Hey, I'm Jake from the band Willamette Stone originally from Portland. You may have heard of us. Check out the link in my sidebar for tickets to our latest gigs! Punk rock will NEVER DIE.
NOTES: Jake takes Marley to a special performance by the Oregon Symphony featuring Janine Jansen while Marley continues to question what he likes about her.
Jake ended up scoring big time at the thrift store. He'd found an old school, dark blue velvet jacket that fit him perfectly. He paired that up with one of the few button ups he had, a black skinny tie, and some dark jeans. That'd be good enough for a classical music concert probably. He wasn't really the type to bring flowers on the first date, so he just borrowed the band's van and went to Marley's house to pick her up. When he knocked, the front door was open by a tall, older guy with blonde hair, rounded glasses, and a sweater with leather on the elbows. 'You must be Jake. Nice shoes,' he commented, looking at Jake's Doc Martens. "Thanks," he said. "Marley told me you were in Nasty Bruises? I've got all your CDs." 'Using them for coasters I hope,' he joked, ushering Jake inside. 'Marley! Your date is here!'
Marley felt like she was going to be sick, actually sick, and she said as much to her mom. 'If you're gonna blow chunks, better to do it now than later.' Her mom said as she handed her a small bin. "What do you even wear to a date to a violin concert that might not even be a date?" She asked for the thousandth time that night. 'Well I think you look just fine. And if he doesn't like it, then he's stupid.' Teddy proclaimed seriously, causing Marley to smile. "Thanks bud. If he doesn't, I'll send him your way to deal with." Seemingly satisfied, he rushed out of her room with a grin. Turning back to the mirror in her room, she gave a small smile, settling on a dark purple dress with black tights and an old pair of her mom's leather boots (one of her more toned down pairs, of course). When she heard her dad calling, Marley took a deep breath and touched up her hair before heading down the stairs. "Hi. I'm here." Marley said quickly, cutting off conversation between Jake and her parents just in time- before they started showing the hundreds of baby pictures on the wall.
Jake turned from his conversation with Marley's dad, who he was now supposed to call Denny lest he feel old, to see Marley walking down the stairs. Suddenly he felt like he should have gotten those flowers. He licked his lips and swallowed subtly. "Woah- I mean, hey," he said warmly. There was a beat of an awkward pause before Jake went to open the door back out for them. 'Don't go getting into any trouble,' Denny said. 'Yeah, I hear those classical concerto mosh pits get pretty wild,' said Millie. Jake chuckled at that and led the way out of the house. He opened up the side door for Marley, "This is the band's van so it's definitely not the cleanest, but I did my best sprucing it up."
Marley could feel her cheeks heat up slightly as soon as she spotted Jake's eyes on her, though it was more of how he was looking at her that filled her stomach with butterflies. Between that and the way he was dressed, this was definitely a date. She seriously considered turning around and running back up the stairs and into the safety of her bedroom but it was too late now. Like he had said once before, she had already been seen. Marley slipped on her coat and tossed her purse over her shoulder before waving to her parents, brushing off their comments. "Ignore them. They're not as cool as they think they are." Marley mumbled as she climbed into the van with a polite smile. "It's okay. You didn't have to do anything crazy for me." The brunette moved her hands to her lap and glanced out the window, falling silent as Jake pulled out of the driveway and towards the concert.
Jake "I'll just cancel the fireworks after the show then," he deadpanned. He wondered if she thought the age difference was weird. Or if her parents did. Really his nerves were just frayed. He'd gone from solid steel to something gooey. Jake turned on the radio to his favorite station. "So tell me about this chick playing tonight. Do you like her?"
Marley let out a soft chuckle at his joke, at least she thought it was a joke. His humor was still something that she was getting used to. There was a lot about him that she still had to get used to but maybe that was something that would come with time. "This chick playing tonight is Janine Jansen. She's a famous violinist, even known as one of the best there is now. She's played concertos all over the world, won awards. She's incredible and probably one of my idols. I hope to be as successful as she is one day. You're in for a real treat." She explained with a small smile, trying to downplay her excitement about it.
Jake Marley sounded like a newspaper clipping about this violinist. The only thing Jake cared about was how excited she was. Yeah it wasn't all about him but that was fine. He'd get a front row view of her world. "Guess it's pretty lucky I snagged these tickets," he mused, pulling onto the highway. "Have you been to one of her concerts before or something?"
Marley bit her lip as she glanced over at him. The whole thing still seemed very off to her, him getting the tickets from a family friend and even asking her to go with, but she opted to play along despite her doubts. Shaking her head, her attention turned back to the window and the sights of the city fastly approaching. "No, but I have some of her performances on albums. The only time I've ever really been to a real symphony was during a field trip when we were younger. Otherwise it's just been local school's performances and things like that. So if I majorly geek out, you have to promise you won't make fun of me."
Jake smiled warmly over at her. "Stop putting yourself down," he winked. "You're not geeking out. You're like the epitome of a music appreciation student." That was a better way of putting it. "Besides, you haven't seen me 'geek out' yet over old vinyls. Any time I find a new one, I faint. It's really embarrassing. One of the guys has to constantly carry smelling salts and one of those paper fans around at all times." His smile only grew when he got her to laugh. He figured joking around was the best way to keep her comfortable. Maybe she'd never been on a date before. It didn't seem that likely considering she was gorgeous, but possible if he thought about how much she had to practice. "Classical music may not be my thing, but I can always appreciate someone who loves music like I do."
Marley smiled when Jake seemingly leveled the playing field, even laughing at his over-exaggeration. At least she thought he was exaggerating. "Really? I'll have to see that one day. Sounds very entertaining. We should do that sometime then." She said quickly, not even realizing that she insinuated there would be a next time. At least things seemed to be going better than some of their previous conversations and not so bad for her first date so far. "I understand that, especially since punk rock isn't my thing at all. But I've learned to appreciate it because so many people in my life appreciate it." And it was true. Marley wanted nothing more than to feel like she fit in more with her family (and now potentially Jake if things progressed that way) and tolerating that style was one step to do that. "You just can't fall asleep or anything on me. Then we'd have problems.
Jake "Yeah, we should. I'll take you to my favorite record store. They've got classical ones too," he said. He normally dated in his own circle, so it was strange to have to find ways to include someone with different tastes. But it was easier than he would have thought. "No, I'd never fall asleep on a date. Or a concert, classical or not," he promised her. They got to the concert hall with just enough time to find their seats up in the balcony. "Not the closest to stage but the acoustics will be good up here." He pulled out an old pair of binoculars he'd borrowed from Ryder. "If you feel like seeing better," he explained as he handed them over. Jake settled back in his seat as the lights began to change.
