Disgusting

I woke up on the complete opposite side of the bed as Devon. He was awake, staring at the ceiling.

“Hey Hunter,” he said quietly.

“Hey.”

“I’m gonna leave.”

“Why?”

“We need a break.”

“Are you sure? We take so many breaks and they really don’t last.”

“Hunter, you act like you love me one minute and then you completely reject me the next. I can’t deal with that. I’m not made of stone. I’m only human.”

I bit my lip. I knew where he was coming from. He knew that he wasn’t my top priority and I think that bothered him to all ends of the earth. He knew that there was someone else and he didn’t want to be second best; but who could honestly blame him?

“You can’t just stay for a while?”

“No Hunter. It’s almost noon and I’ve got some stuff to catch up on and I need to spend some time with my parents. I haven’t been home in forever.”

“Okay.”

Devon kissed me on the forehead.

I cursed. It was almost noon and I needed a shower so badly that I’m sure Russia could smell me from across the world.

I hopped in the shower and tried to dry my hair as fast as I could. I got dressed at warped speed and half-jogged downstairs. I locked up the house and then went around the side of the house to where the shed was. I got my cousin’s bike to ride because I was already late and I knew that Seth wouldn’t mind.

I showed up at Jake’s house a little bit after 12:15. We put Seth’s bike in the backyard, just in case.

I said hey to Jake’s mom when I went inside. She and her husband, Jake’s dad, were getting ready to go spend the day with some friends playing golf and other stuff.

Mrs. Shasta told us to behave ourselves and not to trash the place. Mr. Shasta gave me the dirtiest look, like he knew exactly what my intentions were. I tried not to act suspicious.

The oven timer went off and Mrs. Shasta took two cake pans out.

“There’s frosting already made in the fridge, so if you boys get bored you can decorate the cake, okay?”

“Yeah mom.”

“Don’t leave food on the counter. We have an ant problem.”

“Sure mom.”

“See you boys later.”

“Bye,” Jake and I both said.

Jake locked the front door behind them.

“My mom is such a mom,” he said.

“I wish my aunt was like that.”

“Your aunt is okay, right?”

“Meh.”

“I’m sorry. I guess I really shouldn’t complain.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“So what’d you get me?”

“Shit.” I completely spaced out buying him anything.

Jake gave me this look, like, I hope you’re thinking what I’m thinking. “Well we have three cans of frosting and the whole house to ourselves.”

“I haven’t ever really just eaten frosting? Would your mom actually care if we just ate it?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Oh. Oooooh!” And suddenly I got what he meant. I looked awkwardly at the floor.

Jake gave me a sly smile. “Either way, we can’t frosten the cake until it cools down. So we should find something else to do.”

“Sure. Good idea.”

We played video games in the living room. I sat next to him on the couch, but I tried to pretend that he wasn’t there. He was so much better at the game than I was. I was actually getting frustrated because losing really bothered me.

He killed my character for the final time and the game ended.

“Ha! I win!” Jake nearly screeched.

“Jesus. It wasn’t like it was that hard for you.”

“Are you bitter because I’m better than you for once?” He nailed it, but I didn’t let him know that.

“I’m just saying; it’s not that much competition.”

Jake shrugged. “I’m just better than you.”

He grinned at me and it was so hard to even be mad at him.

“So Sawyer’s friend is having this party tonight and Sawyer really wants me to go with her, but I told her you and I were hanging out and she said that you could come too.”

“It’s just gonna be a lot of freshmen. Not to be a boner, but I’m not interested.”

“There’s gonna be hot girls.”

We both laughed.

“I’ll go with you. But only because it’s your birthday.”

“So what else can I get because it’s my birthday?”

“Anything you want.”

“Really?”

“Yep.”

“I want a rematch at this game, and you better try this time.”

“Damn.”

Jake ran his hand through his hair. “And then we can do whatever you want.”

---

Jake and I tried to decorate the cake, but neither of us was particularly artistic, and it ended up being sort of ugly. Jake shrugged. “I’m sure it tastes wonderful,” he said.

And that’s how a handful of cake ended up in my hair. “Jaaaaaaaake,” I whined. I turned to face him and he got more cake on my face. I reached blindly and ended up sticking my hand in the bowl of frosting on the counter. I wiped my hand on his cheek.

“All right,” Jake said. “We’re even.”

“Sure,” I said, but I got a last handful into his hair.

He just laughed and sat on the counter. “You are so impossible,” he told me.

“Not really.”

“You always have to have the last laugh.”

“Whatever.”

“My mom’s going to kill me.”

“So we’ll clean up and she’ll never know.”

“We don’t have a cake.”

I shrugged. “We’ll say that we ate it.”

Jake shrugged. “Or we can clean up, then ditch and I’ll get into trouble later.”

