Status: complete.
The Boy Who Could Fly.
Chapter Two.
"You shouldn't do that, you know." Jack said, pointing to the cigarette Alex was lifting to his lips.
"Why?" Alex asked, before lifting the object in question to his waiting lips and taking a deep drag before exhaling tiredly.
Jack watched the smoke spiralling elegantly in the evening air for a moment, considering his answer.
"It might kill you." He answered finally, looking up into the face of the empty shell that was once his best friend.
"So would getting hit by a truck," Alex replied, smiling to himself and taking another drag of the cigarette. "But we still cross the road everyday."
***
The first time Mrs. Gaskarth called Jack, it was 4:32am and the dark haired boy was woken up by the obnoxious screech of his ringtone which felt like it was drilling through his brain.
He sat up as quickly as he could and reached out an arm to his bedside table scrambling around frantically, knocking most of his belongings onto the floor, trying to silence the noise before it woke up his parents in the next room.
"Jack? Jack, dear?" Came the worried voice of Alexs' mother through the receiver.
Jack responded with a sleep-jumbled noise, but it didn't sound like Mrs. Gaskarth was listening, anyway.
"Is Alex with you? He hasn't come home." She continued in the same frantic tone.
***
Jack found Alex at the bridge sitting with his legs hanging over the ledge, swinging back and forth like a metronome.
He noticed a half empty bottle of vodka left laying on the ground but he chose to ignore it. He'd long since learnt that it wouldn't make this any easier.
Alex didn't turn around or make any reaction, though Jack knew he could hear his footsteps approaching on the hard concrete ground.
"I'm scared." Was the first thing the older boy said when Jack knelt down next to him silently.
Jack didn't reply straight away.
If it was anybody else, they'd probably be shocked to hear Alex sounding so afraid. Everybody who knew either Alex or his reputation believed he was fearless.
Jack was the only person who knew about the holes in the walls that Alex had built around himself.
"I'm really, really fucking scared. It's like this thing, you know?" Alex said, finally turning to face the younger boy.
Jack could see Alex had been crying from his red rimmed eyes and the damp tear trials on his wind-bitten cheeks, but he chose to ignore it. He'd long since learnt that it wouldn't make this any easier.
"I know." Jack replied, finally.
"No, no you don't." Alex replied, voice sounding raw. "But I need you to."
With that the tears began again, flowing free and fast and Jack didn't know what to do except pull the older boy into his chest and wrap his arms around his shaking shoulders.
"I know." He repeated quietly over Alexs' sobs. "I know, I know, I know."
The truth was that Alex was right, he didn't know and he probably never would, but he chose to ignore it. He'd long since learnt that it wouldn't make this any easier.
***
The second time Mrs. Gaskarth called Jack, it was 2 weeks later and this time Jack knew where Alex was because he was laying in the bed next to him, arm slung loosely around his waist.
After ensuring her that it was fine for Alex to stay - although, both his parents were unaware - he hung up his phone and turned around to face the older boy and was greeted with a kiss on his forehead.
"I thought you were asleep." He mumbled to the lighter haired boy, smiling before sighing contently.
"I was." Alex replied, mirroring the smile.
"Did I wake you? Sorry."
"It's okay." Alex replied, leaning forward and placing a chaste kiss onto Jacks' lips.
"Oh, really?" Jack said, watching as Alex smirked suggestively.
"Yep." Alex replied, popping the 'p' sound. "There are much better things to do than sleep."
This time when Alex leaned in, Jack met him halfway.
To say the sex was better, would be an understatement.
Though, had Jack had known it would turn out to be the last time, he would have paid more attention so he could have savoured every second of it.
***
There were lots of things Jack wished he'd known back then. What was going throguh Alexs' head? What made him act the way he did? And most importantly, how could he have stopped him?
***
The morning after Alex had stayed over, Jack had woken up alone.
"Fuck." He muttered to himself.
It felt disgustingly familiar as he crawled out from underneath what now felt like tainted sheets and stood up stretching his arms above his head.
It was when he was taking a shower, attempting to wash last night from the pores of his skin that he decided he was sick of being treated like shit, he didn't deserve it and he didn't have to put up with it. Not anymore.
