Love Is So Cliché

Chapter Eleven: Comforts, Fallouts and Pain?

There they were, Laura and Jake, two opposites in a classroom, hugging. Jake's hug was surprisingly warm and comforting and Laura returned it. It felt good to be helped during her painful moment. She must have not realized how hurt she was until a tear plopped onto the sleeve of Jake's letter jacket. She had returned it the previous day, after having it dry-cleaned. Pretty soon, she was sobbing bitterly, why, she did not know all she knew was that her heart hurt more than it usually did. This is what she got after opening up her heart for the first time in years. How sad. Jake held her close, all the while whispering things like, "It's all right... I saw everything." and "It's going to be all right, don't cry please." Those words oddly comforted Laura even more. "J-Jake I-I-I don't understand what's w-wrong with me." Laura managed to say between sobs. Jake gently patted her on her back and whispered, "Shh...I believe you're heartbroken Laura Diamond, but it's all right, I'm here for you." He felt her stiffen then said, "As a concerned classmate and possible friend." Laura relaxed a little and after she had completely calmed down Jake asked if she felt any better.

Laura looked exhausted and she felt terrible but she still nodded her head. Jake put his hands on her shoulders and made her look at him. "Are you sure, you know if you ever have any problems you should come to me and you will, won't you?" He asked looking straight into her eyes, his voice full of authority and concern. Laura would have laughed if they were under different circumstances. He looked like a father comforting one of his wounded little children. At the thought of the word 'father,' Laura almost burst into tears again but instead, she managed a smile and assured Jake that she was fine.

At this moment in time, Laura was finally brought back down to earth and realized that she had just let Jake Phillips hold and comfort her. She was becoming more and more cliche by the day soon she would be just as old-fashioned as any other classic teenage girl. She would either be bitchy, moody, lovesick, heartbroken, or depressed most teenage girls would fall under any of these classifications, why were these classifications even there? Laura had no clue because she never did fall under any of them, she was just Laura Aqua Diamond. No more no less. Jake was a head and a half taller than her and she had to look up to make eye contact with him, just like she had to do with Levi she shook her head vigorously trying to get him out of her mind. She focused on Jake. "Jake, do me a favor and forget that this ever happened." She squared her shoulders and frowned slightly. Jake smiled and said it was all right with him. Laura opened her eyes wide she had expected him to object and she was ready to firmly set him straight. "A-alright then," she stuttered. "Good." She said more firmly. She waved goodbye and told him she hoped to not see him for at least another 48 hours and at that Jake burst out laughing. Laura left him laughing, gently closing the door behind her, she leaned against it for a moment and smiled. Anyone looking at her would have realized that it was not a smile of joy or relief, it was a tired small smile.

She rushed back to class before Roberts timidly gave out the day's assignments. Her first anime buddy disappointed her. The first person she poured her out to had allowed the girl who wanted to make her life a living hell, to get close enough to put her arms around him. If she ever saw Levi again, she would make him swallow a steel pipe. Of course, she would never do such a thing but anyway, a girl can dream right?

Not too long after she had reached almost halfway home, -she was just quickly trying to reach there before May and June and Levi- she heard voices behind her and she wanted to run but she decided to pretend to just not hear them, but they began to get louder and louder, so Laura decided to quicken her pace. She heard one of them say, "Laura, wait, please," it was May. Laura stopped but did not turn around she waited for them to catch up with her then she continued walking and so did they, Levi was with them but she did not care. She just looked straight ahead and kept going. Home was not too far off. "Laura," May said reproachfully. "Laura please don't be like this, talk to us, more especially talk to Levi. Laura's face twisted into a disgusted expression, one that was not lost amongst the other three. "Don't be like that Laura, he explained the entire situation to us and we get it, please, at least hear him out," June said trying to coax Laura. Laura stopped walking and she felt her fingers swell and her hands tremble, as they always did when she was uncontrollably angry. "Laura, please, just let me explain." Levi pleaded pitifully. Laura snapped, "Do you think I'm stupid? I know Melissa was forcing herself on you to make me jealous. I know you would never do something like that, but the thing is I don't like the fact that I was ever put in such a vulnerable situation. I hate and utterly despise the fact that I care enough about you to believe and trust you, even when a dumb insecure person who is easily deceived would not have. Any other 'normal girl' would hate you and never trust you again but I don't, and I can't stand it.

"But Laura that doesn't make any sense, you sound insane," June said and immediately regretted it when she saw Laura's eyes tear up for the second time since they had met. "Laura, I didn't think, I'm so sorry-."

"No, you did think. Words don't just fall out of people's mouths. You meant what you said June April." Laura cut in. May, June, and Levi all tried to speak at once but Laura held out her hand indicating that they should stop. "You guys, she said looking at each of the twins slowly and carefully, "Promised me you'd always stand with me, you promised you'd always be there but you weren't, I had to be comforted by Jake, fucking, Philips." The twins opened their eyes wide but said nothing. "And you," Laura continued, looking at Levi's shoes, she could not bear to be captured by his eyes, not here, not now. "You were the first cool male I ever met and let into my circle of friends, which is a very small circle, I shouldn't have. I should never have done any of this. I hate these feelings, which is good and I hate Levi, which is great. You know why because love is cliche." She said wiping away her tears "And so are all of you, so just shut up and leave me alone. I regret every meeting you guys, you made me just as cliche as any other teenage girl out there." And with that being said, Laura ran home, ignoring all their shouts and pleas. She slammed the door shut and, in her hurry, to get to her room, she bumped into the table where the new vase sat with fresh red roses in it and it shattered to the floor. Her mom rushed in to see what was going on, Laura ignored her and ran up the stairs, her mom called after her. Laura slammed her door shut and locked it. She crawled into bed and cried herself to sleep, a deep sleep full of nightmares and bad memories.

They replayed themselves over and over again.