Scattered Pieces

Chapter Thirty-Three

Jake had a plan of action - and it wasn't creepy. It wasn't.

Only it was a little bit. When two more days went by with no word from Ron, he was feeling... Jake didn't exactly know what he was feeling but he was a bit tired of it.

Which is why he was stood frozen in front of Boots as crowds bussled around him.

Jake bit down on his lip.

He wasn't being creepy, it just so happened that he needed some cold and flu tablets, and who cares that he usually got them from the shop a few streets from where he lived? He was entitled to change his mind.

And anyway the chances of him running into Ron were small. He didn't even know if he was working right now.

Taking a breath he walked into the store, probably looking like he was planning to rob the place with both his hands stuffed into his pockets, and his collar standing like a sherlock wannabe. (It was comfortable god damn it and Aaron needed to stop teasing him for it).

He didn't go straight to the pharmaceutical isle (but that was only becuase he didn't really know where it was - not becuase he was scanning the shop in hopes of seeing Ron - that was a secondary priority, he came to get medicine).

He didn't see Ron - and even though he wasn't looking he recognised the weight of dissapointment sitting in his gut.

He did however spot Conner, who was busy clearing up a pile of knocked over boxes, muttering words under his breath.

Jake stepped towards him crouching down to help out.

To say Conner looked surprised would be an understatement.

"Hey." Jake said conversationally picking up a handfull of boxes.

Conner's lips parted and he squeaked out something that sounded like a 'hi' in return, before clearing his throat. "Uh thanks." He said sounding a little more normal as he nodded at the mess Jake was helping him clear up.

"No worries." Jake murmured. "People suck, right?"

Conner looked at his with raised eyebrows before smiling, and letting out a surprised laugh. "Ron always says the same thing."

Jake shifted slightly at the mention of Ron, and Conner gave him a weird look.

Jake cleared his throat. "How is Ron anyway? I've not heard from him in a while."

Conner looked confused. "He's alright?" He said. "I mean he came into work today." His eyes flickered over Jake's shoulder to where the tills were, and Jake recognised the mess of brunet hair.

"Oh, right." Jake said, looking back down at the boxes. They'd cleared most of them up now. As Conner picked up the last few, Jake put both his hands on his knees pushing himself into a standing position.

"I wouldn't worry too much if he doesn't speak much, he gets like that sometimes but he always pulls out of it." Conner continued, with a shrug of his shoulders.

Jake frowned but didn't push it anymore than that. "How's your band coming, still looking for a new guitarist?"

Conner let out a loud groan. "Yes." He complained. "We put up a couple of flyers, but no one really reads flyers anymore and any responses we do get are usually from people who don't even know what a bar chord is. That's like guitar basics."

Jake's lips pushed into a smile.

"And Mila's getting all angsty because she misses her drums." Conner continued to vent. "But so many of out songs centre on the guitar." Conner scratched the back of his head as he let out an exhausted sigh. "I feel like screaming most rehersals. Which reminds me, did you still want to come to one? Mila would be ecstatic of you did."