Walk Through Hell

I woke up the next morning with my head on Jake's stomach.

My phone alarm was going off in my pocket.

Jake was on the recliner part of the couch.

I guess he went looking for me last night when he didn't find me in his room.

"Jake," I cooed as I shook him lightly.

"Mmm." He mumbled.

"Jake, we have school."

His eyes flickered open. He groaned.

"Jake, you have to get up."

"I don't wanna." He turned away from where the light was coming in the window.

"You have to."

"Whyyyyy?" He whined.

"Because you're my ride to school. And I can't miss anymore school."

He groaned again. "How bout we make a deal?"

"Oh yeah?"

"I'll get up in my hour of darkness, and get dressed and waste my whole day just to drive you to school," he looked at me now, "for a kiss."

I rolled my eyes. "Jaaaake, come on."

"Just a kiss. A little peck."

I leaned down and gave him a little peck on the lips.

Dirty fucker, he grabbed the back of my head and pushed the kiss deeper.

I scrunched up my face and pushed on his chest.

When he finally broke it apart, I glared at him and hit his arm.

"Get ready for school." I said, a little ticked, and he just smiled, sheepishly.

We drove to school together, in an awkward silence.

Before I got out of the car, Jake rushed over to my side and opened my door. He took my hand and helped me out while I just glared at him.

I flung my messenger bag over my shoulder and we walked to school together.

The whole walk up to school, I knew we were making a scene. I really didn't care.

He kept trying to grab my hand, and I would pull it away.

So he flung his arm around me.

"Come on, Lexie," he started, leaning in to whisper right <>by my ear.

I shimmied his arm off my shoulder. "Jaaaake," I whined, telling him to stop.

He just switched sides and put his arm around my waist, tugging me close.

"Jake," I warned.

"Come on, Ricky and Ray are waiting for us over there."

I groaned in compliance.

"JAAAKE! LEXIE!" Ricky screamed.

"Hey guys, 'sup?" Ray said, nonchalantly.

"Hey kids." I mumbled.

"Hi!" Jake said, enthusiastic.

"So... What's going on?" Ricky asked, inquisitive.

"W-what are you talking about? Nothing's going on," I covered. Horribly, I might add.

"Heh, yeah. Right." Ray scoffed.

I looked down and realized that Jake's arm was still around me. I brused it off.

"Hey, I'll see you guys later. I got people to see. Peace, wiggers."

They all bidded me goodbye.

Except Jake.

"I'm going with her, guys. I'll catch you later."

We started walking toward my crew.

"What are you doing?" I asked him.

"Following you."

"---Why?"

"Because you're magnificent."

I snorted.

"Hey bros!"

"Hey, guys!" I called out to my four friends.

I introduced everyone who needed, and we were all cool.

We talked for a while before the bell rang.

Today's classes were weird. People were staring at me more and more.

"It's the you and Jake thing," someone said, coming up behind me in third block.

"Hey, Sarah." Sarah was Alex's girlfriend. She was pretty cool. I approve!

"So what's going on between you two, anyways?"

The only person who knew besides me and Jake, well the only girl that I had told anyways, didn't even go here. I had to tell someone.

I looked around before starting, "Well, Jake lives next door to me," I started, "and both of our parents went out of town and forced us to live together and share a room. So, to make a long story short, we went from hating each other, to tolerating each other, to fucking each other, to me trying to avoid him and get him off my back."

"Jeeze, why?"

"Because he likes me and keeps asking me to go out with him," I told her glumly.

"So you don't want to go out with him?"

I sighed. "No. I just... I don't know if I can take it."

"So you do want to go out with him?"

"No. I just... I'm so confused!"

"Sounds to me like someone's got a crush." She smirked, knowingly.

"But I can't. Just think of how the school would react."

"You mean like because you guys are on opposite sides of the clique spectrum?"

"Yeah."

"That sounds pretty childish to me."

I groaned. "You're right. I just... we wouldn't work out."

"Are you just saying that?"

I looked at here, "Yeah." I replied honestly.

She gave me a weak smile. "I didn't peg you as the type who judges people based on their social status."

And that's when it clicked.

If I like someone, I should just date him.

That clique shit is stupid.

"But what if I get hurt?" I asked her after a few moments of silence, taking her and myself by surprise.

She just gave me another week smile, saying 'that is something you are going to have to risk'.

Bleh.

~*~

Four days had passed since I'd moved back into my house.

Jake was still giving me a ride to school in the mornings.

And still taking me on really fun, unconventional dates that I would reject him afterwards.

