Week One: Freshman Year

I woke up in Jake's house. In his closet to be exact. I sniffed and looked around at the dark jerseys until I could focus on the door that was streaming morning light.

I quietly stood and walked to the door. I looked through in of the crack to see Jake laying on his bed alone. He was shirtless and breathing evenly. Chloe was gone, she must have gone home.

I swallowed thickly as I looked around his room. His door was slightly open, if I made a quite dash for it I might be able to get through without him noticing. I couldn't risk him waking up. He was my best friend and I couldn't put that in jeopardy.

I quietly opened the closet door and crept out. He was still sleeping peacefully. I slowly made my way to the door. When I was there I heard a knock. "Jakey, I made breakfast!" Chloe said alarmingly. "Come downstairs when you're ready babe!" She called. Jake groaned and rolled over. There wasn't anywhere to hide. I panicked and scrambled to the foot of his bed hoping the frame covered my head.

I heard Jake sigh and sit up. He opened a drawer and pulled out something. I dared a peek. It was a photo of two people standing together holding a baby. His parents I assume. I'd never heard of them.

Jake was on his knees. "Please, if you're up there. Let today be the day I see them again. I know I ask for this everyday, but, Lou Holtz says, 'Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.' So I'm giving my best everyday. I just want you to know...tell them I love them for me. Wherever they are...and tell them to come home soon...Amen." He said. I tried to crawl over to the closet again, but Jake stood and I didn't hear anything so I froze.

I looked over my shoulder and he was starring at me in shock from the other side of the bed. Shit this is not good. "H-hey! Jake..." I smiled awkwardly.

"What are you doing here?" He said. He didn't sound mad, he just sounded empty. He walked calmly over to me and stood near his bed.

"Well, I couldn't find the bathroom, th-so I came into your room, then you came in and I hid in the closset because you th-seemed pretty bus-sy and I uh...wath th-stuck there all night." I tried to explain. Jake looked at me and then at his closet then back at me.

"You came out of my closet?"

"Y-yes..." I stuttered.

Then he did something I didn't anticipate. Jake started laughing. Hard. He clutched his stomach and giggled and snorted and laughed. He laughed so hard he had to sit back down, but his missed the bed, landed on his ass, and laughed harder. Was he still drunk or something? "Uh...are you okay man?" Jake smiled at me. His back was laying on his bed and I was a good thee feet away from him on the floor.

He nodded and stood. He offered me a hand. "Do you want to stay for breakfast before you leave?" He asked. I looked at his hand then up at him. "I mean, it's okay with me if you want to stay over tonight too. I promise I won't put you back into the closet Cinderella." There was no trace of negativity in the comment.

I took his hand and smiled. "Uh...sure, I have to call my mom first." Jake nodded and looked at the door.

"Dude, you better hurry though Chlo's pancakes are to die for and if you don't come I'm going to eat all of them." He said smiling and walking out of the room.

I called my mom. She was pretty upset I hadn't come home last night, but she was so happy I was spending time with "Jake" finally that she let me stay. I thanked her vigorously.

I walked downstairs and was hit with the smell of amazingness. Chloe looked at me and smiled. She waved me over, "Hey Rich, Jake said you crashed in the bathroom and didn't get to go home. Lucky you didn't, I heard the cops were out last night, four people got detained! Isn't that crazy!" She exclaimed, "it's like, so tragic." She said handing me a plate full of pancakes with syrup topped with berries. Jake was already at the table stuffing his face. I sat next to him. He smiled at me like a giddish kid who just downed ten glasses of chocolate milk. Dudes got some serious sugar intake issues.

When we were finished Chloe left saying she was going shopping with Brooke. "Dude, I have a pool table in my basement, wanna play?" I had never played before, but it couldn't be too hard, right?

Turns out we both pretty much suck at pool. We gave up after twelve hits of nothing. Instead we just went to Jake's game room. (Dude's freaking rich, he has a Game Room! A game room dedicated to only Games!) We played a bunch of retro games and some new games like Dark Souls II. That game was intense. After a while Jake paused the game. He turned to me and faintly smiled. "So...this morning, I'm guessing you heard all of it?" I gulped and nodded. "Could you do me a solid and not tell anyone about it?" I looked him over to see if this was a joke. That he was pranking me and that stuff I heard upstairs wasn't true. Jake was much to good of a person for that to be true. As time went on I realized just how true his words were.

"Of course man, you are my friend. I could never do that to you. Besides I feel the same way sometimes. My dad was a deadbeat. He...well...if you need to talk to anyone who understands, just call me up dude."

"Thanks man," he said. I couldn't tell him about my life just yet. The wounds were too fresh and it hurt like hell just to say the little that I did. I didn't want Jake to know how broken I was, but it seemed like he knew how it felt to be lost.

Maybe we could help each other get through this.