Midnight Blues // Jake Kiszka

five

We were laying out on the banks of a lake that seemed to spread for miles. The sunlight danced atop the divets in the water, making it sparkle. I was too stunned to say anything, and the silence was much needed after the course of events that took place this morning. 

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He said, breaking the silence. 

I nodded. 

"I always used to come here when I was in high school, to just relax and get away from it all, you know?" 

"Yeah, I get that." 

"What about you? Were there any places that you used to get away when you were younger?" 

I pondered a moment, realizing how distant my childhood seemed. Despite the shit show my life was now, my childhood was pretty decent. I had a lot of friends and we used to spend all of our time together. 

"When I was younger, my best friend Bea and I had a tree house. It was at her house and we would always have sleepovers in the tree house. It was so peaceful under the stars, feeling safe and loved. The world was so big but somehow it was condensed into that little tree house of ours. Plus, we had those little glow in the dark stars stuck on the ceiling of the tree house, so it felt like we were right there in space." 

He looked at me, I mean really looked at me, silently observing my features. 

"What?" I asked.

"Since you've been with us, I haven't seen your eyes sparkle like that. Its nice to see." 

I didn't know what to say, but I felt a blush creeping on my cheeks. Josh was charming, and I could see why all these women wanted to date him. He was as sweet as he looked, and he genuinely cared about others, even if he just met them. 

**

When we got back to the cabin, it was already dark. I wasn't sure how long we had been out on the lake but apparently it had been a long time. As soon as we walked in, the aroma from the kitchen swirled around my nostrils, and my stomach grumbled in response. 

"We're back!" Josh yelled from the foyer. 

"Hey!" Danny and Sam say, poking their heads out from the kitchen. 

"What are you guys up to in there?" Josh asks. 

"Nothing! You'll see later, don't be nosy!" Sam said. 

"Josh, I'm gonna go change and i'll be right back." I said, still a bit shy.

"No worries, make yourself right at home. You're one of us now. How does a movie night with everyone sound?" 

"Perfect." 

When I got up to my room, I had already taken off my shirt, ready to just lay on the bed for a minute and dissociate. Only, I wasn't alone. 

"Jake!" I shouted, covering my bare torso with my shirt. 

"Freya, fuck, I'm sorry!" He apologized, getting up from the bed. 

"What are you doing in here?" 

"Hiding."

"From?

"Jita."

"Why?" 

He sighed and took a seat back down on the bed. I slipped my shirt back over my head and joined him, waiting for him to say something. 

"I just don't feel like I can be myself around her. I don't know how to tell her when she's being mean and she just doesn't listen, saying that's how she was raised and that I need to grow a backbone."