Loved to be Used

Chapter 2: Love Bites

CHAPTER 2: Love Bites

"Though lovers be lost, love shall not; And death shall have no dominion." – Dylan Thomas

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Jake is sleeping since he is exhausted from all the travelling due to last minute plans. I walk to the balcony and look over to the outside world. My neighbours are carrying on their usual work, oblivious to my pain. I look up at the sky and imagine Janette sitting like a queen; being served by the angels. I never knew that the new girl in town and school would have such a great impact on my life. If the teacher hadn't made her sit beside me on her first class, I wouldn't have ever known what it is to love. In a way, I was happy that she came into my life because she taught me how to love, an emotion I had never felt and understood before.

***

It is eleven in the morning and I head down for breakfast. I eat for the sake of my mother. I have lost my appetite. I do not know what I am rebelling against but I have no intentions to fulfil the basic necessities of life. I am expecting to die either due to starvation or due to lack of sleep but both take a long time and I am an impatient person. I have to find an easier way to end all this.

Jake is already at the table and is helping my mum set it up. He is always the good boy in front of my mum. Mum is already dressed up for work. Jake is still in his same attire but his clothes are crinkled.

"Steffie is also here, Mrs. Valdez. Can we have breakfast now? There are rats making a weird noise in my stomach; begging for food," he tells her in a very innocent voice like a kid asking chocolates.

She chuckles and hands him a plate full of pancakes. He looks at it greedily and practically snatches it from her hands. She chuckles again.

"Call me Mum, Jake. I hate it when you call me formally." He is more of a son to her than me. After the death of his family, my mother practically adopted him. Jake's mother was on her deathbed when my mum promised that she'd take care of Jake like her own.

She has, till date not broken her promise and does not intends to do so in the future. Jake also treats my mum like his own mother and gives her due respect. While we were going through our raging teenage hormones, she had to put up with his tantrums more than those of mine.

"Where is Dad?" I ask my mum, taking my usual seat at the table.

"He has already left for work, sweetheart. Pancakes?" She asks and passes me a plate too.

"Sure." I reply and take the plate from her hands. It looks delicious and my stomach growls. My intentions of dying from starvation, goes down the drain. Nothing can beat my mum's cooking. There's taste and love in it.

"So Stefan," Jake starts, while settling himself on one of the chairs "Can I know the reason now?" Jake asks.

"I will leave you both by yourself and if you need second helpings you can take it by yourself. I am getting late for work." My mum tells in a stone cold voice. I know why she uses that tone which is devoid of any emotion. When she turns around I notice her eyes getting wet gradually. She had really liked Janette. She cannot bear to see me in pain so she leaves with the 'getting late for work' excuse.

"After you left, I was ecstatic because I loathed you for what you had done -" Jake tries to interrupt but I show him my hand, motioning him to stop from whatever he was going to say. "- that doesn't matter now. I broke up with Kristy and started leading a normal life. I hit the gym and you can see the effects on me. My academics were just going as fine as it used to and I totally forgot about your betrayal." I pause and I look up to see his reaction. He asks me to continue forward.