CHAPTER 12 - TWO CAN PLAY AT THAT GAME

Jenny and I were getting ready to go to the party. Despite my constant protesting, I fought the urge to get excited. It had been so long since I had been out and done anything fun, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

She heard that Jake would be there, and that made me nervous. We would be at the same party, at the same time. I wondered what he might think when he saw me there. Even though I wanted to be with him, watching him from afar would have to be enough.

Tripp kept texting Jenny and I couldn't help but feed off of her excitement. I loved seeing a smile on my best friend's face. It made me happy. At one point she was staring at her phone, grinning like a fool and I couldn't help myself so I asked her.

"So Jenny, does Tripp give you butterflies and all the feels?" She thought about it for a moment and had a curious look on her face.

"Well, if I am being honest, no but he is fun to hang around with." That shocked me, I thought she was into him.

"What about you? Does Jonathon do anything for you or does Jake still have your heart?" She asked curiously, but I was certain that she already knew the answer.

"Jonathon's sweet but he doesn't make me feel like Jake does. When that boy kisses me I swear the room spins." She giggled and rolled her eyes. I was in too deep with this guy.

With such a wonderful week on my heels, I wanted to let my hair down and maybe catch Jake's eye. I wanted to do my hair, paint my face and make myself feel as beautiful as possible.

Jenny and I spent an hour and a half getting ready. After ransacking her closet, I found the perfect outfit. The jeans were ankle length and fit like a glove. The top was black and hung off my shoulders, falling in one long ruffle to my waist. The best part was my shoes. They were black high heels with two simple straps around my ankle and one across my toe.

Thinking about it now, they were not the best option for a river party. They looked amazing though, so I risked it. That outfit made me feel tall and lean and as much as I hate to admit it, beautiful.

Feeling beautiful was foreign to me. It was something that I have always admired in other girls, their classic elegance. I had always known I could never possess it. I see how guys look at them with their jaws hanging and wish that someone would look at me that way. Well, maybe, just maybe, tonight will be that night.

I finished with matte red lipstick and black eyeliner, keeping my hair pin-straight and sleek. Jenny also loaned me some gorgeous hoop earrings. They pulled the whole outfit together. Looking in the mirror, I hoped that he would like it.

Jenny looked gorgeous as usual. 
Even though we both stayed under the radar at school, she had always been so beautiful. I was certain some boy would realize that and snag her up for good.

Jenny got a text from Tripp asking us to meet them at the river. We said our goodbyes to her mom and headed out for the evening. Before we left Mrs. Christy shot me a wink and reminded me that God had set me apart for a purpose. She finished with a sweet kiss on my forehead and a hug that made my heart feel full.

It was crazy how every party in town took place at either someone's house or the river. There wasn't much for kids to do, so we kept migrating to the same old places.

Luckily, everyone was usually low key and no-one had ever gotten hurt. That kept the parental population at bay. As we pulled up, we saw Tripp and Jonathon leaning against a truck and Jenny whipped in beside them.

A bonfire was roaring and people were around it, a common sight. 
The make-shift benches surrounding it played host to couples. They snuggled up to each other, enjoying the warmth radiating from the flames. There is something about a fire and music that is so inviting, it draws you in. It seems almost magical.

We exchanged hellos with Jonathan and Tripp and they seemed thrilled to see us. Jonathon told me that he had missed me. I tried to excuse away my ignoring his calls by telling him I had some family issues. There was no elaborating, that wasn't something I would share with anyone but Jake and Jenny.

I never drank at those things. It was always so much fun watching other people get piss drunk and make fools of themselves. In an odd twist, when Jonathon offered to get me a drink I agreed. I shot Jenny a look, and she seemed to know exactly what was on my mind without even discussing it.

After everything that had gone on, liquid relaxation seemed very inviting. Jonathan fetched us a few beers, and I was glad that Jenny decided not to partake. If there is one thing I feared, it was drunk drivers.

A few drinks in and I was already feeling the alcohol take effect. 
It was so relaxing and somehow with each drink, my cares seemed to melt away. They were still there, but hiding under the surface. I had a nagging feeling that nothing would ever permanently erase them.

For that night though they were subdued, unable to creep their way into my mind. At least that was what I thought. Jonathan asked me to dance at some point but I hadn't had enough to make that sound appealing so I declined.

When Jake's truck pulled up, I felt a tinge of guilt. We had discussed my relationship with Jonathon several times. He knew that there wasn't much he could say about it since he was not willing to make me his girlfriend. I watched as Jake jumped out of his truck and joined his friends. They were already engaged in a game of competitive corn-hole.

