Blake sat alone like she always does. She sat on the carpeted floor of the school library during lunch as the librarian took her lunch break.

She never was one to eat breakfast or lunch. She never really was a person to have a huge appetite anyways. But when she ate, she usually ate a lot of food depending on her mood.

The teen girl worked on a song she has been writing for about a month now, she needed to finish it so she could record it. Her dad's music company he worked for let her have this opportunity and was glad she had called. They were honored to have yet another Sterling be able to record with them.

As she finally finished her song, the bell rang indicating the end of lunch and the beginning of senior lunch and sixth period.

She stood up with her bag and walked to her class.

§

"Hey!"

Blake turned to look at a smiling Jace.

"Do you want to stay for my practice? We can hang out after if you'd like" he said hopefully.

He hated that he was ditching his other friends for Blake recently but he so much rather hang out with Blake than them. He really didn't have much in common with them anymore besides they all love football.

"I can't I'm busy" Blake said.

Which was true, she was going to the recording studio.

"Oh, what do you have planned?"

"None ya."

Jace gave her a look but Blake only crossed her arms over her chest.

"Later skater."

Blake rode off on her board and Jace sighed before going to the locker rooms.

"So you going to ditch us again or actually hang out with us today?" Tony asked Jace as they got ready for practice.

"I'm free today" he said.

"Good, we are going to Ethan's house and are inviting tons of girls. Taylor being one of them" Tony said and gave a smirk towards Jace.

"Taylor and I aren't a thing, I don't like her like that and I stopped our arrangement. You know this."

"Yeah I do but I don't know why."

Tony looked at Jace and the teen boy only shrugged as he laced up his shoes.

"Seriously? We have been best friends since we were in diapers and you can't even tell me why you stopped your thing with Taylor?"

Jace glanced around the empty locker room. He really didn't feel the need to brag about how his friendship with Blake is going and how he was falling in love with her. But Tony has been his best friend for years.

"I'm interested in someone else."

Tony's eyes widened slightly. He really didn't expect that.

"Who?"

Jace shook his head and walked out of the locker room.

"Bro come on! You have to tell me!" Tony said as he ran after him.

"No because I know how you are. You will tell the entire football team and I don't want them bugging me or her about it."

"I won't! I promise!"

Jace gave him a look and Tony sighed.

"Don't make me say it."

Jace shook his head.

"Don't."

"I swear on my grandmothers grave that I won't tell anybody."

Jace sighed. Tony's grandmother meant everything to him and her passing three years ago hit him hard.

Jace stopped walking and sighed.

"The girl is Blake."

Tony eyebrows scrunched up.

"Blake who?"

He rolled his eyes and began walking again.

"Purple haired girl."

Tony's eyes widened.

"Really? Don't you have to be like friends to get anywhere? I seen you talk to her like once."

"We are friends, I'm always hanging out with her outside of school."

"So that's where you always are."

Jace nodded and when they finally stood next to the rest of the team coach glared at the two boys.

"Run an extra lap for holding us up! Go!"

They groaned but began running around the field.

§

"Glad to do business with you Blake."

Blake sent a tiny smile to the same guy her dad worked with for his music. Drew Daniels. She shook his hand firmly before riding herself home on her skateboard.

Blake noticed two cars in her driveway which were London's and her mother's. She skidded to a stop and stomped on the end of her board so it flew up into her hands. She picked it up and carried it inside.

"I'm home mom."

Susie gave her daughter a smile and Blake noticed her forearm covered in plastic wrap. The same arm that they had a matching tattoo on.

Blake walked up to it and looked at the new tattoo that she covered with their matching one.

"You covered our tattoo?" Blake asked quietly.

"Yeah, I was thinking about doing it and London convinced me to get a matching one with her so" Susie shrugged.

Blake gave the hardest glare to London which made her back up just a little bit.

"I didn't know you got a matching tattoo with her, Susie."

Susie only shrugged and continued making her avocado toast.

Blake rushed you to her room to grabbed her jacket and throw on a pair of thick sweats over her leggings. Not being able to find a clean sweatshirt she just stuck to her t shirt that she was wearing. She put her old converse on before rushing down the stairs, grabbing her skateboard and leaving in her car.

She drove around for a while and cursed when she realized she was low on gas. She was practically in the middle of nowhere in this stupid town and pulled over when she ran out of gas trying to find a gas station.

Jace laughed loudly as he drank his second bottle of beer. He hated the taste of it but Tony kept giving him new bottles which he didn't drink yet.

"So the little bitch decided to finally join us after continuously ditching us" Ethan said after an hour as his arm was around a girl on the softball team.

"I've been busy" Jace chuckled as he declined Tony's offer for another beer.

"With what?"

Jace only shrugged and Taylor observed him from across the room.

"Whatever bro, I'm just ready to win our game Friday!"

All the boys hollered loudly and Jace felt his leg start to vibrate. He pulled his phone out and looked at the call.

Blake💜🛹

Decline         Accept

"Sorry it's my mom" Jace lied.

He excused himself from the crowd and accepted the call.

"Hey Blake" he smiled.

"A-are you b-busy?"

His heart stopped hearing her stutter and he shook his head even though she couldn't see him.

"No I'm not, what's wrong?"

