Cupcake Love

Prologue

"If you don't want me in your life anymore just say the word. No need to keep stringing me along." Jacob Anderson, the only boy I had ever loved, stared at me intensely, waiting in anticipation.

"Please, don't forget about me, I want you in my life. That's the one thing that will never change." I felt like I was practically begging him, but I couldn't lose him, he meant too much to me.

He visibly breathed a sigh of relief, "Okay, Cupcake."

I knew he had to go, his family was waiting for him, but having reassured him that I wanted him, I felt like I could let him walk away.

He began to back up slowly, "Goodbye."

The way he said it made my heart ache, I hated goodbyes, especially from Jake, I wanted to be with him forever.

"Goodbye," I shouted to his retreating figure, then whispered, "I love you," but it was more to myself than to him, since he didn't hear and he'd never know.

It was true though, I loved Jake Anderson with every fiber of my being. He was my everything. He kept me going on my dark, lonely days, kept me busy on my long, boring days, and without fail kept me smiling every, single, day. He was the bright spot in everyday and he was everything I ever wanted or needed. Jake Anderson was my best friend and I never wanted to lose him, even if he was moving far, far, away.

~~~
3 Months Later

It was three in the morning and my mind was filled with childhood memories that I couldn't escape. I loved the memories, but they always washed over me with a feeling of sadness and emptiness.

Jake was seven years old and I was six years old. It was my birthday and I wanted to bring cupcakes to school to share with my class.

I remembered walking across the pavement with my tall stack of beautifully-decorated, pink and yellow birthday treats, when suddenly, I tripped. The cakey-deserts flew everywhere, my face smashing dead center into one of them.

My six-year-old self was sobbing uncontrollably, when a kind-hearted second grader, who had witnessed the whole scene, approached me.

"Hey, please don't cry. It'll be okay." He tried to comfort me. "I don't like it when people are sad, we can fix this."

I tried to wipe a tear off my face, but got my hand covered in frosting in the process. Being reminded of the mess, my eyes filled with tears again.

The second grader noticed and calmly proceeded to handle the situation. He reached one gentle finger forward toward my frosting covered hand and scooped up a glob of yellow frosting. Without hesitation he plopped the yellow finger into his mouth.

"Yum," He hummed for a moment, before scooping up more frosting off of my hands, cheeks, and even my nose.

I stared at the silly boy that continued to eat frosting off of me. I wasn't sure when I started giggling and stopped crying, but the tears were long gone and my face was already beginning to dry.

"I'm Jacob." He introduced himself. "I'm seven and I'm new."

I didn't say anything, so he continued.

"I'm a second-grader."

I still said nothing.

"What happened?" My mom ran towards me when she got close enough to see the mess.

"I fell," I mumbled, quickly glancing away from the boy just long enough to see my mother.

"Jacob," a voice yelled from ahead. "Hurry up!"

"See you later, Cupcake Girl." Jake said, before picking himself up off the ground and running away without another word.

I shook myself out of the memory. I wanted to cry, but I didn't want to wake anybody up.

"You'll see him again," I whispered to myself.

Involuntarily, I glanced to the necklace from him where it rested on my dresser. I shot my bare legs out of the covers and grabbed the necklace before leaping back onto the bed.

I gripped it tight in my palm. The small charm pressed into my skin, slowly I uncurled my fingers to look at it closer. It was a pink and yellow cupcake, just like the ones from my sixth birthday.

I pushed down my sobs and carefully clipped the necklace behind my neck.

"You'll see him again." I whispered, I wanted to believe it so badly. I had to force myself to be hopeful, because hope is everything in this world, without it we'd have nothing.