"Jack, just stop!"

Matt, Rian and Zack were hidden in the back area of the bus. Matt was pacing back and forth across the floor, trying to think of any way to make things right between the two band members, but failing miserably with the words echoing through the walls. Rian had his face buried in a pillow. He wanted the noise to stop, for things to go back to the way they had been only months ago. As for Zack, he was tapping his feet against the bus floor, feeling guilty for lying to the bassist and angry at the singer for putting him in that position. Just a few feet away from these three men, their entire lives were falling apart. With every hurtful word thrown around, they knew their careers, and quiet possibly their friendships, were doomed.

Jack Barakat didn't care about any of that. He didn't care about his so called friends, he didn't care about his future in a famous punk band, he only cared about the fact that he needed to get as far away from Alexander William as he could. His duffle bag was placed in the middle of the hallway. The lanky boy was darting back and forth from the dirty clothes pile to the bathroom, claiming anything that he knew to be his. Breaking up with Alex was the only answer he had for his own questions. There was no way he could trust his boyfriend again, no way he'd ever be able to look into those chocolate pools and feel the same.

"Listen to me, please," Alex begged, grabbing Jack by the arms to stop him from throwing his bodywash in the middle of the floor. "I know I'm a fucking piece of shit, I tried to tell you that when we first got together. I warned you that I'd find some way to fuck this up, but you told it didn't matter. You told me you'd be around no matter what!"

"Well I guess I fucking lied, because quiet frankly, watching you shove your dick into the first trashy, dirty piece of grabage you could find wasn't on the list of acceptable fuck-ups!"

"I am sorry, Jack! Honestly, I don't know what's been going on with me lately. I'm just.. Fuck, I don't know! But please, don't leave. At least stay for the band. I know we can find some way to work this out, I just know it!"

"Work it out?" Jack laughed. "I don't want to fucking work it out, Alex. I've spent God only knows how long being lied to by all my best fucking friends. You know Alexa was the only one who admitted to me that you had sex with her that night you two ran off together? And that was this morning! Out of all of you sons of bitches that I've known for years, she had to do it. You're all pathetic cowards and I don't want to be around it anymore!"

"Don't take this out on everyone else," Alex pleaded, almost falling to the floor as Jack pulled away from him. "It's my fault they had to lie to you. I told them I'd tell you when the time was right."

"That's funny," Jack grumbled, tossing more clothes in his bag. "I didn't know seeig a real-life porno counted as the right time."

"You weren't supposed to see that. It was never supposed to happen, I swear it wasn't. I just lost contorl, I guess."

"Oh no, sweetheart, you had perfect control. Saw it with my own eyes!"

Alex knew his words were doing nothing more than pissing Jack off. Defeat washed over his body. The older boy kicked the duffle bag across the floor and let out a loud cry, throwing himself to the floor so the tears he had built up could finally spill. He wished he had all the answers Jack wanted. He wished he knew why he'd done it to begin with, but no good excuse came to mind. Alex had become lost in the new world around him. His feelings were all mixed up and most of the time he didn't know if he was happy or sad. That was no reason to hurt Jack, he knew that, but for the things he felt that just couldn't be explained, he acted out on. All those bad, angry feelings he'd pushed away for so long, they came back to haunt him.

"Don't play the vicitim," Jack spat, snatching his bag up from the floor. He zipped it roughly and tossed it over his shoulder. "You did this, not me. You broke my fucking heart, Gaskarth."

"I didn't mean to!" Alex stared up at his now ex-boyfriend through bloodshot eyes. His lips were trembling and his cheeks were soaked. "I know I can't make you stay. I understand that. But before you go, please just know that I love you, Jack Bassam Barakat. I love you, and I'm sorry that I ruined you. I was so scared when we got together that this would happen and now it has. I can't take back what I did, but I can make up for it. Even if you leave here today and never want to speak to me again, I will win you back, Jack. Without you, I've got absolutely nothing to live for. Nothing to be proud of, no one to care for me at the end of the day. You're the only good thing left. So if you go, just know, I will spend the rest of my life if I have to trying to get you back, because you're just that damn important to me."

Jack's hand was on the door. He was ready to walk through and never turn back, but the words Alex spoke twisted the broken pieces of his heart, turning them to nothing but powder. More than anything, he wanted to turn around and take the wounded boy into his arms, forgive him for all the wrong he'd done, give him all the love he had to offer.. But that damn sting in his gut, the depression sworming around his heart, it reminded him that the events were too large to go unseen. Jack loved that insane boy sitting on the floor. Even now, with his puffy eyes and messy hair, drowning in his own mistakes; he was flawless, at least, on the surface.

Now his own tears were falling. Saying goodbye was never an easy thing to do, but sometimes it was the only option left in life. Sometimes you have to leave the people you love the most behind because you know they only bring you down. At least Jack could say he knew what it felt like to be in love. From the lustful High School days to the tragic ending, it was all filled with love, and he knew that because of how badly it hurt. He could turn around right now, turn around and fall into Alex's arms, go back to the way he always dreamed they'd be.. But he would always see Elana when he looked at Alex, that was simply something he couldn't live with.

Biting on his bottom lip, Jack nodded in Alex's direction. There was nothing left to do or say. He wrapped his fingers around the latch and swung the door open. Hot air greeted him, almost making his tear stained cheeks burn. Jack stepped off the bus and gently closed the door behind him, knowing that his entire life was on the other side of that wall and reminding himself that it was time to start fresh. With a broken groan, Jack took the first step towards his new life, regretfully whispering an 'I love you,' into the wind.

Notes

I have been up for way too long so I'm sorry if this stinks, but based on your comments I couldn't bring myself to leave you hanging like that.. So I'll leave you hanging like this! Mwahaha!
On another note, check out my post in the forums and hit me uppp! (:
Love you guys! Have a happy weekend! <3.