Jake's POV
Stacy just kissed me.
Woah.
I shook my head, trying to get my thoughts straight. Wasn't it just a minute ago she was basically telling me she wasn't ready to be an adult? Then she kissed me? Was that supposed to make sense?
I stood up, running my hands through my hair and feeling my heart beat a mile a minute.
We kissed.
I couldn't help the smile that spread across my lips. "Woah," I breathed, disbelief filling me.
"Jake?"
I turned around. It was Lance. The other guys were walking up behind him, chattering happily.
"Yeah?" I responded.
"What's got you smiling like a cheshire cat?" he asked, grinning at me.
I shrugged. "I don't know." I shook my head, laughing. It felt like my heart was too big for my chest, like it might overflow. "Can I tell you something?" I asked lowering my voice and glancing at the other guys to confirm they were too far away to hear.
"Yeah?" he asked, leaning in with curiousity.
"Stacy-" I started but found myself chuckling again. Lance watched me with a grin of his own spreading across his face.
"What?" he asked, obviously curious about what had me so happy.
I shook my head in disbelief. "Stacy kissed me."
Lance's jaw dropped. He stared at me with wide eyes. "Are you serious?"
I nodded, smiling.
"Woah," he breathed. "Just now?"
I chuckled. "Yeah."
"That's crazy man," Lance said. "You and Stacy?"
I smiled, Stacy and me. The words just seemed to fit.
"Are you sure?" Lance joked, looking at me like I was mental escapee.
I couldn't help but laugh as I nodded my head.
I noticed Matt walk up to the porch and I called to him. "Hey man, can I have a cigarette?"
Matt chuckled before reaching in his back pocket and pulling out the newly purchased box of Marlboro cigarettes.
"What am I even supposed to do with these?" he asked.
Lance shrugged. "Display it on your wall. Count it as a coming of age gift. From all of us."
"Can we at least act out a scene from Westside story?" Harry asked.
I laughed. I felt on top of the world. Like nothing could bring me down.
"Oh hey Matt," I said, stopping him before he went back inside. I reached into my back pocket, pulling out the concert tickets and handing them to him. "Happy Birthday. From me and Stace."
His eyes widened. "Pentatonix?" he asked in disbelief.
I smiled. "This Wednesday."
Matt beamed, pulling me in for a hug. "Thanks Jake."
"No problem," I responded.
They group walked back inside, Lance pausing a moment to hold the door open for me. I followed him in, becoming reimmersed in the loud music and chatter. The room was darker; a dance floor had been started in the middle of the room and people were milling around the edges talking.
I searched the room for a familiar set of emerald eyes. However, she seemed to be nowhere in sight. I wandered around the whole downstairs, unable to find her.
I was just setting out to look upstairs when the front door opened right in front of me and Stacy bumped into me.
She was clearly surprised to see me.
"Oh, uh, h-hi," she stuttered, staring up at me with wide eyes.
I couldn't help but chuckle. That seemed to do the trick because the same defiant, stubborn Stacy reappeared.
"What are you laughing at?" she asked, furrowing her brow.
This only made me laugh more. She huffed and turned, walking into the room filled with thumping music. I followed her quickly, afraid of losing her in the crowd.
"Wait, Stace," I called out, the smile still in my voice.
She threw a glare at me over her shoulder and pushed herself past people.
Just as I was squeezing between two couples dancing I stopped abruptly when I almost ran into Stacy and Lance talking.
"Oh," he said upon seeing me. "Hey Jake." He looked at Stacy and then back at me.
"How are you two liking the party?" he asked.
I smiled. "It's a great party."
Lance nodded, grinning to himself. "Well... I guess I'll leave you two alone."
As Lance walked away I turned to face Stacy only to find in surprise that she was turning away.
"Stacy," I said reaching out to grab her shoulder. She dodged my hand, glaring at me.
"Don't," she said.
My brow furrowed, the smile fading from my face. "Stacy what's wrong?"
She shook her head, turning and walking away. I followed her into the kitchen.
"Stacy tell me whats wrong," I said.
She turned around, crossing her arms and dropping her gaze.
"Why are you mad at me?" I pleaded.
"Because you told him!" she shouted, her startling green eyes glaring at me accusingly.
I stared at her in shock. "What?"
