Jake X Jane Homestuck Fanfiction

Being Neighborly

Chapter Ten : Being Neighborly

In the last few years, as I've been traveling around with my dad, I'd had to share of bew experiences. Different schools, various kinds of cultures, all new friends. But within five minutes, it became clear that never in my life had I met anyone like Jake English.

"Sorry if I startled you," he said as I sat there, open-mouthed, staring at him. "But I figured it's better to be surprised than busted."

I couldn't  respond at first, too distracted by my surroundings. We were in what  appeared to be a basement, a small space with wooden plank walls and a dirt floor. A single, worn lawn chair took up most of the square footage : a stack of books was beside it, another flashlight propped on top.

"What is this place?" I asked.

"Storm cellar," he replied, as if this was of course the first question you'd ask after someone pulled you underground.

"For tornadoes and such."

"This is yours?"

He shook his head, reaching to put the flashlight on the ground between us. As he did so, a moth fluttered past, casting weird shadows.

"It's part of the house near mine. Nobody's lived here for years."

"How'd you know about it?"

"I found it when I was younger. You now, exploring and adventuring and such."

"Advdnturing," I repeated.

He shrugged, "I was a weird kid."

This, I believed. And yet, again, I was struck by the fact that not once during this entire incident had I been scared. At least, not by him, even before I knew who he was.

"So, you just hang out here?

"Sometimes."He got up, brushing himself off, and sat down in a chair, which creaked

"When I'm not crashing on your back porch."

"Yeah," I said as he sat back, crossing his legs. "What, do you not like being at home or something?"

He looked at me for a second, as if weighing his response.

"Or something," he said.

I nodded. The digging and going underground might have been kind of weird. But this, I understood.

"Look," he said, "I didn't mean to freak you out. I was just coming out and saw the lights, then heard you coming. Actually, grabbing you was kind of an impulse move."

I looked up at the doors again. "You have good instincts.

"I guess. You know what's weird, though? I just put that hook and eye in last week. Lucky thing."  He squinted up at it, then turned back to me. "The bottom line is, you don't want to get arrested for drinking under age. It's not fun. I know from experience."

"How'd you know I haven't been already?" I asked,

He studied me, all seriousness. "You don't look like the type,"

"Neither do you you," I pointed out.

"This is true,"He thought for a moment. "I just rescind my earlier statement. You could be very well a delinquet, just like me."

I looked below me again, taking in the small, tidy space.

"This doesn't really look like a den for delinquets."

"No?" I shook my head. "What were you thinking? Junior League?"

I made a face, then nodded at the stack of books : in the thrown light, I could barely make out one of the spines, which said something about abstract geometry and physics.

"That's some pretty heavy reading material."

"Don't go by that," he said. "I just needed something to prop the flashlight on."

From above us, I heard a sudden burst of music. The cops, apparently, were gone, and the party was starting up again with whatever legal stragglers remained. Jake got up, climbing the stairs, and popped the hook, then slowly pushed open one of the doors overhead and stuck his head out. Watching from below, it occured to me he looked younger somehow : I could easily picture him as an eight - or nine - year - old, digging tunnels in the same backyard.

"Coast is clear,"he reported, letting the door drop fully open, hitting the ground with a thud. "You should be able to go home now."

"I'd hope so," I said. "Since it's only, like-"

"-fourteen feet, seven point, two inches, to your back deck," he finished for me. I raised my eyebrows,  and he sighed.

"I told you. Weird kid,"

"Just kid?"

Now, he smiled, "Watch your step,"

He climbed up the stairs out onto the grass, then turned the light back on me as I followed him out, offering his hand as I neared the top. I took it, again feeling not strange as I stepped into the world again.

"Your friends were at the party," I said. They were looking for you."

"Yeah, it's already been kind of a long night, though."

"No kidding." I slid my hands in my pockets. "Well...thanks for the rescue."

"It was nothing," he replies

"You kind of saved my ass," I pointed out.

"Just being Neighborly."

I smiled, the turned to cross the fourteen feet, seven point two inches back to my house. I'd only taken a couple of steps when he said, "Hey. If I saved your ass, you should tell me your name."

I'd been in this place many times before in the last two years, not to mention already once today. The name I'd chosen, the girl I'd decided to be here, was poised on the tip of my tongue. But in that place, at that moment, something happened. Like that quick trip below the surface had changed not only the traject story of my life, but maybe me, as well.

"Jane," I said

He nodded. "Nice to meet you too."

"You, too."

I could hear the music from the party, that same bass thumping, as I crossed the deck. As I pulled open my side door, I glanced back, just in time to see him climbing back down the stairs, the flashlight's glow rising up around him.

I went to my house, kicking off my shoes and padding down the hallways to the batheroom. When I turned on thr light, the brightness startled me, as did the faint dusting of dirt that covered my face. Like, I, too, had been tunneling, digging and had only just now come up for air.

I'd like to thank CoffeeDates for supporting me into continuing this book I have just reviewed,

After she told me I had actually gained 118 reads all in total cx

This inspired me.

And most definetely made my day.

And I am sooo sorry if the Jake fucking English here is a bit too...Dave-ish

Since I roleplay as him on instagram meheh X3

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