Lily

Chapter 21: Jake

We just stood in the pharmacy, waiting in line to buy the plasters.
Poor Lily kept crying out in pain and I kept blowing her finger. It maybe, kinda gave me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. I don't know, I kinda felt like her boyfriend which made me smile. I really tried to hide it because I didn't want to make it seem like I was laughing at her pain but my heart kept racing and I couldn't help myself.

We brought the plasters and I put one over the cut which I had cleaned beforehand. Lily kept looking at me which certainly didn't help the feeling inside my chest.

"Jake?"

"Hmm?" I kept my eyes firmly on the cut.

"I like you."

"Cool." It was then I realised what she had just said. "Wait, repeat."

"I like you. Do you like me?"

How do I respond to that? On the one hand, I do. I do like her. A lot. On the other hand, with Hannah goodness knows where and Sarah on the brink of depression, I don't think it would be right for me to get into a relationship.

"Umm..." My phone rang. Thank Goodness. "Umm, it's my mum, I gotta take this."

I had spent the entire day on Sunday writing up the final draft and I was finally able to hand it in. If accepted it would be ready to be released tomorrow.

I put my head on my desk and exhaled. This time last week I hadn't yet met Lily, the Wobbly Shopping Centre was still up and running, Mariam was still alive, I had no idea Sarah liked me, there was no need for vigil, Hannah still answered their phone and Lily didn't tell me she liked me because she didn't even know I existed.

How could all of that have changed in the space of seven days?

I tried to keep my head firmly straight when Lily walked in but ended up sneaking a peak. She just walked straight past me and ignored me. That kinda hurt.

Sarah's calling. I sat there just staring at the phone because I didn't know what to say if I did. Should I apologise for leaving before she could talk to me, or is she going to apologise to me for yelling at me? Should we just apologise to each other?

I quickly opened the call before it hung up.

"Hey-"

"I think we need to call the police."

I sat right up. "Huh? Why?"

"I just arrived at Hannah's house and they're not there so I'm worried. We should call the police."

"Yeah, okay. Umm... yeah. That's a pretty good idea. I'm sure Hannah's fine but it wouldn't hurt to call them."

"Okay. Bye."

I looked up and I saw Lily looking at me with a weird look on her face. Perhaps she was just as worried as me. She certainly looked like it.