Marley So this was date. Even though she figured as much by their actions so far, the confirmation was nice even though it was also very overwhelming. Needless to say, she was thankful that she opted for her 'date' outfit as opposed to the more casual. Marley could barely contain her excitement as they made their way to the seats. They may have been way up there, but it was the music that mattered and she could hear just fine from where they were. She mumbled a quiet thanks as she rested the binoculars in her lap, not intending on using them but appreciating the thought that Jake put into bringing them. A wide smile pulled at her lips as the lights started to fade and Janine Jansen wandered onstage. She could feel her body buzzing with so much excitement that she was sure she was going to burst. That was until the first few notes were played, calming her down in a way that only the sound of a violin could. As Marley closed her eyes, she began to sway her head softly to the music filling the room and allowing it to take over her senses.
Jake clapped along with the audience as Janine Jansen walked out on stage. The hush that fell over the crowd was incredible. No one could get as quiet as a classical music crowd. It was the complete opposite of a punk concert, where everyone wanted to be heard. Jake watched Marley out of the corner of his eye, pursing his lips against smiling when not even five minutes in and Marley had her eyes closed. It was just like how he'd found her playing in the music room. Her fingertips even twitched. Jake took in a breath and looked bak towards the stage, letting the music wash over him. She played beautifully, even flawlessly to his ears. No wonder Marley wanted to be like her. Ten years down the line, probably in less time than that, Marley would be playing on a stage to a crowd this size.
Marley had to admit that she almost forgot she was with Jake as the concert went on. In fact it was almost like there was no one in the giant room except for Marley and the music, as if she was the one playing it. She could only wish though- only in her wildest dreams would she ever be half the player that Janine was. Marley bit back a smile as she opened her eyes to actually watch the violinist play. Her gaze was intense, like she was trying to memorize each movement of her fingers and flick of the bow to replay over and over again later to improve her own playing. Taking a break from her own world, she returned to the real world and glanced at Jake from the corner of her eye. He seemed to be enjoying himself. At least he didn't look bored out of his mind, though her attention was torn from him once again when she began the opening notes of her signature piece- a Britten concerto. It might not be Beethoven but it was still just as captivating and breathtakingly beautiful in its own style. When she had finished, the entire crowd roared in applause and Marley was no exception.
Jake found himself not exactly getting into the music, but appreciating it. What kept him from being bored was Marley though, the way she seemed to be in another world as she listened and watched. His hand almost reached over to take hers a few times but he didn't want to disturb her. He knew just what watching concerts could do for his own musicianship. As the Britten concerto finished and intermission was called, Jake could finally turn to Marley and talk to her. "What do you think?" he asked as people rushed off to the restrooms. "Don't spare the nitty gritty details. I mean, you might go over my head a few times, but that's fine," he grinned.
Marley was quickly snapped out of her own world and brought back to the real world when it was time for intermission. Honestly, a part of her had almost forgotten that she was even with Jake. Music just had that effect on her, consuming her in ways that she didn't even realize were possible. God, she was a terrible date. Once she heard his voice though, she glanced over at him. "I think that this is incredible and perfect. I can't even wrap my head around how talented she is. It's unbelievable. That last piece is practically her signature piece. The only person who could even come close to that performance would probably be the composer himself." She explained with a small giggle. "It's mind-blowing. Her technique is solid and eloquent and full of finesse; everything about it is perfect but I'm sure you knew that since she's here. I just admire her and her playing so much. She makes you feel this connection to her and the music she's playing. And she brings light to a composer that's not all that well known in the grand scheme of things. It's perfect." Marley said quickly, stopping herself from rambling into Jake's ear for the full intermission.
Jake 's smile softened as Marley went rambling about music again. She seemed to think that it was a bad thing, like she had no idea that it was one of the things he liked so much about her. "I think she's pretty something too," he chuckled. "Maybe they'll have Janine Jansen foam fingers downstairs to buy after the concert. Or another sticker to put in your locker," he said. Jake had Marley walk him through what put this violinist above all others and how she even got to where she was. Marley was like a walking Wikipedia page on this chick. It was pretty incredible. And yeah, adorable too. When the lights flickered to signal the beginning of the second half of the concert, Jake turned his attention away from Marley (and her lips) back towards the stage. This time as the music began, he rested his hand palm up next to her knee before she could lose herself to the music. If she was going on a trip to another world, he wanted to go with.
Marley let out a giggle and gave his shoulder a light nudge with hers. "Oh, a foam finger would be great. We'll get you one too." She teased, going along with his joke. Marley found that it was actually pretty easy to talk to him and be around him once she got past who he was. It was actually a lot easier than she would have ever thought. It's why she was able to ramble on and on, losing track of time until the flickering lights reminded her. Marley shifted in her seat to face the stage, eager for the second half to begin. Noticing his hand, Marley bit her lip and moved hers lightly on top of his before lacing their fingers together. When the music began, she was still was brought to a complete other world but she had something (or rather someone) to take with her and keep her grounded. Marley would even squeeze his hand slightly at the more intense part of her pieces, like she was playing her own song for him.
Jake had to purse his lips against smiling when she took his hand and laced their fingers together. To most people their age, holding hands was a tame touch. And yeah, it was, but Jake still felt a warmth spread up his arm. She had a soft, small hand with fingers as callused as his own. This time, he let his own eyes closed as he listened to the music. The only things he was aware of were Marley beside him, her hand in his own, and the music. Every now and then, she would squeeze his hand to match a crescendo then ease with it diminished again. He took in a deep breath and opened his eyes as the piece ended, feeling like he was coming back down to Earth.
Marley wasn't sure whether it was the enthralling music or the fact that she and Jake were holding hands that was causing her heart to beat so quickly. She would have been concerned that he could hear but thankfully the music was covering it up. Catching a glimpse of the boy next to her, she bit back a smile. Marley was grateful that he was at least seemingly enjoying himself. She stayed like that for the rest of the concert, alternating her excitement between the music surrounding her and Jake sitting next to her. In fact, the only time she let go of Jake's hand was to applaud the violinist at the end of her show along with the rest of the audience. Marley had the brightest smile on her face despite the fact that the concert had finished and it very likely meant that their date would be over too. "Wow. That was wonderful." She whispered, turning to Jake before they left. "Thank you."
