⟪⟪Lovers Under Cover ⟫⟫

Chapter 8

Today was Wednesday and still Jacob being absent. Mark was seriously worried about him.

"Ashley, tell me, where is he? Don't tell me you fucking believed the fucking excuse of him having a headache."

"He didn't want to come to school."

"Did you see him?"

"No, his mum told me. He isn't opening the door."

Mark threw his hands in the air in frustration. "Mark, calm down."
"How can I calm down, Nancy, when he hasn't opened his door?"

The warning bell for the first period rang. No one had common period so the girls, especially Ashley was saved from Mark.

But none got rid from thinking about Jacob. They were all worried about him. They constantly kept texting him in hope for a reply. But all the texts were left un-replied even unread.

−♥−

Now Mark was sitting with Sandra in Library but he was distracted. Unlike other days, he wasn't giving his own ideas to the project, he was agreeing with everything Sandra kept saying. He kept on checking his phone. Sandra had to repeat everything to him because he kept on missing. Sandra knew something was up.

"What's wrong?"
"He is absent for two days. He isn't replying."
"You should go to his house and check on him."
"Yeah, I think, I must."
"I will take care of the project, you leave."
"Thanks." Mark took his backpack and rushed out of the library with his laptop.

He spotted the girls. "Hey," he ran up to the girls, "Going to Jacob's?"

"Yeah," Nancy replied.

"I'll come too."
"You have practice today," Ashley reminded.
"But he is more important."
"Then you should go to practice. Remember when you missed your practice previous year to visit him when he caught the flu, he kept feeling sorry for being the reason you missed your practice."

He unwilling agreed to go to football practice while the girls walked to Jacob's house.

Ashley and Nancy went to Jacob's house. They met a tired Jacob. He was wearing an oversized full sleeve t-shirt. He sat in the middle of his bed with his back resting against some pillows by the headboard. He talked slowly. He told them how he isn't feeling well, how his body ached. He never shared them the reasons

Meanwhile, his practice went terrible. He kept missing goals. Coach was furious with him. He was totally fucked when coach ordered him to do 10 laps and 50 squats. He hated everything. He came home later than usual. He slumped on bed too tired to think about his boyfriend. But he didn't forget a goodnight text.

Jacobbroke down in tears as soon as the girls left his room, closing his room'sdoor. Why can't they see me? Why can't they see I'm breaking? Then heheard the notification sound on his phone. He checked and smiled through histears to see goodnight text from Mark. 

He replied: good night. Luv u 2. xxx.