"Don't come near Jake! The bed is mine" I say selfishly and occupy the whole bed with my limbs.
Jake chuckles.
"Come on Nicole! I need to sleep for crying out loud"
"No! Why don't you just stand there and be my bodyguard?"
"I would love to, but the sleep wouldn't go away" He retorts and sits on the edge of the bed in a grey sweater and navy shorts. The navy really matched his complexion.
"I never knew navy could look so good on you Jake" I compliment and I see a tinge of red on his cheeks.
"I've heard that so many times" he says and I laugh.
"But I am glad I got to hear it from you and from now on, I'll wear navy more often. Plus you look good in my black turtleneck sweater"
It warms my heart and I mentally pat myself for complimenting him. I quickly take my gaze off him and look out of the window. It's dark and the full moon was out with the stars. The snow kept on falling. I quickly pick up my socks. I almost forgot it. I slip them on and Jake chuckles.
"What?!" I demand.
"Nothing! Its just that your socks are so cute"
I huff and continue to slip on the rainbow coloured pair.
"Won't you wear yours?" I query and he smirks.
"I've already worn them" he replies and lifts up his right leg to show me his black sock.
"That's nice"
I shift in order to create room for him on the bed and pull the sheets up to my chest.
"Someone's cold" he taunts
"I'm not! I'm just keeping myself warm so that I won't have to feel cold" I snap back.
"But the heater is on"
"Have you ever heard the saying Prevention is better than cure?"
He chuckles amused and gets under the sheets.
"Are you ready for the trip?" He asks wiggling his shaggy eyebrows at me. I just sigh in response.
"It is tomorrow right?"
Jake nods and touches my cheek.
"I know you're gonna miss your family" he admits and I nod.
"I've never spent Christmas without them. All this is foreign to me. But I don't wanna go back! "
"I know! You want to prove them wrong" Jake says and I nod.
"Nothing is going to happen! We would go and come back next year! I promise you"
I give him a small smile.
"I'm sure you are overwhelmed" I suggest and he grins.
"Of course. I can't wait to see Jessica and my mom. I miss them so much"
"Have you thought of how your mom would react when she sees your dad?"
"Yeah. Like a hundred times"
"So how would she react?"
"I don't know. My mom is unpredictable when it comes to reactions but I know her reactions would be mixed. Sorrow, bitterness, anger, love, yeah"
"Do you think she would listen to him?"
"Maybe she wouldn't because I wasn't prepared to listen to him until you reported me"
I chuckle at the memory.
"Your picture was all over the city. You became a celebrity" I mock him and he glares at me pointedly making me laugh hard at him.
"I need to tell my dad you were the mysterious lady who reported me and you didn't accept the reward"
"I don't think its necessary for you to tell him"
"I am gonna tell him!"
I roll my eyes in annoyance.
"Well I can't wait to meet your mom and Jessica" I confess honestly and he grins.
"Jessica would be so delirious to see you!"
A yawn escapes my lips and Jake chuckles. I glance over at Aaron who was sleeping in the small bed we created for it and it was fast asleep.
"Good night Aaron" I say and close my eyes.
"Have you forgotten this buddy?" I hear Jake ask and I look up to see him holding Boomer in his strong arms.
"Oh how cute?" I coo and take the fluffy teddy bear from him. I go back to my previous position and hug the bear tight. Later I felt someone peck my cheek.
"Good night Nikki. I love you"
ððð
I drag my suitcase to the hall and check my stuff one more time. Everything was here! Great. Jake was packing the rest of his things. I still can't believe I'm leaving with the Winters to England. Today is the day! 22nd December!
The door bell rings and I trudge towards it. Who could it be? I pull open the door and I was shocked to see the girl who has always been a thorn in my flesh standing there with tears stained cheeks.
I couldn't find the words or even form a sentence. I just stood there glowering at her. Why is she here? How did she know Jake lives here? Does it mean he has brought her here before? What if they spent the night together? I am sure he brought her here at the time we were fighting. Jealousy builds up in me as I think about what the two of them could have done in here alone.
"Nikki! Who is it?" I hear Jake holler to me and I don't know what to say.
"Nikki!" He says again and I hear his footsteps.
"Nikki who isâ" he says but stops abruptly and I could feel his presence behind me because I could sense his cologne.