Jake stood as the concert came to an end, clapping with the rest of the audience. It had been a great concert, half because of the music and half because of Marley making it come alive for him. He turned to her and smiled, "You're welcome." He grabbed the binoculars off the seat to stuff back into his jacket. This time he didn't hesitate to take her hand as they left the concert hall. "Damn, no foam fingers. But they had stickers," he said as they left the merchandise table. "I was hoping for 'Violinists do it better' but her name works just as well." Jake wasn't surprised that they were probably the youngest people walking out of the place. He put his hands in his pockets as they ambled slowly back towards the parking structure, taking their time and walking past the statues out front.
Marley shook her head at his comment. "Though I am heartbroken that I am foam finger-less, I love my sticker. It will happily rest next to my Beethoven sticker. He would be proud." Marley said with a wide grin. They walked in silence for a little bit, thankfully taking their time making their way back to the car. She wasn't quite ready to say goodbye yet. "I hope you enjoyed yourself and that I didn't embarrass me or you that much. I'm sure it's not easy to sit through without guitar riffs and screaming like you're used to. If anyone knows that punk rock and classical music don't mix well, it's me." She said almost sadly. "Though by the end of it, you seemed to get into the music. At least as much as I would expect you to."
Jake "Hey, I had a good time," he promised," nudging her elbow. "Seriously, I respect any musician who just leaves it all on the stage like that. She was awesome." It didn't matter which genre that you were playing as long as you were playing music from that well inside yourself. "The snoring was the lady next to me, it was super distracting," he joked. Jake took his hands out of his pocket and reached one over for hers again as they reached the steps down. "All right, Rose, so what's your story? How did parents like yours end up having a kid like you?" he wondered, hoping that didn't sound bad. He hadn't meant it in a bad way.
Marley smiled when she felt his hand in hers again but pressed her lips in a tight line when he asked her that question. It wasn't like it was the first time she heard it and she knew that there was no way it would be the last. "Well, I was definitely destined to be this rocker chick but I have this theory. It's that I was switched at birth or there was some mistake at the hospital." Marley heard the expectant laugh from Jake before letting out a soft sigh. "But I'm being serious. Look at my parents and look at me. Sometimes I feel like this outsider in my family. They're so crazy and loud and outgoing and they have this daughter that is shy and reserved and chose the violin and Beethoven. It doesn't add up. I don't even look like them or Teddy. I'm just there." She whispered quietly. It was definitely one of her biggest insecurities because no one should feel like a stranger in their own family but oftentimes Marley did.
Jake chuckled at her answer, squeezing her hand. "Come on, seriously," he encouraged. His smile faded as she seemed to get sad. "You don't see the way your parents look at you then. I was there for five minutes and the way they talk about you... That's a family." Ever since Jake's dad had left, his mom had tried to step up to the plate. But even she had reached her limits until she was gone too. "You don't have to be a rocker chick to be their daughter," he shrugged. She didn't have to be a punk rock goddess to date him. "I chose the family that I have now, me and the band. You were born into one that was gonna love you no matter what. So... don't beat yourself up about it."
Marley had to admit that Jake made her feel at the slightest bit better. If nothing else, he was able to put a small smile on her face. There were still plenty of doubts in the back of her mind about the two of them. If she felt like she didn't always fit in her family's life, how in the world was she supposed to fit into Jake's world? That would be like throwing her to the wolves, something that she wouldn't be able to handle. Then it would cause all sorts of problems and... Marley had to stop herself from jumping too far ahead, only she had actually physically stopped in front of Jake as well. "You didn't really get these tickets from a family friend, did you?" She all but blurted out and when she heard the answer she expected, Marley let out a sigh. "But why? Out of everyone, why me?"
Jake paused with Marley in front of a giant red statue, caught off guard from her question. "That was two weeks of pizza delivery tips and luck that she was even doing a concert in Portland," he admitted. He'd spent a night on Google looking for famous violinists who were playing in the area and it was like striking gold finding out about the concert. Ryder had loadned him the money until he could pay him back. Jake took a step closer when she asked why he'd picked her. "Because I like to watch you play. You go to another place," he began. Even tonight while listening to music, she had gone off to that place. Just like him and his music. "And you're beautiful," he stated for the truth that it was, even if she didn't seem to realize it. A fond smile came to his lips as he brought up his free hand. "You get this little crease in your brow right there," he said, touching the spot. His hand went to gently hold the side of her face as he leaned in closer.
Marley had a hard time believing anything that Jake was saying. Actually, she didn't believe anything he was saying. And the fact that he had even seen her play still made her want to just disappear. Marley had rarely even let her own parents hear her play. But Jake completely lost her when he mentioned that she was beautiful- it was not something that she saw herself as. Especially not when she compared herself to all the other girls at their school that he could easily have. Even still, Marley felt her cheeks heat up as they turned a shade of pink. She could practically feel her cheeks turning a darker shade as she felt his rough fingers on her skin. "Why do I get this feeling that you're about to completely mess up my life?" She questioned as she looked at the ground. The intensity of his gaze was almost too much and she could feel him getting closer and closer to her. She kept staring at the ground because she knew exactly what would happen if their eyes were to meet.
Jake "A little mess never hurt anybody," he murmured, smiling to himself. His forehead rested to hers and he took in a steadying breath. No girl had made him feel like this before. It was new to him and it added to her allure. He waited for her to look at him so he would know whether or not to kiss her.
Marley could only smile at his line. If only she knew how much a little bit of mess would well, mess her up. She liked things neat and in order and in a manner that she could control and here was Jake, standing in front of her and threatening all that. Yet, there was something comforting about it all. She knew that he wouldn't let her life get too messy. After all, he organized all of this just for her even though it wasn't his thing. Closing her eyes, Marley took in a deep, calming breath before glancing up at him. "If you say so." She whispered with a tiny smile.
Jake 's eyes crinkled at the side with his smile as she met his gaze. His thumb ran along her jaw soothingly before he closed the distance between them and pressed a kiss to her lips. He closed his eyes and took in a breath as one kiss led right into a deeper one. With the feeling it gave him, he was never so glad he had walked by the music room. Maybe he would shake her life up a bit, but she would help steady his own just like the kiss was steadying his heartbeat.
Marley closed her eyes the instant she felt his lips on hers. Was it possible for your heart to beat faster and slower at the same time? Cause that's what it felt like as they kissed, as her lips seemingly melted into his. Then there was the warmth that spread all throughout her body as she slipped her arms around his waist. Marley was pretty sure that if she didn't, there would be nothing keeping her on the ground and floating away to another world. Although if she got to take Jake with her, it would all be okay. Maybe this would all be okay.
