I was more than surprised to find that when Jack said we were going out with “a few” of the people we sit with at lunch, he truly meant only a few. Cassadee and her boyfriend were there along with that Lzzy girl and one of the other guys who's name I also couldn't remember.

I had given Tom my car keys and let him drive himself home while Jack drove me over to the smallest little hole in the wall coffee shop in all of Baltimore. He must have seen me fidgeting as we neared the door because he suddenly said, “Rian and Zach.”

“Huh?”

He chuckled. “The guys in there with Lzzy. Cas's boyfriend is Rian and the other dude that's all over Liz is Zach.” I nodded and tried my hardest to commit that to memory. Jack's arm found it's way around my shoulders. “Breathe, Lexy, you're turning colors.”

I shrugged. “I-I'll be f-fine.”

He accepted my lie without question and led me inside, though his thumb rubbed small circles on my shoulder, soothing my nerves ever so slightly.

"Alex!" Cassadee cheered as I shuffled to the table, safely tucked under Jacks arm.

I smiled politely as Rian and Lzzy greeted me just as warmly as Cas, but it was lost when I saw Zach's irritated expression. My eyes dropped to the floor.

Jack pulled me into the seat next to him and immediately joined in the previous conversation. I could feel Zach's stare budding holes in my head. I nearly excused myself to go to the bathroom, but didn't want that much attention. I kept my eyes on the table and my mouth shut. I must have gotten lost in my anxious thoughts, because suddenly Jack was snapping his fingers in front of my face.

“S-Sorry, what?”

“Coffee?” Jack asked with an amused smile.

“O-Oh, um, y-yeah,” I stood up anxious to get away from Zach's scrutinizing gaze.

We stood in silence for a moment as the barista made our drinks before Jack gently bumped his hip on mine. “What's wrong, Lex?” I shook my head. “No, c'mon, something's up, what is it?”

I shook my head again. “'S n-nothing,” I mumbled. I heard him sigh but he dropped it and took out his phone. When we got back to the table I didn't even put my cup down before Rian stood.

“Alex, can I talk to you outside?” Oh shit.

He was already walking towards me and I was only able to sputter a bit before he dragged me outside by my elbow.

Jack:

My phone buzzed in my pocket.

“What's with Alex?”

I raised an eyebrow to Rian who sat directly across from me and mouthed, “What?” He nodded his chin slightly to my right and only then did I notice Alex had retreated into himself and wasn't even just listening to our conversation. I shrugged my shoulders at Rian. “Hey, Lex, you want coffee?” He didn't seem to hear me. “Lex?” Nothing. I snapped my fingers in front of his face. “Earth to Alex, hello?”

His head snapped up. “S-Sorry, what?”

I chuckled. He was adorable when he flushed that barely there shade of pink. “Coffee?”

He agreed eagerly and hopped up, but went quiet again quickly. I tried to ask him what was wrong but he refused to tell me. My phone buzzed again.

“It's Zach,” Rian texted.

I arched an eyebrow. “Zach?”

“He keeps giving Alex dirty looks.”

I rolled my eyes. “Mind taking Lex out?”

I took my coffee from the barista and quickly sat down at the table. Alex had just barely made it over when Rian jumped up and dragged him out. As soon as I heard the door shut, I turned to Zach – noticing that Cas and Lzzy's gaze followed mine. “What the hell man?”

“What?” He sipped at his weird concoction that was more sugar than coffee.

“What's your issue with Alex? He's such a sweetheart,” Cas tutted.

Zach's nose scrunched slightly. “Why are you even talking to him, Barakat?”

I straightened my back. “He's my friend.”

He snorted. “Yeah sure, three days ago you didn't even know him. You just want to bang him.” I felt my neck flush in irritation. “I get it, he's kinda cute in a weird...poor way.”

Lzzy smacked him in the back of the head, hard. “Are you fucking joking?”

“Jack, honey,” Cas said very quietly, “you need to calm down.” She placed a gentle hand over one of my shaking ones. “Jack, breathe.” I may or may not have had slight anger management issues.

I forced air into my lungs and held it there for five seconds. It came back out choppy, but after four more just like it, I was back in control.

Zach shook his head and stood up. “I've got an essay to write. Call me when you don't want to hang out with someone who makes us all look bad.”

Cas just gaped at him as he walked out the door.

I looked to Alex outside who seemed to be having a pleasant conversation with Rian. I guess his converse are a little worn. And maybe his jeans. And definitely that beanie. I hated to admit it, but Zach wasn't completely wrong. Alex did look quite a few pay grades below us all. He wore the same outfit two days in row, only changing his shirt. This poor kid's gonna get mauled sooner or later. I refused to let that happen.

Once Zach had disappeared, Rian and Alex made their way back to the table, chuckling over something.

“Whatcha laughing about, cutie?” I asked as he sat.

