A New Chapter

Chapter 5

The weekend went by in a blink of an eye after Sebby dropped me home Saturday afternoon.

I spent Sunday with Amelia; watching cartoons and cuddling like there was no tomorrow.

Now I'm standing outside the door of the home economics room, too nervous to turn the handle and go in.

"Are you going to go in or not?" A deep voice startles me from behind making me jump out of my skin. Not literally of course, my skin is very much still attached to my body.

"Jesus Christ!" I scream, a hand clutching my heart.

"I prefer Jake, but you know Jesus Christ is good too, if you're into that sort of thing." He says with a lazy smirk.

"What the hell Jake! You're not even in this class." I huff and clutch my book closer to my chest.

"That I'm not Merritt, but I'm not really up to going to classes right now."

"That makes two of us." I mumble, looking over my shoulder through the glass window of the classroom door.

"Wanna skip with me? I'm in the mood for a burger." Jake smiles, his hands stuffed deep in his jeans pockets.

I consider his offer for a moment before replying; "Sure let's go. I could go for a double cheese burger."

~~

We both walk to a local burger joint and order our food, then make our way to the public park to eat on the swings.

"How's life for you back in high school?" Jake asks after awhile of eating and swinging in silence.

"Ehm... good?" I mumble in between bites.

Jake let's out a loud laugh, "Are you sure about that?"

I shrug my shoulders and continue eating my deliciously fattening burger.

"Why did you ask me to come here Jake?" I whisper after I finish my food.

"Why not?" He answers.

I give him a stern look letting him know his answer isn't good enough.

He sighs while pinching the bridge of his nose. "I felt bad Ashley. About... about the things I believed and said when you got pregnant. So I guess I'm trying to make up for it. We used to be really close and you were a good friend, a great one in fact. I was an ass to even consider believing the lies Nina spread."

His shoulders are hunched when he finishes.

Jake and I used to be really close when we were ten. He lived a few minutes down the road from my house and our mothers were best friends so naturally we were pretty close.

"Look Jake, it's fine honestly. It's hard not to believe rumours sometimes." I give him a reassuring smile. Which he weakly returns. I can't help but miss spending time with him.

"I guess we should get back so we can make it to second period." I nod along with what he says. Then we get on our way.

~~

"Yo Ash. How come you weren't in Home ec?" Sebby asks while he leans against the locker beside mine.

"I skipped with Jake."

"Oh. Where did you two go?" He questions swinging on his heels.

"To Raymond's for burgers." I reply; ramming a book into my locker.

"Nice. Well I better go to soccer practice before coach is on my back, text you later." He waves before disappearing into the sea of students going home for the day.