The Misadventures of Jake Foley

Jake's Misadventure #10: Jailbird

The days of Jake Foley are semi back to normal. Mending with the two people that matter most in his life, Jake walks with a different stride down the school hallways. Arriving in the cafeteria, Jake scans the cafeteria for his friend's familiar faces. Outside, the weather has gotten colder and colder as the days passed, causing for the cafeteria to be packed most days. Heading over to a corner table, Jake's eye darts across the room to reveal Trish with a hand full of orange flyers. She walks with confidence, passing by each and every table in the cafeteria and resting a pile of flyers on each table. 

The male eyes follow her.

The female eyes envy her. 

Jake rolls his eyes and sat down at the corner table. Trish stops in front of Jake's table and smiles, but only receives cold stares in return. 

"Jake. . . I know things are awkward with us right now. But I would love to see you at my Halloween Party this weekend! Promise me you'll come?" Trish's pleading feline eyes scans Jake's brown eyes. Where there once was warmth in his heart for Trish, now only rests resentment. Jake shrugs. 

"I have nothing to say to you, Trish." Trish sighs. The resentful words stung her ego. 

"I. . . will explain everything if you just come to this party." Jake stares forward, not even bothering to look her in the eyes. Trish nods somberly before walking away slowly, the wound between the two very much fresh. 

Across the cafeteria, Jake feasts his eyes on Beth hand to hand with Devin O' Lowry. Devin, a senior in high school with dirty blonde helmet hair and a smile that can melt any ladies heart; Devin also plays football (Star wide receiver) and is involved with student council. The perfect golden boy, Devin appears to have no negative faults but that was before he started dating Jake Foley's crush. Looking to Beth, Jake's quickening heart beat diminishes when he sees how truly happy she looks. It pains him inside to watch the girl he truly likes, being happy with someone else. With the wind being knocked out of him, Jake rises from his seat but not before staring onto the pile of flyers that was left by Trish. Jake sighs before quickly snatching the orange flyer from the pile and quickly placing it in his pockets. 

Later on that week. 

"Tristan, please come with me to this party. I definitely need someone to go with me." Tristan rolls his eyes as the two jam their fingers onto their controllers rapidly. 

"Foley, do you know what you're asking me to do for you? You're asking me to go to a party that's hosted by my ex just so you can attempt to pick up chicks at this party so you can forget about Beth?" Jake sighs before cursing under his breath due to an explosion happening in game. 

"I know what it looks like but I need you man. This is my first party by myself and I definitely need my best friend there with me." Tristan pauses the game before turning to Jake. 

"Why do you do this to yourself Foley? Why does it always have to be about Beth? You never ask me how the hell I'm doing." Tristan rises and rests the controller on his side of the couch. Collecting his things, Tristan stops in front of the stairs. 

"You're on your own, Foley." Tristan walks up the stairs, leaving Jake in a state of contemplation. 

Saturday came in a flash. The day of the party finally arrived. 

"Hey Pops, can I ask you something?" Gerry lowers his newspaper for a moment. 

"Would I be able to head to this Halloween party that's happening? It's being held uptown specifically the home of the Krouser's." Gerry shakes his head. 

"I don't think so, son. Did you forget the stunt that you pulled with that girl Trish? Where you skipped school and did drugs!?" Jake sighs. 

"I understand how it looks but pops, this is my first party that I've ever been apart of. You said it yourself that I have to go out and meet new people and have fun as a teenager." Gerry folds the newspaper and rests the newspaper atop of the table. 

"But that does not mean to go and disregard authority and do whatever the hell you want. If you did those things with her the first time, who the hell knows what you'll do the second time around." 

"She didn't make me do anything I didn't want to do. I chose to do those things. But that's not the point, the point is that I've stopped associating myself with her-" 

"The answer is no, Jake. That's my final answer." Jake stands there for a moment before leaving to his room. 

With all of the anger within him, he lies down atop of his bed. Staring at the ceiling, all he was seeing was replay of Beth holding hands with her new boyfriend and remembering how the happiness radiated in her eyes. It pained him that the source of that happiness wasn't from him. I can't stay here; I need to get over Beth and possibly going to this party is my only chance of doing so he thought. He'll just have to forgive me. Jake launches himself from bed and begins to ransack his closet for something to wear. After a half hour of deliberation, Jake finally decides on a black and grey button down shirt with matching skinny jeans and shoes. While rummaging through the closet, hidden in it's darkest corners was a plastic black mask that was bought years prior when he was obsessed with the main actress of the remake of "The Phantom of the Opera" so many years ago. He decides to place the mask on and proceeds to the window. 

Opening the window gently, Jake eases his way out of the window. Now hanging from the roof, Jake holds on tight for a few moments. I got to jump-it won't hurt that bad, right? Releasing his strong grip, Jake fell right into the grass in front of the house. Landing with a huge thud, he rises from the fall to only feel a slight discomfort in his right ankle. 

"Shit!" Jake turns to the house and sighs before turning and proceeding down the street, masked by the night. 

20 Minutes Later. 

After some careful contemplation, Gerry sighs and rises from his usual seat in the living room. Gerry walks up the stairs with a heavy tiredness that not only was evident in his eyes but in his demeanor as well. Approaching the door, Gerry became adamant on making this right with the only person he has left of his family, his son. A knock on the door soon followed. Met with no response, Gerry leans onto the door. 

"Jake, I'm sorry I've been hard on you lately. Work has been very demanding lately and I have your mom on my ass every week making sure you're not in trouble and constantly questioning me as a parent since she left. . . You're right Jake. You deserve to have that experience. You're able to go to this party on the conditions of you checking with me every hour and no drinking or smoking! Deal?" Gerry was only met with silence. He knocks on the door with more force, causing for the door to slightly open. 

"Jake?" Gerry walks into the empty room. Looking around, Gerry notices the wide open window. Gerry rolls his eyes and sighs heavily. "SHIT!" 

Walking to the party, Jake had no idea that this night would be the night that changes everything...