"My car ra-ran out of gas an-and it's freezing, a-are you able to come pi-pick me u-up?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm leaving now, just send me your location and I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Th-Thank you."

He hung up and slipped his shoes on.

"Sorry guys I gotta go, my mom needs me to babysit."

All the guys booed and Tony mouthed Blake and Jace nodded. He didn't miss the wink that Tony sent his way before he left.

He took directions to where Blake was and pulled up behind her car. He knocked on her window and rubbed his hands together as slight snow was still coming from when he left Ethan's house.

"I brought gas."

Blake mumbled a thank you as she breathed out into her freezing hands. Blake was the type of person to get cold really easily. So since she was in twenty seven degree weather as it was snowing and her car heater wasn't on since she ran out of gas, she was completely frozen. It also didn't help that she has been waiting for a tow truck for over an hour now and was in a t shirt.

"Here, take this and warm up in my car."

Jace handed Blake the jacket he was wearing and she slid it on her slightly purple arms. She walked to his car and sat in it as the heaters blasted throughout the small space.

Jace only brought a small amount of gas and when he filled up her tank slightly he got back in his car.

"Why were you even way out here?" Jace asked her.

"I just wanted to take a drive."

He nodded and watched as the teen girl stuffed her frozen hands into the car heaters. He couldn't help but admire how cute she looked in his jacket.

"There isn't enough gas in your car still, when will the tow truck come?"

"They said it would be about a two hour wait."

Jace nodded and watched as she pulled her long legs up on the seat.

"I'm sorry that I interrupted your hangout with your friends."

"That's okay."

They sat in silence until the tow truck came and pulled it to her house.

"I need to call Chris" Blake said as she pulled out her phone.

Jace nodded a bit and turned up the radio slightly to give her some privacy as he began driving.

"Hey, I was wondering if I could stay at your place for a few days?"

Jace glanced at the girl before looking back at the road.

"Everything is fine, it's just I don't want to be home right now."

Jace could not hear what Chris was saying on the other side but the way Blake rubbed her forehead roughly didn't seem it was good.

"No, no that's okay. Enjoy filming in Arizona, tell Jack and Katherine I say hello."

It was silent again in the car besides the radio playing.

"Bye, love you too."

She hung up and leaned her head up against the window.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just don't want to be home."

"Do you mind me asking why?" Jace asked softly as he turned the radio off.

"It's a stupid reason" she mumbled.

Jace only shrugged and stopped at a red light.

"My mom covered up our matching tattoo with a matching tattoo with London's. I guess that was her way of telling me that I'm on my own and that she really won't be there for me."

"I'm sorry she did that Blake."

Blake shrugged and shut her eyes.

"You could stay at my place for a few days" Jace suggested.

"I don't want to intrude. Your parents met me once and don't like me."

"They do like you, just shocked when meeting you."

Blake gave Jace a look and he flashed her a smile.

"I promise you they won't care, plus you said it's only for a few days so it won't be all bad."

She looked in thought and when they pulled outside her house she sighed.

"Only two nights Jace then I'll be out of your way."

Jace only nodded and smiled. Blake got out and packed a small bag plus her backpack. She got her makeup bag along with essential toiletries and got back into Jace's car. Not before grabbing her skateboard.

They pulled outside Jace's house and he turned the car off.

"Just wait here okay?"

Blake nodded and stayed put while he jogged inside.

"Hey mom, dad!?"

His parents made their way to the front door where their son stood.

"Hi sweetheart" Tammy smiled at her son.

Mark stood yawning as he leaned against the wall.

"I was wondering if Blake could stay here for two days?" Jace asked.

The parents were shocked and exchanged a few looks.

"Why would she stay here?" Mark asked before Tammy.

"Because she doesn't want to be home right now, it's only for two nights I promise."

Mark put his hands up in surrender and backed up slightly.

"It's up to your mother" he said before walking away.

"What help you are" Tammy grumbled.

Jace smiled at his parents and Tammy sighed.

"You really like her?"

Jace nodded frantically and she sighed once more.

"Okay she can stay, but no sharing a room."

Jace smiled and went out to help Blake with her things.

"Hi Blake" Tammy smiled at the girl.

She couldn't help but notice how her son's eyes twinkled whenever someone said her name or the way he was staring down at her right now.

"Hello."

They didn't exchange any words after that and Jace led her up to his room. Since they didn't have any guest rooms, he would have to sleep on the couch.

"The bathroom is right across from my room but you would have to share it with me, and my three little siblings since they are in middle school. But I'm sure Avery has an extra mirror you can use for your makeup."

Blake put her stuff in one small corner in his room. Jace left to go get a mirror for in the morning and came back with one.

"Want to watch a movie?"

"Sure."

Blake removed her makeup as Jace scrolled through Netflix. She climbed into bed next to him leaving a gap and he bit the inside of his cheeks so he wouldn't smile.

After a few movies, Jace noticed Blake was sleeping and pulled the blankets up to her shoulders.

He grabbed an extra blanket and pillow and made his way quietly down the stairs so he didn't wake anybody up. He got comfortable on his couch and shut his eyes.

Blake was finally sleeping in his bed, maybe soon he could actually be in it with her. But he was willing to take baby steps.
———
11-8-20