Secrets//Jake Jagielski

~10~

It was Thursday night and Brighid was watching television when the front door bell rang. She hopped off the couch. Brighid swung the door open to see a girl she had never met standing there.

"Hi" she responded. "Is your brother home?"

"Nate?" Brighid questioned. She shook her head yes.

"Nathan" Brighid called out. Nathan came running down the stairs.

"What?" He asked all annoyed. Brighid without saying anything stepped aside and let Nathan deal with the girl.

She watched tv while also listening in to Nathan's conversation. As he closed the door she muted the tv.

"Tutor? I could have helped you, you know" Brighid said with a raised eyebrow. She was in fact a year ahead.

"It's all a part of my plan" Nate informed her.

"Plan?"

"To take down Lucas" Nate said before rushing up the stairs. Brighid shook her head before going back to watching tv.
———
It was the following night and Brighid was at the beach house for another one of Nathan's parties.

Brighid was hoping everyone on the would be there, especially Jake. It was in fact where she had first meet him. Last year around this time. Her a freshman and him a sophomore.

"Lucas come play" Brooke said as Lucas wandered into the kitchen. Brighid was at the island with Teresa, Peyton, Nathan, Brooke and Vegas who was also on the team.

"What's the game?" Lucas asked.

"I never" Brooke answered.

"And yet, apparently you have" Vegas commented making everyone laugh.

"Shut up! Vegas"

"Alright so the game is we all take turns saying things we've never done and anyone at the table who has-" Nathan explained handing out cups of beer to everyone. Brighid grabbed one from Nathan.

"Drinks" Lucas finished.

"Okay Teresa, you're first" Nathan said.

Thersea looked straight at Brooke with a grin, "I've never had sex with anything plastic"

Brooke instantly smiled, putting the cup to her lips and taking a sip. She was next to give the never have I ever.

"Ok I've never... no i did that" Brooke said laughing at her own words, she was clearly tipsy possibly even drunk.

"I'll go" Nathan said volunteering himself. "I never had a dad that wished I was a stain on the bed sheets"

Everyone got quiet.

"Sometimes it feels that way" Brighid responded looking at Lucas before downing her own drink. She crushed the plastic cup in her hand and dropped it in front of Nathan.

She wandered off to go find Jake.

"Can we talk, on the porch?" Brighid asked. Jake sighed knowing she wasn't going to give up.

"Five minutes" he responded. The two walked outside. It was colder than Brighid had expected. They sat on the porch swing sharing the blanket that was left outside.

The two gently swung looking out into the dark ocean.

"I wanted adoption, well I agreed to it after my dad convinced me I was ruining my life. Then I found out you didn't agree. I changed my mind and begged my dad to let me keep her, raise her with you. He fought me, and eventually he won" Brighid began. She couldn't face Jake and continued telling the story looking at the waves crashing against the sand.

"I cried, and I begged, but he refused. He told me you agreed to the adoption a few days later and I signed those papers. I didn't realize I signed away the rights to you until after she was born"

"I- I didn't know" was all Jake muttered. Brighid could tell he was looking at her but she knew she couldn't face him. Cause if she did she would instantly break down crying. 

"We made a deal, I got to quit basketball in exchanged for never talking to you. I thought I could do it. I got to escape from his wrath and the hold he had on me when it came to basketball. So I picked up cheerleading. Got to see you every time on the court. I think it made it harder to be honest"

"Brig?" Nathan called out from the double doors. She jumped up from the swing and distracted Nathan from seeing who was outside with her.

"I can't get the vcr to work" Nathan said. Brighid rushed over clicking a few buttons until it turned on. She rushed back outside to find Jake had already left.