I Painted A Picture (Jalex)

Never Felt Like Calling This Just Friends

Two weeks or so went by, and Jack was settling in real nicely. He already had friends, courtesy of yours truly, and he seemed to be getting decent grades. He'd joined me and Rian for homework a few times, and it looked as if that might become a regular thing. I hoped it did. I liked him a fuck ton.

One Tuesday, just after Rian left my house, he turned to me and said,"You know, I kinda like this couple thing."

"Me too. I've been doing a lot of self-discovery," I said.

"Can we kick this up a notch?" he asked.

"Uh, sure," I answered. "Although let's maybe not have sex just yet."

He laughed. "Yeah, I'm definitely not ready for that. I was just thinking, should we start going on, like, actual dates?"

"Oh. Right. Dating," I said. "That's a thing couples do."

"So what do you think?" he asked.

"I think we totally should," I said. "What were you thinking about doing?"

He leaned back in his chair and paused for a moment. "Are you free at seven P.M. on Friday?"

"Yeah," I said. "Why?"

"I'll come pick you up," he said, "and surprise you."

"You're not plotting my murder, are you?" I asked.

He chuckled. "Believe me, I'm too into you to be plotting your murder."

"Okay, what should I wear?"

"Dress nice," he said.

"Anything else I should know?" I asked.

Jack pondered it for a second. "Bring your copy of Take Off Your Pants And Jacket. I don't have my own."

I nodded. "It's settled then."

"Yep, I'll be here Friday night. In the meantime," he said, checking the clock over my oven, "I have to be in downtown Baltimore in half an hour for rehearsal. So, I'll see you tomorrow." He slung his backpack over his shoulder and gave me a goodbye hug before he left.

"I'll see you," I called as he walked out.

The door gently closed behind him, and I instantly started worrying. What if I wore the wrong thing? What if Jack didn't show up on time? How would we get there? I pressed my fingers to my forehead. Fuck.

To take my mind off things, I got out my paints and decided I was dumb enough to try to paint Jack from memory.

Fast forward an hour or so and I've barely sketched half of it. At least it'll be worth it if it turns out like I want it to. Faces are so hard to get right, and I've tried many times.

As you may have guessed, I've never succeeded.

I realized it was almost six, and my mom would be home soon. I put my shit away and masturbated in my bedroom for a while, hoping my mom wouldn't sneak in like she'd been known to do.

Fortunately, she came in complaining about her job so loudly I could hear her from my bedroom. Totally killed my jerk-off session.

I put my pants back on and went downstairs to see her carrying two full bags of groceries, looking very pissed off. "There's one more in the car," she snapped in my general direction when she spotted me. I went out into the driveway and retrieved the third bag, so as to stay on her good side.

"Hey, Mom?" I said when I got back in.

"Yes?" she shot back, not looking up from her groceries.

"Can I go out on Friday night? I made plans with...a friend," I asked, not willing to reveal the whole truth just yet.

"Which friend?" she asked, and I feared for my life.

"Oh...um...his name is Jack. He's new at our school. He sits by me in homeroom."

"Does he do drugs?" she asked. I shook my head. "Well, I guess you can go," she said, and I smiled.

"Thanks." I started to help put the groceries away. "So, how was work?"

"Awful," she snapped. "One of my co-workers had to go out and pepper-spray some pro-lifers out front, and man, pro-lifers are everywhere! There was a lady going in for birth control who was pro-life, and I had to resist the urge to pull out the Power-Point on abortion."

I shook my head. "People are idiots."

"Some days I wish I could just quit. But someone has to work at Planned Parenthood, and it might as well be me." My mom finished putting the groceries away and turned to me. "On another note, have you gotten a girlfriend yet?"

I tried not to laugh.

*****AUTHOR'S NOTE*****

Just so you know, I'm pro-choice.

Also, Walls is basically the Jalex anthem.