Imperfect Harmony: JATP ~Charlie Gillespie~

~Seventeen~

Pull yourself together. I climb up off the floor and steady my breathing. I pull my suitcase out of the back of my closet and stuff it full of clothes before moving onto my smaller suitcase and backpack. I pack up everything I use on a daily basis and set the bags by the door. 

I book a flight on my phone and sit on the edge of the bed as I call Kenny, "Hey, I'm really sorry to do this but I need to take some time off. I'm going back home to see my family. I just need to get out a clear my head."

"Do what you need to do, Makayla. I'm here if you need anything. Take care of yourself."

"Thank you." I say before hanging up. 

I call an uber to take me to the airport and before I know it I am boarding the plane. I stare out the window and watch the blue sky go by. You are doing the right thing. You need this. 

When the plane lands, I call another car to take me out to my family's ranch. I probably should have called my mom and told her I was coming, but I didn't think to. I climb out of the car and breathe in the fresh Montana air. 

My mom steps out the door of the farmhouse and smiles at me, "Jeff, we have a visitor."

I smile as she hugs me, smelling like her normal apple scent. She pulls away enough to get a good look at me, "Oh my baby, you're struggling. I can see it all over you." 

I laugh, "You got anything to eat?"

She laughs and pulls me into the kitchen. My dad, well stepdad, hugs me before heading into town. My mom serves me some pie and I sit down at the big wooden table. "So tell me, what is going on?"

"Nothing really. I just needed to get away for a while. It's just overwhelming." I say as I finish my pie. My mom nods, knowing that isn't the truth but not pushing me to talk about it. 

I head up to my room, everything looks that same as it did in high school. The light grey walls with the cream and gentle pink finishes around the room. I gently touch the fake ivy that hang on two of the walls where they connect in the corner. I sit down on the floor and touch my guitar, thinking of all the memories. 

I laugh as I cry, looking through my picture book I kept in my nightstand. All the memories of Jake and my high school friends. I wish I could go back to those days. I stop on a picture of me and Jake at one of the high school football games. I smile, looking at my happy laugh as he picks me up. 

I close my eyes and tilt my head up, "I miss you." My hands find the necklace I always keep tucked in my shirt. A simple plain gold bar with a 'J' carved into it. 

Author's Note: This is kind of a filler chapter, but I wanted her to go back home so here she is. I haven't written about Jake much, but I think it is important to her backstory because it is some insight to why she is scared of commitment and letting people to get close to her. Also, thank you for 6.5K reads! It's crazy to me that even one person has read this story!