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“Just tell me what’s going on,” Dean asks. “Is this about school? You’ve only had class for a week. You’re not dropping one already, are you?”
“It’s not about school.” I pause, rubbing my jaw. “It’s about Haley.”
“What about her?” he cautiously asks.
“She broke up with me.”
2
DEAN
I knew this would happen.I just had a feeling. Haley grew up with parents who sheltered her and had strict rules. I knew when she got to college, she’d get a taste of freedom and want to experience all the things she didn’t get to do when living under her parents’ roof. I worried one of those things would be dating other guys.
“Jake, I’m really sorry.”
“Yeah, well, sorry doesn’t make it any better. I feel like I’m gonna throw up.”
“Are you in your room?”
“No, I went outside to call Haley so I wouldn’t wake up Rob.”
“And that’s when she told you? Just now?”
“Yeah. When you called, I thought it was her calling to tell me she didn’t mean it. That she didn’t want to break up.”
“Did she give you a reason?”
“Yeah,” he huffs. “She said she wants to be open to new experiences, whatever the hell that means.”
It’s just like I thought. She’s finally free of her parents and wants to go wild at college. Or maybe not wild. She’s not really the wild type, but I could see her going out and getting drunk.She didn’t drink in high school, or that’s what Jake told me. It’s possible he was lying, but I doubt it. They were always hanging out at her house with her parents home. Honestly, I’m surprised they let Jake be over there all the time, in Haley’s room, with the door closed. Her parents had to have known they were having sex.
“So how’d you leave it?” I ask. “Are you two not going to talk anymore?”
I’d feel bad if they didn’t. Haley and Jake were best friends. But I don’t see how they can remain friends if she starts dating other guys.
“We didn’t talk about what happens next,” Jake says. “I’m guessing she’s done with me. I don’t see us talking anymore.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“How do you think I feel?” he says, raising his voice. “I just lost my best friend.” His voice cracks and I hear him quietly crying.
“Fuck,” I mutter. “Jake, I know this hurts. And it’s gonna keep hurting for a while. But I promise you, it’ll get better. It just takes time.”
“You don’t get it,” he says, his voice cracking again. “I was going to marry her. We talked about it. We talked about getting married. Having kids. Getting a house. She was supposed to be it for me.”
“I know that’s what you wanted. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way, especially at your age.”
“You were my age when you met Brook. And now you guys are getting married.”
“It’s different for us.”
“How? How is it different? Because to me, it seems like the same damn thing. You met her in high school and wanted to marry her. The only difference is, your girlfriend said yes and mine told me to get lost.”
“I wasn’t the typical high school kid. I was raising you on my own. Had to pay bills. Put food on the table. I was living like someone twice my age.”
“So you’re saying you’re mature and I’m not?”
“I’m saying I was ready to settle down. I didn’t need to party and drink and date tons of girls before I could be with Brook. I’d already done that shit, long before I should have. Some people need to go through that stage of life before they’re ready to commit to someone, especially if they’ve lived a sheltered life like Haley has.”
