(JJ's POV) Saturday Morning
I woke up this morning to find Jake and my Dad downstairs making breakfast for everyone. They had two griddles, one making pancakes and the other frying bacon. I hid behind the corner to listen to them. I loved how much they got along, and I also loved that Jake loved my dad as his own. His dad hadn't talked to him for almost a year now, so my dad kind of stepped in.
"Hey son! Don't burn those pancakes!" My dad said jokingly but also serious.
"Sir, I'm sorry but not all of us enjoy eating batter with our pancakes. If they're still white... they're not done!" He laughed, making fun of my dad.
"Oh whatever! We'll just eat bacon for breakfast then I guess."
"I hardly call that bacon. You've cooked that bacon so long it's practically jerky!"
"Hey! Don't diss my beautiful pork. Geese, some kids just don't understand."
I couldn't help but laugh. I walked into the kitchen and wrapped my arms around Jake from behind while he flipped pancakes. "Good morning beautiful. How did you sleep?" He asked.
"Better then I have in months. I'm so glad that you're here." I kissed his shoulder from behind still and then hugged my dad.
"Finally! Dream boy comes home, and I'm suddenly kicked to the curb." He complained.
I just rolled my eyes, "Oh my gosh. Cry me a river dad."
The phone started to ring, and after two rings my mom had come into the room freaking out. "Oh yes she's right here, let me get her for you!"
She grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the kitchen. "Oh my gosh Jay, it's the University of California director of Dentistry." I had been talking with my mom for the last few days about my dream of going to school in Dental Hygiene. We applied for internships and schools, but I didn't think that they would call so soon. She practically shoved the phone in my face.
"Hi, this Justice?"
"Hello Justice, this is Doctor Morgan from the University of California Dentistry School in Los Angeles. How are you today?" She sounded very sophisticated. Much like what you'd expect a University Doctor to sound like.
"I'm great! Very excited to hear from you actually. What can I do for you?"
"Well, we were highly impressed with your GPA, and ACT scores that we wanted to schedule a meeting with you. I want to discus with you personally some options we have for you this year in preparation for your freshman semester if you choose to study here with us."
"Wait, does this mean that you have accepted my application?"
"Oh most definitely! We try to have the highest of academic achievement attend U of C, and were very impressed with your application." I tried not to scream in excitement. "Is there any possible way that we could fly you down this evening and meet with you tomorrow morning?"
"Let me ask my mom, my dad has a plane that we could have ready in an hour if she is okay with it." I looked to my mom and she nodded immediately, almost as excited as I was if not more! "Looks like my mom is okay with it. What time would you like to meet tomorrow?"
"Can you be here by noon?" Doctor Morgan asked.
"Absolutely! We will be there."
"Thank you Justice. I look forward to meeting with you. I will email you the information needed for our meeting. Goodbye now."
"Thank you! Goodbye!" I hung up the phone and immediately started jumping up and down with my mom like we were both twelve again. "OH MY GOSH THEY ACCEPTED MY APPLICATION!"
"And they want to meet with you personally tomorrow? What for?" My mom was freaking out.
"I don't know. She just said that she wants to meet with me and talk about opportunities that want to offer me for this next year. Do you want to be the one to come with me?"
"You know it! Oh my gosh my baby girl is growing up!" She hugged me so tight.
I finally realized what I had done. "Oh no..."
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Jake and I already have our plan. We're going to Texas A&M together next fall. What am I going to tell him?"
"Jay, this is your dream school! And Jake loves you. He'll understand. See if he wants to come with us!?"
I walked into the kitchen. Jake and my Dad were curiously waiting for us to tell them what that was all about.
My mom walked over to my dad and whispered in his ear. His face went from complete curiosity to total excitement. "Oh my gosh, Jay I'm so proud of you!!"
"What the heck is going on Jay?" Jake said. He had a smile, but I could tell it was fake and he was worried.
"Jake, we need to talk." Just then Odette and Arrow came downstairs with Gen and Jared.
"Morning y'all!" Jared said before noticing the awkward tension in the room. "What's going on?"
"Um, Jake and I need to excuse ourselves." I grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the room, almost running into Tom and Shep as they walked into the kitchen. "Woah! Hey guys." Tom said.
