Are You Having A Good Time, Sweetheart?

Chapter Twenty Five: The Damage Was Done

Author's Note - I have to give my friend Alex credit for helping me a lot with this chapter! I had ideas, but had no idea how to take them, and she was amazing at helping me. What a creative bug she is <3

Everything had fallen into place. Everything was fine.
Alex had been going to therapy every week. He was getting everything off his chest.
Jack was right when he said people would eventually leave him alone.
He finally started wearing short sleeved shirts to school too, not afraid of what he'd done anymore.

Summer break started, Jack was now seventeen, Alex was going on eighteen in December.
Things were beyond okay.
Of course, Alex still had a lot of issues, a lot of panic attacks, but never as bad at they used to be.
Alex wasn't a shell anymore.
Jack wasn't constantly babysitting.
Alex still wasn't allowed to take his own meds, but that was fine by him. He'd accepted it already.
His therapist said that he was getting there, but he'd need to be monitored a while longer.

Jack and Alex went to New York with their parents for summer break, they'd seen Green Day in concert, they did all the cheesy New York shit and had the best time.
They even managed to get their own hotel room.
They definitely took advantage of that. Multiple times.

Then school started again.
They thought they'd be left alone, but because Alex wasn't a shell anymore, well, at least not as bad as he used to be, and he and Jack were always holding hands and flaunting their relationship around school, kissing, flirting, making out on their bench, sitting on each other's laps.
That's when it turned bad again.
Everything that was going so well was falling apart right in front of them.

It was the week after school had started again in September, in preparation for finals, since Alex and Jack were seniors. Graduation would be coming soon, in October. It was a Thursday.
Alex remembered it well.
He was wearing his new favorite t shirt he'd gotten from New York, it said 'New York is for Lovers' 
Jack was wearing his new shirt from the Green Day show.
Alex thought it fit him really well and really loved him wearing it.
He loved it even more when Jack took it off.

It was at lunch. 
Jack and Alex skipped lunch today because they were supposed to have dinner with their families together. Their parents had become fast friends, spending time together with and without the boys. 
Jack and Alex were even playing guitar together now, Alex singing of course, because Jack couldn't carry a tune well. Alex didn't believe that, but he never pressed Jack on it. Jack had enough skill on the guitar.
Alex was sitting on Jack's lap, arms around his neck, making out with him of course. Now that Alex didn't feel ninety percent dead, he felt ready to act like he was in a relationship, he was ready to be romantic again. One night, he'd even kicked his parents out of the house and made Jack an entire dinner. Alex was good in the kitchen, despite his past eating habits.
He'd dimmed the lights, set up the table nicely with a white tablecloth and candles, the fancy plates, wine glasses, with his parent's permission to have a tiny bit of their red wine.
He'd cooked them fettuccine alfredo, made a great italian salad, a side of pan seared vegetables, and some breadsticks that he'd made himself from scratch.
That was a perfect night.
They ended it perfectly too.

Alex stopped reminiscing when he was thrown to the ground by the same asshole who'd done it when he returned to school from his hospital stay.
This time, he pulled Jack up.
"I heard you were talking shit, faggot." Of course this wasn't true, but Kyle had said something. Kyle, for god knows what reason wanted to bring Jack and Alex down. He didn't like gay people either. Jack and Kyle had once been friends, but that was clearly over now.
"I haven't said anything dude." Jack looked down at Alex who was still on the ground, getting himself up.
"Leave him alone" Alex said as he stood up, "Don't forget what I said last time. I'll fuck you up and won't give a single fuck about it." 
The big guy laughed, "You're not gonna do shit, you scrawny little faggot."
Jack pushed the guy off, "Dude just shut the fuck up. You were already suspended for this shit once. Do you really wanna get expelled or whatever too?" 
"I don't give a fuck. I'm sick of seeing you two being fucking disgusting all the time. It makes me sick. I've had enough. Kyle even told me you guys were telling him that I'm a faggot too." The big guy spat out.
Alex glared, "We haven't talked to that little bitch in forever. Don't be a little bitch too. Why the fuck does it even matter to you? Unless you're jealous and can't find a good piece of ass for yourself. What? Don't find any guys around here cute?"