♥Chapter 45: ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ʜᴇ ᴡᴀɴᴛꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴇʟʟ ʜᴇʀ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ♥

❆Jake❆

Chatters bustle around me with cups clinking and chairs dragging against the floor. The smell of coffee and other bakery items wafts my nose.

My arms remain crossed against my chest while I lean against a table, eyes locked on a hanging menu in the café.

Final exams are coming up soon this month.

Kennedy and I spend every night 3-4 hours on the kitchen counter, studying together.

I'd help her focus and explain words that she can't understand, she'd make coffee and other drinks for me.

It's been five months and twenty-one days since we've been together.

Memories of last night come to me of her screaming and whacking the pillow on my face and head multiple times.

We had watched a horror movie and I scared her in the middle of the night by grabbing her foot out of nowhere and letting out a monstrous growl.

She isn't talking to me since then.

My lips twitch up into the faintest smile.

My hands reach automatically into my pocket to take out my phone and open her chats to read the monotonous texts she replied to me with this morning.

Jake: listennnnnn

Jake: hurry I need to tell u something

Jake: it's urgent!

Jake: kennedy!

Jake: kennedy!

Jake: kennedy!

Jake: KENNEDY!!!

Kennedy: What?

Jake: i wanted to tell u something

Kennedy: what?

Jake: I love you ♥♥

Kennedy: go tell that to slender man's soul who possessed you last night to scare me like that

Jake: aw come on you still mad about that?

Kennedy: I almost died

Jake: dramatic ass

Kennedy: which isn't yours anymore

Jake: damn

She hasn't sent another text after that.

I put my phone back into my pocket, still waiting for Kennedy's apology milkshake to come.

She's been nervous and fidgety about exams and stresses a lot.

I tell her she doesn't need to worry.

She's smarter than she seems.

She's beautiful as fuck too.

When exams are over, I'm going to take her to this big as fuck amusement park that she's always wanted to go to. Then we'll probably drive far away and star gaze then I'll kiss her until she loses her mind.

Perfect.

Things always seem perfect with her.

Even Corey's bullshit.

God must have really loved me for some reason if he sent Kennedy directly to my house.

I plan to keep her with me forever.

Kennedy Knight.

A blush shoots up my face and I drop my head to hide it from people around me.

Fuck.

My crazy thought gets interrupted when the cashier calls my name declaring that my order is ready.

I take the large milkshake cup from her, leave a tip and walk out into the busy streets.

With one hand in my pocket, I simmer through people, walking to where my car's parked a little far away.

The weather brightened a bit today after the cold as fuck winter season.

Kennedy had to be wrapped in blankets and socks all the fucking time and her getting sick made her asthma even worse.

Memories of Toothy yelling at me to calm the fuck down when Kennedy let out a small sneeze breeze in my mind.

Corey laughed his ass off, always amused nowadays with whatever I do.

Kennedy sneezed!

Sneezing is always a fucking symptom of something or the other.

I turn around a corner and almost trample over someone. A head hits my chest before ricocheting and stumbling back.

"Oh, hello there." Mr. Fucking. Mark greets, straightening the lapels of his coat, looking up at me with his disgusting brown eyes that disgustingly watched Kennedy and she told me how disgusting they looked.

Okay, Kennedy didn't overexaggerate that much with the word 'disgusting'. She might have used it only once during our conversations.

My face hardens into a glare as I stare at Mr. Slug Eyes.

I keep glaring and he doesn't take the fucking hint to move out of my way before I knock his teeth off.

"Jake Knight." He speaks, fixing his glasses on his nose, "How unexpected to see you. Aren't you supposed to be at home or college studying for exams?"

I raise an eyebrow in a way that said, 'and you care because...?'.

He stares at me.

Is he seriously expecting a fucking answer?

"Okay." He mumbles finally, shifting from one foot to another. "So how's your dad doing? It's been a while since I've seen the cop."

I tilt my head at him.

"I know how's Kennedy's doing since she comes to school every day." He continues and I flare up at the mention of Kennedy's name from his disgusting mouth, "Are you two still...together?" he asks.

I don't answer, making his form shrink further and further with discomfort at my lack of responses.

Mr. Mark straightens up finally, clearing his throat, "Better treat her right. She's a good one."

The scoff comes big and loud out of my mouth.

"Don't tell me how to fucking treat my girl." I snap.

"Just saying." He mumbles and tries to keep his tone professional, "She's a really good girl even with sickness and problems-"

"I think I fucking know how brilliant and gorgeous my girlfriend is." I purposefully rub in the word girlfriend.

