{TW: Small mentions of Smut, nothing bad}

Senior Year: Week Four

Brooke's party was today or some shit. I'd be more thrilled if my ass wasn't throbbing, and I think Jake was thinking much of the same. Though the circumstances weren't that bad.

I groaned out of bed and Jake, the early bird of the household, was making things in the kitchen. Ever since his house burned down and he moved home he was the houses professional chef. Mom and I would wake up at nine just to eat the food he made. Otherwise we'd be out until 1. Ned was in the kitchen reading the paper. He was grumbling about the value of the dollar decreasing or some muttering shit about a big headed politician.

Bless my man Jake, for he knows what I need. He set a pile of cakes and coffee in front of me and gave me a kiss. I don't think I recall chewing. The food was just gone. I was like Kirby. The little oblongish pink thing that was from Japan. I. Just. Absorbed.

Mom came downstairs and started sorting through the cabinets. She pulled out the peanut butter. She was weird like that. She put peanut butter on pancakes instead of normal stuff, like blueberries or candy.

She kissed Ned, then me, then Jake and mumbled as she took her cakes and eggs upstairs. The men of the house knew better than to talk to her in the morning. We let her go on her way.

I yawned and put my plate in the kitchen sink for Ned to do later. Jake was finishing up. He made a stack for himself and ate them almost as fast as I had. I checked the clock wall. Thirty seconds later he was putting his dishes in the sink.

We didn't have much to do. I didn't want to just sit around doing nothing. Doing nothing would lead to me thinking, and me thinking would lead to sadness. Jake seemed to sense this, or he felt the same way. We slumped together on the couch in the living room.

My phone blared out Phantom of the Opera, curtsy of Micheal Mell fucking with the ringtones on my phone. "Hey Chrith..Chrithin- Christiine."

"Rich! I need your help! I'm, like, freaking out!" I could hear other girls in the background.

"Yeh What'th up?" I said. Jake gave me a quizzical look and I put the phone on speaker.

"I have nothing to wear to the party tonight! And my mom said I couldn't go to the party until all my chores were done."

"How many chores do you have?"

"Well..." she trailed off and mumbled something.

"What?"

"Okay, so I might not have done my chores for about four months, but come on man! I was busy! Scholarships won't write themselves!" Christine whined. I felt her pain. Being a senior is draining.

"I'll be right over." I said yawning.

"Bring Jake too." She responded and hung up. I rolled my eyes.

"Any bet that thhe called Jeremy and Michael before uth and is going to call the otherth?"

"Yep." Jake said. He got up and stretched and lifted me off the couch. "Time to get dressed."

We walked to Christine's house. Michael was there already talking. "Did you know that you wake up taller than you are at the end of the day, because gravity is pushing you down." He was telling Mrs. Canigula.

"Oh, no, I had no idea..." the woman said. She sounded like she needed a break. She glanced at us and turned her head to the other room. "Chrissy more of your friends are here." She then promptly left the room. I heard the TV flip on.

Christine came out in a flurry of bobby pins and fuzzy bunny slippers. He yanked all of us into her room which already held the girls...and for some reason Jeremy was getting a makeover.

He looked like a clown, but then again, we were the losers club.

Christine held up a list with a plan for everyone. Chloe and Brook would get the kitchen. Jenna was Sargent of the vacuum. Micheal got the honor of cleaning the bathrooms. (I bet he was stoked)Jeremy doubled up with dusting and window washing. Jake get lawn mower. I was assigned to washing hardwood floors.

All things considered it went well. I saw Jeremy sneeze so much he might have had a heart attack. Brooke broke a plastic cup. (Don't ask) And Jenna screamed her head off because she thought she saw a bug that turned out to be dryer lint. So, yah, went as well as could be expected.

Eventually we were finished around 2:30. Brooke said goodbye quickly and walked off with Chloe to prepare for the Last Party. Slowly the last of the group dispersed.

Jake and I left to go get smoothies at the café my mom worked at. They were incredible. Jake fixed me with a look after we got our smoothies and we headed to our usual spot.

"Rich," Jake said looking down at his smoothie before pushing it aside. "I love you, and I never want to leave you." He glanced down at our entwined hands. He took a shaky breath, swallowed, and continued. "I don't know how h-how to...to..." His voice cracked as tears were hidden beneath a hand.

I pushed his hand away and held up his head. "It'th okay. We can make thith work. You act like I'll be far away."

"Dude it is pretty far away."

"Oh dude, did I not tell you? I got a job a couple minueth from the camputh. It'th run by some really nice guy who ownss a hair shsalon." I smiled a shit eating grin.

"Holy fu-" I held my hand to his lips as more tears streamed down his face. He moved my hand aside gently and gave me a kiss.

It was perfect.

~~Holy Flip A Time Skip~~

Brooke opened the door with a big smile on her face. Said face was smeared with lipstick and her hair, which you could tell was nice at one point in the evening, was in a tangled mess. Like someone had run their hands through it. "Come on in guys!" She exclaimed pulling me in with Jake in tow.

The party looked fantastic. It was about as typical as a party could get. Rap music shook the house, people were loud and laughing. They were drinking some strange green punch that didn't look safe. Kids were grinding against others on the dance floor and some were just making out wherever they wanted. I think I heard someone shout something before a loud thump was heard. No one minded.

Brooke looked up, people were taking turns swinging from the chandelier. "Mother of Cowflinging..." I muttered. I had lost Brooke in the sea of people I had known for years doing stupid things.

Dustin was dancing in the middle of a ring of popular girls. I pretty sure it was comprised of Heathers. Veronica was in the corner talking to Martha Dumptruck... I used to... call her that. For some strange reason the guy from 7/11 was here in a wheelchair next to Martha.

He was talking to a dude in all black who was holding hands with that dude that fell out of the tree that one year. Luckily his arm wasn't broken anymore.

Jeremy and Michael were heading off the dance floor. Michael waved to me forlornly as he was pushed to the punch bowl by a overly rowdy Jeremy. Jenna followed them with a drink already in her hand. She nodded to me as she took a sip.

The glasses nerd, Jared, I think, was hanging from the banisters and yelling bad puns. How could I have ever thought that Dude was uncool?

There in the midst of it all was my Jake. Time slowed as if I was seeing him for the first time. He smiled and winked. He looked like an angel.

That was until he landed on the ground face first from the chandelier. Then I laughed. He got up and kissed me. "THAT WAS SUPPOST TA BE REALLY ROMANTIC I LOVE YUG!" The kiss wasn't very good, but I didn't care. We had such a good time regardless.

By the end of the party everything slowed down. People left. I made a point to go up to everyone and say sorry for how I treated them or congrats to them for going places.

Some of them laughed and nodded as if we had been old friends instead of the tormented. One guy called me Scars. I laughed as Jake put a hand on my shoulder. I smiled, I didn't mind.

It was a pretty good night and when I got home I was dead tired. Jake kissed me and cuddled close as we drifted off to sleep. The final days of being a teenager slipping away like sand through a glass. I feel asleep as the clock stroked.