He didn't speak to Alex for over a week after that.
***
The first three times Alex called in the early hours of the morning over a week later, Jack ignored his phone.
By the fourth time, he answered with a short, sharp "what?"
"Jack, Jacko, it's me. I need to see you. Please let me see you." He sounded desperate. Good.
"Alex, I'm sleeping."
"Please, I need you, please." The older boy begged.
Jack could hear the wind whistling in the background and knew where Alex was.
"Jack, fuck, just come here. Please. No, now, Jack." He wasn't making any sense and it was a reminder to Jack of just how complicated the older boy was.
He was done with complication. He hung up the phone.
He didn't have to do whatever Alex said.
***
It was around an hour later when Jack finds himself standing at the opening of the forest, looking at the back of the boy stood on the ledge of the bridge that the pair knew so well.
He walked over to the ledge and climbed up, not looking at the boy next to him.
"Remember when I asked you if you thought about what flying feels like?" Alex finally said, breaking the silence.
"Yes." Jack answered quietly, looking down into the darkness below, imagining he could see the train tracks but knowing the darkness and distance both meant he couldn't.
"I don't want to imagine anymore, Jacko."
Jack could feel the threatening prickle of tears in his eyes.
"We could do it together, you know. Me and you." Alex continued.
"No."
"Why not?" Alex asked, turning to face him. Jack didn't look up.
"I love you." He whispered.
"I love you, too." Alex replied, reaching out and lifting Jacks' chin so the younger boy was looking square at him. "I mean it."
In that moment Jack realises that he does mean it. He believes what Alex is saying because he's close enough to see the sincerity in his best friends' tear-filled eyes.
Alex reached out and held Jacks' hand in his own before he leant forward and placed a soft kiss on the younger boys chapped lips.
"Me and you, Jacky." He whispered, just loud enough for Jack to hear. "Forever."
And when Jack hears the unmistakable sounds of metal-on-metal and sees the bright train headlights fast approaching from the distance he struggles to think of anything else he'd rather do.
He keeps his eyes locked to Alexs' as the older boy leans forward and whispers into his ear.
"let's fly."
"Why?" Alex asked, before lifting the object in question to his waiting lips and taking a deep drag before exhaling tiredly.
Jack watched the smoke spiralling elegantly in the evening air for a moment, considering his answer.
"It might kill you." He answered finally, looking up into the face of the empty shell that was once his best friend.
"So would getting hit by a truck," Alex replied, smiling to himself and taking another drag of the cigarette. "But we still cross the road everyday."
***
The first time Mrs. Gaskarth called Jack, it was 4:32am and the dark haired boy was woken up by the obnoxious screech of his ringtone which felt like it was drilling through his brain.
He sat up as quickly as he could and reached out an arm to his bedside table scrambling around frantically, knocking most of his belongings onto the floor, trying to silence the noise before it woke up his parents in the next room.
"Jack? Jack, dear?" Came the worried voice of Alexs' mother through the receiver.
Jack responded with a sleep-jumbled noise, but it didn't sound like Mrs. Gaskarth was listening, anyway.
"Is Alex with you? He hasn't come home." She continued in the same frantic tone.
***
Jack found Alex at the bridge sitting with his legs hanging over the ledge, swinging back and forth like a metronome.
He noticed a half empty bottle of vodka left laying on the ground but he chose to ignore it. He'd long since learnt that it wouldn't make this any easier.
Alex didn't turn around or make any reaction, though Jack knew he could hear his footsteps approaching on the hard concrete ground.
"I'm scared." Was the first thing the older boy said when Jack knelt down next to him silently.
Jack didn't reply straight away.
If it was anybody else, they'd probably be shocked to hear Alex sounding so afraid. Everybody who knew either Alex or his reputation believed he was fearless.
Jack was the only person who knew about the holes in the walls that Alex had built around himself.
"I'm really, really fucking scared. It's like this thing, you know?" Alex said, finally turning to face the younger boy.
Jack could see Alex had been crying from his red rimmed eyes and the damp tear trials on his wind-bitten cheeks, but he chose to ignore it. He'd long since learnt that it wouldn't make this any easier.
"I know." Jack replied, finally.
"No, no you don't." Alex replied, voice sounding raw. "But I need you to."
