and skipped to the showers.
Helen was added to the friend column.
~~~~~~~
I made one last call to Jake. He didn't answer. I left my final message telling him that I would be calling my dad that night and I had to tell him something. Within an hour Jake called me back. Hearing his voice for the first time made my heart blip a few beats, but his tone was flat and unforgiving.
"Hello, Emma."
"Hi, Jake. How are you?"
"Good."
"And Bianca?" My voice went into a phoney high pitch. Did he pick up on it?
"She's fine."
"Tell her I'm sorry."
"I will."
I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm my nerves. I was alone in my new bedroom and glad that Zach wasn't nearby. He'd see how school girly nervous I was and he'd hate it. "I haven't told my dad anything. I assume you haven't told Ron either."
"No."
"Zach thinks I should tell Dad the truth."
"I'm sure Zach thinks a lot of things," Jake said bitterly.
"I can't keep lying to him."
Jake let out a deep sarcastic sigh. "I don't want you to tell him the truth."
"I don't want to either, but I can't keep doing this."
"It's not like your dad will figure out we aren't living together anymore. It's not like he visits."
"He hasn't, but he might."
A long silence followed. It gave me time to think about what he said. Why didn't he want me to tell Dad the truth? Was it because he may come off as a jerk? That Dad would be so disappointed and disgusted with him? That Ron might get mad?
"I think you should tell Paul that you have a boyfriend and decided to move in with him."
My jaw dropped and I was at a loss for words. I hated how easily that plan would work, but Dad, and more importantly Grandpa, wouldn't be impressed. And this way Jake would have no blood on his hands.
"Okay." I can't believe how quickly I agreed to it. "I won't tell him right away because he won't believe it."
"Fine, do whatever you want."
"Jake, I am so sorry the way things happened. I hope that we can work it out."
"Emma, I have to go."
With that he hung up. I stared at my phone for awhile and wanted to cry. Jake severed ties with me and didn't care one bit.
I sat for a few minutes before putting down my phone and finding Zach in the living room watching hockey. I plopped down next to him.
"How'd it go?" he asked.
"Jake talked to me all of three seconds. He doesn't want me to tell Dad the truth. He wants me to tell him that I met a guy and moved in with him. Presumably you. Not sure my dad will fall for that one."
Zach tore his eyes off the game and scowled at me. "You do realize what he's doing, right? This way he comes off like an angel. I've told you before, tell your dad everything."
"He'll be gutted."
"I think he'll be outraged and proud of the fact you stood up for yourself." He shifted his body to face me. "You want to know what I think the real reason is? If you tell your dad, it officially ends whatever it is you think you have with Jake. That's why you're worried. If Jake is half the guy you think he is, if you tell the truth he'll come around and you'll be friends again."
I hated that Zach was right, but telling Dad now would serve no purpose other than starting trouble. "I know you aren't going to believe me, but I want to tell Dad in person. The last thing I need or want is for him to flip out on Ron. They've been friends their entire lives and I think if I tell Dad face to face, I can keep him calm. I'll go down in a few weeks and tell him."
"And until then?"
"I'm going to pretend that everything here is going along smoothly."
Chapter Fourteen
Emma
The first day back at school was a cold one. I wrapped my pink wool scarf tightly around my face and walked, then nearly ran to my building. Zach followed closely behind and when we reached the glass double doors he grasped onto my arm. "We meet back here at three?" His intense stare said it all. Watch my back.
"Is that when the Zach train leaves?" I said for levity.
He smirked. "Yes, so don't be late. This train leaves on
Helen was added to the friend column.
~~~~~~~
I made one last call to Jake. He didn't answer. I left my final message telling him that I would be calling my dad that night and I had to tell him something. Within an hour Jake called me back. Hearing his voice for the first time made my heart blip a few beats, but his tone was flat and unforgiving.
"Hello, Emma."
"Hi, Jake. How are you?"
"Good."
"And Bianca?" My voice went into a phoney high pitch. Did he pick up on it?
"She's fine."
"Tell her I'm sorry."
"I will."
I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm my nerves. I was alone in my new bedroom and glad that Zach wasn't nearby. He'd see how school girly nervous I was and he'd hate it. "I haven't told my dad anything. I assume you haven't told Ron either."
"No."
"Zach thinks I should tell Dad the truth."
"I'm sure Zach thinks a lot of things," Jake said bitterly.
"I can't keep lying to him."
Jake let out a deep sarcastic sigh. "I don't want you to tell him the truth."
"I don't want to either, but I can't keep doing this."
"It's not like your dad will figure out we aren't living together anymore. It's not like he visits."
"He hasn't, but he might."
A long silence followed. It gave me time to think about what he said. Why didn't he want me to tell Dad the truth? Was it because he may come off as a jerk? That Dad would be so disappointed and disgusted with him? That Ron might get mad?
"I think you should tell Paul that you have a boyfriend and decided to move in with him."
My jaw dropped and I was at a loss for words. I hated how easily that plan would work, but Dad, and more importantly Grandpa, wouldn't be impressed. And this way Jake would have no blood on his hands.
"Okay." I can't believe how quickly I agreed to it. "I won't tell him right away because he won't believe it."
"Fine, do whatever you want."
"Jake, I am so sorry the way things happened. I hope that we can work it out."
"Emma, I have to go."
With that he hung up. I stared at my phone for awhile and wanted to cry. Jake severed ties with me and didn't care one bit.
I sat for a few minutes before putting down my phone and finding Zach in the living room watching hockey. I plopped down next to him.
"How'd it go?" he asked.
"Jake talked to me all of three seconds. He doesn't want me to tell Dad the truth. He wants me to tell him that I met a guy and moved in with him. Presumably you. Not sure my dad will fall for that one."
Zach tore his eyes off the game and scowled at me. "You do realize what he's doing, right? This way he comes off like an angel. I've told you before, tell your dad everything."
"He'll be gutted."
"I think he'll be outraged and proud of the fact you stood up for yourself." He shifted his body to face me. "You want to know what I think the real reason is? If you tell your dad, it officially ends whatever it is you think you have with Jake. That's why you're worried. If Jake is half the guy you think he is, if you tell the truth he'll come around and you'll be friends again."
I hated that Zach was right, but telling Dad now would serve no purpose other than starting trouble. "I know you aren't going to believe me, but I want to tell Dad in person. The last thing I need or want is for him to flip out on Ron. They've been friends their entire lives and I think if I tell Dad face to face, I can keep him calm. I'll go down in a few weeks and tell him."
"And until then?"
"I'm going to pretend that everything here is going along smoothly."
Chapter Fourteen
Emma
The first day back at school was a cold one. I wrapped my pink wool scarf tightly around my face and walked, then nearly ran to my building. Zach followed closely behind and when we reached the glass double doors he grasped onto my arm. "We meet back here at three?" His intense stare said it all. Watch my back.
"Is that when the Zach train leaves?" I said for levity.
He smirked. "Yes, so don't be late. This train leaves on
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