30 Days To Fall In Love

Day Five - Jake

***Jake***

There was no way I was going to meet Sapphire’s boyfriend, I was just too tired. I’d been up all night long with my headphones plugged in listening to music. It was so loud that I couldn’t even hear the lyrics or appreciate it. I didn’t want to anyway; I just wanted something to stop myself from thinking.

What more mysteries were there surrounding Emma? What had I gotten myself into by falling for her?

She was this strange puzzle that I couldn’t figure out. First of all, she was just a beautiful girl that I happened to like the look of. Suddenly, I was forced into this mission of getting her to like me back. And now? Now she’s got this whole history surrounding this strange Darren boy.

I didn’t want all those thoughts buzzing round in my head but they were - they stuck in my mind better than the lyrics to any song.

I must’ve dozed off at some point because I woke up with my ears ringing and my head throbbing. Where the words screaming in my head from the song or my own mind? Everything was a blur - I could barely tell what my wall was and what my carpet was.

Suddenly, a face emerged from the blur before me. I took my headphones off, the silence massaging my ears.

“Jake, are you okay?” Saph’s voice said. It took me a couple of blinks to register her face. She was dressed smartly in a navy blue dress with white polka dots.

“I’m cool,” I slurred.

“Are you drunk?” she asked me.

I looked at her for a second. Was I drunk? I might’ve been. I could vaguely remember stumbling into the garage and rooting around for something to drink last night.

“I might be,” I tried to say. It actually came out more like: ‘Imrbulpe’

“Jake!” she sighed. “Luke is coming over in a couple of hours!” I suddenly felt guilty - she looked so hurt and disappointed in me. I could tell she’d been really looking forward to me and Mum meeting her boyfriend and I’d just gotten drunk.

“Sorry,” I said trying my best to enunciate.

She just sighed again, “Come on, let’s sober you up and then you can tell me what’s wrong.”

I wanted to make a joke about her helping me out but the words couldn’t get off my tongue so I just nodded and took her arm. She helped me downstairs as I struggled to place one foot in front of the other. If she wasn’t there, I might’ve stumbled.

“You know,” she said. “You should be glad Mum’s not here. She’d kill you.” She was boiling the kettle and the sound of it whistling made me want to put my hands over my ears but they were too heavy and leaden.

I drank several cups of coffee until my head stopped spinning so much. Then I managed to get dressed (I was warned that I wouldn’t be getting any help with that!)

“Jake, can you tell me what’s up?” Saph asked me.

We were sat in the living room, the television was mumbling in the background but Sapphire had her undivided attention on me. It was so weird - I didn’t want to tell her I had a crush on Emma. I wouldn’t say that Saph and I weren’t close; it’s just weird to tell relatives about your love life.

“I like this girl,” I said.

“So? Why’d you get drunk?” she asked me.

“Her ex,” I muttered.

“Her ex?” she repeated.

“Yes, her ex,” I said. “He’s a dick and I’ll never be able to get her thanks to him.”