Chapter 189
A few days have passed since I revealed the Marshmello deal to Cara and Pippa.
Pippa kept glancing at me from time to time. When class ended, she came over.
"Jake, can we talk?"
I nodded, and we walked to a quiet corner of the school.
Pippa seemed a little awkward, trying to find the words. "Jake..."
"Let's just go back to being friends, Pippa," I said abruptly, making her eyes widen.
She lowered her head and nodded. I could tell she was holding back tears.
"Come on, let's sit," I said, gently taking her hand and leading her to a stairway.
We sat there in silence for a while, until I patted her head and said, "Sorry, Pippa. I should've ended things much earlier."
"You never actually thought about dating me, did you?" she asked, a little frustrated.
I took a deep breath and told her the truth. "To be honest, no."
"I wasn't worth it..." she muttered, self-pity creeping into her voice.
I lightly slapped her forehead. "It was never about worth. And don't sell yourself short."
"You're one of the cutest girls I've ever met. You're smart and are working hard to build a better future. You've got a good life ahead of you. You are not getting any pity from me."
I paused and looked at her. "I didn't date you because you're the kind of person who feels really uncomfortable with different social classes or status. You never let me pay for anything."
Most people would struggle too with our differences in fame and money. Regina and Cher are billionaire heiresses with incredibly high self-esteem. Freddie and Carly are easygoing and overcame it through the strength of our friendship (Luffy would be proud—Nakama power for the win), besides, they were from the beginning. Sam is Sam.
Missy is a little airhead, and Paige shameless (I can almost hear her retorting back to me)
(I can hear Britney too, saying: what about me? Don't forget me!)
"And I'm not the type of guy who makes a lot of compromises. Sure, I'd eat a hot dog from the street cart once in a while because I like the taste. But most of the time, I won't give up enjoying the best money can buy. Not for any girl, not even for you."
"I could make you very rich, that could help. But you're too prideful even for that," I added, feeling a bit wronged.
"So the consolation part is already over?" she asked a little sarcastically, glancing at me.
"I don't know what else to say, Pippa. I knew you felt overwhelmed by the money difference, and it only got worse with the whole Marshmello situation. It's hard not to feel that way. Our relationship wasn't deep enough for you to just ignore or get over it"
I sighed. "I said sorry for not ending it earlier because I knew you'd feel all of this—and still, I let it continue."
She stayed quiet after that, staring down at her hands
"You don't seem very sorry," Pippa said, looking at me again.
"Because I don't. I'm a selfish person, Pippa. I would do it all over again, because I liked having you by my side. And, at the end of the day, I thought the scale still tipped toward the positive."
"It was... I would too," she said, "but I can't anymore."
I nodded, but before I left her alone with her thoughts, I said, "Pip."
She looked at me.
I gently kissed her.
"You'll always be worth it."
Then I walked away, stopping for a moment. And just before I could move again, I heard her voice.
"Jake."
"Yeah?"
"Do you want to say something more to me?" she asked, an amused smile on her lips.
I turned to her and said, "No?"
"Jake," she said it again.
"Oh, come on Pippa, now your sharp sense of observation decides to kick in? You could've let me keep my cool exit," I said, making a duckface.
She rolled her eyes but laughed afterward.
"I was going to ask if you wanted to come with us to the Super Bowl," I said. "I know we just had this whole talk about money and fame and all that crap, but everyone's going."
"It's also the first time you're performing, right?" she said with a smile.
I nodded.
She said, "I will go. That's what friends do!"
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As I walked to the car to head home, my bodyguard opened the door for me. I climbed into the back seat, and just as I settled in, the doors on either side opened simultaneously—Cher slid in from one side, and Regina from the other.
"We brought you Ovaltine milkshake, your favorite," Cher said, handing me a large cup of milkshake.
"And nuggets with garlic aioli," Regina added, holding a fast-food box in her hands.
I looked at the two of them strangely. "Girls, you know I'm okay, right? If anything, Pippa is the one who needs this," I said—but I was already sipping the milkshake. It is my favorite, no doubt.
"We know," Cher nodded.
"But there's always a small chance you're feeling down. It was one of your longest relationships, after all," Regina added.
My eyes twitched. We had only been together for just over a month. But... it was true—it had been one of the longest.
I narrowed my eyes at Regina. "Are you here to comfort me or mock me?"
She ruffled my hair and bumped her shoulder against mine. Cher did the same.
But then Regina turned serious and said, "You know you can always count on us, right? We'll be with you no matter what happens."
"Yeah!" I exclaimed. But then I narrowed my eyes again, this time at Cher. "Why are you drinking my milkshake?" I asked, catching her mid-sip as she bent over the cup.
"You said you were okay," she said without a hint of shame.
"And you, Regina, stop right there," I warned, catching her reaching for a nugget. In defiance, she just popped it in her mouth and ate it right in front of me.
"Ahhh, my nugget!!" I exclaimed. The three of us ended up fighting over the food. But after that, we shared a good laugh.
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