I've done a Janny, am in the process of completing a Jemma story, so I'm gonna try a Jalex story. My favourite coupling, I must say! Just say for the sake of this story that Jay is 19 and Alex is 17 in the current day. Flashbacks are marked by a heading of the Date and ages of Jay and Alex at that point in time. Hope its not too confusing.


I made up all the new names, so if they're the same as any celebrity or whatever, I'm sorry. No copyright infringement intended. Blah, I'm rambling now...

Chapter One: Fallen Angels

July 2000

Alex: 11

Jay: 13

Their trailers were a stones throw away from each other. Alex, her mom Emily and her current boyfriend Nathaniel lived in the middle row, fourth one in from the fence at the back. Jason and his mom Karen lived in the left side row, right in the corner at the back. Their trailer was set under a huge oak tree, its branches dipped down so low, the whole trailer was submerged in shade 24/7. At night it was a pretty creepy place to be.

Alex's trailer was more exposed. Alex liked it that way, cos that meant if anything kicked off, there were plenty of witnesses nearby to help. Her mom was weak. She'd got that way because of years of abuse from a long line of nasty, undesirable bullies disguised as lovers. Bobby, Terrel, Martyn, Ricky... now Nathaniel. Alex wondered when the masquerade that they were "doing fine" was going to fall away. But, the way things seemed to be going at the minute, it seemed she and her mom were destined for a life living under the thumb of a man. A bully.

There was only one place where Alex could seek refuge. Scratch that, only one person with which she could seek refuge. Jason Hogart was two years older than her, and it showed, but it was never an issue. He was at Degrassi Community School in grade eight, and Alex had just completed her last year in elementary school. To look at her, you'd never have expected it. She was tall, raven haired with a fierce temper. That fierce temper was actually a self defense method. But she didn't let that become known. But when there was no school – Jason skipped a lot, Alex just let herself go along with Jason's rebellion – Alex and Jason hung out at the ravine behind Jason's place. It was there own secret place that no-one else knew about. Well, people knew about it, obviously. It was a public place, but no-one hung around there. Not even the older kids, the stoner's and the partying fools. They were transfixed on the multiplex movie theater, or more specifically, the "employee only"car lot round back.

Jason was so fascinating. He was good looking too. Even Alex and her eleven year old self could see that.

September 2000

Alex: 12

Jay: 13

"Hey, there's only a year between us now, JJ." Alex commented one day. Her birthday had came and went, and now Alex was the ripe old age of twelve. Jason, in his general teenage awkwardness insisted on being known as JJ. He wondered why his mother had named him Jason Jackson Hogart for two reasons, one he didn't like to discuss or think about, but she had named him such, for whatever reason, so he would make the most of the funky initials.

"Ah, not for much longer, Nunez." JJ replied joke mockingly. "I'll be 14 in March. Bring it on!"

"What does JJ stand for?" Alex inquired, curiosity getting the better of her.

At even the slightest hint of a personal question, JJ clammed up, like he was being interrogated by the law. "Jason Jackson." He answered quietly.

Not quiet enough. Alex didn't need telling twice. "Oh right." She simply said. Nothing more was said, but the mention of the name Jackson sent shivers racing down Alex's bony spine. For eight and a half months between the ages of seven and eight, Alex's mom Emily dated a slime ball called Ricky Jackson, a delivery truck driver with a rather swift right hook. She shook the memory from her brain and turned back to JJ. He had his short, straight brown hair hidden away under a red New York Yankees baseball cap. It was the old school style one, possibly from the mid eighties. It looked crap quality now, but JJ never seemed to take it off. Alex had asked him, but he simply lied and said he didn't like the way his hair went.

Alex had started in grade seven at Degrassi Community School, but at school JJ hardly acted like he knew her. Alex watched him as he smoked cigarettes with his buddies where he thought no-one could see. But they could.

When she was in elementary school, Alex didn't see JJ during the day, just in the evenings and on weekends. But now she saw him all day everyday at school, she found herself wondering if she liked him as more than a friend. She was so young, but she knew how she felt, she knew what the feelings were. She silently developed a crush on JJ as she watched him from afar.

December 2000

Alex: 12

Jay: 13

After two months, JJ seemed to become withdrawn. He barely went to school. He'd show up for role-call, and stay until lunch, then go off and wouldn't come back. After school too, he acted different. It seemed he had no time for Alex. She spent her evening in, watching TV and spent her nights trying to block out the sound of her mom crying herself to sleep while Nathaniel partied the night away at the bar, only to return, stumbling and bumbling at 3am to cause another pointless ruckus.

Christmas was approaching; it was only eighteen days away. But throughout Cedar Grove Trailer Home Park, there was no festive cheer. The lights that had been haphazardly strewn throughout the twiggy tree sapling were crap. Only every other, other, other light actually glowed, and when they did, they were so dim and unappealing they went unnoticed unless you were actually thinking about them. Which was never.

The lack of Christmas Spirit was especially evident at the Hogart trailer. Recently, in the past few days, a third figure had joined them. He was an enigma to all the locals. Even Alex couldn't ask JJ who he was, because he'd become practically house bound.

However, the mystery was soon revealed. Christmas Eve, when all was meant to be silent, no creatures stirring, not even mice and all that, a huge eruption of screaming and hollering spoiled the serene, if a little chilly, evening.

Milliseconds after the screaming stopped, the beaten and bruised body of JJ's mom Karen came toppling out of the door and down the steps, coming to a sickening stop on the dusty, dry cracked soil of the ground.

She didn't die, but the mystery third clan member was arrested and imprisoned. He was later revealed to be JJ's long lost, alcoholic, severely depressed father Jackson Hogart.

After that, JJ dropped the second J, and became known simply as Jay. He ditched the old red hat and was back in business with a black flat peak Detroit Tigers one. He'd dropped all affiliation with his dad. Jackson Hogart was officially dead to him.