Chapter 7: Dreams and Reality
"When we talk, you say it softly, but I love it when you're awfully quiet,"
~Billie Eilish
Jake
I was sitting down on my desk's chair, typing away on my laptop. Doing my usual stuff. I stopped and took a breath. Thinking about Marco's beautiful facial features. Oh how I just wanted him here with me so I can kiss him again. I stared at my computer screen and started to tap the keys again. But, I just couldn't do anything else anymore. Slowly closing the screen as I stood up out of the creaky chair, I decided to check on my sister. I opened the door to the hallway, light started to seep into my dark room.
I softly made my way across the hallway, trying not to wake anyone up as I crept to my sister's room.
"Hey Nikola? You in there?" I whispered knocking on the door. It opened. Her hair covered one side of her hair while the rest was supported with a bandanna. "What do you want knucklehead? It's twelve in the morning right now. Go to sleep you have school."
"I could say the same for you."
She scoffed. "What do you want? I was talking with my friend," she retorted. I cocked my head at her. "You have friends?" I joked. She didn't find it funny, instead she decided to punch my chest.
"Yeah, I do. Weird right? It was going great until you decided to pop up out of nowhere to ruin my night. Anyway, why are you still up? You didn't answer me before," she asked. I pushed my way in and sat on her bed. Nikola slowly closed the door behind me.
"I'm just thinking."
"Thinking about what? Your girlfriend? Wait a second..."
I glared at her, like how she glared at the door.
"Actually, something about that. So... You know how I've never had a girlfriend right?" I said. She laughed.
"Of course I do. It's because no one likes you! I already know that. No need to remind me."
I resisted the urge to punch her in the face. I wanted to tell her my secret, but I shouldn't. I was always supposed to look like a strong person, protecting her, being masculine. But here I am, kissing Marco and having fantasies about him.
"You remember Marco right?" I stuttered. She smiled.
"Of course I do. You would always invite him over. Say, when are you gonna invite him over? He hasn't met Hex yet. And it's been so long since we moved away!" she said.
I thought about Marco in my room, alone with me. I could just corner him and kiss him. Then move into bed and keep kissing him.
"You're right. I should invite him," I responded to her. She lit up.
"Wait really? No way! I want to see him! Has he changed?"
I chuckled. Oh boy has he changed. He changed a lot. He broke up with his girlfriend. Now his relationship status is single. I should change that when I get the chance. I just missed the way his lips felt.
"Yeah, I'll ask him now actually. 'Kay, I'm gonna head back to my room. You have fun doing whatever you do with your imaginary friend," I teased as I got up to leave the room.
"He's not imaginary! He's from Ireland!" her voice was muffled from the door closing.
I tip-toed to my room and pulled my phone out of my pocket. Opened my contacts and started to text Marco. My hands immediately started typing.
You-
Hey man, you still up?
Thursday, October 8, 12:18
Marco-
Fuck off dick head.
Thursday, October 8, 12:18
You-
Dood, sorry. You wanna come over tomorrow or later this week?
Thursday, October 8, 12:18
I waited for a response. Nothing.
Marco-
Give me one good reason to meet you.
Thursday, October 8, 12:23
You-
So we can talk.
Thursday, October 8, 12:23
Marco-
Fine.
Thursday, October 8, 12:24
I smiled at his text. I get to see him again. I put my phone down. And covered myself in my blanket, still grinning, knowing that Marco can talk to me again.
...
Walking Nikola to her bus stop was an every day thing I had to do. Walking side by side talking and goofing about was something would do every morning. But today, she was on her phone. I glanced over at her phone, she pulled away.
"Hey, who you texting there? Is it that weirdo from Sweden? Or is it your crush?"
She looked up at her phone to glare at me. "First of all, he's from Ireland. And no. It's not my crush," she humphed.
I smirked. "Oh my god! Look at that dog! He's so cute! He looks like Hex!" I yelled. Her head immediately snapped up and started looking around. "Where? Where is it!?"
Her hands loosened and I swiped her phone away from her. "So! Let's see who this is! Oh my god! It is your crush!"
"You piece of shit give it back!" she screamed trying to get it back from me. Luckily for me, I was much much MUCH taller than she was.
"What's his name? Aw. Jaimey? Awe! Is he gonna be your boyfriend Nicky?" I continued to tease her.
"Fuck off will you!?" she shouted, kicking the back of my knee in the middle of her cursing.
My knees buckled down and I fell onto a pile of leaves.
"Asshole," she said as she took the phone from my hand. "Get up. The bus is here."
My head was still in the leaves. "Just get in it, I'll be here for a while. And don't worry... I know how to get to school Nicky," I mumbled in the orange and yellow stars.
She scoffed and stepped up the steps, sitting down on the bus. I smiled. I picked myself up and brushed myself up. Making my way on the cracked sidewalk. Down to school. Down to where I see Marco again.
...
I waited on the brick pillar where Marco and I talked yesterday. I saw him. Walking into the school's entrance. But he was looking down at his phone and had his headphones in. He looked nice today. Wearing his signature all black hoodie and black ripped jeans, but today he was wearing a flannel around his waist that would flow along with the wind.
