Status: finito : )
57 Hilton Street
nine.
“What do you mean you don’t want to come back?” May asks incredulously.
“You know exactly what I mean.”
“You can’t avoid him forever, you know.” May sighs, getting slightly frustrated as she sits down on the stairs.
“I’m not trying to; it’s just far too soon!” Jack retaliates.
“You never said what happened.” May replies.
Jack bites his lip and his brown eyes fill with tears. He looks at Andrew and the older frowns, pulling him tight against his chest.
May frowns when she hears her brother break down over the phone.
Andrew gently takes the cell phone from the younger and hangs up on May.
She pulls the cell away from her ear upon hearing the dial tone and closes her phone furiously. She bites her lip and frowns.
Jack sobs into Andrew’s chest, his arms wrapped tight around the elder’s neck. Andrew rubs his back and can’t find the words to comfort him.
It takes a long time for Jack to calm back down enough to talk, and Andrew doesn’t think May realizes what mentioning Alex actually does to her brother.
Andrew looks down at Jack with his saddened blue gray eyes and sighs.
“Tell me what he did.” He says simply.
“It was about when I broke up with you…” Jack says nervously, trying to formulate a way to tell Andrew “I thought he wanted me…”
Andrew says nothing, just sits and rubs the small of Jack’s back in what he hopes is a soothing way.
“He was just so… I don’t know if there’s the right word for it, but he was amazing. He was the sweetest thing, always acting like he cared, telling me he loved me, that I was everything to him. He even tried to get along with mom and May because he knew it’d make me happy. And I just wasn’t good enough.”
Jack’s tears are back, and they’re stronger and faster than ever. It upsets Andrew just seeing him cry.
“And I don’t know what I did or didn’t do, but I came home from the store yesterday and he had some whore from high school in the bed.”
Jack’s a complete mess now; there are tears and more tears falling down his cheeks and his shoulders are shaking. He honestly doesn’t know what he’s done to make Alex unfaithful.
“And you left him.” Andrew finishes simply.
Jack nods, more sobs shaking his gangly frame. Hearing someone else confirm it makes him feel worse.
“I told him to make his mind up whether he wanted me or her, and he just sat there and didn’t say anything.” Jack whimpers.
“Wait, her?”
“Danielle something. She was in Lottie’s grade, I think.” Jack responds. He hates the girl. He hated her in high school and he hates her even more now.
“Tell me you didn’t kill her?”
Jack smiles weakly and shakes his head.
“No, but I still don’t get it! We’ve been together since we were nineteen! We’ve known each other since we were seven years old, dammit! Surely he’d know by now what to say if he didn’t want me anymore…”
Jack trails off, because the thought of Alex not wanting him any more is one hell of a scary idea for the younger man.
Andrew once again has no appropriate response and so keeps his mouth shut.
“If he doesn’t want me, then who will?” Jack voices something he meant to keep in his head. His brown eyes glance upwards and catch Andrew looking down at him, a sad look in his eyes.
“Jack, there’s not just Alex out there, you know. There’s six million other people on this Earth and you’re fixated with him. I don’t get it.” Andrew answers finally.
“But he’s the only one I want. And if it takes him five million people or more to see that, then I don’t care.”
“What did he do this morning, when you left?”
“What do you mean?”
“Did he try and stop you? Or did he just stand and watch?”
Jack swallows a lump in his throat as he is forced to remember.
“Well, I stormed out and he followed me a few minutes later, but he was dressed. And then he just stood in the doorway while I got the car running and drove away…”
“So he didn’t try to stop you.” Andrew says bluntly.
Jack shakes his head, his eyes brimming with tears that posed a new threat to his cheeks.
“And has he tried to call you?”
“Once. I ignored it then turned my cell off.”
“Turn it back on.”
Jack does as he’s told and pulls his cell from his pocket and switches it on.
7 missed calls
5 text messages
Andrew watches as Jack opens the texts one by one, reading them aloud as he goes. They’re all from Alex.
Jack, I’m sorry.
Please answer. I love you.
Jack, turn your phone on and call me. Please. I know I have to explain.
