You're A Stranger I Know Well [16/?]
Title: You're A Stranger I Know Well [16/?]
Rating: PG for now
Pairing: Jalex
Summary: Jack Barakat was one of the least popular kids at Dulaney High. Alex Gaskarth on the other hand was one of the most popular. They weren't friends, they weren't enemies.
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I don't own them, this isn't true and I don't profit from anything. Title belongs to The Academy Is...
Author's Notes: This chapter is quite long, so I'm sorry if you get bored. Thanks for all the comments :) <33
Previous Chapters
My tumblr.:)
“Y-you don’t have to.” Jack insisted, shaking his head once Alex told him his plans.
“I know I don’t, Jack. I don’t want to keep us a secret. This past week at school has been fucking horrible,” Alex told him, turning on his side so he could look up at the younger boy.
“What do you mean?” Jack asked, biting on his lip.
“Stop doing that,” Alex told him, receiving a confused look in return. “You’re biting your lip. Stop it.”
“S-sorry, I do it when I’m, when I’m nervous.” Jack nodded, ringing his hands together in an attempt to distract himself. “Why did you say school’s been horrible?”
“We can’t do anything. I’m sick of having to be around my friends when they’re with their girlfriends and boyfriends when I can’t be with mine. It’s not fair, Jack.” Alex exclaimed. “I’m going to tell him.”
With that said, Alex jumped up from the bed, slipped his jeans on and pulled a shirt over his head, all the while Jack gnawing at his lip, watching as Alex slipped his shoes on.
“You’re doing it again.” Alex smiled as he sat down on the edge of the bed. He reached out, placed his hand on Jack’s cheek, gently rubbing his thumb on the skin.
“I just don’t want him to hurt you. You know what he’s like Alex. I just want you to be careful.” Jack mumbled.
“Jack, I promise you he isn’t going to do anything. He might not even care.” Alex lied. He knew Rian was homophobic. He knew he was going to care; he just didn’t want Jack to worry.
“It’s gonna be fine, Jay.” Alex nodded, leaning forward to press his lips to Jack’s. They lingered there for a few seconds until Alex pulled away slightly, resting his forehead on Jack’s own.
“Ring me when you leave his house?” Jack asked, only he didn’t want to ask, he wanted to tell him.
“Course I will. I’ll go now while I’m geared up. If I leave it till another time, I’ll bottle it.” Alex chuckled, pressing his lips to Jack’s once more. “I’ll see you later.”
That was it. Alex had gone to tell Rian and Jack would be lying if he said he wasn’t scared about the outcome.
- - - - -
The whole walk to Rian’s house, Alex was going over the different ways that he could tell Rian. They sounded okay in his head, but when he said them aloud, they just sounded ridiculous and rehearsed. He knew he couldn’t leave it, that he had to tell him.
“It’s just Rian. He’s one of my best friends. He isn’t going to flip a shit once he finds out.” Alex repeated in his head even though he knew it wasn’t true. He just wanted it to be.
It took about 20 minutes from Jack’s house to get to Rian’s and on the walk over, Alex had text the other boy to let him know he was coming over.
Standing on the porch, Alex debated whether or not he really wanted to do this. Whether Jack was really worth all of this. He mentally slapped himself as soon as his brain said that because of course he’s worth it. He smiled as he thought of how happy he was when he was with Jack and how he could be himself instead of the person he hated when he was with Rian.
Breathing deeply, Alex knocked on the wooden door. He waited a few minutes before he heard somebody running down the stairs, when suddenly the door was swinging open.
“Hey, Alex. Sorry I was getting ready. I didn’t think you’d be here this soon.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Alex replied as Rian stepped aside to let him in.
“How come you wanted to see me?” Rian questioned, straightening out his shirt as they made their way into the living room.
“I need to tell you something. I just, can you not go crazy when I tell you?”
“What can you possibly tell me that’s gonna make me go ‘crazy’” Rian chuckled as he leant back in the chair he was sat in.
