Meant To Be: A Jerika Story

Chapter Four

Erika POV

Amused I sat on the couch, watching the activities of daily vlog go down. On this particular day, they were all going to walk over "one million" burning legos. I winced in pain by just watching them do it. Damn, does Jake go all out for those views.

"Erika," he says, calling me over.
"I want see if I can walk across the legos with you on my shoulders." I shrug, and allow him to lift me up.
"Just don't fall," I say with a nervous laugh. He somehow makes it across, and we all cheer. "Wow, you're actually so strong," I say as he lets me down.
"Ooh #jerika?" says Chance to the camera. Jake laughs, and plays along and throws his arm across my shoulder.
"Wanna go on date Erika?" He says, with a smirk on his face. I push his hands off me.
"No sorry, I'm done dating guys, I only go for goats now."
"He can get the surgery," shouts Anthony. "Yeah, anything to be with you," he says, pulling me to his chest.
"I'll pass", I say as I roll my eyes and leave. What a weirdo.

Later that night

Jake POV

I groan, tired from both from the blisters all over my feet and the latest controversy I was embroiled in. I guess some people didn't find me "selling" United Airlines that funny. Daily Mail wrote an article labeling me as an "example everything wrong with millennials" and Teen Vogue thought I was the "poster boy for white privilege". Not only that, but my mom, publicist and manager all called me and yelled at me for not knowing when to do what. As I try to navigate through my texts, I hear a knock at my door.
"Come in," I say as Erika enters with some bandages and gauze.
"That was a pretty stupid thing to do. The legos, I mean," she says, as she lifts up my leg and starts to wrap the bandage around my foot.  "It's okay, I can do it myself." She shakes her head. "You have enough to deal with already." I sigh, and put my phone down.
"Sometimes I wish I had never left Ohio. Wish I had just finished school and joined the army. I would seen as a hero, not some crazy kid who half the country hates." She gives me a sympathetic smile.
"I know exactly how you feel. All the time I imagine how easy my life would be if I had never come to LA, never tried to be a model. Maybe I would be married to some real estate agent, living in Traverse City by an apple orchard. But at the end of the day, I know I wouldn't have been truly happy. LA is where I belong, and I know you feel the same way. If I never left my comfort zone, then I'd just regret all the things I never did." I smile.
"How do you always say the right thing, right when I need it," I say, as she finishes wrapping the bandages. My phone vibrates, and I pick it up to see a barrage of texts from a Disney rep about my erratic behavior. I groan again and lean back into my pillow.
"You know what, it really looks like you need a hug right now." Erika moves close to me and drapes her arms around me best as she can. I let my head rest on her shoulder.
"You're a good guy Jake. People will eventually see that, they'll understand who you really are." "I hope so," I say as I feel myself drift off into sleep.