Falling for You

This day, when Jack and Alex arrived at the skate park, there was almost no one, just two Asian kids and a black-haired teenager. It was weird because it was a warm sunny day and, usually, there was a lot of people. Both boys sat at the bench where they usually sat, the skate park was the place where both boys usually hung out.

“Hey is that Zack?” Alex said, pointing to the black-haired boy.

“Yeah, I think it’s him.” The younger boy said.

They didn’t see Zack often because they didn’t go to the same school but they had met him at a party because he was one of Rian’s friends. Zack was shy at first but soon, he had warmed up and became good friends with Jack and Alex.

At the same moment, Zack seemed to realize that Jack and Alex were there, even though he didn’t care much about Alex. But Jack was there and Zack was skating which was something he was kind of good at, so he decided to try to impress him. Instead of doing what he usually did, he started doing harder tricks, hoping that Jack was watching him. He would steal glances towards Jack from time to time and, even though the younger boy was talking with Alex, his eyes seemed to be fixed on the skater. Everything seemed to go according to his plan until Zack’s foot missed the board and he landed back on the ground, his arm getting the most of the shock. He groaned in pain, unable to move for a couple of seconds before he finally rolled on his back clutching his arm. He bit his bottom lip, blinking a couple of times to clear his eyes of the tears that had built up. He would not cry, Jack was there and he couldn’t let that happen. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, and opened them before trying to get back up, but as soon as he opened his eyes, he abandoned the idea of getting up because the only thing he could see was Alex’s worried face looking down at him and Jack walking up to him.

“You okay?” Alex asked. “I saw you fall but you wouldn’t get back up.”

“I’m not sure.” Zack said, still lying on the ground, clutching his right arm. “It fucking hurts.”

“Yeah, I think you should get this checked out.” Alex said, taking a closer look at the younger boy’s arm. He wasn’t a professional but it didn’t look alright. “I can drive you to the hospital.” He added, extending his right arm to help Zack up.

The dark-haired boy extended his uninjured arm and grasped Alex’s hand. The older boy helped him get back up and he walked him to his car, Jack following silently. The skate park wasn’t really far from Alex’s house but he had got his car two weeks ago and took it almost everywhere since then. They quickly got to the hospital and, after Zack had explained his problem to the lady at the front desk, the three boys sat in the waiting room, waiting for a doctor to call Zack’s name.

After a while, Zack’s name finally got called and a doctor took him to take x-rays. He then led him into another room with Jack and Alex, saying that he’d be back in a couple of minutes.

“I’ll go to the bathroom.” Alex said, getting up from his chair and leaving the room. In reality, he just wanted to leave the younger boys on their own because he knew that Jack had a crush on the dark-haired boy.

In the room, the two boys stayed silent but soon, it became too awkward for Jack and he just had to say something.

“It must hurt a lot, right?” Jack said then mentally face-palmed himself. Of fucking course it hurts, they were pretty sure his arm was broken!

“Well, yeah. Obviously.” The older boy said with a nervous laugh.

“That’s why I don’t skate. I’m so clumsy, I’d break every bone in my body.” The younger said.
“I don’t usually fall. It’s just, I was trying a harder trick and I kinda got distracted and… yeah…” Zack said shyly.

“How?” Jack asked.

“I, uh- you…” He trailed off, mumbling something that the younger boy couldn’t understand. Jack looked at him, confused and asked him to repeat. The shorter boy blushed and fixed his gaze on the ground. “I was trying to impress you but you laughed at something Alex said and it distracted me.” He mumbled again but this time, Jack understood.

“You were trying to impress me?” Jack asked, dumbfounded.

“Yeah… It’s just, I kinda really like you.” Zack admitted, blushing a deep red.

Both boys heard someone laugh lightly near the door and they turned around to see Alex standing there.

“I guess we can say that you literally fell for him.” He snickered.

Jack glared at him just as the doctor came back in the room. He explained that Zack’s wrist had been badly fractured and that he’d need to wear a cast for at least a couple of weeks. He was allowed to leave after the cast had been put on his arm. His parents had been called and Alex had decided to drive him back home.

“Hey Zack! Can I sign your cast?” Jack asked over-excitedly, pointing to the bright orange cast covering Zack’s arm almost up to his elbow.

“Yeah, sure.” Zack said, still feeling a little shy. He had admitted to Jack that he liked him as more than a friend but the younger boy had seemed to forget everything about it.

“I think I have a Sharpie in my car.” Alex said as they got to it.

Once they were in the car, Jack found the Sharpie and lightly pulled on Zack’s right hand to bring his arm closer.

“You can’t look before I’m done though.” Jack said. Zack nodded and looked away as Jack wrote. ‘I kinda really like you too.’ He scribbled in his messy handwriting. He then wrote his name under it and told Zack that he could look.

He quickly read what Jack had wrote and looked up at him. “Really?” He asked.

“You didn’t have to impress me, Zack. When we met at that party, the only thing I could see was you.” Jack confessed, looking right into Zack’s eyes, trying not to lose himself in the bright green orbs. “You didn’t have to break your wrist for me, but would you accept to go on a date with me tomorrow night?” Jack asked.

“Yeah, I would love it.” Zack replied blushing lightly.

“I’ll pick you up at 6.” He said as Alex stopped in front of Zack’s house.

“Yeah, okay.” He said, smiling as he got out of the car. “I’ll see you tomorrow Jack, thanks Alex.”

He walked into his house, a smile stuck to his face and Alex drove back to Jack’s house to drop him off there, the younger boy smiling as big as Zack. It might have taken Zack to break his wrist but Jack had finally got the courage to ask him out and he couldn’t be happier, just as Zack who couldn’t stop smiling despite his injury.