The truth shouldn't hurt

No Such Luck

Mark

I had decided to avoid jack as much as I could, I know he saw the message but he never brought it up. I couldn't face him in art so I would always go in listing to music. The teacher doesn't mind as long as we do our work and Jack would take it as a hint to leave me alone.
Of course, I had no such luck.

"Hey buddy, never got your name the other day."
"Oh, it's uh, Mark."
"Cool, so Mark, are you new this year?"
I'm impressed he hasn't brought up yesterday. "Yeah, just moved here a couple weeks ago."
"You know I could take you around town and show you some great spots, maybe this weekend!"
His smile, it was very genuine, I've never seen anything like it. "Sure, but some other time, I'm still settling in a bit."
He looked disappointed. "Oh, okay, no problem." With that he turned back to his paper.
No, why do I feel guilty, I don't even know this guy.

When the bell for school to end rang, Jack passed me a note and was out the door before I could process what happened. It had a number, his of course, and a message: 'hey Mark, I know we don't know eachother but I'd like to. Call or text me anytime, you seem pretty cool:).'
On the walk home I was so confused. He doesn't know me, why is he so nice? Did he even see the message yesterday, and if he did, why didn't he bring it up? Is this leading up to some great prank, he's probably just toying with me. But if he's not, why can't I believe that? After that thought my phone buzzed.

DONT ANSWER : you know I kind of miss seeing you. You always looked so scared and weak. Oh, how I loved to punch that look off your face <3

I ran to my house after that. Ran to my room, luckily mom was taking a nap in her room, I had burning tears streaking down my red cheeks. I loved HIS touch, but it hurt. It hurt so much more after I realized how HE felt about me. Atleast HE treated me like everyone else saw me, as a toy. That's it, I'm texting Jack.

Jack

I'm not sure giving Mark my phone number was such a good move. I really want to get to know him, but what if he doesn't? I want to understand what he's going through, I don't like to see others suffer. Maybe one day he'll talk to me. "Speak of the devil" my phone buzzed saying I had a message from an unknown number.

M : Hey Jack, you want to get a coffee later.
J : Sure, I know a great spot!
M : Great! Around 7?
J : yeah, I'll text ya the deets
M : :)

Wow, that was rather quick, I wonder what's up with him. After giving him the address I went downstairs to talk with me Ma and have a snack to pass the time.

Mark

I arrived at the cafe. Honestly, my mom was glad to see me get out to meet some one. She actually looked overjoyed, as if all her dreams came through. I looked around and spotted a green tuff of hair at a booth. I walked over there and ruffled his hair as a greeting, noticing that he took the courtesy to order our drinks.
"Hey marky!" He said with a giggle. I shuddered, that was the name HE used on those painful nights. "Woah man, you okay?"
"Yeah, I just really don't like that nickname."
He thought for a moment. "I got it, Markimoo!" He said it full of pride.
"Well, if I'm markimoo, then your jackaboy. In fact I'll change your contact right now." I pulled out my phone.
"Not if I change it first!" He smacked my hand a bit, until he was done. We laughed for a while at our own randomness and how we seemed to act like we've known eachother forever. Yet, if he had known me forever, he would've left me a long time ago.
"Hey Mark," I looked up at Jacks blue eyes and nodded for him to go on, "not to offend you in anyway but what's with the sudden change of plans."
"I just needed to get out of the house, it's really lonely and it gets boring to play video games by myself." I said swirling around my black coffee. I could see my own sad reflection.
"I fookin' love video games, especially with friends."
I blushed. "Would you really call us friends?"
"Heck yeah, as long as it's cool with ye. In fact if you agree, you can call me Sean, my birth name. But not to often ruins the Jack aesthetic."
I giggled, I would love to share more moments like this. "Yeah, I'd like that, Sean." My phone buzzed, I know it's HIM, but I don't want to ruin this one happy moment.
"Mark, aren't ye gonna get that."
"No, I don't want to deal with that now."
"I didn't want to make you upset but I saw the text you got yesterday. Are you okay, do you want to talk about it? It made me worried, about you, markimoo."
I got up, I was on the edge of tears. Not just out of sadness but also the fear of Jack finding out my past and hating me for it. "Hey it's getting late, I'm going home, see you tomorrow." He didn't stop me.

Once I got home i couldn't hold it in any more. I panicked, I haven't gotten an attack since I arrived. Usually it happens on the second day in a new town. After stomping up to my room and wrecking it to a degree were my mother wouldn't notice, I checked the message.

Mom : I left for a business trip and won't be able to come home until next Friday. Ugh work. Love ya!

I threw my room at the wall, luckily it didn't crack. How could I be so stupid. My anxiety is taking control of my life. Jack is probably at home, laughing at how stupid I am for believing him. I curled into a ball and wept until I fell into a numb sleep...

Repeating to myself, 'I can never be happy'

A/N : first and foremost, I got busy and couldn't update for a while. I have so many ideas but I don't want to rush them. I was going to update yesterday but I had to, more like wanted to, email my AP bio teacher. I do it every Friday, yes I'm probably the biggest teacher's pet but, oh well, what can you do. I feel like discontinuing my other story since it seems to be going no where. I'm also thinking about posting my old poems onto here, in its own thing, just for the poem aesthetic.
Hope you enjoyed!