Jake looked cold.
“Why not?”
“You always have me do something, and always have a reason, and we didn’t see each other this week.”
“Sarah, you don’t want to see me?”
He was right.
The whistle blew.
I put my hat on.
“I’m not moving.”
And I left him.
I looked back.
He was gone.
I clenched my fists.
I couldn’t keep doing this.
Back at my room, I did the math.
I could sell all his stuff.
And I could do what I wanted.
I didn’t talk to Jake.
He didn’t come to me.
He started a company, from what I could see
Two weeks later, he was back in town.
[How long are you gonna be mad?]
I messaged.
[Jake, you didn’t say sorry.]
He replied right away.
[Okay, where are you?]
[Noodle place.]
[With who?]
[Friend.]
I looked at my roommate.
[Guy.]
He was tvpina.
<
[Sarah, you are so mean.]
I put my phone away.
Then he came too fast.
I walked out of the noodle place.
Jake was there.
He took off his helmet.
He was cold.
He held his helmet.
My roommates ran back to school.
“Trying to make me mad?”
Jake came closer.
He wanted to hold my hand.
く
I moved. He touched my clothes.
He didn’t pull away.
“Don’t want to live together?”
I looked away.
“Jake, that’s not the point.”
Jake knew that, but he wanted me to say no.
“Fine.”
Jake said, “We can be neighbors. We can leave each other alone.”
I looked down.
“Jake, we need to break up.”
The neon lights were flashing.
<
The neon lights were flashing.
He looked at me.
“Why?”
I looked at him.
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“You are controlling, and you don’t think about
my feelings.”
“Look at me,” he raised his chin.
I looked at him.
“You have a bad temper….”
“I’m always trying to fix you…….”
“I’m tired…”
Jake finally looked different.
Ho looked sad
く
He looked sad.
“I’ll change.”
I shook my head. “You can’t. You didn’t even
quit smoking.”
“I can.”
He took out his cigarettes and lighter.
He threw them in the trash.
“I can change.” He looked at me, eyes wet.
I’d never seen Jake like this.
He held my shirt.
“I can change. Sarah, don’t leave. Please…”
<
We were still together.
I wanted to leave.
Jake was busy with work.
He didn’t ask to see me.
He sent me messages.
[Baby, I closed a big deal today.]
[Made a lot of money.]
[Are you busy?]
[My friend opened a restaurant, you’ll like it.]
He wanted to see me, but also be nice.
He was trying to be gentle.
I took a deep breath.
Last week, Jake’s mom talked to me.
She gave me a card with a lot of money.
I could have more choices now.
So I took the card.
I asked Jake to dinner.
I was at the restaurant.
I ordered his favorites.
Then Lily came.
“Sis, you knew I liked Jake!”
“What did I do! Why are you doing this?”
Lily cried.
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Then I laughed.
“Because I hate you, Lily. You put that diary on
- me.
“I’m just going with it.‘
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Lily looked weird.
“But Jake didn’t do anything!”
I was calm. “So what?”
“Jake is rich, good looking.”
“It’s fun. No harm.”
Then the door slammed open.
“Jake!” Lily shouted.
My heart was racing.
Г
Jake walked in, looking intense.
Lily ran to Jake.
“Jake, she lied to you! She’s just using you!”
“I was going to say it, but I didn’t want you to
get hurt.”
“I really like you!” Lily was red.
“Get out,”
“Wh….. what?” Lily froze.
Jake closed his eyes, fists tight.
He had a bouquet of roses, for me.
“I said get out.”
Lily cried and ran out.
<
It was quiet.
I sat still.
Jake was behind me.
I couldn’t see him.
His cold glare was on me.
I reached for the water, but my hands were
shaking.
It spilled.
Then something changed.
Jake sat down.
There were cigarettes, a lighter, and a jade
pendant.
<
It was from Jake, and he wore it as a kid, and
wanted to protect me.
Jake looked at them, and laughed.
I wanted to leave him.
He opened the cigarettes and lit one.
He smoked it, then breathed out a puff.
I looked down at the roses.
They were on the floor.
“Let’s eat.”
Jake said.
I tried to be calm, “You heard.”
He put food on my plate. “Yeah, let’s eat. It’s
<
getting cold.”
I bit my lip.
“Jake, we can break up now, right?”
That set him off.
Jake broke all the dishes.
I didn’t move.
After a long time, Jake picked up a piece of broken glass.
He cut his hand, and it started bleeding.
He just looked at me.
Then he put his hand in front of me.
“Sarah, I’m bleeding, it hurts.”
く
I didn’t move.
“I hurt… Sarah…”
A drop hit my hand.
I used my sleeve to wipe it away.
Jake laughed.
“Sarah, you’re such a good liar.”
“Yeah, I’m done lying. I’m leaving.”
I went to leave.
Jake grabbed me and hugged me tight.
“I don’t care about the stupid diary.”
“Just say you’re sorry, and I’ll act like nothing
happened….”
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12:16
“Just say you’re sorry, and I’ll act like nothing
happened….”
وو
“Sarah….. please say you’re sorry…”
He was crying.
I looked up.
I heard myself say.
“Jake, you’re so dumb. I’d never like someone
like you.”
I said those awful things.
Jake was in the light, eyes red.
He said, “Sarah, I’ll get you back.”