Okay, I get it. You don’t wanna talk to me.
Jack, seriously, I know I’m a dick and I know I’m stupid but hear me out. I’m so sorry there’s not a right word for it. I love you. Alex xx
“See.” Andrew says quietly. As much as he hates Alex, and basically always will, he doesn’t deserve Jack ignoring him. Granted, Andrew thinks that Alex should go fall off a cliff but still, he knows the boy has feelings. And maybe he doesn’t want Jack and Alex to get back together, but he wants Jack to realize that maybe there are people out there.
Jack moves on to his missed calls.
Alex
Alex
May
May
Alex
Mom
May
“Call them back.”
*
May gets up and shoves her phone in her pocket. She flounces back into the sitting room, where Alex is still staring at the entry in the phone book.
She throws a cushion from the sofa at him to rouse him from his blank state.
“Get some clothes.”
He looks at her, confused, but gets up anyway and starts up the stairs to his and Jack’s room. The thought of what he did in there with Danielle just yesterday overwhelms him with guilt.
He’s still a mess as he flits about the place with a sense of recklessness. May stands in the door with an open backpack where he periodically throws what he thinks he’ll need.
“That should do.” May states, looking down into the bag and seeing three shirts, two pairs of jeans and shoes. She zips it up and throws it quickly on her back and disappears down the stairs. Alex follows behind like a lost puppy.
May’s at her car when Alex catches up. She has the back door open and throws the bag in there before seeing Alex staring at her from the doorway of the house.
“Get the phonebook.” She orders, shutting the car door and looking at the elder male in the doorway.
Alex does as he’s told and returns a few moments later with the book. He hands it to May, who throws it down on the driver’s seat.
“Get in.” She commands, opening the passenger door and basically pushing Alex inside. Alex looks at her, shock in his eyes, as he fastens his seatbelt over his chest.
He watches through the windscreen as May disappears into the house, as all the lights switch off and the girl appears in the doorway again. She locks the house and within moments, she’s in the driver’s seat beside Alex.
“Where are we going?” Alex asks, looking sideways at her.
She turns on the GPS system and looks at the man sat beside her.
“Florida.”
“You know exactly what I mean.”
“You can’t avoid him forever, you know.” May sighs, getting slightly frustrated as she sits down on the stairs.
“I’m not trying to; it’s just far too soon!” Jack retaliates.
“You never said what happened.” May replies.
Jack bites his lip and his brown eyes fill with tears. He looks at Andrew and the older frowns, pulling him tight against his chest.
May frowns when she hears her brother break down over the phone.
Andrew gently takes the cell phone from the younger and hangs up on May.
She pulls the cell away from her ear upon hearing the dial tone and closes her phone furiously. She bites her lip and frowns.
Jack sobs into Andrew’s chest, his arms wrapped tight around the elder’s neck. Andrew rubs his back and can’t find the words to comfort him.
It takes a long time for Jack to calm back down enough to talk, and Andrew doesn’t think May realizes what mentioning Alex actually does to her brother.
Andrew looks down at Jack with his saddened blue gray eyes and sighs.
“Tell me what he did.” He says simply.
“It was about when I broke up with you…” Jack says nervously, trying to formulate a way to tell Andrew “I thought he wanted me…”
Andrew says nothing, just sits and rubs the small of Jack’s back in what he hopes is a soothing way.
“He was just so… I don’t know if there’s the right word for it, but he was amazing. He was the sweetest thing, always acting like he cared, telling me he loved me, that I was everything to him. He even tried to get along with mom and May because he knew it’d make me happy. And I just wasn’t good enough.”
Jack’s tears are back, and they’re stronger and faster than ever. It upsets Andrew just seeing him cry.
“And I don’t know what I did or didn’t do, but I came home from the store yesterday and he had some whore from high school in the bed.”
Jack’s a complete mess now; there are tears and more tears falling down his cheeks and his shoulders are shaking. He honestly doesn’t know what he’s done to make Alex unfaithful.
“And you left him.” Andrew finishes simply.
Jack nods, more sobs shaking his gangly frame. Hearing someone else confirm it makes him feel worse.
