I Know About You

Jack's POV

As I get up to leave math, all I can think about is what just happened. Alex just told me I wasn't such a terrible guy. Maybe I just imagined it, but I'm pretty sure my heart fluttered when I heard that.

As I walk through the halls to my history class I think back on the morning so far. I yelled at Rian and Zack, I got called down to the office for trying to skip, got told off by Alex in English, told off Derek and now I am officially free of that terrible group, Alex told me I wasn't such a bad guy, and I've had Alex in two of my classes so far.

Today is turning out to be pretty great.

I need tell Rian and Zack that I am sorry. I have to talk to them about this morning. I walk into history class and to my enjoyment, Alex is in this class with me as well. I sit right behind him because the seats next to him are occupied, unfortunately.

"Are you stalking me?"

Alex is so cute. I can't believe he is being so nice to me now, it's crazy, but I'm not complaining.

So, I decide to joke with him for a little bit...

"Maybe. Don't be surprised if you find me staring at you through your window tonight."

"You are a fucking creep. Please don't."

"I was just kidding, Alex."

"I know," He smiled at me and turned around in his seat as class was starting.

We had second lunch this year.

The lunch bell couldn't ring faster.

As I was walking to the lunch room, I thought of Alex. I wonder where he goes for lunch. I know he doesn't really have any friends. I should invite him to sit with me, and hopefully Rian and Zack if they also have this lunch.

"Jack! Over here!"

I look up to see Rian and Zack calling me over. I nod my head as a response and make my
way over.

I can't stop thinking about finding Alex to ask him to eat lunch with us. So as I reach Rian and Zack I tell them I need to go find someone really quickly and that I would be right back.

They looked at me confused, but agreed nonetheless.

I decided I should check the hallways first and the library, but he was nowhere to be seen. There was only one other place that seemed like a plausible place to be, the bathroom.
With that thought, I made my way to the restroom near the cafeteria. When I stepped inside it didn't look like anyone was in there, except then I saw Alex's shoes from underneath one of the stalls. I knocked on the stall and called his name.

"Alex?"

"Jack?"

"Yeah, come out."

He slowly undid the lock and stepped outside of the stall.

"What's up?"

"I want you to come eat lunch with me and my friends" I smiled at him, but he looked uneasy.

"I don't think your friends like me very much." Oh, that makes more sense now. He doesn't know which friends I was referring to.

"It's just Rian and Zack. Trust me, they won't mind."

"If you're sure."

"I am, trust me."

He still looked reluctant to come, but I started walking out and he followed. We made our way
back to Rian and Zack in silence, but a comfortable one.

Rian and Zack looked up. They both held surprised expressions but quickly changed their faces to ones with smiles, giving me a look meaning that we would talk about this later.

"Hey Alex. How have you been?" Rian nicely asked.

"I've been alright. Could be better, but could be worse. You?"

"I've been good."

"Sit down guys." Zack suggested.

Alex and I both took our seats. I remembered that I needed to apologize to Zack and Rian and figured that now was as good a time as any. So, I cleared my throat and began to form what I
was going to say.

"Rian, Zack, I just wanted to apologize for everything this morning, and just for everything that past couple of years. I haven't been a very good friend, but you guys have never left my side still. I just wanted to know I appreciate you guys putting up with my shit for so long. I'm trying to fix everything though. Get back to how I was before. I kind of told Derek off today after he was being an asshole to Alex, and well, let's just say I won't be hanging out with that group anymore."

They both looked shocked. I've been a huge dick lately. They're are probably trying to figure out how genuine this is. I'm not going to lie, I've apologized many times before saying I would change with no intentions of changing. But, I'm actually serious this time, and I think they both can tell. Hopefully.

"Is this true? Did Jack really tell off Derek today?" Rian directed this question at Alex.

"Yeah, pretty badly too. Derek basically told him that he wasn't allowed to hang out with any of them anymore. But, Jack didn't seem to care. He talked about how you and Zack never made him do all that bad stuff and never made him do anything and how you guys were really great friends. You're all lucky to have each other."

Alex stood up for me. How sweet. I hope he lets his guards down. I know it's only the first day of school, but I already feel like Alex and I will be close. I hope we will at least. I really want to get to know him. I can already tell that Rian and Zack like him. They have always said he was a great guy, but I know that they wouldn't mind Alex being in our little friend group.

