Jake

Chapter 6 - Realization

Kai and I hadn't spoken since the incident at the waterfall. I wasn't surprised, but I still wasn't quite coming to grips with the entire scenario. I couldn't believe that what had happened, had actually happened. I was losing everything close to me, including my mind, and I felt completely alone. I cried myself to sleep the entire weekend. Melissa and Ruby were focused on a new club that had opened not far from their houses to remember that I even existed. Dad was ten hours away in Tea Garden and I barely spoke to him the entire week. It was me, myself and I 24/7, and it was sending me on a downward spiral.

When Monday morning came, I assumed Kai wasn't going to be picking me up and sure enough, when seven o'clock came, he was still missing. I sat on my porch and felt hot tears tempting as I hugged my black blazer and bag close to my chest.

It was about ten past seven when a red Mercedes pulled up in my driveway, my head lifted and my eyes pushed back emotion; when it came close enough I recognized the driver as Ruby.
She rarely used her car, mainly because she didn't have insurance on it and she'd already been through four expensive cars within two years, her dad was through with her irresponsibility, so she preferred to catch lifts. I wandered down my stairs and peered in through her wound down passenger window.

"Kai messaged me and said you'd need a lift today, said you'd had a fight or something" She spoke, the information having already reaching her.

"Thanks" I smiled appreciatively as I got inside her perfect leather lined car

"So you going to tell me what happened?" She asked momentarily as she slipped down her Gucci sunglasses despite the clouds and began towards school with her famous led foot.

I sighed and for my own sake, my lie was prepared, I had simply slipped in my bathroom after Kai and I had argued about a relationship and bumped my now bruised split eye. Whatever Kai had said, probably didn't match up, people would soon see through the charade, but for now, it was all I had.

I wasn't looking forward to stepping foot in school; I wasn't looking forward to stepping out of my house. I wasn't sure if I was soon going to scream, or break out in tears.

"I'm sure it'll brush over" Ruby told me as she tossed her red hair up into a messy bun as we walked towards the corridors five minutes late.

"I'm hoping so" I mumbled as she gave me a sympathetic smile before going her separate way to first class.

-

My first few classes were draining, my eyes were drawn into my head and my skull was swimming with exhaustion. Things had changed extremely quickly and I felt I couldn't control anything that was happening around me. I was on another planet all morning, and when it came to lunch, I was contemplating leaving, walking home and giving in to my comatose state. After deep war inside my head, I decided I couldn't let them win, I wouldn't be weak in front of them. I blended in with a crowd, got my lunch and scattered to the other side of the large lunch room where I noticed Whitney sitting alone chewing on a sandwich as she glanced around the crowded, talkative, happy teenagers. I smiled at her waiting for a smile in return before sitting down at her table

She was quick to give me a concerned look which lingered longer on my injured eye and I simply shook my head, my eyes telling her to ignore it.

"It's been a rough couple of weeks" I smiled bravely as I began to shuffle around my food.

"It's about to get a whole lot worse I fear" She mumbled as I stopped chewing and crossed my eyebrows at her and her paused gaze across the room. My eyes followed hers as I turned, and to my complete consternation stood Jake, his figure looming in the lunch line.
He looked rougher than usual, more built, lean, but it was him raw in the flesh. My heart began to scream inside my chest, and all of my common sense flew out the window. I watched as subtly as I could as he glanced behind himself to stare directly at the table I used to be seated at. He half paused when he realized I wasn't there and it almost made me want to stand on the table and shout towards him with waving hands.