Jealousy. (Jailey)

Home Sweet Home (Chapter 4)

          Jake got home that night, miserable. He walked through the house to his room not saying a word. "Hey loser!" He heard his 12 year-old brother yell at him. "I'm not in the mood, Milo" he said between his teeth. "Geez! Grumpy much?" Milo teased. "I said I'm NOT IN THE MOOD!" Jake yelled. "Woah, woah, hey! What's going on?" His mother ran over to him, concerned. As she had the right to be. Jake hardly ever shouted at his family, let alone shouted in anger. "It's nothing, mom." He tried to convince her. "Jake, something is obviously wrong. You don't slam the door and yell at your brother just because you're 'fine' now, do you?" She asked him, concerned. "It's just that.. this... BOY thinks he can waltz right into the Music Club, impress Hailey and then FLIRT with her LIKE I'M NOT EVEN THERE IN THE SAME ROOM AS THEM!" He shouted, flailing his arms in the air for extra effect. "Oooh hooh hoooo! Jakey is jealous~! JAKE IS JEALOUS~!" Milo teased him in a singsong way. "SHUT IT, MILO!" Jake shouted, annoyed, though blushing slightly. "Honey, you can talk to me about anything. Even girl problems." She said, trying to comfort him. "What?! No! It's not like that! It's just-" "Yes it isss~! You like Hailey~!" Milo teased him again. "Milo, SHUT UP!" "Milo, that's enough!" Jake and his mom both shouted at the same time. "Okay! Okay!" He said throwing his hands up, as if he were caught. Then he slumped on the couch, crossing his arms. "I never get to have any fun around here..." He mumbled underneath his breath.

          Then their mom turned to Jake, "Seriously hun, you can call tell me anything." Jake sighed and sat down next to his mom on the couch. "Well it's not just about him and Hailey, but he just seems... off... I don't know what it is about him, but the way he looks at everyone else, verses me.. he's SO nice with everyone around him, but when I'm there, he ignores me. That or he'll glare at me as if I'm a giant cockroach that's just landed in his breakfast. He hates me." He finished, a suddenly feeling a small weight lift off his shoulders. "Oh Jake, I'm sure he doesn't hate you. He's probably just feeling nervous, that's all." She said, grabbing his hand. He seemed distant, thinking about the way he spoke to Hailey, and the way he touched her hair.. Jake shuddered just thinking about it. "Jake." His mom caught his attention again, rubbing his hand with her thumb. "He needs a friend. He's probably lonely moving to a new school and all." She suggested. "Jake. He needs someone to be kind to him, someone to be there for him." but Jake just turned away.

          "Jake, do you remember when you first started school here?" His mom asked. Oh boy did he remember. He winced at the thought of it. Bullied, shoved, insulted, teased, mocked, tripped, and.. beaten every day of his life.. until.. the Jomies... they protected him, but only because he changed himself to be like them. "Remember how your friends made a difference?" Then he thought of Hailey, and then his other friends in music club. Those were the ones who really accepted him, no matter his background, or what he had done to them in the past, they loved him for who he was. That was something he'll never forget. He smiled at the thought of them. "Yes... I remember." His mother saw the grin spread across his face, and smiled herself. "All you needed was a friend. One who accepted you for who you are." His mind drifted to Hailey, again. "Thanks mom." Jake said turning to her with a smile. "I'm going to my room to work on some homework assigned for tomorrow." "Okay, remember, I love you, hun." his mom reminded him. "I love you two mom." 

          Jake closed the door to his room, and dropped his bag on the ground. Then he slumped over onto his bed. He had lied to his mother about the homework. He wanted an excuse to go to his room. Before you assume, YES, he felt guilty about doing such a thing to his mom, after she just poured her heart and soul out to try and make him feel atleast a little better. Jake laid down on his bed, flipping through pictures of his friends and him. Then slowly, he found himself staring at pictures of just Hailey, or some of him and her together. One he was staring at particularly long was one taken after the competition, where he were pretending she were his princess. Even going so far as to make a tiara out of paper. A very wrinkled and misshapen one, but a tiara, nonetheless. He was placing it on top of her head in the picture, smiling cheerfully, while she were trying to push his hand away, chuckling and blushing slightly. The rose color resting on her face, as well as her dress made her look like a real princess. After that, Jake caught himself reading through her texts to him. Her contact name reading 'Princess👸'.

          He blushed slightly, now noticing what he was doing. Then he thought of Daniel again, and what he did with her earlier that day. He felt the same, uneasy, sick feeling he did before, when he saw them together. Then he thought of Milo's chant. "Jakey's JEALOUS~!" his voice rang, and echoed in his head. Jealous? No. That can't be right. You still like Daisy, right Jake? Now he wasn't sure anymore. He sighed and tried looking through pictures of the other club members, when he stumbled upon an image of just Zander. Then he thought of the way Zander cringed, and clenched his fists when Daniel called her 'sweetheart'. He looked like he were about to walk over to him, when Luke stopped him, whispering something in his ear. Jake had forgotten this, as he was distracted by the act itself, and had merely zoned out on Zander and Luke. could it be? Was Zander ALSO uncomfortable with Daniel as much as Jake was? He considered this, pondering it and thinking it through carefully. Then Jake clicked on the contact that said 'Zander' and texted him. It read:

J: "Zander, I need to talk with you about something important after school tomorrow. It's about Daniel. Are you free?"

          Jake put his phone down, already regretting sending the text. He was thinking about deleting it when he heard a sudden bing! He looked at his phone. Low and behold, it was Zander who had texted him. Nervous, Jake clicked on the contact again and began reading:

 Z: "Meet me outside school at 4 tomorrow, I also want to talk with you."