"Right." He nods. "Well tell her, I give her my best wishes and good luck for her exams-"

"Listen. Stay the fuck away from her." I glare. "If she ever tells me again that you were staring at her with those dog-shit-colored eyes, don't expect me to hold back while I swing a baseball bat into your eye sockets."

A gulp goes through Mark's throat, but he gives me a glare of his own.

"Is that how you're supposed to talk to your teachers, boy?" He glares.

I snort.

Boy?

Yeah, right.

"First, we're not anywhere near a fucking school. Second, you're not my teacher anymore. Third, teachers don't eye rape their students."

Mark's face becomes red, but he doesn't object to any of my points.

The third one included.

Anger flares through me.

He glances up at me once, before looking away and stepping aside. He walks away with rigid shoulders.

Anger still makes my breathing hard and I clench my fist to control it.

Fuck this.

I need to see Kennedy.

I hurry to my car with the milkshake in my hand and speed off to Kennedy's school to pick her up.

✯✯✯

✿Kennedy✿

How do people meditate?

Like they just sit in one place and...mediate?

No thoughts running through their brains? No leg bouncing? No feet tapping? No finger fidgeting?

How do people manage to spend even five minutes like that?

Scratch five minutes, let's talk about five seconds!

I know I shouldn't be that nervous and panic-y about exams since Jake's helping me a lot and I'm studying literally every day.

I only know I wanna get good grades and graduate.

I haven't even thought about college yet or about what I'm going to do in my life.

I can't live with Alex and live off his money forever! Even though he probably won't mind if I steal his card and buy myself a truck and maybe a unicorn.

Jake said he'd been in activities when he was younger which paid him to do stuff, so he had collected enough money for college and doesn't need to live off Alex's money.

Gary specifically told me that I need to complete my education. For some reason, he's really serious about female education. Something to do with his own daughter I guess.

It's been a long time since I've spoken to Gary except for the memes I send him in between hours.

He doesn't respond but only sends an 'okay'.

Who the heck replies to a meme with an 'okay'?

He's weird.

A car honks, grabbing my attention.

I look up to see Jake's car rolling into the same spot he stops every single time. The car door slides open and Jake steps down, his face pulled into a small glare with eyes searching for me.

When he spots me, his glare softens, and he lifts a hand to wave.

I adjust the straps of my bag before walking over to him.

A little smile lines his lips as I walk over to him, and he opens his arms for a hug.

I walk directly past him, pointedly ignoring his outstretched arms.

"Oh come on!" He throws his hands up as I clamber into the passenger seat.

Jake raises an eyebrow at me, "You're still mad about last night?"

"I don't even know who you are." I shrug, putting on my seatbelt.

"Very nice." He remarks sarcastically.

He gets into the driver's seat, pulling the door shut after him.

He runs a hand through his hair, eyes staring at me.

I keep my head high, looking out the front windshield.

"I said I was sorry." He leans towards me, his hand coming to tread between my fingers.

"Saying sorry doesn't revive a dead body." I give him a look.

He chuckles silently.

"I got you a milkshake." He pulls out a cup from between us.

I eye the milkshake with my mouth suddenly starting to water.

Crap.

I keep staring at the milkshake.

Nope, don't do it!

You're stronger than that!

Jake brings the cup closer to me.

Don't give in!

He presses the tip of the straw to my lips.

I narrow my eyes at him before finally taking the milkshake from his hands and taking a sip.

He gives a victory smile.

"Now can you please respond to me properly?" He asks.

A small smile comes to my face.

He's been trying to talk to me since last night.

In a way, it was fun staying a lil' mad at him but it was also kind of killing me to stop myself from talking to him.

"Yeah, yeah." I roll my eyes, a smile on my lips as I take another sip from my milkshake.

He starts driving and I can barely contain myself from all the things I wanted to tell him about since I woke up this morning.

He listens throughout.

When we reach home, I hop down the car, disposing of the empty cup in a nearby trashcan and move to walk inside the house.

"Hey, Ken. Listen!" Jake calls out to me suddenly, still getting down from the car.

I stop and turn around, "What?"

He jogs the short distance between us towards me, "I wanted to tell you something really important."

I blink, "What?"

He takes my hand in his looking into my eyes, "You sure you want to hear it?"

I give him a weird look, "Did you murder someone?" I ask then scowl, "If you did then I'll be really mad that you didn't take me with you."

"No, not yet. It's still on our bucket list."

"Oh, okay," I say. "Then what did you want to tell me?"

"I hope you're prepared to hear it." He grips my hand tighter.

"Just tell me."

He bows his head towards me, hesitating.

His bottom lip comes between his teeth.

