Life of A High School Student

Chapter 27: New Year

Tuesday, December 31st, 2018...

With the New Year's celebration only a couple of hours away, we were all in a hurry to pack up our things before we had to leave the day after the party that's taking place inside the hotel.

I check my suitcase for any belongings I may have left behind, but once It looked like I had everything, I locked my luggage with my padlock and went to see how the others were doing.

Andrew and Dante had gone to get all of us pizza at a nearby fast-food restaurant since they finished before all of us, so it was just me along with Jake, Mari, Irene In our hotel rooms.

Seeing that Jake was all alone, I went to keep him company and inquire about a few things.

"Do you need any help? I've basically finished packing, as usual." I shrug my shoulders sheepishly.

Jake looks at me and gives me a nod while smiling.

I sit down beside him and look through his souvenirs, coming across a book.

"Where did you get this from?"

He glances at me to see what I'm referring to. He grins seeing the object in my hand.

"Maria gave it to me as a Christmas Gift, it's a compilation of Shakespeare's most well-known playwrights. I mentioned to her that I had always wanted one, and she ordered it for me before we left." Jake smiles looking at the book.

My eyebrows furrow at his statement.

"So when we all had forgotten gifts for each other, she only remembered yours?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

I think back to how awkward Maria has been, clearly she cares more then she lets on, and seeing her show such paranoia for having to keep something from him is hurting her a lot.

Wanting to help her out a little, I look back at our door to see it's completely shut and sigh.

"Speaking of Maria...Jake there's something I should tell you."

His eyes immediately widened and he looks at me fearfully.

"Did I do something wrong last night?" My cousin asks looking concerned.

Not knowing what to say, I look back at him, deciding that I should just tell him the truth so he knows what happened.

"Don't tell her I told you this. The three of us followed you, boys, to the party, and well...Mari had found you first..." I say slowly not telling the whole story yet.

"So what's wrong with that?" Jake looks at me puzzled.

"I had found you two together, making out near the building's washrooms..." I tell Jake slowly trying my best not to make him panicked.

His face is drained of all color and he starts rambling about incoherent things.

"I had done that? Did she think I was crazy? I don't remember it at all! How could I do that?! She didn't push me away?! What on Earth happened?!"

Jake crouches down into a ball and slowly I pat him on the shoulders for comfort.

"If it makes you feel any better, she did push you away which ended up making you fall. But only after I caught you two. Just try to act natural and sort out your feelings soon okay? I want both of you to be happy regardless of what happens.

He nods rigorously still in shock by his own actions and he keeps looking back and fourth from me to the ground.

"This is so messed up...it shouldn't haven't been like this." Jake mutters to himself.