The Secrets of Sisterhood

Chapter 12

3 Months Later

I jump up and cheer as loud as I can as Jake comes sprinting across the finish line. He's won, finally he's won. He runs over and picks me up, spinning me around in a circle and kissing me. "You did it!" I screech and we're both smiling. "Go Jake, you did it, finally!" a voice says from behind us. Jake sets me down and turns around, "Thanks Jordan." he says spinning her around. She starts to laugh and laugh and laugh. Then the scene slowly begins to change and everything starts to spin and then Jordan starts to scream, at first it's a scream of delight and then it's a scream of utter terror. Suddenly she starts screaming my name but I can't find her because everything's spinning and I'm trying to call out to her but I can't speak and she keeps screaming my name and I'm so disoriented. Then all of a sudden she screams louder and shriller than before and then with a blinding flash of light everything goes dark.

I jerk awake with a little shriek and then realize that it was a dream. Just a dream, I tell myself. I've been having similar nightmares ever since she died. I sigh and glance at the clock, it's 6:00, I might as well get up. I drag myself out of bed and change into a long sleeved t-shirt and a pair of jeans, throwing my hair up in a ponytail as I go out the door. This has pretty much been my signature look ever since it got cold. It's December now and the Christmas buzz is in the air. Not to shockingly, I'm not really feeling the vibe this year.

An hour and a half later there's a loud honk from outside. I grab my bag and hurry outside, sliding quickly into Jake's car. "Morning." he says as I stretch over and kiss him quickly. Everything that happens between us has been quick. We never really got the chance to build a relationship before the accident and we've gone nowhere since then. Our friendship is basically built on short conversations and sitting with each other in silence. I hate that we've come to be so silent and awkward around each other but I don't know what to do.

 I've tried everything except coming out and saying that he's changed. Since the day we found out about Jordan's death Jake hasn't cried or even really talked about it. He keeps everything bottled up inside and I'm scared that soon he's going to explode. He's stony, silent, and cold most of the time. The only time he acts kind of like the old Jake is when he's with his brother. For some reason Josiah brings a little bit of the old Jake out. We get to school and after another quick kiss we part ways. We don't interact at all throughout the day, in fact I barely see him. 

After school we meet at his car and he takes me home. When we pull up to the house I look over at him and decide that we need to talk becasue I'm really worried about him. "Are you okay?" I ask. He looks over at me but doesn't meet my gaze, he hasn't since the night of the accident. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be." I shrug, "I don't know, it's just you've seemed really distnat lately, I'm just worried about is all." His expression hardens a bit, "My sister died, what do you expect Carter." He snaps. I stare at him, this is totally not how I expected this to go. "I know it's just..." He cuts me off, "Look Carter, you might have moved on already so congrt-freaking-lations to you but I haven't and sometimes people just need space so why don't you just get out and give me some." 

I stare at him, blinking for a moment as his words sink in, once they do I feel my anger rising. "You think I've moved on bcause let me tell you Jake that is the last thing that's happened. Look I've tried being there for you and this is how you thank me? When are you going to see that I'm just as torn up about this as you are?" He glowers at me, "I never asked for you to be there for me Carter and frankly I don't want you here right now so just go."

I throw open the car door and get out, grabing my bag as I do. "I don't know what has gotten into you but I feel like I don't even know you anymore Jake." I slam the car door behind me and storm into the house, somehow managing to hold it together until I'm inside.

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A/N:The pic above is of Josiah who's played by Liam Hemsworth.