It's So Nice to Finally Meet You

Ever since his eighteenth birthday Jack had a near death experience at least twice a year, and every time he was miraculously saved by a mysterious stranger. It was Thanksgiving and Jack was walking home from the off licence, newly 21 and loving it. He was having dinner with his family and it was the first time in years him, Joe and May had all been at one table. To say Jack was excited was an understatement. The young man ran through the busy Baltimore streets, bags full of groceries in his skinny arms and half blocking his vision.
The boy ran for the bus, almost tripping over his own feet, and he smiled as the bus driver waited for him and waved as he paid and walked to the back. The kids on the top deck were quiet for a change. The bus went straight to his house, no traffic or roadworks, and he smiled as he unloaded his groceries on to his front step and slid his key in to the lock. As soon as he got in his mobile rung and he picked it up while running up to the shower.
"Jack Baracock speaking, who's there?"
"Hi Jack, it's Mark from work."
Jack blushed as he realized he probably shouldn't have used his nick name in front of his boss.
"Oh urm... Hi boss. What can I do for you?"
"Rob's... Well, I'll be straight with you. Rob's getting fired. He's been embezzling funds from the company account. I know you guys were close but yeah, he's gone. So there's a space opening up.I just thought you should know."
Jack fist pumped the air and tried to keep back a laugh.
"Thanks Mark, see you on Monday."
"Yeah, bye."
Jack grinned to himself and happy danced round his bathroom.

Rob the gob is getting kicked out! Jack would be lying if he said he wasn't chuffed cos he always hated Rob and now they'll probably offer him Rob's old job.
He threw his phone to the ground with his clothes and hoped in the shower, turning the water on to full heat and grinning like an idiot.

-----------------------

"Oh my god Jack you're so funny!"
Jack shifted uncomfortably as his cousins girlfriend shamelessly flirted with him in front of the entire family. She was blind drunk, but that didn't matter. His cousin Josh was fuming at the other side of the table, and May and Joe were sat trying to stop laughing at how uncomfortable their brother was.
"Urm... Thanks Abbie..."
Joyce sighed, clearing the table up and discretely putting the alcohol away were Abigail couldn't get to it.
"Hey Aunty B?"
Josh started, smiling as Jack's mum entered the room again,
"Me and Abs better get off. I'm so sorry."
Joyce nodded politely and the whole table rang chorus of goodbyes and see you laters as Josh helped Abbie stumble out the house and Josh's parents followed, waving goodbye to their siblings.
"Well that was awkward."
Josh broke the silence and the whole room laughed.

After a few hours the only people left were the Baltimore Barakats, Jack and May having already set off home.
"Well darling... It's almost twelve, we better be getting to bed. We're a bit old to be staying up this late anymore."
Jack smiled and nodded.
"Right, night mum, dad. I love you."
After kisses and cuddles Jack pulled on his coat and walked to the bus stop.
The rain hammered down on him, his raven and blonde streaked hair sticking to his forehead as he started to run, his dark converse squeaking on the pavement. He got to the high street, cursing under his breath as the bus flew past him just as he reached the bus stop.
"For fuck's sake are you fucking serious you fucking fuck."
Jack smiled politely at an old woman hobbling past him giving him a dirty look and he decided that he'd just walk home, he had his keys and there probably wouldn't be another bus.
He smiled to himself as he walked through the dark, empty Baltimore streets. The November wind pricked at his skin and he hissed as the cold made him shiver. The stars shone so bright against the almost black sky that they were blinding as Jack gazed at them and the moon was full and shimmering, reflected in the puddles on the grey, dirty concrete pavements. Jack stuck his hands in his pockets, flipping his hood over his head as the rain continued to pound down on him. He hummed the newest Blink 182 song as he neared his home and he reached the main road across from his street. He did as he was supposed to, stepped back from the road, looked left, looked right, looked left again, listened and crossed. As he stuck his foot out to cross the street someone grabbed his arms and pulled him back, sending him crashing on to the hard concrete behind him as a taxi zoomed across where his foot was before he was rudely interrupted. Jack sat up quickly, seeing a man about his age with brown and pink streaked hair running away from him.
"Hey!"
He shouted.
"Hey you! Come back here!"
He ran after him as fast as he could, his feet slipping on the damp grass and the rain clumping his dark eyelashes together as it splashed in his eyes.
"Hey you!"
The stranger quickly turned a corner, Jack following soon after but coming to a quick halt as he saw the man had disappeared. The Barakat boy looked everywhere, his head spinning round as he called out for his savior.
"Hello?!"
Silence was his answer and he sighed. Every time he was almost killed a mysterious stranger got him out of it, saved his life but then disappeared. Jack was starting to get very pissed off. This stunning guy had been looking after him ever since he could remember, and all he wanted to do was thank him and ask him why. There was nothing special about Jack, he had never accomplished anything great, he was pretty sure he was never going to accomplish anything great in the rest of his life. Jack worked for a record label as an assistant, he filled in paperwork and set up gigs for certain bands and organised things for them. He was a pretty important person at the record label and he made a decent amount, and now he was possibly getting promoted because Rob was no longer working for the company. Jack guessed he was an ok guy, he'd never done anything wrong, but he;d never done anything amazing either. There were millions of people in the world that deserved protecting, and Jack wasn't one of them.

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, making his way back home. He'd just have to walk in front of another car.