Achieving Unbroken

-Epilogue-

Achieving Unbroken
Epilogue

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"Don't you go, we need you here,
You brighten up this shitty year;
Well, congratulations on your bit of success
We can't wait to see what you do next"
Finale (Can't Wait To See What You Do Next) | AJR

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Jason Oakland is not broken.

Most people said he was, after the accident, but he would vehemently disagree. He was never broken, despite the rumors. He was just cracked. Cracked in a few different places, actually. But they called it broken.

Jason has since learned that cracks are life. Everyone has them. He was never perfect, even when everyone would say he was; and that people don't like speaking about their cracks. It's too personal. Too dark.

Jason Oakland isn't afraid of his cracks anymore. He wears each one proudly, and will effortlessly tell you what each one is for if you ask.

What's that one on your shoulder? Parent's divorce.

The smaller one behind your neck? The new additions to the family.

The lengthy one that cuts right across your heart? Being the one to find Joey Oakland dead.

And the line running down your leg? Not his, but his brother's. Since Joey isn't around to carry the crack himself, Jason will have to do.

And now, people understand that it's just a crack. They needed a little help at first, and really, he did too; there was no way he was getting by convincing these people he was alright on his own.

Enter the bottle of glue, the bucket of paint, the beaker of polish—whatever you want to call her—she took care of the cracks. They're smoothed over now, less jagged and painful. They are better because of Lilla Harris.

Jason lost things he once had; his close friends, the respect of his peers and teachers, and a title of perfection, all because of a crack along his heart.

Lilla Harris helped him bring those things back. And now he has his new normal, his new friends, his new title...

And he has her, now, too.

That is one thing that he didn't have before, that he recently gained.

And while he has moved on, not a day goes by that Jason misses his brother.

But, not a day goes by that Jason is thankful that he had the love and support to escape his own prison. He often insists to Lilla that he couldn't have done it without her; his family would still be in silent suffering without her.

She, being overly humble, tells him that they would have all been alright. It would have taken significantly longer, but everyone makes it out of the woods eventually.

It is, however, a lot easier when there's help.

And every time that Jason tells her that he loves her, and she says it back; the thought jumps to his mind if they ever would have gotten together without the death and the isolation and the fights. If she ever would have loved the guy that he was before it all.

He reminds himself that he can't turn back time once the previous train of thought comes to a stop. He reminds himself that she loves the person he is today, and tacks that onto the list of other things in his life to be thankful for.

So, yeah. Jason Oakland is not broken. You bare witness to every crack forming in his life, and have firsthand observed the almost breaking of his world with just two words—

But he didn't break. You saw that.

He's just cracked, and he's stronger because of it, so don't worry about him.

And if you ever hear anyone calling Jason Oakland a broken man, please; do us all a favor and correct them.

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"... I hope I made you smile,
That's all I ever wanted"
Finale (Can't Wait To See What You Do Next) |  AJR

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