Too Much of Anything

Without Alex around, everything seemed to be going wrong. I hadn't noticed before how much I depended on Alex, how much I needed his presence to be able to get by. The absence of my best friend from my side is almost killing me.

I never expected that something like this would ever happen between us because I know now that there is a line that has been drawn up, one that I can't cross over.

Alex has become unapproachable and it is clear as day that he doesn't want to be around me. I've tried as much as I can to talk to him, to be able to get near him. But then he just walks away and acts like I'm not even there.

My life has become dysfunctional without Alex. I can't wake up in the mornings because Alex has always been my alarm clock. I don't even get back to my house until way after 6 o'clock because of the long walk from school to my home. I won't even want to step foot on that bus either way.

Worst of all, Alex has made Rian and Zack so irritated that they refuse to talk to either of us until this is sorted out. They're going to be waiting a really long time for that then, aren't they?

I must seem so pathetic because only now have I realized that living without Alex in my life is something I just can't do. I had to find a way somehow to corner him once again and get a proper answer from him. I just couldn't understand him.

I knew that that bet was probably partially to blame. Alex and I have never been in this sort of situation before, I don't exactly know what to do about it. I wondered whether Alex was in the same state as I was, if he was struggling to let go of whatever grudge he was holding against me. All I wanted to know was: what did I do wrong? If only he would tell me!

I hated walking back from school, especially on a freezing cold night where my fingers felt like they would practically fall off any second now. I shivered, feeling the cool wind send shivers down my spine. Usually, Alex would have dragged me off to a club or someplace where he would flirt with girls and I would get absolutely smashed.

I passed that familiar place, it was a weird feeling to be only a step away from it without Alex. I was about to step away when I heard a laugh very akin to a boy I knew too well. My head snapped around to its direction and sure enough Alex was inside looking the worst he has ever been.

Alex doesn't usually get too drunk not as much as this. I didn't even want to think of how many drinks he had downed. I walked over to his direction but as I came nearer he didn't seem to notice me at all.

"Alex." I was only a few steps away from him, he turned his head to face me, his eyes slightly widening. "You're drunk."

He giggled at this remark, "Isn't that obvious?"

I was about to answer back when Alex's attention was drawn to a particular brunette across the room as he wandered over to her. The girl seemed to drown in his eyes immediately and just like so many times before he had her in his grasp.

I followed after him thinking that maybe that this might be my chance to reason with him even if he was drunk. Alex glared at me, shooing me away.

"Go home, Jack," he ordered, "I don't want you here."

I shook my head and tried to pull him away. "I need to talk to you."

He snorted at me, wrapping a hand around this girl's shoulders, he hadn't even asked her name yet. "Well I don't want to talk you, Jack. Can't you just do what I want for once? Didn't you understand when I said I don't want you around?" His voice was rising, the alcohol effecting his speech.

This was ridiculous, I wasn't going to let this be another repeat of that day. I was actually going to do something this time and not just be a coward and give in to King Alex's command.

I couldn't take him ignoring me, I couldn't take it when he would rather choose this random stranger over his best friend who he has known for years. I had to do something. This time without giving in I grabbed onto Alex for the second time and hauled him away from the pretty girl he just met. I didn't care about his protests.

I dragged him out of the club as I let go of him. He looked he wanted to make a bee-line back inside.

"I'm sorry, Jack. But you have to understand that I really don't - " He began before my anger and confusion took over me and I interrupted him.

"No, I don't understand. Because you won't even let me know what the fuck is going on! I've had it with you, Alex. Is this about the bet, because we can leave it. We can leave it and forget it ever happened." I couldn't control the overflow of emotion coming from me.

Alex shook his head looking around awkwardly. He bit his lip like he was deciding whether the next few words were okay to say. "It's not that, it's not the bet - okay, maybe that's what started it. But I just....I just," Alex stuttered on the last few words, unable to say what he really wanted.

I raised an eyebrow quizzically, it was strange to see Alex act like this. He had never before seemed so vulnerable. He was always an over confident cocky bastard who seemed to think everything that came out of his mouth had to be right. So what happened? What made him act like this?

"You just what?" I asked, curious as to what he was trying to say.

His eyes met mine as he looked at me sincerely. "I hate admitting defeat."

I didn't understand what he meant at first but Alex didn't give me enough time to think it over. He grabbed the back of my neck, pulling me down as our lips met and moulded against each other. I was taken aback by the sudden action, my mind being sent into an immediate frenzy.

He pulled away, smiling slightly. I didn't notice that something was wrong until he fell back and hit his head rather violently on the club's outside wall.