Dedication Takes a Lifetime but Dreams Only Last for a Night

Jacks POV:
I opened my eyes and looked around. My entire body ached. Where the fuck am I?? I realized I was in my car. How'd I get here?

I remembered Blake making me hit Alex, hitting him, looking into those cinnamon brown terrified hurt eyes and turning around and punching Blake. I remembered him hitting me until I fell, the bell finally saving me.

Then I saw Alex. I was scared he'd hurt me, he probably hated me, but he helped me. I didn't want him to leave me. He was my savior. Speaking of which, where was he?

I looked and saw him sitting next to me, his head in the clouds. I looked at his brown expressive eyes, those caterpillar like eyebrows not different from mine, and those sweet pink lips. I wondered how it would feel to kiss them.

Stop! I thought He's straight. He doesn't love you. In fact he hates you. You were a asshole to him. He wanted to help and you beat him up.

"Oh Jack you're awake. Are you alright?" he asked noticing me staring at him. He blushed slightly, pink rushing in those cheeks.

"Yeah I'm fine. Why'd you help me?" I asked noticing the bandages.

"You saved me from Blake." No I didn't! I wanted to yell. I looked at him again and saw bruises covering his body, purple,blue and black all over. And it's all my fault. I felt sick. He should hate me! He should be punching me right now,not helping me.

"Don't you hate me?" I asked fearfully.

"Hate you? I could never hate you. I want to help you! You saved me." he looked horrified and shocked at the thought of hating me.

I still felt guilty like the guilt was eating me alive with every smile.
"I just wanted to say I'm so fucking sorry. I'm an idiotic asshole. I deserve Blake hitting me."

"Jack you don't. You don't deserve any of this."

We were silent for a few minutes until he took a deep breath and said "Why do you cut?"

I knew he'd ask me this sometime. I knew I'd try to explain and fail. He'd get scared, think I was a huge pathetic freak. He'd never love me. He'd go laugh and bully me with Blake.

"Well umm when Blake turned out to be a huge jerk and everyone hated me, I needed to find a way to get ride of the pain. I'm useless and pathetic. I deserve to hurt and bleed. I take the pain and make my body feel it. Now I can't stop. It's the only way I feel better, alive."

He looked horrified. Now's the part he runs away. But he didn't run.
Instead he said "Jack you have to stop! You're not pathetic and useless. You don't deserve any of this. You can find other ways to deal with pain. If you want to talk I'm always here."

It felt weird but good to know someone cared. I'd never felt that before. But something bothered me.

"Why do you care do much?"

"I care about you Jack. " he answered looking down and fiddling with his shirt.

"There's something else you're not telling me."

He took a deep breath and said tonelessly "My brother was a cutter. I saw him cut once. He begged me not to tell anyone,especially my parents. He was 21 and I was only 12 years old. A few weeks after seeing him cut I went to the bathroom and found him. He was cold and his wrists were so bloody. There was so much blood and scars. I never knew why he started to cut. He taught me everything I know and I miss him so much."

He looked straight ahead and I could see tears glistening.

"It's okay to cry."

"No I have to be strong, for Tom."

He took a deep breath and said "There I told you. Now you have to stop. Call me whenever you feel like cutting!"

Maybe I could stop. With Alex's help I could do it. No one ever tried to help me. I could just give it a shot. I don't want to be the guy who cuts. I could do it. If Alex wanted me to, maybe I could be strong enough. Then Blake would have less ammunition against me. I don't want to be dependent on a blade.

"Ok. I'll try to stop. Thanks for caring. No ones done that in a while for me." He smiled slightly as he sat in silence.

I smirked slightly as I realized something.

"What?" he inquired.

"I just realized we know each others secrets better than practically anyone else and yet I don't even know anything about you."

He smiled and said "So I'm Alexander William Gaskarth, known as Alex or Lex. Pleasure to meet you."
He took out his hand and shook mine.

"I'm Jack Bassam Barakat, known as Jack or Jacky or whatever other nickname you can invent. How about music?"

"Music is my life! I especially love New Found Glory, Green Day and Blink 182. I sing play guitar and write but I don't know how good I am."

I couldn't believe it he was perfect!

"You have an awesome taste!! I love music too. Blink are my favorite band too. I play guitar."

"We have to play together sometimes! You know Rian Dawson?"

"Yeah?"

"He plays the drums and I heard he's really good. We should invite him to jam with us." Alex said excitedly.

I had a feeling this would work, like we were on to something. Looking into Alexs eyes I knew he felt the same.

"You know if we're decent, we could start a band. I've always wanted to be part of one." I suggested.

"That's a great idea! I was part of one but they fired me, back at my old school."

He smiled and I was just so excited. Alex was so nice and he seemed so passionate. I couldn't help but think that with the band I'd get to know him better.

"Wanna come over? I have a guitar and we could start practicing and see how we sound." I asked.

"Umm I shouldn't."

"Pleeaaaase" I said pouting and giving him puppy eyes.

"Alright." He said, smiling. I didn't want to look at him like that but he had a beautiful smile. His eyes twinkled and a dimple popped up. It made me want to smile back.

I was really ecstatic he'd forgiven me.

Alex POV:

Jack had a nice big home. His mom was really nice and sweet. It was nothing like what I was used to. I tried not to be jealous at how sweet his mom was, asking about him and me, actually inquiring more about my life than my actual parents.

Jack had a big room filled with posters. I saw Jimmy Eat World, Green Day, and Blink 182. It made me happy that we liked the same stuff. The room was messy, full of clothes that were spewed all over the floor.

He took out two acoustic guitars and asked me what I wanted to play.

"Let's play Blinks I Miss You." I suggested.

Jack and I gently strummed as I song, trying to make each word perfectly smooth, sweet and passionate. Jack looked at me with a amazed expression as I started singing. His eyes didn't leave me. Singing was always so much fun for me. I felt myself sink in the song, the outer world with all my problems just disappeared. It was just me and my voice. We sounded great.

I was really hopeful about the band. I'd talk to Rian in the morning. And I knew he'd love it. This could actually work. Maybe we could be a band.

"You're really talented!" Jack said the second we finished. I blushed slightly, hating the red that came to my cheeks. No one ever told me I was talented. I just liked singing so I sang. It was a great escape.

After we finished playing we decided to have a movie marathon.

Jack ran like a over sized kid he is to his movie collection and brought out Home Alone. He ranted about how it was the most perfect movie in existence.

We curled up on the couch and watched it.

About in the middle Jack fell asleep on me. He was kind of cute. He looked like a little kid. I played with his skunk hair as I slowly fell asleep too. I was so comfortable and warm.

I woke up all panicked. Then I remembered I was at Jack home. I checked the time. It was 5:48 in the morning. My dad will kill me. I wanted to get up and sneak home but Jack was sleeping on me.
He looked like a little innocent adorable kid. He was slightly snoring with his mouth open. I had no idea how to get home and I didn't have the heart to wake Jack up.

Instead I tried to go back to sleep but the thought of all the awful things my dad would do to me kept me up all night. As Jacks mom woke us up I hadn't slept one minute. I didn't know what to do.