J is for Jake

• 6 •

"Jake. I don't try to be extra nice and I don't pity you." I say.

"No. You're the perfect girl with a bunch of friends who gets good grades, and I'm the new kid with the sketchy backstory. We don't go together. Honestly, this whole thing was pointless"

"Pointless?" I mutter incredulously.

"Yeah. And before, I called you my girlfriend by accident. I was going to confess and everything about how much I liked you, but honestly, just forget it.

"Jake, I like you a lot. That's not how it is, though. I'm not perfect and you're not the weird new kid. And this wasn't pointless. I loved this so much. I was thinking about how amazing you were the whole time. But if that's what you think, then I should just go."

I storm out of the 7/11, but when I walk outside, Jake's dad is there leaning on his car. He notices me and smirks. I freeze and tense up.

"Aren't you going to say hi?" He says, teasing me, as he grabs my wrist. I start to feel angry.

"No. Just let me go."

He grabs my arm with his other hand and pulls me towards him. I can smell his foul breath and I almost gag.

"Don't touch me."

"You're a pretty little thing."

I yank my arm away and run in as fast as I can to the bathroom, but it is locked. I turn around and see him chasing me, and I bang on the wooden bathroom door until I can feel pain in my palms.

"JAKE! LET ME IN! YOUR DAD!"

Jake opens the door for me and I fall into his arms, out of breath.

"Close the door and lock it."

"Adva, what happened?"

"I don't know. Your dad kept pulling my arm and calling me pretty."

"What?" He shouts. He clenches his fists and sighs. "That's it. I can't run away from him anymore."

Jake bursts out of the bathroom and runs to his dad.

"You know what? You are a horrible father and you always were. That's why I don't stay at the house. And leave Adva alone. She did nothing. Stop bothering me. Get out of my life. Leave. I don't ever want to see you again."

And before he could even respond, Jake walked away. His walking quickly turned into a run and I followed him. I look around as he slows down. He had lead me to a small clearing in a park with a few wicker chairs and a table in one corner. He immediately sits down and lays his head in his hands.

"It's ok. He won't bother you again." I say, trying to comfort him. I don't know what to say that could make him feel better, so I just hug him. He turns his head to me and furrows his eyebrows.

"I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I really like you and I hope you know that."

"I know. Also, where are you living right now?"

"It's a really long story. I doubt you want to hear it."

"No. I want to know."

"Ok." He exhales.

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A/N: Honestly, I love this chapter so much. I feel like Jake and Adva are really starting to learn about each other and understand one another. Anyway, what did you guys think?

Word count: 560