A year to remember

20. Jake

"Jakey!" 

I turned around to the familiar voice. Jared came up beside me, clapping me on the back, a huge smile spread across his face. 

"Hey mate," I smiled in return. 

"What are you doing after school today?" he asked, his eyes wild with excitement.

"Nothing," I replied. 

"Excellent," he said, grinning again. "I have a surprise for you after school- if you can pull yourself away from Alyssa for one evening, that is."

"Ha, ha!" I replied sarcastically. He was right though, I had spent almost every single spare moment with Alyssa since Mila's party. I had told myself I wouldn't get into another relationship, that my time would be devoted to making memories with mum, but somehow Alyssa had fit seamlessly into my family and when she wasn't around, they asked where she was. Although we weren't officially together, we may as well have been.

Just then, Scarlett walked past, absorbed in her own world.

"Scar," Jared called out. She looked up and smiled at him, her whole face lighting up when she saw him. Jared had that affect on girls. Even ones who were spoken for, like Scarlett.

"I'm running late to bio," she said, slowing down but not stopping.

Jared shot her a confused look. "Class hasn't started yet?"

"I'm meant to meet up with Mrs Giovanni first."

"I'll walk you," Jared responded, catching up to her. He turned and jogged backwards, pointing his finger at me. "Meet me at my car after school. We need to go to your place first."

"Are you going to tell me what we're doing?" I called after him.

"No," he shouted over his shoulder as he draped one arm across Scarlett's shoulders. "Because then it wouldn't be a surprise!"  

I watched as he walked off with Scarlett. This was the first time in weeks Jared had seemed like his normal self. The hickeys on his neck were almost gone, but I could still see a few of them; faint reminders of what had happened to him. 

The girls all thought that he had put his drink down and been drugged, perhaps accidentally. But Jared had told me what had really happened. He had taken the beer straight from Tyler's hand; a beer that had been intended for Scarlett. He told me how Scarlett had confronted Tyler about it, and how Tyler had denied it vehemently. Tyler's main defence being he could sleep with his girlfriend whenever he wanted, so why would he need to drug her to do so? And the last thing Jared could remember was taking the drink and walking off with it; his amnesia made it difficult to prove he hadn't placed that beer down elsewhere, or accepted another drink. The only thing he was going off was his gut feeling, because he couldn't even remember meeting the girl who had molested him while he was unconscious. So, without any proof, Scarlett had apologised to Tyler for accusing him of such a horrible crime. Jared had silently fumed, telling me he was certain of the events of that night, and that Scarlett was being gaslighted by her boyfriend.

The day passed like any other. Boring classes which I struggled to focus on as my mind was more often than not somewhere else; thinking of my mum, my friends back home, or daydreaming about Alyssa, even when I tried not to. Every day was spent inside, which made me feel cooped up and trapped. I had never been an indoor person, but it was cold now, winter was fast approaching in a way it never did in the always sunny Queensland, back home.

After school, I met Jared by his car. He drove us to my house with a mischievous smile on his face and my mum met us outside, passing me my swimwear and wetsuit with a kiss on my forehead. 

"What's this?" I asked.

"A surprise," she said and gave me a sly smile as she walked around to Jared's side of the car. She reached into his car and gave him a kiss on top of his head, just like he was her other son.

"How are you?" She asked, her hand resting on his shoulder, her eyes creased with concern, but not pity. Mum was good at making people know she thought of them and worried about them, but never ever pitied them. I think it's because she hated pity so much herself.

"I'm doing better," he responded, a small smile on his lips.

"It certainly seems that way," she said with a soft, knowing smile. "Will you come around for dinner tonight when you boys are done?"

"I'd love to," Jared replied. 

Mum waved goodbye to us as we backed out of the driveway and drove back towards town. 

"I kind of love your parents," Jared said, with a far off look in his eye.

"They're pretty great," I replied. I knew he was thinking of his own parents and their dysfunctional relationship. I found it hard to imagine being a part of a family that hated one another but stayed together for the status, and because breaking up was more expensive than staying together.

"And the fact they actually check in on me and see how I'm doing? Are all parents like that?"

"I'm not sure," I replied hesitantly. I knew his parents had laughed when he had told them what had happened; had scolded him for 'drinking too much' and putting himself in a risky situation. They had brushed it off and told him it would have been so much worse if it had happened to a girl. But that was the worst thing they could have said to him. He had gone out of his way to avoid them since that had happened. He had spent most nights with Scarlett, plus a few with me. I think he felt some shame or guilt over the situation he had been in, even though he had done nothing wrong. Unfortunately, his lousy parents had reaffirmed his guilt. 

"I love Scarlett's parents too. They have more time for me than even my own parents do." He continued. "Wouldn't it be great if we could pick our own family, the way we can pick our friends?"

"Hmmm," I murmured in a feeble agreeance. But the truth was, I wouldn't change my family for the world. 

Before long, we pulled up to a surf park; a wave pool with ocean like waves forming. 

"Jake, my boy, no need for a coastline here." Jared said with excitement plastered over his face. "It's your lucky day. You're going to teach me how to surf!"