Midnight Smiles

Princess Jake

“So... Ryder Quinn.” Jeremy stared in front of him a small smile, almost unrecognizable one, appeared in his lips. “I have seen her a few times. She is nice.” He put the cigarette between his lips and inhaled it. His eyes closed as slowly he exhaled. Then he looked at me, now the smile was fully in display. Jeremy handed me the cigarette.

I took it in my hands and inhaled it, looking up.

“Yes she is.” I said exhaling. A small smile formed in my lips. It was always there every time I thought about her anyways. And I was getting used with that. The smiles... The laughs... It was a new normal for me... And I liked it.

“Do you like her?” He asked and I frowned. Why? I don’t know. As I didn’t answer, Jeremy looked at me with furrowed eyebrows. But I noticed amusement in his eyes.

“She is my friend.” I simply answered and sighed. Sadly... “ And she likes someone else.”

“Are you jealous?” Where do all of these out-of-the-blue questions come from? I looked around like I was trying to find them. “What are you looking for?” Jeremy asked me confused.

“Where do all of these questions come from. And no. I’m not jealous. I don’t have any reason to be.” The tone I used was serious and honest. Why would I be jealous for the guy Ry likes? After all we are friends. I mean we are friends right? I’m not that sure.

“You had a crush on her...” Jeremy said not looking at me as his hand reached the cigarette in my hand and took it, putting it between his lips again. “Don’t you think you can keep secrets from me Jakey.”

I looked at him surprised with wide open eyes as I didn’t know what to say or think. The words left me. And this wasn’t a first time. Try to write a book and you will know what I’m talking about. It’s likes the words run away from you to never come back. It is annoying if you ask me.

“I noticed you staring at her a few times. You smiled when you looked at her.” He inhaled again and smiling exhaled. “You still do, don’t you?”

“I...”

“Don’t deny it Jake. She makes you smile. That’s why you still meet her even though you know it’s not the right thing.”

“Whatever.” I frowned, grabbing the cigarette off his hand and inhaled it, frowning. Jeremy started to laugh at me.

“You are such an idiot.” He said between laughs.

“Tell me something I don’t know.” And

“Let’s do something fun. I’m bored.” I didn’t answer him. My mind was lost in my thoughts. Was I that obvious? Back in the high school... Was I that obvious that I liked her? “Let’s go see Leah.”

My head snapped at the mention of her name. “Hell yes. I miss her so much.” With that said I walked out of the room, ready to get out of the house.

“Jake!!!” Jeremy shouted and I turned my head to him.

“What?”

“You are naked.”

Oh yeah that.

***

“Oh my God I missed you so much.” I cried as I kissed Leah and hugged the s**t out of her. She chuckled in the cutest way and kissed my cheek. Her lips gave me a big smile that made me want to eat her face, like it was a cupcake.

“Jake! I missed you too.” She pushed herself away from me, looking me into my eyes. Her big brown eyes seeing me with so much happiness... “Let’s play Star Wars.” She giggled and I kissed her cheek and put her down.

“I am your father.” I said in my perfect Darth Vader voice.

“No you are princess Leia.” She giggled again and I looked at her with wide eyes. But looking at her cute face, I shook my head and smiled at her.

“I will be the prettiest princess on Earth.” I said taking a girly position which made her giggle again and Jeremy burst out in laughter. My head turned to him and I glared at him.

“Princess Jake.” He laughed and walked to Leah and kissed her cheek. “Daddy is going to cook us lunch. Don’t let princess Jake to hurt himself. He is a delicate young lady. We don’t want that to happen, do we?” My manhood will never be the same again.

“Don’t worry daddy. I will take care of him.” Leah said as Jeremy smiled at his three year old daughter and then looked at me. After having the nerve to wink at me, he left.

Let’s say Jeremy had a very adventurous youth. But after graduating he found out he had a daughter. Leah’s mother had died in a car crash, and as she lived with her grandparents who couldn’t take care of Leah, the only person who could take care of her was Jeremy. He changed a lot after that. Okay not that much. He still was the three year old kid stuck in the body of a twenty one year old man. But still he managed to get a job, get an apartment for himself and his daughter and take care of Leah.

And not to brag, but I’m Leah’s favourite person. Mostly because she likes to make fun off me. The little monster is very clever.

Even more than her father. Seriously sometimes I wonder who is the mature one in that apartment between both of them. And one of them is three years old.

It turned out princess Leia needed make up, and to paint her nails. So.... Yeah... After a hour I had my nails painted pink and my face was covered in what females call make up. Seriously women how do you deal with all that?

“Eyes like a car crash

I know I shouldn’t look but I can’t turn away.

Body like a whiplash,

Salt my wounds but I can’t heal the way

I feel about you.” Deathbeds by Bring me the Horizon played as I took my phone out of my pocket.

“Jake?” Aiden voice came from the other side of the phone.

