Glee: Back to the Top (the third book in the Glee series)

Chapter 60: On the Open Road

So happy about all the entries that I've gotten so far! Y'all are awesome! The first one is already selected ;) And it'll be featured in the next chapter!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You got everything?" Ryder called out.

Jake nodded and turned back to Julie. "Are you sure you can handle this?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she responded confidently. "I mean, Sam and I are on a fragile line right now but I think we can be ok for one day."

"I meant her," Jake responded, nodding over at Mandy, who was walking next to her boyfriend and holding a large pillow under her arm.

"I know how to ignore people," Julie muttered spitefully. "Anyway, how was yesterday? You said you went to see Kitty."

"Right," he nodded. "We talked and... She doesn't hate you, though she definitely holds some sort of grudge over you."

"Ugh!" Julie grunted. "I don't understand! Why is she so mad at me?"

"You've both been through things the other can't understand," Jake shrugged. "And honestly, I think she resents you for everything that you have and she doesn't. She's going through a lot and... Just give her some space. She'll be with Vince all day and you'll be here. With me and—"

"With Bree," she sighed. "Who is on the same page as Kitty, apparently. It's so weird, they've never ganged up on me before. But this Regionals thing really struck a nerve."

"Forget about that," Jake said, giving her a light kiss. "Come on, let's get inside the RV before they leave without us."

***

"Thanks for coming..." Kitty mumbled as Jake walked into her living room. 

"How could I not after you lashed out at everyone via Tumblr," Jake replied, taking a seat on one of her kitchen chairs, "and your status went from 'I hate all of you' to 'I'm so sorry, it's all my fault' in a matter of seconds? I was worried..."

"Sorry I missed your audition last week," she responded. "I was, uh, busy... Fighting with Shana on the internet... Freaking out and being an idiot."

"I sincerely doubt you could ever be an idiot," Jake told her, shaking his head. "Now tell me. What's going on with you? Why were you lashing out on everyone?"

Kitty took a deep breath and said, "You know what makes me such a big idiot? The only people I trust on this planet are the two people who have hurt me the most, besides my parents. Bree. And you. My parents are the ones I trust the least."

"I'm glad you feel that way," Jake said. Then, he quickly and nervously added, "I mean about me, not about your parents. That part's not so nice. So if you trust me, does that mean you'll tell me why you've been so sad?"

***

"Kitty!" Vince exclaimed. "Kitty! Are you there?" He was sitting in the exact spot that Jake had been in less than a day earlier.

Her green eyes looked up at him in surprise and said, "Umm, yeah. Yeah, I'm here. Sorry, what were we talking about?"

"I asked you what you did yesterday and your face just went blank," he said. "Are you ok?"

Kitty shook her head. "I'm fine," she said. "I was just thinking about what we could do today. It's Senior Ditch and just because we didn't go along on a Road Trip doesn't mean we can't have fun all on our own."

"Great!" Vince exclaimed. "So are we going somewhere or just staying in here to makeout?"

Kitty blushed, chuckling as she said, "We actually have several offers. Shana's only a junior but she was originally in our class so she's skipping, too. And she wanted to hang out. Joe also asked if we wanted to go to a service and then go do something after."