“Hello?” His house was empty. The door was open though; it shouldn’t have been open. He locked it every day. “Hello?”
Walking inside, Jake looked around. The house was two stories tall with ten or so rooms. Jake knew someone was there. His house was empty. Suddenly Jessica appeared at the upstairs railing, looking down at him in the doorway. Her face was full of tears. In her hands she held a manila folder. Jake knew what was in that folder all too well.

“Why didn’t you tell us? We could have helped; we could have done something… Is this why we…?” Jessica didn’t cry. She just looked at him with pity in her eyes. Her black hair was cut short, hanging down to her shoulders. Her green eyes made him fall to pieces, but she wasn’t crying. He could stand her tears, however much it hurt him. It was the pity that tore him to shreds. Suddenly Tyler and Chase were in the doorway behind him. Each looked at him with a hollow, faked smile.

“Sorry man. Wish you didn’t have to work so much, but its just been tough to hang out lately.” Then they were gone. Jake’s throat closed up. Pity. Broken promises. It was all too much. In their place a woman with glasses and a suit appeared, tapping a pen on a clipboard.
“This place is nice. Where are your guardians, young man?”

“Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you call her in the first place, why did you make me do it?” Jessica was crying now, but still her eyes held only disappointment, pity. She was yelling at him, screaming. The woman with her clipboard stared at him blankly. He wanted to scream. It was all too much…

Jake yelled as he woke up, trying to stand up and getting tangled in the desk. His backpack fell over the side and he went over afterward, with the desk on top of him and a headache roaring behind his eyes. Ms. Black stared at him from her place at the board. Looking around, Jake groaned. Chase and Tyler stared down at him, both trying hard not to laugh.

“Damn it…”

“Mr. Parker, please watch your language when we talk after class, or I’ll have to send you to the office on two counts of misbehavior.” The class took it in stride though several people eyed him as though they were on the verge of giggles. Jake grimaced at them and set his chair upright in its place before sitting down. Ms. Black returned to the board as if nothing had interrupted her lecture on writing style and use of devices. Halfway through, Jake found himself drooping. Suddenly the class was empty and he was sitting there alone, watching Ms. Black at the board. Everything seemed normal until the wall next to him faded away and a brick path stood where the rest of the school should have been. Jake stood and began walking. The road led up, slanting slightly toward some distant hilltop. Trees stood on either side of the walkway occasionally. But the sun had set (or was it rising?) beyond that hill, and there was something there that drew him… every step seemed to take him farther on, and yet he still didn’t make it any closer to the hilltop. Soon he was running, desperate to reach the top. The bricks began falling out of the road behind him, but he knew that it would never catch up to him. Still he ran, faster. His lungs began to burn, then his calves and thighs. He never hit the wall; he just kept feeling more and more burn in his legs. Looking down, Jake realized he had run his shoes to shreds and his feet were raw. But still he ran, until he heard the sound of bones on brick mingling with the sound of mortar falling apart and bricks breaking away behind him. No matter how much it hurt, Jake ran faster.

“Parker!” Jake rose so fast a spike of pain pierced his head behind his eyes. The feeling of blood draining from his skull made him dizzy, dizzy enough to waver in his desk chair. No one else was in class; Ms. Black stared down at him with a look of concern on her face. Victoria Black was a beautiful woman; she was barely in her late twenties and showed signs of rigorous athleticism. Behind a pair of thick black spectacles a pair of light brown eyes glittered (literally glittered Jake swore) and her face was usually makeup free, showing only radiant beauty. In her suit and skirt, she was the hottest teacher in the school. But Jake ignored all of that. His head hurt and his feet throbbed absently, as though he really had run his feet through. But he could feel the cushion of his shoes and he knew it was the dreams, not the truth.

“Yes Ms. Black?” She frowned at him; genuine concern showed on her face.

