I remember every time that I've ever gotten sick, Jake has been there. He would come over, pull me into his arms and hold me until I had to run to the bathroom to throw up, or until I felt better. He would make me soup, or act as a blanket and would sit through any movie or game or anything he had to. I don't remember him ever getting sick. He was always healthy: nothing would slow him down and he always took care of me. He still does, but I don't know if I know how to take care of him.
Jessica drug me inside, into Mike's living room, where Angela, Mike, and Eric were sunk into the big couches, talking and drinking cans of Coke.
"Guys! Bella and Jake are here! I can't believe you guys actually showed up. We didn't think you would." Jessica gushed, sitting me down on the couch and sinking into it next to me.
"Hey Bella." Angela smiled over and moved so that she was sitting next to Jessica.
"You look really nice tonight Jake." Jessica said, grinning. Angela nodded, and I saw what Jake meant, and had to keep myself from laughing.
"That's a nice shirt." Angela agreed.
"Thanks." Jake said, blushing slightly from the attention.
"Hey Bella!" Mike said, leaning forward. "We're waiting on Tyler, Connor and Ben." He rolled his eyes.
"Wait," Said Eric, sitting forward and holding up a finger. His eyes narrowed in concentration as everyone quieted. "Here comes Ben and Connor." And just like he said, they pulled into the driveway.
"Wow, you have really great hearing." Angela said, her eyebrows raised in shock.
"Ben's got a loud car," He shrugged, grinning.
"Hey guys." Ben came in, followed by Connor and smiled around.
"Hey, do you know where Tyler is?" Mike asked, glancing his way.
"Leaving, as far as I know." Connor replied, shrugging and glancing at his phone. Ben sat down next to Angela, leaning towards her in the most obvious way.
"Shouldn't we wait for Lauren?" Jessica asked, turning to Mike.
"I told her to meet us at Ben's house, that's where we all were going to be" Mike replied.
"No! That's mean." Jessica said loudly, pulling out her phone. She began typing a furious message, obviously to be sent to Lauren. I felt Jake shift next to me, and I turned to him.
"Not sure where to jump in?" I whispered up at him.
"I don't know." He said back.
"Don't worry, right now they're just freaking out. The drive will be a lot better." I said, nuzzling into his side. He put his arm around me, enveloping me in warmth.
"So, do we have to wait for Lauren now?" I threw in.
"I hope not." Eric muttered. "No one wants her here. Wait, we can leave now." Tyler pulled into the yard and parked behind my truck. I stood up. Jake followed suit and we went outside.
"Hey Bella! Bella's other half." Tyler called out.
"Hey!" I replied as Jake waved.
"You guys ready to head out?" Tyler asked the general group, who had already congregrated out in the yard.
"Yeah, let's get in." Mike pointed over to the van.
"Nice ride." Jake said jokingly, eyeing it.
"Well, we don't care how we get there, as long as there's room for us all." Mike replied, grinning. "It's such a loser vehicle though."
"It doesn't even look like there's going to be room for all of us here anyway." I grunted, plopping in the spot in the back beside Jake.
"I don't think there'll be enough seatbelts, but we'll all fit." Mike eyed the seats from up front as Jessica slid into the passenger seat, Ben, Angela and Connor into the bucket seat in the middle, and Eric beside me.
"Your guys' addition makes us have a very full van." Tyler said, looking at the filled seats.
"You could sit on my lap." Eric winked at Tyler, rubbing his leg for effect, which got a laugh out of everyone. Mike turned around again and looked at everyone.
"Jake, would you mind Bella sitting on your lap?" Mike asked.
"Not at all." Jake opened his arms to me as I unbuckled and I climbed onto his legs, sitting sideways. Eric slid over and Tyler climbed in beside him.
"Great. I'm such a problem solver." Mike beamed over at Jessica as he started the van.
"So, are we picking up Lauren?" Tyler asked, disgust laced through his voice.
"Yes." Jessica said firmly. She's waiting at Ben's right now." There was a colective sigh heard all through the van.
"Where's she going to sit?" Eric asked, looking around.
"She can sit on like, Connor's lap." Jessica replied.
"No. She's not sitting on my lap." Connor protested immediately.
"Not it." Eric threw in.
"Me neither." Tyler said.
