Until I Met You

Anger (28)

Grace

I woke up. I tapped around to grab my phone but then I realized that it's not my house. Everything that happened yesterday came rushing back to me. Finding the Note, telling Jake, walk on the side of the lake, meeting Jake's friends and coming here to sleep. I remembered everything.

It was then I realized that Jake had slept beside me, yesterday. I looked beside me to find the bed empty. So without having a choice, I stood up. I folded the quilt and went into the bathroom. I changed into my own clothes and made my way downstairs. I heard voices, but they weren't loud enough for me to hear. As I descended the stairs, the voices got louder. It was then I realized that it was of Jake and his dad's voice. And by the way they were shouting, I guessed that they were fighting. I didn't know what stopped me but I halted in the middle of the stairs and listened to their conversation.

"Again? Then why would you even promise it if you were not going to keep your damn words?" Jake's voice boomed in the living room. I heard some shuffling sound. Then I heard Mr Davis speak.

"When the hell will you grow up? You're not a kid anymore, to cry over something so stupid. Goddammit, you can take your friends with you for fishing. I'm not going to stop you but I can't accompany you. Okay?" He replied. "If you think that promising fishing with me is stupid then why even bother saying it? Huh? Why waste your precious time as well as mine? You could have just said nothing and saved us this fight." Jake grumbled out the words. "I was planning on going with you but I can't help that I have this important meeting popped out of nowhere. I have to attend it or it will be a great loss to the company." Mr Davis replied.

"No. The problem is that every time we decide that we're going to spend time together, your greedy self again ends up prioritizing your work more than me. You never miss your meetings for me but always go for the other way." Jake retorted. I took one step down the stairs. And Jake and Mr. Davis appeared in my vision. I still kept quiet.

"Jake, I would not have cancelled our plan if it was not important, why don't you under-" Mr. Davis spoke but my voice stopped him.

"Jake." I spoke as I walked down the stairs. Both Jake and his dad looked struck a bit to see me there. I think they had forgotten that I was in the house as well. As I emerged out of nowhere for them, I looked at Jake and spoke calmly. "If Mr. Davis can't go fishing today so don't force him. Even if he did cancel his meeting and go with you, he won't be able to enjoy his time with you. He would be worried about his work. He said that it is important, otherwise he wouldn't have to cancel your plan. So let it go. If it is that important to you then plan it for next time." I said.

"Shut up! This is none of your business. How dare you speak like that to me in my own damn house? It's our family matter, not yours. So keep your mouth shut." Jake said it in a loud voice. It startled me for a bit. I've never seen Jake getting made at me. His abrupt outburst of anger towards me stunned me for a bit and I actually shut up. I stared at him in disbelief. My eyes darted down his hands to find him clenching his fists and looking at me like he was restraining himself from throttling me.

"Mind your language, kid. You don't get to talk to her like this in front of me." Mr. Davis spoke from behind his clenched teeth. I could feel that he was getting as well.

"Oh. Yeah. You're going to get mad because of the way I talked to her but you wouldn't mind the way you're talking to me. Everyone's feelings are important to you but not mine is, right. Oh, wait. Crying over feeling is a kid thing." Jake said. His anger was getting out of hand. Tension rose high in the living room and it only made my anxiety creep up higher. Before it worsened any more I thought of calming Jake down.

"Jake, you shouldn't talk to your dad like that. It's disrespectful. You need to calm down-" I started speaking but Jake cut me off with the deadly glare from his cold eyes.

"You mind your own business. You are no one to tell me how I should talk to my dad. You have no damn right to interfere in any of our family matters." He said in a cold voice.

"Jake, don't -" Mr Davis started speaking in a warning but Jake spun around, picked up his jacket and walked out of the house. The door slammed shut behind him and I heard Jake's dad heaved out a sigh.

"I'm sorry for his behavior. He usually doesn't speak like that but it's just that he's hurt. I broke my promise today, again." He sighed again, just a bit lightly this time. He rubbed his face, just like Jake does when he is frustrated. "I'm sorry." He said. He looked me up and down.

"Jake was your ride, right? Don't worry, I'll arrange a ride for you." He said, politely. I shook my head.

"No need for that Sir. I'll manage on my own." I replied and went upstairs to get my backpack. Coming downstairs I saw Jake's Dad sipping coffee.

As he saw me coming downstairs, he smiled at me.

