Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous

I woke up and immediately had a heart attack. My eyes flew open as Slipknot blasted, scaring the life out of me.

Jack lazily rolled over to shut off his alarm.

“What the fuck?” I was still trying orient myself. I looked at the window to find it still mostly dark. “What time is it?”

Jack chuckled, getting out of bed. “Five.”

“Five?! I should be sleeping for another two hours!” I was very tempted to hit him.

He rolled his eyes. “This,” he gestured from head to toe, “doesn't happen by magic, Lexy. I need time to get ready. Sleep for another two hours if you must.”

I scrubbed my eyes with the heals of my hands. “I couldn't if I wanted to, not after your alarm from hell. How do you not piss yourself waking up to that?” He simply shrugged as he made his way to the bathroom.

I laid there and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, building the energy to get up. When I finally did, I grabbed my phone, only to find several texts from Cas and Lzzy asking about Jack. I sent them a quick reply that everything was fine and I'd see them at school as I heard the shower start to run. I was considering the pros and cons of just wearing the same clothes from yesterday instead of the nonsense Jack had for me in his closet when I heard something clatter against the tile floor.

I jumped up and ran to the bathroom to find Jack staring, wide-eyed, in the mirror. The night hadn't done any kindness for his bruise and it had blossomed into a slight black eye. I took a cautious step towards Jack. He seemed to be in shock, and I couldn't be sure if he was going to break down in sobs or just break everything in arms reach. I really didn't care to be a part of the latter.

I swallowed. “Jack?” His hands trembled. I stepped back. “Jack, calm down. It's ok.” His hands clenched into fists. “Jack, breathe, it's going to be ok.” He brought his fist back but I, somehow, caught his arm before it went into the mirror. “Jack! You need to calm down!”

He spun on me, eyes like fire. “Calm down? I need to calm down?!” He stalked towards me, and I back peddled. I didn't dare take my eyes off him. “Do you see this? That bastard fucking hit me!” My back hit a wall. “I've done nothing but clean up his mess for seventeen years and he has the audacity to lay a hand on me?!” Jack snarled.

Panic had risen from the very pit of my stomach and gripped my throat tightly. “I'm sorry,” I squeaked as I felt my knees shake. My anxiety usually made me sensitive to yelling; adding on the fear of being backed into a corner didn't do a thing to calm it.

I saw Jack's expression soften through the blur of tears pricking at the edges of my vision. “Alex I'm,” he raised a hand to – I assume – place on my shoulder, but I flinched away, pressing further into the wall.

I couldn't help it anymore, I couldn't calm down. I couldn't even remember how to calm down. My shaky knees gave way, and I hit the carpet in a trembling, hyperventilating, heap.

“Lex!” Jack dropped to his knees in front of me. “Hey, hey, it's ok, look at me.” I was too far in my head to do what he asked. I felt his hand gently turn my chin and jerked backwards. It didn't do anything to move me, seeing as I was pressed up against the wall, but I saw the hurt it put in Jack's eyes. “No, Lex, I'd never hurt you. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.” My vision began to swim. “Hey, hey, hey! You need to breathe. Breathe with me, ok? Ready? In,” he took a deep breath. It was extremely shaky, and didn't do much to get oxygen into my lungs, but I followed him. “Out,” he let out a long breath. Mine was short and followed by a hiccup of an inhale. “That's ok. Again. In.” I followed him for what felt like an eternity until my breathing was mostly steady with only an occasional hiccup. “Better?”

I raised my eyes to meet his. I swallowed and tried for a word, but only managed to squeak and disrupt my breathing pattern.

“Shh, shh, shh. Ok, it's ok. Breathe, Alex. Just breathe. I'm going to get you water, ok? Can you keep breathing for me? I'll be right back.” He stood and walked to the bathroom, glancing back every three or four steps.

I focused on keeping my breathing slow and even. This was quite possibly the worst time for me to have a panic attack. The sooner it stopped, the better. I counted to ten on each inhale and back down on each exhale. I tried very hard to not think, and opted for keeping my eyes on the carpet while I focused on not passing out. It was manna from heaven when the familiar throbbing ache bloomed in the back of my skull. The attack was finally subsiding.

Jack returned with a glass of cold water. He handed it to me before sitting, cross-legged by my side. He waited until I'd sipped my way through a third of the liquid before he asked, “Are you ok, now?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I, ugh, I think so.” I took another sip of water, desperately avoiding eye contact. I'd known Jack a little over a week and now he'd seen me at my absolute worst. I probably could have drowned in the sea of awkward that I was feeling.

“I'm sorry, Alex. I didn't mean to do that. Sometimes I just,” he sighed. “Sometimes, it's like, once it starts I can't stop it. It's not that I don't want to, I just physically can't remember how.”

I almost laughed. Almost. “Yeah, I know the feeling.”

There was a moment of silence before Jack snorted. “We're something, huh? An angry prick prone to violence and his anxiety-ridden best friend. We couldn't be more destructive for each other if we tried.”

I shook my head with a smile. “Yeah, opposites attract I guess.” Jack nudged my shoulder with his. When I looked up at him he raised his eyebrows suggestively. I snorted. “Oh get over yourself.” He grinned. “What time is it?”

“Um,” Jack untangled his long legs to walk over to his phone. “Fuck! It's six-thirty!” He scrambled back into the bathroom. Moments later, I heard water running.