“Are you okay? Jake, this is the seventeenth time you’ve fallen asleep in class this month. I know it’s the end of the day, and you make all A’s so I let you slide. The other teachers encourage it, though they mention that you sleep through their classes too. I don’t have a problem, or I didn’t, until you started yelling and waking up and disturbing class.” She stared at him intently, worried for him. Jake, in his haze, barely registered the concern.

“You called me by my fist name…” she just stared at him.

“Are you okay, Parker?”

“No, you called me Jake. Just a second ago… you don’t call anyone by their first names. The last time you did that Madeline Bucker was crying over a failed test. You don’t EVER call students by their first names.”

“Why is that such a big deal?”

“It means you actually know our first names. I’ve had a bet going with DeLancey from our first week.” Ms. Black looked stunned, and a bit confused.

“Parker… Jake… Parker! What has been going on? You’re dodging my questions now. Why are you sleeping away school?” her expectant stare caught Jake off guard. Dodging questions, lying even, he was not against. But he hadn’t quite expected such a fervent caring reaction.
“I’m just tired. I got another job after school. The hours are hard.” She nodded.

“Well I can understand that. I’m sorry you lost the first one, Parker. But sleep better, okay?” Ms. Black gave him a sad smile and walked to her desk. Jake stood and walked out of the classroom, thinking. Suddenly his pocket buzzed and he leapt a foot into the air in shock. Pulling out his phone, he shot a glance back to the classroom; waving away Ms. Black he answered his phone.

“Hello?”

“Jake, Where are you? We’re leaving for the game and the party man and you are gonna get left.”

“I’m on my way.”

“Good, cause we’re out the front doors waiting for you dick.” Jake sighed and ended the call. The white SUV that Tyler’s mother drove sat in the parking lot. Opening the door, Jake grinned and sighed again. The car sat eight people easily; ten made it much more difficult. Tyler, Lane, Chase, and Rusty all grinned back at him. The girl in the seat in front of him, Leanne Madsen, smiled and stood halfway in her seat, letting him climb in before she lowered herself onto his lap. Leanne’s long brown hair and blue eyes always caught him staring at some aspect of her body: her chest, her legs, her ass, her stomach… But then she always made a show of flaunting herself when they were around one another. They made it no secret that they had something for the other. Jake knew that she didn’t date guys; she was a known nympho around the school and constantly hooked up with a few lucky guys, all friends who either got relationships or focused on school and sports to avoid getting laid every single night from dusk to dawn. But that didn’t keep him from appreciating her body in a pair of cut off jeans and a white lace blouse that showed a decent bit of skin above her bra.

“I guess I won the lottery.” Leanne smiled at him. She had turned in his lap, facing the rest of the car and him, with her arms around his neck. Her smile made the blood rush out of his head.

“I guess you did. How’s life?” Jake grinned at her. Her eyes sparkled behind her eyeliner.

“It’s fine I guess. I can’t really complain right now…” They had been talking quietly but Jake caught a few looks from the other guys. Chase had Lane’s other sister, Tanya, on his lap and laughing silently as he told her a story, winking at him occasionally. Lane had Jessica, to Jake’s great disappointment, and Hailey Winter sat on Veronica Smith’s lap, both whispering quietly, shooting glances at Jake, Lane and Chase. Tyler looked envious of everyone in the back, but then he didn’t have much choice. With his mom in the front seat driving them to the basketball game, he was left alone in the front seat taking one for the team. Still he gave Jake a wink when he turned around to talk.

“Alright guys it’s an hour to the game. With my mom driving, that’s thirty minutes, so hold it down and eventually, if we don’t die first…” his mother sighed and slapped him on the arm “We will make it to the party. You are all responsible for your rides home, heard?” the group echoed that they had and everyone in the backseat returned to whispering quietly.

“How do you feel about Lane sitting there with Jessica on his lap, smiling away?” Leanne gazed at him without blinking. Jake wondered how she had found out about that.

