Extremely & Incredibly

Chapter 7: Party

Everyone greets Beau warmly, with Jake, it was blunter. A junior in a group of seniors.

Jake shyly waves and says hello to whoever he must pass to get next to Mason. Mason is with Becca, his ex, and Shirley, her best friend, on the three-seat couch.

"You made it, Jake." Mason scoots over to give Jake the end of the couch to sit on. "You've met Becca and Shirley, right?"

"Hey." Shirley greets him with a warm smile. "We have parenthood class together." She tells the others.

"I don't believe we have met," Becca says. "I'm Rebecca, but everyone calls me Becca."

"Nice meeting you," Jake says back. "I'm Jake."

"We are just going to light a second joint and smoke?" Mason asks him.

Jake sees him light up the joint and takes a few puffs to get it going. Jake notices he is staring at his lips and that he misses kissing. "Sure."

Mason passes the joint to him first.

While this is not Jake's first-time smoking, it has been a long while.

He passes the joint to Mason, who is conversing with the girls. Then, after a few puffs, he hands it to Becca.

"And if I have to fight the school board to get this prom to have a fucking good ass DJ, I will." Becca has always had a sailor's mouth, cursing after every syllable if she can, which contradicts her angelic, sweet presence.

Her beautiful, lush brunette hair, smooth skin, and soft lips complement each other.

Jake wonders now why Mason and Becca broke up, but they are still friends.

"Same, I feel like since we are the ones who are going to enjoy it," Shirley adds her two cents on the topic Jake is unaware of, "we should be able to get someone good that's going to make great song choices."

Shirley has blonde hair that Jake is used to seeing since she sits three rows in front of him in class. She is more personable than Becca, and her blue eyes are bright and full of life. Even on the chunky side, she is gorgeous, and Jake notices she has admirers in class.

Jake also notices that since Mason faces the girls, he leans closer to Jake. They rub shoulders, and it looks like they are just cramped together on the couch to everyone else.

While Becca and Shirley complain more about the limitations of organizing prom, Jake takes a moment and enjoys being next to Mason. He knows they will talk it out, and things could be okay again between them.

"Who is everyone going with?" Mason asks them.

Jake looks around to see the other guest on the porch.

"No one asked me yet," Shirley says.

At that moment, Beau looks in her direction and then turns his attention back to his conversation with his friends.

Jake smiles, knowing who's probably will ask her to prom soon.

"I'm going with Thomas," Becca announces.

Jake freezes in place. The thought of Thomas hasn't crossed his mind since joining the party. Now he is processing the idea of Thomas going with Becca, his best friend's ex.

"He asked me two days ago."

Jake turns to see Mason's reaction, but he finishes his turn with the joint and offers it to Jake. They briefly make eye contact, but before Mason can process Jake's look of shock, Jake gets up.

"I got to use the bathroom. I'll be back. Smoke without me."

Jake leaves and heads inside.

He doesn't see the person heading for the exit on time as he opens the door. Instead, they crash into each other.

"I'm so sorry," Jake goes silent as he finally sees it's Thomas.

"Jake? What are you doing here?"