We'll Carry On

Tonight Is Alive With The Promise Of A Street Fight

"SOME LEGENDS ARE TOLD,

SOME TURN TO DUST OR TO GOLD,

BUT YOU WILL REMEMBER MEEE--"

Alex calmly turned off his alarm. If it were any other day, he would have cursed and broken the damn thing. But today was different. Today he was going to try and make amends with his old friends, and maybe get Jack to like him. As in 'like-like' him. He was filled with happiness and confidence, like a balloon set to explode.

Alex got showered and dressed in record time this morning. He wore the tightest jeans he owned. They were split leg jeans; half black half white, complemented by a Paramore shirt. It was quite a grungey and, well, emo sort of design, but in Alex's eyes Hayley Williams headbanging on a shirt was fantastic any day. The brown haired boy then wasted no time applying dark eyeliner, smudging it under his eye. Alex admired his look in the full length mirror. It's as if time flew back a few years and the old him was beaming bright as ever to himself. He smiled even more when he thought about how horrified his "friends" would be when he arrived not dressed like a hipster.

"Today's gonna be fucking awesome!" Alex cheered and punched the air, before grabbing his old Blink-182 bag and making his way to school.

Just as expected. Every jaw dropped as Alex confidently strode through the hallways. Gasps and whispers echoed all around, but he didn't care. He loved how he looked. Instead of joining the group of jocks he normally hung out with, Alex simply walked past without a single glance. He felt the stares of disapproval. In reply, he turned around and blew a kiss to the confused football players, before continuing his parade of black through the school. The brown haired boy's eyes fell upon a familiar blonde. Ah, just the girl he was looking for.

"Jenna?" He said while approaching her. Jenna turned round and smiled, but dropped it when she realised who it was. The Australian girl took in his appearance. Her lips twitched upwards slightly, but only just slightly.

"Alex," Jenna stated coldly "Can I fucking help you?"

"Well, I thought that you deserved a proper explanation for why I left you guys" Alex scratched the back of his head gingerly. Jenna's harsh tone surprised him. All the confidence in him had deflated.

"No need. We get it. You're too good for us Alex" her voice was deprived of any understanding

"That's not it at all! I didn't want to be popular! I just wanted to play football! Its not fair, my parents said it would be a great opportunity to make new friends. "Better friends" they said. They didn't explain, but I knew what they meant by that. They never approved of my music taste or fashion sense, or any life choice. I wanted to stay with you guys, I really did" Alex was now frowning. Judging from Jenna's earlier reply he was certain she would still reject him. To his surprise the blonde girl's face softened

"I guess I could befriend you again--"

"Yes! I love you Jenna!" The brown haired boy engulfed her into a hug, but was pushed away

"But I have to tell you one thing," Jenna stepped dangerously close to Alex's face, glaring at him directly in the eye "Hurt me and the others again, we'll probably call you an asshole and move on with life. But hurt Jack again, and I will kill you. Got that Gaskarth?"

"Yes sir! I mean ma'am!" He answered, panicked and slightly afraid of the blonde girl

"Great!" She took Alex's wrist in her grip and pulled him along "Don't look so scared, I'm only taking you to the others. Nice Paramore shirt by the way"

"Hah thanks" was all the brown haired boy could muster up. Nervous would be an understatement for how he felt. Sure, Jenna has accepted him, but what if the others didn't? Ugh, so many things that could go wrong. They were walking across the field now, the oh so familiar cork tree and the oh so familiar people under it coming into view.

The gang greeted Jenna with smiles and hello's, before changing attitude once they acknowledged Alex standing beside her. Tay was first to speak up.

"Why is he here Jen?" The brunette spat coldly "Nice outfit by the way" she said to Alex, but the spite in her tone deprived the compliment of any niceness.

Alex explained everything he had said to Jenna to the gang. They were surprisingly quite understanding and forgiving. Well, all except one.

"I still don't like you" Jack muttered in the midst of all the hugging and happiness. Alex's heart dropped, but he covered it up with a sad smile

"Oh," the brown haired boy choked out. He thought him and Jack were on good terms now. Apparently not "How come?"

"You think an apology makes everything better? Saying 'I'm sorry' somehow erases the year I went through depression? Turning up to school in band merch and eyeliner changes the fact that you left? You just don't get it Alex. You think this is all about you, how sad YOU were, how upset YOU were. Well no Alex, life isn't like that. What are you gonna do when the world doesn't orbit around you?" And with that the dark haired boy stormed off into the school building. Alex didn't hesitate to run after his former best friend.

He managed to fight back the tears that threatened to spill out. Jack still hates him. Somehow that made Alex's crush on him stronger, and the pain more unbearable. Alex can hang out with him on a day to day basis but can't touch him, or kiss him like him wanted to. Why was life so unfair?

It took him a while to find the dark haired boy. Jack had locked himself in one of the toilet cubicles, the sounds of faint sobbing echoing in the bathroom. The bell for first period had already rung ages ago so Alex decided to just skip class. Jack's cries were breaking his already broken heart further. The brown haired boy walked up to the cubicle and knocked timidly

"G-go *sniff* aw-way Alex" the dark haired boy's voice was shaky and miserable

"Jack, please come out of there," Alex begged, resting his forehead on the door "I'm not going to force you to like me or anything, I just want to see you"

"Why would you want to see me?" Jack asked "I look awful"

Alex almost laughed. Jack? Look awful? If only he knew how many times Alex had daydreamed about him, or felt content whenever he saw how adorable smile. And those eyes - those gorgeous hazel eyes will be the death of him. Jack is probably the most beautiful person Alex has ever laid eyes on. And he's met lots of pretty girls so that's really saying something

"You look awful? Jack are you shitting me right now? Do you know how many times I've heard the scene girls swoon over you, how you're drop dead gorgeous?" That was a slight lie, but it's true that he's drop dead gorgeous.

"That doesn't matter though. The one person that I like probably doesn't like me back in that way. They must think that I'm awful" Alex's entire body felt like shattering. Jack likes someone else? The brown haired boy felt empty and cold. He couldn't even reply, he just broke down into tears there and then.

"Alex? Are you okay?" Jack's voice was panicked and worried. This caused Alex to cry harder and harder, until the tears had run out. He heard the door unlock, and thin but warm arms wrap around him. They stayed in this position for a while, neither of the boys speaking, just enjoying each other's embrace. The bell for second period rang, but it sounded quiet and distant. Non existent.

"Alex," Jack pulled away and looked into the boy's red puffy eyes "Why are you crying?" He looked so concerned that Alex wanted to tell him. But he can't. Especially when he likes someone else. Alex didn't answer. Jack repeated the question. Still no answer. He sighed in defeat and walked away from the brown haired boy, exiting the bathroom without a second glance.
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Title credit: Coffee Shop Soundtrack by All Time Low