My Totally Unexpected Highschool Romance

Chapter 25

I continued to berate myself throughout the night, I made my way to the den wrapping myself i na blanket. I had been such a bad friend, something was bothering Jace. I should haven noticed how much he was drinking. We had only been friends for a short while but I had already overstepped. I just kept replaying how angry Jace looked tonight. I don't know what happened he was laughing with us earlier today and now all the sudden he is like this. It doesn't add up. I decide to just sleep on the couch so I lie down and turn on the television, letting a rerun of Rosanne lull me to sleep.

"Babe? Why are you out on the couch?" A familiar voice asks. I lazily open my eyes, sunlight assaulting me from every angle. I instinctively flinch. "What are you a vampire?" Aiden laughs. I groggily sit up, allowing room for Aiden to sit by me.

"Where is Jace?" I ask, rubbing my eyes. "Um, he is still asleep." He says sounding unsure. I look at him, there is something he isn't telling me. Call it woman's intuition but I know when I am being lied to. "Cute, now tell me where he really is." I say, warning underlining my voice. He shift uncomfortably under my glare. "Ok, so I'm not exactly at liberty to say, but he may or may not be out getting you an apology bear." He says. " After he went off on you last night,  I stormed into his room and was about to lay into him for yelling at you like that, when he is literally almost crying just staring at his hands, he threw his glass against the wall and was just so...sorry looking. When he saw me he stood up, I guess thinking I was gonna hit him. He started to apologize but I stopped him and said I wasn't the one he needed to apologize to." he shakes his head remembering the incident.

"I didn't hear a thing! I was up for hours after. I thought you passed out?" I question. He just shrugs. I'm now anxious for Jace to get home so I can hug him. I know he didn't mean those things last night, and I am determined to get him to open up and tell me what happened. I haven't known him for a long time but believe me I know when someone is in distress. I want to be a psychologist so I try to read up on stuff as much as possible and Jace seems to be suppressing something. I just need to figure out what.

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About an hour later, a very chipper Jace walks in the door with a GIANT stuffed bear. He is wearing a very pouty look when he approaches me. Putting the bear in front of him, he begins to speak, "Jace is very sorry for being an ass last night and promises to never ever do it again." He says in a childlike voice.

I rolled my eyes and pushed past the bear, "I don't care that you got angry, I just want to know why!" I squish his face between my hands making his face squish together. "Can we go talk?" I ask. He shakes his head and we go upstairs ironically to his library.

"So come on, tell mama what's wrong!" I push. He sits, really quiet for a long time. I can see his eyes getting red like he is going to cry.  "My, my parents. I think....,"he stops. Trying to stop himself from crying, I place my hand on his back. "I think they are gonna split...I caught dad cheating a few months back and never told mom about it, but I guess she found out because next thing I know they are yelling and screaming at each other and she is throwing stuff at him. He left for a few days, mom did a lot of drinking. When dad came back they didn't say one word to each other. And that's how it's been, for the past month. No one says it, but it's matter of time." He says, at this point he is choking he is so sad.  

I rub his back to comfort him, "Jace, why didn't you tell me?" I ask.

"Because we had only just met, I'm not gonna unload on you like that!" He defends.

"Is that why you wanted to come here? To get away from them?" I ask. He only nods.

"And when I spent most of the time with Aiden that bothered you because you just wanted to have fun, and not sit and wallow." I explain for him, already understanding the reason behind his actions. I hug him. "Well then, lets call some people up and do some distracting!" I cheer. I don't know many people but I could probably get a party started.

I begin dialing away inviting people up to the cabin and telling them to bring friends and what ever else. I tell Aiden to do the same and then I send him out to get drinks and some more booze, Jace gives him his card and Aiden jets off. The good thing about Aiden is he looks older so nobody questions his fake ID. I tried to invite Charlie but she had to decline because she had two tests coming up and a presentation to prepare for. 

I start cleaning up the house (I know, what's the point?) Jace hooks up the speakers and gets some music going. At this point I am scrambling to put away anything breakable and I am locking all the important doors in the house. I know it's not my place but I want to treat it with some respect. I get changed and put away our stuff, not wanting anything stolen. I lock our door and leave the keys hidden away so no one could grab ahold of them.

Just as I am finished getting ready and setting up, the first few people walk in the door cheering and hollering. 

Well, here we go.