Til Death Do Us Part

chapter eight ~ let me set you free

It was probably about five, while I was sat in my bedroom, my earphones plugged in and I was at my new desk that my phone buzzed.

An unknown number came up on the screen - and a message followed it.

Unknown: Sorry I didn't message any earlier. Church is my life's priority... and I didn't want to seem like a desperate creep. I also know this won't help - but if you go to your window you'll see I'm outside.

He didn't even have to tell me who it was. I felt myself inadvertently smiling at the phone.
Jake.

I hopped off the bed and ran to the window, where I was greeted by Jake, his mouth set in a wide grin, and he waved at me politely.

I quickly typed in a reply.
Where's your dog collar? Aren't you a priest?

From my window, I watched him pull his phone out, and his mouth stretch even wider. He looked back up at my window and mouthed, "Very funny."

I motioned at him to give me five minutes, retied my hair into a bun, pulled on a fresh t-shirt and some pumps before springing out the front door, locking it behind me.

He was leaning against a car - his car, I supposed, and as I approached, he opened the door and gestured for me to climb in.
"What do you say to a movie and dinner?" He asked me as I clambered in.

Why was I so eager? I met him once, damn it.

I laughed, "As long as it isn't a romance."

He got into the driver's side and beamed, "Thank God. I hate romances."

Jake pulled off my driveway, and sped off down the road.

•••

Considering Jake was my official first real friend here in Orlando, he wasn't a disappointment in the slightest - not that I would've expected anyone to have been.

In all honesty, with my poor luck, all the bad choices I'd made, and my general outcomes with life, I would've been happy if he'd never decided to talk to me ever again - not because I didn't want him to (God, I never expected him to is all) but because I felt like I didn't deserve a person as good as Jake in my life.

He was really sweet, and kind and considerate; mostly God damn hilarious, and although we missed the last showing of the horror-action movie we'd both set our hearts on, and turned our noses up at the last showing of some cheesy romance, we hit the arcade instead which was most definitely more fun.

I mean, what was more interactive than a dance central machine, or racing simulations?

After I kicked his ass at dancing, and he served mine to me on a silver platter with the racing (again, I blamed it on the over-steering of the console) he offered to buy me a corndog from the vendor, and for the first time in what felt like months, I managed to swallow food without feeling like someone was pushing sharp bricks down my gullet.

So we sat on the park bench, the sky growing dimmer outside the arcade, and I watched as the cleaner began shutting off the machines, clearing off cups and tickets.

Jake chucked his napkin in the bin before turning to me.
"Well," he said with a grin, "beats a romance, huh?"

I laughed, taking the last bite of my corndog. I didn't even remember them tasting this good before.

"Yeah," I replied, "definitely."

He rubbed his eyes and adjusted his leather jacket.
"I've been meaning to ask," he said, with a small smile on his mouth, "if it's not too personal -"