06

“Mark,” Jackson calls from the other side of the door, feeble and slow. His illness is taking everything out of him, killing him way too fast. Jackson figured out his tumour must’ve started long ago but he didn’t show any symptoms until it was too severe.

“Yeah?” Mark replies, tearing his eyes off of his mobile phone. “What’s wrong?” Inquires Mark, noticing the deplorable state Jackson’s in, shifting to sit upright on the mattress, expression contorted in worry and anxiety.

“Got a bad cold… the flu maybe?” Jackson shrugs, what he’s told everyone to mask his constant coughing, his hurried races to the toilet and the time he’s taking off work. “Nothing to worry,” continues the idol, walking inside and sitting at the end of the bed. “I came for another thing, actually.”

“What's it?” Questions the other boy, but he looks far from at ease with the situation and Jackson's state.

"If a really close friend of yours were in love with you, and like, he really needed you to love him back, would you do it?” 

For Jackson’s sake, he needs to make sure there’s absolutely no hope of Mark loving him back before he goes to get the surgery, but he cannot confess so he needs to find another way to ask Mark.

“What?” The older boy is clearly confused, his frown a sigh of that. “You mean like out of pity? Of course no, Jackson. I wouldn’t date a close fiends just so I don’t hurt that person, I can’t date someone I don't love. Even if t