A kind of love (gay)

To old friends

Jackson's pov

Fucking crappy ass motel room, My back is aching as I stretch my tense body and head to the bath room. It's 8 am I guess I slept in today, considering I usually only get about 4 hours of sleep every night if I'm lucky. I stopped at this motel 3 hours into California I was exhausted and I couldn't drive another hour in this condition. So I stopped at the first motel In sight and immediately regretted it because I'm pretty sure this place is not meant to actually be slept in, but I wasn't gonna complain, I didn't move to California from Las Vegas to live luxurious, I'm here for Anna, everything I ever do is for my sweet Anna.

I should get going if I wanna make it to the hospital by 10, I checked my gps it's not far from here, about an hour drive, I'll look for a better motel there to stay in so I don't have to come back to this hell hole.

To say I was surprised when Max reached out to me when he heard about Anna, would be a lie, but when he told me about what happened to him, about the cancer, I stopped thinking about a AN for a second because all I could think about was Max. In high school we were what you call inseparable. He was the brother I never had. But despite how close we were, we knew nothing about each other's family. I have never meet his family and he has never met mine, that wasn't an issue for us tho, we didn't ask questions we knew that out family's were not a subject open for discussions. We both had our skeletons, and we respected privacy for as far as it went, but after graduation me and Anna moved away immediately, I never really gave max an explanation and he didn't ask for one. Now he's been diagnosed with a deadly cancer and I feel sorry for him he was always a good person, even tho he drove the ladies crazy back in the day, me on the other hand, they would usually dump me when they realized I don't like being touched what so ever and I probably wasn't worth their time. Max on the other hand had the ladies at his feet, from his surfer blonde hair and tan skin and his crooked smile, they were all over him.
I grabbed my bag off the motel floor and headed to my car. Believe it or not but everything that has ever mattered to me can all be fit into a shoulder bag. I have never been a materialistic person I don't need much, I just need enough to carry on, out of everything I brought with me from Vegas all I needed fit in this this shoulder bag.

I passed the sketchy dude working the motel front desk as he inhaled a cigarette abut to die, man this place gives me the creeps. I started the car and drove off with ease.
Goddamn hospitals cant ever make enough parking spaces, after tirelessly driving around I  finally found one far from the elevator and took it before some Cali prick tried to steal it from me. As I took the key out it hit me that I was about to walk into a hospital Again, the last two times I stepped into a hospital were after my parents death and for Anna. I knew it was bound to happen again but I won't ever be ready. it's been a year now I need to get my shit together.

The secretary tells me Max Joe is in room 36B, she gave me weird look when I mentioned his name, I think I already know why max you wild boy you still got it I mentally eye rolled him.

I knocked 3 times before my hand found the strength to open the door, and there he was lying on the hospital bed, he looks the same except for his apparent weight lose and shorter blond hair, his tan was gone and he looked tired, cancer isn't the only thing that can do this to a person.

" Jackson? Dude is that you" Max finally noticing my presence I gave him a full smile and walked over to him "well I'll be damned you haven't changed a bit." He seemed happy as if my arriving was just the distraction he needed. " If it isn't Max Joe the ladies man, the breaker of hearts" I teased and he laughed but their was no flame in his eye. " Ah you know I still got it Jackson, it's in my blood even on my death bed the nurses can't help but want a piece of all this" he really knows how to lighten the mood and that's what I have always loves about max he Doesn't let things bum him down, sure he breaks and has his moments but he won't stay down; he won't allow himself too. " So man how's Cali doing you so far " Max sat up straight to talk "I don't know how it feels to be back, I guess the feeling is still numb, it all feels so new, even tho I spent 18 years of my life here." I'm eyeing the floor because u can't stand to look at all the tubes coming from out of him. "After my parents passed I swore to myself I'd never come back here but things in Vegas didn't exactly allow me to stay and I ended up back where I started so I don't really know how I feel" max gave me a pat on shoulder and I immediately flinched, he shot me a look of realization , " sorry I forgot you don't like being touched, sorry man I forgot" I quickly changed the subject not wanting him to feel bad for forgetting how fucked up I am "so man how's your treatment coming, I know it's been what 8 months? Sorry I couldn't visit sooner Bu--" max cut me off " no worries it's alright you had other things to worry about" he was right I did, and it's one of the many reasons I can't sleep at night, so many demons are still haunting me it scares me as to how normal it has all become.

Their was a knock on the door and a tall man, he looked 6 foot tall with light brown hair and sharp facial feature with a string build, he kinda looks like max. I was cut off from my thoughts by max " hey Alex this is Jackson Green, Jackson this is my brother Alex " I notice tension between them, but I do t ask questions ,Alex, he heads towards me and Max, he seems so cold and angry. it's nice to meet you Alex, I'd like to say I'v heard a lot about you but I actually learned of your existence yesterday. " I wasn't surprised by Alex's lack of introduction, like I said me and Max rarely spoke of our family and I'm sure he had his reasons to not mentioning the fact that he has a brother. The only thing I knew about Max's family was that his mother had Alzheimer's and his dad was sad drunk. " Max did Dr.Scott and nurse Maggie stop by yet ?" Max looked at his brother and shot back quickly "no that excuse of a doctor still didn't show up." I just sat their quietly as Max and his brother spoke of some type of radiation and experimental drug that I have never heard of, I don't know anyone with cancer besides max so I don't know how the whole treatment process goes. As time passes I feel my presence has been over stayed and I got up to head out for the night "it was good seeing you again max, I can stop by tomorrow of you want, I'll grab some donuts from Barnes donut factory that we used to always ditch class for " I smiled at the memory. "Sure ya I'll see you tomorrow Jackson" he gave me a smile look and then gazed at his brother who was curiously eyeing me " it was nice meeting you Jackson " he added. I gave them both a last good night and walked out, I can't help but feel Alex's eyes following me.

A picture of Jackson above