The Runaway Boy // Jalex

safe

"You built up a world of magic
Because your real life is tragic"

Jacks POV:

I've never seen the city so empty before. Even at night time its usually loud and busy but for once everything was quiet. I'm not sure if I like silence or not. It was different

Today's the day I leave. I'm never going back home. It feels weird even calling it that anymore. Its not like I'm leaving anything good behind. There never was anything good. It never was my home
Maybe this is a good thing. Starting my life over. Maybe dying would have been easier. Its too late for many things. One thing I know is that its never too late to die.
I follow signposts to a nearby McDonalds. I always loved it there for some reason. The food is shit but there was something I liked about the shit food.
When I enter the fast food restaurant its changed a heck of a lot. It used to be so dark and dim, barely a child insight. An emo fast food restaurant I guess. Now its a colourful mess with new tables, chairs and menus. I hate it. I would feel embarrassed just standing in there.
I buy a hamburger and leave this disgusting restaurant immediately and sit outside against the brick wall. Sure its 2 am and pissing rain but do I care? Nope. I don't even have a home anymore.
That's when it hit me. I don't have a place anymore. I don't belong anywhere. I don't have a family, an education, any friends I have nothing. Am I living for nothing. If we all die alone then why am I still alive? Life makes no sense to me.
As I watch cars drive past their headlights making me squint I somehow end up drifting off into a daydream. I flinch as I feel a tap on my shoulder awaking me from this state. A boy about my age stands above me with a sympathetic smile. Dark brown layered hair flopped messily to one side, pale skin stubble, shit brown eyes that match mine.  I just look up at the handsome boy in the black and grey striped hoody who's smiling down at me.
"Hey dude sorry I scared you but some dicks around the block wanna beat you up so you better get out of here" he says holding his stunning smile. I shake my head keeping eye contact.
"Dude seriously they could literally kill you. It wouldn't be the first time they have" the last part comes out as a mumble but I understood it. I give him a confused look.
"Would that not be a good thing?" I ask with a sigh. Maybe I should let the dudes kill me. I'm too scared to kill myself so maybe they could kill me. It would be less scary.
The boy gets impatient and grabs my arm and drags me around the corner into a dark alleyway. We hide behind some large black dumpsters as we watch the guys walk past with their cigarettes and beer bottles. I could really use a beer right now.
I've been drinking since a young age. Not a lot just a glass or two every now and then. Whenever my parents were out i'd do some alcohol tasting. Red whine and beer and vodka are personal favourites.
I used to want to be like the druggies. There was something I liked about them. They seemed cool with their baggy tracksuits, short shaved at the sides hair and hoodies over their heads. I didn't want to be a cunt or smoke but it looked cool. I just wanted to be cool
I look at the boy who sits against a wall and summons me to sit next to him. I do so and sit next to him shoulders touching. We don't say anything for a while not knowing what to say to a stranger who you just randomly took to a dark alleyway.
"Why you out this late?" I found courage to speak. He gives me a soft smile. His dark damp hair covering one of his eyes. He was cute
"I was out for a walk" he says with a shrug. I raise an eyebrow at his neutral expression.
"At 2am?" I ask Looking at him suspiciously.
"I guess" we sit in silence again before the boy speaks up.
"Why are you out this late.." I feel my eyes start to water and I look down immediately. He must have noticed my sad expression so he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I sniffle quietly. I can't cry. Not now.
"I'm..ugh.. Running away I guess" I think he can tell that I don't want to go into detail about it. If I did I'd probably just cry. I'm such a baby.
"Where are you planning to live?" He asks shuffling his position slightly keeping his arm around me.
"I wasn't planning to live to be honest" honesty is the best policy. I've never told a lie. That makes me a liar. Hearing that he wrapped his second arm around me holding me tight my head leaning on his collarbone.
"Why do you care if I die or not" I whisper taking deep breathes to calm me down. He says nothing for a while still holding me in his embrace.
"Because I don't want you dead, if I did I would have left you to the druggies." He explains. His body is somehow really warn considering the rain I feel sorry for him holding my cold damp ugly body to his warm beautiful one.
"I'm jack" I say after a few moments of silence .being held in someone's arms for once was nice.
"Alex" I nod and he rests his head on my shoulder with a soft smile
"What are you gonna do jack" I look at him in confusion.
"Where are you gonna go, and no fucking way are you killing yourself dude" he made the no suicide part very clear.
"I honestly don't know" because really I don't have a clue. Where will I go? Where is there to go? I barely know this city at all. I'm only used to being in my house all day.
"Alex why did you go for a walk at 2am?" He sighs and locks his dark eyes with mine.
"To get away from my mum and step dad, they're fighting again and it scares me because she's so weak compared to him" I notice the expression on Alex's face drop rather quickly. You could see it in his eyes how much it was bothering him.
I give him the same comfort by wrapping him in a tight hug. He smiles slightly before the smile disappears and he goes back to his pained thoughts.
"You should go home Alex they're probably worried about you" I loosen my grip but I don't let go.
"What about you jack?" He looks up at me again
"I'll be fine.." I lie. He shakes his head knowing I won't be.
"Come home with me" he says suddenly.
"What?" I stare at him blankly.
"Stay the night, don't worry I won't fuck you I just want you safe" I nod tiredly not really caring at this stage.
I feel something when I'm around alex. Not a romantic kind of thing. I feel cared for and safe. I haven't felt those emotions for a long time. For once someone doesn't want me dead. What a surprise.
Alex stands up pulling me up with him and he gives my hand a quick squeeze and we start walking.
"Its Alex Gaskarth by the way"
"Jack Barakat" he smiles at me as we walk somehow not cold even though the rain.
"Barakat, that's a cute name" my cheeks burn like someone just held a match to them.
"Thanks, Gaskarth is cute too" I mumble quietly. He laughs and gives me a short smile which I return.
At this moment I felt like I was glad I didn't kill myself. I felt like somebody truly cared. At this very minute I have found a new emotion. Happiness