“I don’t. I’ve got other things to take care of at the moment, and that doesn’t mean babysitting her. If she chooses to become your sister in law tonight, that’s hers. I’ve gotta worry about keeping you occupied.” She raised an eyebrow at him.

“Keeping me occupied?”

“What?”

“I thought I was the one keeping you awake.” She giggled and he groaned.

“C’mon, that’s not fair. It’s not like school is interesting.” Another eyebrow.

“And I am?”

“Do I have to spell it out for you?”

“Maybe.”

“Jeez, do you sleep through school too?”

“You’re not answering my question.” Jake sighed and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

“Yes, you’re very… interesting.” Jake felt a long slow sigh tickle his ear.

“So why haven’t you done something about it yet?” her voice- deep, rasping and hot on his ear- nearly made his heart burst in his chest.

“I was waiting until we had a little more privacy; it’s not my fault you always seem to disappear when we’re hanging out with everyone.”

“I’m not the kind of girl to wait on someone… and no one is paying attention anyhow.” Jake shot a look around the car. Chase and Tanya seemed very interested in a movie in the back; Veronica and Hailey seemed to be asleep; Tyler was listening to music in the front seat and watching the road; Jessica and Lane seemed to be whispering to one another over her opposite shoulder… they certainly were as alone as they would ever be.

Brushing Leanne’s hair back behind her ear, Jake kissed her. Her arms tightened around his neck and her chest pressed against his body. Sliding his hand out from her waist, Jake slid it lightly along the skin of her legs, begging her to moan in his embrace. Slowly they pulled away, Jake still teasing her thighs and Leanne eyeing him like a piece of meat with a devious smile.

“Was that so hard?” Her pouty voice made Jake chuckle.

“No ma’am, it wasn’t. I apologize for making you wait.”

“Oh, a gentleman, hunh?”

“Almost always.” This time both her eyebrows shot up.

“Almost?” She felt his lips in her ear and her eyes widened as he whispered, all the while sliding his hand up her thigh. Suddenly she felt his hand slide in between her legs and pressing his fingers lightly into her mound. She inhaled sharply and leaned against Jake as he continued whispering, making her smile, and her eyes, bigger and bigger as she listened…

…Three…Two…One… Zero! Jake yelled along with everyone else as the buzzer went off and the final three-pointer for their team fell through the net, bringing the score to fifty three fifty and winning. After that, chaos engulfed the stands and everything became a massive blur of people, color, stampeding, singing and Leanne’s lips…

“All right guys, this is going to be the Night!” Tyler threw his arms around Jake and Lane; Chase and Tanya had already run inside. Jake knew that they weren’t up to anything beyond cuddling though, despite whatever Tanya thought they were doing. Chase had a thing for abstinence and God that almost made Jake sick. Still, Chase was certainly a good friend to have around just in case. Jake laughed along with Lane at Tyler’s enthusiasm. Jake still had his arm around Leanne, holding her tight to his hip. Lane and Jessica had split up during the game and Jessica had disappeared. Tyler was waiting for ‘the Night’ as he called it so reverently. He had a handicap with girls called bailing out, and despite his best attempts he was always gone before anything got serious. He wasn’t unattractive; he just had… issues.

“Ty, you said that last week. Need I remind of what happened in the bathroom of that Whataburger?” Tyler shot him a look and in seconds he was gone. Leanne also shot him a look, which he waved off. She didn’t know everything apparently. Jake spared her his attention for a moment to look at the house.

The house of the party was huge, easily three stories and quite wide. But then it was a nice neighborhood in a nice city. Apple Wood was really the only place in the city where there wasn’t a single large-scale home, and even then it wasn’t a slum. But this house put Tyler’s to shame and rivaled the Madsen home in grandeur. Walking in the front door, Jae wasn’t surprised to find a high vaulted ceiling in the living room, though he had thought it would stretch back a bit further. He could see the back deck from the front door, despite the people. Madsen prep was famous for two things: good grades and parties. The students went out and gathered quiet often though few had alcohol. Suddenly Jake felt Leanne pull out of his grasp.

