Thanks to you, I'm not myself
I'm all strung out, that much is clear
And I'll spend my whole life-time with your life-line wrapped around my throat
Thanks to you
All thanks to you

“What happened?” Alex glanced at Jack, who did not look as happy as he was ten minutes ago.

“Nothing, well I mean. He’s not mad.” Jack half smiled.

“You sure everything’s okay Jack?” Alex walked closer to the younger man. “You don’t look okay at all.”

“Can we talk about this after work? I just want to get this day over with.” He breathed out.

“Sure. Of course.” The brunette nodded, with obvious concern for his friend. He knew something was wrong with Jack. He could tell by the lack of light in his eyes, and his mouth didn’t perk up as much as it usually does. These small observations made it clear to Alex that whatever happened in there was not nothing at all.

The store closed within a few hours and the two men began to do their daily chore duties before they left the shop to close for the night. Jack vacuumed the carpeted floor while Alex cleaned the glass displays, getting them nice and pretty for tomorrow morning. While cleaning the glass, Alex would look at Jack, whose posture wasn’t the same as it usually was. He was frowning and definitely thinking about something that bothered him. His lips were pressed tight against one another and his eyebrows pushing against each other. That nothing was clearly something.

“Alright guys, how about after we close we’ll go out somewhere?” Vic shouted at them.

“It’s pretty late Vic, and if he goof off we might be late again.” Jack turned off the vacuum, looking at Alex who was squatting down to clean the front of the display case.

Vic nodded. “I understand. No one likes third wheels.”

“What are you talking about?” Jack shook his head, while Vic giggled.

“Nothing man, but I understand if you guys don’t want to hang out.” Vic yawned as the brunette walked towards them. “All done Alex?”

“Yeah, finished.” He smiled cheerfully.

“So you sure guys don’t want to chill for a while?” Vic looked at the two. Alex dropped his head, he would’ve loved to hang out with both Jack and Vic, but he didn’t want to feel guilty if they were late again. So he chose to look away and stay quiet.

“Do you want to hang out Alex?” Jack looked at the brunette, trying to meet his gaze.

“It’s fine either way. I just don’t want for us to get in trouble.” Alex shrugged.

“Well, I don’t think a few hours will be too bad.” Jack glanced at his watch.

“Alright! Plus, I got you guys to work the afternoon shift tomorrow. So can sleep in all morning.” Vic smirked.

“You could’ve said that before Dicktor!” Jack pushed the man’s shoulder.

“It’s Victor!” The short man pouted. “Let’s get the fuck out of here!”

The three men exited the store, and Vic made sure to lock the front doors as usual. Jack and Alex followed behind Vic, who was driving in his own car.

“Jack?” Alex turned to the younger man, who was lost in his own thoughts as he drove.
“Yeah?” He asked, keeping his eyes on the road.

“What happened at the store when you talked to Vic? I-I’m worried about you Jack. I’m sorry, it’s probably none of my business, but you seem so tense.” He rubbed his own knee, biting his lip when he saw Jack eyes slightly glisten wet.

“He told me Lisa has been looking for me. He said she was at the store yesterday. Apprently she wants to talk to me.” Jack gripped the steering wheel tighter, trying to hold back the tears welling up in his eyes.

“Do you want to talk to her?” The brunette straightened his lips, frowning once he heard the name of said girl.

“Not really, but Vic said it might be best for me to do so. I have all these questions left unanswered and all these feelings that just want to burst out of me all at once.” Jack wiped his eyes, as he entered the parking lot of a Restaurant Brewery Vic guided them to.

“Well, if you think you should. Face her. But if you think all you need is someone to hear you out, you know I’m here right? I want to help you get through this. You don’t deserve to feel all this pain. But facing her might be the best option. She never heard what you had to say or even understand how you felt. You have the right to tell her how you feel and finally break free from all of this pain you’re suffering.” Alex gripped Jack’s shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile.

“Thanks Alex, I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t around.” Jack wiped his tears smiling back at him.

Alex was breath taken, he’d never seen Jack smile the way he did now. His smile actually reached his eyes, which were glistening the way Alex admired the most. He couldn’t help but tear up a little just by looking at the way Jack smiled at him, giving him chills down his spine. He felt Jack move in a little closer to him. The brunette closed his eyes when he felt the other man’s lips brush up against his in a small, soft kiss. Alex smiled in between the kiss, he liked Jack. He really did like Jack, more than he thought he did.