TAGGING: Jake Puckerman, Tina Cohen-Chang, and more
LOCATION: ICU and around the hospital
DATE: Day after the accident, late evening
NOTES: Jake reaches a breaking point.
Jake’s world had shrunk down to the size of the waiting room. His eyes were usually on the door to the ICU where he couldn’t even see the foot of Marley’s bed, or they were on the floor. The only fuel he had put into his body was a continual stream of coffee people brought him. He felt so uncomfortable around all of these people, even his friends. None of them were Marley and none of them knew what to say.
“I need to see her,” Jake said quietly when Tina sat down to join him, handing over a Monster energy drink. ‘You’ve said that. At least ten times since noon,’ Tina sighed, looking towards the nurses station. “They change nurses at eleven, between shifts.” ‘They did last night, you don’t know if they will tonight,’ she pointed out. Jake cracked open the can and started to drink, needing it to keep himself awake.
Ryder, Sam, and Santana made they way over to stand in a semi-circle around where Jake and Tina sat. ‘We need to get you back there,’ Ryder said, crossing his arms over his chest. ‘We were thinking of causing a diversion.’ Jake looked up from the floor to his friends, “What kind of diversion?” Santana shrugged, ‘We could just start singing a loud ass song, something to get nurses or security out here so that fucking door opens.’ “What would you sing?” Jake asked.
‘Girlfriend In A Coma,’ Sam suggested. Jake’s fist shot out to punch his friend in the stomach since he didn’t want to waste the energy to stand up. Sam groaned and held his waist, coughing in breath. ‘Okay, okay, no Smiths.’ “Sing whatever you want, just make it loud as fuck. Do it down by the elevators,” Jake said, thinking aloud with a plan.
By the time they had figured out exactly how the plan would go, it was time to pull it off. Marley’s grandparents had already come back from seeing her, updating Jake on her condition. He knew that now more than ever, he needed to see his girlfriend. She needed to know that he was here. Maybe it was stupid, but he felt like if he could just touch her, she’d start doing better. Or she’d realize that he would be her family now. He knew what losing his parents was like, just in a different way. But he sure as hell knew what a family looked like, thanks to her own family. He could be that for her. He could try.
Jake stood around the corner from the doors back into the ICU as Tina, Santana, Sam, and Ryder all stood far down the hall next to the elevators. As his friends started singing the loudest and worst cover of Blitzkrieg Bop he’d ever heard, Jake waited for his chance. It took a minute before the singing was noticed. A nurse picked up a phone, a tired and annoyed look on her face. She came walking out thirty seconds later to speak with the ‘annoying punks’.
Jake jumped out to grab the door handle, slipping through back into the ICU. He started running back towards the beds, looking at all the different faces and not recognizing any of them. She was in one of the last beds when he recognized her by the deep brown of her hair. Jake’s breath caught at the sight of her. Bandages everywhere. Dried blood marring her pale skin. The tube down her throat was hard to look at.
His hand was shaking as he slowed to walk forward. “Marley, I’m here,” he said, reaching his hand out to reach for hers. “I’m not going anywhere-”
Jake’s hand didn’t even have the chance to touch hers. His words were cut off as two guys grabbed him from behind. ‘What the HELL do you think you’re doing back here?!’ Jake immediately started fighting against the arms pulling him back. “That’s my girlfriend! Let me see her! This is BULLSHIT!” Tina came running forward to fight with the security guards as well. ‘This punk again?’ a nurse Jake recognized said. ‘That’s it, throw him out. I don’t want to see him in this hospital-’
‘STOP!’ a new voice yelled. Jake looked up from the floor to see Willow standing there in fresh nurse scrubs. ‘Let him go. Jake, stop fighting.’ Willow was one of Millie and Denny’s closest friends. She had married a member of Nasty Bruises. Jake had forgotten she even worked here. His arms went slack and his Adam’s apple bobbed. “They won’t let me see her,” he muttered, fixing his jacket. Willow looked to the head nurse, ‘That girl in there just lost every member of her family. She needs to hear familiar voices. You know as well as I do how much that can help coma patients.’ ‘That’s never been proven. And besides, you don’t have authority on this floor.’
Willow stepped up and got right into the other woman’s face, hands on her hips and looking like she would murder the chick. ‘Give me half an hour and the Hospital director will be on the phone with more than a few things to say to you. She is going to be livid I had to wake her up for a phone call about this. But you can bet your ass I’m changing her visiting priviledges,’ Willow promised.
‘Until then, get your little hooligans the hell out of my wing,’ the other woman said, crossing her arms over her chest. Willow smirked but turned to take Tina and Jake’s arms to lead them back out to the waiting room. ‘You two are idiots. But she’s worse. I got out of surgery and someone was able to find me,’ she explained. She let go of their arms but pulled Jake into a hug. He didn’t really feel it. He’d gone numb. ‘Give me a little time and I’ll get you in there, Jake. I promise.’
Jake nodded, pulled back, and then started walking away from all of them. He kept walking until he hit the stairwell and could start heading up. His feet moved slowly at first until they began to pick up speed and he was stumbling up the stairs to the highest point of the hospital. Jake found himself alone out on the rooftop before he let the tears that had been gathering in his eyes finally begin to fall. The scream that was building up in his chest was let loose into the crook of his arm.
Not once had he cried in that waiting room. Not once since he had heard the news had he cried. It had been beaten into him as a kid that crying wasn’t for men. Jake could only think of one time he had even shed a tear in front of Marley. But after seeing her lying in that hospital bed, something inside him broke. A piece of his heart chipped off as everything became real. He really was never going to see her parents or Teddy again.
And there was a huge chance he was never going to see her again awake either. Never see her smile. Never see her blue eyes. Never hear her play. Jake turned to settle back against the cement wall, holding his head in his hands as he let go of everything that had been building up since his world came to a crashing halt. It was too much for one person to bear. He needed Marley.
TAGGING: Jake Puckerman, Tina Cohen-Chang, and more
LOCATION: The Know onwards
DATE: Day of the gig/accident, late evening
NOTES: Tina comes to the rescue as the messenger of death.
TRIGGERS: mentions of death
“I can’t get you outta my mind, -ind,” Jake repeated over and over again as he looked out passed the lights to the crowd gathered. Girls were looking at him, but none of them were Marley. His singing was fine but his energy was severely lacking. This was almost as bad as when he’d played a show with the flu, throwing up between songs. As they played the final notes of their last song, Jake thanked the crowd and quickly unplugged his guitar to walk backstage.
