dakota's pov +

jack and i decided to hang out upstairs in my room instead. we sat opposite one another on the bed, telling each other more about our plans after high school.

prom, graduation and then college are only a few months away and it's just nice to know that someone else isn't completely set on what they're going to do with their life.

i fiddled with the fur of the pillow on my lap, watching jack finish the milkshake that i tried to, but couldn't.

i started to wonder whether to speak up on what i was thinking right now.

i can trust jack and i always have this urge to tell him things that i usually find hard to tell others. but my mouth decided to open up before i could decide what to do, and i looked up at him.

"i got a text earlier, from my dad" i confessed.

i watched his head shoot up and his eyes widen a little, "what?".

"yeah, i don't know how he got my number but he sent me this" i tapped through my phone to get up the message and handed it to jack to read.

he scanned his eyes over my phone multiple times, then handed it back to me.

"wow, is this the first time you've heard from him since he left?" he asked.

"no, actually. he tried to get in contact with me maybe a year ago" i replied. "he always sends texts from random numbers but when i respond, i never hear from him again".

i just wish that i had one of those normal teenaged girl lives with the normal family that contains two normal, loving parents.

you know the ones where your dad embarrasses you in front of your friends, is protective when you get a boyfriend.

and he has those annoying dad jokes and dance moves that you say you hate, but secretly love or a dad who assures you that the one man you can always rely on in life is him.

"like i just hate that disappointment when i don't hear from him again, so i decided to stop replying" i explained.

at this point, i was trying so hard to hold back any tears that were working their way onto my waterline.

"but it looks like he just wants to make sure that your family are all okay without him" jack shrugged.

i scoffed, sniffing in my tears and shaking my head.

"if he wants to know how we are, he should just come and see for himself" i began to raise my voice.

but this is exactly what i didn't want - to get so worked up and emotional over this.

"he can't just expect me to suddenly remember i have a dad, respond to his one text then forget about him until he decides to pop up again".

"i know—".

"it took me so long to get over him leaving my mom and i, that i just can't keep going through that over and over again" i said, allowing a tear to fall down my cheek.

jack leant forward slightly so that he could comfortingly touch my leg.

"hey, dakota. i get it" his soft voice spoke. "you don't have to respond if you don't want to. your dad should understand that".

i wiped my cheek and shrugged my shoulders, "yeah, i guess".

"but what does your mom say about these texts?".

"i-i haven't told her".

"about any of them?" jack inquired, somewhat in surprise.

i shook my head, "no one knows. it's obvious that she misses him, but she doesn't deserve to get her hopes up and then be let down by him again".

"how about nate?".

once again, i shook my head, "when his dad died, my dad was like a second father to him. but then he left too and it's just unfair to him, i can't".

jack pulled his eyebrows together in concern, "but you shouldn't go through this alone. i mean, it's a lot".

i let out a small chuckle through my dry tears, "i can take it".

jack accepted my words with a smile, sitting back in his original position.

"well, i'm here for you so you're not all alone" he assured.

weeks ago, i would have never been able to sit here and vent to jack like this but now, he's suddenly the one person that i feel most comfortable talking to about anything.

"thank you jack" i said almost inaudibly, but meaning every word.

he winked with a smirk on his pink lips, "no problem".

an hour past and we continued to speak about an endless amount of topics. half of them were completely random and didn't make any sense, but i didn't care.

i mean, it may sound cliche but every few minutes, i got butterflies in my stomach whenever i realise how comfortable we are around each other.

or when jack laughs hysterically at my bad jokes or cracks a smile at me every now and then.

i just wish that i knew what was going on in his head. like am i really just a friend to him or is he just embarrassed to say that he could potentially like the quirky, quiet girl from school?

after leaving jack in my room to go downstairs and raid the kitchen for some snacks, i returned with, of course, a big bag of cheetos.

jack laid on my bed, flat on his stomach and taking up most of the space. he sat a pillow underneath his arms and chin to prop himself up a little, and i pulled over my desk chair to sit with him.

"okay, cheetos update: i only have the cheesy flavour and you can blame nate for that one but personally, i think that the these ones are the better" i told.

jack cocked his head back, practically shocked at my words. he furrowed his eyebrows.

"what?! no way!" he exclaimed.

i nodded as i placed the food in my mouth, "the hot ones are overrated now".

"okay, first of all, food can never be overrated, dakota richards" he assured me.

"and second of all?" i crunched on the cheetos whilst also holding in a laugh at how seriously jack was taking this.

"second of all, how is it that you still manage to remain attractive with a mouth stuffed with cheetos and crumbs all over you" jack chuckled.

he gestured to his own mouth to show me where these crumbs were and i shamefully, and quickly wiped them away.

"did you just call me attractive?" i paused, raising my eyebrow.

i helplessly gave him a smirk as his cheeks started to turn red.

"that's not the topic right now" he promptly brushed off. "and as i was saying: food can never be overrated".

"yes it can, hot cheetos for example" i continued to playfully argue.

"i haven't had the cheesy ones for about two years now, because i simply rely on the hot ones".

i laughed at his words and held onto my stomach, "i don't know whether that is completely relatable or just plain sad".

jack swatted my knee as i continued to cackle at him, but i settled down and gestured the packet to him.

"here, just try it".

he continued to lay flat on my bed and opened his mouth with small smirk on his face, telling me to feed the food to him.

it was adorable, but i still rolled my eyes at his immaturity and fed a few cheetos to him.

i watched jack gradually chew it and waited to see his reaction or hear a verdict.

his lack of words immediately showed that he liked it, but he still cringed and grimaced in disgust any ways.

"you're just doing that, because you don't want to be proven wrong!" i caught him out.

"i'm not, it tastes horrible" he grimaced again.

i chuckled and shook my head at his lies, "fine. more for me then".

as i continued to eat, soon enough and like i expected, jack reached into the bag and began to eat the cheesy cheetos that he apparently hated so much.

i suppressed a smile, "see".

"whatever" he muttered, smiling back at me and bringing the bag closer towards him.

-

jakota may be my favourite ship out of all my books.

but next chapter will be pretty eventful

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