30 Days To Fall In Love

Day Eleven - Jake

***Jake***

I woke up feeling exhausted. I'd almost forgotten everything that had happened yesterday. It was Mum's concerned face peering over me. Her face was made up of lines, all that seemed to join together faintly and knotting tightly in between her furrowed brow.

"Jake! Oh, darling! Are you okay?" she gushed when she noticed my eyes are open.

"I'm okay," I shrugged. But the movement of my shoulders was agonising. "Owww!"

"What happened, Jake?" Mum asked me, concern plastered all over her face.

What did happen? Memories of fists and blood and Darren laughing flashed in my mind. Should I tell her? She'd be so scared! And she'd probably try and get the police involved.

"Oh... Just this fight at school. You should see the other guy!" I laughed.

Mum stared at me, silenced.

"I was joking, Mum! I didn't hit anybody. It was just this gang... I didn't even see their faces," I lied. I wasn't even sure why I was lying. Darren was a horrible person - he deserved to be punished. Not just for beating me up, but for taking advantage of Emma.

"Well wouldn't the school's CCTV pick their faces up?" Mum asked. Her voice was shrill. I looked at her hands, they were entwined anxiously on her lap; it's what she always does when she's fretting.

"Nah, they had hoods and face scarfs," I lied. "I doubt they were even from our school." More lies. Why was I doing this? Why was it so easy?

"Well... Are you sure you don't want to raise the concern with the school? If they can let in gangs to attack students they must have some serious security-"

"Mum, please relax. I'm here! I'm safe! Don't worry about them," I said.

She nodded, "Sorry, Jake. I just hate seeing you like this. Do you think you'll be able to make the concert tomorrow?"

I winced as I tried to sit up, "If I'm dosed up on drugs I'll be fine."

"Pain killers only I hope!" Mum scolded me.

"Of course!" I sighed. Why is it that my mother seems to think I'm some sort of drug dealer?

"Who is it you're going with again?"

"Callum." More lies. Well, sort of. Callum will be there... Although hell probably be busy hitting on Lauren.

"Lovely. Well can your sister see you now? She's been desperate to speak to you since she got back from school but I made her wait until you woke up," Mum said. She'd gotten up from my bed now and came closer to me, brushing her lips against my forehead and smiling at me.

"She can come in," I sighed. What would Sapphire want to tell me so desperately? We never talked. Like ever.

Mum left. A few minutes later, Sapphire came bounding into the room.

"Oh, my God! Nobody has shut up about you all day! So apparently you had S.E.X with Emma!" Sapphire gasped. I almost laughed at how she said sex - calling out every letter in a hushed tone, presumably in case Mum was listening in.

"That's not true," I said.

"Yeah well apparently that's why Darren beat you up!" Sapphire giggled.

"How is this funny?!" I demanded. "What did Emma say to all of this?"

Sapphire shrugged, "She wasn't there today... Anyway, nobody believed the rumours. I mean, hello, who'd be desperate enough to do it with you?" She scoffed.

"Oy!" I snapped. "Can you leave me be to sleep now? Please?"

She rolled her eyes and left me panicking. Emma wasn't in school! Why, that could only mean one thing! Darren had gotten to her!

I texted her quickly: Emma are you ok? Heard you weren't in school today xxx 

I saw a load of worried texts from Callum and my other friends. I replied saying I was fine. I was feeling better already (except for the terror of wondering what the hell was up with Emma). If anything, I thought a shower might do me some good. So, with aching legs, I wandered to the bathroom. I almost screamed at what I saw in the mirror. I looked awful. Seriously! I was like a walking, talking bruise.

The whole of my left eyelid was a bright purple and swollen. The skin around it blurred into a kaleidoscope of blues and greys. My eye was bright red in the corner, like a blot of red ink bleeding into white paper. My upper lip was split open and the skin around it dried and cracked. I pulled off my shirt, revealing more cuts and scars and bruises. How could Darren have done all of this to me? It was humiliating! I couldn't let Emma see me like this. No. That was selfish. I couldn't let her live with him anymore.

I felt my phone vibrate. It was a facebook message from Emma. Strange of her to use facebook but then maybe she was out of credit.

hey jake so sorry i didnt text you but i didn't feel very well.. meet me at the library before we go tomorrow?:) xoxo

I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God! She was okay!

Yeah sure, what time? Xxx

Then I set to work on my face. I'd need to use some of Sapphire's makeup to disguise these ugly bruises. There was one thing I couldn't disguise though: the smile on my face just wouldn't fade. Finally things were going to work out with Emma!