The Good Life

*Jack*

“Aleeeeex! Wake up!!” I whined. It was finally Christmas morning and I couldn’t wait to open presents, but he didn’t want to get up yet. Alex stayed over at my house so we could spend the whole day together. He told his dad to spend the day with his new girlfriend, Dr. Fey, and they could see each other later.

“Waaaaake uppp!” I shook him. I knew he could feel and hear me, but he kept his eyes closed. The only reason I was up at 9am was because my mom called me before she went to work and I couldn’t go back to sleep.

“What time is it?” Alex mumbled into the pillow.

“It’s almost nine-thirty, so it’s time to open presents!!!” I cried, tugging on his arm.

“Give me three more hours.” He groaned. He hadn’t even opened his eyes yet, I think he was sleep talking.

“What am I supposed to do for three hours?” I complained.

“shhhh” He grabbed me and pulled me down so I could lay with him. I just huffed and closed my eyes trying to fall asleep…again.

*****

I woke up to the smell of waffles and looked over to see Alex wasn’t lying next to me anymore. I was only sleep for two hours because it was eleven now.

“Oh look who finally decided to wake up.” Alex said smugly as he walked in, while I was brushing my teeth.

“I was up before you this morning!” I told him. I don’t know how he understood me while I brushed my teeth, but he did.

“I don’t remember that!” he said laughing. “Come eat, we’re going to open gifts when Ri and Cass get here in thirty minutes.” He said helping me out of bed.

We held hands as we walked to the kitchen and he sat me down at the table in front of a stack of waffles. He sat down next to me with a plate of waffles and started to eat with me. Before I could take my second bite the doorbell rang. Alex moved to answer, but I told him I would get it and went to answer the door. I thought it would be Rian and Cassadee, or carolers at least, but it wasn’t…it was Lisa.

“Can I speak with Alex?” She said, while holding a gift in her hands. Before I could answer her, Alex walked around the corner.

“Lisa, what are you doing here?” Alex asked her, shaking his head.

“I saw something at the mall that I just had to buy for you!” She answered and handed the present to Alex.

Alex looked down at the box in his hands and looked back at Lisa. “Can we talk outside for a few minutes?” Alex asked her and she nodded. He mouthed ‘five minutes’ to me and went outside with her. I went back to the table and finished my waffles while waiting for Alex to finish up with her. I finally heard the door open and footsteps.

“Finally!” I exclaimed when Alex walked in.

“Sorry that took forever, but I don’t think she’ll be over here in a while.” He sighed. He looked sad and he didn’t have the present Lisa gave him. I felt bad that he was getting rid of an old friend, but she still had feelings for him so he had too.

“It’s okay. Can we finally open presents now?” I pleaded.

“Yes!” Alex yelled.

Alex handed me my present first. It was a sterling silver watch with my full name engraved in to it. I loved it and immediately started kissing all over his face so he knew it. He grabbed my face and we made out until I remembered about his gifts.

“Wait wait you have to open your presents too!” I exclaimed and went to the Christmas tree so I could pull them out for him. He looked and narrowed his eyes at me because one of the boxes were so huge, but I just stood there smiling at him.

“If you spent five-hundred dollars on me, I’m going to hurt you.” He threatened me as he walked over to where I was with his presents. He opened the big one first to reveal a 60” Smart TV.
“Jack!!” He didn’t sound angry, just surprised.

“Do you like it?” I asked him.

“Yesssss!” he cheered. I thought for sure he was going to give me a lecture on spending too much on him, but he likes TV too much for that.

“Good! Now open your other one!” I told him. He sat on the floor to open it. It was an Xbox One, three controllers (since it only came with one), and a few games to go with it.

“You did not!” he shrieked, sounding like a girl.

“Yes I did!” I smiled. He got up and walked over to me to kiss me.

“I want to be angry that you spent a lot on me, but at the same time I love these gifts so much that I can’t be.” He laughed. I was just happy he accepted them. The doorbell rang and he stopped kissing me so I could answer the door. It was Rian and Cass.

“Sorry we took so long. Cassadee took forever to get ready.” Rian said and Cass rolled her eyes at him.
“No no. You guys are fine.” I reassured them.

I took Rian and Cass to my den where the Christmas tree was set up and all the presents were. We all handed out the presents that we brought each other and opened them. I gave Rian and Cass each a Visa gift card with one-hundred dollars each since they said to get them whatever. They gave me a gift certificate to a spa, I guess because I’ve been complaining to Cass about how stressed out work has had me lately.

“Can we play the Xbox now, Alex?” Rian asked sounding like a little kid.

