She's got me thinking about her constantly

So Marley Rose is a complete badass and doesn't even know it...hell, the kids in glee club that she calls friends doesn't even know it. In school, she puts these walls up and never lets anyone see her true personality. He gets his first taste of Marley Rose when they hung out for the first time, she saw right through his tough guy cover up and even had the nerve to call him out on it.

Now, even though he is dating Kitty, she is always on his mind. He catches himself fascinated by the little things she does, like when she talks about something she is passionate about her eyes go wide and sparkle with excitement. He notices that she likes to bite her bottom lip when she is taking notes in class and when she is frustrated she will click her tongue and erase what she wrote quickly. Then when she looks over at his notes she rolls her eyes at his chicken scratch and sighs his name in annoyance. That's something that he likes, the many ways she says his name. She doesn't call him Jakey like Kitty does, she has told him that she finds that increasingly annoying and there was no way in hell she would call him that. Jake is perfectly ok with that, he prefers it actually. He had told Kitty a million times to not call him Jakey but she still does.

He loves their time together, he hangs out with Marley more than he hangs out with Kitty. The air between them is always calm and peaceful, sometimes they don't even talk. Sometimes they will sit in the park under the huge oak tree, his legs spread out and her sitting between them with her head resting on his chest. She usually will be reading and he would be listening to music, one ear bud in his ear and the other in hers. The people in the park suspect them to be a couple, two teenagers in love. Well they were not a couple but very much in love with each other.

November comes around and the weather gets colder, Kitty actually forces him to give her his jacket. He is thinking about breaking up with her one morning when Marley comes walking in the doors of the highschool but she is on the arm of another guy. Ryder Lynn, that jock transfer student who somehow got into glee club and Jake wanted to go over to them and snatch her away from him. But they walk right by them, Kitty's eyes narrow in what he sees as jealously and that is when it hits him. Kitty wants what Marley has, his suspicions are confirmed when she speaks. "Who the hell does she think she is?"

So by the end of the week Jake is single and when he goes to tell Marley he goes nuts. She is wrapped up in Ryder's arm and it's her head on his chest and she is laughing at his jokes. But what stings the most about it is that they are sitting on the bleachers, the spot where Marley Rose stole is heart. He sighs and turns around, shoving his hands into his pockets and walking away with a bowed head. He doesn't even notice that Marley looks up, sadness written all over her beautiful face.

December rolls around and its a harsh, cold winter. His mom was diagnosed with cancer in the first week of the month and his world crumples because his mom is all he has. When she tells him he goes into a fit of rage and knocks everything off the kitchen table and then storms out of their mobile home and toward the playground. He is alone for a good five minutes before someone sits on the swing next to him, he takes a chance and sneaks a peek to see that its Marley. They live in the same trailer park and she is only five minutes away from his house. She is clad in a big chunky sweater, a homemade scarf and boots on her jean clad legs.

"Your mom called me" She explains. "She's worried about you, she said you stormed off and didn't know where you went." She smiles. "Luckily I know you so well." There is a beat and she looks down at the snow on the ground. "She told me everything, your mom needs you to support her right now." Her voice is strong when she scolds him. "You can't just blow a hissy fit and leave her."

Jake shrugs. "What's the point, she is just going to leave like everyone else in my life."

Marley shakes her head. "No, no she is not Jake." She pushes. "Your mom is a fighter, she is going to get through this."

"Do you know how much it's going to cost, the hospital bills our insurance is not going to cover it." Jake argues. "I might as well sign myself up for foster care now."

She is silent for a while and then sighs. "My mom is talking to your mom about it know." She confirms. "Our trailer is a little bigger then yours so you and your mom are going to move in and we are going to help you guys with the bills."

"No, I don't want charity" He growls and stands up to leave. Marley stops him, not letting go of his arm.

"It's not charity, it's friends helping friends out." Marley clarifies and Jake rolls his eyes. "Now what?"

Jake looks away from her. "I don't think I can live in a house that Ryder visits on a daily biases."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that." She tells him with smile. "Kitty came along and snatched him up." His eyes go wide and he is going to apologize when Marley puts a finger to his lips. "No, don't worry about it." She smirks."It was kinda my plan all along"

He takes her hand away from his mouth and holds it in his own. "Your plan?" He asks with a raised brow.

"Yeah," Marley shyly answers. "Santana, Quinn, and Rachel helped me put it together. We figured out that Kitty wanted what I had and Ryder is pretty clueless so we sorta used him."

Jake laughs because that is probably the most awesome thing that she has ever done. "Those girls are a bad influence on you."

Marley joins in on his laughter and then puts her serious face on. "Don't tease me, I will go all Lima heights on you."

"I would like to see that," He smiles as he rubs her knuckles, that same calming vibe settling between them. "I was insanely jealous when I saw you with Ryder." He gulps. "You are unlike any girl I have ever met and..."

"And?" Marley asks, a look of hope gracing her features.

He licks his lips, it's now or never. "And I'm pretty sure that I am in love with you."

Marley smiled and looked down at his bruised knuckles, he must have just recently punched something. "Well," She says and looks up at him, her blue orbs meeting his dark ones. "I think that's something else we have in common." She laughs at the confused look he gets. "That means I love you to Jake"

A goofy grin appears on his face and he goes to close the distance between them when she holds up a finger. "But we can't share the same room, our parent's saw it coming." He shakes his head and puts her hand down kissing her sweetly. When they finally pull away for air he wraps his arms around her waist and murmurs into his hair.

"But they said nothing about the shower"

She laughs and shakes his head, peppering his neck with butterfly kisses and Jake can actually see a future with a girl. He can see a small house, kids, successful careers...the whole white picket fence deal. He may only be sixteen but he knows that she was the girl who changed him and made who he was now, with her by his side he could deal with his mom's cancer. Hell, with her by his side he felt like he could concur the world.

And he wouldn't have it any other way.