained as he wrapped him into a hug.
They were now at the restaurant that Alex had picked out for dinner. So far only Jack, his parents had made it there. They were still waiting for David and
"Hey Dad...can...a little space please."
"Oh, I'm sorry...hey what happened to your step dad? Shouldn't he be here?" His father questioned, clearly clueless of the past month. "Your mom said she'd talk to me about it after the ceremony but I guess it slipped her mind."
"He and I are getting a divorce." His mother stepped in, saving Jack from giving any form of an explanation himself.
"What, why? I know you're a difficult woman to please but not two divorces worth. With us the spark was just gone. Admittedly we said things that we didn't mean...but I thought you were happy with him. Why on Earth would you break up?"
"It...this isn't the time or place to talk about that. We're celebrating with Jack, that's it. Can you handle that Bassam?"
"Yeah, sure. I just don't understand it h-"
"That's enough. It's Jack's night, leave it alone."
The teen's father rolled his eyes but said nothing more. If anyone knew Joyce he did and me knew better than to cross her especially when it came to her children.
-
Eventually Alex and David had arrived, now sitting at their table an awkward silence shrouded around the group.
"Okay so I know you're not gonna so it, so I will." David said, looking dead at his father and then to Alex who sat next to his younger brother. "Whose the suit?"
"He's my boyfriend?" Jack offered, shying away from his family.
"Isn't he, like, old? I mean for you anyway, dudes gotta at least be like twenty one."
"Let's not do this, please? David your brother has been through a lot the past few weeks. The last thing he needs is more people questioning his relationship." Joyce said rather sternly, which was clearly off putting to David. This was the first she had said to him all night and it was with complete authority.
"I...I don't have to answer to you." He sneered back, sounding rather unsure if himself. "So, how'd you two meet?"
"David I said to leave it alone. Please just stop, Jack can talk to you about it on his own time. Are we clear?"
"Look, you-"
"David, shut the fuck up." Jack finally piped up, grabbing the entire table's attention. "I know you're upset with her but she's our mom, she's been here for me through more that you could know or want to know, okay? Just please leave this alone and let tonight be peaceful."
Everyone fell silent after that. Jack peering over at Alex who just weakly smiled at him.
"Hey, Lex...can I talk to you for a minute?" Jack asked, grabbing the teacher's hand underneath the table.
"Yeah, sure." He replied beginning to shift his seat backwards and stand. Jack did the same before
leading him to one of the less populated areas of the restaurant near an empty corner table.
"I...can we please leave? My mom would understand, she could tell them alone or something. I know David and he's not going to let it go."
"Jack, this is your graduation, your dinner. It wouldn't be right to leave and you should celebrate with your family."
"But I will be...I'll be with you."
Alex smiled at that but Jack knew it would take a bit more to convince Alex.
"Tell you what, we can go. But tomorrow we're gonna do something with them."
"Tomorrow is the beach party with my class."
"And that starts at like seven, you've got practically the entire day."
"No...no...cause when my mom tells them what happened they're gonna act all weird if we see them tomorrow...can we just sit this one out? I don't think I can handle this, I'm sorry Lex...I just can't."
"I know you can, but I'm not gonna push you. It's your night so if you want to leave we can leave...you can't avoid them forever y'know."
"I know...just...I need to talk to them on my own time. I'm still not really okay after what happened...I'm not ready to tell anyone."
Alex didn't respond, no he simply wrapped his arms around his boyfriends waist, hugging him close.
"Lets get out of here." He whispered, stepping back just slightly from the younger.
They made their way back to the table hand in hand a few moments later.
"Mom, I'm not feeling too well. Alex and I are gonna go home."
"But we haven't even ordered food yet, could you at least stay a little while longer?"
"No...I really just want to go home...Ma, could you maybe tell them everything?" He said looking towards his father and brother.
"Sure sweetheart. I'll stop by later, okay?"
"Yeah, thanks Mom." He smiled weakly at her, she returned the gesture then looked over to Alex.
"Take care of him."
"I always do, it'll be fine."
"Thanks Alex."
-
The teacher lay in bed with Jack curled into his side. It was only seven and he wasn't tired at all but for Jack he would sit still for awhile. Besides that he'd grown accustomed to the younger wanting to sleep in the middle of the day. As far as he saw it nothing was new, he was only hoping for it to be different.
Okay I normally cringe at student/teacher fics, but cuz it's a 6 year age difference, I gave it a shot. This story is so great! The ending is beautiful. My eyes are watering. Not even kidding.
2/28/16