Running From Lions

Alex stood in the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. His choppy brown hair hung just to the length below his ears. He sighed heavily and turned the tap on. “Okay” he said to his reflection. “You need to calm down.” He turned the tap on and splashed water on his face. Cold drops of water dripped down and suddenly there was a loud knock on the door.
“You okay in there Lexy?” Jack called through the door. He had begun to worry about his best friend after he had been gone for ten minutes.
Alex grabbed a towel from the rack and dried off his face.
“Yep!” He called. He opened the door to find his best friend standing there smiling.
“Tired?” Jack asked, running his hands through his black and blonde hair. Alex nodded sleepily at his best friend, suddenly any thoughts of romanticism towards his best friend were pushed out of Alex’s head, he wouldn’t let his stupid imagination ruin a perfectly good night. They toppled up the stairs and into Jacks bedroom.

It was only 12 AM –Jacks parents had come home during the movie, they quickly said goodnight and left the boys on their own – So the boys decided they would stay up just a little longer. They sat in Jacks queen-sized bed, listening to Blink-182’s greatest hits album and began talking about Tay once again.
“I guess I just don’t know how to act around her” Alex sighed heavily. “I just, I think back to our relationship and I gave her everything! I was nothing but good to her and she… she ruined everything.” He dug his head into the pillow on Jacks bed and groaned. Jack laughed at Alex.
“Lex, seriously, I told you already, she’s a bitch. I mean technically I still am friends with her because well, she’s never done anything to me,” Alex nodded understanding this, he would never ask Jack to stop being friends with Tay just because of the terrible things she had done to him.
“But saying that,” Jack continued “You gotta get out there and find a girl that’s actually worth your time. Someone you can laugh with, be happy with, smile with. You know?” Alex nodded, knowing that the only person who made him feel like that was Jack, but he ignored this fact and continued on.
“Its like, she made me feel so worthless you know? And now she wants me back? It’s a fucking joke. I went to L.A because mum knew how upset I was and she thought I needed a break, and now she’s trying to fuck me over again. Jack she came onto me today!” Jack looked at his best friend with worry.
“Really Lex?” He said slowly. “How?”
“Well I was standing right over there,” He pointed at the dresser “and she waltzed in here in her stupid bikini and tried to get with me!” Jack looked nervously at his best friend.
“I don’t want her to hurt you again Alex” He said. He placed his left hand on his best friends leg, which shot a tingly feeling up Alex’s spine. He shook off the feeling and looked at Jack.
“She won’t.” He stated.
“Are you sure?” Jack questioned him. Alex nodded and lay down on the bed, Jack did the same, inching towards his best friend and resting his head on his shoulder.
Alex sighed heavily.
“What?” Jack questioned the sigh.
“It’s just…” Alex stammered. “Never mind” He said quickly and rolled over so he was facing the wall.
“What is it Lexy!?” Jack tugged on his best friends t-shirt but Alex wouldn't budge.

“Alex” Jack said after a few moments of silence. “Please look at me.” Alex slowly uncurled away from the wall and faced his best friend who was also laying right next to him, their noses almost touching.
“You’re my best friend in the whole world right?” He said seriously. Alex nodded slowly, seeing the worried look in Jacks eyes.
“Okay” He said, he blinked a few times. “I just, Alex I missed you when you were gone. I don’t want Tay to fuck things up again so you have to go live with your cousins in L.A. I hated being alone without you. Day after day, this summer sucked, and the band wasn’t the same. I love Ri and Zackky but you know… you’re my best friend, always have been. I was so scared you weren’t going to come back and…” Jack was suddenly interrupted when Alex wrapped his arms around his best friend and snuggled into his chest.
“I won’t leave you” Alex sighed heavily. He had never felt more alone then when he wasn’t with his best friend. There had been no one to talk to day after day about the important things in life. Sure, Jack had an immature side, that was as clear as daylight, but when they were alone, the boys had some sort of connection. They could talk and laugh and be serious about anything. They understood each other, and that was how it had always been, since the day they met.
“Good” Jack leaned down and pushed his head into Alex’s. For a second Alex thought that Jack was kissing his forehead, but he knew that was a stupid thought, he threw It out of his head almost just as fast as it had entered. The two males pulled apart and laughed at each other.
“What are we, chicks?” Jack snorted. “You fucking dick” He playfully punched Alex on the shoulder and grabbed a pillow and began whacking him over the head with it. Alex returned the motion and the boys began to have a pillow fight in Jacks room. Alex ran towards the closet and pulled out an old nerf gun that had been stored there for months. He shot the fake bullets at his friend and Jack dodged them while using a pillow as a shield. It was reaching 1:00AM and the boys were creating chaos in Jacks room. Suddenly the door slid open and a very unhappy Mrs.Barakat stood before the boys in her night robe.

“Ahem” she coughed.
“Sorry Mrs.Barakat!” Alex chirped “We will be quiet now. Sorry!” Jack laughed at Alex who was shamefully apologizing.
“Sorry mom” He said rolling his eyes. “Goodnight.” And with that the door shut once again. The boys left the room in a mess and crawled into bed. They didn’t mind sleeping in the same bed, as kids they basically grew up through middle school having sleepovers at one-another’s every single day of summer. Jack was used to Alex’s sleep-talking habits, and Alex was used to the way Jack always stole the blankets in the middle of the night. Alex rested his head on the pillow next to Jack, once again their noses were almost touching. Alex blinked a few times before yawning and pulling the blankets to cover the boys. They took their clothes off under the covers and were only left wearing their boxer shorts.
“Goodnight Lexy” Jack yawned “Sleepy time” He smiled with a sleepy grin and flicked the light switch off.
“Night Jackary” Alex smiled as he rolled a little bit closer to his best friend, just so that he could feel the movement as he breathed in and out, slowly, until they fell asleep.