Status: One Shot.
At The End of The World
Shaking in Waiting.
They said the world was going to end today. It was December, 21st, 2012 and I was sitting in my corner desk in
homeroom at school. Christmas break was starting after the final bell rang today. Hardly anyone showed up.
I don’t blame them, what kind of normal person would want to show up on what is supposed to be doomsday,
right before Christmas break? It didn’t really matter to me, I don’t do much at school and I had no real plans for
Christmas. No real friends to do anything with at Christmas, would be the better reason, I guess. I sat studying the
other few kids in class while talked amongst themselves. Only four girls were here today, five guys. The class was usually thirty plus. We wouldn’t be doing much today. My eyes shifted lazily off the other students and over to the window. Today was dark. Grey and black, haunting clouds covered the usually blue horizon, threatening a huge blizzard. A boy sitting
near one of the big windows caught my eye. I think his name was Jack. He was staring out into the sky and his hands looked like they were shaking. I smirked to myself. He didn’t actually believe this 2012 bullshit did he?
A few minutes past and he still hadn’t torn his eyes away from the sky. A few soft snow flakes tumbled to the ground. I glanced back at the nearly empty classroom to see that a few people ditched and some were planning on leaving. I
thought maybe I should leave too, but what about Jack? I guess he wasn’t really my problem..but I didn’t want to leave
him here by himself. Suddenly, I found myself standing and stepping quietly to the empty desk his back was facing.
My finger tapped gently on his shoulder and he flew from his seat.
“Oh fucking hell, you scared me.” He whispered.
I giggled in response. “Everyone’s leaving. I thought I should tell you so you weren’t here all alone.. are you scared of
the whole 2012 thing?”
“N-no.. not at all, and thanks..” He stuttered.
I gave him a nod in return and grabbed my backpack. “See you after break then..uh..”
“Jack.”
“I’ll see you after break, Jack.” I congratulated myself in my head for getting the name right.
My converse crunched over snow as I crossed the lot over to my shitty black car. I swear it was going to break down
one of these days. I fumbled with the keys, only dropping them once, before climbing into the frozen car. I looked out the windshield while slipping my key in the ignition and saw Jack walking in the direction I was headed, jacket clutched
tightly around him. My car started quickly, to my surprise and I pulled out of the lot, slowly driving up to the terrified, cold boy walking down the street. I unrolled my window.
“Hey Jack, need a ride?” I called out.
He jumped again. “No, uh, that’s okay.”
“Are you sure?”
He began walking again.
“Get in the car.” I pulled up behind him again.
“No.”
“Are you seriously going to keep arguing this? Just get in the fucking car.”
He seemed startled by the harshness in my voice. I was honestly a bit startled too, but he obeyed and walked around the front of my car, climbing in.
“You look cold.”
He stared at me like I was stupid.
“Let’s go get coffee.”
He gave me a questioning look as I drove to my favorite coffee shop. It was about ten minutes south of town. I’ve never really known why there was a coffee shop out here, but I love it. The snow began to fall heavily on the road and I could
tell Jack was getting nervous. I saw the coffee shop off in the distance and soon pulled into the empty, little parking lot outside. There was only one other car here, I’m assuming belonged to the owner. Jack and I stepped inside and took a
seat a deep red booth close to a giant bookshelf that spelled out ‘read’ on the wall. I’ve always wanted to make that bookshelf.
Jack smiled softly. “I like it here..”
I smiled back. Soon the waitress in her late fifty’s came and took our orders. I had a coffee, two cream, two sugars and Jack ordered hot chocolate. I couldn’t help but smile at that. He was kind of adorable.
“Alex?” Jack snapped his long fingers in my face.
“I uh, what?”
“You were staring at me..”
I blushed a deep read color. I bet I matched the little booth. “Sorry.”
He smiled. “That’s okay.” and took another sip of his hot chocolate.
The sky became even darker, if that was possible. Jack and I stayed seated in our corner. I asked Jack again if he was scared. He nodded. I don’t know what gave me the balls to do it, but I found myself switching to his side of the booth and wrapping my right arm around his thin waist. He blushed and bit his lip, looking back out the window. I don’t know if it was the cute things he did, or his simple vulnerability because of the myth of today, but I think I was falling in love with Jack. Can a person fall in love that quick?