Sweat was pouring down from his forehead as he walked outside into the frigid air. ‘JAKE!’ he heard someone scream. It was nothing new. ‘JAKE, IT’S MARLEY!’ His head whipped to the side because he would have recognized Marley’s voice. Instead, Tina stood there fighting with a guard. “Let her through,” Jake said, swinging his guitar onto his back.
Tina pushed the guard, looking ready to knock his lights out. Jake had never seen her so angry. Tina and he had never really gotten along. The only thing they had in common was Marley. Poor Marley had tried everything to make them be friends, but you can’t force something like that.
Marley.
If Tina was here... Jake felt his stomach start to hollow out. “Where’s Marley?” he asked immediately. Tina had the smudged eyeliner of a girl who’d been crying for a while now. ‘I’ve been trying to call you,’ she began. “My phone’s in the van. I never take it on stage, messes with the feed. Where’s. Marley?” he asked again in a harder voice.
‘Jake, I’m so sorry... There’s been an accident,’ Tina started to explain. Jake could hear the words coming out of her mouth and he knew his brain was processing them. But with every other inch of himself, he didn’t want to believe it. Millie was dead? The mom who had helped him when his own mom died? Denny was dead? The guy who had sucked a bee sting out of his hand when he and Marley first started hanging out? Teddy? No, not Teddy.
“Not Teddy,” he rasped allowed, resting a hand on the back of the van to lean over and dry heave. He wiped a hand against his mouth. Teddy who had idolized Jake, Teddy who had been the coolest kid he’d ever met.
‘They’re gone, Jake,’ Tina repeated, wringing her gloved hands together. ‘But Marley’s still here. She’s still fighting. And she needs you-’
‘Jake!’ Santana called from the backstage door. ‘They want an encore. Come on-’
Jake ran over and gave Santana his guitar. “Give me the keys to the van.” ‘What fo-’ “GIVE ME THE KEYS TO THE FUKING VAN!” he bellowed. Santana was bewildered but Jake was never the type to yell at a person, so she just gave him the keys. He could vaguely make out Tina explaining the situation to Santana while he got to the van and started it up. The engine turned a couple of times in the cold.
He was so out of it when he backed up, that he had forgotten about Tina. She knocked on his window, making him jump. ‘I need a ride back. I had to take a cab out here.’ “Get in,” he said, jerking his head to the passenger seat. ‘I’ll tell the guys. We’ll meet you at the hospital,’ Santana called from the doorway. Jake just nodded. As soon as Tina’s door was closed, he shot out from the alleyway and onto the street.
‘Driving like this is only going to get you into an accident too,’ Tina said, gripping the handle on the van’s ceiling. Jake didn’t answer. He didn’t care. He just needed to get to Marley as fast as possible. God help any cop that tried to pull him over. As he drove, he kept trying to process that three of the greatest people in his life were now gone. Marley was an orphan. Marley was the only Rose left. Jake never cried in front of people, but he felt like throwing up again.
There was only far in to the complex that he could drive the van. “Park it for me,” he told Tina before unbuckling and jumping out. He took off at a run downhill towards the ICU building. Tina had attempted to catch him up on everything that had happened so far and what she knew, but Jake had to see for himself. Hospital Security didn’t bother stopping him as he went running for the stairs up to the floor Tina said she was on.
He was out of breath, sweating, and shaking by the time he came to a pair of glass double doors that wouldn’t open for him. But he saw her. Oh god, he saw her. She was laying on a bed with a tube down her throat, bandages wrapping her up. Jake slammed his hands against the glass, “Marley! MARLEY!” But it made no difference. She couldn’t hear him. Maybe she never would again.
‘Sir, we’re going to need you to calm down,’ a gruff voice said. Jake slightly turned to look at the guy wearing a security sweater. “That’s my girlfriend in there. I have to see her,” Jake explained. A grumpy old nurse came over. ‘Family only,’ she said. ‘Now quiet down before you wake one of my patients. “Family only? Family only?!” he shouted, stepping forward. “Her whole family just fucking died!”
The nurse’s expression didn’t change but the security guard was reaching for pepper spray. ‘Stop,’ a new voice said. Jake felt a hand rest on his shoulder and found it belonged to Marley’s grandfather. ‘Jake, come sit with us.’ Grandpa Rose leaned over to murmur in Jake’s ear, ‘They’ll throw you out and won’t let you back in. Just go quietly. We’ll get you in somehow.’
Jake swallowed his anger, his frustration, his grief over all of this and nodded, letting Gramps lead him back to where they had set up camp in the waiting room. He shook hands with Marley’s Gramps and gave a strong hug to her Gran. While they took their seats, Jake stayed standing and pacing as he stared back towards the doors keeping him from being with Marley.
General Notes: Marley is discovered by Jake in the music room, leading to something neither of them saw coming.
Marley was at peace. There was no other way to describe it. Her advanced composition class had just ended and now it was her free period. Like every other day, she opted to spend her free time at school practicing her violin. Though she never liked calling it practice- not to toot her own horn, but she was far too advanced for it to be called practice. Then there was rehearsal, but rehearsing for what? She didn't have any upcoming performances or shows to attend so that didn't seem appropriate either. When Marley spent time playing her violin, she just... was. There was no rhyme or reason for her taking that time aside from her pure love for the instrument and the music. She wasn't in it for anything but the love, and besides, the only thing that it gave her in return was the reputation as the geeky, violin girl but Marley didn't care. It was something she learned to brush off right away because it brought her such immense joy. And it was beyond worth it. Currently, Marley was working on a Beethoven piece that she had been working on for a few weeks now. She didn't even need the sheet music, as it seemed to be taking up all of her time. Marley's small fingers began to briskly move over the strings of the neck as the other hand delicately yet precisely moved the bow over the strings as the sound of the first few notes began to fill the room. This was what it was all about for her.
Jake walked down the halls with a guitar strapped to his back. An effortless smile was on his face because today was a good day. He waved, fist bumped, and high-fived the people that he knew. Almost everyone knew Jake since his band had gotten a record deal, or just from concerts around town. It was when he was nearing one of the music rooms that he paused. A girl was sitting in the room alone with just her and her violin. He could hear the easily recognizable instrument from outside, but he still was drawn in closer. Jake leaned against the door and watched her with his head slightly tilted. Her fingers moved like hummingbirds over the strings. He couldn't tell if she was pulling the music out of the violin or if the violin was pulling the music out of her. It was a classical piece, the kind he had only listened to in Music Appreciation or at one of the school recitals. But with the way she played it? He was caught up in the whirlwind. When he felt someone approach him from behind, Jake tensed a little before looking at the new arrival. His eyes went back to the girl in the classroom. "What class is this?" he asked. 'Advanced composition.' "And where's the rest of the class?" 'She's... more advanced,' came the black-haired girl's answer. Jake would have stayed to watch more, but with someone else there he felt out of place. So he just walked on, resolved to find out about the girl in that classroom.
