Jay McLean

“I’m Cameron, or just Cam,” the guy next to them says. I think Heidi is relieved to move on. “That little lady,” he says, pointing to the girl on the other side of Jake where we share a bench seat, “her name’s Lucy.”
Lucy looks up from what looks to be an e-reader with a timid smile on her face. “Hi, Mikayla. It’s nice to meet you,” she says quietly, then resumes her reading. I look over at Cameron, he just shrugs. “She’s on the last few chapters of some book she’s been reading. She can’t stay away from it. We’re used to it now, we always find her reading at the oddest times. Don’t we, babe?” He says the last sentence a little louder to get her attention.
What! These two are dating?
“uh-huh,” Lucy says, not looking up from her book.
“I have the biggest dick you’ve ever seen, don’t I, babe?” Cam yells at her, trying to distract her.
The car erupts in laughter, me included. Jake shakes his head next to me.
“Yeah, babe. I know exactly what you said, and I’d deny it if it weren’t true, but your right, it’s true, it’s definitely the biggest I’ve ever seen,” Lucy says with a small smirk, eyes never leaving her book.
“Awwe, I love you, babe. Best. Answer. Ever.” He smiles a shit eating grin.
“But… Babe,” Lucy says, eyes still on the book, “yours is the only one I’ve ever seen so I have absolutely nothing at all to compare it to, it could be tiny and I wouldn’t have a clue. Now let me finish my book.”
Everyone laughs again and Heidi leans over to give Lucy a high five which she enthusiastically provides

“I’ve definitely found my new book boyfriend,” she swoons, holding her e-reader close to her heart. Cam just shakes his head at her.
“I bet you’ll never look at wood the same?” I say faking a dreaminess in my voice. The car is silent for a second and then everyone cracks up, including Lucy. Then it hits me, what I just said.
“NO!” I yell “I mean, because he likes to build things, from wood

“You guys…” I say, trying to catch up to the boys as we walk towards the 24 hour Walmart, “you’re gonna miss your senior prom.”
“No one cares, as long as we’re there at end when they declare little miss Heidi Prom Queen, we’re all good, and that’s hours away,” Logan says as he taps Heidi on the ass. She squeals and hides behind Dylan.
“Touch her again and I’ll break your arms, asshole,” Dylan glares at Logan, who throws his hands up in surrender. Dylan’s one of those guys that doesn’t say much, so when he does, you listen. Now that I see him at full height, he’s huge. Bigger than all the other guys. He seems loyal and protective, willing to give his all to his girl. I can see why Heidi loves that kind of a guy. I would to. I thought I did.

“Don’t you worry your pretty little face,” Logan coos while his hand rubs down my back, lower and lower, until his hand is cupping my ass.
“Get your hands off me, before I get Dylan to break your arms.” It’s said as a joke, but I’m serious.
“I don’t think it’s Dylan I have to worry about,” he mutters as Jake gets between us and shoves him to the side.
“Leave her alone you asshole,” he holds his hand out, “come with me?”
I take his hand

“Don’t you worry your pretty little face,” Logan coos while his hand rubs down my back, lower and lower, until his hand is cupping my ass.
“Get your hands off me, before I get Dylan to break your arms.” It’s said as a joke, but I’m serious.
“I don’t think it’s Dylan I have to worry about,” he mutters as Jake gets between us and shoves him to the side.
“Leave her alone you asshole,” he holds his hand out, “come with me?”
I take his hand, “Um, okay. What about the others?” I ask.
I really want to know what their plan is, what this ‘Operation Mayhem’ is. Shit, I hope its nothing permanent, or illegal. I don’t know these guys at all, they could be buying stuff to bomb his truck, or his house. Oh my god, what if they’re going to ki-
“Relax,” Jake laughs. “Shit, Mikayla, we’re not gonna do anything crazy. It’s just a bit of fun, trust me okay?” He must have seen the internal meltdown I was having.
I smile and nod. Because I do. Trust him.
“Now, help me choose please, I don’t know anything about this stuff,” he says, pointing his finger in the air and motioning around us.
“Huh?” I take a look around and see that we’re in the mens formal wear section, “Oh, okay.” I look over at him. He’s still wearing his suit pants and the plain white tank. His broad chest and muscled back defined behind the material.
“What’s wrong with what you’re wearing?” I ask with a raised eyebrow, mocking him.
“Ha Ha” he says flatly, “It would be fine if I wanted to look like Eminem circa 2001.” We both laugh. “I’m thinking black shirt, to go with your dress, and blue tie, the same as the flower at the front.” He starts going through the racks