With that the tears began again, flowing free and fast and Jack didn't know what to do except pull the older boy into his chest and wrap his arms around his shaking shoulders.
"I know." He repeated quietly over Alexs' sobs. "I know, I know, I know."
The truth was that Alex was right, he didn't know and he probably never would, but he chose to ignore it. He'd long since learnt that it wouldn't make this any easier.
***
The second time Mrs. Gaskarth called Jack, it was 2 weeks later and this time Jack knew where Alex was because he was laying in the bed next to him, arm slung loosely around his waist.
After ensuring her that it was fine for Alex to stay - although, both his parents were unaware - he hung up his phone and turned around to face the older boy and was greeted with a kiss on his forehead.
"I thought you were asleep." He mumbled to the lighter haired boy, smiling before sighing contently.
"I was." Alex replied, mirroring the smile.
"Did I wake you? Sorry."
"It's okay." Alex replied, leaning forward and placing a chaste kiss onto Jacks' lips.
"Oh, really?" Jack said, watching as Alex smirked suggestively.
"Yep." Alex replied, popping the 'p' sound. "There are much better things to do than sleep."
This time when Alex leaned in, Jack met him halfway.
To say the sex was better, would be an understatement.
Though, had Jack had known it would turn out to be the last time, he would have paid more attention so he could have savoured every second of it.
***
There were lots of things Jack wished he'd known back then. What was going throguh Alexs' head? What made him act the way he did? And most importantly, how could he have stopped him?
***
The morning after Alex had stayed over, Jack had woken up alone.
"Fuck." He muttered to himself.
It felt disgustingly familiar as he crawled out from underneath what now felt like tainted sheets and stood up stretching his arms above his head.
It was when he was taking a shower, attempting to wash last night from the pores of his skin that he decided he was sick of being treated like shit, he didn't deserve it and he didn't have to put up with it. Not anymore.
He didn't speak to Alex for over a week after that.
***
The first three times Alex called in the early hours of the morning over a week later, Jack ignored his phone.
By the fourth time, he answered with a short, sharp "what?"
"Jack, Jacko, it's me. I need to see you. Please let me see you." He sounded desperate. Good.
"Alex, I'm sleeping."
"Please, I need you, please." The older boy begged.
Jack could hear the wind whistling in the background and knew where Alex was.
"Jack, fuck, just come here. Please. No, now, Jack." He wasn't making any sense and it was a reminder to Jack of just how complicated the older boy was.
He was done with complication. He hung up the phone.
He didn't have to do whatever Alex said.
***
It was around an hour later when Jack finds himself standing at the opening of the forest, looking at the back of the boy stood on the ledge of the bridge that the pair knew so well.
He walked over to the ledge and climbed up, not looking at the boy next to him.
"Remember when I asked you if you thought about what flying feels like?" Alex finally said, breaking the silence.
"Yes." Jack answered quietly, looking down into the darkness below, imagining he could see the train tracks but knowing the darkness and distance both meant he couldn't.
"I don't want to imagine anymore, Jacko."
Jack could feel the threatening prickle of tears in his eyes.
"We could do it together, you know. Me and you." Alex continued.
"No."
"Why not?" Alex asked, turning to face him. Jack didn't look up.
"I love you." He whispered.
"I love you, too." Alex replied, reaching out and lifting Jacks' chin so the younger boy was looking square at him. "I mean it."
In that moment Jack realises that he does mean it. He believes what Alex is saying because he's close enough to see the sincerity in his best friends' tear-filled eyes.
Alex reached out and held Jacks' hand in his own before he leant forward and placed a soft kiss on the younger boys chapped lips.
"Me and you, Jacky." He whispered, just loud enough for Jack to hear. "Forever."
And when Jack hears the unmistakable sounds of metal-on-metal and sees the bright train headlights fast approaching from the distance he struggles to think of anything else he'd rather do.
He keeps his eyes locked to Alexs' as the older boy leans forward and whispers into his ear.
"let's fly."
♠ ♠ ♠
Thanks again for reading and can I just thank Pierce The Veil for the wonderful song The Boy Who Could Fly from which the title and chapter descriptions are taken and was a large influence for this story.