Parachute [Book 4]

Chapter 3 - The Three Glee Clubbers

Angie McGraw

***

Normally I’d walk to school with Marley, but she wasn’t here. If that wasn’t the option (exactly like right now) I would ask Jake to pick me up… but again, he wasn’t here either. He was in Chicago, probably having the time of his life in a whole other city, far away from this stupid old place.

I was happy Jake was happy – at least, I guessed he was happy. I didn’t know because he hadn’t called me in two days. Two days. And not to mention we hadn’t actually had any form of physical contact in months because he left the day after Ryder and Marley’s wedding.

I missed Jake. I missed Marley. I missed Ryder. I just missed them all.

They were all enjoying their lives while I was stuck here, in boring old Lima, exactly like Marley had said. Lima was a boring little town filled with boring people and I have no idea how I had survived living here my whole life.

I was kicking a rock along the ground the whole way to school with my head down and it made me feel even more depressed than when I left for school this morning. It was the perfect way to start my senior year. Depressed, without my boyfriend and best friend.

At least I still had the Glee club to help me through the terrible year that was ahead of me.

I was nearing the school – I was coming close to the corner that I had to turn – when I felt my phone vibrate in the pocket of Jake’s leather jacket. I took it out and silently prayed it was Jake who was texting me, wishing me good luck for the first day of senior year... but when I pulled my phone out and opened the message, the inkling of hope inside of me drained and I felt nothing but sadness again.

It was from Marley, though, which was almost as good:

Marls: Ryder just left to take the train to school! I’m so proud of him, starting college today. Bad thing is that I’m going to be all alone today for the first time since I’ve come to NY :( I hope Ryder makes friends today because he always struggles with that. Good luck to you, too, Angie xx

I smiled – at least she was wishing me luck – but it wasn’t overly nice of her. I loved Marley and everything, but sometimes she didn’t feel like the supportive best friend I needed half of the time. She did say good luck, but it felt like she was just writing it so she’d have an excuse to text me.

It suddenly hit me how selfish I sounded. I was complaining about the very girl who saved my life by taking me in to her home and supporting me. “Oh, you’re such an idiot, Angie!” I shouted at myself aloud, hitting myself in the head. This kind of depression I was in must have seriously been getting to me because there was honestly no other reason for calling Marley a bad friend in so many words.

I must be really lonely.

Instead of texting Marley back, I opened a new message and put in Jake’s name. (His name on my phone was Jakey Baby, and I wasn’t planning on changing it). I sent him a quick text message, smiling as I wrote it.

Me: Hey baby, I hope you’re enjoying Chicago. Good luck for school, honey. Miss you, and I love you x

There were so many words that went unsaid in the message, but I shrugged it off, sending the message and putting the phone back in my pocket.

Just in time, too, because as soon as I looked up, I was standing a few metres from the doors of the school. It seemed almost dead on the outside, only one or two people out there with me, and none of them I knew.

I knew I was going to be spending the day alone. Who was there for me in that building? No one. Besides the three other Glee kids, but then again none of them really liked me more than just a person in their club.