The "beautiful ones" as I call them, surrounded him as soon as he exited the truck. They did not waste a second hanging on him, giggling and trying to get his attention. He was just tolerating them and paying attention to Tag, Toby and the other fellas.

He did not even notice me for a while. I watched him intently while still holding a conversation with Jonathon, Tripp, and Jenny. Jonathan was becoming funnier and funnier as the alcohol found its way into my veins and I was having fun. I could not recall a time when I had fun, and I was intent on relishing every moment.

My eyes continued to wander over to Jake from time to time though. To my surprise, I couldn't help but notice Tag staring in our direction. From the looks of it, his gaze was laser-focused on Jenny. I thought back to how odd he had been acting lately.

The next time I snuck a glance, shock fell over my entire face. One of the "beautiful ones" put her arm around Jake's waist and pulled him over to one of the make-shift benches. He had a smile on his face and appeared to be more than willing to go with her.

When they sat down her hand was resting on his knee and she leaned in, speaking to him while he listened intently. It was then that he stood and walked back toward his friends and his eyes finally caught mine. My blood was boiling and I could feel my face turning red.

I wanted to go rip her hair out and slap him across the face, but I reminded myself that would solve nothing. I glanced at her and then back at him. When his eyes followed mine he realized that I had seen the flirty exchange between the two of them. He looked at me with a look that I can only describe as horror, not believing his luck. It was then that it occurred to me that two can play at that game.

I heard a slow song start-up in the background and grabbed Jonathon, pulling him in full sight of Jake. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I whispered in his ear. I told him I had second thoughts about his earlier request. As we spun around, I made eye contact with Jake and could see the fire brewing in his.

When the song was over, we retreated to the tailgate, and sat down. I made sure I laughed a little harder at everything Jonathon was saying and rubbed my hand across his back. At that point I did not even bother to glance over, I was sure he was seething.

It wasn't long before I heard my phone buzzing in my pocket. There was no doub who it was. I picked it up and read it as I took another sip of beer.

"Do you want me to come over there and beat the shit out of that kid? Meet me where we parked that first night, NOW!"

That further pissed me off. Who did he think he was? He doesn't want me, but I can't have anyone else either?

It was at that point that I leaned over and gave Jonathon a kiss on the cheek. The anger had taken over. It was blocking my ability to consider that I was putting Jonathon in harm's way by playing such a risky game.

I glanced over at Jake to see the look on his face. I almost fell off of the tailgate when I realized he was walking toward us with Tag right next to him. As they walked,  they kept step with each other. My heart stopped for a second, I had to think quick before poor Jonathon got his head pounded in.

I jumped off the tailgate, and ran over to Jenny, explaining what happened. As they approached, I made sure I spoke loud enough so he could hear me. "Can you take me to the store, I am not feeling well and need some aspirin."

Jenny realized what I was doing and shot me a nervous smile, "Sure, give me a sec." I studied Jake's face and saw that the tension had left. He seemed satisfied that I would meet him, but we braced ourselves for what was about to go down. My mouth fell open when the first one to speak was not Jake but Tag.

"So Jenny, how's it going?" We didn't know what was going on, but I shot Jenny a curious look and she shot me one right back.

"Just hanging out," she replied. Tag kept his hands in his pockets, looking nervous. Jake stood next to him, not saying a word but trained his eyes on Jonathon. With every second that passed, I freaked out a little more.

"Do you guys want to join us for a game of corn hole?" Tag asked. Jenny looked over at Jonathon and Tripp, who were standing next to the truck bed. You could tell they were assessing the situation, not sure what was going on. They shrugged their shoulders at Jenny, giving her the green light to join Tag.

"Sure" she replied, "Give us a few minutes, I have to run Sky to the store." They nodded in agreement and returned to their corner with all the "beautiful ones." Jenny and I jumped in the car and stared at each other for a moment, our hearts racing.

"Sky, what the hell just happened, the popular kids asked us to join them?"

"Well, Jenny, Tag asked you to join him, we were just innocent bystanders. I was just hoping that Jonathon wasn't about to get his ass kicked."

With that statement, we both agreed that getting me to Jake was the best course of action. When we pulled up, the moonlight was shining into his truck and I could see his expression. He was furious.

This would not be an easy or quick conversation.

******

A/N

I hope you are enjoying Jake and Sky's journey and would love to hear your thoughts.