Fall Away

“Leave me alone, you crazy ass!” The taller male screamed as he threw a pillow at the caramel-haired boy who sat there, a cheeky grin on his lips.

“Can’t and won’t, sorry not sorry.” Alex replied, giggling when he saw the look of frustration on Jack’s face.

“What do you mean, you can’t?”

“I just can’t okay. I’m literally attached to your side; I can’t go over 50 feet away, there’s this invisible string connecting us.”

Jack felt his hands start shaking. “That’s fucking retarded. I want you to leave. Now. Go haunt someone else, dude, I don’t friggin’ want some ghost following me around.”

He sat down on his bed, taking his shirt off, and crawling under the covers, then turning off the light and covering his head with the blankets. Only seconds later he felt a light tap on his shoulder and he pulled down the warm sheets and glared at the boy disturbing him. But Alex just sat there, a little smile and bambi eyes, the picture of innocence.

“Jack, I’m sorry, okay? But nothing can change until you fall in love with me. Clarissa said so.”

The younger boy scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. “Who is Clarissa?”

“The fortune teller I went to, before I, y’know, ended up here.”

“First of all, you believe that shit? She wants money; she’ll sell you any bullshit for a twenty. Second of all, ended up here how? And why aren’t you chilling with the rest of your body six feet under?”

Alex looked offended for a moment, before clearing his face of any emotion. “Everything else she told me was true. And I’m not dead. I don’t know why I’m here. My body is dead, but my soul is alive. And you’re the only one who can free me. Dammit! I didn’t ask for this shit.” The look of frustration on his face was evident as he waved his hands around, emphasizing each statement.

“How do I free you? Please, enlighten me, I’ll do anything to be left alone,” Jack practically begged, staring at the other boy in the dark.

“Fall in love with me.” Alex looked sincere, his hair falling in his eyes, his mouth a thin line. He looked beautiful.

Jack closed his eyes, clasping his hands together and clearing his throat. “I love you so much, my beautiful baby boy. My life would be an empty nothing without you. Oh my, how miserable I would be. I’d surely kill myself without your radiant light shining down on me day after day. I am so so so in love with you!” With that he opened his eyes, only to find Alex staring at him quizzically. “Why are you still here? I said the magic words. Or am I supposed to make love to you beneath the moonlight too?”

“Making love to me sounds good,” He paused to wink at the taller boy before continuing. “But, you have to actually fall in love with me. Not just say it.”

“Can you stop already? I’m not going to fall in love with you, because some crazy witch told you I have to. I’m not even gay, and why out of all people would it be me?”

“You watch gay porn!”

“I watch it for fun, okay. Same way that straight girls watch lesbian porn; because it is interesting, weird, and unusual.”

“You slept with Austin last week.” The shorter boy answered defiantly, his lips turning into a smirk.

“I was drunk!”

“The only thing you were drunk off of is lust. You haven’t drank in two weeks, you filthy liar.”

Jack was shocked for a moment, registering the fact that the stranger knew all of this. “Whatever. I like sex. Whether it’s with a boy or a girl, it feels good both times when you top.”

“You’re bisexual, fine, I can accept the fact that you like girls too.”

“I am straight. Drop it. And why would I be the one who has to save you from this crappy situation?

Cause right now I need saving from you and your annoying everything.”

“I was supposed to meet you right about this time if I was alive and you are going to fall in love with me. It’s just a matter of when.”

“Who says?”

“Nobody. We’re soul mates.”

“You believe that shit?!” Jack snorted, pointing an accusing finger at the shorter boy beside him. “I knew you were a hopeless romantic. Okay, baby, listen to me. I am not you soul mate. I don’t have a soul mate, and I don’t need one. So leave.”

Alex nodded and got up quietly, before disappearing into thin mist, before all traces of him were gone, except for his scent, which Jack found weird. Since when did ghosts have specific smells?

