Nerd

☣ o n e ☣

did you miss me?

a/n: so bc i'm trash i've left this for almost a year now so as thanks for not showing up to my house as an angry mob, I've decided to let you have this thing that's been lying about my computer for a while now. please enjoy.

began: 24th Jan. 2017

set around 2 months before Freak

☣ 

o n e

Jake swore at his phone as it put him through to voice mail again for the tenth time, gritting his teeth as he hung up only to try again.

He was alone, standing outside the school gates, rain spitting down and straightening out his hair flat against his head and seeping into his thin clothes. His gym bag felt heavy on his shoulder and his muscles ached from practice.

School had been out for over two hours, his practice for more than half an hour and yet his dad was nowhere to be seen. The only cars coming and going those of teachers finally getting to end their day.

The sun was starting to set.

Jake scowled at the ground, rain dripping from his hair and falling towards his gaze, his phone rang in his ear. He braced himself for the annoying cheer of his dad to come through the phone, pretending to greet him only to laugh and tell him it was a prank and to leave a message after the tone.

He got a soft click instead as the phone put him through.

There was a heavy breath, haggard and weary, "hello?"

The little hope in Jake vanished, rage filling it as he made confirmation.

"Dad," Jake gritted out. "You forgot again, didn't you?"

"Forgot? Forgot wha- shit. Shit. Shit, Jake." A loud rustle and a thump was heard through the phone. "Listen, Jakey, mate. It's been a tough month, it wasn't on purpose. I-"

"Save it, are you coming or not?" Jake glanced up as a car came round the corner and stopped a few feet away. Jake turned his head in disgust at the flutter of stupid hope in his chest that came with it before registering that the car was way too nice.

"I would if I could mate, you see... uh, I was a little behind on rent so... I don't exactly have the car anymore."

"You lost your car?" Jake yelled down the phone, thinking he'd heard wrong, denying that his dad had left him in the rain, when he had promised.

Silence came over the line. "Look I'm sorry, mate."

"So you aren't coming then?" Jake snapped, eyebrows furrowed and his hand clenched tight around his phone so hard it could break.

Jake jabbed his phone to hang up in a rage, shoving it into his pocket before he had the urge to throw it, there was already a crack lining down his screen; carnage from the last time.

"Fucking useless bastard," Jake spat, grabbing the school's fence and shaking it, rain making it slippery on his skin. He let out a roar, and bashed his head against the fence with a metallic clang.

Loser, his dad was a complete loser and Jake was stupid for even thinking he would pull through this time. Stupid for even hoping.

Movement caught Jake's eye and he turned his head slightly to a hunched figure walking quickly past the school gates, eyes watching him warily – watching as much as they could from the rain that clouded over the glasses he wore.

"What you looking at, Nerd?" he yelled, letting go of the metal and turning to face the spectacled boy in his year, bundled up in a blue raincoat so large that it billowed around his bag straps that he was currently clutching at.

Startled, the boy's glasses glinted as he hurriedly looked away, and quickly headed towards the waiting car, his backpack sticking out behind him like a tortoise shell, filled to the brim with what Jake knew was books. It always was.

A man emerged from the car, swiftly popping open a large umbrella to shield himself from the now pelting rain, and headed towards his son, covering them both to shove the books in the back.

Jake watched them as they got into their car and drove off, leaving him completely alone. He was still watching it disappear down the street, taking his anger with him.

When it was gone, Jake wiped his face in defeat and began to walk.