Marley couldn't pinpoint exactly when it was, but the girl easily lost track of time. It was like that any time she played. The violin completely consumed her and seemed to take over her body. Her mind was so focused on the music that sometimes it felt like she herself, wasn't playing; like she was watching some other girl play her instrument. Marley was able to completely lose control in that one area of her life and instead let the violin take the reigns. Her fingers seemed to move like they had a mind of their own, one that was completely and totally in sync with the violin she was holding. Marley's body seemed to merge with the polished wood, moving along to the beat of the music that was filling the room. A small smile pulled at her lips as she finished the piece. Marley took in a deep breath as she sat still for a few seconds, mentally critiquing her work. Needless to say, there was still a lot that she needed to work on and thankfully she had plenty of time to do so. After packing up her violin and leaving it in the safety of the room until the end of the day, she strolled to her locker only to be greeted by her best friend, Tina. 'You will never guess who saw you playing in there. It was Jake, as in Jake Puckerman. He totally asked about you,' the dark-haired girl spoke enthusiastically before Marley could even speak. "No he didn't. The last thing I need is Jake Puckerman, or anyone really, seeing me totally geek out with my violin. It's completely embarrassing," Marley mumbled as she tossed some books into her locker.
Jake was lucky that he knew exactly how to use his charm. It wasn't difficult to ask around the classical music groups to see if they knew anything about the girl. He even got a name: Marley Rose. People didn't know much about her, they just knew that she practiced more than anybody else at the school. But Jake had seen more than that when he watched her play. Music was her life, just like it was his. Maybe she used it to escape too. All he knew was that he wanted to know more about her. The next day at lunch, he went out in search of the girl. He started in the cafeteria, not surprised she wasn't there. Next stop was the classroom he had seen her in, but there was a class of freshman in there botching a composition. It wasn't until he went outside the school past the stoners to the benches that he saw her sitting alone. "Hey," he said, taking a seat across from her with his tray of food. "You're Marley, right?" He waited for her to nod before grinning, "Good, there were rumors. I'm Jake."
Marley hated how much it bothered her throughout the night that Jake Puckerman had been watching her play. It didn't necessarily bother her, but it was all that she could think about. She scoured her brain for hours as she replayed the piece over and over in her mind. Was this note too flat or too sharp? Did the vibrato sound right when it needed to? Did she even sound good or was it terrible? She could only hope she didn't make herself look like an idiot in front of him. After all he was the 'it guy' at school and throughout Portland. Basically everyone knew who he was because of his band. Marley had never heard him play or anything like that, only from the buzzings she heard around town and at school. Apparently he was good and you could tell that he thought he was good. Even though she never met him, he had a confidence about him that Marley admired. If only she possessed that when it came to her music. It was why she was surprised he sat down across from her at lunch the following day. Once she noticed him, she pulled the earbuds out of her ear that were echoing old classical concertos and promptly stopped the motion of her fingers, as if she were playing an imaginary violin. She glanced up at him before offering him a nod to answer his question. "Y-yeah. I, um, I. Hi," Marley stuttered out as her cheeks heated up and undoubtedly turned a shade of pink. If he didn't think she was a loser before, he definitely did now.
Jake only smiled brighter when she blushed. Definitely one of those classical musicians. You could tell by how they weren't used to talking to other people - they mostly talked to their instruments. When it came to rockers, you just had to bring up a song and suddenly everyone was jamming. Jake could move around the different circles in school easily when he felt like it. But sometimes, he liked down time to just sit around. The only member of his band still in high school was Ryder but he was off somewhere with his girlfriend sucking face. Jake grabbed his can of soda to pop open, wondering which angle to take when it came to Marley. He didn't want to scare her off. His eyes went to her violin case and a sticker on the plastic reading 'I heart Beethoven.' "Beethoven much?" he asked.
Marley was convinced this had to be a dream. Why else would he be talking to her of all people? Not only was he who he was, but he was also a senior and she was just a junior. They were in completely different social circles. It didn't make much sense or add up. Marley simply gave him a nervous smile as she shoved her iPod into her bag. What was she supposed to say to him? Thankfully, he eventually broke the silence though she wished he hadn't. Talking about classical music was the one way to keep her talking. "I guess, but don't mock Beethoven. It's like a crime against nature. He is a classical music genius. All those composers are. You don't see me mocking your punk rock gods like Nirvana or the Stooges or Radiohead now do you? No," she stated before looking down at her fingers.
Jake blanched a little at her quick reply. He reached a hand up to smooth down his hair. "Cool it, virtuoso. I wasn't mocking. I was just sparking a conversation," he defended. He took a drink of his soda, looking for another way in. "Why'd you choose violin anyways?"
Marley let out a soft sigh and bit her bottom lip nervously. "Sorry, it's just that most people are mocking when they bring it up so I just kind of assumed." Marley tucked a piece of her long, brunette hair behind her ear, fully expecting him to get up and leave after that only to see he hadn't moved an inch. Picking up her fork and nudging some of her food around her plate, she glanced up at him. "I don't know. When we were younger and in music classes, we got to choose an instrument to try. All the other kids wanted the obvious instruments- guitar, drums, piano, clarinet- things like that. I wanted to try the violin. It seemed so different and appealing. I guess more than anything, it chose me. I just fell in love with it, which is funny because I don't come from a classical music family at all," Marley rambled on before letting out a nervous chuckle when she looked back up at Jake. "And you probably didn't want to know all that."
Jake actually started leaning in closer as she told him about how the instrument chose her, a knowing smile on his lips. "No, no, I did," he assured her. "You're as into music as I am. I didn't think there was anybody left here who wasn't just doing this for fame or because their parents told them to or some shit." Jake licked his lips and set aside his soda for the gluten-free pizza slice their cafeteria offered. "Guitar probably seems like the obvious choice, but for me, it was different," he admitted. "There was this beat up Fender Jaguar in a dusty case in our garage growing up. When my mom fell asleep, I would go out and try to play it. Took me a while to figure out tuning and all that," he chuckled. "But it kept calling me back. I taught myself everything I could until my mom noticed. She found a guy to teach me how to actually read music." He cut off with a bite of pizza when he realized he'd just blurted all that personal shit out. Jake didn't really talk much. He normally let music talk for him or kept it casual, the kind of stuff you could say to anyone.
