lovelorn

v.

it's been a while! & this book has gone through a ton of changes i apologize!
✰

saturday;

by the time i reach jacob's, the sun has nearly set. the sky blushes in the way ripe fruit would.

with a hand resting on the wheel and another pressed against the car horn, i'm screaming out of the passenger side window for jacob to hurry his ass up.

his house sits on a small hill. in a perfect neighborhood with perfect houses, perfect neighbors that walk their dogs in the evening.
white picket fences, trimmed hedges, well-kept lawns.

i huff defeatedly. and when i do, he's finally making his way out of the house and down the driveway.

"about time," jacob says, as if i had been the one to finally show up. a grin is evident in his voice.

i don't usually smile with my teeth but i can't help it—jacob is definitely a product of his environment. a perfect boy to match everything else.

he's opening the door to the small red pickup i'm driving. i roll down all of the windows and open the sunroof as he settles in.

i pull out, and he switches on the radio. soon enough, we're yelling nonsense lyrics to an overplayed pop song.

✰

"twizzlers. oh, and a refill, please? pepsi." i rest my elbows on the counter after the man working there takes the empty cup. jacob was enjoying the movie a lot. so much so, that he had burned through all of his snacks and whined for them to be replenished.

i look over my shoulder when i hear laughter. a group of teens by one of the parked cars joke about something; in the midst of them i see aspen.

she gives one of her friends a glare, but it's short lived. with a giggle she swipes a cup from one of the others. "very funny," she says to them. spoken with a perfect smile and a perfect voice.

she makes her way to the concessions where i am. "refill? root beer, thanks."

i guess i had been staring, because aspen looks to me like i had been. "jacob's friend, right? troye?"

"uh, yeah, yeah." i say. the man had already set down the refill and twizzlers on the counter. "it's aspen, isn't it?" she nods. i slip the man a few dollars.

"i didn't know you were coming to see a film tonight. heathers, huh?" aspen tosses a lock of hair behind her and mouths a thank you to the man when he hands her the drink.

"jacob's favorite, actually."

"he's here?"

"mhm."

aspen adjusts her grip on the root beer. she looks behind her. "uh, tell him i said hi?"

i tell her i would.

but wouldn't she want to come see him herself?