The Beach

ALEX'S POV

"Alex, can you come here for a second please?" My mum asked from the kitchen. I turned the TV off and walked the short distance into the kitchen where she quickly wrapped about three plates filled with food with film paper and set them in the fridge.

"I need to go back to work as soon as possible so I'm working the afternoon shift today. Your dad left earlier while you were still asleep and won't be home until dinner time. Will you be okay?" She asked as she roamed through her purse in search of who knows what.

"You can call Matt or Danny, invite them over or something?" She found what she was looking for -her keys- and looked up at me.

"Yes, mum" I nodded.

"Don't eat too much junk food, okay? You have lunch and dinner in the fridge, just heat it in the microwave"

"Yes, mum" I nodded.

"No more TV, no laptop" She walked towards the front door and I followed her short behind.

"I know" I groaned.

"Blame the doctors, not me" She said and ruffled my messy hair.

"Bye mum" I waved at her and closed the door behind me.

-

I have no idea how long it had been since I had been released from the hospital -it was probably around a week, but it felt like a life-time. Not being able to go on my laptop or phone was killing me, and my parents only let me watch TV for an hour per day.

Apparently, the doctors told them that the injured skin around my eyes would worsen if my eyes got irritated and dry from looking at a screen all day, so I could only have limited time to watch TV. I was worried sick about Jack, and I was pretty sure he was no different than me. I last talked to him on the phone when I was released from the hospital, so it had been a few days since we last talked to each other. My parents told me he was doing fine and that they had called him and told them that it'd be best not to be on the phone or laptop until I got better. Apparently, Jack understood perfectly and said he'd wait for me to message him first once I was healed.

I was thankful that everyone had been released from the hospital on the same week, I couldn't help but blame myself for everything that had happened. If I had taken the train on my own, none of my friends would have suffered any damage or wouldn't be involved in the accident, but here we were, talking about our state of mind and body as each of us took care of our own wounds.

I had called Matt and Danny to come over just like my mum suggested I do but they didn't seem too interested in spending the day doing anything but sleep, so I ended up having lunch on my own and listening to the radio. After throwing away what was left of the food my mum made for me -or for five million people- I took a two hour nap on the couch. I couldn't help but feel lonely and curiosity got the best of me, so with my body half functioning and my eyes almost completely closed, I walked upstairs and into my room to turn on my laptop and log in on Skype.

I was taken aback when I saw that Jack had messaged me a few days ago. I thought I was supposed to be the one messaging the other first, so I was a little confused. A smile spread across my face as soon as I saw that he was online, and typing.

"Alex?" It read. His previous message was just a "hello".

"Hello, Jack! Are you okay?" I replied.

"Me? Are YOU okay?" He asked, to which I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. I hoped my parents didn't exaggerate the importance of my injuries when they talked to him on the phone.

"I am, the bruises are fading and I won't have many visible scars left (:"

"What about your legs? Why didn't you tell me?"

"My legs? My legs are fine?" I said, not understanding what he was on about.

"Your parents told my mum that you can't walk, that your legs don't respond. Your dad- he told me that he won't ever let me see you in person because I've caused all this" I stared at the message for a minute, not knowing what to reply to such bullshit. The first thought that crossed my mind was that he was joking, but I knew Jack way too well to know that he wouldn't joke about something so serious. I just couldn't believe my parents would do something so evil.

"No, no, Jack. I'm perfectly fine, I swear. Those assholes, they'll hear me when they get home later" I growled and punched my headboard angrily. "Fuck" I muttered under my breath and laughed at my red knuckles. I was already quite injured, I shouldn't have done that.

"My mum said you told me that you were fine to protect me, so I wouldn't think this is all my fault" He said.

"Let me show you then" I replied, already pressing the video call button to show him that my legs were perfectly fine. He answered the call straight away.

"Alex?" He asked as soon as I came visible on the screen.

"I told you I was fine, Jack" I moved my legs and feet around to reassure him that my legs were indeed fine. He sighed in relief and visibly tensed, his jaw moving and greeting his teeth.

"I'm going to kill your parents" He said in a serious tone, the innocent and shy Jack I had first met was long gone.

"I am going to kill my parents" I chuckled, but Jack's facial expression didn't chance for an instance and he only got angrier and angrier, cursing under his breath.

"I thought I had lost you for good" He frowned.

"You're never going to lose me" I said slowly.

"You're such a sap, Gaskarth" He laughed shaking his head.

"You know it. I'll see you soon, okay? I promise" I smiled at him.

"Don't make promises you can't keep" He said frowning.

"You know I'm trying. We'll be together eventually, don't ya worry my love" I said and chucked when I saw him roll his head once again.

"I'll hold you to that" He kept talking, but I heard the front door open and close, and I knew my dad was home right then. I grew angry, I told Jack to hold on for a second, and went downstairs to meet my father.

"Why did you tell Jack all those awful things? " I growled when he looked at me.

"He doesn't deserve you. You're in this state because of him" My dad frowned and looked like he genuinely cared about my health.

"I hope you're kidding me. You're saying he doesn't deserve me when you've told me that I'm useless and worthless plenty of times before? You lied to him and you've lied to me! When are you going to realise that my life is none of your bussiness? If I fuck up, I fuck up. If I'm such a horrible son then you shouldn't care about who I'm dating, let alone have a say in it and try to fucking control it and separate us! Who do you think you are to do those things?!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, not caring if my neighbours heard me. I needed to get it off my chest, and it was about time I did so. I had been holding all this resentment for too long and I was done having to deal with everything for so long.

"I'm your father! Who do you think I am? Who do you think- Where would you be right now if it weren't for your mother and I? You'd be on the streets! You have a home here, you have a roof. Don't you dare speak to me like that, or I'll have to teach you a few lessons!" My eyes grew wide and I tried to fight back a chuckle.

He was hilarios. I was trying so hard not to start laughing right then, but I couldn't, I let it out, I couldn't stop laughing. I even added a few claps here and there.

"A. Home? Did you just call this, a home? For fuck sake are you kidding?! This hasn't been a home to me for years, in case you didn't know that. I've been surviving here, not living with you" I spat in his face. Not on purpose, I might add, but it's not like I was going to apologise anyways.

"Well, well! If you're not living here you might as well leave!"

Most people who have constant fight with their parents would be taken aback why this, but I felt relief. I felt free. I was finally leaving when I didn't even have the guts to confront my parents and tell them that I was moving out. But this, them kicking me out was all I needed, that push, the freedom, the happiness I felt was surreal to me. I didn't think I could ever feel that free and relieved in my life. But I did, and my dad kicking me out of my house had done that, and let me tell you, I couldn't be happier about it, even if it meant that my parents and I wouldn't talk for years.

"Gladly" I smirked at him and slowly walked upstairs, letting him know that I had no intention to ask him to take me back.