Aurora Borealis (All time low, Jalex)

II: Big Plans are Coming Undone

Gray, dark, cold, a breath of fresh air: words that Jack would use to describe the frigid breeze of Iqaluit, Nunavut. The misty clouds covered the sun and shadowed the city in gloom. The harsh northern cold of January seeped through his winter jacket and into his skin, sending chills throughout his skeleton. He took a deep breath through his nose, savouring new smells and alien sensations. He was so unbelievably satisfied with the novelty of this new environment, that he felt he was over the moon. No, no, 'satisfied' wasn't the word for it... He was ecstatic. Although, his contentment did not last for very long, when he was rudely interrupted by Zack grunting in dismay and shivering at the cold, as it assaulted all his senses. He let out a whine, a grim look evident on his face.

"Can't believe that this is what you took out of my joke. How long do we have to stay here?" He complained, turning Jack's mood sour.

Jack nearly slapped his friend in the face, but he managed to hold himself back. It was hypocritical of Zack to complain when he was the one who invited himself over. He didn't want Zack to come with him to begin with, but when he was at the airport and received a phone call from his friend, he felt he couldn't just leave his greatest companion without a word. When he answered the phone, and informed Zack that he was about to leave, he heard shuffling on the other end of the line and then a car door slam. Then he heard him say "Hold on, I'm coming with you."

At that point, Jack didn't have much of a choice but to bring Zack with him.

He turned to look at Zack, watching him struggle with the weight of his duffle-bag. Zack had awkwardly explained in Tampa that he always kept a bag fully packed 'just in case', whatever that meant. At first Jack thought that his friend was ridiculous, but he couldn't mock his friend for being prepared. Jack was extremely unprepared, and he was the one who even planned the trip. He realized he forgot to pack his toothbrush and any pairs of socks when he was in the taxi. When he was at the gate, he discovered he didn't have his phone charger. He was a mess, but calmed himself down by convincing himself that this was what he signed up for when he decided he wanted adventure.

When they arrived at the Frobisher Inn in Iqaluit, Zack had gotten a little more used to the new environment. He still wasn't happy about it, and he made a point to complain, but they were more sparse and quiet. Jack's anger had also settled down, and he made no comment as his friend grumbled in dismay. He simply rolled his eyes, ignored him, and set up his side of the hotel room. The quality of the hotel was alright. It wasn't spectacular, but it wasn't horrible either. The furniture was old fashioned, and the old oak wood floors only made it look more antique. The walls were painted a deep blue, and there was an art piece of a cartoonish owl with it colourful wings spread out. Jack wasn't complaining: it was what he signed up for. He wouldn't be spending much time in the room anyway; it was only there to act as a roof over his head, and a bed for him to sleep in.

He knew he had to find a store somewhere to buy some of his missing items, but he was so exhausted from the flight that he collapsed onto his bed without any thought. He told himself that he would organize himself tomorrow, for in that moment the only thing on his mind was the cloudy thought of sleep.

—————————

The Astro Hill Quick-stop was a pleasant sight to Jack the next day, considering how desperate he was for a toothbrush and several more pairs of socks. He found all of the items rather quickly, but soon found himself laughing with Zack at all of the strange food items they had.

"Ketchup flavored potato chips? Oh my god, these can't taste too good." Zack joked, finding it rather amusing that such a product would even exist.

"The maple cookies make sense for Canada, but ketchup flavored anything just seems so random." Jack said, shaking his head with a grin on his face.

Both men woke up that morning in drastically different moods compared to the day prior. Rather than being moody and short-tempered, both were more pleasant and friendly. It was probably because both of them had finally gotten the chance to rest after the hectic day they'd had. Either way, in that moment at the convenience store, the cause for their good moods didn't matter. All that mattered to Jack was that he had finally gotten what he always wanted, and Zack was just happy that his winter-coat was warm enough.