This World That Divides Us

Things with Jack couldn't be more perfect. I think the biggest thing that's surprised me about him is his thoughtfulness. He's been driving me to school and back home every day on the days that he doesn't have lacrosse practice.

On the way to school this morning, he brought up the party that his dad was talking about at dinner last week. It's for his dad's 50th birthday. It's also cocktail-attire, and his dad is going 'all out'. Jack brought me an invitation and asked me countless times to come, but I don't know. I feel weird about the whole thing, especially considering his dad doesn't like me.

He's going to Jordana's parents' house for dinner tonight, and while I wanted to ask him how he felt about it, I also didn't want to know. Because the thought of Jack and Jordana sitting at the same table together boils my blood. Plus, I don't need to make Jack any more upset about it than he already is.

Molly and I have plans to go to the movies tonight, so I'm hoping that'll take my mind off of the whole thing. Speaking of Molly, I've been waiting outside the theater for her for 15 minutes now.

"Why are you always late?" I ask her when she finally gets here.

"I'm not always late. You're just always early."

"The movie started at 8. It's 8:03."

"Previews, hello. Plus, we're waiting for Henry."

"Henry? You told Henry to come? Why?"

"Because...I'm going to tell him tonight." When I look at her puzzlingly, she clarifies. "You know? About how I feel..."

"So then why am I here? And why are we at the movies?"

"You're here for moral support. And I don't know, I panicked. I needed an idea for how we could hang out."

"Uh, how about somewhere where you could actually talk and see each other?"

"Shit. You're right. I didn't think this through. Well, good news is that the movie is only an hour and a half-long so we can grab ice cream afterwards."

"Not we, Mol. You."

"C'mon, Stassie, don't make me beg. Ple-"

"Hey, guys," Henry says as he makes his way toward us.

"Hey," Molly says, composing herself as I just smile.

"Sorry I'm late. I had to drop my baby brother off at his friend's house."

"All good," Molly says, and we make our way to the ticket stand.

Henry buys us our tickets, and once we head inside the theater, I make sure that Molly takes the middle seat. Leave it to her to choose some weird thriller movie that I've never heard about.

About an hour into the movie, I text Jack to make sure that he's okay, and then wait until the movie's over to check my messages, only to find that he hasn't answered me.

"What do you guys say to some ice cream?" Molly asks as my phone finally beeps.

Jack: Rather listen to nails on a chalkboard than to Jordana.

Jack: Rafe's having people over by his pool later. Can you come? Please 🙂

"What are you laughing about?" Molly asks me.

"Nothing. It's Jack. He said Rafe's having people over. Would you guys want to go?"

Molly glances at Henry, who says, "Not really. Unless you guys want to."

"I don't want to, but Jack's there so I feel like I should. But you two should go get ice cream," I say.

"No, we'll go to Rafe's!" Molly exclaims, and I give her a confused look. I don't get why she doesn't want to be alone with Henry whenever she has the chance to be.

***

Henry drives us to Rafe's house and the very few cars in the driveway tell me that this is a more intimate hang out.

"Are you sure it's okay that we're here?" Henry asks.

"Yeah," I answer, but unsurely.

We round the corner of the house to find Jack, Johnny, Rafe, Jordana, and a few other girls sitting at the table with red cups. I notice a joint in Jack's hand as Rafe's smoking a Juul. They're all in some sort of conversation when we approach, and I can tell – just by the way that Jack's eyes are on Henry – that it was a bad idea for me to bring him.

"Who the fuck invited you, Astor?" Rafe shouts from where he's sitting as Jack continues to scowl in Henry's direction.

I don't know why I expect Jack to defensively chime in and walk toward us, and I especially don't know why I'm surprised when he doesn't. Instead, he remains seated and looks at me with a mix of confusion and frustration. I can just tell that he's not himself right now. The bloodshot eyes are a dead giveaway.

"Maybe this was a bad idea," I whisper to my friends.

"Yeah. Maybe we should leave," Molly says.

"Come sit, Stassie," Rafe calls out, and I turn to look at my friends again.

"Just...follow me," I say softly to them.

We slowly walk toward the table, Molly and Henry trailing behind me, and everything about this situation is awkward.

"Hey," I whisper to Jack once I make it to him, but he doesn't say anything back. I'm confused. If he didn't want me here, which is clearly the case, then why did he tell me to come?

Rafe and the rest of the crew are talking about something I'm not paying attention to, so I reach for Jack's hand. "You okay? How was dinner?"

"Fine," he responds, but gives me nothing else. He takes another hit of the joint in his hand and then says, "Wouldn't have ruined your date night with Astor had I known you were with him."

"I wasn't with him like that, Jack. Us three went to the movies."

He lets out a condescending chuckle. "Whatever. I'm over this shit," he says, standing up and taking his shirt off. "Anyone down for the jacuzzi?"

"Me!" Jordana immediately shouts, raising her hand. She then gives me an evil smile like she's fully aware that she's stirring the pot right now.

"Jack," I say, loud enough so that he can hear me, but low enough so that the rest can't. He looks down at me and I ask, "Can we talk?"