Chapter 2 - Realization

A Chapter by Lolo K

this is a more epic scene where Jake saves Aria's life

Chapter 2

Aria gasped as she turned down the hallway. “Jake! You scared me!” The hallway was empty and class had already started. “Jake, I really have go.” He stepped in front of her.

“Jake,” He took a step forward when she took a step back. “what do you want?” she sounded exasperated.

“I’m here to warn you.”

“Warn me?”

“About Jayden.” When she didn’t say anything, he continued. “He’s getting way too close and he’s gotten himself in too deep. Any deeper and he might just drown. Watch him.” Jake’s eyes went from hers, to behind her.

Aria quickly turned to see what captured his attention, to find it was nothing. She turned back and he was gone.

*~*~*

“Hello?” Jayden answered his cell phone.

“Jayden!” She sounded worried. “Where are you?”

“Heading to the Stang… why? What’s wrong?”

“Just… be careful.”

“No, you have something you wanna tell me.”

“Jake told me you’re in too deep. I’m not sure what he means by that, but promise me you’ll be careful!”

“When was this?”

“Today, beginning of third period.”

“Did he tell you anything else?”

“No…”

“Good. I want you to stay away from him.”

“I’m trying! He shows up everywhere.”

“Kay. Aria, stay close to Kate.” And he hung up.

“How’d it go?” Kate asked. She had been standing there while Aria made the call.

“Horrible.” Kate look confused. “He was too concerned for me… I don’t know what he’s gunna do.”

“Well this Jake guy hasn’t done anything wrong. You guys might be making a big deal about this when really, he doesn’t mean anything by it.”

“Kate’s right.” The two girls jumped when Jake came up behind them.

“Were you watching us?!”

Ignoring the question, he proceeded, “I’m not trying to be the bad guy. In case you haven’t ‘noticed’ all my warnings, I’m trying to help both of you.”

“How?” Kate asked. Jake shot her a look. She stuck her hands up in defeat.

“Jayden’s not right for you.” Aria rolled her eyes. “No, hear me out! Back in our freshman year, his sophomore, your boy Jay, and I took a trip to Detroit for our service project. We got a little… mixed up, with some bad people. And it took us long enough to get out of it, but then your boy Jayden has to turn around and get… addicted.”

“I don’t wanna hear anymore!” Aria turned to walk away.

“Because you’re afraid to hear the truth?” Ha asked quietly.

She turned to see him standing just as he was. She studied his face but didn’t find a hint of sarcasm. He was being serious. Aria positioned herself, back next to Kate.

“So he was in debt, because he had people buying bottle after bottle for him. He didn’t want you to know where all his money went, so he kept borrowing money he didn’t plan to pay back. With my help, and my pastor’s help, we got him off, but he still owed $3,000.” The girls’ eyes widened. “He didn’t buy that much- that I know of- but the interest on the loans kept piling.” They relaxed a little. “He only has two months left to pay it back. I know you think I’m creepy but I’ve just been watching you… I don’t know what he said when he was high, but I’m sure you’re name came up… more than once.”

“If this is true, then why didn’t he just tell me?”

“He had me swear not to tell anyone, so I did it on the condition that I’d only tell people who deserved to know.”

“…so you’re telling me…”

Jake nodded.

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

“I could call them for you.”

She thought a minute. “Can you take me to them?”

“No! That’s why I’ve been watching you, so they wouldn’t find you!”

“Sorry.”

His voice softened. “It’s alright.”

She looked at him hard. “There’s something you’re not telling me… what else about Jayden?”

Jake sighed. “Jayden was mixed up in something bigger and more criminal than drugs-“ He was cut off by a ’66 Mustang peeling out from the corner.

“Jay?!” All three announced with three different emotions. He jumped out and stormed over to Aria.

“You told me to stay close to Kate.” She shrugged. Kate grinned.

“I told you to stay away!” This was directed towards Jake.

“I want her safe just as much as you do, if not more.” Jake wasn’t phased, he didn’t flinch, his emotions were set on pause.

“You! You are goin-“

“Jayden!”

He turned.

“Jake already told me.” Aria said, quietly. Jayden looked shocked and turned back to Jake.

“You swore…”

“I swore not to tell anyone that shouldn’t know.” Jake finished. He motioned his head towards Aria. “Don’t you think she should know?”

“I didn’t want her to know!”

“Why not?”

“I didn’t want her to think… I’m not like that anymore!”

“…you just owe tons of money… what’d you do wrong? I know you’re not hooked anymore.” Aria interjected.

Jayden studied Jake again and then mouthed something to him. In turn, Jake nodded solemnly. Jayden let out a long sigh of relief and then without another word, got in his car and drove away.

“He didn’t want me to know?” Aria asked Jake. Not waiting for an answer, she continued. “What else were you trying to tell me?”

“I can’t.” Aria looked confused. “I’ll have to tell you later. How about Tim Horton’s at 7?”

She nodded, and he turned and walked away.

“Sounds like a date.” Kate teased.