I shook my head, again. I can't believe I'm stuck with that idiot. I chuckled. I gave myself another minute to finish the drink in my hand and collect my thoughts before hauling myself off of the carpet. I gave a longing look at the pile of my clothes from the previous day, but knew there was no way I'd want to put them back on after a shower. And so, with a heavy sigh, I walked into Jack's enormous closet to poke through the bags of clothing Jack had picked out.

“Find anything you like, Lexy?”

I started. Jack simply chuckled as he walked into the closet with a towel around his hips.

“It all looks uncomfortable,” I huffed.

He rolled his eyes. “It's not supposed to be comfortable, it's supposed to look good.” He poked through the bags for a moment before handing me a pile of clothing. “Wear that, it was my favorite. There's a pile of clean towels next to the shower.” He turned away from me to flick through a rotating rack of shirts.

I showered quickly and managed to squeeze into the outfit Jack had picked for me. I looked in the mirror from every angle I could manage, twice, and I still couldn't decide if how good the pants made my butt look outweighed how horribly tight they were. Jack walked in on me staring at my ass.

“Ah yes, that's why I liked those pants on you.” Thwack!

I rolled my eyes. “You just wanted an excuse to touch my ass.”

“They come so few and far between,” he chuckled as he ran a brush through his damp hair. I glanced at my wet hair in the mirror, rubbed it with a towel until it was no longer dripping, and turned to walk out of the bathroom deciding that it was good enough. Jack actually grabbed me by my collar before I made it through the doorway and dragged me back to him. “You aren't seriously going out like that, are you?”

“Is something wrong?” I checked to make sure I didn't miss any tags from my new clothes.

He sighed impatiently. “Sit. I'll deal with you in a minute.”

I rolled my eyes, but sat on the closed toilet and waited for Jack to finish futzing with his hair. Apparently my hair wasn't “even in the same galaxy” as my outfit and promptly needed to be assaulted with heat styling, sprays, and gels. I told him he was being ridiculous and that my hair would have dried just fine, but I was silenced with a clap of the straightener and a, “Either you stop whining or the next thing I heat treat will be that pretty little mouth of yours.” I don't know where I got the patience for it, but I managed to sit still and let my stupid best friend make a nicely shaped rock out of my hair.

“This is ridiculous,” I grumbled as I followed Jack down the stairs and into the kitchen.

“Oh stop whining. You look hot.” He dropped his book bag next to the island and started rummaging through the fridge.

“I look ridiculous,” I huffed, dropping my bag next to Jack's before hopping up onto the counter.

He simply rolled his eyes and began breakfast. I watched as he flitted around the kitchen tending to this and that. He hummed softly as he cooked, but didn't speak again until the food was just about done. “Lex, would you mind getting three plates and stuff?” I agreed and hopped down from the counter. Jack helped by telling me which cabinet held what. Once the island was set for a three person breakfast, May skipped in and dropped her bag next to the others.

“Morning, Jacky! Morning, Alex!” She smiled brightly and climbed up to her seat.

“Good morning, Angel,” Jack placed a quick kiss on her forehead as he passed on his way to wash his hands. “Is Mom up?”

May nodded as she dug into her food. “Yeah,” she mumbled around a full mouth, “she's putting on makeup.”

A woman appeared in the doorway. She wore a fitted, pressed Navy blazer – accompanied by it's matching skirt and shoes – with a peach blouse tucked snugly underneath. Her hair was slicked back into a low bun, and she stared at her phone as she clicked her heals across the tiles on her way to the coffee maker. “Morning, children.”

“Morning, Mom,” Jack and May mumbled together.

I wasn't sure if I should speak up, or stay quiet and hope to go unnoticed, so I looked to Jack for help. He shot me an apologetic smile as he cleared his throat. “Mom, this is Alex.”

She glanced up from her phone just long enough to give me a polite smile. “Hello, Alex.” She popped the lid on her coffee. “Well, I have to run. Have a nice day!” She was out the door before anyone could respond.

“Charming isn't she?” Jack grumbled. He let out a sigh before smiling at his little sister. “You done, baby?”

She nodded and gave Jack her empty plate. “Are you taking me to school today or is-”

“Yes,” he cut in bitterly.

May nodded and looked down at her hands.

I rolled my eyes and leaned over the counter to whisper. “He's a real butt-face this morning.” I smiled when it got a small giggle from her.

“I heard that,” Jack warned over his shoulder as he piled the dishes in the sink, only causing more giggles to bubble out of his little sister.

“Is Jacky ok?” May whispered when said man had run up to his room for something or other.

“Of course, why?”

She made a face. “His eye was all purple. Eyes aren't supposed to be all purple.”

I'm pretty sure I felt my heart crack a little. “Yeah, sweetie, I know. Don't worry, Jack's fine. and I'm looking after him, ok?”

“Promise?”

Oh god. “Promise.”

She grinned at me. “Thanks.” She kissed my cheek quickly before hopping off the stool, grabbing her bag, and skipping towards the front door.

I scrubbed my eyes with the heals of my hands. What have I gotten myself into? Why the fuck am I putting myself in the middle of this?

Jack walked back in the room and gave me the same grin as his sister. “Let's go, Lex.”

I returned the smile. Oh, right. That's why.

Notes

Sorry, this took a while to churn out. Chapters are probably going to come out like this more often then not though, because of school and life. Sorry. Enjoy! - Anna