She huffed, uncrossing her arms and then recrossing him. Her eyes were filling with tears so she turned them away from me, staring out the window. "Because apparently this meant nothing to you," she said bitterly.
I couldn't believe it. Why was she acusing me of this?
"You just waltzed right up to all of your buddies and told them all about us just like you always do," she yelled. "And don't you dare give me that look. You always do that."
"Stacy," I gasped out, running my hand roughly through my hair and desperately trying to get my thoughts under control.
"What? You have nothing to say?" She asked sourly. She huffed. "That's so like you."
"Well what the hell do you want me to say?" I yelled.
She shook her head, staring at me with tears pooling in her eyes. "Nothing I guess."
I crossed my arms, turning away from her. "God Stacy. Maybe get your facts straight before you start accusing people."
"Well are you saying you didn't tell him?" she challenged.
"I'm saying," I began, turning back around. "that I didn't just 'go tell all of my buddies' as you so kindly put it."
"Wow. Are you real trying to justify this?" she asked, her eyes filled with pain. "Do you know just how many girls I've watched you plow through?" I couldn't look at her. "Do you have any idea how much it hurts to have someone treat you like shit?" I could hear the sob in her throat. "After you gave them everything?"
I turned my head away, feeling her pain grip my heart like a vice. I couldn't do this. I couldn't take it.
I walked out of the kitchen, hearing her pained sobs echoing through my mind.
Stacy's POV
I stood there in shock.
I couldn't take my eyes off of the door. I couldn't stop waiting for him to come back and pull me into his arms and tell me I wasn't nothing to him. To tell me I meant everything to him and that he never meant to hurt me.
It felt like a crater had been knocked out of my heart, leaving an aching hole.
I barely noticed the tears streaming down my face until I tasted the salty drops on my lips.
"Jake," I let out a strangled sob.
I couldn't stay in this house anymore. I had to get out.
I rushed through the living room, stumbling past people with my head down. I pulled open the front door, feeling the night air cool my skin.
I realized in dismay that I didn't have a ride home. I pulled out my phone.
"Hello?"
"Mom?" I said, sniffling.
"Honey?" Her voice filled with concern. "Are you okay?"
"Can you come get me?" I pleaded. "I'm at Conner's."
"I'll be right there, Honey," she said. I heard keys jingle and a door opening from her end of the line.
"Okay," I responded, taking a seat on the curb and running a shaky hand through my hair.
"I love you honey," she said warmly.
"Love you too," I sniffled.
"See you soon."
A few minutes later her white toyota came rolling up to the curb. I slid into the passenger seat, brushing the tears from my eyes.
She gave me a tight hug, handing me a tissue before pulling away from the curb.
After we pulled into our driveway, she cut the engine and turned to face me. The streetlamps behind us illuminated the concern and sympathy in her soft blue eyes.
She put a hand on my knee, leaning closer to me. "Stacy, what's the matter?"
I broke down into tears.
I told her everything: down to each last tiny detail.
She held me while I cried and spoke soothing words into my ear.
"Sometimes people don't understand the effect they've had on someone, sweetheart," she explained, running her hand over my hair and smoothing it down. "It doesn't mean they don't care."
I nodded, trying to get rid of the knot in my throat.
We eventually went inside. Mom offered to stay up and watch a movie with me to help get my mind of things. But I shook my head, saying I was tired.
She reluctantly agreed, giving me a tight hug before letting me go upstairs.
I pushed my door open weakly, sniffling and blubbering. I was too tired to cry anymore. I flipped the switch on and started walking towards my bed but I stopped short in surprise.
My eyes struggled to take in what I thought I saw resting on my pillow. I walked closer, sitting down on my bed and staring in disbelief.
Lying on my bed was a tiny note.
My heart hammered against my chest when I recognized the farmiliar writing on the small piece of paper.
Stace,
I'm sorry for yelling. I just need some time to get my thoughts straight. I hope you'll forgive me.
Jake
I gripped the scrap of paper in my hands, feeling my shoulders shaking. I struggled to reread it through teary eyes.
I must have reread it a hundred times before I finally set it down. The tears had stopped and I found myself flipping off the light and crawling under my sheets.
I brushed the hair away from my face and took a few deep breaths. I fell asleep wondering what would happen in the days ahead.