Regardless, we still acted like a couple.

We would spend five minutes with his friends in the morning, and then five minutes with mine until the bell rang.

I'd made good friends with Ricky and Ray.

He was now in with Austin, Alex, Christian, and the lovely Sarah.

We fought over stuff.

We made up.

He even slipped in a few kisses.

At which point we fought some more.

;)

All the time, I was trying to avoid a relationship, and he was trying hard to get one.

Our mothers just loved the fact that we were spending so much time together.

So when a knock came to the door, now, at 7:00 at night, I was called down stairs.

"Yeah?" I said, running down the stairs into the foyer.

"Jake's here to see you," my step-mom hummed.

"Hey." I said, boredly.

"Come on," he said, grabbing my arm.

I shook my arm away from him, "Uh, my parents don't want me going anywhere at this time, because I probably won't get back until late, and then I'll wake everyone--"

"She can go!" My step-mom's voice called from the kitchen, where she probably had the side of her head pressed up against the door, listening to our conversation.

Jake smiled. "Great." He grabbed my arm back and pulled me out to his car as I sighed in defeat.

"So where are we going? And why did you park in my driveway? Did you seriously drive one driveway away?"

"It's a surprise, I parked in your driveway when I dropped you off and just didn't move my car."

I nodded.

Five minutes later, I asked him again. "Jake, where are we going?"

He turned on the radio.

"Jaaake, where are we going?" Five minutes. Right on cue.

No response.

Another five minutes passed, "Jake?"

"--"

"Fine."

This time, I waited ten minutes, and tried a different approach.

*Smiles evilly.*

"Jaaake?" I said, my voice low and seductive. I leaned over the stick shift kissed him on the cheek.

"Hmm?" He said, his voice cracking slightly.

"Jaaaake," I whispered in his ear, putting my palm on his leg.

"S-stop. I'm not going to tell you." He said, nervously.

"Please?" I started kissing closer to his mouth.

"L-lexie... I'm, I'm d-driving." I'd started moving my hand further up his leg.
BR>
I removed my hand from his leg, and aimed my kisses at the nape of his neck.

My hand moved to his chest.

"We're almost there," he said, regaining his composure slightly.

I stopped and looked around.

Bowling Alley.

Hardware Store.

Coffee Shop.

Barnes and Nobles.

Small rock venue?

One of the last three was definitely where he was taking me.

He pulled into the parking lot between the coffee shop and the Talking Heads Bar and Club.

He parked directly between them.

He got out of the car. I followed.

He waited for me on his side. Talking Heads it was.

He intertwined his hand with mine as we walked towards the venue.

I didn't even bother trying to get him off anymore.

We walked in and he nodded to the ticket guy, who nodded and let him in.

That was odd.

Is Jake a drug dealer?

We walked over to a table and sat down.

He beckoned the waitress over and asked for a coke. I said I'd have the same.

"I'll be back in a few," he said, standing up.

"Wait!" I stopped him, "Where are you going?"

He chuckled. "You'll see," he told me, a smirk growing on his face.

I glared at him, so he kissed me on the cheek and left.

I grabbed the little poster thing from the middle of the table and read it.

Frequency Low. An up and coming indie band with a rough sound. Blah blah blah.

They were the only band playing tonight.

That's weird. I've been here twice before, and even all of the other shows, or most of them, that I've heard about here usually have at least 2, maybe 3 bands playing.

I waited for Jake to come back.

The waitress brought our drinks.

I drank mine.

All of it.

Where the hell is Jake?

Did he ditch me?

The already dim lights flickered three times, signalling that the band was starting.

I looked to my left towards the door, seeking out Jake. I looked forwards, and all around the back of the place, where he'd walked off to.

I sighed and looked at the stage.

Oh. My. God.

There was Jake.

On the stage.

With a guitar.

I knew he played, obviously, but... a band?

He caught me gaping at him and winked.

They played a few songs.

They were pretty good.

They played a few more.

Honestly judging them, they were pretty damn good!

More songs, perfectly executed.

I'd love to say his band sucked,too. Haha.

The announced that this would be their last song.

"This one is for a very special friend of mine who I dragged along with me tonight. Lexie, the question remains the same."

And then him and his band performed the song I heard him sing in his closet.

It was amazing.

I've had songs written about me before.

Love songs, even.

But this? Nothing compares.

He finished up. "What do you say Lex?"

I took a shaky breath in, and nodded.

I wide grin appeared on his face as he set his guitar down and jumped off the stage.

And we kissed.