Trophy Eyes.

To say Andrew is surprised when Jack thuds down in the seat beside him at the sushi restaurant is an understatement. Aled and Daniel stare across the table at him, Aled holding a California roll between two chopsticks.

Andrew stares at him as he sets the DVD down in front of his half-empty bowl of salmon rice.

“Tell Alexander that his genius plan to get in my pants didn’t work.”

Andrew frowns at his best friend and shoves the DVD across the table at Daniel.

“He wasn’t trying to get in your pants.” Aled sighs, before popping the roll into his mouth.

“Right. That makes total sense. Why else would he go to all this trouble?” Jack retorts, folding his arms on the tabletop.

“To say sorry.” Andrew says, going back to his rice bowl.

“Dan, get my phone for me.” Aled instructs, and Daniel quickly pulls the younger’s phone from his pocket.

“Thanks.” Aled replies, smiling and kissing Daniel on the cheek. He pushes a few buttons before pressing it to his ear.

Whoever’s on the line takes his time picking up, because Aled is halfway done eating a spicy tuna roll when they pick up.

“Didn’t work.” is all he says, through a mouthful of fish and rice. He pulls the phone away from his ear and it’s possible to hear the other person cursing ridiculously loudly.

Aled pushes the phone back to his ear and sandwiches another roll between his chopsticks.

“I know. We all thought it would work too.”

Jack stares across the table at him, before mouthing ‘He’s calling Alex?’ at Daniel. When the drummer nods, Jack’s mouth falls open and Andrew has to push it closed so he doesn’t resemble a goldfish.

“I know. We’ll call you if we think of something. See you round.” Aled hangs up and pushes his cell back into his pocket, his eyes locked with Jack’s the whole time.

“Whose side are you even on?” Jack asks, narrowly stopping himself from screaming at the Welsh boy.

“Nobodies.” Aled says simply, perusing the menu for the fifteenth time and Jack glares at him.

“Really? Because it looks a lot like you’re on Alex’s to me!” Jack retorts, and his voice is escalating.

“For God’s sake Jack, how old are you? Six or sixteen? There are no sides. Alex stopped being a dick and it’s about time you do.” Aled replies, somehow keeping his cool exterior.

Jack glares at him even more as he stands, and he flounces his way out of the restaurant. The three of them watch him in disbelief.

“Arsehole.” Aled mumbles, swiping another plate from the conveyor beside him.

*

Joe’s sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, reading a book, when Jack comes stomping back inside. He swipes an apple from the fruit bowl beside his brother, throws it between his hands before biting down on it angrily.

“Well, somebody’s mad.” Joe comments, glancing at Jack before going back to his book.

Jack flips him the bird as he makes to leave.

“By the way, Alex isn’t coming over on Saturday.”

Jack reverses and leans around the kitchen door.

“Why not?”

“May said something about it not being a good idea to have you two in the same house. And she’s usually right, so I’m going to his place.”

Jack nods slowly, walking back into the kitchen apprehensively as Joe sets down his book.

“You know, you never did say why you were upset last Saturday.”

Jack shrugs, taking another bite of his apple.

“Had sex with Alex, he acted like it didn’t mean anything even though he knew full well he was my first, then he left to go do your dumb Spanish project.” Jack shrugs again.

“You and Alex had sex?” Joe asks, his voice raised as he stares at his brother. Jack nods.

Joe’s pretty sure the thud he just heard was his jaw hitting the floor.

He splutters incoherently, part of him wanting to beat Jack for being so goddamn stupid, part of him wanting to flail and the rest of him wanting to stand around like a wet blanket until he thought of how to react.

Jack, as if sensing his brother’s plight, continues speaking.

“He’s been flirting with me ever since you started this project. When you went to the store for whatever it was, it was the perfect opportunity.”

“Why him?” is all that falls from Joe’s lips “There’s hundreds of kids in school, and you picked him!”

Jack sighs and looks at the floor. Joe does kind of feel bad for him.

First and foremost, Jack is his brother, and it shouldn’t matter that he fucked Alex. He embraces Jack in a gentle hug, simply because he knows what Jack gets like.

*

It’s the next day - Thursday - when Joe next sees Alex. The bell’s just rung for third period - Spanish class. It’s as Alex slides into the seat beside him and regards him with a small smile that Joe flips.

It doesn’t fully register to either boys as Joe’s fist connects with Alex’s jaw.

Alex recoils, and when he recovers, he just stares at the elder boy. He picks up his bag from the floor, shakes his head and leaves, pushing past the teacher on his way.

“Someone inform Mr Gaskarth that he’s just earned himself a week of detention.”

Aled and Daniel find Alex sulking on the front wall of the school yard, right in front of the giant sign with the school’s name emblazoned across it. They sit down at either side of him and Aled inspects the purple bruise forming on his jaw.

“Joe?” He says blankly, and Alex nods in response.

“Look… Just go home. Forget about Jack for a day or so and then come back. Andrew said something about trying to get Jack to come back to class next week.”

Alex nods again, and embraces Aled in a quick hug before standing up. The two juniors wave at him half-heartedly as he heads home.

Alex wants to be able to listen to Aled when he says to forget about Jack.

But then he remembers that it’s impossible to forget about Jack Barakat.