Accident Happen (on purpose)
I am woken by the loud footfalls of Sandy’s high heels as she makes her way to Jared’s bed. I sit up, and she barely glances at me before she shakes Jared awake.
He groans, and I am instantly by his side, helping him sit up while glaring at Sandy for waking him.
I sit beside him on the bed, with him leaning heavily on me with his arm over my shoulder. He smiles at me, “Thanks Jen.”
He hasn’t noticed Sandy, and she seems miffed by it, as she says in a sickly sweet voice, “Jared, baby, I’m so glad you’re alright. I’m sorry I couldn’t come sooner, but I couldn’t leave the photo shoot, everyone was depending on me.”
Jared turns his gaze on her, and smiles. It's his fake smile, I've seen it before, but luckily never directed at me. I wonder if she can see how fake it is: it doesn’t reach his eyes at all. In a blank voice he says, “It’s okay Sandy, I understand.”
He turns to face me, his eyes softening as he says, “Jen…would you mind getting me a cup of coffee?”
I smile at him, “No problem.”
Sandy turns to me, and says, “Oh Jen, sweetie, could you get me a Café Latte?” Without waiting for me to answer, she turns back to Jared, pasting a simpering smile on her face.
I grit my teeth and storm out. When I return a short while later, it's to find Sandy shouting at Jared, “You selfish bastard, I can’t believe I put up with you. I flew all this way just because you had a little accident, and you ask me to stay with your pathetic mutts? Ha…”
She would have continued if I hadn't been there. Blind fury fills me. Fortunately I manage to place the cups of coffee down before I turn to face her.
Calmly, with ice dripping off every word, I say, “Shut your mouth. You don’t deserve someone like him. Do you think anyone else would ever treat you as nicely as he has? Do you think anyone else would ever put up with your crap for as long as he has? If he was anybody other than Jared, he would have dumped your ass a long time ago. What is it you want from him, Sandy? Do you like having the title of the hottest celebrity’s girl? Do you want his money? Huh? ’Cause I sure as hell know you don’t give a damn about him. And you know what the ironic thing is? For some reason he cares about you, when you couldn’t even be bothered to be there for him when he was dying. You disgust me. Do you know how many people there are who would love to call Jared theirs? Jared could have anyone doing anything he asks, but he doesn’t, because he’s Jared. The only reason I’m not kicking you out of here is because Jared wouldn’t want me to. Jared would never want someone to get hurt on his behalf, he would never do or say anything to hurt someone intentionally, and you take advantage of him. You make me sick.”
I finish off, realizing both Jared and Sandy are staring at me dumbfounded. Sandy glares at me in shock, before turning to Jared, “You allow your friend to talk to me like that? It’s time for you to choose Jared, who do you want to stay in your life, me or him?”
Jared stares at her blankly and I feel panic rising up, "Oh my god, I might never see Jared again."
When Jared says, “There’s no competition at all,” I prepare myself for the blow.
He says the next part as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "I choose Jensen.”
Sandy gasps, and then she storms out yelling, “Wait until my lawyer hears about this. I might not be your wife, but I’m still getting the house.”
I stand there in shock. “Jay, I’m sorry, I never should have said anything. It was none of my business.”
Jared stops me, “No Jen, thank you, you made me see the obvious. She didn’t love me. I don’t know why I ever thought she did.”
He sighs but smiles, his eyes lighting up, “But at least I still have my best friend.”
I smile back, “Yeah.”
**********
A few days later, I’m in the waiting room with Jared’s parents. He’s having a sponge bath. Jared’s mom comes up to sit next to me.
She gives me a smile and says, “Jensen, we wanted to thank you for being our son’s friend. You help him so much, you make him so happy.”
I smile back at her, “I could say it’s mutual.”
She laughs, but soon becomes serious again, “No, I mean it, Jared has always been an energetic ball of happiness, but he was always happy because he made other people happy. You, on the other hand, actually make him light up when he sees you.”
I scratch the back of my head awkwardly, as she continues, “All I’m saying, is…please don’t leave him, whatever happens.”
Her eyes are pleading, and I say simply, “I’d never want to leave him.”
She smiles sadly, “I hope it stays like that.”
And then she walks away, leaving me staring after her, "What the hell could that mean?" I open my mouth to call after her, but the nurse comes out saying we can go in, so I just put it to the back of my mind.
We go in and have lunch with Jared, and the doctor informs us that Jared can soon go home. We’re all so deliriously happy about the news, but I feel a tinge of fear. Someone’s still out there that wants to hurt Jared.
After some discussion, it’s decided that Jared will stay at my house until he gets better. It’s for various reasons; a few being that it’s single story, has a pool, and a large screen TV.
I’m on my way to Jared’s to pick up some of his clothes, when my phone rings. I answer, and a harsh voice on the other end says, “How much do you know about your friend?”
I frown, “Who is this?”
The voice ignores me and continues, “He’s not the person you think he is. He’s a cold blooded killer.”
I laugh, “Clearly you have the wrong person, Jared wouldn’t…”
The voice interrupts with a laugh, “Jared? He’s still using that name?”
I feel anger beginning to grow inside me, “What are you talking about?”
The person clicks his tongue, “You really have no idea? Have you fallen for his act as well?” A pause, “Just be careful around him, if he realises you know the truth, he may turn violent.”
I laugh, “You really have got the wrong person.”
I’m about to hang up, when the person interrupts, “Let me describe him: he has floppy brown hair that’s too long. He has blue eyes that turn green and brown at times. He has dimples that light up a room. He has a mole on his left cheek that makes you just want to reach out and touch it, he has a tanned, well-toned body. He has big hands that are so gentle. His smile is infectious, and when he’s sad, all you want to do is bring that smile back. Everyone who comes to know him loves him.”
The person stops, as though shaking himself out of a daze. “Is that your Jared?”
I panic; I hang up. This stranger called Jared a killer. He also described Jared, and in exactly the same way I would, right down to the smile.
My hands are shaking as I wander through Jared’s house in a daze, gathering random clothes as I go. Suddenly the knife collection that I’ve teased Jared about so many times, seems more sinister, suddenly I feel scared.
Then I shake myself, I’m being stupid, anyone could have described Jared that way, just from looking at a picture, I’m just overreacting.
CONTINUED