The Secrets That Tore Us Apart

7

Jack looked out of the window. He was always feeling worn out and tired nowadays. He tried to concentrate on whatever ms. Sandersen said, but he couldn't. His mind was constantly thinking about Emma. She had finally agreed to meet him and let him explain what had happened during the summer break. 

Jack looked at the clock. 15 minutes left. Then he would grab his things and go straight to his car without talking to anyone. Then he would drive down to the forest and walk to the glade about 50 meters into it. A glade that he and Emma found when they were exploring the forest and got lost. Instead of panicking, Emma had just made Jack point in a random direction and they had walked in it and then realized that they had been closer to the road as they had known. Since then that glade had been theirs. They had gone there every time they wanted to speak in private, knowing that no one could hear them. It was also the place they went to when there was a problem between them. And there definitely was one now. Thanks to Jack's mum.

The bell finally rang and Jack was quickly out of his seat. He didn't even bother going by his locker, since he had brought his bag to class. He went straight to his car and pretended he didn't hear Nathan calling for him. 

He drove slightly faster than he was allowed. He parked his car on the side of the road and walked the short walk to the glade. He saw the big rock where he and Emma used to sit and noticed that he was the first one here, before he remembered that Emma didn't have a car, so she would have to take the bus and then walk.

He facepalmed himself for not offering Emma a drive here. But knowing her, she probably would have said no. So instead he texted her saying that he was on their spot. 

Emma didn't respond. 

Jack sat down on the rock and let thought of memories take over.

"Jack, can we go and see Les Misérables?" Emma asked and her big, brown eyes sparkled. She really loved musicals and Jack never understood why. Everyone was always singing and there was never any action. But Jack loved Emma. He hadn't told her yet, but he did love her. And he would do anything to keep her happy and to keep the spark in her brown eyes. 

Jack told her that they couldn't go, since he had already bought the tickets and was going to give them to her for Christmas. 

Jack and Emma always celebrated Christmas with their separate families, but two days after Christmas when Emma returned from her grandma's, Emma and Jack would meet up and exchange gifts. 

Two days after Christmas Emma came over to Jack's house. Jack pulled her into a hug and they were stood in that hug for a long time. They only separated when Jack's sister Olivia and her girlfriend Bella wanted to leave the house and Jack and Emma were blocking the door. 

Emma always had the best smell. Jack loved her perfumes and when Emma would sleep over, Jack would take the perfume bottle that she had brought from her bag and spray some on his pillow, so he would have her scent with him even when she wasn't.

Jack led Emma to his room and Emma, who was carrying a big, plastic bag, gave Jack his gifts first. He received a  dark blue v-neck t-shirt, a small bottle of his favorite male perfume and a note that said that she owed him a movie night where he got to pick the movie and that she had to buy the treats and also give him an hour long massage. 

He had smiled and pulled her into another long hug. Then he grabbed the box, that he had for her, from under his bed. He handed it to her and she had narrowed her eyes at how light it weighted. She opened it slowly and picked up the envelope. She looked inside it and froze. 

When she looked up at Jack, her eyes were teary. 

"You got tickets to Les Misérables?" she asked and blinked so many times that the tears ran down her face. Jack got a little uncomfortable and didn't really know what to do when Emma cried happy tears. 

She had stood up and kissed Jack long and hard before they had fell on Jack's bed together.

Jack returned back to reality. He looked at the clock. Emma should be here by now. He tried to call her, but she didn't respond.

What if she's not coming after all?

Jack sighted and decided to wait for a while longer. His mind wandered back to when everything went wrong.

Jack had just come home from having stayed over at Emma's. They had had the best couple of days, playing mini golf and being at a play-hall with Emma's younger brother Eddie. 

Jack's phone rang and it was Olivia. She was crying.

"Jack, you need to come to the hospital"

Jack had just closed the door and locked it again and then taken his car to the hospital. He  took the lift to the 4th floor and walked to room 475 and saw his mum, sister and dad through the window before he entered the room.

"Jack" his mum said in a weak voice when she saw him.

"Hi mum" he said and noticed that she looked weaker than usual. Olivia took Jack to the hallway and told him that the doctors said that their mum didn't have long left. The cancer was everywhere in her body by now. 

Jack tried to not show too much emotion, but when Olivia cried, Jack's throat got tighter. Olivia went to get her breathing in control and their dad went to get some coffee from the cafeteria and left Jack alone with his mother.

Jack and his mum talked about school and Emma. Jack's mum was sorry she never got to meet Emma, but it had been his mum's wish that the family told everyone that she was working abroad and that no one knew that she was sick in the hospital.

Jack had hated lying to Emma, but had done it for his mum. 

Olivia never had to lie to her girlfriend Bella, since Bella was a nurse at that very hospital.

Jack's mum had died later that same day, and Jack would always remember the last thing his mum had said to him.

"I want you to always do what makes you happy, Jack. Surround yourself with people that make you happy"

Jack had cried for four days straight. He had had a hard time leaving bed. He had even ignored Emma calling and texting him. He couldn't see her, because if  he did he would be even more sad. Especially since he had been lying to her about his mum. He could not have her mad at him.

His dad had gotten Jack out of bed, using his mum's will as an excuse. His dad had gotten Jack a job at a summer camp. He had became friends with some of the other counselors, fellow students from his school. Him and Stephanie had gotten especially close and she had been really clingy on him and very clear that she wanted to have sex with him. 

When Jack had received a few angry text from Emma, since he didn't respond to her, he gave in to Stephanie and slept with her. He already felt numb and didn't feel anything special when he was with her. 

After that, word got around to the other counselors, that Jack and Stephanie had slept together and a few other female counselors showed their interest in Jack, but he never touched them. He couldn't.

When summer was almost over,  one of Jack's friends, Eric, had dragged Jack with him to a party. That's where he met Jasmine. She got Jack to laugh for the first time all summer. So Jack had slept with her too.

Jack still hated himself for all of it. And when he had gotten back home he had felt so ashamed that he had continued to avoid Emma. 

He looked at his phone again. He had been waiting for an hour and a half. He started to believe that Emma wasn't going to show up. 

He called her a couple of more times and texted her too. She didn't respond. 

He waited for another hour before he went back to his car and drove back to his house.