“You’d be surprised,” Alex said under his breath. “You know how you’re always telling me to ‘find someone’ that’s going to make me happy?”
“Ha-ha, yeah man. It’s about time you did.” Rian smiled, winking over at Alex.
“Yeah… Well, I have.” Alex looked across at Rian, a smile making its way onto his face.
“That’s great! Why would I ‘go crazy’ as you put it about that though? Who is she?”
Alex didn’t say anything, just looked down at his shoes, tapping his foot gently on the hard wood beneath him.
“Alex? Who is she?” Rian asked, now sitting on the edge of the chair, eyes fixed on Alex.
Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Alex told him.
“He is Jack. Jack Barakat.”
Alex could hear the breath that Rian inhaled, instantly knowing this wasn’t going to have the result he wanted it to.
“Are you fucking kidding me!?” Rian bellowed, as he stood up, beginning to pace back and forth. “Since when the fuck were you a fag?”
“Rian, don’t.” Alex finally looked up at who he thought was his friend, shaking his head.
“No, Alex. You were never like this. Never. It’s since you started seeing him, isn’t it? He’s done this to you!”
“What? He hasn’t done anything to me!” Alex yelled, as he joined Rian the other side of the room.
“Right, sure he hasn’t Alex. For the past 6 years we’ve been friends and you’ve always been into chicks. Then you start talking to him and all of a sudden it’s guys you’re into? You expect me to believe he had no impact on this at all? Because if you did, you’re more of a fucking idiot than I thought you were.”
The way Rian was looking at Alex made him feel small. Like he was in the wrong.
“It’s not like that Rian. I can’t help the way he makes me feel. It’s different to anything I’ve felt when I’ve been with girls. I really like him, Rian.”
When Alex looked into Rian’s eyes, all he could see was anger. There wasn’t a single part of him that said he was going to accept Alex and Jack being together.
“You disgust me.” Rian said, screwing his face up as he turned his back on Alex. “Get out of my house.”
“Ri, please, don’t do this.”
“Alex, get out. Before I do something I regret.”
Alex didn’t try to get Rian to see this from another point of view. There was no point really. Maybe if he didn’t look him in the eye and see the pure hate that had come out of nowhere, he might have done.
Sighing, Alex turned on his heels and walked to the door. He opened it, looking back once more at Rian before walking through the threshold.
- - - - -
It had been an hour and a half since Alex had left Jack’s house and Jack had done nothing but worry in the 90 minutes that had passed. Every few seconds he was checking his phone, making sure it was on loud, that he hadn’t missed a call or a text from Alex. Each time he looked it was just the same as before.
Just as Jack was walking downstairs to get a drink, his phone started to ring in his pocket. Pulling it out and reading Alex on the screen, Jack breathed a sigh of relief before answering it quickly.
“Alex? Are you okay? Where are you? What happened? Why did it take you so long to call me?” Jack rushed as he moved from the kitchen into the living room.
“I’m fine. I told you I would be. I’m in the park. I told him, he didn’t really take to the whole thing. I needed to just get my head around everything he said. I’m sorry if I worried you.”
“What did he say?” Jack asked, once again biting his lip furiously. He was glad that Alex couldn’t see him right now.
“It’s what he didn’t say Jack.”
“What did he say?” Jack asked nervously.
“That it’s your fault, you changed me or something.” Alex paused just as Jack’s doorbell rang.
“There’s someone at the door. Can I ring you back in a minute?”
“Sure, I’ll talk to you in a bit.”
“Yeah, be careful. Please.” Jack knew he was worrying too much and that Alex could take care of himself.
“I will. Now go answer your door,” He chuckled. “I’ll talk to you later.”
Hanging up with a smile on his face, Jack threw his phone on the sofa and jogged to the door when whoever had rung the bell started banging the door.
Swinging it open, Jack froze when he saw that it was Rian waiting.
