Starting Again: A Freaky Friday Two-Shot

Or "How Jake Came To The Wedding."

Part II: Jake

Jake yawned as his cell phone jingled by his head. Who in the world would be calling him before 10 o'clock on a Saturday morning? He stared blearily at the number. It was unknown. He considered just letting it ring into his voicemail but then decided that since he was already awake he'd answer.

"Hi, this is Jake."

"Jake! Hi, um, this is Tess Coleman."

Jake sat straight up in bed. What in the world? He couldn't think of anything to say so he blurted out a surprised "Hi."

"Jake, I was wondering if you would be willing to come to my wedding this afternoon. I know it's short notice, but I think Anna would really like to see you there."

Jake shook his head. "Ms. Coleman, if this is about anything I said yesterday, I mean, Anna told me to stay away..."

"No, no, no Jake!" came the quick reply. "It's for Anna that I want you to come. Not me, no, I'm getting married! It's just that Anna had a hard day at school yesterday and it was partially my fault. I'd like to make it up to her and she'd love to see you. Can you come?"

Jake tried to think straight for a moment. No, he didn't want to come; he was unbelievably confused about what was going on with the two Coleman women. Yes, he really wanted to come; he was unbelievably attracted to one of the Coleman woman. Or both of them. But Ms. Coleman was getting married. He was going to see Anna. Okay.

"Yeah, I can probably come. When is it?"

He could almost hear Ms. Coleman's smile over the phone. "Two o'clock on Ocean St. in Santa Monica. There will be a big pavilion. You can't miss it." There was a short pause and then she added, "It's a, um, dress-up affair."

Jake smothered a laugh and said reassuringly, "I understand. I'll see you...well, and Anna, this afternoon."

"Great. Thanks Jake. Bye."

"Bye."

Jake flopped back into bed. In the light of day he felt like an idiot. Something WEIRD had obviously been going on yesterday but he had been too caught up in Ms. Coleman's charm to think straight about anything. So he tried to do that now.

On Thursday he had talked to Anna. And she was just who he thought she was, friendly, interested in music and just...amazing.

And then Friday she was all stressed out. And rude! Presumptuous too. It had been jarring. He hadn't felt so shaken and disillusioned about something for a long time. Yeah, so that's why when he met Ms. Coleman, who was really nice to him, he'd opened up to her.

Except, now that he thought about it, Ms. Coleman was kind of weird for a mom. And the Ms. Coleman he had talked to yesterday didn't sound like the Ms. Coleman who had called this morning. Yesterday Ms. Coleman had sounded familiar...sounded like Anna. That's why he had liked her. Ms. Coleman had been like the person who he thought Anna was.

Okay, so right now his only problem was that he didn't like the Anna of yesterday but he did like what he still thought of as Anna's personality. And lord knows that she was beautiful. When the changed Anna had kissed him yesterday, he had still felt a chill penetrate his crazy thoughts about Ms. Coleman.

So maybe Anna was just having a freaky day yesterday, he concluded. I'll go see her today and it will all be...normal.

Was that too much to ask for?

The trains of thought were still running through his mind as he parked his motorcycle and nervously walked towards the big tent. He saw Anna almost right away. She and her mom were talking about something so he waited at the edge of the dance floor. Anna saw him and he shifted his hands from his pockets to behind his back. She said something to her mother and then Mrs. Coleman seemed to push her slightly. Anna walked over slowly and suddenly all the loose ends that Jake had straightened out in his mind fell to pieces.

They both said "hi," at the same moment and laughed nervously.

Jake decided to bite the bullet. "Listen," he started, "I feel really… stupid. You know, it's just yesterday was freaky, and, I mean, I see your mom, and I like her. I mean, not 'like her' like her, but, you know, I mean, like her as your mom…"

He stopped. He had no idea what he was saying. And it wasn't important now. It would probably be best just to forget yesterday and start over.

"Listen. Do you think we could just rewind this whole thing and start again?"

Her smile said it all. "I'd like that."

There. That was the Anna he remembered. It WAS Anna he liked and she was who he thought she was.

His heart was going about a hundred miles an hour with relief and just plain happiness as he took her hand. He led her to the center of the dance floor and they started dancing.

Looking at her face, he couldn't resist. The last time Anna had kissed him, it had been a different Anna. How did the real one feel?

"You know, I've been thinking about that kiss," he ventured.

"Kiss?" Anna seemed momentarily surprised. But then she looked up at him and said, "Remind me again how I did it."

Normally Jake wouldn't have thought twice after such an invitation but there was her mom... There was definitely a difference between asking a guy to come to your wedding and letting her kiss your daughter. "In front of your mom?" he asked.

Anna laughed. "It's okay. She owes me."

Jake decided not to dwell on the meaning of the last statement and act on the first.

FIN.