It started when they were four years old. Starting big school was scary, meeting new kids was scary and not knowing anyone there was scary, too. Alex stood clutching his mothers leg, begging her not to go and leave him. He had tears streaming down his face, and a sick feeling in his stomach. None of the kids in this class had been in his kindergarten. Heck, he didn't even talk to the kids who were in his kindergarten.
When the teacher told the parents they could all leave, Alex could actually feel all the colour drain from his face. He was going to puke, he was sure of it.
Alex was placed next to Brendon. Nice kid, talked a lot. Alex could see them being friends.
At recess, Alex was on his own. Brendon said that he could 'hang' with him and Spencer, but Alex didn't know what 'hang' meant so he just said thanks, but no. Be polite, it was his mom's first rule.
He had trudged over to the swings and was just sitting there, missing his mom and his toys back home, when he first met Jack.
Alex had seen Jack earlier today. Jack didn't seem shy and he sure as hell could talk. Alex saw him heading over and was trying to look for an escape route. He had socialised enough for one day, thank you very much.
Jack jumped up on the swing next to him and started swinging his legs back and forth, getting the swing that was too high for his feet to touch the ground to move.
"Hi, I'm Jack Barakat. Who are you?" Straight forward, to the point with no hint of shyness. Just like most kids.
"I'm Alex." And yep, Alex was going to faint, fall off the swing and split his head open. He hated being shy.
But then Jack offered him a Twizzler that he had in his lunchbox and Alex knew they would be good friends.
**********
When they were 8, they held hands for the first time.
Alex and Jack were down by at the park which was a 5 minute walk from Alex's house.
Alex had spotted Jack heading to the monkey bars and was already getting sweaty palms. Alex could never do the monkey bars, always fell right on his tushy.
Jack went straight across without difficulty and then it was Alex's turn. He could say no, but then he'd look like a coward in front of Jack, and he didn't want that.
He made it to bar 4 (a new record, wahey!) before he fell, right on his hands and knees.
And yeah, he screamed.
His jeans were torn and he could see the blood spreading across the asphalt. His hands were stinging and now his throat hurt from the crying.
Jack ran to him and rubbed his back before helping him up and walking him to the bench. Of course Alex's mom would have left them here on the day Alex hurt himself. She had only gone to the shop, but she was taking a long time.
Alex had stopped bawling, but a few sobs would escape him every now and then. Jack was at a loss, he didn't know first aid and there wasn't a band aid tree in the park.
He took Alex's hand in his own and started rubbing the back of it with his thumb. He seen his dad to it to his mom, so he thought he'd try it with Alex.
Alex laid his head on Jack's shoulder till his mom had come back.
******
Their first kiss hadn't been romantic or cute or anything like that. It had happened cause Alex was jealous as fuck.
