ROMANCE
*Jasper continues to watch the man play around on his own in the river. Splashing thin air and washing himself of his dirt and blood stained hands. Jasper finds himself chuckling at the display, as if the man had an invisible friend. His sm...
I wanted to write a coming of age kind of summer romance story. So...here it is 😊
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⚠️ This story includes mature and challenging themes within including, Sexual content, Discrimination, Violence.
A/ N This is an adaption of my old fanfiction 'Save me' if it seems familiar. I am an amateur writer, my books are free, so with that in mind, please excuse the odd spelling or grammatical error and although I enjoy reading comments, please keep them respectful. There is a difference between constructive criticism and rudeness. You may leave at any time, but I hope you stay to the end 😊
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"Molly's cakes are the best lad!" ☆
Jasper stares out of the car window as the city disappears and the rolling fields come into view. He and his mother had only been driving for around 40 minutes and he already missed it. The city lights, the noise of the traffic, the smell of the dirty streets.
He lifts his sweater hood up over his head, pulling the strings tight and rests his head against the car window, taking a heavy breath. The sound of the shallow pop music on the car radio, was making him feel drowsy. He closes his eyes. Maybe if Jasper tried really hard, this would all be just a dream, a very bad dream in which he was made to spend the summer break on his uncle's farm.
This was his mother's last ditch attempt. The final chance for Jasper to straighten himself out. He was one year away from graduation and at the rate he was going, he would not be making it to the finish line.
His mother was tired. Tired of being called into school for the endless fights Jasper got himself into. Jasper didn't even seem to be picky, he would have beaten up his own reflection if it had been tangible.
"Jasper! Why? Why are you so angry all the time?" His mother would plead a response, but get nowhere. Maybe just a shrug of a shoulder or the occasional outburst, leading to slammed doors or fists through plasterboard, on Jasper's part at least. He would often hear his mother cry herself to sleep with stress and worry over him, which just made the situation worse and the cycle would start all over again.
Jasper couldn't say why he felt so enraged all the time. Maybe it was because his dad had left them when Jasper was six. Maybe it was because his grandma had been so sick that she needed constant hospital care, maybe it was because he couldn't find what he was looking for in any girl he slept with. Jasper was a ready and waiting grenade and so many times, people would just pull out his pin.
"Jasper!" His mother's voice jumps him awake from his doze and he sits up slightly in his seat, moving his neck from left to right to ease the uncomfortable rest he had gotten into. "We're here." She adds in a serious low tone.
Jasper looks out of the front windscreen to see a solid stone, white painted farmhouse come into view. The drive up was even more impregnated into his mind by the car's wheels tackling the stoney muddy track, as it struggled on the terrain, making the image of the white building shake in all directions.
Jasper sees a man appear from the red gloss painted front door. He is well built, thick strong arms, made all the more obvious by his black and red checked shirt rolled up just above the elbow. His old looking blue jeans, a little dirty, leading down to muddy brown lace up boots. His black hair brushed back.
He is watching the car approach, hands on his hips. A cheery smile present through his just visible black stubble.
"Uncle Jim won't tolerate your behaviour. You understand?" His mother speaks harshly, as she continues to stare straight ahead of her. Jasper side eyes her with a look of rebellion beginning to settle within his bones. He already knew that no one was going to tell him what to do. No one would break him.
The car eventually grinds to a halt, just shy of the door and Jasper and his mother exit the vehicle. Jasper watches as his uncle and mother embrace before the man beckons Jasper forward. He rests a large heavy hand on Jasper's shoulder, making Jasper slightly wobble. "Hey lad." You ready to work for me this summer?"
Jasper doesn't know how best to respond, battling between fake positivity and enthusiasm, against nonchalance and sarcasm. He ends up displaying a mixture of the two. "Yes uncle." He replies in a monotone voice, not even looking his uncle in the face. He doesn't even need to look up to feel the burning glare his mother is probably giving him.
"You'd best behave young man. Uncle will not stand for what I have had to put up with over the past few months."
"Relax sis." Jasper can feel his uncle's grip squeeze his shoulder. "Jasper and I will get along fine." Jasper now feels obliged to look up at his uncle who is looking directly at him. Jasper cannot read his expression, his mouth superficially looking warm and welcoming, with a wide grin spread across it, but the eyes conveying an altogether a different vibe. One of dominance, authoritarian. Jasper found himself wanting to oblige. "Yes uncle." Jasper repeats the same line again, but this time with more conviction. Maybe this man would be more of a challenge than Jasper initially thought.
The tight shoulder grip is released, with Jasper's body subconsciously relaxing as a consequence.
A second person now emerges from the door. She has a slight petite frame, long brown hair, tied up in a messy bun on the top of her head. Her attire is not too dissimilar from his uncle's, with blue dungarees replacing the jeans. "Rosie, Jasper. Come in, I've just baked a cake." She disappears back inside, with everyone else filtering in behind, with Jasper being guided in by his uncle's firm hand yet again on his shoulder.
"Molly's cakes are the best lad." His uncle praises the culinary skills of his partner, as they now make their way to a long rustic looking wooden table. Jasper is made to shuffle along a long bench, with his uncle sitting by his side, his mother opposite. Jasper watches as Molly pulls four plates from an open shelf on the wall, placing them on the table, before turning to grab an ornate cake stand with a multi layered chocolate cake professionally presented on the top. It is placed in the centre of the table, with Jasper, his mother and uncle looking on with awe. It really did look delicious! Molly pulls out a large knife from a draw and sets it on the table, before sitting next to Jasper's mother. "Now." she begins. "Who would like a slice?"
"Do you even need to ask?" His uncle says with an amused chuckle. Molly looks at him with warm smiling eyes as she takes the knife in her hand and begins to push the sharp blade into the cake, creating a cracking sound as the decorated chocolate breaks.
Jasper is intrigued by the way she looks at his uncle. They seemed very much in love. He didn't know Molly all that well, only that she was much younger than his uncle by at least ten years. They seemed well suited though. Molly was not your typical 'farmers wife'. Jasper thought about how tomboy she came across. It was almost quite refreshing.
Jasper is brought around from his thoughts by a chocolate wedge being pushed his way on a plate. "Enjoy." Molly says with a smile, which Jasper cannot help but return.
"Thank you." He replies, nodding slightly before staring at the sweet treat before him. Jasper wouldn't admit it but maybe staying here wouldn't be so bad after all.
