Calmly || Be More Chill

Jake Is Surprised

(A/N): TBH honest this story isn't rlly one of my serious stories and I'm doing it for a bit of fun here and there but I'm surprised with how many ppl have read it already

Also, here's: A Cheeky Lil' Bit of RichJake Cuz Why Not

Rich and I were never the closest of friends. But if he survived, if I could have saved him in that fire, maybe we could have been.

Every night and day, his face haunted me. His usual happy eyes with bags underneath were angry. His small smile was never there. And I felt so, so bad. I didn't deserve him, he deserved a better life and more friends. Sometimes I could hear his voice, Rich would talk to me, and despite looking angry in my head, he never sounded angry. He never blamed me either. Whenever I heard Rich's familiar lisp, I would turn around in the direction the sound came, but he wouldn't be there.

I didn't tell anybody. They'd think I was crazy and that would be a waste since I was highly respected in a high school. It's hard to get people to respect you in high school, I was just lucky. And surely, turning out crazy along with their messed rumors about Rich would result in worse things.

After dinner, Mom told me to wash up and go to bed. She'd seen how my mood changed significantly after the whole fire and her and dad running away incident. Since Dad was gone now, it was just me and her. And while nobody questioned it if they did notice, Mom would baby me but not in a suspicious way. I didn't mind seeing as it opened up more free time.

"Why don't you go to bed?" She offered a smile on which I didn't return. "I'll clean up down here."

"Thank you," my voice was almost inaudible but Mom heard me.

I went through my nightly routine. Shower, brush my teeth, wash my face, put on pajamas, get in bed. Notice how I said get in bed instead of go to sleep. Sleep has gotten harder, too.

As I shuffled in bed, screwing my eyes shut in hopes that fatigue would swallow me whole. But then I heard him.

"Jake?"

I stayed quiet, thinking it was just in my head again. Not wanting to got through the pain of twisting my neck until I saw the nonexistent boy.

"Jake," Rich attempted once more. It was louder, and I felt how close he was. Goosebumps raced over my arms and the hair on my neck stood as chills coursed through my body.

"Jake? Is there someone in your room?" I heard Mom yell this from the kitchen. That's when my eyelids flew open and I scanned the room quickly. If Mom heard him, then maybe...

Rich stood there, waving awkwardly with a smirk on his face. The only thing different was a cut on his lip and a few bruises payed out on the parts of his body that was visible. But it was still him, and he looked as real as ever. "Yeah, I'm alive, I think."

"You t-think?" I stuttered. Mom soon opened my door at my question, apparently I was louder than I thought. Preparing to be smothered with affection and worries for talking to a dead person, I shrunk in my covers.

"Who are you talking to-" her eyes widened at the sight of Rich. So, he was real. "Oh my goodness."

"Hello, ma'am. I'm sorry if I'm intruding, I just wanted to talk to Jake," Rich greeted politely. Expecting my Mom to screech, Rich and I both eyed her warily.

She tilted her head in confusion. My mom is one of the sanest people you'll ever meet, so if she saw Rich, Rich was actually in my bedroom. "Oh, honey. Do you need me to call your parents? Stay here with Jake, I'll get the first aid kit." With that she left in a hurry, leaving a person who was supposed to be dead in my room with me alone.

"Why are you here? I thought you were dead! I thought you were-" Rich took long strides over to my bed, which was funny since he was kind of short, before taking my face within his hands and kissing me forcefully on the lips. I admit it was sudden, but that didn't mean I didn't like it.

"I-I'm sorry," his cheeks were dusted lightly with pink as he took a step back. "You were rambling and I don't know, I don't usually do things like that."

I stared at him, my mouth open wide in shock.

"The rumors are partially true, then?" I asked quietly. I didn't shove him away or yell at him upon realizing he was still very close to me.

He chuckled, his lisp more prominent as he was embarrassed, "Well, I'm not dead. And I'm not gay. But I'm totally bi."

We were both blushing very deeply, thankfully, Mom saved us from another round of awkward silence.

"I've got the first aid kit, your Mom didn't pick up her phone but..." Mom looked between us two, seeing our bashful expressions.

She wiggles her eyebrows, "Did I miss something?"

I groaned into my pillow, completely and utterly confused with what was happening.