“Sleep, you idiot.” He whispered to himself, before passing out, but his dreams were haunted with the image of a golden-haired boy who was convinced that soul mates exist.

-----

The bright sunlight streaming through the windows stirred Jack awake and he grunted, sitting up slowly. The memories of the previous night resurfaced in his sleep-clouded brain and he quickly scanned his room for the annoying boy who never left his head, even when he left his view. To his surprise, the kid was nowhere to be seen and he clapped his hands in triumph before standing up and walking to the bathroom. In reality, it looked more like crouching because he had to pee really badly, but nonetheless, he made it to the bathroom and relieved himself.

After washing his hands, he squeezed some acne wash onto his hands and began rubbing it into his skin. Nobody knew that he used to have terrible acne, and he didn’t want anybody finding out. Jack splashed water onto his face, a lame attempt at washing the soap off, before looking up at his reflection. Immediately his eyes traveled to the face behind his. Alex stood there adorning the silliest facial expression; only it scared Jack half to death.

“You fucktard! I thought you left, Jesus, you almost made me shit myself.” Jack exclaimed, anger clouding his features.

“I told you I can’t, and anyway if you shit yourself, it would be the funniest thing ever. Oh my god, I would never let you forget it.” The shorter boy giggled, and Jack tried to ignore the cute way his eyes crinkled when he smiled.

“I hope you die so I don’t have to deal with you any longer.” He snarled, immediately regretting it when he saw the hurt expression on Alex’s face. The boy tried to hide the hurt, looking away and hiding a few tears that neither of them realized were there, but Jack saw it all.

“I almost did. Wouldn’t it be great for you then?” He sniffled lightly, shaking his hair out of his eyes and looking right into the taller’s eyes, despite how watery his vision was. “Don’t bother falling in love with me, don’t even think about it, and don’t worry. In four months, I’ll be dead.” With that he disappeared, leaving Jack with an empty guilt inside him; guilt being something he rarely felt.

-----

Jack sat on his bed, trying to do his homework, but failing miserably.

This is what I get for waiting until Sunday night to do this crap.
No, you dumbass, this is what you get for being a jerk to Alex. Now you feel bad, don’t you?
No I don’t- He deserved it. But then again, he didn’t.
Ha! Told you so.
Oh my god, am I talking to myself?! Maybe I’m clinically insane; I talk to dead people (okay, half-dead) and to myself. Great, there go my chances at being normal.
Maybe I should apologize to him.
But you haven’t apologized in years, to anybody.
I know, but maybe ugh, what is going on with me. This kid is changing me- Okay. Okay. Focus Barakat: Just get it over with.

“A-Alex? I, um, I’m sorry.” The last part was a whisper, as he hung his head in embarrassment and waited for a response from the boy he couldn’t currently see, but knew was nearby. He felt a tap on his shoulder and looked up only to find Alex’s face just centimeters away from his.

“What’d you just say?”

“I’m sorry, okay? Fucking forgive me.”

“Jack Barakat doesn’t apologize, nor does he feel guilty. I know this very well. What’s changed baby?”

“Don’t call me that. And I, uh, you cried, so I had to apologize for making you act like a pussy and therefore embarrassing yourself in front of me.”

“I’m so sure, but I forgive you. I know you didn’t mean it.” A comfortable silence followed as they soaked up the recent events.

“Hey, are you good at Math?” Jack asked suddenly, as he remembered the notebook in front of him.

Alex nodded. “I’m pretty good, why?”

“I need help with my homework.”

“Idiot,” Alex whispered, before grabbing the notebook and reading the question. “Change the cos2x to a 1 – sin2x and then simplify.”

Jack tried using the hint, finishing the problem with a satisfied smile. “Thanks! Wait, help me with number 2.”

“Sure, why not? I have four months to kill until I get killed, so might as well tutor you and hope you fall for the people who help you.”

“Hopeless,” Jack smirked.

“But hopeful.”