“I think we need to talk.” He said and Jack just nodded as Rian made his way into the Barakat household.
Rating: PG for now
Pairing: Jalex
Summary: Jack Barakat was one of the least popular kids at Dulaney High. Alex Gaskarth on the other hand was one of the most popular. They weren't friends, they weren't enemies.
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I don't own them, this isn't true and I don't profit from anything. Title belongs to The Academy Is...
Author's Notes: This chapter is quite long, so I'm sorry if you get bored. Thanks for all the comments :) <33
Previous Chapters
My tumblr.:)
“Y-you don’t have to.” Jack insisted, shaking his head once Alex told him his plans.
“I know I don’t, Jack. I don’t want to keep us a secret. This past week at school has been fucking horrible,” Alex told him, turning on his side so he could look up at the younger boy.
“What do you mean?” Jack asked, biting on his lip.
“Stop doing that,” Alex told him, receiving a confused look in return. “You’re biting your lip. Stop it.”
“S-sorry, I do it when I’m, when I’m nervous.” Jack nodded, ringing his hands together in an attempt to distract himself. “Why did you say school’s been horrible?”
“We can’t do anything. I’m sick of having to be around my friends when they’re with their girlfriends and boyfriends when I can’t be with mine. It’s not fair, Jack.” Alex exclaimed. “I’m going to tell him.”
With that said, Alex jumped up from the bed, slipped his jeans on and pulled a shirt over his head, all the while Jack gnawing at his lip, watching as Alex slipped his shoes on.
“You’re doing it again.” Alex smiled as he sat down on the edge of the bed. He reached out, placed his hand on Jack’s cheek, gently rubbing his thumb on the skin.
“I just don’t want him to hurt you. You know what he’s like Alex. I just want you to be careful.” Jack mumbled.
“Jack, I promise you he isn’t going to do anything. He might not even care.” Alex lied. He knew Rian was homophobic. He knew he was going to care; he just didn’t want Jack to worry.
“It’s gonna be fine, Jay.” Alex nodded, leaning forward to press his lips to Jack’s. They lingered there for a few seconds until Alex pulled away slightly, resting his forehead on Jack’s own.
“Ring me when you leave his house?” Jack asked, only he didn’t want to ask, he wanted to tell him.
“Course I will. I’ll go now while I’m geared up. If I leave it till another time, I’ll bottle it.” Alex chuckled, pressing his lips to Jack’s once more. “I’ll see you later.”
That was it. Alex had gone to tell Rian and Jack would be lying if he said he wasn’t scared about the outcome.
- - - - -
The whole walk to Rian’s house, Alex was going over the different ways that he could tell Rian. They sounded okay in his head, but when he said them aloud, they just sounded ridiculous and rehearsed. He knew he couldn’t leave it, that he had to tell him.
“It’s just Rian. He’s one of my best friends. He isn’t going to flip a shit once he finds out.” Alex repeated in his head even though he knew it wasn’t true. He just wanted it to be.
It took about 20 minutes from Jack’s house to get to Rian’s and on the walk over, Alex had text the other boy to let him know he was coming over.
Standing on the porch, Alex debated whether or not he really wanted to do this. Whether Jack was really worth all of this. He mentally slapped himself as soon as his brain said that because of course he’s worth it. He smiled as he thought of how happy he was when he was with Jack and how he could be himself instead of the person he hated when he was with Rian.
Breathing deeply, Alex knocked on the wooden door. He waited a few minutes before he heard somebody running down the stairs, when suddenly the door was swinging open.
“Hey, Alex. Sorry I was getting ready. I didn’t think you’d be here this soon.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Alex replied as Rian stepped aside to let him in.
“How come you wanted to see me?” Rian questioned, straightening out his shirt as they made their way into the living room.
“I need to tell you something. I just, can you not go crazy when I tell you?”
“What can you possibly tell me that’s gonna make me go ‘crazy’” Rian chuckled as he leant back in the chair he was sat in.
