Lost in Wonderland, Ever After

Jack stopped dead in his tracks.

"A-alex?" Jack stuttered.

"That's what I said...? I'm actually not sure if this is really my name. It was just the only name I could remember other than the name Jack so dad told me to keep the name..." Alex trailed off

"Do you... Do you remember your last name?" Jack slowly asked.

"Um, I remember it started with a G but... other than that, nope." Alex said as he popped the p then continued,

“But I mean, it doesn’t really matter what my last name is since nobody here uses last names and I have no need to use it. The only reason I would have to keep my last name would be for the memory I guess?” Alex shrugged.

“Didn’t you ever thought you would need it when you go back to the other side?” Jack swallowed.

Alex scoffed incredulously

“And look where I still am eleven years later.”

Deep down, Jack knew who this Alex standing in front of him was. It could only be the one and only A.W.G. With the beanie and the dates and name, it had to be him. But deep down Jack knew if he really let this information sink in, he wouldn’t be able to control his emotions. Then was not the time to break down, not when they still had a plan to make.

"Well, as much fun as awkwardly standing in my 'room' is, how about we get started on the plan?" Alex said.

"Right, planning. Where do we go to do that?"

"Here, follow me. And be stealth, we don't need toy soldiers and those stupid heart card soldiers seeing us." Alex spat the last part.

Jack was led down to what was seemingly was a never ending hall. There were some moments where he swore he saw pirates, zombies, egyptians, and toys in the walls.

"Um Alex? Do you see these... things?" Jack queried

"You mean the images?" Alex laughed heartily

"Yeah. What are they?"

It wasn't that Jack didn't know what they were, he just didn't know why they were there.

"Carolina said they were things on the other side. I don't remember much of these things but apparently Carolina loved movies that had these in it so that's why they're here." Alex shrugged

"Huh, I would've expected something like Ever After -considering the situation- or maybe Titanic or some other chick flick. At least this kind of explains the heartlessness." Jack said.

"Titanic? The one with the boat inking and where that stupid Rose took up the whole board so Jack ended up dying?" Alex questioned

"Yeah,” Jack laughed

“We used to watch it all the time and reenact that scene where I had to die just because we shared the same name.” Jack pouted

“Wait, what?” Alex wasn’t sure what Jack was talking about.

At that Jack remembered Alex does not remember those things. Jack mentally cursed himself for being so stupid. He didn’t even tell Alex they knew each other, why would he go and say something like that. Now he had to cover that up quickly or find a way to change the topic.

“Jack, what did you me-”

“Hey, why is the hall so long? When are we getting there?” Jack interrupted to stop Alex from pressing harder into the topic. That seemed to work and Alex’s attention diverted to where they were headed, for the while.

“Oh! Let’s see... We gotta turn... hmm... here... and...” Alex started mumbling directions to himself and Jack followed wordlessly, not wanting to have the past topic be brought up again.

After a few turns and oh shits Alex had finally stopped in front of what looked like another wall.

“Here we are.” Alex smiled.

“We’re gunna plan in front of a wall?” Jack asked

“No stupid. We’re planning in,” Alex pushed the wall and another room appeared.

“Here.”

The room was quite spacious. It had a small coffee table in the middle of the room and two bean bag chairs. A small bookcase that looked like it would fall apart at any given moment right then. There were five canvases lined next to each other on the far side of the wall and each had a different scenery of Toyland. Jack assumed Alex stopped when Carolina took over so that’s why there was only five paintings.

“I used to come to Toy factory all the time to paint the views so dad made me this room for me to paint in. The balcony overlooks the whole land so I could pretty much see anything up here. I don’t come here often anymore though, I miss dad too much.” Alex explained

“Oh. You don’t miss your own family?” Jack knew he was treading dangerous waters with that question; but he couldn’t help himself.

Alex seemed to ponder for a moment before coming up with the answer he wants.

“Sometimes I do. At night I would think about how they’re doing and other shit but honestly? I don’t remember much of them to feel too homesick. I have been in Toyland more than half of my life and Rian and dad’s more like my family than my real one. The only person I really miss seems to be Jack. My happiest memories that I could remember was with Jack. You actually kind of remind me of him with your name and how you look so that’s why I was kind of shocked when you told me your name.”

“I see... well your family is doing fine...” Jack unconsciously mumbled the last bit.

“Sorry, what? I didn’t hear you.”

“Uh I said who’s Rian. Yeah, I was asking you that...” Jack quickly covered up.

“Oh, Rian is the stuttering prince. He’s like a few years older than me so that’s why I’m so close with him.” Alex answered while he went to grab paper and a pen.

“So,” Alex began as he sat down on one of the bean bag chairs

“How are we going to do this?”

Jack sat down on the chair opposite of Alex and thought for a minute.

“How about this...”

~|~

A few hours of arguing later Alex and Jack had finally conjured up a plan they both agreed on.

“Finding Rian shouldn’t be too hard... I think.” Alex said to himself.

“I heard some of the soldiers say that Rian lives in a cave not too far from the castle. If we start heading there now we should get there before dawn.”

“What?! We have to go at night?” Jack whined

“Yeah. So the soldiers can’t see us dumbass. I’d rather be sleep deprived than be caught by Carolina.” Alex countered

“But I’m tired!” Jack whined again

“Well too bad! Suck it up or you’re not going home.” Alex smiled smugly as Jack huffed and got up.

Jack pointed an accusing finger at Alex about to say something when Alex cut him off.

“Hey, I have a ring just like yours.”

Alex pulled a ring exactly like Jack’s out of his pocket and shoved it in said boy’s face.

“Look!”

Sure enough, Jack had really found the other half.

Alex took Jack’s hand and took off his ring to compare it with his own.

“Dude, your’s has A.W.G. engraved in it and mine has J.B.B. engraved in it. What do they mean?” Alex looked up at Jack.

Well out the window goes Jack’s intention to not mention them.

“Uh, they’re actually initials.”

“Really? Of who? Does like everybody have these on the other side? But Carolina didn’t have one as for as I knew.”

“No Alex. They’re friendship rings, but you and me,” Jack gestured between him and Alex

“We called them promise rings when we were 5.”

“Promise rings?”

“We used the rings to symbolize our friendship and love. Promising each other we will be there for one another.” Jack explained.

“A.W.G. are your initials - Alexander William Gaskarth. J.B.B. are my initials - Jack Bassam Barakat. You have my initials on your ring and I have your initials on my ring.”

“But,” Alex couldn’t quite wrap his head around this new found information, nothing seemed to be working right in his brain.

“Shouldn’t it be my Jack that has the ring? Not you? Unless...” Alex’s brain finally clicked

“I... I am your Jack, Lex.” Jack said shyly as he finally lifted his eyes from the floor and looked at Alex.