Waiting outside the lines

Chapter 18

"Janet! What a surprise. I didn't know you were gonna be here." I laugh knowing that wasn't true. I don't look at him and respond,"Yea. Small world huh?" I move so Jake's hand is off my shoulder.
I try to think for a second. What if I told Jeremy about what Jake did? He'd have to believe me! How could I have not thought about this when I first saw Jeremy? Now I just have to get rid of Jake and then I can tell him. "Um Jake? Can we talk later cause Jeremy and I have to ta..."
"Wait.. Jeremy? Jeremy Jay?" Jake asks, interrupting me.
My eyes get wide and I look at Jeremy. He has a thinking expression on his face and then says,"Wait you said Jake? Oh my goodness. Jake?" Jeremy gets up and they hug. I feel confused and mad and scared and sad all at the same time. "W-Wait.. You guys know each other?"
They stop hugging. "Yea! We've know each other for a long time. Geez. It's been a while since we've seen each other!" Jake says. I try not to look at him.
"Yup. Too long. I can't believe you and Jake know each other." Jeremy says to me and goes on,"I'm glad you do actually."
"Why?" I say a little crueler then I mean to.
Jeremy looks at me confused. "Because this guy is amazing! He's so kind and generous and cares about others so much."
When I hear those words I feel like someone punched me in the stomach and knocked all the wind out of me. My only chance of getting this creep away from me and more importantly my brother and Wayne just got crumpled before my eyes. Now what was I supposed to do about Jake? I can't call the police because apparently they love him. I can't tell his mother because she won't believe me. I don't want to tell Wayne because he might get mad and go off and get himself hurt again. Or worse! The list of possibilities is shortening the more I think about it. I feel like I can't breathe.
I guess it's obvious I'm not doing well because Jeremy says,"Is everything okay Jay?" I snap out of my worrying spree and try to calm down. "Yea you look sick." Jake says pretending he actually cares. He puts his hand on my forehead as if checking my temperature and I just glare at him. I push his hand off my fore head and say,"I'm fine. I just remembered I have to go catch up with my brother and Wayne."
"Oh my brother's is with yours? That's funny." Jake says and laughs as if it was actually funny. I just role my eyes and say,"Yeah." Then Jeremy says,"Oh. You mean that kid that was with you? That's your brother?" He asks Jake.
"Yea." Jake says as if it's a horrible thing to tell someone."He's kind of a trouble maker."
Jeremy nods and says,"I noticed."
What? How did 'he notice'? He only saw him for a few minutes!
I feel my face get red with anger."No he's not. He's actually a lot nicer than you, Jake." Jeremy looks at me as if I did the worst thing possible. I sigh and roll my eyes,"Ugh sorry. I just really gotta go. See you later." I start walking away but then hear Jake say,"Actually I should start going too." I feel fear run through me. Then I hear him yell to me,"Do you want me to give you a ride, Janet?" I walk faster, pretending I didn't hear him but then they both yell my name and its kinda hard to ignore that. I turn around as they're walking up to me. "What!" I say a little too angrily.
"I said do you want me to give you a ride? I know what school you're talking about and it's pretty far."
"No I'll be fine. My brother and I walk there every day. It's fine." But then he gets Jeremy into this,
"Just let him take you. You can save time."
"No really. Walking is good exercise." I say jokingly, hoping they'll let me go. I really didn't want to be driving alone with this creep.
"Well you exercise everyday." Jeremy starts,"A break is good every once in a while."
I hesitate. "Okay, okay fine." I say mad at myself for letting that exercise thing come back and bite me in the butt. "Okay, great!" Jake says a little too enthusiastic but sadly Jeremy doesn't notice. "My cars out this way."
"Okay well see you two later." Jeremy says. I give him a 'help me' face but he doesn't notice and walks away.
I feel fear run through me again as I walk towards my worst enemies car.
As we start getting closer I try to think. I can't drive with him. I just can't. Maybe I can make a run for it. I'm about to but I try too late. Jake's one step ahead of me. If Jeremy's anywhere near here but no such luck. I try to pull away but he won't let me. I see his blue convertible and hate myself for loving it so much. It's my dream car and of course this freak has to have it. But the car is the least of my worries.
