Jack stared at his phone intensely. "Come on, Lex." He whispered to himself, his foot beginning to tap as his impatience grew. "Fuck." He said, a bit louder this time. Jack had waited far too long for his best friend Alex to respond. The profanities rolled off his tongue like they were of a second nature. Jack had never really been one to curse, but lately he couldn't help it. He was best friends with Alex Gaskarth, after all. Spending so much time with the foul mouthed blonde boy must've sparked something in Jack's squeaky clean vocabulary. Thinking of the way Alex's habits rubbed off on him, Jack smiled. He had grown so fond of the older boy. In a matter of mere months, the two had become inseparable. If one didn't know any better, they would think that the teenage boys were dating. But they weren't dating. Not yet, anyway.
Jack always felt a spark when he was with Alex. Just something about him filled Jack with a warm, happy feeling. His smile, the way he softly sang to himself while doing homework, the twinkle in his eye whenever he talked about music, even his slight obsession with his hair. Everything about the boy drove Jack crazy. He longed for the day when he could hold Alex's hand and be able to call him his own.
Jack's smile widened as he imagined kissing Alex for the first time. "No." Jack thought to himself. He quickly shook these thoughts of Alex from his mind. He was well aware of what he was doing. If he kept daydreaming like this, it would only fuel his attraction to his best friend. Jack knew full well that this would only hurt him in the end; that his feelings would never be returned. But still, he imagined himself with Alex. Going on dates and holding hands. Cuddling and watching movies on rainy days. These were the things Jack wished so hard he could do with the awkward yet still incredibly adorable boy.
Jack sighed. He just had to face the truth; Alex only saw him as a friend. A friend and nothing more. Jack's phone buzzed, nearly giving him a heart attack. Alex was calling. Barely even letting it ring once, Jack answered his phone.
I've got a surprise for you." Alex said in a singsongy voice.
Jack's heartbeat quickened pace. Alex knew he hated surprises."W-what is it?" Jack hurriedly asked.
"You'll see! Be at my house in 10." Alex said excitedly.
Before Jack could say anything else, the line went dead. He cursed once more. Quickly grabbing his hoodie and throwing it on, he left his room.
"Going to Lex's, mom!" He called out as he went down the stairs two at a time. Mrs. Barakat stood in the kitchen. She smiled, watching her only son rush out the front door. There was definitely something going on between those boys, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it.
After a short walk, Jack had arrived at the older boy's house. Anxiety coursed through his veins. Pulling the sleeves of his hoodie over his hands, he walked to the front door. There he was greeted with a small note taped by the doorbell. The note was strange and the instructions vague.
"Jack - just let yourself in.
~ alex"
Doing as he was told, Jack slowly opened the front door and called into the house. "Hello?!"
No one answered.
He quietly closed the door behind him and began making his way to Alex's room. The door was wide open, causing confusion and fear to stir up in Jack's mind. Cautiously, he stepped inside. Suddenly someone screamed and pushed him from behind. Jack jumped forward with fright, tripping on his own feet and landing on Alex's bed. Tears streamed down Jack's face as Alex's laughter filled the room.
"I got you!" Alex yelled. Jack remained silent and curled into a ball on the bed. The blonde boy's giggling quickly ceased.
"Hey, Jack? You okay?" He asked quietly. Jack shook his head, his hands covering his face. Alex walked over to his bed, awkwardly wrapping his arms the best he could around Jack's small, fragile looking form. Knowing that this position wasn't going to work, he sat Jack upright on the bed and snaked his arms around his slim waist. Jack's head fell onto Alex's shoulder. "Hey, hey. Shh. It's alright. I'm sorry." Alex whispered into the shaking boy's hair. He slowly brushed Jack's hair out of his face and wiped away the tears.
Their eyes met. Jack's shaking stopped, in fact, it even felt like his heart stopped. Now was his chance. Jack slightly cocked his head to the side and slowly leaned in. He left a small peck on Alex's lips. The blonde boy just stared at him.
"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. It was so stupid. I'm really sor-"
Jack's longwinded apology was cut short by Alex's lips crashing into his own. Alex broke the kiss, pulling Jack into a tight embrace. "I love you, Jack." He whispered. "I love you too, Alex." Jack whispered back.