“Same.” Alex grinned, pulling away.

“We should go. Vic’s probably already in there waiting for us.” Jack turned and jumped when he saw the short man with a toothy grin through the tinted windows.

“You scared the fuck out of me.” Jack complained, as he exited the car.

“That was the point Jacko. Now come on. We’re wasting time out here!” Vic did a little dance as he walked while Alex joined him, and Jack slapping his face.


How the fuck are these two older than me?


They sat down in a booth in the very back of the restaurant. Where there wasn’t too many people to bother them. The place was fairly busy, showing off what Baltimore’s night life had to offer. Beautiful young girls who possibly just turned eighteen, ready to find a single, older, richer guy to mooch off of. As well as young bachelors, ready to find younger, stupider, and useless girls for a one night stand. An atmosphere Jack knew like the back of his hand. He was used to being surrounded with bull shit like this. Yet this time it was different, a lot different, even more so because instead of watching Alex play his music. He got to sit next to him, talk to him, laugh with him.

“Hey, you guys need to share! You can’t take a Mexican man’s chips like that!” Vic nabbed the small plastic tray which contained their appetizer. He was on the opposite side of the booth. Jack and Alex sat next to each other, hogging the food to make their manager mad on purpose.

“That’s what you get for not posting this week’s schedule like you we’re supposed to and you need to lay off the chips man. You’re getting chunky.” Jack took a sip of his beer.

“Shut up, you’re getting chunky too. You’re not as lanky as you were in high school.” Vic munched on a chip, reaching for Jack’s right cheek.

“Okay maybe I did gain some weight, but I needed it! My doctor said I’m finally the weight I’m supposed to be.” Jack frowned.

“Yeah, you were really thin. Like scary skinny.” Vic wiped his mouth.

“You guys went to high school together?” Alex grabbed a chip for himself.

“No, Jack went to school with my brother Mike. I graduated way before they did.” The short man played with his hair, impatiently waiting for their entrees they’d ordered half an hour ago.

“That’s cool. So Mike’s about Jack’s age?” He glanced at the two men.

“Well he’s a year older than me.” Jack scratched his short beard as memories of high school filled his mind. “We used to talk to each other. Not really best friends, but we hung out from time to time. Mike was a busy guy. Thanks to him I was able to get the job at Horizons.”

“That’s cool. Man, my high school was really boring. Since it was private, I didn’t get to do much. My parents are strict brits. ‘You have to go to a private school because your future depends on it Alexander William.’” The brunette mocked his father’s British accent.

“You’re British?” Vic turned his head, sighing in relief when his peripherals caught a glimpse of the waitress with their long waited food.

“Yeah. I just became a US citizen not too long ago.” Alex moved silverware, smiling at the waitress who was placing the food in front of him. Giving her a short Thank you.

“I still need to get my shirt straightened out. Where my tacos at?!” He laughed. Showing that his tolerance for alcohol was fairly low.

“But yeah, it would’ve been cool to have gone to public school with you guys.” Alex shrugged, stuffing himself with a mouth full of fajita meat.

“Totally.” Jack nodded, looking far off to the front of the restaurant.

“What are you looking at?” Vic turned his head in direction Jack was looking at.

“Nothing.” He looked down at his food, binge eating.

“Right. Nothing.” Vic rose a brow, turning back to his food.

Alex couldn’t help but maneuver his head around hoping to see what changed their comfortable atmosphere. Both Vic and Jack had stopped talking completely. Leaving Alex, with a mouth full of unspoken words and unanswered questions. Then after taking a few bites of his food he felt was almost certain he’d found out that nothing was again Lisa.

And he was right.

A small statured girl, about Vic’s height approached them with a wide smile. She gently tapped Jack’s shoulder, who’d disregarded the girl when she first walked by.

“Jack! I’ve been wanting to talk to you for such a long time but you walked away when we saw each other.” She smiled sweetly. “Sorry to bother you guys.”

“S’kay.” Alex turned his head in the other direction. Facing the dark windows of the restaurant as Vic continued to eat.

“Why?” Jack finally replied after what seemed like forever. Looking up at the girl before him.

