Hearts & Spades

Jack was running. A few feet ahead there was a white line sprayed across the freshly cut grass - that was his destination. And as that destination became closer and closer to his reach the roar of the crowd became almost overpowering. Maybe he was over reacting but at the moment he felt like a hero of sorts. The Dulaney lions weren't new to football, his teammates had made sure there were only two or three large boys for him to dodge. Then, before he knew it everyone was on their feet. He made it, the last touchdown of the quarter.

The other boy's came running up to him and playfully smacked his back and rattled his helmet. There was no way they were going to lose this game to those damned owls.

"That was fucking great, Barakat!" cheered a shorter boy next to him, his jersey had the name Merrick printed across the back and he'd been a good friend of Jack's since they were in middle school. With the screaming audience and the smiles on his teammates faces, it seemed like things were finally going back to normal. Even though he'd admit he had begun to tear up during the speech about Bethany, the memory still stung. Jack was surprised he managed pulled himself together and actually played tonight.

But it was much too early to start celebrating, just as the cheers were dying down another commotion grabbed everyone's attention. This time it sounded more like panic, and for whatever reason the raven haired boy was stricken with fear. He pushed through the other players and looked past the gate, people had gathered around something - or rather someone. However, there was no way he could make out what was happening.

"Adam!" Jack called out to the boy with a camera around his neck. He seemed to have just made his way out of the jumbled mess of people - maybe he knew what was going on. Because if he didn't find out soon he felt as if his heart might just leap out of his chest. Adam made his way over to the other side of the fence before the elder attacked him with questions. "What's all the fuss about? Did you see what everyone is freaking out about? Is someone hurt?"

By now the football team had all gone back to huddle around the coach, all except for Jack who was still desperately searching for answers. "Apparently someone passed out, I haven't seen the guy before, but judging by the way people were reacting - it's pretty serious." Adam was a part of the school yearbook committee, if he didn't know who someone was chances are they didn't go here. Which only made Jack's worries seem more and more likely. Where was Alex?

But the teen was finished asking questions, he was going to go find answers for himself. Though through jumbled voices he could hear his coach calling out to him, and he didn't seem happy. For a moment Jack turned back, considering running over like a good little boy. But something could be wrong and the longer he stood there motionless the more he knew he had to do something about it. So the dark haired boy motioned for Adam to take a step back, which he did, but not without a rather confused raise of an eyebrow. Then he hoisted himself up over the fence - not bothering to search for the gate, and started to run into the direction where the crowd had gathered.

Jack may be a rather tall a fellow, but there was no seeing over the shoulders of strangers in order to see what was lying on the ground before them. Throwing his helmet to the side, he tried to carefully maneuver inside the mob of people. It only took a few seconds for him to get sick of the unsuccessful 'excuse me' attempts and decided to just push past them. His rather rude choice of action earned him a few dirty looks and curses sent in his direction, but when he finally took in the sight they surrounded, that no longer was his concern.

Mr. Newcomb was hovering over a frail body, shouting at his wife to call an ambulance. At first Jack couldn't make out the person who had drawn all this attention. But as he inched forward, the frozen form became far too familiar. "Alex!" he croaked, kneeling on the ground across from the elderly man. "W-what happened? Is he okay?"

"No clue, he just dropped. But he's still breathing, that's what's important." Mr. Newcomb informed him, sitting back on his heels and running a hand through his graying hair. Everyone was just standing there staring, not taking any action to clear a way for the soon to be arriving emergency team. Their idiocy made Jack's skin crawl and soon enough it became too much for him to bare. So he scooped up the fainted boy into his arms. If you wanted something done right, you had to do it yourself.

Jack was running again. This time at a more careful pace considering the fact that his cargo was much more precious than a pigskin ball this time, at least in his opinion. "Come on, Alex. Don't you die on me too." he panted. Even though he had rather decent grades in school the elder had no idea whether or not his friend was in a life or death situation. And considering his past health issues there was a chance that this was more serious than just a simple black out.

When he reached the front entrance of the school the packed parking lot was lit up with red and white flashing lights. Jack was struggling to catch his breath and even having difficulty keeping his shaking legs from falling underneath their weight. "Please... You have to help him." he pleaded with the woman who approached him with a stretcher in tow. He was out of it by now - it was obvious in the way that he clutched the small boy to his chest even when the paramedic reached for him.

"Son, we can't help him unless you hand him over." she attempted to reason. She could offer sympathy, but they had to hurry and get Alex to the hospital and unless she snapped some sense into this boy that wasn't going to happen. Reluctantly, Jack did place him onto the stretcher. Taking a few steps back, he waited as more people jumped out of the vehicle and began to load Alex onto it.

"Can... can I go with him?"

"What's your relation to him?" asked the same woman, giving the lean boy a skeptical look.