I guess I was staring blankly into space that whole time because Zack is now waving his hand in front of my face.

"Like we were saying, because you weren't listening, we're glad that you stood up to him. Hopefully this time, you will change, and it won't just be your word."

I looked at them both, and they were smiling. I knew that they believed that I would change.

"I will."

The bell then rang, signaling that it was time to go back to class.

Alex and I walked back slowly.

"Thanks for asking me to sit with you guys at lunch. Means a lot."

"You're welcome to sit with us everyday, Alex. Actually, you are going to sit with us everyday. I'm making you. You don't get a choice."

I smiled at him, and he was looked at the ground smiling and blushing. Cute.

"Okay. Sounds great."

"Can I ask you something, though?"

"Go ahead."

"How long have you been staying in the restroom during lunch?"

He looked so ashamed. Maybe I shouldn't have asked. I was just curious. Too soon I guess.

"Nevermind. You don't have to answer that. It's not important anymore. What's important is that you're sitting with me now."

We then reached the classroom and sat through the rest of the block.

Fourth block was psychology. Alex was also in that class. Awesome. Alex and I are in all of
the same classes. This is going to be a great year.

Class went on, and the end of the day announcement started, signaling that the bell was about to ring to let us out of school for the day.

"So, what are you doing after school?" I casually asked Alex. I was thinking about asking him to hang out, but I'm going to spend some much needed best friend time with Rian and Zack.

"Just going home."

I could have sworn that I heard him mutter to hell under his breath after home. I didn't want to question him on it, because it wasn't my place, yet at least.

I wonder if he has a good home life. I hope he does. He deserves something good in his life.
The bell rang and Alex and I made our separate ways and he went to the buses and I went to
my car.

Instead of going home, I just go straight to Rian's house, texting him on my way there letting him know that I needed to talk to him and Zack.

When I pulled up at Rian's I noticed that Zack and himself were already here. I let myself in, because were best friends, no need for knocking when it's basically your second home.
Rian and Zack were sitting on the couch in Rian's basement watching TV. They look up when they hear me come in and Rian turns the TV off.

"So, what did you need to talk to us about?" Zack asks.

"I don't know. Everything."

"Ha, well go ahead."

"Well, I'll start with Alex. He is in every single one of my classes, and I love it. You guys probably already would have known that."

I look up to see them rolling their eyes at me, they know me too well, they know that I will always have a crush on Alex.

"Anyway," I get their attention back, "He kind of told me off in first block. I deserved it. I know I did. I was trying to make small talk with him, trying to be nice, but he basically called me out asking why I was even talking to him and telling me I'm an asshole."

"Guy's smart." Rian mumbled.

"I heard that!"

"You were meant to."

Rian's an asshole...Just kidding :)

"Back to my story!"

"Okay, continue."

"So on the way to second block I saw Derek shove Alex to the ground and call him a faggot and basically it was then that I decided to do something. I don't really know what came over me to tell Derek off, but something did, and I'm happy about it. So then at the end of second block Alex tells me that I'm not such a bad guy, which meant a lot."

I mean, was he flirting with me or just being nice. I can't get his smile out of my head. I swear, I'm going to become obsessed, but not literally... I hope.

"So, then it comes to lunch and I thought that I should invite Alex to sit with us, so that's when I went to look for him. I couldn't find him until I checked the bathroom. He spends his lunch in the fucking bathroom. How sad is that! I asked him how long he has been doing that but he looked so ashamed that I told him not to answer, I could tell that he didn't want to tell me. So, I told him that he was going to eat lunch with us everyday, I hope you guys don't mind. Even if you do, it won't matter, because he is still going to."

"We don't mind Jack. We like Alex." Zack said.

I smiled in appreciation.

"I can't believe he has been spending lunch in the restroom, I wish I would have known. I would have asked him to sit with me last year, because we had the same third block," Rian explained.

"I know, it's really sad. It's like he is such a good, genuine guy, and he gets treated so horribly."

"Well, he is always welcome to hang out with us. You should invite him over some day. He can come chill out." Zack suggested.

"I was hoping that you would say that. I was already thinking about spending time with him. I want to make up for being such an asshole."

"You will, he already seems quite fond of you." Rian stated.

"I know." I smiled just thinking about it. I can't wait to see him tomorrow. I can't stop thinking
about him. His smile, his hair, his eyes, his eveything.

I miss him already.