just friends ; jalex

6

it's no big surprise lisa accepts his offer of a date. although she seems fairly shocked when he suggests it.

they set the date for that friday, six pm, dinner and a movie.

"that's cliche," jack says, and alex rolls his eyes.

"you're cliche," is his retort, and besides, this relationship means nothing to him. lisa means nothing. she's a... a distraction.

"so, since when do you like her?" jack continues on. "you never talked about her before."

alex stares at the ground for a moment, mapping out his lies. "oh, recently. she's cute, i'd just never noticed or anything." in truth, he barely knows what she looks like.

"uh-huh." jack doesn't seem to believe him, but luckily, zack walks in at that point and jack becomes preoccupied with talking to him.

alex doesn't pull his eyes away from the floor of jack's room, where he's been sitting for a good hour. it feels to him as if jack's become more distant, more distracted. was it the kiss? please, please don't let him be mad, be disgusted by alex. it's bad enough how casually he played it off, please don't hate him for it...

"alex?" zack's looking at him. his mouth half-open, alex realizes he's been weaving his fingers together almost maniacally for the past few minutes, and he awkwardly unlaces them. "are you alright?"

"fine, um, just... you know, lisa, and shit," he blabbers, not knowing what he's saying, just please won't you get the spotlight off of him. zack gives him a look and then diverts his attention back to jack.

there's a half-headache pounding at his temples. the memory of the kiss pops back in his head— jack's lips, soft and booze-soaked, hesitant, the hint of his breath on alex's skin—

stop, jesus. he's about to pop a fucking boner.

"is rian coming?" alex says out loud, to get himself out of his own head. the two other boys look at him.

"i think so," jack starts, not meeting alex's eyes.

"he is," confirms zack, since the two of them know everything about each other. (and them kissing didn't fuck up anything, so why...)

alex scratches his head. "i, okay. thanks."

then he goes back to playing with a loose thread on the end of his jeans. boy, is hanging out with friends fun.