Marley couldn't help but smile to herself as she listened to him talk. She had always assumed that he learned how to play guitar for the fame and the girls like every other guy at their school but she couldn't have been any farther off. For the first time, she felt like they might have something in common, even something as small as their love for music. "I'm sure your mom loved that," she commented with a quiet giggle. "You sound like my parents' dream child. They're rockers too, especially my dad. He was into that punk-rock scene like you, even had his own band too. I'm sure having a daughter that's obsessed with the violin and concertos and old composers who were alive hundreds of years ago isn't ideal for them but they're still really supportive. 'Music is music,' they tell me all the time," she said, imitating her dad's voice. "Oh well," Marley mumbled with a shrug before looking down and picking slowly at her own food.
Jake "Well it was either put me in music lessons or have me out on the streets," he shrugged. "So she went with the better choice. I tried to learn as quick as I could so she would stop working two jobs. That's how I ended up coming here." Jake quirked up an eyebrow when she revealed her parents were rockers. He had to hold back a chuckle from picturing it, especially when it seemed to bug her. Jake nudged her ankle under the table with his foot. "Music is music though. That's the part that counts,” he said softly. “What band was your dad in? I might know him."
Marley "Then I guess it's a good thing you ended up here, so that you can learn more and get better," she added after a brief pause to catch herself. Marley couldn't hide her smile when she felt him bump her foot, rolling her eyes playfully in the process. "I guess you're right," Marley conceded before scrunching up her nose slightly. She wasn't all that fond of talking about her dad's band days, especially since it was pretty embarrassing sometimes. "Nasty Bruises. It's kinda older. He gave it up though when my little brother was born. I know he misses it, but he also really likes teaching. I think it helps that he still hangs out with those guys. Thankfully the leather and ripped jeans stay in the boxes though."
Jake dropped his slice of pizza onto the plate when she said Nasty Bruises. "Your dad was in that band? I have all of their CDs. Powell's had them back in the used section and I picked them out one day. They're like - pure punk," he marveled. Marley just jumped way up his list of cool people. He was starting to think hearing her play the other day hadn't just been by chance. Even if they had gotten off to a rough start, conversation flowed easier once they both let down their guards a little bit. Over the next week, Jake started eating lunch with her when he didn't go off campus for food. He got to know her a little bit more and more until he was sure. Two weeks later, he walked up to her locker and waited for her to notice him. "Hey," he greeted nonchalantly.
Marley definitely didn't want to admit that as the days passed, she looked forward to having lunch with Jake. They talked quite a bit about a bunch of different things, but she was always at least a little bit hesitant. She just didn't understand exactly what it was that he wanted from her. They were in two completely opposite worlds, in more ways than one, but it didn't stop her from at least talking to him. What could that hurt? A couple weeks after their first lunch, she was at her locker when she felt someone approach. She was able to immediately rule out Tina because the person was too quiet. After shoving her textbook into her bag, she turned to Jake with a smile. "Hi." Marley mumbled, slightly retreating to the safety of her locker.
Jake reached into his back pocket and pulled out a pair of tickets to show her. "Got tickets to a Janine Jansen concert," he said, leaning against the locker next to hers. "She's playing Beethoven. You interested?" he asked, like her answer wouldn't decide whether he was making a complete ass of himself in public.
Marley tried her hardest not to let out a squeal when he flashed the tickets. It wasn't like she had been trying (and failing) to convince her parents to either get her tickets or go with her. How did Jake even know who she was? And why in the world would he have two tickets to a classical music concert just in his back pocket like it was ordinary for him? None of it made any sense until it hit her. Marley pressed her lips into a tight line, seemingly deep in thought. "Wait, like us going together? Like on a date?"
Jake had to think fast to come up with something. "Yeah. Well, friend of the family can't go, gave the tickets to me. Anyhow, the concert's this Friday? I could pick you up?" he offered like this was all the most normal thing to ever happen. It probably was considering they were in high school. "What?" he asked when she seemed confused or torn, he couldn't tell which. "You can't hide in that rehearsal room forever, Marley," he said quietly, leaning in with a fond smile. "It's too late. I see you."
Marley opened her mouth to answer him, but nothing came out. Was this really happening? She was embarrassing herself in front of the most popular guy in school who also just so happened to be asking her out. This had to be a dream, or a nightmare rather. Marley was going to be sick. She felt a flutter in her stomach when he smiled at her, though, unaware if that was good or bad. She had never done this before. 'But I like my rehearsal room,' she thought, not daring to say it out loud. "Yeah. Okay. Sure," Marley whispered as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and gave him a nervous smile. She was going on a date with Jake Puckerman.
Jake "Cool," he grinned, ready to ask her for her address when her black-haired friend showed up. "Hey," he greeted. 'Hi. I'm Tina,' she said. "I'm Jake," he nodded, looked from Tina to Marley before pushing away from the locker. Tina looked ready to explode over something to Marley, so he figured it was time to clear out. "I'll see you guys later then," he said more to Marley than Tina. He walked past them back towards his independent study class (aka band practice off campus). Despite all the awkwardness, he knew that Marley was going to be someone good in his life. She was a good person. She was smart, talented, beautiful, and maybe a bit quiet but so was he. Now he just had to figure out what the hell he could wear to a classical concert.
Marley could do nothing but nod at him. "Yeah," she was able to eventually whisper. "See you later." Just like that he was gone and Tina was grabbing her shoulders, giving her a good shake. 'What. Just. Happened?' Her friend asked dramatically, waiting with bated breath for Marley to speak. The brunette took a deep breath before turning to her best friend. "I'm pretty sure I just agreed to go on a date with Jake Puckerman. At least I think I did." Tina gave a knowing smirk, as if she was the one to set the pair up. "What did I just do?" she mumbled to herself before being dragged down the hall by her friend, who was muttering something about an outfit she could borrow. Marley was in a daze. Sure she was excited for Friday, but more than anything she was nervous. This was Jake Puckerman and she was only Marley Rose. Sometimes it was like they lived on two different planets so Marley had no idea how they were going to make this work, but they could at least give it a try. What was the worst that could happen?
Characters: Jake Puckerman and the band, Ryder, Sam, and Santana
Location: Around Oregon
Timeframe: Afternoon
General Notes: When Marley doesn’t show for her date with Jake, he realizes that the show must go on.
