The Boy With The Jacket

Chapter 11

Girl POV

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I was sitting against the wall by the doors, the sun pouring in all around me. I was wishing I could go home. I couldn't believe Maryssa, my supposed best friend, would say that about me. As much as Jake wanted to think he had done a fine job hiding the fact he was talking about me, he hadn't done a very good job and I knew they were. I was pretty sure I had become emotional ruins when Chris came out the auditorium doors and sat down next to me.

"Hey," he said looking at me. I stared at the opposite wall feeling broken.

"Hi," I answered quietly. I didn't want to talk. I didn't want to hear any apologies. I didn't want to hear that Jake was sorry for talking about me behind my back.

"You okay?" he asked. I looked over at him. I didn't answer, I just looked at him. He nodded slowly, obviously understanding I wasn't okay. "I'm sorry. Jake can be a total jerk sometimes. He doesn't know what to do when a girl likes him besides flirt. Then he doesn't realize that he's been leading them on and that it tears them apart when he doesn't actually like them back." I looked at him and raised my eyebrows in confusion.

"How did you know I like him?" I asked, a little ticked that everyone seemed to know about my undying crush on Jake David Britton.

"Dude. You told Maryssa about your crush. Who doesn't know?" I wanted to punch in a wall. I clenched my fists. Why was I stupid enough to trust her?! "Like I said though, I'm sorry. I know he must have hurt you with those words... But... He doesn't know any better. He's kind of stupid." I let out a small laugh, feeling myself calm down a bit.

"That's 100% correct!" I agreed. "He's very stupid!"

"You don't have to tell me! I'm his best friend! I know exactly how stupid he is." We both laughed for a minute.

"Why is he so oblivious?" I asked looking at my hands.

"What?" Chris asked confused.

"Why is Jake so oblivious to how I feel? Why doesn't he just understand that I like him? Why doesn't he just tell me how he feels? If he likes me, great. If he doesn't, fine. I'm just so confused, and I'm tired of guessing. I swear that he doesn't understand I like him. Why doesn't he see it?" I expounded. He was quiet for a minute, pondering the question and deciding what to say next.

"Jake has been in about 6 relationships. None have been very long, none have been very successful, because he doesn't know how to handle a girl's heart, how to keep them happy, and how to keep them in love with him. He also doesn't know how to turn a girl down. He's too nice. He doesn't want to hurt them. He knows how you feel, he just doesn't know how to turn you down without hurting you... Or he likes you and isn't sure he wants a relationship because he doesn't know how to be in a good one. Either way.... He's just clueless. None of this is your fault," he answered finally.

I took that into consideration. I still couldn't help but feel confused, angry, excited, happy, and depressed, which for your information is not a pleasant combination of emotions. He just didn't want to hurt me. He didn't want to turn me down. Or did he like me? I was confused before and I was even more confused now.

Eventually Chris stood up and outstretched his hand to me. I stared at his hand, not wanting to go back in there and face Jake. I'd only become more confused, and I hated being confused. Confusion led me to overthink things, and when I overthought... It did not end well.

"Come back in with me! We will have plenty of fun!" I shook my head.

"I don't want to sit by that idiot."

"Who said we were sitting by the idiot?" He smiled which only made me smile and grab his hand, letting him drag me back into the auditorium. "Where do you want to sit then if we aren't sitting by the idiot?" I saw two empty seats on the end of the back row. I skipped to them and plopped down in one, Chris sitting in the end seat. I had just sat down when I got a text. I pulled out my phone and looked at it. Alyssa was texting me.

Hey... You okay? I saw you leave. Listen. If this is about Jake I'm gonna go and punch that kid until he realizes how wonderful you are!

Yeah. He was just being an idiot. I had to sit by him.... I had to talk to him... I'm so stupid.

You know what.... I bet you ten dollars you can't go 24 hours without talking to or texting him.

I laughed. I did need ten dollars, and there was no better time to not talk to Jake then when I was angry with him. I figured I had nothing to lose.

Deal.

Okay. You cannot talk to Jake Britton until 6th hour tomorrow.

Challenge accepted.

But I didn't realize exactly how much of a challenge it would be... Especially with what tomorrow would bring.

*There you go! I honestly could not successfully win this bet. I don't know about you, but I couldn't. I'd end up talking to him. Panic! At The Disco. That's it. That's all I have to say. ❤️/ Mona Lisa*