[2] Selfish Desires

2.7 - Repercussions

“I’m such a piece of shit,” Jake slapped himself in the face and put his cigarette out in the ground.

          “What happened?” I didn’t like seeing either Jake or his dad upset, but I didn’t want to force Jake to talk about something he didn’t want to talk about.

          “Call your Mom or something. I don’t want to be here anymore and I just want to go back to your house,” he must have been upset if he wanted me to call my mom.

          “I don’t want to talk to my mom right now,” I swallowed loudly, “She’s going to kill me.”

          “Then give me her number and I’ll go inside and call. I don’t have my phone on me. It’s at your house,” Jake sighed. He left me standing out there by myself after I told him what the number was.

          I saw James follow him inside but I don’t think he noticed. Jake’s dad opened the car door and sat in the passenger’s seat. I didn’t really want to talk to him because I didn’t know what to say.

          “Do you have a phone I could borrow?” Jake asked the lady at the counter. She was a chubby African American lady and she nodded kindly to a phone near the restrooms. “Thanks,” Jake told her. He headed down the small hallway only to feel James grab his arm. “What the…”

          “Why the hell would you say something like that to him!? He loves you so much and you go and say you’re ashamed to be his son?” James took a deep breath and glared at him intensely.

          “Look, I already feel horrible about it. I didn’t mean it like that,” Jake rolled his eyes and reached for the phone.

          “You put that damn phone down now,” James nearly smacked it out of his hand.

          “I don’t want to fight with you,” Jake growled. He didn’t like James’ aggressiveness at all and he didn’t really want to hate his brother that he hadn’t seen in six years.

          “Then stay away from Dad!”

          “Fine. You two just leave Jewel and I here,” Jake tried to make peace, “I’ll talk to you when I’m mentally prepared to handle this.”

          “You’re pathetic,” James spat, “I wish you good luck in life, Jake. I really do. Maybe one day you’ll wish you hadn’t been such an asshole to your family,” James turned around and headed out of the McDonalds.

          Jake mocked him once he left and reached for the phone to call my Mom.

          I stood outside near the door because I wanted to make sure things were okay. I knew I was stepping out of my comfort zone trying to be a mediator, but James looked so pissed off that I had to ask what happened.

          “Is everything okay?” I asked.

          “I don’t understand how you can deal with someone so selfish,” James spat, not at me, but more at the situation.

          What was I supposed to say to that? Jake was never selfish around me. Every time I saw him he just seemed hurt, but not necessarily selfish. The more I thought about it, the more I thought about times he could have thought only about himself. “How is he selfish?” I didn’t want to start an argument.

          “Well he just crushed Dad’s feelings. He’s in the car crying right now,” James pointed in the direction of the car, “Didn’t he steal your parents’ car because HE wanted to avoid something? HE doesn’t think about how his actions affect other people, and that is the epitome of a selfish asshole. He needs to grow up.”