There was nothing more depressing than watching candles melt in front of himself. Jake didn’t understand why Marley wasn’t there, or why she stopped answering his texts and his calls. Her parents weren’t the type to take away her phone. Maybe she hadn’t charged it after their FaceTime call last night. When an hour had passed since noon without hearing anything from her, Jake reheated some of the pizza to eat, which only added to the depressing factor. This should have been the best part of his day, even better than the concert that night. Finally after a month, he’d get to see his girlfriend. It figured that the first time he didn’t have to break a promise, she wasn’t there to see it.
Jake paused mid-chew. What if Marley hadn’t shown because of all the times he hadn’t been able to? Maybe she was trying to prove a point. But that didn’t seem like her either. If she was upset, she’d just tell him - usually. She definitely wasn’t petty like some of his exes, so pulling a stunt like this wasn’t in her style. Stil the food sat like a rock in his stomach. Maybe she really was upset with him. This could just be a taste of his own medicine.
Jake grabbed his jacket and rooted around in the house until he came across an old skateboard. It was a long ride to Marley’s house but the van was with Santana. He came to a stop outside of Marley’s house but her parent’s car wasn’t in the driveway and none of the lights were on. It was too early for them to have headed to the club for the concert. Where the hell were they?
He tried his phone again but there were no notifications and Marley’s phone just went straight to voicemail. A thought struck his mind and reminded him that her grandparent’s house had the worst signal in Oregon. It was a small thing to hold onto, but he hoped that her phone was either dead or couldn’t get signal. As long as nothing was wrong. No, he couldn’t start thinking that something was wrong. If he thought that, he’d never be able to get up on stage. Jake pocketed his phone and hopped back on his skateboard to go meet up with the band.
When he got to The Know, one of the best punk rock clubs in Oregon, the rest of the band was already there and starting to unload the van. ‘Where have you been? I swung by the house to pick you and your girl up. Figured you’d still be naked in bed. What gives?’ Santana asked. Jake stuffed his board and backpack into the van. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he muttered.
All through sound check, he was distracted and the band could tell. He fucked up lyrics and almost tripped off stage over a microphone cord. Sam came over once the levels were set. ‘You’ve got to get it together, man,’ he said, punchng Jake’s shoulder. ‘Whatever’s going on in that head of yours, make it stop.’ Jake just rolled his eyes and took off his guitar to set aside. “Marley never showed earlier and I haven’t heard from her,” he finally admitted.
Ryder let out a stretched out ‘fuck’. Santana looked sympathetic but then shrugged, ‘She’s probably just going to show up at the concert with some giant surprise for you.’ Sam perked up with that thought, ‘Dude, yes! That’s totally her. She’ll show up with like - balloons or some shit. See? It’s all good.’
Jake wanted to believe them - so he did. Marley would be there tonight for the show. Her and her family would be there and everything would go as planned. Besides, if anything were seriously wrong, he would know. Somehow, he would feel it. Wouldn’t he? Even if he didn’t, someone would think to get him. “You guys are right. She’ll be here.”
Jake: [12:20 PM] Uh hey, Marley. Just calling to see if you guys are on your way? I've got lunch all set up. Actually I'm about ready to start writing a song closer to 2000's emo core. That's a lame joke if you didn't catch it. I guess I'll just see you when you get here. Love you. Bye.
Characters: Jake Puckerman and the band, Ryder, Sam, and Santana
Location: House of Rock
Timeframe: Early morning
General Notes: Jake and the gang get back to their shared house in Portland, talking about their hopes for the show and how good it is to be home.
“Dude, don’t kiss the driveway,” Jake warned Sam.
Sam hopped up and wiped his hands off on his jeans. ‘I missed this place like crazy. Who knew our shabby shack could look so damn good?’
“I don’t think I’ll even make it up to my bed. Might just crash on the carpet,” Jake joked as they went to carefully grab their bags from the back of the van without having anything come crashing down on them.
It felt like they’d gone through this routine a thousand times in the last month: park, unload, fews hours of sleep, then off again to the next motel. Touring was amazing since it gave them a chance to perform every night and meet with fans, but it was exhausting work. Jake was in need of serious down time to recharge.
What he really wanted was to drive over to Marley’s house and sneak up into her bedroom to surprise her. He should have said yes to her offer, even if they had gotten caught. It would’ve meant seeing her that much sooner. But he would’ve felt guilty about climbing into her bed only to fall asleep and snore in her ear. When he first saw her, he wanted it to be better than that. She deserved better than that.
‘I call the shower first!’ Santana yelled, jogging ahead of everybody else. She was always first to complain about the van smelling bad.
Ryder slung his duffel bag over his shoulder. ‘I seriously need to do some laundry, so I call the washer.’
‘Do whatever you want, I just need some food,’ Sam said, going through his second bag of McDonald’s breakfast they’d had the smarts to pick up.
Jake grabbed his backpack and his duffel bag, shutting the van before heading into their small house. Santana and Sam had been renting it since they graduated high school; when Ryder and Jake graduated, they joined in and took over the last bedroom. He figured it was like a college dorm, if he had chosen to go to college. Maybe he would have if the band hadn’t gotten the money to make their first album and go on tour, but he was happy with his life.
He made it back to his bedroom, dropped his bags and then collapsed into his bed. The sun wasn’t even up yet. It was a disorienting feeling. As he rolled onto his side to face the wall, he looked at all the pictures of Marley and him taped up. Tonight, he would make sure to see her. She was more important than fans. People would call him a diva or whatever the fuck they wanted, but it had been a month since he’d last seen his girlfriend and with only one day in Portland, he had to make it up to her. Somehow.
His mind drifted back to their phone call last night. Even as he shut his eyes and pulled his old blanket over his body, he could hear her talking about Juilliard. Jake was so proud of her for doing so well at her audition, but he couldn’t help but be miffed. She said that they would move in together once she graduated, that she would go to school in the area so they could be together. After having so many people in his life ditch him, he had trusted Marley. It felt like she was getting ready to leave him behind.
Yeah, he went on tour, but he always came back home to her. He gave her as much of his time as he could and she had to know how much he missed her when he was gone. This whole Juilliard thing would just put them farther apart.
With sleep still eluding him, Jake reached down for his phone and pulled on his headphones. ‘Something In The Way’ started to play and he let Nirvana calm him back down enough to get the sleep he so sorely needed. In just two hours, he’d have to be up and preparing for the show that night. At least he had Marley to look forward to. She was always there. For now.
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