“Doesn’t matter to me.”

We scrubbed cake and frosting off the counter and the floor. Someone knocked on the door. Jake went to go answer it. I hopped up onto the counter and sat.

Jake came into the kitchen with Sawyer in tow. She looked stunning: as always. Jake would be so lucky if he ever got her. I wanted him to have her because she was clearly better for him, but then a part of me was selfish and didn’t want to share Jake at all.

“I was told that there’d be cake,” Sawyer announced. But she noted the cake in Jake and I’s hair and raised an eyebrow.

“We used it for kinky sex, so….”

Sawyer rolled her eyes. She sat on the countertop across from me.

“Why are you here so early?” Jake asked her.

“Why not?”

“I had special plans.”

Sawyer rolled her eyes. “Video games all day will get you nowhere in life, Jake. Maybe you should get out and socialize or something on occasion.”

Jake gave me a sly look. Sawyer had no idea what our plans actually were.

“Hey Sawyer, I don’t mean to be an ass, but now really isn’t the time.”

“Jesus Jake.”

“Like, it’s my birthday. No offense, but I kind of want to do the guy thing, you know?”

“You’re still coming later though, right?”

“Absolutely.”

“You better.”

“Of course.”

“You owe me a day Jake Shasta.”

“Anytime for you, sexy,” Jake said, walking with her out into the hallway by the front door.

Jake kissed her on the ear and then on the mouth. I actually watched them make out for a few seconds before I started to feel nauseous. I opened my phone and pretended to be occupied.

Jake came back into the kitchen looking smug.

“What is up with you?” I asked him.

“Jesus Hunter, don’t get your panties in a bunch.”

“You can’t just make out with girls in front of me.”

“It’s just Sawyer.”

“So?”

“She makes out with everyone.”

“And?”

“It’s my birthday.”

“Fuck that.”

“Did you want her around here all day?”

“She was leaving anyway.”

“You’re such a woman sometimes.”

“I’m not a woman. I want to be respected too. Jake.”

“Hunter, you think that I don’t know that you sleep around?”

I froze.

“I’m not as clueless as you think. You’ve got Blondie on speed dial. I saw him.”

“Jake…”

“Don’t play this with me Hunter. I know how you are. You’re never wrong.”

“It was wrong of me to go behind your back, but we aren’t dating.”

“Exactly. Then why do you care about Sawyer?”

“Because she’s in the way.”

“And Blondie isn’t?” He was talking about Devon.

“Jake. I’m so sorry. Devon and I are over. I don’t want to ruin your day because I’m an asshole.”

“At least you admit to it.”

“Jake.”

“You’re an asshole Hunter. By nature.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No you’re not.”

“Jake, can we please not do this?”

“Do what Hunter? Nothing is happening. Nothing ever happens.”

“What do you want to happen? Do I need to serenade you to sleep with gross love songs and buy you flowers and shit?”

“No, but you need to show me that you at least like me.”

“You know I like you Jake.”

“No. Not really.”

“Jake.”

“As far as I’m concerned you use me and then you leave. That’s always what happens.”

“I’m not really a cuddler.”

“Could you at least pretend that you care?”

“You know I care. You’re being ridiculous.”

“Every time I want to spend time with you, you go home and call Blondie to take care of you. Am I not good enough?”

“Jake. It’s because I care about you. I can’t hurt you. It would kill me.”

Jake rolled his eyes. “It’s whatever. Maybe you should just go home.”

“Jake.”

“I’m serious.”

“Jake, please don’t do this right now.”

“Why not?”

“Because I want you to be happy and you’re not happy at all.”

Jake sat down on the counter. “I’m sorry Hunter. I just get lonely. And when I’m lonely I get insecure and I start to think…. And that’s no good.”

“Jake… If we need to talk then let’s talk. Okay?”

“I just want you to want me like I want you.”

“You know I do.”

“You never show it.”

“I’m no good at it. I may be a drama queen, but I’m not emotional about it.”

Jake’s mouth turned up in a small smile.

“I love you Hunter.”

“You too.”

Jake didn’t smile, but he stood in front of me, where I was sitting on the countertop.

“Are we okay?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Good.”

“Good.”

“I’m going to go take a shower and try and get this cake out of my hair?” He said it like a question, as if he was inviting me to go with him.

I followed him wordlessly up the stairs and to the bathroom.

Inside, he took me by surprise and backed me into the counter. He was so close to me that I felt shaky. My breath caught a few times.

Jake pushed my shirt up over my chest and I helped him pull it off. I went to pull Jake closer to me by putting my hand on the back of his neck, but I stuck my hand in the frosting that was globbed up in the back of his hair.

Jake laughed at the face I made. It sort of broke the mood, but Jake and I made it into the shower without anymore casualties or arguments.