The Middle - Volume Two ✔️

Chapter 11

Jamie

The following day, band practice, and I've decided I am talking to Jay about this thing with Erin tonight. I just need to get rid of Joel and Patrick first. This is a Jamie Squared chat, the boys can't be a part of it.

I need to talk to Jay, because he has had a major fucking stick up his ass ever since the night of the Halloween Dance. I know he slept with Erin, because she told me. Jay still hasn't told me, which is weird. He would. He always tells me about shit between him and Erin. But for some reason, he doesn't seem to have any intention of telling me that he finally had sex with her. Which is fine, I think he just needs some time to come to terms with it himself before getting into it with me. But, fuck me, he's been walking around like a god damn Dementor from Harry Potter. He's sucking the life out of everything with his bad attitude, and I'm tired of it.

"So, when are you gonna tell us more about your secret girlfriend?" Patrick asks Joel as he gets up from his drum kit and tosses his head band at me. I put it on, watching Jay all the while. He's not interested in Patrick's question, he's just staring at his feet. He hasn't even made a move to put his guitar down yet. He is seriously bummed - probably more so right now because we've just finished rehearsing a bunch of songs about Erin. I mean, most of our songs lyrics are about Erin, so what would he expect.

"She's not my girlfriend." Joel says calmly to Patrick as he sits down next to him on the couch. "And stop badgering me about her. I'll tell you when the time's right."

"When the time's right? Wow, how cryptic." Patrick teases Joel, as Jay stands up, pulling his cigarettes out of his pocket. He's going for a smoke. Now's my chance.

"Just stop going on about it, P. Unless you want me to start quizzing you about your love life." Joel says briskly, as Jay makes his way over to the garage stairs. He's heading for my back yard, rather than the front yard out the garage door. Good, I can make up an excuse and follow him.

"Dude, I don't have a love life, and I'm perfectly happy with that. So quiz away!" Patrick replies to Joel as I get up to my feet, preparing to follow Jay upstairs.

"Hmm, well, how about that little revelation of yours at Jay's house party a few weeks ago, huh?" Joel says, and I stop dead in my tracks and turn to face them. I totally forgot about that, and as much as I wanna follow Jay, I am interested in this. "Remember? We were playing Truth or Dare and some girl asked you if you've every had real romantic feelings for someone? You said yes?"

Patrick frowns at Joel as Joel sits back and raises his eyebrows at him. I am very fucking interested in this conversation. There was a lot going on for me that night, and I totally forgot Patrick said that. Romantic feelings? Patrick? Yeah, right.

"Dude, you know I just said that to get those girls wet for me. And it worked." Patrick says to Joel. And, that's my queue to leave.

"Going for coffee, bye!" I say, before quickly darting up the stairs after Jay. I hear Joel and Patrick laugh at my sudden departure. Great, they won't suspect that I'm really following Jay to talk to him about Erin, they'll think I just don't wanna sit around and listen to Patrick talking about getting girls wet. Which I don't.

I walk through the kitchen, towards the back patio doors. Jay's outside smoking, watching Benji sniff around the flowers in the yard. Perfect. I slip outside, closing the patio doors behind me in case Patrick or Joel come up to the kitchen.

"Dude, talk to me." I say, as Jay looks up at me. He's sitting on the garden bench. I sit down next to him, and watch him shake his head.

"Did she tell you?" He asks, his voice small. I nod my head and he takes a long drag from his cigarette.