Player

Eight - Frozen Peas

This has been fully edited, please comment if I've missed something.

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I hate the turnpike. It's big and crowded and full of assholes. Of course, it would get me to Cumberland about a whole hour earlier, but I'm not exactly in the mood to be cut off by ugly green Nissan's right now.

So I follow the same route, avoiding all and every highway that I might have to use. I guess most would call it the scenic route or the back roads. I prefer the term 'staying alive'.

Huge trees tower both sides of the narrow road, bending towards each side like huge ribs. Jake leans his seat back and kicks his feet up on top of the glovebox. I want to tell him to move, but it's not for me right now. I just want to get as far away from home as possible right now. Willow will know what to do.

"It will get better, trust me." Jake's deep voice interrupts my peaceful silence and I have to use every ounce of patience inside of my to not snap at him. I've been perfectly content with Stairway To Heaven playing softly in the background.

"Yeah? How so?" I grit my teeth, trying my best to not use sarcasm, but I'm pretty sure it slipped.

"My parents, um..." He nervously itches the back of his neck, pursing his full lips together. "They used to fight a lot, like, every single night."

I pause, not realizing this before. Years ago, when Jake and Liam and Mr. and Mrs. Cross would come over, things seemed fine. I guess it could've either be an act, or maybe it changed over the course of a few years.

"It was mostly over money issues. My dad started working on the road and mom and he spent more and more time away from each other until one thing led to another and he started to cheat." Jake's eyes got dark with the memory of his past and I wanted to hug him, but I couldn't keep my eyes off of the narrow road. "He bought this lady jewelry and even a freaking car."

I nod, making sure that Jake knows that I'm listening, even though my eyes are on the road. Jake puts his legs back on the floor and rubs his forehead. He seems uneasy as if something could jump out at him any moment now.

"So you went to live with your mom..." I add, trying to piece everything together. He nods.

"She got sick and I ran to her aid." He licks his bottom lip and my head spins. "I mean, she's always been sick, but when she got really bad I wanted to be there when she died."

There is no hint of pain in Jake's voice as he talks about his biological mother. I'd be a mess if I lost Willow forever. I'd even be devastated if my mom were to die. It doesn't matter how angry I am with her, I'll never stop loving her.

"Do you miss her?" As soon as those words leave my mouth I want to take them back. Of course, he misses her, she's his freaking mom!

"I don't know..." Jake's answer surprises me and my eyebrows lift up. "She's never really been a big part of my life, not since I was really little. When she got sick, dad took full custody of me and he left her and got remarried."

I want to flip out on somebody. Jake's father left the mother of his child because she got cancer? That's impossible! My jaw drops, and I don't try to hide my surprise.

"He's an ass." Jake sits up suddenly, turning up the radio until Stairway To Heaven blasts from every speaker. "Let's talk about something else."

I don't argue with him. Instead, he blurts out the lyrics to the Led Zeppelin song. Even tilting his head back and closing his eyes as the words pour from his mouth. I laugh, screaming along. The tension immediately going away.