We walk up to the car and I try to go in the backseat. Obviously, just in case Jake tries anything. But he grabs my arm again and says,"Nope. You're in the front with me, babe." I go in the front and sit as far away from him as I possibly can. He gets in on the other side and says,"Why are you so far from me? Don't worry I don't bite." Then he winks at me and puts his hand on my arm. I move my arm away and say,"I don't believe you." He laughs and says,"Yea you really shouldn't." Then he turns the engine on and 'revs' it as if he's some huge hot shot cool kid. Then drives off really fast. I roll my eyes and put my seat belt on. I hate people like that. They think they're amazing and all. But really they just suck.
It's silent for a while until I say,"Don't call me babe. I'm not your 'babe' and I never will be." He laughs and says,"Yea, okay." I still don't look at him but I can tell he's looking at me. I worry a little that he's gonna crash or something but then I realize there's no one on the street but us. They're probably all at work.
It's silent again until he says,"So did you like the note I left you?"
Note? What note? Then I remember. I can't believe that was last night. I got a horrible feeling in my stomach just thinking about it. "No. Not a bit." I didn't want to talk, especially about this, but maybe it was good. It can get him distracted.
"Really? I tried to make it special.
"Hmm.." He pauses as if he was actually thinking about it. "Have you looked at your hospital paperwork lately?"
"No have you?" I say with sass. But how can you blame me? I'm pissed and scared and of course want to get out of here. I should have gone with Wayne and my brother. I shouldn't have talked to Jeremy. I shouldn't have gotten in this car with Jake. I shouldn't have..
I stop and realize now isn't the time for regretting. I can't go back in time. What's happening is happening and I have to get out of this. And that's not gonna happen if I just sit here and feel bad for myself and think about what I should or shouldn't have done.
I look around to try to get ideas. Maybe if I try to pop one of the tires and make a run for it when he gets out to fix it. But how can I do that? I put the thought aside and look around some more. I could just randomly move the steering wheel so we can crash but I don't know if I'd be able to get out of that alive.
My thoughts are interrupted by Jake's stupid voice. "You know I actually have looked at your paperwork and.."
"Why? How?" I practically yell.
"You don't need to know how. And I wanted to know everything about my girlfriend."
My fist starts getting tighter again. "I'm not your girlfriend and never will be. Get that through you're fucking head!"
He laughs,"Okay whatever you say," he says sarcastically then goes on,"But I still know every thing." I shake inside. He can't know everything. How could he? That's not possible. "No. You don't."
"Oh. You don't think so? Well let me tell you what I know. I know that your parents don't care about you or your brother. They always forget you guys when they work. Or so called work." When he says that I get confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh you don't know?" He says almost amused,"Your parents don't work all the time. They go out to parties and clubs and fancy expensive places. They have the money. They just don't use it on you guys." I could tell he was enjoying this. Making me feel like I was nothing. Like no one wanted me. I know it's part of his plan. It's working but I can't let it get to me. How does he know these things though? I don't even know these things?
"I don't believe you." But I really do. I can see my parents dancing and flirting with other people all night. Forgetting their children exist.
He laughs,"Yes you do. You know your parents are the type to do that."
I don't say anything. He looks at me. Waiting for me to say something but I keep quiet.
"Okay fine. I'll go on then. Okay uum.. I know all about your little hospital visits."
My teeth clench.
"Depression huh?" He laughs mockingly,"Just like your pathetic little uncle."
That's when I break. It all happens so fast. I go in to punch him in the face and I do. Right on his jaw but I move the steering wheel while I do. He swerves to the left then to the right trying to get back on track but can't and almost hits a tree. He tries to stop and steps on the brakes so hard I hear a screech. The car flips in mid air. When we're in the air, I feel like I'm in slow motion. I look over at Jake who is holding onto the steering wheel with one hand and has his other on his face. I see the tree that we're about to hit. I have less then three seconds to think before we crash. I unbuckle my seatbelt and let myself fall out of the convertible. I put my arms up as if I was about to do do a handstand. Somehow it works. I fall to the ground. Hands first, then shoulders and head, back, and legs.
That didn't hurt as much as I thought it would.
I lay there trying to catch my breath. But just for a second. I don't have much time. I look up to see the car crash straight into the tree. It lies there upside down. The whole front messed up. I feel guilty all of a sudden and wonder if Jake survived. It doesn't seem likely. I mean the car hit the tree and is now upside down. He couldn't have lived...
But my thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a door being kicked off the car. My heart beats loud in my ears. My first instinct is to run and that's what I do. I get up and run as fast as I can. I don't even know if I'm going in the right direction but I don't care. I just keep running. Letting adrenaline lead me. As I run I hear Jake yell,"SCREW YOU..." But I ignore him and run.