“You’d be surprised,” Alex said under his breath. “You know how you’re always telling me to ‘find someone’ that’s going to make me happy?”
“Ha-ha, yeah man. It’s about time you did.” Rian smiled, winking over at Alex.
“Yeah… Well, I have.” Alex looked across at Rian, a smile making its way onto his face.
“That’s great! Why would I ‘go crazy’ as you put it about that though? Who is she?”
Alex didn’t say anything, just looked down at his shoes, tapping his foot gently on the hard wood beneath him.
“Alex? Who is she?” Rian asked, now sitting on the edge of the chair, eyes fixed on Alex.
Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Alex told him.
“He is Jack. Jack Barakat.”
Alex could hear the breath that Rian inhaled, instantly knowing this wasn’t going to have the result he wanted it to.
“Are you fucking kidding me!?” Rian bellowed, as he stood up, beginning to pace back and forth. “Since when the fuck were you a fag?”
“Rian, don’t.” Alex finally looked up at who he thought was his friend, shaking his head.
“No, Alex. You were never like this. Never. It’s since you started seeing him, isn’t it? He’s done this to you!”
“What? He hasn’t done anything to me!” Alex yelled, as he joined Rian the other side of the room.
“Right, sure he hasn’t Alex. For the past 6 years we’ve been friends and you’ve always been into chicks. Then you start talking to him and all of a sudden it’s guys you’re into? You expect me to believe he had no impact on this at all? Because if you did, you’re more of a fucking idiot than I thought you were.”
The way Rian was looking at Alex made him feel small. Like he was in the wrong.
“It’s not like that Rian. I can’t help the way he makes me feel. It’s different to anything I’ve felt when I’ve been with girls. I really like him, Rian.”
When Alex looked into Rian’s eyes, all he could see was anger. There wasn’t a single part of him that said he was going to accept Alex and Jack being together.
“You disgust me.” Rian said, screwing his face up as he turned his back on Alex. “Get out of my house.”
“Ri, please, don’t do this.”
“Alex, get out. Before I do something I regret.”
Alex didn’t try to get Rian to see this from another point of view. There was no point really. Maybe if he didn’t look him in the eye and see the pure hate that had come out of nowhere, he might have done.
Sighing, Alex turned on his heels and walked to the door. He opened it, looking back once more at Rian before walking through the threshold.
- - - - -
It had been an hour and a half since Alex had left Jack’s house and Jack had done nothing but worry in the 90 minutes that had passed. Every few seconds he was checking his phone, making sure it was on loud, that he hadn’t missed a call or a text from Alex. Each time he looked it was just the same as before.
Just as Jack was walking downstairs to get a drink, his phone started to ring in his pocket. Pulling it out and reading Alex on the screen, Jack breathed a sigh of relief before answering it quickly.
“Alex? Are you okay? Where are you? What happened? Why did it take you so long to call me?” Jack rushed as he moved from the kitchen into the living room.
“I’m fine. I told you I would be. I’m in the park. I told him, he didn’t really take to the whole thing. I needed to just get my head around everything he said. I’m sorry if I worried you.”
“What did he say?” Jack asked, once again biting his lip furiously. He was glad that Alex couldn’t see him right now.
“It’s what he didn’t say Jack.”
“What did he say?” Jack asked nervously.
“That it’s your fault, you changed me or something.” Alex paused just as Jack’s doorbell rang.
“There’s someone at the door. Can I ring you back in a minute?”
“Sure, I’ll talk to you in a bit.”
“Yeah, be careful. Please.” Jack knew he was worrying too much and that Alex could take care of himself.
“I will. Now go answer your door,” He chuckled. “I’ll talk to you later.”
Hanging up with a smile on his face, Jack threw his phone on the sofa and jogged to the door when whoever had rung the bell started banging the door.
Swinging it open, Jack froze when he saw that it was Rian waiting.
“I think we need to talk.” He said and Jack just nodded as Rian made his way into the Barakat household.