There's A Ghost In This Room

I'm worried about Alex.
No, I'm BEYOND worried about Alex!
I have no idea what happened to him yesterday. It was scary! First, he doesn't talk to me all day and doesn't bother to show up at lunch, leaving me all alone. I was really pissed at him about that, but I couldn't help but notice that he kept his head down throughout all of class for both of our classes.
It was really really weird…at first I thought it was only to guilt me into forgiving him, but then I soon realized that it was much more serious than that. And what totally proved my point, was how he just ran up and attacked Zack and those two other football players! I mean, I know Lex can be sensitive to seeing others being picked on, and he'll most likely try to help, but I've never seen him so…vicious.
The way he could so skillfully and easily fight off those guys on his own. And he made sure to leave them all in a bloody and bruised mess. I'd never ever seen that side of him before, and I know that it was unlike him. I might be crazy, but I think that there was something else controlling him…something that made him unleash that beast that came out yesterday.
But what happened afterwards might've been even scarier! He started hyperventilating and choking a little, and his hair started dripping all of a sudden.
He just started getting…sweaty?? Was it sweat??
I had no idea why he was (possibly) sweating so much to the point where his clothes were starting to get drenched.
I couldn't help him, though…I didn't even know how to help him.
He just ran away into the woods, leaving everyone confused. Most of them had put their cameras down by then, after realizing that the fight was over. I'm glad, because I would hate for someone to have footage of that awful, strange breakdown he was having.
And there's yet another reason why I'm worried about him.
He's not here today.
I mean, it's understandable that he wouldn't want to come to school the day after something like that happens, but I’d still like to hear from him.
He could've at least told me that he wouldn't be at school, this morning.
It would at least take my worries off a little bit.
I'm worried about how he's doing.
Is he okay?
Is he beating himself up about it?
Is he embarrassed?
Is he going through another one of those while I'm stuck here at school??
I was ripping my hair out at lunch, just thinking about these questions.
I was thinking about it so hard, that I didn't notice four people towering over me from where I was sitting against the brick wall, on the ground at lunch.
I looked up, and recognized them all as of course: Ashlynn Wilson, Jenna McDougall, Zack Merrick, and Brendon Urie.
Yay.
Ashlynn cleared her throat before speaking to me.
“Um, hey. Would you mind telling me if you know where Lexy is?”
Lexy?? What the fuck?
“Y-you mean..Alex?” I asked slowly and awkwardly, afraid that I had it wrong.
“Yeah, duh.” Jenna snapped, and they both rolled their eyes at me; making my cheeks flush with embarrassment.
“So…do you know where he is?” Ashlynn asked more sternly and rudely.
“N-no..” My voice started getting hoarse as I said it, and I instantly regretting emitting any sounds from my mouth.
“Wow, you are such a great help!” Ashlynn said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
“Ha, looks like you two dorks don't have your little knight in shining armor, today.” Zack snarled.
Wait…“you two…?”
I turned to my right, where he glanced at; to see that same boy from math class who Alex saved, yesterday.
He was sitting about two and a half feet away from me, and I never even noticed!
“Come on, Zack. Let's go.” Ashlynn commanded, as they began walking off.
“Watch yourselves, little pricks.” He smirked, as he began walking away from us.
“Says the one with the black eye…” I heard the boy mutter under his breath.
I was a bit shocked that he said that, but I also couldn't help but giggle at it a little. It was pretty funny.
He quickly looked up and turned his attention to me, instantly turning red.
“O-oh..umm…h-hi.” He hesitantly greeted me.
Either he's really nervous, or I'm bothering him. I really hope I'm not.
“Hi..” I responded, just as awkwardly.
There was an awkward silence between us for a moment, before the boy began talking again.
“Um..my name is Jack. I'm a um..junior.”
“You are? I um..didn't know that.”
“Y-yeah, I um..” He cleared his throat.
“take higher classes. My parents want me to, sooo yeah.”
“Oh, I see.”
There was another silence.
I could tell that he was starting to open up to me more, so I felt bad that I couldn't carry on the conversation.
I was trying to think of what to talk about, but I just couldn't come up with anything. There was nothing clear in my mind, but my name.
“Umm…m-my name is Bethany, by the way.” I introduced myself and gave him a friendly smile so he wouldn't think I disliked him or anything.
“Hi Bethany. You've got sweet hair.” He grinned at me.
He had such a fantastic smile. One that you just couldn't help but smile back at. I think that's my favorite thing about Jack.
“Thank you, so do you!” I giggled a bit.
“Thank you.” He smiled and took a sip from the Capri-Sun he was drinking.
“So..Jack?”
“Mhmm?” He hummed, while still drinking the juice.
“Are you..okay from what happened yesterday?”
He stopped drinking, and his eyes suddenly became sad and dull, instead of big and bright like they were before.
“I'm never really...okay. I just…get used to it, I guess?” He sighed, looking down at his lap and fidgeting with his fingers.
I instantly felt awful. I don't even have it as bad as he does. And on top of that, he didn't have a friend to talk to, or laugh with, or to be there for him when those things happen. But even though I may be the worse ideal friend on the face of the earth because of my inability to speak when I want to, I will do my best to be that friend for Jack. I won't let my anxiety stop me from that.
“I'm sorry, Jack.”
“But hey, your boyfriend really helped me out. I don't know why, but he did. And for that, I am thankful. Where is he, by the way?”
I felt my cheeks instantly heat up when he referred to Alex as my boyfriend.
“Oh, um..Alex? I don't know where he is, to be honest.” I shrugged, not even bothering to tell him that he wasn't my boyfriend.
I don't know why I didn't tell him that. I guess I just liked the sound of that, a little. Alex being my boyfriend..it’s weird, but also…nice.
“Well, could you tell him I said thank you if you see him today? And I also hope he's alright..he kind of had some sort of..meltdown..”
“Yeah, I'm worried about that, too.”
I'm definitely worried.

