My Not So Love Situation

Chapter 1: Bests before guests

From the earliest lessons of childhood, I was taught that boys were simple.

 Children, in general, tend to be simple—unbothered by the ins and outs of adult life like divorce or mortgages. Unfortunately, I wasn't so lucky. I wasn't allowed to be carefree like the other kids; because my life just wasn't simple.

The other children never could understand, but Jake Whelton did. He was anything but simple.

Jake had been a constant in my life for as long as I could remember. We met during those elementary school days when cooties and crushes dominated our thoughts. As the newest arrival, I was fresh meat on a hellish playground. 

It was a tough phase, until it wasn't. You see, with things like cooties, boys and girls didn't exactly mix.

So, I became a loner until Jake appeared—a beacon of light during the jarring times. He became my rock, that one constant in a sea of uncertainty. We had this unspoken pact we called "Bests Before Guests," a childhood agreement that no matter how many "girlfriends" Jake accumulated, they would only ever be guests in our shared sanctuary. No "guest" outranked the bestie; no guest outranked me in this house.

Jake stuck by our pact. Through the chaos at home, his unwavering care for me remained constant. He was the one who only saw me, amidst the chaos of my life.

Jake was social—smart, charming, and funny—the golden guy, and I was his golden girl. Not his girlfriend, mind you. That title belonged to the long list of Jessica's, Lauren's, Sophie's, and whoever else Jake dated.

But it never bothered me; we were destined, the way we interacted, our chemistry... he was the one or so I believed.

Our popularity skyrocketed. We became legends in the hallways, known as the star swimmer, 'Wet Whelton,' and the student council VP. The titles of Reynolds and Whelton seemed to fit us like second skins.

 After surviving the battlefield of elementary school, puberty struck like a tornado. Hormones swirled, and suddenly, we were a part of the popular crowd, navigating middle school with Jake by my side, knowing high school was our next conquest, and so far it was.

Yet, during those glory days, middle school also bore enduring memories. Jake had made it his life's mission to date as many girls as possible. As far as I knew, there were 11. And a part of me always thought I'd be the 12th—the completion of a cycle.

"Pen! Pen, are you even listening? I really want you and her to get along; I want to make a good impression," bellowed Jake, his phone clutched in hand.

As I sat on my bed, listening to the same conversation that seemed to occur daily, something shifted. The beginning of high school brought with it a foreboding sense of unease.

"Yeah, sorry. Brain fog. I didn't catch that clearly. What was her name again?" I stuttered, hoping it was a dream, though painfully aware it wasn't.

"Maya. Her name is Maya, and I really like her, okay? So, I need you to be on your best behaviour," Jake chuckled, his voice usually warm, now laced with an unfamiliar edge.

"Why not ask her out, like with Lucy Yung—"

"Lucy? Are you crazy?"

"I'm serious; she loved your extravagant proposal. So did Emily, Beth, and Jane. This isn't as big a deal to stress—"

"It is," he interrupted, his tone growing cold. Something was amiss; Jake was not the golden boy anymore. He seemed serious, as if this girl was genuinely important. It frightened me.

"Is she more important than me?" I teased, attempting to lighten the mood. But Jake, he surprised me yet again.

And this time, it wasn't pleasant. "Jake?" I chuckled weakly.

"Look, if this is about that saying from ages ago—"

"Ugh, of course, it's not. We were kids then. Why would I hold you to it now?" I joked, yet my voice quivered, goosebumps prickling across my skin. Jake's sudden indifference felt foreign; our sanctuary was starting to crumble, brick by brick.

"Hey, I think I'm gonna go to bed. Talk to you tomorrow?"

"Oh, sure, yeah. Night"

I muttered "Night, Jake," struggling to hold back tears. "Um...Pen?"

"Hm?" 

"Love you." he uttered with a soft and warm remark. The usual, the sliver of hope, the bone you throw to a dog kind of phrase. I lived for those words from Jake. Sometimes I wondered if any of those 11 girls ever got to hear those words from Jake. But of course I ever wondered that sometimes. Only sometimes...

"Yeah, yeah love you too dummy" I chuckled weakly.

As I tossed and turned in bed, my heart weighed heavy. Each limb felt burdened with the harsh realisation: maybe I wasn't the one. Maybe I wouldn't ever be his 12th. But that's ludicrous, right?

I'm Aspen Reynolds—the popular pretty girl. Who the hell is Maya?

 No girl knows Jake like I do, no one needs him like I do. I'm destined to be the endgame. Right?

Right?