Unexpecting California (O2L Fanfic)

Chapter 8: Set It Free

Hearing Jake say my name sent me into an intense flashback.

I was touching up my makeup in the bathroom of Alli Paxton's house. I was applying a beautiful pinkish nude color to my lips from M.A.C cosmetics. I heard the song "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton playing in the room outside me where I was awaiting my beautiful boyfriend of two years. A Thousand Miles was my friends and I's favorite song back in grade 9 therefore the fact that it was playing after I had graduated was one of the best feelings. I looked in the full length mirror and adjusted my shining pink dress. I had to admit, I looked amazing. I was on a juice cleanse the week prior, which is why my waist had looked so slim, and I had also been bleaching my teeth for months just for this day/night. Before I opened the door to exit the bathroom I thought about prom, it was wonderful. My long flowing sparkly pink dress looked amazing against my dark brown hair, my handsome boyfriend of two years was dancing with me the entire night, and no one had even spiked the punch. 

I opened the door and took just a few steps outside, my smile was more wide than it had ever been in my life. My smile quickly dropped as I saw Jake, my boyfriend, plunging his tongue into some girl I've never seen before's mouth while caressing his hand over her backside. At that moment I could not breath, I stood there silently as everything inside of me slowly had crashed into pieces. I wanted to say his name, I wanted to say something just so he would turn around and I could be 100% sure it was him, but my lungs had given out. I got the reassurance I needed when I saw the watch I bought for him on our 1st year anniversary, immediately the tears started to stream down. My legs had finally kicked back in, and I had managed to run down the stairs when I heard my name being called. I looked up at the top of the stairs and saw Jake, with red lipstick smeared across his lips and cheek. That's the moment I will forever remember as the time when my heart became irrepairable. I let him see a couple more tears fall before I turned around and slammed the door on my way out. I had no idea where I was, or where I would go. It was around 1 AM and I did not want to see or talk to a single soul. I ran across the street into a near park, it was cold that night but the emotional pain I was feeling could have masked any physical pain at that point. It was half under a park bench I slept that night, half awake, and half breathing. 

That was the last time I ever heard Jake say my name. After that night I refused any contact, I had him blocked on all social media, blocked on my cell and homephone, and I told my friends if he texted or called them I would never want to hear about it. I forever wondered why Jake did it, we were in love, hours before was the most perfect night of my life, and Jake hadn't even drank very much. Halfway through the summer he was going to school in Boston, so I don't know why he couldn't keep his hands off someone else for one more month. I never asked him the one question I wanted to, I figured if I never heard from him again it would just make my life easier. This was why coming to California was so perfect, it was my escape, my getaway.

I paused the answering machine before I could hear anything else. Bringing up old memories made me clench my stomach and I soon felt my body become unresponsive. Did I want to hear the rest? If hearing him say only three words already made me sick to my stomach, why should I continue? I looked to my brother, I think he noticed the pain I was feeling.

"You don't need to listen, I only saved it because that was your decision to make, not mine." He said.

"I don't know Will... I don't know..." I trailed off. He walked over to me and pressed my head against his chest. I was feeling so lost, I came to California to help escape these feelings and here they were. I let one tear escape me, then I took a deep breath and walked over to the machine and pressed re-play.

"Serena, It's Jake. I don't even know if you will listen to this, but I had to try. I know I hurt you, I don't know what was going through my mind. You are the most wonderful girl in the world and I let you slip right out of my fingers. Prom night was one of the best and worst nights of my life. You made it the best, and I made it the worst. I know you will never forgive me, but just know Serena, I love you. I always had, and always will. Nothing I can or will every say could make up for the agony I have caused you. Just know, the passed two years of my life have and forever will be my favorite. Serena Evans you are the light in the darkness, the most amazing girl in the world. I love you, good bye forever." The message ended and the recorded voice asked me to press 1 to save and 2 to erase. I pressed 2.

"Wow." Was all Will had managed to get out. But, it was more than me. I stood there, practically shaking. If I was the light in his darkness then why had he let me go so easily? Maybe this message was his means of closure, but how would he know if I had even listened to it? I was getting choked up when I saw Charlie creep down the stairs.

"That was very nice." She had said. Hearing that from my little sister had made me cry even harder than I was before. 

"Are you going to say something nice to him too?" She asked.

"No, Charlie. I am not." I said while wiping tears away from my face.

"Why?" She responded.

"This was his way of letting what he loved, free." My sister had a confused look on her face, but didn't ask anything else. She gave me a soft hug and went back upstairs. I looked at Will, and gave him a look of reassurance. I sucked back my last few tears and that was when I knew that I was finally okay. I was finally free from my haunting thoughts and memories. I knew I couldn't control everything that happened in my life, but this one time, I had controlled my own outcome. That outcome was me setting Jake and all the memories that dragged on with him, free. 

"You're the strongest girl I know, Serena." Will said as he gave me a final hug and headed upstairs to his room. I slowly followed his trail, and went into my own room. I grabbed a makeup wipe and removed every last mascara smudge from my face. I changed into flannel pajamas and crawled into bed. 

My eyes slowly started to flutter, the last thing I had on my mind before I fell asleep was if what I had done tonight would be worth it when I woke up. The fact that I delete it, and could now never reply. I looked out my window and knew there was a whole other world out there, one that I had barely explored, and if what I did tonight would affect my tomorrow then I was okay with that, and forever will be.

My eyes drifted shut, and I soon fell asleep.

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Well that was a dramatic chapter, did you like?

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