“What do you mean why Jack. I’ve missed you for so long and I-I still love you.” Her eyebrows furrowed together and she bit her lip.

“Don’t ever say that again.” Jack looked down at the table.

“We’re going to leave you guys alone to talk.” Vic shot a look at Alex, who nodded and had gotten up with him.

“There’s no need for you guys to leave. I have nothing to say to her.” Jack darted at look at Alex.

Alex slightly gasped at the sight of Jack. His eyes were swollen and his cheeks were burning red. He grabbed Jack by the shoulder and looked at Lisa.

“I think you should go.” Alex softened his face, trying to hide his inner rage.

“But Jack please, you need to listen to me. I have so much to say to you. You don’t know-“

“And you think I don’t? I had so much to say to you to! Do you know how much I suffered because of you? You put me through the worse part of hell. Why the fuck are you in Baltimore anyway? What happened to being an actress in Broadway? What happened to moving on?” Jack cut her off, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Jack you don’t understand. I-I came back for you Jack. I need you back. Please don't talk that way. You sound mad.” Lisa sighed as she began to tear up with her make up slightly smearing.

“No don’t fucking lie to me Lisa. You were never here to get me back. That night I saw you was by sheer coincidence. For all I know, you’re just here to see your parents. And mad is an understatement.” Jack scoffed, pulling out his wallet and given Alex an unknown amount of bills.

“P-pay for th-this please, I want to go.” He whispered, walking in the direction of the exit.

“Jack please I-“

“I think it’s best if you left him alone now.” Alex approached Lisa. “He hasn’t been feeling well.”

“Who are you anyway?” She frowned.

“I’m Alex, I live with Jack. We’re roommates.” He slightly smiled, shrugging a shoulder.

“Alex, if you’re so close to Jack can you at least help me talk to him. I don’t know if he’s told you about me, but he and I used to date. I had to break up with him because I moved away, but I regret it so much. Please, I miss him.” She cried.

“I’m sorry… Lisa? But I can’t force him to do something he doesn’t want to do.” He grabbed her by the shoulder. “Leave him alone, it’s better for the both of you.”

“Who the fuck are you to tell me what I should do? I love Jack! I won’t leave Baltimore without him!” She yelled, backing away from the brunette.

“Let’s go.” Alex looked back at Vic, who was just watching the entire thing in silence.

They both left the restaurant in slight embarrassment, watching Lisa go bat shit crazy as her two friends who seem to have come with her calm her down.

“Bye Vic.” Alex shook the man’s hand, as they walked into the parking lot.

“Take care of him. Help him feel better, I know you can.” Vic half smiled, pulling Alex in for a hug.

“I’ll try.” He sighed, walking towards Jack’s car, which was empty.

“Jack?” Alex slightly shouted.

No one replied.

“JACK!” He yelled. Moving his head in all directions, while his mind began to jump the worse conclusions.

He paced himself back to the restaurant but jolted backward when he felt a grip on his wrist.

“Jack, where the fuck were you? I was worried fucking sick.” He slapped his forehead, as his breathing slowed down.

“I was smoking in the back. It helps me calm down a little.” He rubbed his forehead and sniffled.

“Let’s go home.” He grabbed Jack by his hand and pulled him to the car. He heard Jack begin to cry a little more. It hurt him to see how his friend could be so destroyed by a demented bitch like Lisa.

“A-Alex,” He cried as they approached the car.

“Yea Jack?” He turned around completely to face his friend.

“Help me.” He cried, hugging the older man, crying into his chest.

“I will Jack, I promise. You don’t need a person like that in your life. I’m your friend and I-“

“Please, Alex.” He cut the boy off in soft whimpers.

“Tell me.” He rubbed his back and the younger boy continued to cry.

“Help me feel better.” He gripped the brunette’s shoulders, pulling himself closer to Alex.

“Let’s get you home okay. We need to leave now.” He glared at the exit of the restaurant, slightly making out Lisa’s figure approaching to door.

Notes

So yeaah, new chapter xD
Sorry if there are some errors. <.>
Title and Lyrics from All Time Low,
I'm about to write my next one shot for "Get Down On Your Knees And Tell Me You Love Me"
hehe cx
Subscriptions, Votes, Rates, and comments are always apprecitaed!!