Hours passed quickly as Jack and I talked. We talked about everything and nothing.
“Wanna play 20 questions?” I asked as I rested my head on Jacks shoulder and looked up at him.
He smiled. “Okay..shoot.”
“Start off simple.. favorite color?”
“Green. Middle name?”
“William. Play any instruments?”
“Guitar.”
It went on like this for a while. I’m sure we exceeded 20 questions. The waitress came by again and told us they were gonna have to close because of the storm. Jack and I ordered one more drink each, before stepping back out into the biting snow. We slid into my car and I was quick to start it up. The engine rattled badly but I didn’t think much into it. I put the car into drive and pulled slowly back onto the main road. It was really icy and I didn’t want to risk anything. A few minutes down the road, the engine began to rattle again and the check engine light lit up on my dash.
“Fuck.” I said under my breath.
Jacks eyes widened. “What happened, Alex?”
“The engine.. fuck. I knew this was going to happen soon..”
I pulled the car to the side of the road as it stalled in the snow. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my cell phone and called my dad. He was still at work, so we would be waiting here for a few hours. I didn’t mind that so much, mainly because I’d have to get the blankets out of the trunk and sit with Jack in the back seat. I did just that.
Jacks legs were crossed in the back seat and mine were laying over his. My head was rested on his shoulder and the blankets were piled up. It was -25 outside and we couldn’t leave the car running. Wouldn’t want to poison Jack on the first date.
“I only came to school today because I knew you would be there.”
His sudden voice startled me. “Really?”
He nodded. “Are we gonna die, Alex?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“Can we call this a date..just in case?” He spoke softly, blushing.
I smiled. “As you wish.”
He bit his lip.
I looked up at him. “Does Jack kiss on the first date?”
“Maybe.”
Leaning up slowly, I attached my lips to his. My eyes fluttered closed and he leaned in. I pulled away after a few seconds and he was smiling.
They said the world was going to end today. I think a part of mine just began.
homeroom at school. Christmas break was starting after the final bell rang today. Hardly anyone showed up.
I don’t blame them, what kind of normal person would want to show up on what is supposed to be doomsday,
right before Christmas break? It didn’t really matter to me, I don’t do much at school and I had no real plans for
Christmas. No real friends to do anything with at Christmas, would be the better reason, I guess. I sat studying the
other few kids in class while talked amongst themselves. Only four girls were here today, five guys. The class was usually thirty plus. We wouldn’t be doing much today. My eyes shifted lazily off the other students and over to the window. Today was dark. Grey and black, haunting clouds covered the usually blue horizon, threatening a huge blizzard. A boy sitting
near one of the big windows caught my eye. I think his name was Jack. He was staring out into the sky and his hands looked like they were shaking. I smirked to myself. He didn’t actually believe this 2012 bullshit did he?
A few minutes past and he still hadn’t torn his eyes away from the sky. A few soft snow flakes tumbled to the ground. I glanced back at the nearly empty classroom to see that a few people ditched and some were planning on leaving. I
thought maybe I should leave too, but what about Jack? I guess he wasn’t really my problem..but I didn’t want to leave
him here by himself. Suddenly, I found myself standing and stepping quietly to the empty desk his back was facing.
My finger tapped gently on his shoulder and he flew from his seat.
“Oh fucking hell, you scared me.” He whispered.
I giggled in response. “Everyone’s leaving. I thought I should tell you so you weren’t here all alone.. are you scared of
the whole 2012 thing?”
“N-no.. not at all, and thanks..” He stuttered.
I gave him a nod in return and grabbed my backpack. “See you after break then..uh..”
“Jack.”
“I’ll see you after break, Jack.” I congratulated myself in my head for getting the name right.
