Dedication Takes a Lifetime (Jalex boyxboy)

xi. This Is Our Corner Of The World

~Trigger Warning~

“You know, I really need you to fuck off.”

“What? Why?” Jack asked pouting at me.

“Because I’m trying to concentrate and you’re face is really putting me off,” I told him. I was supposed to be recording my guitar parts and Jack kept trying to distract me by pulling stupid faces or just being his usual childish self, but I had been forced out so that I could practice the chord sequences. I knew them off by heart; having been the person who wrote them, but my bad mood from the last week had been interfering with my hand-eye coordination just didn’t seem to want to cooperate with what my brain was telling it to do. I tried playing again, groaning loudly in frustration when I yet again managed to mess it up and this time I couldn’t blame Jack as he wasn’t even in the room.

“Hey it’s okay Lex,” Jack soothed me, hearing my complaining and walking up behind me and placing his hands over mine. “Stop for a minute and take a deep breath.”

“It’s not doing what I want it to,” I complained.

“And that’s why you need to stop. Take a minute to breathe and think about what you’re trying to do.”

“I know what I’m trying to do; it’s just not doing it.”

“You’re getting yourself worked up and taking your frustration out on yourself. Take a minute to calm down and try again with a clear mind,” he told me.

“When did you get so wise?”

“Since I wanted to get you alone. Come on, you’re not going to get it right any time soon so let’s just take a break and let Zack go in first.” He took my guitar from my lap and placed it down on the couch behind me as I got to my feet.

“What are you planning Barakat?” I asked.

“It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you, would it?”

“But it’s happening now, so you wouldn’t be ruining it,” I tried getting him to tell me what it was that he had planned.

“Alex, I know how much you don’t like surprises, but I promise you will like this one. It’s just something simple to take your mind off of things for a little while. Don’t panic babe,” Jack told me as he lead me out of the studio and we walked a couple of blocks until we reached a quiet open area. Jack lead me over to a spot that was slightly off to the side and when I saw the small blanket spread out on the floor with a little basket I couldn’t stop the tears that started to pour out of my eyes. Jack noticed straight away and pulled me into a hug.

“What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing,” my voice cracked and even I didn’t believe me.

“Come on, we both know you’re lying. Is this the same thing from last week?” He asked me softly but I still tensed up when he mentioned it. Jack noticed.

“You don’t have to tell me what it is, but is it that?”

I nodded as I pulled away slightly to use the sleeve of my hoodie to wipe away the tears that were still falling.

“Have you spoken to anyone about it?”

“Not yet,” I whimpered.

“Alex.”

“I know. I know I need to talk to someone and I will when I know what it is that I’m talking about,” I told him sincerely, fully intending to talk to someone either later tonight or tomorrow.

“Okay, do you wanna have lunch here or do you wanna go back in?”

“I’m sorry Jacko,” I whispered.