"I love you so fucking much."

I face-palm.

I swat his face away with my hand, "Seriously, Jake?"

He grins like a little boy, drawing me closer with his hand sliding around my waist.

"I love you too." I smile and he brings his mouth to mine for a soft kiss.

A loud honk of a car interrupts us, and I pull away.

The honking continues and I wince as I look to my side.

"Fuck you!" Jake yells at Corey who's still honking his car.

A window from the neighbourhood opens and an egg flies out, smashing the front of Corey's car.

Corey's lips mouth a curse word, as he jumps out of his car and inspects the yellow and white goo on the bonnet.

Toothy gives Corey a wide satisfied smile from the passenger seat as if she was waiting for this moment to finally happen.

"Get lost, you annoying weasel!" The old woman who threw the egg, yells from her window, "My dog's tryna sleep!"

"Sorry, Grandma! Give Bagels my wishes when he wakes up!" Corey yells back before giving the old lady a charming smile, "I must say though, you've got a pretty solid aim. If it was a brick, I bet the person would meet Jesus in the next blink."

"Let's try and find out." The old lady says before disappearing inside her house.

"Oh shit, she's getting a brick." Corey runs past Jake and me, and into the house.

✯✯✯

Our stomachs press against the bed as Toothy and I gaze at the books in front of us.

It might have been hours since we locked ourselves from the boys and decided to study together.

Corey was horrible to study with in a group since he keeps changing the topic from studying to literally anything else.

And Toothy said she doesn't want to experience Jake's crankiness when she's already worried.

So we locked ourselves in our room.

After a while, Toothy springs off the bed, slamming her book down and letting out a growl of frustration.

"I can't do this anymore!"

She huffs, blowing out her hair from her face.

"We need a break, Ken," Toothy declares, putting her hands on her hips, "I'm going to go crazy if I read another word related to this."

"You're right." I slam my own books shut, hopping off the bed and stretching my cramped muscles.

"We need some sort of enjoyment," Toothy says, "only for a few hours at least."

"What'd you wanna do?"

"What's a girl gonna do when she's bored?" She smiles.

"What?" I ask.

"Shopping, duh."

✯✯✯

I think I finally get why we girls love shopping.

It's just simply fun.

Trying out new clothes, rating outfits, making fun of some of the horrible fashion.

Toothy tells me about how these people could have made the outfits better if they had just added this accessory or matched it with those or these shoes.

She's really good with this stuff and her confidence is no match for others when she talks about fashion.

Jake had started arguing that how it's not fair that Toothy kept me to herself for five hours and still wants to go shopping with me.

Toothy only ignored him before getting in the Uber.

So basically, Jake and Corey are home alone.

Toothy and I decide to think about them later.

I stand beside Toothy as she rummages through a shelve of clothes.

"Hey, Ken?" She asks.

"Yeah?"

"Go to the shoe section and see if you can find any brown heels, okay?" She asks, "Corey broke the heel of my last one."

"Do I need to ask why?" I blink.

A look of annoyance lines her lips and she shakes her head.

I nod, "'Kay."

"It's like at the end of the mall." Toothy guides, "Keep walking and you'll see it."

I salute her off before walking out of the store and towards the end of the mall where Toothy said her shoes would be.

Finally, reaching the shoe store, I step inside and skim through every rack for her brown heels.

I can so far manage to wear only two inches of heels while Toothy can win a running marathon with seven inches.

I spend almost thirty minutes searching through every rack and grabbing any brown heel I find for Toothy to later decide which one she wants to keep.

I carry the shoes with me and just as I was about to step out of the store—something explodes before I could even blink.

One second, the doors of the store lay in front of me and next, black smoke wafts the ceiling making it seem as if there's a big black cloud looming over me like a horrid dream.

Alarms scream in the air. Wet splashes on my skin. Heat erupts everywhere.

What?

Flames.

Flames everywhere.

Pieces of glass graze into my skin.

Orange, yellow and black dance across my vision.

Somewhere in between I hear the sound of heaving and gasping. My vision blackens from the corners, slowly spreading to completely block my sight.

It takes me a moment to realize it's me who's heaving and gasping.

Air.

I need air.

What's happening?

Everything's so loud. Everything's so heavy.

My lungs beg for air.

I need air.

There's no air.

I can't breathe.

✄ ✄ ✄ ✄

Umm...

yeah.

DON'T WORRY SHE DOESN'T DIE THOUGH!

This book has almost 20 more chapters to go! I hope you people stay with me until then♥

I absolutely LOVE shopping btw!!

Words: 2,700

Date of publishing: 11th June 2022