I Painted A Picture (Jalex)

Just Take A Second To Set Things Straight

I unlocked the front door of my house and gently led Jack in. With one hand around his waist, I guided him to the couch and helped him sit down.

"First things first," I said, "I'm going to put on a movie so we have an excuse to eat popcorn. Any requests?"

Jack shifted on the couch. "Do you have Home Alone?"

Smiling, I reached for the movie shelf. "Yes, I do."

I put the movie in the DVD player and went to the kitchen to make Jack some popcorn. While it was popping, I got some ice for his bruises and went back out to bring it to him.

He was leaning up against the armrest with his head tilted back; he looked up when I came in.  I walked over to where he was sitting and handed him the ice. "I brought you this, you know, for your bruises," I said a bit awkwardly.

Jack smiled and accepted the ice. "Thanks."

Just then, the microwave beeped satanically and I had to go get the popcorn out.

By the time I'd gotten the popcorn, the movie had already started. I set the bowl on the coffee table and sat down on the couch, snuggling up next to Jack. He smiled and kissed me on the cheek.

Without thinking, I leaned in and pressed my lips to his. His eyes widened in surprise, but he didn't pull away. I wrapped my arms around him and drew him in closer, and he slid a hand behind my shoulders. He didn't seem to want to end it, and I was glad for that. I didn't want to end it either.

All of a sudden, there was a knock on the door, and Jack abruptly pulled away. I smirked at the look on his face and got up to pause the movie and answer the door.

It was a straight couple I didn't recognize. The lady smiled at me when I opened the door, but the man just stared at me like I was a disgusting rodent. I peered back at Jack. "Do you know these people?"

Jack made his way across the room to the door. I slid my arm around his shoulders as he came into the doorframe. When he saw the couple, his face paled.

"I have nothing to say to either of you," he muttered, staring down at his feet.

"Now, what makes you say that?" the lady asked condescendingly.

Jack gestured to his badly bruised face almost comically.

The man put his hands on his hips. "You deserve it. Now, get in the car and get your sorry little ass back home."

I stepped forward, trying to be intimidating. "Don't hurt him."

The man raised his fist, and I realized a bit too late that he was holding a pole about two feet long and an inch in diameter. I cursed myself for not noticing earlier, but it didn't really matter. What mattered was that Jack could get hurt.

The man brought his fist down, and instinctively I thrust my arm in between him and Jack.

A sharp pain stabbed through my wrist as the pole hit my arm, and Jack stared at me in shock. "Alex, why the hell did you do that?"

I bit my lip and faced the couple. "Leave. Now."

"Not without the boy," snarled the man, baring his teeth.

"Fuck off," shouted Jack.

A look of absolute rage on his face, the man swung at Jack's legs with the pole. It found its mark and Jack gasped. "Stop it!" I yelled.

He hit at Jack again, this time across Jack's stomach. "I said you deserve it, fag!" he snapped.

I grabbed Jack by the shoulders and yanked him back away from his attacker. "Well, I said stop it. And you didn't. So I'm calling the police."

Curse my fucking smart mouth.

Before I could live up to my promise, the sound of a car pulling up in a driveway caught my attention, and I realized how late it was. It was probably my mom.

Nobody else seemed to notice it, however. The man swung at Jack's collarbone, and I yelled again. "Fucking stop it!"

This time, Jack's attacker didn't pause between blows. He hit just where the first blow had been, and Jack outright screamed. And still, the beating went on. It made me sick, so I kept yelling. "Stop it, stop it, stop it!"

"Don't move!"

The couple turned to face the speaker. Jack collapsed, and I caught him just before he hit the ground. Carefully, I lowered him the rest of the way down and kissed his cheek. "I love you."

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

I looked up from my boyfriend to see my mom staring down the couple. I smiled inwardly and began to stroke Jack's hair.

"We're Jack Barakat's parents. We came to make sure he's okay," said the lady. I glared at her from behind.

My mom peered over their shoulders. "Are you sure about that?"

"Wh-what do you mean?" said the lady. From the way she said it, it was quite obvious she was lying.

"Really? Really?" asked my mom. "He doesn't look that okay to me." 

"Well, here's the thing-" began the man, but my mom cut him off.

"I saw you. I called the police. They're going to be here in less than five minutes."

As if on cue, I heard the screech of a siren from far away, steadily getting louder. Jack clenched his fists, and I kissed him again. "It'll be okay," I whispered in his ear. "I love you, remember?"

The couple began to argue with my mom, but I stopped paying attention. Jack was more important. I couldn't really do anything for his injuries, but I tried the best I could to calm him down.

A few more biting statements later, a few police cars, an ambulance, and a fire truck (for good measure) pulled up in front of my house. "The authorities are here," I murmured to Jack.

He reached out and took my hand. "Hey, is your wrist okay?"

I'd forgotten being hit there in the chaos. "Oh, I'm fine."

"Can you help me sit up? I want to see this," he said, and I slid my arm under his back and gently helped him up. Almost immediately, he fell back down.

"Jack? Jack, are you alright?" I said. His eyes were closed, and he didn't reply. "Jack?"

"Son, can you tell us what happened?" A police officer came up behind me, and I jumped.

"Sure, okay," I said.

I quickly recounted the event, and the officer nodded. "Thank you. Now, is your boyfriend okay?"

"Well, I think he passed out," I said.

The officer nodded again and waved to somebody outside. A few moments later, a couple EMTs came up to us with a stretcher and began checking Jack's vital signs.

One of them turned to me. "Excuse me, can you move out of the way?"

I reluctantly shifted to the side as they got Jack onto the stretcher. I mean, I didn't really want to leave him, but I didn't have much of a choice. The EMTs pushed the stretcher out the door, and I stared at them the whole time they were getting him into the ambulance.

Jack's father was in handcuffs. I smiled to myself as the police took him off. Jack's mother had disappeared somehow; I hoped she had just gone back to her house.

After a few more minutes, the chaos died down, and the police cars and ambulances got ready to drive away. Standing in the doorway, I watched them go. Jack and I had been separated for less than ten minutes and I already missed him. 

Oh well. He'd be okay.

We'd all be okay.

*****AUTHOR'S NOTE*****

Can I have a pass? I think I had a mini mental breakdown.