“C’mon, lover boy. Let’s go.” Her grin and the spark in her eye made Jake’s heart race a little faster. He grinned and allowed himself to be dragged along through the crowd toward the stairs. Leanne grabbed the first door on her right and grinned as she yanked him inside. Shutting the door behind him Jake grabbed Leanne and pulled her close kissing her and holding her by the waist.

“What happened to all those dirty little whispers in my ear, Jake?” He grinned and grabbed her just under her ass, lifting her up and pushing her into the door. Her blouse fell open at his fingers and Jake slid his hands around her back, undoing the clasp of her bra as well and letting it fall to the floor. Her hands found his cheeks and she pulled his lips to hers hungrily, clawing her hands through his hair desperately. Jake felt the first drops of perspiration slip between their bellies as he lifted his shirt over his head.

“Jesus why didn’t you just kiss me sooner…?” Jake barely recognized the rasping, low toned voice that came out between kisses. He chuckled and pressed his lips to her neck, pinning her body to the door harder as she groaned. Her legs tightened around his waist as his fingers found her breasts and she gasped as his lips touch a small spot on her shoulder. “Fuck, Jake…!”

Jake released her tit and grabbed her ass again, lifting her and keeping her pressed tightly to his chest. The only thing in his world was Leanne, her perfume like cherries and wildflowers and sweat and desire, her skin like a brand pressing into his flesh making him sweat as he laid her down on the bed, her lips like silk. His lips found her breasts, and he suckled at the edges while his hands caressed her sweet tight ass in her cutoffs. His fingers found the button to her shorts and they were gone, slid down her thighs and kicked off before her legs wrapped around him again, pressing his hard on to her sex as she begged for his touch. Finally she gasped as he kissed her nipple, giving it a brief suckle before he kissed his way down to her stomach, the sticky scent of her skin and her hormones filling his nostrils. She writhed under his kiss as his hands forced her legs open. Her hands there for a brief moment and a harsh sound filled his ears as she ripped away her underwear, grabbing his head and desperately trying to force him down on her. Grabbing her hands, he placed them just under her navel.

“Keep those there or I’ll tease you even more…” her whine made him grin as he kissed the insides of her thighs and his fingers stroked the underside of her legs lightly. He reached her sex and she cried out as his tongue found her clit before sinking into her sweet mound. Her fingers danced where he had put them, desperately wanting to go lower, to force his tongue deeper and claw at his hair. Finally she grabbed the sheets as he sucked at her clit, bringing a deep, longing cry from her throat as her body seized briefly and she shuddered hard under his fingers. Before it was over her taste filled her mouth as Jake kissed her. Her legs wrapped around his waist and pulled him close, her fingers clawing at his back. She shuddered one last time and groaned as the sweet sensations that she lived for left her body.

“Oh God no one has done that for me before, Jake…”

“Lets talk about that later… I’m not done with you yet my sweet.” His jeans slammed against the wall and Leanne stared at him with her bottom lip in her teeth as she stared at his length. She inhaled sharply as she felt the head press against her labia and sink into her body, splitting her and filling her with the pleasure she needed. She gasped and moaned long as he kept filling her, filling her until she felt him push against a wall in her stomach. They grunted as they realized what had happened. Before she could say anything his lips locked against her and he pulled out of her, emptying her completely before slowly sliding back inside.