"Uh...friend?" Jack's voice cracked nervously as he attempted to look past her and at the vehicle behind her. But he couldn't see his companion anywhere, and that made him nervous.

"I'm sorry, kid. Only people in direct relation are allowed to ride." Then just like that she turned on her heels, closing the back doors of the ambulance and making her way to the passenger side.

"Jack, Jack!" he heard his name being called in the distance, but this time it wasn't cheering. No rather this time the voice sounded winded. Then Zack appeared at his side, seemingly out of nowhere, his chest heaving and helmet tucked under his arm. "We have to get back to the game man."

"Back to the game? After that!?" Jack asked, astonished.

"Dude, if you don't, coach is going to kick you off the team for sure." his friend was only looking out for him. They both knew how much football meant to Jack, how he was going to get a scholarship and go to a good college then play for the rest of his life. However, suddenly that wasn't his main priority.

"Well then... tell him I quit."



He had to go all the way back to the locker rooms to get his keys so catching up to the ambulance was anything but easy. But he did it, not without breaking a few speed limits of course. Now he was nervously sitting in the waiting room of a buzzing hospital, gnawing at his stubby nails until they bled. Jack was earning a few stares, but he couldn't blame them considering he was still decked out in his grass stained uniform.

He had no clue how long he'd been sitting there considering his phone had died ages ago. The football team had been blowing up his messages claiming they had lost the game and accusing him for being the cause of it. Jack may have let his team mates down, but he didn't let Alex down, not yet anyway. For once he was going to stick it out for someone other than himself.

"Jack?" from the hallway he'd been gazing into, he heard a small voice. It came from the one and only Mrs. Gaskarth who was motioning him over. Finally. "Alex hasn't been awake for even a half hour yet, but he keeps asking for you." her husband came and talked to him not too long ago to inform him that his son was doing just fine although Jack refused to believe it until he saw it for himself.

He offered her a small smile before pushing himself to his feet and falling into step with her. The short walk was silent, however, it was a comfortable silence. Alex's mother had a comforting presence much like her boy did. Maybe that's why Jack had taken such a quick liking to the both of them.

"He's right through there, I'll leave you two to chat." she nearly whispered gently pushing the seventeen year old in the direction of a door. He expressed his thanks before stepping inside, slightly afraid of what he was going to see. But there Alex was, in one piece. His hair was a bit messy and he was wearing a rather unflattering gown, but he was starring at the tv on the wall and giggling.

"Oh hey, Jack!" he chuckled once he became aware of the other's presence.

"Hey, Jack? Hey, Jack!?" the elder exclaimed earning a rather shocked expression in return. Though this time that didn't phase him. "I was worried to death and all I get is a 'hey, Jack'!?"

"Sorry...but, dude, I'm fine." Alex explained, patting the spot on the bed next to him. His friend huffed, crossing his arms before giving in and joining him not even a moment later.

"You fainted, Lex. You're far from fine."

"Lex?" the younger echoed under his breath. Jack must not have heard him though, because his dark brows stayed bunched in the center of his forehead - that was the only hint he needed to start talking. "My blood pressure just got too high is all. The doctors told me I should probably be monitoring it more closely after my surgery."

"And you haven't been?!"

"Geez, you sound like my mother. Were you really that worried?" Alex asked shyly, turning the TV down as he did so.

Jack hesitated for a minute, staring off into space and avoiding the other's gaze at all costs. Was it really such a big deal to be concerned about someone who just suddenly blacked out? "No... I mean, yes... I mean, what did you expect?" he snapped, cheeks shining a bright red.

Alex giggled again before tugging on the elder's shirt sleeve. "You didn't even take the time to change, huh? How did the game go anyway? I didn't really get to see it all..."

He wanted to stay mad at him, he really did. They may have only met a few days ago but how could he be so careless about his own health? None the less seeing Alex alive and well was enough to put a smile on Jack's face, at least for now. "I scored a pretty bad ass touchdown..."

"Yeah, I know, I saw. Maybe I am your good luck charm after all." the brunette suggested before yawning and letting his head fall to the side and onto Jack's shoulder. "You smell bad." he commented, scrunching up his nose, but making no notion to move.

"I was busy slaying some owls, I can't help I don't smell like a flower shop, princess."

"Are you implying that I do?"

"All I'm saying is I'm eighty five percent positive that you are using perfume intended for females."

The two boys erupted into girlish giggles before it fell quiet once again. That is until Alex decided to ask again, "So are you going to tell me if you lost or not?"

"Oh, what does it matter. I'm not on the team anymore."

"What!?"

"Yeah, I quit, just a bunch of assholes if you ask me." Jack replied to his shock calmly, purposely leaving out the real reason why he had left. "But, hey, now I have a whole lot of free time and nothing to do with it."

"Consider yourself booked."