Running (A Jake Miller story) ON-HOLD

Caught in the act

» Jake «

I rested my hands on my knees as I took in slow shallow breaths. I just finished my daily run. I pushed myself to do an extra mile and it took a lot out of me.

I was just about to head home when I seen Toby. He was across the field sitting on a park bench. I wouldn't be so shocked to see him if he was alone.

But he wasn't alone. He was sitting with some guy and he had his arm wrapped around him. I would have just passed it as an overly friendly gesture but he leant down slowly and kissed the guy.

I had this strange hunch that he was gay and now it's confirmed. I don't mind really because he's still Toby and his sexuality will never change my opinion on him.

Suddenly a wave of anger washes over me. My heart rate picks back up and all I see is red. I don't know why I'm so mad but I'm just pissed.

Then everything clicks and it almost scares me. He's cheating on Sam and it's pisses me off. I've only been this mad a small number of times and I can't seem to understand why him hurting her triggers it.

I try my best to calm down. I want to seem casual as I approach him. As if none of this effects me.

"Hey, Toby." I try to smile but I'm sure it looks forced.

His head snaps up towards me and he instantly removes his hand away from the boy.

"Who's your friend?" I actually pull a believable smile this time.

"Oh, er Jake t-this is Ash." He stammers some.

"How wonderful to meet you Ash." I say as I squeeze between them.

"So, Toby, where's Sam?"

He doesn't respond, just stares at me. As the silence comes over us, my anger only seems to build up.

I have to refrain myself from punching him because he's my best friend and that will only ruin things.

Instead I just explode verbally rather than physically.

"I can't believe you! I mean you just come along and take the girl I want and you don't even treat her right! You're fucking cheating on her! How could you do that! She'll be crushed and it'll be me who deals with it, not you!"

It took everything in me not to physically lash out on him as he just smiled up at me. There was absolutely nothing for him to smile about, nothing at all.

Ash, his what boyfriend? I don't know, but he was too smiling up at me. I was confused and annoyed and I honestly just wanted to punch both of them.

"I called it, didn't I babe?" Toby says looking between both Ash and I.

I was about to speak but Toby's laugh cut me off, then he spoke again, "I could tell by the way you looked at her that you felt something for her."

"So why would you date her?" I huffed feeling somewhat defeated.

"I didn't. It was a simple plan between us, that worked out perfectly up until now."

"What?" I said just wanting the confusion to stop.

"Answer me this, did you know I was gay?" Toby asked in a serious tone that he almost never used.

"Yes, well no, I had a feeling though."

"Exactly. Jake you're my best friend and I happen to like it that way. If I were to tell you about my sexuality, I could have risked losing something I valued most. I hadn't a clue how you would've reacted." He said.

I only glared at him because I can't believe he even let the thought of losing me cross his mind. I wouldn't even think of dropping our friendship just because of the simplicity of his sexuality.

"But what does that have to do with you being with Sam?"

"Well, by me being with her, it'd take your suspicion off me being gay. And by her being with me, you'd be jealous and realize what you felt for her. But god dammit Jake, you just had to run into me at the the park." He huffed.

I just gawked at him. He went through all that trouble for nothing. If he just came to me and said, 'hey Jake I'm gay', I would have just said something along the lines of 'cool, coming to the show Friday' and we could have had a normal day. But no, Toby had to go behind my back and make a plan with my step sister.

step sister

I'm not to fond of the title she holds. It's a bit odd, the sister part in particular because it would be more than wrong, what with the type of thoughts I have about her. It would be weird and wrong to think that about my sister.

So from now on, she is not my sister but the girl I simply admire from afar.