“Jaakke… God, yes!” Jake lightly bit her shoulder, her spot, and felt her arch her back against him. He could feel her shoving against his thrusts, pressing her body to his. The heat of her skin was nothing compared to the warmth of her pussy, the tightness. He moaned and caught her nipple between his teeth, making her yell out in pleasure. He pushed harder, faster, faster, faster, filling her with every stroke until…

“Fuck… Jaaaake!” Jake felt her shudder underneath him; he felt her become tighter, felt the new heat as she leaked around his shaft.
He pushed against her harder and felt her twitch as her body shook with the flood of her orgasm. She moaned continually, grabbing her breast hard in her hand and gripping the sheet with a hand. Finally he groaned and pressed his cock as far inside of her as he could and came, the searing pleasure of his orgasm racing up his shaft and filling her. He felt it leak around his cock the same way her orgasm had, out of her body and onto the sheets. AS he pulled out he realized that Leanne was still cumming, shuddering and moaning as her body shook with pleasure. Finally she shivered hard and relaxed, staring at him from beneath half closed eyes. He could tell she was barely awake.

“That was the best sex I’ve had in months… fuck Jake why didn’t you kiss me sooner…?” He laughed and kissed her once before getting off the bed and dressing.

“I’ll be back soon, beautiful. I’ve got to make an appearance or Tyler might flip shit on me tomorrow, but I’ll be back before long; be ready.” She groaned

“Shit I love sex but you might actually wear me out, Parker.”

“Wear you out? Oh come on, love; I could never wear out a goddess.” She laughed as he shut the door and walked out. There were people in the hall now, and a few of the guys he knew gave him a small thumbs up behind their dates’ backs. Jake smiled, remembering when he had been a simple scholarship kid in Madsen Prep, getting looks in the halls from people who were richer and better looking than he. Jake walked into the bathroom and turned on the tap, grinning at his reflection. He knew that he wasn’t ugly, but a year and a half ago had had been. Braces had fixed his smile but then they had looked awful. His acne had cured itself but his parents would never have gotten him treatment. He had been scrawny; that had been a personal thing, a love of video games. He had been short; nothing he could have done there. But after a year of self reform, Jake Parker was nothing short of gorgeous: his hair never seemed to have any real, definite color. It shimmered and shined in the sunlight as red, but blond in the light of houses and brown in the dark. His eyes held no color at all, simple pale orbs that had flecks of gold and green in them. A clear face, with only one scar above his right eyebrow, and a nice new physique… not to mention a good reputation as smart, hard working and funny had done wonders. But still, he only had his few.

The bathroom door slammed open and Jake stared at Jessica, his best friend since ever. Jake looked at her with a reverence and a hate that he couldn’t hide. She refused to see it though. Jessica was the girl of his dreams. Long black hair and green eyes and a great personality and a great mind and a great ass… she was almost perfect. But even then, she had one flaw that meant Jake and Jessica would never be a thing: she was blind to him. People said Friend Zoned, but it was so much more than that. She ignored anything he said that was scathing and she threw him to the wolves for being kind. Jake had spent a long time thinking of Jessica at night. He’d spent a lot of time gazing after her in the daytime. But after realizing how much he hated her for how she treated him, he could do nothing but pretend to be her friend. She glared at him. Jake grinned at her. Watching her sneer at him made him the happiest person in the world sometimes. He still couldn’t stop his heart from speeding up.

“Where the hell have you been? With that slut…” Jake’s good mood disappeared. He yanked her inside and slammed the door shut.

“Call her that and I swear I will slap you Jess.” Jake growled at her. He reeked of sex and she had to know it, but no matter what he didn’t let his friends make fun of his friends.

“You touch me, Jake Parker, and we will no longer be friends. You and that slut Leanne been screwing, I guess? Tyler and Chase are worried sick, and Lane is wondering what the fuck you’re doing with his sister. What is wrong with you, you sick fuck?” Jake just stared at her for a moment.

“I’m not dealing with you when you’re like this. I knew that this would happen tonight Jess, but I never thought you’d betray one of your best friends as far as calling her a slut and lying about my two best friends. Fuck off until you cool down, and leave me alone. My dating history as is as much your business as yours is mine.”

“You think you can worry about me when you’re sleeping around even more than your girlfriend?”