"I'm not doing it." Ben replied.
"Well, I can't do it." Mike put in. "I'm the driver."
"So, who is this Lauren?" Jake asked, breaking the debate up. Connor turned around, as if he was sizing Jake up.
"She's like the reincarnation of Satan. I wouldn't speak to her." Ben nodded along with it.
"And here she is." Mike said, slowing down. Lauren stood, hip cocked to the side, arms crossed, with a furious and condesending look on her face. The sliding door opened and she looked at all of us in turn, then got in and wedged herself between Eric and Tyler.
"Mike, how dare you tell me to meet you guys at Ben's" Lauren started in as soon as she got comfortable.
"Would you believe that I didn't want you to come with us?" Mike threw at her.
"No, I wouldn't." She replied.
Everyone fell silent as Mike drove through Forks and pulled onto the highway But suddenly Lauren leaned forward and looked over at me and Jake. I had a feeling that we were going to be the object of her verbal abuse now.
"So," She started, and I cringed. "Jake, how did you end up with someone like Bella?"
"We've known each other for ever and..." Jake started, but she cut him off.
"So you settled."
"No, that's not it."
"To make your parents happy?"
"That's not even..."
"So then why are you with her, you're better than average." She sneered. Jake's arms curled around me, subconciously pulling me away from her.
"Because I love her." Jake replied, like it was obvious.
"If that's what you want her to think. You know there are better out there."
"Lauren," I started in angrily, but someone cut me off.
"Lauren that's enough. Stop trying to make yourself feel better by putting Bella down. Jake will never be with you." Angela's angry voice cut through Lauren, and she looked surprised, her mouth flopping open and shut like a fish. Apparently Angela didn't often get angry, and it was shown as everyone else looked at her, eyebrows raised. Nothing was said for a long time in the sheer shock of it.
"Okay, wow." Ben said, breaking the silence, running a hand through his hair, then turned around. "So, Jake. We're still undecided about a movie tonight. Do you have a preference?"
"I'm down with the horror movie." He replied. Ben looked at him, surprised.
"You guys have been together for too long." Eric laughed. "Bella wanted horror too."
"It's a great movie choice." I said, giggling. "Who doesn't want to scare themselves once in a while?"
"Scary movies scare me." Jessica threw back.
"Me too, I don't like them." Angela said softly.
"Wait, I've got it." Eric said, holding up a hand.
"Science fiction for you?" Tyler joked.
"No. Don't be stupid. Romantic Comedy." He looked proud of himself as Jessica, Angela and Mike agreed.
"Or just comedy." Jake said slowly. Tyler, Ben and Connor agreed with him. "There's a new American Pie movie in theatres."
"They're good movies." Eric agreed, along with everyone else.
"Wow. I can't believe we just decided." I laughed.
"It must be Jake." Jessica put in.
"Why thank you." Jake said, fluttering his eyelashes and grinning.
"Oh Port Angeles." Eric said, looking out the window, "How I missed thee."
"Where do you say we eat?" Mike asked, slowing down to the speed limit.
"Sub shop!" I screamed out before anyone else could suggest anywhere. "And you're all okay with it." I grinned at them all.
"Well, I'm alright with it." Eric shrugged.
"So am I." Ben and Connor said. The rest agreed as we pulled into the small parking lot.
"I'm not happy with this plan." Lauren put in, but no one rose to take the bait. She quieted after that.
We got inside and got in line to order our meal, everyone chattering happily.
"Jake, what do you want?" I asked, looking up at him.
"I'm not sure if I'm hungry." He replied.
"Oh, come off it. You're always hungry." I smiled, punching him lightly in the stomach. He caught my hand.
"Alright, I'll have a six inch." He replied after a couple minutes.
"That's better." I said. "Is one drink okay?" I pulled out my money, but Jake stopped me, reaching into the back pocket of his jeans.
"No. No. I'm going to pay." I said, stopping his hand.
"You're not paying." He said firmly.
"Fine, then let Charlie pay." I said, even more so. He looked at me for a couple of seconds before sighing and dropping his wallet back into his pocket.
We finally got our order, ate and piled back into the van, making it to the theatre in good time. We got our tickets and snacks and settled in the middle of the showroom to watch.
