jake has his mouth shut: act i

launch day + birthday

today is the day.

and i am so glad it's a sunday.

in 2 hours, 2 pm edt, floor boy will officially be available every possible place.

the launch party has been organized by me. i bought a bunch of snacks, drinks and ordered a few burgers - with the permission of mike, of course.

everyone was there. mei, will, allen, recall's ceo, molly, mike, lucy, layla, brandon and of course - my project nevermind bandmates - stanley, luke and marcus.

as the clock started ticking towards 2 pm, i started having sweaty palms. mei somehow realized this and held my hand.

"you're actually doing this, darling. and i'm gonna be here until we draw our last breath. i mean it." she said, and kissed my cheek.

"five...

four...

three...

two...

one..."

and it was out everywhere.

so we celebrated. we danced, we cried, and we laughed.

we had a podium set up, and everyone gave speeches.

but my favorites were mike's, brandon's, will's and mei's.

"i have been taking care of jake since the 7th grade," mike said, beginning his speech.  "and yet - his personality hasn't changed one bit since the recording process. jake is a talented, incredible man with a warm heart and lovely looks, and i am honoured to get to call myself his father. even though he was a new addition to our family, he felt right at home. i was his therapist for the longest time. but now i'm a father, slash therapist. jake, bud, i hope you know i am proud of you." he started tearing up a little. "you went through so much bullshit in your life that you didn't even deserve. and yet - you powered through it like an absolute madman. and you are not only an incredible man - but an incredible musician. happy birthday, and congratulations on the album. love you."

as he gave me a warm hug, brandon got up next.

"i spoke to jake maybe 6 times in total before he got into our family - and those 6 times were sweet. jake, i don't think there is something dad said that i would be able to say myself - since he already said everything. so i'll try to keep it short. you're an incredible friend, a really, REALLY talented musician - and a great brother. and i would trade everything in order to hang out more. love you dude."

after a few speeches, will was up next.

"hello, as a few of you know, im will, jake's best friend so i don't think theres one thing about this guy that i don't know of. jake, when we met about 12 years ago, you were sitting silently in the corner. i had come up to you and asked you if you like cookies, to which you responded by looking up at me and nodding. and so, i gave you a cookie which you demolished in 13 seconds. yes, i timed it." we all burst out laughing. "when you had showed me the first demo lyrics for floor boy, i realized how close it was to your actual real life story. and it bothered me seeing you so disturbed by what other people think of you, when you are super kind, funny, talented - everything there is to offer! you are why i started having a more optimistic world view, even if you're a bit pessimistic yourself. but it doesn't matter, since you are the reason for a lot of things i'd done. with school ending soon, and us going to seperate colleges, i have two requests. one - please keep contact with me. and two - come over already, my mom wants to make you pancakes. i love you, dude. happy birthday and congrats on floor boy's studio release."

after sobbing, and sharing a lengthy hug, mei was up next, and i was after her. glad i get to finish this.

"hi! i'm mei, jake's girlfriend. i know jake since the 4th grade, and when i came back from studying in canada for a year - jake was the first one to say hello to me. i had done the whole 10th grade in canada, and the moment i came back, he showed up in front of me. jakey, my darling boy, i had a crush on you for years but i was too afraid to say anything. yet when you said something, i became so much more confident and i felt like my dream had come true. and it did. the last relationships i had prior to last year were nothing like this one, and i feel like i fall in love more and more with you everyday. jake, you are the biggest sweetheart i know, you're smart, you're kind, you're talented and most importantly - you know how to be yourself. and i hope you never, ever stop doing that." she started tearing up, as did everyone. "i love you, so, so much jake. happy birthday, and i will forever be here to congratulate you."

she gave me a hug and a kiss, and i was up.

"well, i am definitely crying now. i didn't really prepare a speech so i'm gonna fuckin' freeball it. this album, a year ago, seemed like a dystopian fantasy. i felt like i would never be able to do it," i said as i started getting more and more emotional, "yet here we fucking are. i wanna thank all of you here, but especially my family, yes that includes you molly, will, mei, and the rest of the band, for allowing me and  making me able to pursue what once was just a distant fantasy. when a kid shows up, and you just mercilessly beat them and wear 'em out, you dont expect them to fight back, but this is how i fight back. a weird part of me wants to thank people like leonard, because without him this album might not have been what it is. but there is one thing i learnt to have in the past 1 and a half years of events, with my parents kicking me out, moving in with the andersons, dating mei, et cetera - and that thing is hope. i learnt how to hope. and it's the best fucking thing ever. i am so grateful for everything that everyone in this room did for me. because without you all, i would have never gone on with this damn project. and to stan, luke and marc - thank you guys for randomly meeting me in the hotel lobby. i love you all, and - thank you. from the bottom of my fucking heart."

as i finished the speech, i brought out our gear, and we played the whole album, start to finish.

this birthday was the best. and i suppose it is the end of this chapter in my life.

(hey y'all! it's reek here, the author of this book. i want to thank you all for supporting act one and you guys will be seeing act two and three come out soon, i hope. thank you all, and goodbye!)