"I'm serious. I still can arrange a ride for you." Again, I shook my head in denial. He nodded his head.

"Anyway, I'm sorry that you have to witness us like that." He said.

"No, no. Not at all. I understand." I said. No, I don't really understand because I didn't have a real family to even have family problems.

"I should get going, then." I said.

"Alright then." I left Jake's house. Earlier when Jake left his house, I had had this urge to chase after Jake but I stopped myself. He certainly didn't want my company. Honestly, I was hurt by Jake's words but I knew what he said was because of his anger. Still, the pain I felt from his angry words did not fade away.

I reached my college and didn't find Jake's car in his usual parking spot. So my guess was he was not here. Anyway, I walked in to attend my classes. Just like I thought, I could not concentrate on my lectures. So I recorded all the lectures on my phone.

I've spent all day thinking about the fight. Was I really interfering in his family matters? Did I speak to him rudely? I was just trying to help and solve the matter. Why did he have to be so angry about it? What did I say to make him that mad? My thoughts kept swirling around it.

Jake or any of his friends didn't show up in the cafeteria, so I ate my lunch out in the open field. After I finished my lunch, I got back on with my classes. In the evening, all my classes ended, so I decided to go swimming and burn out my pent- up annoyance. Our college had this massive pool that I could swim in. So I picked up a swimsuit and changed into it.

I walked in the pool area with a towel wrapped around my neck. To my surprise, I found the pool completely empty. A rush of relief passed through me. This is what I wanted. To be left alone for some time. Like always, the pool's water was a bit yellowish, probably because of how many people peed into it. Ignoring the disgust, I threw the towel on the stand and walked into the water. It was at a normal temperature but still, I shivered a bit. Not wasting any time, I dived deep into the water.

For a while I swam normally then I did backstroke and breaststroke. I got out of the water and walked on the edge of the swimming pool. I gave a dolphin kick and started for a butterfly stroke. I swam as fast as I could. Swimming, I reached the other side of the pool and then came back again. Because how fast I swam my muscles started aching a bit. It was also because of how much time after I was swimming again. So I settled in a slow rhythm.

I swam deep inside the water and when I emerged from it, I saw a pair of legs in front of me. I glanced up to find an ever amusing Ethan standing there. He smirked.

"What's up?" He asked. I jumped out of the pool and sat on the edge of it. He did the same. He was wearing his boxers. It was clear that he was also there to swim. "Nothing much. What about you?" I asked him. I looked across the pool. It was quite big.

"Nothing much, eh? Don't lie. You're not a good liar. Your face gives you away." He replied. I gave a small smile.

"Ah uh. I am a good liar but I don't always pull it right." He shrugged and stared at my face for a long time. When he didn't look away for a while, I became uncomfortable. To make it clear, I forced out a heavy cough. He turned his head away. A small smile playing on his lips.

"What are you upset about?" He asked. He was still stuck on that. Like he could read my thoughts, he spoke again.

"You are visibly upset. You are giving away the vibes that you are going to start crying any moment." He said. "Nothing. It's just Jake -" I stopped. Ethan gave me an encouraging nod, so I continued.

"I intervened between him and his father's fight, and he got angry about that. I mean it's not like I was trying to interfere into their business or anything. I was just trying to help and solve the matter. I was just suggesting but, he got angry and walked out of the door." I explained. It was bugging me too much. My thoughts were still occupied with all of this stuff. I couldn't get my brains out of this.

"Hmm. Jake is a little sensitive about his family matters. He doesn't like anyone to be interfering in his family problems. Not even Mason or I interfere in his private matters, well at least the ones that include his parents, if it makes you feel better. So let it go. He must be upset. He does crazy things when he is angry, let alone when he is angry over something personal." He explained. It made me feel a little better that he didn't even let his closest friends interfere in his private matters. However, it still didn't make me feel better enough to think Lessley how he scolded me.

"I know it just that I've never seen him angry towards me. It's a bit of a shock to me." I explained.

"I guess I understand. Don't worry about it. He'll come around." He said. A strand of my hair fell on my face. He reached out and tucked it behind me. His hand brushed my cheek. He smiled at me gently.

"You should not be sad about it." He told me. I smiled back.

"I should get going. It's really late." I stood up and grabbed my towel.

"You need a ride?" He asked. I shook my head and gave him a smile.

"No. Thank you for your company." I said.

"No problem." He replied. I left that place.