When the last bell rang, I hurried out of school and got into my car. I was about to start up the car, when I heard a voice next to me.
“Hey, Bethany.”
I shrieked and looked to my right to see Alex, giving me a little smile.
“Alex!! What the hell?! What if I was driving?!” I scolded him, slapping him on the arm.
“I wouldn't have came if you were driving.” He rolled his eyes.
“Whatever…but still, what the hell, Alex?!” I slapped him on the arm, multiple times.
“What??” He pulled his arm away from me and gave me a puzzled look.
“You just left me all alone at school, today! You just blew up yesterday on those guys, and then you had some sort of weird breakdown, and then you just leave and never return!! What the fuck, Alex??” I was beyond pissed at him for making me worry so much.
“I wasn't ready to come back, after that. I'm sorry.” He shrugged.
“What was that, anyway?? Why were you acting like that, yesterday?”
“I was stressed out and didn't feel like talking. And then they made me mad, by beating up that kid. What else did you expect??”
“Well I was not expecting that at all!! You weren't just mad, Alex. You were furious!”
“Oh fucking well! They got what they deserved, didn't they? They've been hurting plenty of people like that, everyday. I just gave them a taste of their own medicine. I'm sorry if I've destroyed all of fucking humanity by teaching some stupid jocks a lesson. God damn!” He snapped, looking as if he was getting mad all over again.
“Alex..what happened to you afterwards? You just started getting all..sweaty, and-“
“It wasn't sweat.”
“It wasn't? Then, wha-“
“No. It was nothing, just forget about it.” He shook his head and looked away from me.
“It wasn't nothing, Alex!”
“JUST DROP IT, BETHANY!” He yelled, causing me to flinch back.
Alex gets mad sometimes, but he never yells at me like that. He knows that I never respond well to yelling, because of my dad.
I felt my eyes fill up with tears, and I instantly turned to my steering wheel.
“I-I'm s-sorry..I d-didn’t mean to..to make you a-angry..” I stuttered, failing to keep my tears from falling.
“Shit.” I heard him curse under his breath, and slap himself on the forehead.
“I'm sorry, Bethany. Fuck, I'm so sorry. This is why I wasn't talking to you yesterday, because I can't keep my anger under control right now. I'm really sorry, I'm a total asshole!” He apologized, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and pulling me in to cry into his chest.
But hearing him explain it, just made me more curious.
“Wait so…why are you so angry, Alex? What happened?” I asked, pulling away to look into his eyes, which were already looking away from me.
“Um..” He started getting nervous and reaching up to scratch the back of his head.
That was never a good sign.
“What is it, Alex??”
“I um..stopped at your house before I came here..I uh..was looking for one of my hoodies and I thought I left it there. Then, I saw…”
“You saw what, Alex??”
“I saw your mom drinking, again. And I know it's my fault.”

Notes

Awh, Jack is my favorite :3

Happy New Yeaarrr like 2 days laaatee! :D

Everyone was updating today and I felt left out so here.
My updates are always fucking late.
A.F.L. ALWAYS FUCKING LATE. SENIORS 0'9 BITCH!!
I love Rian holy shit xD

I'm really hyper, leave me alone.


Thanks! :)

Title cred: Stay Together For The Kids- Blink-182