He was a meter away. I stepped in front of him. "Looking good there Steads," I said. He looked up at me, then moved his concentration back to his phone. He pushed me out of his way, but I followed behind him. "So, when are we gonna come over to hang out at my place?" I asked his back. He pulled his headphones off at give me a sarcastic smile. "I don't know. When do you want me to come over to your place? So that you can kiss me again?" he scowled, placing his headphones back onto his head and walking away. I cut in from of him.
"So. When is that?" I questioned him. He rolled his eyes. "What the fuck do you want?"
I slowly moved towards him until he bumped into a wall. I looked down at him and brushed his hair. Slowly moving my hand from his hair down to his cheek, and ending on his chin. I lifted it up and stared into his beautiful eyes. He moved to the right, but I put my arms on the walls beside him. "What the fuck do you think you're doing White. You mind putting your arms somewhere else?" Marco growled. I grinned. I loved when he got angry or frustrated, he would turn an adorable red. God I wanted to kiss him.
"Fine, I will." I said putting my hands lower down to his waist, pulling his body towards mine. Marco shoved me aside. "Not what I meant Jake. What do you want?"
I smiled at him. "I just want you."
He glared at me. "Asshole."
"Where are you going?"
"Away from you, dumb ass."
He slowly walked away from me and into the heavily crowded hallway, leaving me alone in the corridor . I still didn't get the answer I wanted, but I moved forward with him. I pulled out my phone, and put in my earbuds. Listening to Billie Eilish and walking to my class.
Passing through the hallway filled with teens making out in front of their lockers. I walked to the front of my first class with Mrs. Weir, following the path that I would follow for everyday. I made it to the class and entered. There, I saw Marco with a random kid. I walked to the row of seats behind them and plopped myself down.
"So when did you meet Jake?" I heard the guy that was beside Marco ask.
"A long time. Like since I was what... Grade five? Yeah. That long."
"How come you don't talk to him that much anymore?"
"Well, he moved away in grade eight. And he came here this year. Maybe even before October, but I might have never seen him."
He was wrong. I was at Mcwell's for two years so far. I've seen him a couple times in the first year I was here, but I just never felt the need to talk to him. I've changed a lot now. Joining the football team here made me well... stronger and more confident. And that's what made me forward with Marco.
"He's been doing weird things with me right now."
"Like?"
"Too much shit to say. He's well. Progressing fast on me. I know this is stupid to say, but he's growing on me. And I just don't know what to do with him now."
I smiled, surprised that they didn't know I was right behind them.
"Yeah cool. Where the hell is Mrs. Weir at this point?"
And speak of the devil, here she was.
...
It was finally the end of the school day. I waited outside of the school's exit for Marco.
"Well yeah! See you tomorrow man," Marco said from a distance, waving to the guy that was sitting next to him.
"Say, who is that?" I asked him as he walked by me.
"Nobody that you need to know. And plus, why are you always following me now?" he responded walking out the front gates of the school, me following behind him. "I don't know, I just feel like we need to connect more. Y'know? Considering we barely talked for what?"
"Six years?" Marco completed my sentence.
"Yeah. Six years. So I just thought that maybe trying to talk to you more would strengthen our friendship."
Marco laughed one laugh. "You're funny now aren't you? You weren't like this in grade eight."
I put my arm around him. He didn't budge, he kept walking forward. "So. Where we going?"
"I'm sorry. Where are WE going? First of all you're following me. And secondly, I'm going to the cafe. Why does it matter to you?" he said as he moved my arm off his shoulder.
"Mind if I tag along with you? I haven't went before," I asked. He didn't answer, instead he only shrugged. "So... can I?"
"Fine. Just don't annoy me. I'm meeting my friend there okay? I promised that I would meet him yesterday but I didn't so just don't talk will you?"
"Sure. Whatever floats your boat. Lemme text Nikola actually."
"Why are you texting her? Isn't she like across the country?"
I shook my head. "Nope, we live together."
"You still live with your family?"
"Well yeah, I love them. Plus, we moved here. We live literally two minutes away from the school. And speaking of my family. Nikola wants to meet you again, it's been a long time, and she want's to meet her ex-crush," I winked, nudging his side.
"Will you piss off?" Marco sneered. I put my arm around him, he shoved it off. "So... how come Nikola wants to see me?"
"We got a new dog, and I was wondering if Hestor would like to visit him."
"Yeah sure, I can make some time up. Tomorrow? You said you live two minutes away right?"
I nodded.
We kept walking in more silence, just feeling the wind blow against us. We kept walking pass the park and made it to the cafe. We both entered and were greeted with a 'smell'. Marco smiled but I shriveled up my nose. "What's wrong there?" Marco muttered, lifting his head off my arm.
"The smell. It's weird," I said stretching my arm. I looked around the cafe and it looked homey. "So yeah, how many times do you go here man?"
Marco turned around.
"Too many times. Too many."
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