My Best Friend, Jack ✓

28. Fallout

"Get the hell off of me!" Caleb grunted, as Jack's fist connected with his cheek. 

Blood spewed from his mouth and Jack raised his fist for another blow. His eyes looked crazed and he was breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling in murderous  anger. Caleb took the opportunity and elbowed him hard in the face. Jack's head snapped back and he fell backwards, his head thumping against the hard-wood floor. He looked dazed for a moment as Caleb dropped his body weight on him. 

"Please stop!" I screamed, running towards them. 

As Caleb raised his arm, ready to hit Jack again in the face, Jack swivelled his body and rolled over, ending on top of Caleb. Without a moment's hesitation, he brought his closed fist down and punched Caleb again, a horrible crack reverberating around the cramped hallway. It was obvious that his nose had just been broken. 

I could only stare in shock as Jack clambered off Caleb's knocked out form, sprawled out on the hardwood floor. There were specks of blood dotting the walls and I looked at him, unable to comprehend that the boy stood in front of my was my best friend, my Jack. He looked like a total stranger. His eyes looked crazed and he had a dot of blood on his cheek. 

I barely noticed Missy pressed against the wall, her eyes wide in shock. "What the hell did you do?" She yelled, finally coming to her senses and dropping on the floor beside Caleb. She gently touched his face and glared up at Jack. "You've knocked him out and broken his nose. You're crazy!"

Jack made a move towards me but I took a step back, shaking my head. I looked back and forth between him and Caleb, my heart pounding like a jackhammer. I could barely control my breathing and my legs felt like jelly. It was taking all my strength not to collapse on to the floor in a broken heap. 

"Ava..." Jack whispered, his eyes pleading. 

"I can't do this," I cried, turning on my heel and running as fast as I could. I just wanted to be anywhere but in that hallway.

I ignored people's stares as I barged past them and flew down the stairs, two at a time. 

"Ava!" Jack's voice echoed behind me. 

I couldn't control the tears any longer and bolted for the front door. The cold night air hit me square in the face and I gulped it down like my life depended on it. I wiped my eyes as the tears flowed down my cheeks, staining them before the next tears erupted from my eyes and flowed like a waterfall. I felt hurt, angry, confused, shocked and front and foremost, scared. Not of Jack, but of what he had done. I had never seen him act like that before and I almost didn't recognise him. 

The image of Caleb with his arms wrapped around Missy flashed in to my mind and I tried to shake it away desperately. But as hard as I fought, it was all I could see. It was the only thing I could see. I felt so stupid for thinking that somebody like Caleb could actually like somebody like me. I wanted nothing more than to run away and never come back. I fought back bile as it threatened to rise up out of my throat. 

Without looking back, I ran down the driveway, wanting nothing more than to escape. But before I made it to the end, a hand reached out and grabbed my arm. I whirled around to see Jack stood there, panting like crazy. He had tears in his eyes too and a cut on his lip. I shook my head, unable to truly recognise the stranger stood in front of me.

"Ava, please," he pleaded, shaking his head. "I didn't mean - "

"Didn't mean what?" I interrupted, wiping my tears away. "To beat the shit out of him?!"

"I saw him kissing Missy and you just stood there and it was like I couldn't control myself," he said, fighting back tears. 

"It wasn't your battle to fight!"

"I know, I know," he whispered. "But I just saw you and I couldn't think straight. He hurt you, Ava. You're my best friend. I just want to protect you."

"You don't need to fight my battles for me, Jack" I cried, brushing my hands through my hair. "I would've dealt with it, with Caleb. But you just punched first and didn't even give me the chance. And now he's led on the floor with a broken nose and knocked out cold."

"You still care about him?" Jack asked, his voice sounding hurt, almost broken. 

I shook my head violently. "No, I don't," I shouted. I marched towards Jack and jabbed my finger in to his chest. "I care about you and what happens to you. Do you think he's just going to let this go and forget about it. What if he presses charges? How're you even going to play college basketball with something like that on your record? What college is going to accept you?" I jabbed his chest violently again, but it didn't seem to make an impact. 

"You think I care about that?"

"You should!" I spat. "You're meant to get out of this town and go to college and do what you love. You could've just thrown it all away and for what?!"

He stared at me and grabbed my hands as I went to jab him in the chest again. "For you, Nugget."

I clenched my eyes shut and shook my head, unable to look at him. "Don't call me that," I whispered, a tear rolling down my cheek. 

I felt his hand as he reached down and gently wiped the tear away with his thumb. It lingered on my skin and I trembled out of fear, confusion, anger. "I'm sorry."

I pushed him away. "You think that makes it okay? You think that just solves everything, Jack?"

"I don't want to lose you," he said, his hands dropping back to his sides, dejectedly. 

It felt like the world was closing in on me and I was  completely and utterly overwhelmed. The boy who was supposed to like me was kissing someone else, and the boy who was supposed to be my best friend had just risked his own future to protect me. How was I supposed to live with that if his future was ruined?  I felt like it was all my own fault and the only thing I could think to do, was run. 

I spun around, my feet kicking up dirt as I sprinted off. I tried my hardest to get away from Jack, but he just didn't let me go. He grabbed my arm again and spun me around again. 

"Ava, please..."

I opened my mouth to beg him to let me go, but before any words could escape my lips, Jack pulled me in to his chest and crashed his lips against mine. His hands cupped my face gently and I closed my eyes in shock, unable to process what was happening. My heart thundered in my chest and I pressed my hands against his solid chest, not sure what to do. I wanted desperately to pull away, but my body betrayed me and I wrapped my hands around his neck, pulling him down to me. His lips were soft, kind and something I had never felt before erupted throughout my entire body.  He moaned in to my mouth and I suddenly came to my senses and untangled my arms from his neck, pushing him away, hard. 

We both stared at each other, not saying a word. We were both breathing heavily, our chests rising and falling in tandem. Jack's deep, blue eyes bore in to mine and for the first time, I realised how truly beautiful they were. 

"I can't do this," I whispered. "You're my best friend."

"Ava - "

I did the only thing I could think of doing. 

I ran.