Chapter Twenty Seven
This was it, it was the day. The last day of school for our junior year. The last time I would see Jack.
We hugged our friends goodbye, then slowly walked back to his house, hand in hand. I didn’t say anything for a while, and neither did he. In one hour, he would be leaving for the airport, on his way to bigger and better things while I got stuck in Baltimore. These past few months with him and his family had been so amazing, none of us realized how quickly the dreaded date was approaching us. I wasn’t permitted to go with the Barakat’s to the airport, since it would be “too hard.” I would be forced to say my goodbyes at my house, and then watch my parents drive them to the airport without me.
We all sat silently in the living room, avoiding each others eyes until we couldn’t any longer. The parents stood up and started hugging first, tears escaping and smiles being forced. I pulled Jack off the couch, hugging him tightly. His eyes were wet when he pulled away, and he clung to me tighter than ever. “I don’t wanna leave you…not now, not ever.” Joyce grabbed his shoulder lightly “Jack, we need to go now.” I kissed him quickly on the lips, “Call me right when your plane lands, okay ?” He nodded, and his father lead him away. I watched sadly as the boy I loved walked away from me for the last time.
Joyce pulled me in for a hug as well, “Oh Alex. I’m going to miss you, you’re like a second son to us. We wouldn’t be here without you. I can’t thank you enough for saving my life and the life of my son and husband, and for letting us stay in your home. You’ll have to visit sometime, yeah ?” I nodded, tearing up as she kissed my head. “Bye Joyce, I’m going to miss you too.” She ruffled my hair, “I love you Alex.” “Love you too,” I choked out. I wandered outside to wave them off, walking down the end of the driveway to follow the car as it pulled away. Jack turned around and watched me as they drove off, holding up a sign to the back window. I struggled to read it, but when I did, my sobs wracked my body “I’ll come back for you.”
I went back inside, submitting to my sobs. Jack was just here, and now he’s gone. Just this morning we woke up in the same bed, curled around each other, and now we would never do that again. When would we see each other again ? Probably not until after graduation, in which case we would both be moving on- college, a job…Soon there would be no time to be making the trip to Lebanon. Time would pass, and then Jack will have forgotten about me. Time waits for no man, and I was no exception.
It was over, done with, like cigarette smoke in the wind. The bitter taste of the cigarette is left in your mouth, but the smoke itself is long gone. The smell lingers and reminds you of what once was, leaving you with longing for that carefree feeling again.
I thought of All Time Low, because that’s what I was feeling like- like my life was the lowest it had ever been. Here I am, crying alone, pining for a boy, and making cigarette analogies when I had only smoked twice in my life. We had forgotten about the band in recent weeks, in light of the crazy events that had been going on. Now I guess that idea was gone forever….kind of like Jack.
I thought about all the little things I shared with Jack, which was pretty much everything. We’d been inseparable for so long, we were a part of each other. I glanced down at my wrist at the bracelet he had made me. It was slightly singed, but it had somehow made it through the fire. It comforted me, this little piece of Jack. It also made me feel better that he had the scrapbook I had made him with him right now, it made me feel like he wouldn’t forget me entirely.
It was going to be hard without him- really hard. Who would keep me from relapsing ? Who would I share my songs with ? Who would I walk to school with ? I guess that goes both ways- who would make sure Jack wasn’t throwing his meals up ? Who would tell him that saying “baby boner” was not okay ? We couldn’t pretend that being apart was going to be good for us. Things just wouldn’t ever be the same again and I didn’t like it.
“Jaaaack.” I cried out, longing for the boy that I loved. It really hit me that he was gone. This was a different sort of gone than when we weren’t speaking. Then I knew he was just across the street, and I saw him at school. But now, that comfort wasn’t there anymore.
“I’ll keep you a daydream away, just watch form a safe place, so I never have to lose…” I whimpered, the sound echoing around the lonely house.
Jack’s POV
I sat in the car, refusing to speak top my parents. I knew that wasn’t fair- it wasn’t their fault our house had burned down, but I was afraid that if I spoke I would start crying. I just sat staring at my hands, thinking of how excited I’d previously been at the thought of spending a summer in Baltimore. I had thought it would be so fun to play summer gigs, hang out with Zack and Rian, and just spend all day every day with Alex. Now I had no friends, no band, and no boyfriend. Happy summer vacation to me.
I had promised Alex I’d come back for him, and I meant it. After I graduated senior year, I would be done with high school and eighteen years old. My plan was to save all year this year, and then go back to the States and be where I wanted to be.
The car rolled to a stop, and my dad turned around “Get out son.” I looked up from my lap, were we at the airport already ? I climbed out in the middle of some suburb. “Uh guys ? This isn’t Lebanon.” They just grinned goofily at me, like there was some joke at my expense. How could they be so happy when everything was falling apart ? My dad motioned behind me, “This is our new house, kiddo.”
