Chapter Text
ii. Sean
Rehearsal was going smoother than usual. Zander only occasionally teased Jake, Jake’s voice hardly cracked, Luke kept in time, and Milly didn’t riff off an improvised solo. Like I said, smoother than usual. But there was one thing that caught my eye. Milly kept glancing at Jake like she was worried. The first time I noticed, I brushed it off. Then it kept occurring, and I couldn’t ignore it any longer.
Rehearsals were soon over. “Great job today everyone! I just wish all of our practices could be like that,” she teased. We all laughed. Collecting and packing up instruments, we headed out of the Music Room and started making our way to class. “You guys go on ahead, I need to use the bathroom,” Jake said. I would have believed it if it weren’t for Milly practically staring him down as he left. “I also need to go! Bye guys!” I fibbed before heading down the hall after him. How fast does this guy even walk!? I thought, exasperated. When I turned the corner, Jake was nowhere to be seen. The door to the boy’s bathroom was on my left. Cautiously, I opened the door and walked in.
What I saw came as a shock to me.
Jake leaned over the sink, his shoulders shaking. I heard the small blip of water hitting the sink bowl. Then, I realized that it wasn’t coming from the faucet.
Jake was crying in the bathroom.
I took another step towards him and he froze. Jake turned his head around so fast I thought he would break his neck. I had been right, Jake was crying. “Sean? W-What are you doing here?” Jake stuttered, hastily wiping his face. I responded, “If you ever need to talk, you know we’ll always be ready to listen to you.” He laughed. “Yeah, of course,” he said with a smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Something’s clearly bothering you. What’s up?” I worried. Jake sighed before lifting himself up to sit on the counter by the sink. I did the same next to him. “I messed up. Milly’s never gonna leave me alone now,” he groaned, burying his face in his hands. I chuckled.
“I noticed.”
“You did?”
“Dude, she stared at you all throughout practice,” I deadpanned. Jake placed his hands in his lap, intertwining his fingers. “I- Milly- She found me crying in the Music Room yesterday. She wasn’t supposed to. I tried so hard to make sure none of you found out,” he told me, his eyes beginning to water and his voice cracking at the end. I wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “What weren’t we supposed to find out?” I asked him gently. Jake wrapped his arms around himself. “That I have issues. That I...don’t like myself,” he finished softly. “Jake, that’s okay. Everyone has issues. You don’t have to keep them to yourself,” I scolded him. Jake laughed and replied, “I guess, but...sometimes, I just don’t feel like I’m good enough to be comforted, y’know?”
“That’s such a terrible thing to think! Everyone is worthy of comfort. And you are good enough, Jake.”
“...it doesn’t feel like it,” he murmured sadly. I slipped off the counter to stand in front of him.
“I’m going to set up a mini therapy session with Milly.”
“What!?”
“It’ll be like therapy, but you’ll be talking to me and Milly! You said that she knows, right?”
“Yeah but...I don’t wanna dump my problems on you guys. And there are some things I’m not ready to share yet,” he nervously replied, fiddling his fingers. I took them in mine to calm him.
“You don’t even have to talk. We can just play video games or something!” I proposed to him. Jake smiled for real this time.
“I think I’d like that.”