Neighbors

Unraveling Lies

It had been a week since Alex was over consoling Madison. A week since he had even seen Madison. A week since he had talked to her. He dejectedly stared down at his phone checking the inbox again only to find that it was still empty. He looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder "Have you tried going over to her house?" Rian asked.

Alex nodded his head and groaned "yeah, her mom said she isn't feeling well. I'm just worried, ya know?" Rian nodded and sympathetically patted his friend on the back before sauntering outside where his other band mates were relaxing by the pool.

"So?" Zack inquired as Rian sat at the edge of the pool, his feet dangling in the cool water, he shrugged his shoulder at his friends question.

"He's got it bad, dude. I've never seen him so torn up over a girl not talking to him—Jack, aren't you supposed to be at the hospital doing that volunteer thing?"

"Ah, fuck. I forgot about that..." Jack groaned. His dad had signed him up for a month long volunteer service with the local hospital.

"What do you even have to do?" Zack asked

Jack carelessly shrugged his shoulder "Hang out with some girl in the terminal ward, offer company I guess. Fucking sucks, like that shits depressing"

"That blows" Rian agreed while Zack nodded his head and muttered out "better you than me" though it didn't go unnoticed by Jack. Jack flipped Zack of off of his float and into the water before scrambling into the house to change his clothes. He quickly dried off and threw on a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt before running downstairs to find Alex.

"I know you're busy pouting but could you give me a ride to the hospital? I totally blanked on that volunteer thing

Alex let out an annoyed sigh "I guess so"

The ride to the hospital was mostly silent; Jack knew to just leave Alex alone when he got into one of his moods. He swore sometimes his friend was more moody than a hormonal girl going through a rough patch of PMS, but he kept that to himself.

"Why do you think she's ignoring me?" Alex finally asked, turning to Jack with sad eyes.

"I doubt she's ignoring you, dude. You said she's sick so I'm sure she's just busy sleeping and vomiting." Jack tried to reassure his overdramatic best friend.

Alex ran a hand through his hair and sighed "but why won't her mom let me check on her?"

Jack shook his head and laughed at how pitiful Alex sounded "Careful, I think you're growing a vagina 'Lex" he joked as the car came to a stop in the parking lot. Alex punched Jack in the arm "You're mean" he pouted.

"Awww I'm sorry, baby. For real though her mom just probably doesn't want to be responsible for getting other kids sick. Just chill out, she'll call you eventually...pick me up at five?" Jack smiled and kissed his friend on the cheek leaving Alex with an amused scowl on his face.

Jack ran to the front lobby desk knowing Cathy, the receptionist, would probably give him her famous "look" for being late. He stopped at the desk and looked up just in time to see Cathy glaring at him as she pulled his file out and handed it to him "you're late, Barakat!" she snapped at the lanky boy. Jack shot her a sheepish smile and stalked off like a child that had just been publicly disciplined.

He let out a breath he wasn't aware the he had been holding in when the elevator doors closed, leaving him by himself. He opened his folder and quickly noted that he was to go to floor three, room 431 "this is so dumb" he muttered to himself as the elevator binged to announce they had arrived at the destination.
He slowly navigated the hallway trying to avoid eye contact with everyone; the terminal floor was by far the most depressing place on earth as far as Jack was concerned.