His Mission

Loneliness hits me like a ton of bricks.

Light streams in through the bathroom window before settling around me like a protective halo. My eyes flutter open, but I quickly snap them shut again when I feel the intense stinging invading them. My neck is stiff from lying awkwardly on the floor. I feel the exhaustion in every fibre of my being. I try to lift myself off the floor, but I stumble and fail miserably. My body screams at me to stop moving and rest. I inhale a deep breath before listening to the eerie silence around me. The feeling of loneliness hits me like a brick, and I feel tears prick the back of my eyes. I had no idea I could cry so much in such a short space of time.

I remove Jake's clothes from me before tossing them over onto my bed.

Every movement I make takes up energy I don't have. Simple tasks like lifting my arm feels like I'm participating in an Olympic sport. Everything hurts, along with my brain. I manage to drag myself toward the shower. I sit cross legged in the bottom of it before allowing the water to run over me. I remain in the same position for half an hour. My attempt to shampoo my hair is weak, but I manage to rinse out all of the soap before crawling out onto the bathroom floor. I change into a clean set of pyjamas before sliding under my sheets. I reach for Jake's grey hoodie before pulling it toward me. It smells just like him.

I haven't felt safe in a long time, not even in my own bedroom. I thought sleeping on Jake's chest on the corridor floor was a one in a lifetime incident due to my exhaustion. As soon as I catch a whiff of his scent, my eyes grow heavy with sleep. His cologne mixed with his own scent makes an excellent cure for insomnia. The clock on my bedside table reads ten in the morning. I should be at school, but I can't do it. Not today.

I bury my face in Jake's hoodie. Within seconds, my entire body relaxes and I'm fast asleep.

*

I wake up to the sound of my phone ringing in my school bag. When I open one eye, darkness streams in through my bedroom window. I'm disorientated, filled with grogginess and confused. Did I sleep through an entire day? It takes a while for me to reach my phone. The brightness of my screen causes me to groan in protest. I need to stay in the dark for the foreseeable future. I crawl my way back into bed before scrolling through the texts. They're all from Trish, and she's becoming increasingly more worried with every text she sends.

I haven't heard from you in two days! Where are you?

Are you screwing Jake? Did you replace me with him? I can't believe you're ditching your best friend for that jerk. I'm disappointed in you.

I didn't mean that, I'm sorry. I'm worried about you. Call me!

I laugh at the screen before typing out a response. I apologize for avoiding her, and promise to make things right with her when I see her again. It's nice to know at least one person would miss me if I wasn't around anymore. As soon as I respond to Trish, my phone pings with an incoming text.

I hope you feel better soon. I'm always here for you if you need to talk. I love you, Em.

My eyes fill with tears when I read her message. I lock my phone before dropping it down on the bed. My hands waft in front of my face in an attempt to rid myself of the tears. "What is wrong with me? Get a grip, Emily." I whisper, trying to snap myself out of the emotional state I'm wrapped up in. My phone begins to vibrate to signal an incoming call. I push the accept button without looking at the screen —

"Hello?" I answer, expecting it to be Trish.

"Hey," The deep male voice isn't Trish at all. My eyes grow wide with shock when I realize Jake Melvin is calling me. I pull my phone away from my ear to glance down at the unknown number showing up on my screen.