"Has anybody seen a preview or anything for this movie?" Mike asked as he sat down.
"Actually, I didn't know it was here." Eric replied.
"Well, all the other American Pie movies were great." Jake shrugged.
"They were." Jessica said. "Meaning that this one has to be good."
"That's so true." Tyler said. The lights then dimmed, and the previews started, causing everyone to quiet down. I settled against Jake, taking his hand.
About an hour in, Jake's hand clenched around mine, not just once, but a few times in succession. I glanced over at him, and found his head back on the headrest, chest rising more than it should be. I saw small beads of sweat on his forehead, which was unusual. Jake didn't often sweat. I thought back to earlier this afternoon, when I noticed his fever, and how quiet he'd been all afternoon.
"Jake." I whispered, leaning closer. The heat coming off him was unbelieveable. He turned his head towards me, eyes fevered as they sweeped my face.
"I have to go. Bathroom." He whispered raggedly, then was up in a flash and gone out of the room. I glanced over at Angela on the other side, who looked worriedly over.
"What's going on?" She mouthed at me. I shrugged and she responded with a "Go." and made a shooing motion.
I slipped out and sat down on the stairs outside. I only had to wait a couple minutes before Jake stepped out, looking worse in the flourescent light.
"Hey." I said softrly. His head whipped around, eyes meeting mine. He walked over and sat down next to me.
"Hey." He replied.
"Are you okay?" I asked, looking up at him, his hair had fallen loose from it's restaint, and now fell around his face.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
I gave him what I hoped to be my most skeptical look, and a brief smile flashed across his features.
"I knew there was no fooling you." He said, pulling me onto his lap, and cradling me. I wrapped my arms around his middle, pulling myself tight to him..
"That's what I thought." I stated. "Now, are you really okay?"
"I'm not feeling all too well. A little worse for wear." He closed his eyes, and I placed a soft kiss on his cheek. His arms tightened around me.
"So, like, what kind of sick? Are you wanting to go home?" I asked, running my thumb over his strong jaw.
"I don't know how to explain it. I..." He stopped. "I'll go home when the rest of you do."
"But you don't look good." I protested. "You're a little pale, sweating. You don't get sick."
"Bells." Jake gave me a heartbreaking smile. "Just settle down. I'll be okay until we get back. I'll deal."
"Whoa man, you look terrible." Mike's voice came from behind us. He and Jessica stood there, staring at Jake. "Do you need to go home?"
"No. You finish watching the movie." Jake said, waving it off. Mike didn't look convinced.
"I dont know... You don't look normal sick." Now he looked worried.
"We can go home. We will." Jessica's eyebrows pulled upwards.
"I want you guys to go watch the movie." Jake pointed to the doors. "It looks really funny."
"Okay, but you tell me if you absolutely need to go home." Mike walked up and gave Jake and man-shake and drug Jessica back into the theatre room.
After a while, Jake said he was feeling better, and after going in the bathroom to splash water on his face, we went back into the showroom, sitting down in remote seats near the back. I kept looking over at Jake, worried, but he seemed to be containing it well. The movie ended and the rest of the group filtered out, meeting us at the doors.
"We should go back now." Ben said, he had caught onto how Jake was feeling.
The rest of the drive home was silent, everybody tired from the long day and excitement. Jake huddled in the corner, sweating. I felt helpless, like I couldn't do anything to help him. Mike drove back to his house, and I drove Jake to his, pulling in and turning the truck off.
"Do you want me to go home tonight?" I asked, wanting to stay, but not wanting to violate his wishes.
"I do." Jake replied, towering over me in front of the truck. "I don't really want you to see me like this."
"Then I'll leave." I said, defeated. I stood on the tips of my toes, meeting his soft lips.
"Don't worry about me. I'll call you tomorrow,"
"Just so you know, I don't want to leave you." I said.
"I know," He smiled.
"Talk to you tomorrow then." I sighed, Jake turned to go, but I caught his hand and pulled him back. "I love you, Jakie." He grinned down at me, eyes crinkling at the edges.
"I love you too, Bells." He said, his voice rough. He gathered me into a tight hug, kissing the top of my head.
"Night Jake." I whispered, I couldn't help the nagging feeling that something was going to change, something drastic was going to happen. I sighed and got in my truck.