“No, but you can watch me play.” Alex said as he ran to the living room with the Xbox in his hands.
“You have four controllers, asshole!” Rian yelled as he ran after him.

“Alex, share!” I scowled at him. Since he was acting like a toddler, I talked to him like a toddle.
Alex and Rian played Call of Duty while Cass and I watched them and talked about what to do for New Years. We sat there for almost an hour when my doorbell rang. I got up and went to answer the door; shocked by who was standing behind it.

“What are you doing here?!?!” I gasped.

“We haven’t talked in months and I needed a vacation. So I thought why not visit my buddy, Jack!” Zack, my old friend from high school, laughed as he pulled me into a hug. To say I was shocked was an understatement. I hadn’t talked to Zack since the beginning of the year so he had no idea I was dating Alex or anything. Zack didn’t really like Alex in high school for some reason, so I guess I didn’t tell him about us because of that.

“I’ve missed you so much!” I exclaimed and hugged him tighter. After we let go, I moved aside to let him in. I don’t think he knew anyone else was here because the guys and Cass were really quiet; I think they were eavesdropping on our conversation.

“This place is beautiful!” He said, but we were only in foyer of my house.

“You haven’t even seen the rest of the house.” I said crossing my arms and fake glaring at him.
“I can see it later. I came to see you!” he gestured to my body. I laughed nervously still trying to think of a way to tell him I was with Alex and that he was here in the house, but Alex did it for me.
“Jack is everything okay?” Alex asked as he walked in.

“Yeah.. Uhh Alex, you remember Zack right? He went to high school with us.” I said slowly. I looked at Zack, who looked so confused.

“Oh yeah, I saw you guys together a couple of times back then.” He said smiling.

“Yeah. And Zack you remember Alex?” I asked and glanced at him.

“Yes.” He muttered. I don’t know why he would still hate Alex, he hasn’t seen him since high school.
“Well it was nice to see you again, Zack.” Alex said breaking an awkward silence and walking back to the living room. Zack gave him a fake smile that fell as soon as Alex walked away.

“What’s he doing here?” Zack said in a slightly ticked off tone, but he was whispering so Alex wouldn’t be able to hear us.

“It’s a long story.” I shrugged. There was something about Zack that was throwing me off.

“Okay well let’s have lunch tomorrow and we can talk and catch up.” He responded.

“Okay. What hotel are you staying at?”

“The Marriot, down the highway.”

“Alright! I’ll text you tomorrow.” I uttered. I felt like I cheated on him or something, this whole situation was awkward.

“Okay.” He smiled at me and pulled me into another tight hug. We said bye again and he walked out the door.

I stood there trying to understand what just happened between us, but I gave up because I couldn’t. I walked back in the living room and saw Alex, Cass, and Rian staring at me waiting on me to explain. I sighed and did my best to explain.

“That was my best friend from high school, he flew here to see me.” That was all I said.

“He flew all the way from Baltimore, on Christmas, just to say hi?” Rian asked me. Hearing him say that made me a little more suspicious as to why Zack would do that.

“That’s what he told me.” I clarified.

“He didn’t seem too friendly to me.” Alex pouted and crossed his arms.

“That’s because he didn’t really like you in high school so I guess he still doesn’t like you know.” I giggled at how hurt Alex looked when I said Zack didn’t like him.

“What?!? It’s impossible not to like me! Everybody liked me in high school. How could he not?” Alex ranted.

“Maybe because you’re so self-centered?” Cass taunted. “But Jack, I think he likes you-“ She started to say, but I cut her off.

“Zack is one of the straightest guys I know. He is nowhere near gay!” I claimed. Zack had so many girlfriends in high school there was no way. Also he would have told me if he was even a little curious.

“Just hear me out. He doesn’t like Alex and you were head over hills for Alex. He randomly shows up on Christmas day just to see you, and is not so happy to see Alex in your house. A normal person wouldn’t care about someone they didn’t like in high school eight years later. Unless the reason he didn’t like that person is because the love of his life liked them.” She was talking in crazy girl logic.

“Why would he tell me eight years later?” I asked trying to disprove her theory.

“Maybe he was trying to ignore his feelings for you, and it was too hard so he gave up.” She said.

“And you didn’t think Alex would like you, but look how wrong you were about that.” Rian insisted. I turned to Alex to see how he felt about the situation and he was nodding his head.

“They’re right. He does like you. You’re not allowed to see him anymore!” he warned, but I just shook my head at him.

“You guys are all over reacting!” I sighed.

There was no way I was going to believe Zack liked me unless he told me himself.

Notes

You guys have no idea how hard it is for me to type "you all"l instead of "Y'all" haha. I hope you all are still enjoying the story!!!