You Broke Me, You Saved Me (Jalex)

Chapter 7: Life is a Map with No Compass

Alex's POV:

Two weeks have passed since my argument with Jack. Seeing him every day was a nightmare. I drag myself out of bed, but quickly realize going to school today wasn't an option. My entire body looks exhausted, and I wasn't about to give Jack the opportunity to see me like this.

I'm going to assume Jack didn't see the bruises, or maybe if he did, he didn't care. He doesn't give a shit about me, and I need to accept it. I look at myself in the mirror again, repeating the same words as always.

"Arrogant boy, love yourself so no one has to."

They're better off without me. I don't want to live on this planet anymore. I can't. No one will even care. I have no friends, no family except for my abusive father. My mother died in a car accident when I was in fourth grade. The one person who actually cared.

I knew what I had to do. Jack and I's hangout spot- it was a bridge. I'd jump off. At least when I die, I'll remember the good times.

Before I leave my house, I decide to text Jack. Just so he'll never forget how much he put me through. Too selfish? Whatever.

Friday, September 6, 2019

This is it, Jack. I hope one
day you'll realize that words
have power and you'll never
use them to make people feel like
a miserable piece of shit. But,
take this and learn from it. Don't
feel guilty, I'm not gonna be
around anymore anyway. Have
a happy life, Jack. I love you.

I tap send, turning my phone off. I go to the bridge and sit there, my feet dangling over the edge. It's 9:57 a.m., meaning that second period had just started. I sent the text to Jack right before first period ended. He probably wouldn't see it until lunch, because he never seems to have his phone out. Whatever. It doesn't matter. Stop thinking about him.

Everyone will be better off without me- they'll fall asleep without me. The minutes pass as I go nowhere. My life is a map with no compass. This is what I need to do.

3.

2.

"Alex, what the fuck do you think you're doing?" a frantic voice says, pulling me away from the edge. My face expression doesn't change; I don't even move. Everything about me feels completely numb.

I slowly turn my head, seeing that the one and only Jack Barakat was beside me, gripping my arm as tight as he could. His dark eyes were filled with nothing but worry.

And to add, he was crying.

Jack's POV:

I saw Alex's message as soon as the bell rang, and I knew exactly what I needed to do.

Friday, September 6, 2019

Alex?

Lex reply NOW

DON'T DO IT

PLEASE DON'T FUCKING DO
IT LEX

Fuck it I'm coming

I take off sprinting. My lungs scream at me, but I don't acknowledge it. Lex needs me. I can't lose him.

I approach the bridge, where he's about to push himself off. "Alex, what the fuck do you think you're doing?" I holler. I grab his arm and pull him away from the ledge as fast as I can.

The pain in his eyes is paralyzing. He doesn't make an expression at all when our eyes meet. He looks dead. My best friend is utterly and entirely broken. "Alex," I say softly, my voice breaking, tears streaming down my cheeks. "Come back to me, Lex. Breathe. Please, don't jump. I can't lose you."

"I couldn't lose you either," he says flatly, no emotion in his tired voice. "But I did anyway, now didn't I?"

"I'll never forgive myself. I'm so fucking sorry Alex. I'm so fucked up mentally. I don't care if you hate me, just please don't die," I say desperately.

Something in him switches. He's not an unemotional robot anymore. He's just a vulnerable, broken teenage boy with more on his plate than he should have to deal with. I hug him tightly, hoping it wakes him up. "Come back, Lex, come back," I murmur.

After almost a minute of standing there, he snakes his arms around my waist and cries into my shoulder.

"Let's go to your house," I say. He nods in agreement, and I put my arm around his shoulders as we make the walk to his house.