Mark gets angry with Jackson

Jackson was ready to throw fists.

Away from the group now, he was throwing punches into the air, pissed off with everything and everyone. Following behind him was Mark who made sure they were far enough away from the fire before he spoke to his cousin.

Once they had their space, he laid it all on the line.

“Hey! listen to me,” he demanded, “You’re gonna calm yourself down. Get your shit together. Come back when you’re ready and apologise to everyone for making such a scene.”

“Why should I apologise, that punk started it,” he muttered in response.

“You tried to beat him up!”

“He was asking for it!”

He wanted to go berserk at Jackson, feeling like he was now embarrassing him in front of his friends.

“Whatever dude,” Mark muttered, trying to keep his cool.

It didn’t go down well with Jackson.

“What? You have a problem with me too now?” Jackson questioned him.

He had something on his chest for a long time now that he was just waiting to get off. Mark celt his own blood pressure rising as he attempted to keep his calm.

“Why did you come here?” He straight up asked Jackson.

“I dunno, the camping trip was your stupid idea.”

“No not the fucking camping trip Jackson,” Mark corrected him, “Heathrow. Why did you fucking have to come to my college, out of ever fucking college in the country?”

Jackson didn’t reply at first, wondering what he was on about now.

“What’s this got to do with anything?”

“Urgh you just don’t get it,” Mark said, getting frustrated now, “You have no idea what it was like, how many times mom or dad asked me why can’t you be more like Jackson.”

The expression on his cousin’s face dropped as looked at him, actually listening to him now.

“Why can’t you be more like Jackson? He plays football. Why can’t you be more like Jackson? He’s always social on the weekends. Why can’t you be more like Jackson? He cares about his fitness.”

This was something he had been wanting to get off his chest for a while now. Life wasn’t the easiest growing up with his popular and talented cousin.

“Maybe it’s my mistake for inviting you on the trip but you were the one that fucked Tiff and Ali on Christmas Eve. You were the one that got in a relationship with Miranda and ruined it. It was you that wanted to help Maple with my friends, you did all of that!” he went off at him, “If you’re regretting all of this then you might as well just fuck off now, if not, you can come back over when you’re ready and apologise to my friends like I told you to.”

Mark didn’t wait to hear what he had to say, he left the conversation, heading back towards the smoke of the fire. He didn’t care for what Jackson had to say in reply, his next set of actions meant more than any of his words.

Standing there, Jackson took it all in, realising the situation he had placed Mark in, not just now but throughout their lives