“I told him to make his mind up whether he wanted me or her, and he just sat there and didn’t say anything.” Jack whimpers.
“Wait, her?”
“Danielle something. She was in Lottie’s grade, I think.” Jack responds. He hates the girl. He hated her in high school and he hates her even more now.
“Tell me you didn’t kill her?”
Jack smiles weakly and shakes his head.
“No, but I still don’t get it! We’ve been together since we were nineteen! We’ve known each other since we were seven years old, dammit! Surely he’d know by now what to say if he didn’t want me anymore…”
Jack trails off, because the thought of Alex not wanting him any more is one hell of a scary idea for the younger man.
Andrew once again has no appropriate response and so keeps his mouth shut.
“If he doesn’t want me, then who will?” Jack voices something he meant to keep in his head. His brown eyes glance upwards and catch Andrew looking down at him, a sad look in his eyes.
“Jack, there’s not just Alex out there, you know. There’s six million other people on this Earth and you’re fixated with him. I don’t get it.” Andrew answers finally.
“But he’s the only one I want. And if it takes him five million people or more to see that, then I don’t care.”
“What did he do this morning, when you left?”
“What do you mean?”
“Did he try and stop you? Or did he just stand and watch?”
Jack swallows a lump in his throat as he is forced to remember.
“Well, I stormed out and he followed me a few minutes later, but he was dressed. And then he just stood in the doorway while I got the car running and drove away…”
“So he didn’t try to stop you.” Andrew says bluntly.
Jack shakes his head, his eyes brimming with tears that posed a new threat to his cheeks.
“And has he tried to call you?”
“Once. I ignored it then turned my cell off.”
“Turn it back on.”
Jack does as he’s told and pulls his cell from his pocket and switches it on.
7 missed calls
5 text messages
Andrew watches as Jack opens the texts one by one, reading them aloud as he goes. They’re all from Alex.
Jack, I’m sorry.
Please answer. I love you.
Jack, turn your phone on and call me. Please. I know I have to explain.
Okay, I get it. You don’t wanna talk to me.
Jack, seriously, I know I’m a dick and I know I’m stupid but hear me out. I’m so sorry there’s not a right word for it. I love you. Alex xx
“See.” Andrew says quietly. As much as he hates Alex, and basically always will, he doesn’t deserve Jack ignoring him. Granted, Andrew thinks that Alex should go fall off a cliff but still, he knows the boy has feelings. And maybe he doesn’t want Jack and Alex to get back together, but he wants Jack to realize that maybe there are people out there.
Jack moves on to his missed calls.
Alex
Alex
May
May
Alex
Mom
May
“Call them back.”
*
May gets up and shoves her phone in her pocket. She flounces back into the sitting room, where Alex is still staring at the entry in the phone book.
She throws a cushion from the sofa at him to rouse him from his blank state.
“Get some clothes.”
He looks at her, confused, but gets up anyway and starts up the stairs to his and Jack’s room. The thought of what he did in there with Danielle just yesterday overwhelms him with guilt.
He’s still a mess as he flits about the place with a sense of recklessness. May stands in the door with an open backpack where he periodically throws what he thinks he’ll need.
“That should do.” May states, looking down into the bag and seeing three shirts, two pairs of jeans and shoes. She zips it up and throws it quickly on her back and disappears down the stairs. Alex follows behind like a lost puppy.
May’s at her car when Alex catches up. She has the back door open and throws the bag in there before seeing Alex staring at her from the doorway of the house.
“Get the phonebook.” She orders, shutting the car door and looking at the elder male in the doorway.
Alex does as he’s told and returns a few moments later with the book. He hands it to May, who throws it down on the driver’s seat.
“Get in.” She commands, opening the passenger door and basically pushing Alex inside. Alex looks at her, shock in his eyes, as he fastens his seatbelt over his chest.
He watches through the windscreen as May disappears into the house, as all the lights switch off and the girl appears in the doorway again. She locks the house and within moments, she’s in the driver’s seat beside Alex.
“Where are we going?” Alex asks, looking sideways at her.
She turns on the GPS system and looks at the man sat beside her.
“Florida.”