Scattered Pieces

Chapter Twenty-Three

[12:02 Guess what :) ]

[what?]

[12:02 Good guess ;) ]

[and im leaving]

[12:03 NO WAIT! I actually have something to tell you]

[...]

[12:03 I made a thing!]

[...]

[any day now]

[12:05 I'm building suspense]

[of course you are]

Almost straight after he'd pressed the send button, a picture message came through to his phone.

Jake blinked.

[you made a braclet?]

[12:06 A FRIENDSHIP BRACELET!]

[12:06 What do you think?]

[12:06 Pretty bitching right?]

[its pretty good]

[12:07 Really?]

[12:07 Because it's for you, if you want it! :) ]

[you made me a friendship bracelet?]

[12:08 I couldn't sleep last night]

[12:09 I would have made one for Conner too, but he said if I ever made him jewlery again he'd terminate our friendship, or whatever]

[12:09 I can bin it if you don't want it]

[nah, i want it]

[12:10 Really?]

[i like the colours]

[12:11 FUCK YEAH! I SPENT AGES PICKING THEM OUT!]

[12:11 At first I wasn't sure if you'd like the purple, but then I thought 'fuck it, it goes with the rest of the colours' you know?]

_ _ _

"Jake?"

"Yeah?" Jake turned his head sleepily to face his mum, but she was staring at the TV screen as if it held something truly frightening. "Mum?" Jake called out sitting a little straighter.

"What..." She swallowed like she was having trouble finding the words, but she didn't turn her head. "What do you think of Errin?"

"Our neighbour?"

Finally taking her eyes from the screen she looked at Jake, and nodded her head.

"He," he tried to pick his words carefully. "...Seems alright. Why do you ask?"

"I think...I think he wants to ask me out."

"Then what do you think of Errin?"

Jake's mum looked surprised at the question. "I...He's nice."

Jake raised an eyebrow, but waited for her to find her words without pushing her.

"He's always really thoughtful. And he's always smiling. And he's a good friend...and," she bit her lip squinting her eyes and forrowing her eyebrows before she continued, as if she wanted to word it completely perfectly. "I think if I said no he'd still want to be friends. It's...it's like he's really likes me. Just for being me. Not for anything I can give him."

Jake reached out placing his hand right next to his mother's. She held onto his pinky and ring finger, giving them a short squeeze.

"He sounds like a pretty cool guy."

His mother snorted. "'Cool guy'." She repeated, rolling her eyes but smiling a little. "When did you get so good with words?" There was a hint of teasing sarcasm.

Jake smiled too. "Oh, check out who thinks she's funny."

Emily laughed properly this time, and leant back, resting her head against Jake's shoulder with a soft thud.

"I think I could really like him."

"Maybe you should ask him out."

"You think?"

Jake gave him mother a soft smile. "I can't make the choice for you."

A sadness flickered through her eyes. "I'm not sure I trust me to make the choice."

"I don't know him very well, but he's nothing like Paul was." Jake assured her.

She squeezed his fingers again.

"Yeah, I think that too."