“What happened? Are you pregnant? Don’t tell me you are pregnant. You will be in big troubles young lady if I find out you are pregnant.” I said as Leah was giggling in my ear. Her hands were on my hair doing God knows what to them. I grabbed her by her waist and kissed her cheek. She kissed my cheek as well.

“You have lipstick in your cheek.” She laughed as I smiled at her.

“You too kido.”

“No, you i***t. My car broke. Can you pick me up from school?” For some reasons I knew he was rolling his eyes at me. Call it whatever you want. I know my brother more than my way to the bathroom with my eyes closed.

“I will be there in five minutes.” Hanging up the phone, I gave a sad smile to Leah. “I have to go Le.” She frowned. “I will come back tomorrow okay? I promise.” Leah smiled and kissed my cheek again leaving more lipstick there.

“I love you Jake.” I smiled at her words. To be honest I was jealous of her. Of her world. It was so simple... Jeremy was making it easy for her. He was there for her. It was... She would never be alone. I knew Jeremy would never leave her. No matter what. She had all she needed. A family... One that is small... But it was enough.

“I love you too baby doll.”

I ran out of the apartment, hearing Jeremy calling after me, but thinking it was for something stupid, I kept walking.

Getting in the car, I drove to Aiden’s school. It wasn’t too far, so I was there in a few moments as I promised. But Aiden wasn’t anywhere in sight. I looked around, but instead of him I saw someone else. My body froze as my eyes glued to her.

My Ry.

She was walking through the parking lot. Her hair was all over her face because of the wind and she looked like she was having a fight with her hair. At some point she tripped over a rock or I don’t know and almost fell on the floor as a scream escaped her mouth. I smiled at her as a soft chuckle left my mouth.

Clumsy!

“Jake you i***t!!!” Aiden shouted to me, making me turn my eyes to him. He was glaring at me like I killed his puppy. Wait. I did that. In my defense I was six years old and thought that the puppy would fly. It didn’t.

Rest in peace Ariel.

Yeah, we named our dog Ariel. I insisted on that. What? I love Disney.

“What?”

“What have you done to your face?”

So that’s why Jeremy was shouting behind me. I had my make up on. Leah had put lipstick on my lips, had made my cheeks red and had put a blue God knows what was that on my eyes. I think she put mascara on me too. To don’t forget the nails. My pink nails.

“Oh that.” What the f**k do I say now? “Look at my nails.” I showed him my hand as he stared at my nails with wide open eyes. “They are fabulous!!!”

“Jake are you okay?” Aiden asked sounding concerned.

“No. I’m princess Leia.” Aiden rolled his eyes at me as a laugh escaped my mouth. And like the big brother I was, I grabbed his face and kissed his cheek leaving lipstick on it. “Now you can proudly say Princess Leia kissed you.”

“You are an idiot.” Aiden said laughing trying to get the lipstick off his cheek, but just made it worse.

***

I entered my room, without having to open the door first. It was actually lying on the floor peacefully. The poor thing was traumatized. My eyes went to the mess I made. I have issues don’t I? The drug was still on the floor and that was the first thing I did. I put it back in the plastic bag and and closing the bag carefully I put it in the drawer.

As for the paint... Pff.... İ had to buy a new carpet again.

And then I looked at the black cavance. It had other colours in it too, and something clicked in me. Taking some brushes, I put them in behind my ear or stuck them on my mouth as I wore a pair of ripped jeans and stuck tube with paint in its pockets. I took the cavance I’m my hand and walked out of the room.

From the window.

Yeah... It is turning into a habit. But using the tree that was near my window, I went on the roof sitting there. With a smile in my lips I started to paint. I dyed one of my brushes in white paint and then used it on the cavance leaving thin lines behind. The colours mixed... The portrait started to look more and more like a person. The eyes... The lips... The face...

“Jake! What are you doing up there?” I heard my father shout at me.

“Stabbing myself with my brushes, dear father.” I answered sarcastically.

“Don’t play the smartass with me. Get down right now.” I could see his red face from anger from here.

“Sorry sir. Yes sir. Right now sir.” I said like those soldiers in the movies. My mature part full on display. “I’m scared sir. Be my prince charming and catch me.”

“Jake!!! Get here right now!!!” And this, my dear friends, is how to piss off your father. I got down anyway, being careful with the finished painting to don’t damage it. “Why were you up there?”

Rolling my eyes, I showed him the painting and this time answered seriously. “I was painting my dear father.” Ah! Sarcasm. My old friend. Always present when I’m near my father. Never leaving me.

Dad stared at the painting with an emotionless face. God knows what was he thinking about. But the way he was looking at my painting, scared me. It looked like he would burn it. And hell no, I wasn’t going to let that happen.

I pulled the painting back, out of his view. Dad let out a tired sigh. “It is beautiful.” I froze in my place as I saw my father smile at me for just one second. After that, the smile disappeared. Like it never was there in the first place.

I looked at the painting. It was Ry. Her portrait dancing in the dance floor with a heart melting smile, covered in paint. Her eyes glowing in happiness. My Ry.

“She is beautiful.” Dad said and left.

Okay? What just happened?