There is a deafening silence among us. Kate looks at me, then back at Jake with her mouth open. I see tears rush into her eyes but she tries to hold them back.
"Nikki ummm can you leave Kate and I alone? I think she came to see me" Jake finally speaks up and I just nod numbly. I walk back to the hall but I make sure I get a suitable place where I can eavesdrop on their conversation.
I still feel jealous! They were together here! Alone! I know we weren't on good terms but thinking of Jake and Kate kissing or even making out makes me sick! It drives me nuts! I would have to find out! I've never been so jealous in my life!
"What are you doing here Kate? I told you we cannot be together" Jake snaps. I continue to eavesdrop
"So its true!" Kate replies with a sniff.
"What is true?"
"You are leaving the State! With... With her!"
Jake is silent.
"How could you do this to me? You didn't even call me to say goodbye! Even if you do not love me, at least you could have done that"
He remains silent.
"I had to find out myself! And its true! You are leaving today with her! That social climber you love so much!"
"Just stop Kate!"
I hear her chuckle violently.
"You are just an asshole! You are despicable! I hate you! You hurt me so much Jake! You chose her over me! I hate you! I hate you"
"Kate! I'm sorry okay? I didn't mean to hurt you or play with your feelings! Just understand!"
"You are like the rest! You are all the same!!!"
"Kate! Kate!" Jake calls and I hear the click clacking of heels till I don't hear them anymore. She is gone.
Jake returns with a forlorn expression on. He ruffles his hair a bit but I cannot control the jealousy growing in me for much longer. I ask the first question that came into my head.
"How did she know you live here?"
He looks at me and sighs. I watch him walk back to his suitcase and he shoves a few belongings in it.
"I've brought her here before" he says and my stomach churns.
"Were you with her alone? Or others were around?"
"Why all these questions Nikki?" He yells exasperatedly at me as he zips his suitcase.
"Just answer the damn question Jake!"
"Okay! We were alone" he deadpans and my heart skips a beat. Then it begins to beat rapidly and my jealousy grows bigger and bigger.
I just turn away and pick up Aaron who was lying on the carpet playing with Boomer. I run my fingers on his soft fur just to calm my nerves. What if they did something together? No! I don't think so! Why don't you ask him? There is no need to ask him! He will just yell at me again and mock me.
"I'm done" Jake tells me.
"We should get going then" I reply and drag my suitcase to the door.
Jake stands there looking at me.
"You are really determined to prove your parents wrong aren't you?"
"Not only that! I want them to be at peace! I've only been trouble to them even though they don't want to confess it and they deny it but I know it" I reply with my full blown jealousy dissipating slowly. Why should I be jealous of Kate anyways? Jake loves me and he said it to me yesternight! My heart warms when I think about it. I just wish he could repeat it over and over again.
He gives me that infamous smile.
"Let's get going then!" He says and drags his own suitcase to the door. I grab my handle but he takes it and I'm dazed.
"I'll take your suitcase too. Just go"
"No lemme drag my own! You cannot drag two suitcases" I protest.
"No! Hold Aaron! I'll drag the two"
I sigh in exasperation and turn the doorknob. I pull the door open and we both exit his flat heading straight for the elevator.
We took the elevator to the reception and then we were out on the parking lot. I watched as Jake loaded our suitcases in the trunk of his car and then he came to open the passenger door for me even though I declined it. I sat in nevertheless and he came to sit at the driver's seat. We were on the asphalt soon going at a steady pace. The car is silent and all I could think of is my family. I'm happy and sad. I'm happy because I can finally meet Jessica and Jake's mother but I'm sad because I'll miss my family. I've never been far away from them! The farthest I have been away was the time I went to stay with my grandma in Georgia. But then, Trina was there too. Yeah my sister! I love her so much even though she has been really tough to deal with. A small smile creeps onto my face. She is so nosy! Always sticking her nose where it doesn't belong! But that makes her special and I'm gonna miss her. But why am I thinking as if I would never ever see them again and this is the end? I will see them next year!
My gaze lands on Jake and his eyes are fixated on the road in front of him.
"Hey! Would you stay in this apartment again?" I ask him.
"I don't know! Depends on what my dad has to say"
"But I would love to be there again so that I can have my privacy you know" He adds giving me a smirk.