My converse crunched over snow as I crossed the lot over to my shitty black car. I swear it was going to break down
one of these days. I fumbled with the keys, only dropping them once, before climbing into the frozen car. I looked out the windshield while slipping my key in the ignition and saw Jack walking in the direction I was headed, jacket clutched
tightly around him. My car started quickly, to my surprise and I pulled out of the lot, slowly driving up to the terrified, cold boy walking down the street. I unrolled my window.
“Hey Jack, need a ride?” I called out.
He jumped again. “No, uh, that’s okay.”
“Are you sure?”
He began walking again.
“Get in the car.” I pulled up behind him again.
“No.”
“Are you seriously going to keep arguing this? Just get in the fucking car.”
He seemed startled by the harshness in my voice. I was honestly a bit startled too, but he obeyed and walked around the front of my car, climbing in.
“You look cold.”
He stared at me like I was stupid.
“Let’s go get coffee.”
He gave me a questioning look as I drove to my favorite coffee shop. It was about ten minutes south of town. I’ve never really known why there was a coffee shop out here, but I love it. The snow began to fall heavily on the road and I could
tell Jack was getting nervous. I saw the coffee shop off in the distance and soon pulled into the empty, little parking lot outside. There was only one other car here, I’m assuming belonged to the owner. Jack and I stepped inside and took a
seat a deep red booth close to a giant bookshelf that spelled out ‘read’ on the wall. I’ve always wanted to make that bookshelf.
Jack smiled softly. “I like it here..”
I smiled back. Soon the waitress in her late fifty’s came and took our orders. I had a coffee, two cream, two sugars and Jack ordered hot chocolate. I couldn’t help but smile at that. He was kind of adorable.
“Alex?” Jack snapped his long fingers in my face.
“I uh, what?”
“You were staring at me..”
I blushed a deep read color. I bet I matched the little booth. “Sorry.”
He smiled. “That’s okay.” and took another sip of his hot chocolate.
The sky became even darker, if that was possible. Jack and I stayed seated in our corner. I asked Jack again if he was scared. He nodded. I don’t know what gave me the balls to do it, but I found myself switching to his side of the booth and wrapping my right arm around his thin waist. He blushed and bit his lip, looking back out the window. I don’t know if it was the cute things he did, or his simple vulnerability because of the myth of today, but I think I was falling in love with Jack. Can a person fall in love that quick?
Hours passed quickly as Jack and I talked. We talked about everything and nothing.
“Wanna play 20 questions?” I asked as I rested my head on Jacks shoulder and looked up at him.
He smiled. “Okay..shoot.”
“Start off simple.. favorite color?”
“Green. Middle name?”
“William. Play any instruments?”
“Guitar.”
It went on like this for a while. I’m sure we exceeded 20 questions. The waitress came by again and told us they were gonna have to close because of the storm. Jack and I ordered one more drink each, before stepping back out into the biting snow. We slid into my car and I was quick to start it up. The engine rattled badly but I didn’t think much into it. I put the car into drive and pulled slowly back onto the main road. It was really icy and I didn’t want to risk anything. A few minutes down the road, the engine began to rattle again and the check engine light lit up on my dash.
“Fuck.” I said under my breath.
Jacks eyes widened. “What happened, Alex?”
“The engine.. fuck. I knew this was going to happen soon..”
I pulled the car to the side of the road as it stalled in the snow. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my cell phone and called my dad. He was still at work, so we would be waiting here for a few hours. I didn’t mind that so much, mainly because I’d have to get the blankets out of the trunk and sit with Jack in the back seat. I did just that.
Jacks legs were crossed in the back seat and mine were laying over his. My head was rested on his shoulder and the blankets were piled up. It was -25 outside and we couldn’t leave the car running. Wouldn’t want to poison Jack on the first date.
“I only came to school today because I knew you would be there.”
His sudden voice startled me. “Really?”
He nodded. “Are we gonna die, Alex?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“Can we call this a date..just in case?” He spoke softly, blushing.
I smiled. “As you wish.”
He bit his lip.
I looked up at him. “Does Jack kiss on the first date?”
“Maybe.”
Leaning up slowly, I attached my lips to his. My eyes fluttered closed and he leaned in. I pulled away after a few seconds and he was smiling.
They said the world was going to end today. I think a part of mine just began.