Four Doors Down(34)

“Becca, we’re not together. I promise you.”

I sigh. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Ryan. Just keep her away from me, okay? I don’t need your psycho hook-ups hassling me.”

He opens his mouth to say something, then closes it again. “So, will you come to Jake’s party?” he eventually asks.

I sigh and shake my head. I don’t know why he’s bothering to ask me. We both know I won’t go; it’s the last place I’d want to be. I love Jake but can’t stand most of his friends.

He groans in frustration. “Come on, Becca. For Jake? It’s not like I’m asking you to come to my party or anything. You actually like Jake, you two are good friends.” He sounds bitter and almost…jealous? I quickly dismiss the thought. Even Ryan wouldn’t be bothered that his best friend talks to someone he doesn’t. Surely he’s not that pathetic.

“Just think about it, okay?” he asks me. “For Jake? He’ll want you to be there.”

I sigh and nod my head, knowing full well I won’t go. I turn to leave again and this time, he doesn’t try to stop me.





Ryan won’t have any trouble getting people to Jake’s party. He’s a great guy and we all know it.

Jake transferred to our school in the middle of second grade and his easy humor and constant grin meant he was instantly liked by everyone. His good looks didn’t hurt either, even at that young age. Of course being the naturally pessimistic person that I am, I was unsure of him. That changed one day in gym class when he was the captain of one of the teams. I had been annoyed knowing that he and another boy would just pick all the best boys and us girls would be left until last. Ryan, of course, didn’t care, knowing he would get picked first anyway, especially now that it was Jake picking. Jake had stood at the front of our class and then picked me first. I was totally surprised but couldn’t hide my delight. Ryan ended up getting picked first for the other team and didn’t stop sulking all week when mine and Jake’s team won. That was it—I was sold on Jake too.

He’s always been a good friend to me, always loyal. He’s just a good guy. It’s that simple.

About three weeks before the end of sophomore year, I walked into the cafeteria at lunchtime and instantly felt a weird atmosphere. Not a hostile atmosphere. But something was definitely up. Students were talking amongst themselves in low tones and there wasn’t the usual rowdy noise and laughter that filled the room during lunchtime.

“What’s going on?” I asked sinking into my seat next to Sam and across from Erica.

“You didn’t hear? Jake passed out during gym class,” Erica told me.

“Jake Edmondson? Is he okay? Is he with the school nurse?”

“No, as in passed out, fainted onto the floor. They couldn’t wake him up,” Erica continued, her face displaying the seriousness of the situation.

I turned to look at Sam in confusion. “What do you mean they couldn’t wake him up?”

She shrugged, worry clear in her eyes. “They had to call an ambulance. He hadn’t woken up by the time they’d gotten here.”

I swear my stomach dropped through the floor. Not Jake. Not Jake. Please, don’t let anything be wrong with Jake, I remember thinking over and over. This explained the hushed tones in the cafeteria. Jake was popular but not in the usual way. He wasn’t unobtainable and cliquey, he was friendly and happy go lucky. He had time for everyone and the fact that he was in the hospital, possibly seriously ill, would worry a lot of people.

“But he’s fine now? He woke up in the ambulance, right?”

“No one knows,” Erica replied. “I don’t even think his best friends know. The school banned anyone from going over there because we’d just get in the way of his doctors and family.”

“Right, yeah. I didn’t think of that.”

I turned in my chair to look at Jake’s usual table, but it was mostly empty. I glanced to the door just as Ryan walked in with a couple of friends, and his face told me just how serious the situation was. It was ashen and his eyes looked red, like he’d been crying. Oh shit. This was serious.

“Shit,” I whispered. “Shit, shit, shit.”

Suddenly, Sam reached down and grabbed her purse and pulled her jacket over her shoulders. She turned to look at me. “I have the keys to my brother’s car from this morning and I have my permit. I say we just go over there and find out.”

I looked at her, trying to focus on her words. It was so unlike Sam to suggest doing something against the rules, driving a car without someone with a license in it and heading over to the hospital when we’d been banned from going.

“Becca,” she continued, snapping her fingers in my face. “This is Jake, he’s one of your oldest friends and he could be really ill right now. We can go over there and find out what’s going on.”

I jumped up. “Right. Let’s go.”

She pulled me back. “We should ask if Ryan wants to come. He’s his best friend.”

I was about to protest. I didn’t see why Ryan couldn’t sort himself out, but one look in his direction showed just how worried he was. I nodded my agreement and followed Sam over to their table which had steadily filled up with worried faces.

Sam stopped across from him. “Ryan? We’re gonna drive over to the hospital to see how Jake is. Do you want to come?”