“Jake, just get the limo to drive you home first. I’ll be okay. It’s like forty minutes to my house, and then you have to drive back around here to yours… it’s stupid.”
My head is tilted back on the seat, my eyes are closed, trying to steady the spinning of everything around me. I open one eye to look at her. She’s laying down, her whole body sprawled across the bench seat. “I’d rather make sure you get home safe.”
She doesn’t say anything, just smiles

I knock on my bedroom door and open it slightly, peeking in. She’s in the middle of my bed in the fetal position, quietly crying. My heart breaks.

I clear my throat and she looks up at me.
She sits up and wipes frantically at her tears.
I sit on the bed next to her. She’s showered and wearing my mom’s sweats which are a little small for her, they hug her curves, but I don’t look too long.
I grab her face in my hands and start wiping the tears away with my thumbs. I don’t know if she means to, but she leans into my hand a little and it takes everything in me not to kiss her

Everyone else is already waiting. Whatever they bought, is now secured in plastic bags so I can’t tell what it is. Jake walks through the only aisle open and then stops abruptly in front of the cashier, forcing me to bump into him from behind, and lose my balance. He turns quickly and steadies me with his hands on my elbows. Once I’m settled, he pulls two tags out of his pocket and gives them to the cashier. She’s a few years older than we are but she has no shame in eyeing Jake up and down and winking at him.
“I uh, need to pay for these,” Jake says, adjusting his tie and looking past her.
She doesn’t say anything, just keeps eye licking him. He seems uncomfortable.
After the transaction, we make our way back to the group and walk towards the limo.
“Dude,” Logan says, “that chick would’ve totally banged you in the store room.”
“Not everyone’s a pig like you, Logan,” Heidi huffs as we settle back into the Limo.
“I can’t stand girls like that,” Jake shakes his head, “I mean, I’m not saying we are…” He looks over at me quickly then back to face Heidi. “But I mean, what if Mikayla was my girl, and we were on a date. It’s obvious we were kind of together, I mean, we walked up together. I don’t know,” he shrugs. “It just seems disrespectful to Mikayla, you know, I mean, if she was my girl.”
I blush and look to the floor. I can sense Heidi staring at me but say nothing.
“Awwwwe, Jakey, always the gentleman,” Cam coos.
“Whatever,” Dylan huffs, “let’s cause some Mayhem.”

Heidi goes from the girl we know to the girl everyone expects her to be. She prances on stage, smiles and says a few words. Prom King is Doug, the quarterback. Of course he is.
They pose for photos but it’s awkward as hell because Doug knows Dylan’s watching and you don’t fuck with Dylan. Doesn’t matter that physically, they’d be a decent match up. There’s only one thing Dylan loves more than basketball and that’s his girl. And there’s a huge difference between basketball and Heidi. We’d give him shit if he weren’t so serious about her. He’s not the hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he’s the heart and soul kind, and fuck if every girl would rather that than flowers.

I admit to myself, accents turn me on. James had a sexy accent, it was a nice Texan drawl, not too ‘dirty’, it was perfect. I used to love how he’d dip his cap forward a little and say, ‘yes ma-am’ when I asked him to do things. It was cute, and sexy, and he knew it turned me on, so he used it as often as possible. Fuck James, I really did love him.
Before I can react, two hands are wiping away tears I hadn’t realized were falling. Jake placing his hands on either side of my face, looking into my eyes. He must see so much sadness, and hurt, and anger, and regret, and all I see in his, are comfort and understanding. He nods his head once and uses his hand to pull my head to his lips, he gives me one short, sweet kiss to my temple, and it’s everything I need to make the world keep spinning around me.