Air Supply

Zack is quiet. He doesn’t speak very much, and when he does, he always looks pretty uncomfortable. The kids in his grade always kind of thought he was a bit strange, but the girls seemed to love him anyway. Who wouldn’t? He’s got such an adorable smile and the girls in his gym class swear they can see the beginning of a six-pack.

Jack is loud. He’s obnoxious and a trouble maker. He’s always in the office getting in trouble for God knows what and always has a story to tell the next day. He always tells the same person; his best friend Zack.

Nobody really understands how the two boys could possibly be best friends. They’re like the complete opposite of each other. Zack is sweet and quiet while Jack is rude and obnoxious. If you ask them how they’re friends, Zack will just shrug and smile a bit and Jack will throw a bitch fit in the middle of the hallway. Complete opposites.

In the cafeteria, they sit together. It’s Friday and everybody is looking forward to the upcoming 3 day weekend.

“So I was thinking, we should see a movie tonight,” Jack suggests when he slams his food tray down on the table next to Zack. He pulls out the chair and lets it drag across the floor, making an extremely irritable noise. Zack can’t help but smile.

“Okay,” Zack answers quietly. If he weren’t speaking to Jack, the person would have to ask him to repeat what he just said. But Jack is used to it. Zack never has to repeat himself anymore.

“We can see that movie about the end of the world. I heard that it was good.”

“Um…”

“Oh. Right. That scares the shit out of you,” Jack teases, “I guess we can see that stupid romance comedy instead. I know how romantic you are, Zacky.”

Zack blushes and takes a sip of water from his water bottle. Jack knows him too well – just one of the things Zack loves about him. Wait, loves?

“Oh, don’t look now. Francesca is coming over here.”

Zack nearly chokes on the water and tries his best to breathe normally again before he feels the presence of someone on the other side of him. He looks over and smiles at the pretty blonde.

“Hey Zack!” She says, her voice cheerful and her facial expression calm. “You excited for the weekend?”

“Y-yeah. I am, how about you?” Zack talks a bit louder than he normally does. He doesn’t want Francesca to have to ask him twice.

“Oh, definitely. Are you going to Andrew’s party tonight? I heard it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

“Oh, well um… I don’t know-”

“Um, of course we are Fran!” Jack interrupts, noticing Zack struggling. “Zacky will most definitely be there.”

Zack wants to say no; he doesn’t want to go to the party. He hates parties, and he would so much rather go see the movie with Jack. But now he can’t back out.

“Awesome!” Francesca squeals and she stands up from the table. “Save a dance for me, yeah?”

Zack nods absently and picks at the label on his water bottle. Once she’s out of earshot, he sighs.

“What the fuck was that?” Jack hisses at him. “You like, froze!”

“I thought we were going to see a movie…”

“Not when Francesca Stevens asks you to save her a dance! We are going to that party and you are going to get lucky.”

Zack shrugs and goes back to eating his lunch. He doesn’t even want to ‘get lucky’. Not with Francesca, at least. But he can’t tell Jack that. Jack will think he’s a freak, or something close to it.

*

On the bus ride home, Zack is caught up in a million and one thoughts. His head is leaning gently against the window and he’s watching the scenery pass by, but he’s not really paying attention. He’s too focused on Jack. Jack is his best friend. Jack is perfect. Jack is not gay. He’s straight, and Zack is pretty positive about that.

But Zack needs Jack. He needs him almost as much as he needs air. And his weights. But Jack doesn’t know that. He doesn’t know just how much he means to his best friend – how much his best friend loves him.

Loves. Is it love? Zack thinks it must be. What else would it be? Jack makes him happy. He knows him better than he knows himself. He gets Zack, and knows what to say to make him laugh – and make him mad, or even cry (but Jack doesn’t know that). Yeah, it’s love.

**

“No don’t wear that.”

“Why not?”

“Because this will look better.” Jack throws a new pair of black jeans at Zack and pushes him towards his bathroom. “Change fast. The party already started an hour ago!”

Zack sighs in frustration and heads into his bathroom. Jack arrived only twenty minutes ago, and already he’s given Zack a headache. He slips on the new pair of skinny jeans and walks back into his bedroom. Jack is sitting on his bed, flipping the pages of a photo album Zack must have left on the floor.

“What’s that?”

“Pictures of us from like, sixth grade.”

“Oh. So… does this look okay?” Zack asks, feeling quite awkward. “I mean… do you think-”

“You look great. Now we just gotta find Francesca for you, and it’s a done deal, ain’t it?”

“Yeah…”

“You don’t sound very excited.”

“I… well…”

“You don’t like Francesca?”

“She’s nice, but-”

“Don’t you think she’s hot?”

“Well-”

“Zack, any guy would be ecstatic about the chance to be with her. Unless…”

Zack blushes under Jack’s intense stare.

“What’s wrong, Zack?”

“Nothing- I just… I don’t think…” Zack sighs and runs a hand through his hair. He can’t do this anymore. He can’t pretend. “I don’t like girls, Jack.”

Zack sits down on his bed and puts his head in his hands, blocking Jack from his view. He doesn’t want to see the disgusted look on his best friends face and he doesn’t want to watch him leave. But when he doesn’t hear the sound of Jack leaving, he gets curious and looks up again. Jack is still standing before him; head tilted to the side and – to Zack’s surprise – a small smile gracing his lips.

“Zack, why didn’t you just tell me that? Then we wouldn’t have gone through all the trouble of finding you an outfit!” Jack sits down on the bed beside Zack and puts one hand on his knee. “And besides… I would have understood. I’m gay, too.”

“Y-you are?”

“Yeah… and you know what’s even funnier?”

“What?”

Jack leans in, slowly closing the distance between them inch by inch. He hears Zack suck in a deep breath and then exhale slowly right before their lips touch in a soft, sweet kiss. But then Jack pushes him away.

“Shit, I am so sorry – I shouldn’t have done that. I-fuck, I thought-”

“Hey,” Zack interrupts, his voice twice as loud as it usually is, and it startles Jack a bit. “Don’t be sorry. I … I wanted that to happen.”

“I think… I really, really like you… more than just my best friend, Zack. I mean it.”

“I know… I feel the same way… I mean, you’re my best friend and I feel like you’re the only one who will ever get me and-”

This time Jack’s the one who interrupts. He grabs Zack’s face and pulls him closer, pressing their lips together and quickly slipping his tongue inside Zack’s mouth. Zack reacts a second later, wrapping his arms around his best friend’s neck and putting everything he has into the kiss. He keeps his eyes shut tight, never wanting to open them – he doesn’t want this to be a dream.

Jack is the first one to pull away, desperately needing to replenish his air supply. He grins at the boy beside him and takes his hand. “I need you. I can’t even imagine what life would be like if you were never my best friend.”

“You’d just be the rude and obnoxious senior and would probably have terrible grades because I wouldn’t be there for you to cheat off of.”

Jack shrugs, taking no offense. “That’s probably true… And you would just be the lonely boy in the corner who whispers when he talks. But then again, I bet people would find it very attractive, ‘cause God knows that I do.”

*