*~*~*

Aria abruptly awoke from the slamming of a door. She spared a glance to the clock. 6:52 pm. She fell asleep and totally forgot about Jake. She exchanged her skirt and polo for a pair of jeans and a pink short sleeve shirt over a long sleeve white shirt. “Mom!” She yelled as she yanked on one of her pink All Star hightops. “Where’s my purse?!”

“Down here, hon.”

After lacing up her second shoe, she dabbed on some lip gloss, and tied up her long brown hair into a messy bun. She raced down the stairs, grabbed her purse, a diet coke, and her keys.

Aria slid easily through her Firebird window without using the door and started driving. She pulled out her phone and dialed Kate’s number.

“Heya!”

“Hey, Kate. Where are you right now?”

“At home, why?”

“I’m not meeting up with Jake alone and if I have to tie you to the roof of my car…” She paused a minute. “Bad for the car… never mind. But you’re coming with me! I’m heading towards your house right now.”

“Kay.”

“See you in a few.”

Aria slid her sidekick shut and tossed it onto the passenger side. No one was on the road until a car peeled out from the corner, burning rubber. The hummer was heading straight for her at about eighty miles an hour.

“What the…” And she swerved, but couldn’t get out of the way in time.

Suddenly she heard a gunshot and, again, swerved, this time off the road. Instead of following, the hummer flew by. Aria jumped out of the car. “Jake?!” He was on his knees. She ran over to him. “Jake, what’s going on?”

Out of his limp hand, a gun fell onto the ground with a clatter that seemed to echo. “I – I shot somebody.” His voice was dry.

“Jake…” She dropped on the sidewalk next to him.

“I have their cell phones tapped in. I heard they were going after you so you wouldn’t… stop Jay. I followed you down here to see what would happen. My car is just down the road.”

She thought a minute to process it all. “Jake you saved my life!” It was a cross between a question, a fact, and an exclamation. She was also on the verge of tears. Almost getting run over by a hummer can do that to a person.

He looked at her, eyes pained. “Did you kill him?” She asked, thinking that was the cause of his tortured look. He shook his head. Aria threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. “Thank you so much!” She whispered. “I still can’t believe you saved my life.” He looked at her again, with that pained look. She furrowed her brow. “How many times have you saved me without knowing?”

Jake stood up and offered his hand. “You owe me one.” He said in response, pulling her to her feet. He started to walk down the street.

“You didn’t answer my question!” He kept walking. “Where are you going?!” Upon receiving no answer, she ran to catch up with him.

They approached the hummer. The whole fender and hood were smashed and almost formed around the tree. Jake flung the door open. The man had his head against the airbag and blood drizzling from the bullet hole in his broad shoulder.

“He’s out.” Aria stated the obvious. “What are we going to do? We can’t just leave him here. Someone’s gunna get mixed up if they find this out.”

Jake pulled out his iPhone and dialed. “T, I’m on Napa Drive. I suggest you come pick up your garbage before someone else does.” Without waiting for a response, he ended the call and turned back to Aria. “Now we can.”

“Okay, so I’ll see you at Tim Horton’s in a few.” She turned to walk back to the Firebird.

“That was just the meeting place. Now we’re met…”

“Yeah, but the fate of Kate’s happy camper mood lies in a Tim Horton’s brownie iced cappuccino.”

Jake laughed. First time Aria had heard it, and she loved it.

*~*~*

“Hey, guys.” Jayden said to Austin and Daniel, as he entered the dorm.

“Any more on this Jake guy?” Were the first words out of Daniel’s mouth.

“He- no.”

“What’d he tell her?” Austin was good at things like that.

Daniel groaned. “Not the Detroit story. Your girl learns that and you’re sure to lose her.”

“He only told her half.”

“Addiction half or…”

“First one.”

“Good.”

“Yeah, really though. Jake’s getting too close.” The two gave him weird looks. “You’re right. I need to give her some space.” He threw his bookbag on the top bunk. “Five hours and we’re already separating.”

“How do you know?” Austin asked quietly.

“I can tell…”

*~*~*

“Timmy Ho’s!” Kate sang as the two girls parked. “Do you know what type of car he has?”

“I dunno…” They both got out. “Jay said he had good taste.”

“Like that?” They both turned to see a dandelion colored 1968 Camero. “He has a Firebird too?”

“No that’s a Camero. They’re a little different.” They headed into Tim Horton’s where they scoped for Jake.

“Saw you looking at my car,” he smiled as they came over and sat in the booth across from him.

“So it is yours…” Kate asked.

Jake nodded proudly. “That one I bought cheep and then fixed up with my bro. I have a ’65 fastback mustang at home, and my brother has a ’68 Shelby cobra mustang.” Aria’s jaw dropped.

“I didn’t understand a word you just said. I’m just gunna go get myself a brownie iced capp.” And Kate left.

Aria then became serious. “Jayden.”

Jake sighed and shifted his Cherry Jones soda in his hands. “Like I said before, he was mixed up in something a lot more criminal than being an underage addict.”

Kate slid into the booth and handed Aria a diet coke. “Thanks.”

“He was involved in a murder.” The two girls gasped even though Tim Horton’s was empty.

prev chapter