I didn't even stop. I just hurried out the front door with him and tried to contain myself. I didn't know what he was going to say or think.
"Jake... I just got a call from Doctor Morgan from the University of California."
"Okay. And what did you talk about?"
"They accepted my application to-"
"Your what? You applied to U of C? Why? We already have our plan?"
"That doesn't mean I can't apply to other schools?"
"Alright so have you changed your mind?! Are you dead set on moving to Los Angeles now?! 1,500 miles away from me, are you really okay with that? You want to go to this school so bad that you're willing to throw everything we have away?"
"Now wait. That's not fair-" I started.
"Fair? No Jay, fair would have been to call me and tell me that you applied to other schools. Fair would have been giving me the opportunity to tell you how I feel about this. Fair would've been thinking about our future and how this is going to effect it. I can't believe you right now." He ran his fingers through his hair walking away from me. He was so mad that the vein in his neck was bulging.
"Where are you going?" I started crying.
"Anywhere but here." He got in his truck and sped down the drive way. Just as he started to drive off Tom rushed outside.
"Woah, Jay. What's going on?" He saw that I was crying and pulled me into him. "Come here. Tell me what happened."
I couldn't talk I was sobbing so much. "I got accepted to U of C, and- and- and didn't even t-tell him I applied. He said I was se-selfish and couldn't believe that I didn't talk to him about it."
Tom hugged me again and held me close. "Jay, I'm not going to tell you what you want to hear, but I will tell you what you need to hear. Going to school is one of the biggest choices you can make. But, when you're in a relationship like the one you and Jake have, you have to talk about these things together. It shouldn't have been a decision you made, it should have been a decision you both made. Why didn't you call him about it?"
"There's this high school internship in Los Angeles that I really wanted to do. My parents were both really excited, and my GPA allowed me to be accepted. You saw them inside. They were both so proud, and it's really something I wanted to do. I didn't think it mattered where I went to school for my Senior year if he lived miles away anyway."
"Jay, I have to tell you something. Jake isn't like your average college sophomore. He and I go to parties every weekend, and by nine o'clock he's already ready to go home and study or sleep. He wakes up every morning to see if you texted him, and if not that's the first thing he does. On his desk he doesn't have a picture of family or friends, it's just pictures of you or the two of you together. I don't think you understand how much you mean to him?"
"Really?"
"Yes really! You think I'd lie about this? Jay I think you really hurt him and you need to fix this."
"What am I supposed to do? This is a really good opportunity for me, and I can't pass it up?"
"Is it worth losing Jake?"
I didn't even know how to answer that. "Why do I have to lose him at all? Why can't he just be happy for me?"
"You and Jake have had this plan for years now. And to have you just up and change everything is definitely going to hurt him. If you're not careful I know you'll lose him."
"Fine. I will call him and try to work this out. But I'm going to that meeting tomorrow."
"I don't think that's a good idea, but it's your life. And I hope you know that I support you through it all. I love you Jay."
"I love you too Tom. Thanks."
I walked back inside to my room. Everyone was awkwardly staring at me when I walked passed the kitchen. I could hear Tom explaining everything to them as I walked up the stairs.
When I called Jake I could only get his voicemail. After trying six times I finally left a message.
"Hey Jake. I'm so sorry I didn't talk to you about the internship or the application. I am going to that meeting tomorrow in Los Angeles, but I need to talk to you. Please call me back. I love you. Bye."
(Jake's POV)
I listened to her voicemail seconds after she left it. Tears started to stream down my face. I had driven clear across the city on the outskirts of town. After blowing some dust everywhere and burning my tires in some mud, I finally pulled over near a pond off a long dirt road. I listened to the voicemail three more times. She didn't even care about what I said earlier. She was still going to that interview. It was as if she didn't care about our plan, or about us. She was so dead set on going to Los Angeles. So I decided that I'd be dead set on letting her.
I got in my truck and started for College Station. I didn't care about what the coach had asked me to do with the recruiters. I had to go home. With JJ changing everything I had planned and hoped for my future, it was time that I started thinking about myself. I didn't stop driving. It was time I finally started thinking about me, and what was best for me.