In Another Lifetime

Chapter 4 - Jack

Jack Overland was reclining in his desk chair, head resting upon his palms. He was running his hands through his brown hair, it wasn't usually this colour, Jack always dyed it. Recently he had bought a bottle of white hair dye and was bursting to try it out, but that wasn't the big thing on his mind at the moment. It was the conversation he had a while ago with his father.

"I don't want to go to summer camp!"

"Jack. I am very busy with my work, I don't have time for - for children."

"This is not fair! I like being on my own, no rules, no responsibilities -"

"You'll enjoy it! I feel it - in my belly..."

"To hell with your belly."

"Jack, you're going. It's about time people actually saw you for once."

"Just because I like staying upstairs doesn't mean -"

"Jack. Get packing."

Jack had tossed a couple of pairs of brown shorts, jeans, a blue hoodie and some blue t shirts into his suitcase and decided that he was officially irritated. He never wanted this! Summer camp? He hated summer enough as it was! You couldn't get snow days in summer could you? Jack felt like he belonged in his winter wonderlands, that ice and snow were really part of him. Why couldn't summer just go away? No point in it really. Damn global warming.

Jack's style wasn't particuarly warm either. He stuck to icy blues, white, grey and black. You'd never see Jack in green unless it was a blue moon or something, which is ironic. He never wore shoes around the house either, he had this thing about it, but when he did wear footwear they were snow boots or trainers. Jack didn't like change at all.

That could have been the reason why his room had always stayed the same, pale blue that he'd helped to paint with his father when he was just four years old. The colour calmed Jack's nerves; whenever he'd had a bad day he'd retreat upstairs, plug in his headphones and just allow calm to take over him. He'd never really liked the idea of being sociable, but his father was getting slightly worried about it at the moment. Jack never had parties or sleepovers, he treated people at school like they didn't exist. But to be honest, the kids at school acted like Jack was invisible. Almost as if they didn't believe he was there.

This was why Jack had never had a girlfriend. He was attractive enough, and many girls had had a crush on him before, but Jack had never said yes to any offers. He wanted to remain single. Alone. Free. Without responsibility.

But it was getting harder and harder for him to be happy on his own. Jack realised that though he was perfectly content alone, he started craving company in some situations. Watching a heartfelt movie. Going bowling with his dad.  Out in town. These times were fun when it was just him and his dad, or just alone by himself, but he found himself wanting someone to be there. Just to walk with him, to laugh with him, to talk with him. To comfort him when he was lonely. He didn't know who that person might be, he'd never met anyone at school who'd taken a particular interest in the things Jack too liked. He felt though, if he had to wait much longer, he might die of loneliness.

Sometimes he'd just crawl into his bedroom corner and start to cry, and because his father was away so often, Jack didn't want to disturb him. He'd imagine someone placing a soft hand on his shoulder, tilting his head to meet their gaze, telling him it was going to be OK. But as soon as he realised that was just a fantasy, he'd break down all over again. He'd been tempted by self-harm before, but decided he was stronger than that. However Jack didn't like his personality. He'd damn himself time and time again for the smallest and stupidest of reasons, but he'd never picked up a knife to slash his wrists ad he'd seen some people do.

Well, Jack thought as he combed his hair with his fingers again, I don't like it, but I'm going. Maybe this summer camp'll give me some friends. Who knows?

A/N Hey everyone - hit 100 reads in only 4 chapters! Thank you all!! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, sorry I haven't updated in a while, I was busy finishing off my Mericcup story and I'm planning my Jackunzel one shot, so watch out for that! Love you all!!