Opposite of Always

by Justin A. Reynolds

This isn’t the last time I’ll watch her go.

Really enjoying this so far but not totally convinced that jack has completely moved on from jillian to kate...

She winks.

I refuse to believe anyone actually winks like it's a normal gesture

“I owe you an explanation, I know. And I promise it’s coming, but not right now. Right now all I want is to enjoy a moment with you where I’m not the sick girl.

No! Explanation pls

“And then the dream completely shifted and suddenly I was turning into a car. Like a transformer. It was awesome. I was a fire-engine-red car with tinted windows and a roll cage.”

Never have i felt more seen

People always say they’re happy you’re happy until they’re afraid that maybe your happiness is affecting their happiness and then they’re not so happy about you being so happy.

Mom squeezes my hand. “The thing is, you don’t forfeit your whole world to prove your feelings to someone. You bring your worlds together. You get more world, not less.”

“So not only did you not punch the guy, you also want to date him?”

We’re sitting in my car, parked in the lot outside Kate’s dorm,

Wait.....why does it seem like Jack is constantly teleporting between Whittier and Elyton for plot convenience

I jump to my feet and I’m ugly-dancing-screaming around the basement, and Mom is thoroughly confused because a) she didn’t realize I was this into basketball and b) we have absolutely zero connection to the Pigs.

Now i‘m thinking about uncut gems :'(

but I know everything’s going to be okay.

Note to all protagonists! NEVER SAY THIS! Now things are gonna get REALLY BAD!

People say I’d do anything to see them again, to hear their voice just once more, but what they don’t consider is losing them all over again. That it doesn’t get easier. If anything, it’s harder. So much harder.

I pull her close and peer into her eyes and I press my lips against hers and I wait for her to push me away. But she doesn’t move, except to open her mouth, her warm tongue slips between my lips, her fingers cradling my head, and this isn’t how I imagined things, but it’ll be okay.

No!

“You say you were jealous of me, Jack. You jealous of me? When you have, like, literally everything. Parents who actually care about you, and who have been around your whole life, a nice house in a safe neighborhood, food on the table that you didn’t have to figure out how to scrape together, more clothes than you can count. Literally, a bag full of money. And I have, what? Man, I don’t even know. But at least I had you. A best friend who made the world a little less cold, you know. And then I get lucky, and I get someone else good in my life . . . Jillian . . . and she makes everything bearable, everything better . . . and you took her from me the same way everyone has taken every good thing away from me . . . and the worst part is . . . I never would’ve done that to you. Never. Far as I was concerned, you and me were brothers, man. But I guess that was a lie, because brothers wouldn’t do that to each other.”

:'(

“You know what I love about the end of black family movies?” I ask Kate. “Coming from anyone else, that would be an interestingly racist way to begin a conversation, but you’ve stoked my curiosity anyway. Please proceed,” she says.