“FUCK OFF!” Jessica just stared at him. “FUCK off, Jess, or I will never speak to you again.” Spinning on her heel, Jessica left the room. Jake stormed out after her and watched her stomp down the stairs. Suddenly Jake saw Tyler enter a bedroom and heard the door shut. Jake smiled in spite of Jessica’s words. Tyler might actually get lucky.

Jake found Chase sitting on the back deck with Lane and few other people.

“Where’s Tanya?” Chase grinned.

“We had some fun and she found a guy who would put out. All in good faith, of course.” Jake just grinned at him. Lane smiled at the two of them.

“I heard you and Leanne hooked up, Jake. How was that?” Lane and Jake had joked about Leanne since Jake had admitted his crush to the group of close friends he maintained.

“She is… something else man. Like a goddess.” Lane nodded uncomfortably. He had given Jake his blessing, but he never enjoyed hearing about his sisters’ exploits.

“Well, be good.” Lane got up and strode into the crowd. Chase watched as Jake took the empty seat before standing up and grabbing Jake by the sleeve, pulling him away from the group a bit.

“You and Leanne? Did Jess…?”

“Yeah. Pretty bad too. She called Leanne a slut and said you and Tyler were worried sick and a whole bunch of… it’s nothing, Chase. We’ll get over it. We always do.” Chase nodded sagely. Jake waited for his usual quote from the Bible or his advice from the Elders. Instead…

“I wish you two would just sleep together. I have to listen to both of you, you know, and this is just fucking ridiculous.”

“Chase, I don’t care. I won’t talk about her, if you don’t want. I don’t want to, certainly. I don’t plan to. And we are never getting together. Jessica is one of the Heartbreakers, and you know it. Besides, maybe Leanne will finally take me on as something more than just a flame.” Chase chuckled.

“Might as well wait for water to become wine again my friend. Go back in there and find the girl you want to be with. It’s late and you look… wiped out.” Chase’s face flashed with momentary concern. Jake just stared at him. Chase was the cool guy, chill and calm and relaxed no matter what.

“Chase, am I that bad? You’re worried about me? You should take your own advice man; a girl would smooth over everything. Makes you stop thinking about everything and focuses your head for a while…” Chase frowned at him.

“Jake, you haven’t been yourself lately. I mean, you skipped a month of school, and you act like nothing happened. You sleep in class and you act like its nothing. Your rank fell and you don’t care. You actually made a move on Leanne… don’t look at me like that man; you, six months ago, would never have done that. And you screamed at Jessica so loud that I heard you down here.” Jake threw his head back, refusing to look at his friend.

“What’s gong on?”

“Nothing. I’m just… doing what I need to. It doesn’t matter man.”

“Jake, let me tell you something. You can’t do everything by yourself; this is just stupid. I don’t even feel like I know you any more. Every party you hook up. You don’t care about Jessica anymore and you used to be half in love with her…”

“I woke up, Chase. Jessica is a bitch to me. Don’t deny it. I made myself open when I had a good thing going because she hinted that something…” Jake sighed. “I’m not doing this, Chase. Things are fine. Rank doesn’t matter, I’m still on top of everything and that’s all that matters.” Chase stared at him.

“You aren’t even the same person, Jake. What the hell happened this summer?”

Jake stared at him.

“I… I tried so hard to be Jessica’s friend, to be more than that. I love her man. But at the same time, I know her type and I hate her for it. She knows what she does; she knows what I feel and what I want, but she leaves me out to dry and hates me for hooking up. She can go to hell, Chase. Fuck her all the way for what she is.”

“Jake snap out of it. I don’t know what got into you, but this is ridiculous. Even Tyler is asking everyone if they know something.” Jake bit back a laugh. If Tyler was concerned then they would know soon enough.

“Just leave it alone man. I got a new job and Jessica’s like a stick up my ass. All right, I promised Leanne I would be back in bed soon. See you on Monday.” Chase started to say something and thought better of it. He walked away without another word. Jake bit back another sarcastic laugh and cursed when he bit his tongue.

---