"How long will this trip take?" I ask him.
"Approximately six hours or so"
I nod and look at the time on my watch. Its fifty minutes past the hour eight in the morning. I just look out of the window. My heart beat accelerates the moment I spot Winter's residence but wait...aren't we supposed to go to the airport?
"Why are we here? Aren't we supposed to go to the airport?" I ask Jake the moment he pulls up in the driveway.
"No"
"What do you mean by no? Then how are we going on the trip?"
"We are using my dad's private jet"
My jaw drops and I know its lying on the floor right now. Jake gives me a small but proud smile.
He gets out of the car.
"Are you coming or what?" He hollers to me and it does nothing to make me recover from the shock I just got. He opens the passenger door for me and I reluctantly step out still shocked. I cannot believe I'm going to travel in a private jet!
I watch as Jake brings out our suitcases and I pick up Aaron from the backseat. Then we walked together into the house with Jake dragging our suitcases.
I follow Jake to a space and I see the jet. So we are seriously travelling with a jet! Oh my God! I wanted to squeal but I didn't want the Winters to give me weird glances and ran away.
Jake leaves the bags beside the jet and walks back to me.
"I need to go and see my dad! Just enter the jet and wait for me" he says to me and I nod. He smiles and pecks my cheek before strutting away.
I inhale deeply as I watch the jet in front of me. It is gonna take off soon and I will be out of here. My heart becomes heavy again and I just play with Aaron to diffuse the pain in my chest. My phone bells and I look at the Caller ID. Its Troy. It has been a long time I heard from him.
"Hey Troy" I say but my voice comes out a bit weaker than I expected it to be.
"Hold on" he commands and I oblige.
"Hey Troy" I hear Danny's voice and Troy tells him to hold on too.
"What do you want asshole?" I hear Kimberly snap and I snicker a bit.
"Okay, I'm done" I hear Troy say.
"You called all three of us at the same time?" I ask
"Yes and we heard you are going on a trip with Jake today" Troy says with disappointment evident in his voice.
"Yeah, Melissa told us" Kimberly adds up on the phone.
"Its true. I just want to clear my head"
"We would miss you" Danny says.
"What I don't understand is you going on a trip with that loser" Troy snaps and I chuckle.
"Yeah! He was the one who got us into that fake shit with the principal" Kimberly adds totally annoyed.
"It wasn't him! It was Roberta Venancio and Kate" I defend
"Who is Roberta Venancio?" Danny asks
"Who else than our very own Tigress! I saw her real name in the newspapers! She is in jail right now for kidnapping and drug smuggling" Kimberly states
"Tigress is called Roberta?" Troy asks and I know if he were hers, his jaw would be hitting the floor right now.
"Yes! Tigress is Roberta Venancio" I confirm.
"I should have known! She put us into this shit for revenge!" Danny exclaims on the phone.
"What did she do to you?" I ask
"We were sanctioned for some nasty thing we didn't even do! I don't wanna talk about it! " Kimberly spits.
"But luckily for us, we weren't expelled" Danny adds up.
"We are sorry for accusing Jake falsely. We promise we will get the school board to bring you in again" Troy says and a smile spreads on my face.
"Thanks Troy"
"People have been protesting on your behalf Nikki! It is amazing! People love you" Kimberly says and it melts me.
"Yeah! You should see the crowd one day! They want you back in terribly" Danny adds.
"You would be back in! Right now, we need to leave you so that you can get ready for your trip" Troy says
"Yeah and have a nice trip" Danny pipes up
"When would you come back?" Kimberly asks and I hear some crunching sounds behind the phone
"What's that?" Troy asks obviously disgusted.
"Oh its just a few nuts and bran! My parents want me to eat it for a week or so!" She replies.
"Do you seriously have to eat it on the phone?" Troy snaps, Danny and I snicker. But he was right.
"Sorry, it's just that, I have to eat it around this time! I always eat it at this time of the day"
Troy huffs.
"Anyways, when would you be back Nikki?" Troy asks
"Next year"
"Alright have a safe trip" Troy says.
"Yeah! I'll see you next year" Kimberly says and I hear another crunching sound.
"Bye Nikki" Danny adds and the line goes dead. I will miss them for sure. My phone rings again and I see my mom's picture and her name on my screen.