He turned to me with a grin. “You?”

I raised my eyebrows. “Oh?”

He nodded but didn't elaborate. When I asked him to he simply said not to worry about it, so I dropped it and asked Lzzy about the English paper we had due soon. This apparently put Rian and Alex in stitches. It was starting to grate on my nerves.

Suddenly, Alex put a hand on my arm. I was hyper aware of the contact and looked over to him. “Jack, c-could I get a ride h-home?”

I nodded. “Yeah sure, you ready to go?”

He repeated the gesture as Rian tried his hardest to conceal a fit of laughter and failed miserably. Alex waved goodbye to everyone before we left to go to the car.

Alex:

“W-what-”

“Don't worry about it,” Rian shook his head.

“But w-why-”

“Listen, I know Zach's been glaring at you since you walked in, Jack's taking care of it.”

I wasn't sure what to say. “O-Oh.”

Rian was silent for a moment. We had only had one conversation and it was with Jack; much like ever conversation with Jack, he had done most of the talking. After a few awkward moments of silence, Rian looked to me with a smile. “He really likes you, ya know.”

I arched an eyebrow. “W-Who?”

He chuckled. “Jack, I've never seen him take to anyone so quickly. Sure he talks to everyone, but he doesn't bring everyone to sit with us at lunch. He especially doesn't bring just anyone here.” He paused to smile up at the sign above the door. “This is a thing. See, the four of us – me, Jack, Liz, and Cas – we found this place years ago, like maybe eighth grade, and we fell in love with the place and the owners are all super nice. So we decided to come here at least once a week in freshman year, but the rule was no doing homework. It forced us to just chill out for a bit, and have conversations, and all that nonsense. We come here about two or three times a week now,” he chuckled. “My point is, this place is special to the four of us, it's like our home away from home – for Jack especially. He wouldn't bring just anyone.”

I sipped my coffee to hide the heat I felt in my face. “W-What about, um...” Of all the times to forget a guy's name.

“Zach?” Rian offered. I nodded, and his nose scrunched up. “He's kinda with Liz at the moment, and sort of friends with Jack. I don't like him all that much, to be honest. He's even more vain than Jack.”

I laughed. “H-Have you s-seen J-J-J,” I sighed, “J-” I shook my head, “Barakat's hair? W-What's he s-spend on that alone, a-an hour?”

I thought coffee was going to come shooting out of his nose. “An hour? I wish!” he laughed. “It takes him an hour and a half, sometimes three hours if it's a particularly bad hair day. The worst is when he spends three hours on his hair, then puts a fucking hat on anyway!”

I shook my head with a smile. I could easily believe that. Suddenly, Zach stood from the table and left the cafe without even sparing Rian and I a wave. “I-Is he mad?”

“Doesn't matter, Jack doesn't care that much about him if he just let him leave like that.”

“Oh.” I wasn't sure what to say to that, honestly.

“Just,” he paused slightly to look at the ground then back up, “be careful with Jack, ok? I know he's a big boy who can take care of himself, but he's my best friend. Plus, you've already got him whipped.”

I shook my head. “I d-didn't do anything.”

Rian grinned. “Yeah I know, but since day one he's followed you around like a puppy. You're the only one with any kind of control over him.” When I shook my head again, he glanced at the table, then gave me a devious smirk. “Alright, I'll show you. We don't usually leave for another two hours, but when we go back in, ask Jack to give you a ride home. Watch how fast he'll jump up to leave.”

I rolled my eyes, but went along. From everything I'd gathered through Tom and his friends, Jack Barakat did solely what he wanted, and nothing else. So in theory if I tell him to give me a ride home, he might say sure, but we'd leave in a couple hours when he was ready.

Boy, was I wrong.

I saw it in his eyes that Jack wanted to know what Rian and I came in giggling about, and I expected him to press me for it until I told: miss assumption one. When I told him to drop it, he immediately dropped it. I grinned at Rian who was hysterical with laughter in response, and I couldn't help but laugh myself. After all, it seemed I had the king of my new high school wrapped around my finger.

Miss assumption two was that he wouldn't take me home, or that I'd have to wait around for him to be done. He'd barely drunk half of his cup when I asked, but he immediately jumped out of his seat and walked me back to the car with his arm slung back around my shoulder.

I smiled. Huh, would you look at that. Looks like I'm in charge of the boss. I was certainly going to have fun with that. Plus, I got to spend more time with Jack and get to know him. It was a win-win.

Notes

Super long chapter cause it's been like a week since I updated.

Everyone's got some issues here.

In other news, I cannot promise frequent uploads because my friend either sprained or fractured my left index finger and typing is a pain in the ass and is slower than normal because my finger's in a splint :( I'm really sorry, I'm really enjoying the way this one's coming out and I can't wait to just sit and write it all out. Enjoy anyway, loves! ~ Anna