Keep the Change, You Filthy Animal

Chapter 6

Alex. 

- 

I woke up with a start after yet another nightmare. I don't know when exactly I had managed to fall asleep, but I knew that I hadn't stayed asleep for long. The night had been a series of short and strange nightmares for me, all having something to do with Jack - for example the one where I was back in high school and Jack was the evil principal who kept sending me in detention, or the less rational one where I was being chased by an army of flying whales that all had Jack's face... Ugh.  

I was glad to be back in the real world. At least my only worry here was whether he knew about my little control slip or not. And of course, what the hell I had been thinking. 

I kissed Jack Barakat. On the mouth. Ok, nothing to worry about, right? It wasn't like he'd ask for money, haha... Ha. Oh shit. 

"Hey, you're up!" Big smile, spatula in hand, nothing out of the ordinary. He didn't seem disgusted by me or anything, so he most likely had no idea.  

"Hey, Jack," I greeted sleepily, trying not to let any of my unusual emotions show. 

"I'm making pancakes!" he announced, heading back to the kitchen. That sounded more than great. I checked the clock. 8:30AM. Okey-dokey, it wasn't like I hadn't been up this early in four years or anything.  

I made my way to the kitchen using my nose more than my eyes, which were stubbornly refusing to stay open. I flopped down on what I thought was a chair until I realised it was a flower pot. Naturally, I was on the floor before I could scream for help while Jack was bent in half laughing at my misfortune.  

"Dude!" he squealed between two waves of uncontrolled laughter. "You just tried to sit on a PLANT!" He was crouched on the floor by now, tears streaming down his face. 

"Ha. Ha." I got up and rubbed my painful elbow before taking a seat on a REAL chair. "Your pancake's burning up." 

"Oh, shit!" He quickly got up and saved the burned pancake before it caught on fire. "Sorry, pancake," he said, dumping it in the trash. 

That's when Rian entered the room, observing us. "Morning. What's up?" 

Jack gave me an amused look. "Nothing," I answered before he said anything. "Jack's making pancakes."  

"Those look pretty good," Rian observed, licking his lips and sitting down beside me. 

They tasted pretty good too. I stuffed my face without any embarrassment - after all, better grab the opportunity while it's there, right? "I have to shay I'm impreshed," I said while I munched on my sixth pancake. "Why don't you just drop out of law school and become a cook?" 

Jack and Rian chuckled a little at my proposition.  

"What?" I faked a surprised face. "I was being serious."  

"Shut up, Lex," Rian muttered, still smiling. 

Jack got up then, picking up with plate and dropping it into the sink. "Well, I gotta go, guys," he said matter-of-factly. 

"What!? Where?" I sounded more shocked than I should've been. 

"Uh, school," he answered like it was the most obvious thing. 

"Oh." Why did I feel so disappointed? He'd be back soon.  

Jack smiled a little and ruffled my hair. I didn't react, which terrified me because I was usually outraged whenever anyone did that to me. "See you guys at four!" he called while he ran out the door, picking up his bag on the way.