The Other Half

Sometimes perfection can be,

It can be perfect hell, perfect…

It’s been a month. A month since the younger boy has so much as even looked at Alex, let alone spoken to him.

31 fucking days.

Still nothing.

No explanations, no reasons, no goodbyes.

Alex still doesn’t get how Jack could just wake up one day and realize that he no longer wanted to talk to the older boy. They were best friends and then they were nothing. It was as if those years of friendship disappeared; the hugs and snowball fights, the stupid dares and pranks, all of it vanished, leaving behind a confused boy surrounded by pieces of what was once their life.

What they had was perfect. They were often clichéd as two pieces of a puzzle; one that fit perfectly together. They were the peanut butter to each other’s jelly, the spaghetti to meatballs, the cookies to the milk. But what was left now? Just two lost boys searching for some kind of meaning behind life.

Jack never explained himself. He never told the other why it was that their friendship no longer mattered. Alex had thought everything was going perfectly, but apparently it wasn’t. He thought that nothing could tear them apart, as long as they stuck together. Of course, when Jack gave up, it was all ruined.

“Talk to him.”

“He cares more than you think.”

“I’m sure he has a reason for it.”

“Don’t give up on him.”

Those were Rian and Zack’s pleas for Alex to get the courage and finally talk to the Lebanese boy. But Alex was scared, so fucking scared, of messing things up even further. The thought of approaching Jack made him shake in fear.

He couldn’t possibly count the number of time he had thumbed over the keypad of his phone, a text for Jack open on the screen, before deleting it.

He missed the younger boy so much. It felt like a part of him was gone and he was searching for this missing piece of himself; his other half.

---

Jack was sitting alone on a broken swing set, at the abandoned park. That’s where he spent most of his time lately, on the only remaining seat that still hung from two rusted chains, swinging back and forth, slowly.

He never expected to be found, until he felt a light tap on his shoulder and he spun around in his seat immediately.

And there stood Alex. The same Alex he had been avoiding for over a month now, trying his hardest not to run up to the boy and kiss him, or apologize for his shitty behavior. There stood Alex, surrounded by fog in the cloudy afternoon light, dressed in ripped jeans and a sweatshirt, scuffed converse on his feet. He was missing the usual air of confidence that seemed to follow him everywhere he went. Instead, he stood with his head down, eyes directed towards the floor, occasionally sneaking a glance at Jack. His legs were crossed, his hands in his pockets, hair covering most of his face. He looked scared.

“H-h-hi,” He whispered, swallowing loudly, before clearing his throat.

“Hey.”

The tension was as thick as the fog, while Alex searched for a way to word himself.
“W-why?” One word was all he could manage to let out, his head spinning.

Jack looked away, knowing what was being asked.

“I-I, look Alex.” The name felt foreign coming from his tongue, lack of use making it hurt. “I have a good reason. I promise.”

The older boy looked up then, tears in his eyes, as his hands shook. “Well then tell me please, Jack, for fuck’s sake, tell me why you left me all alone.”

“I fell in love with you Alex.” Jack mumbled, exasperated.

“T-that’s it?” Alex grew angry, tears spilling freely now. “If you were a good friend, you’d know that I’ve been in love with you since the first time we went to a concert together, which was fucking seven years ago Jack. We were ten years old and I fucking fell for you, because you were just perfect. It’s no secret that I’ve loved you Jack. Everybody saw it.” He stopped, taking a long gasping breath, before wiping away some tears.

“N-no, you don’t get it. I-I got sick then. I was diagnosed with anemia a-and, oh god, I almost died. I’ve had it since I was just 5 months because I lost a lot of blood after falling and it was a long time coming, when I just collapsed and they had to take me to the hospital. There they had to give me a blood transfusion and now I’m on medicine and I can’t even exert too much effort because I could pass out again. I just. I didn’t think you’d ever fall in love with me if you knew I was sick. I didn’t even think you’d want to be around me.”

“Jack.” Alex looked to the boy in tears, before collapsing onto the ground beside him, and wrapping his arms around the skinny boy, pulling him onto his lap. “How could you think that?”

“I wanted you to love me but I realized that I’d just be a bother for a long time, while I’m in critical condition. I didn’t want to burden you or make you feel like I’m weak, like some kind of freak.”

“Jack, baby, shhh. Tons of people have Iron-deficiency anemia. How could you think I’d ever judge you or think any less of you for it? I love you so fucking much Jack. Nothing could change that.”

Jack turned to face Alex then, tears streaming down both of their faces as he leant forward and pressed their lips together. The long desired contact had them pressing harder, holding onto each other as if their life depended on it. And in some ways, it did.

“ I missed you. Don’t ever leave me like that again.” Alex whispered against his mouth.
“I promise.”

And another press of lips as they melted into each other, finding the other half they’d been craving for so long.