After the Ink: A Teen Fiction Read online

  Copyright © 2021 by B.D. Fresquez

  All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in, or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known, hereinafter invented, without express written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.

  Typewriter Pub, an imprint of Blvnp Incorporated

  A Nevada Corporation

  1887 Whitney Mesa DR #2002

  Henderson, NV 89014

  www.typewriterpub.com/[email protected]

  ISBN: 978-1-64434-182-7

  DISCLAIMER

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. While references might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  AFTER THE INK

  B.D. FRESQUEZ

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  PART ONE

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  PART TWO

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  PART THREE

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Part One

  Part Two

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Part One

  Part Two

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Part One

  Part Two

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Epilogue

  For Serena, Emery, and Tony.

  I love the laughs we share together.

  Prologue

  In my nightmare, I know what is going to happen. It happens every night. The worst part is not knowing how to make it stop just for one second, so I can breathe.

  The accident was three weeks ago, and I still haven’t gotten that one second to breathe. It isn’t some figment of my imagination that I can easily escape from. My parents are gone. That is my first thought when I wake up and my last when I fall asleep. I’ve been trying not to think about the car accident itself, but it creeps back into my mind anyway.

  My family decided to have one funeral for the both of them, so I didn’t have to go through everything twice. It didn’t make things any better—seeing their closed caskets, everyone wearing black, and that stupid cemetery where they are now instead of work.

  Like some cruel twist of fate, I still have to continue my life. I still have to worry about homework because school isn’t going to stop and close shop due to a student losing both her parents. Instead, I’ve gotten some condolences, an extra day to turn in my work, and that is that.

  The school counselor wants me to schedule meetings with her, but what will I even talk about? Them? Because that won’t bring them back.

  I already have a great support system anyway, people who actually know me and care about me. I have Aunt Jade, who is my guardian now; my best friend, Casey; and my boyfriend, Jacob.

  Jacob is on my arm, babbling about an exam as we are walking to my journalism class. His exam is the last thing on my mind, but I still offer my advice to him anyway. All the talk about exams has me wondering about my own results. Junior year is ending in a week, and I wonder how it all went by so quickly.

  When we reach my class, Jacob stops walking and I stand in front of him. With a gentle finger below my chin, he tilts my head so I am looking up at him. His light brown hair is swept up in his usual hairstyle. His warm brown eyes always make me feel safe and secure. I can get lost in them all day.

  “Listen,” he says. “I really want you to go with me to that party tonight. I won’t even drink. I’ll let you do your thing, you know, wind down a bit. I’ll make sure you get home safe.”

  Since the accident, Jacob has put it in his head that I am afraid of driving or even being in a vehicle, which isn’t true. He always has a way of deciding things for me, and I mostly blow it off.

  I just don’t want to be around a bunch of people at a stranger’s house. Things are different right now, and I do not want to make my aunt anxious by being out late.

  I chew on my lip and try to figure out a way to say no. “I don’t know, Jake. I don’t think my aunt wants me out late.”

  The disappointment is clear on his face, but he nods, seeming to understand. “I get it. I just want you to have some fun after everything that’s happened.”

  He’s been trying to get me to go to that party all week, and I keep brushing off the topic. He says he gets it, but I don’t think he does. There are a million other things that I need to focus on right now.

  “I don’t think I’m ready to start going out yet,” I tell him honestly. “Plus, I have a ton of homework and studying to do, not to mention all the boxes I still have to unpack at the apartment.”

  My home is no longer a house in a neighborhood with my parents but a two-bedroom apartment with my aunt.

  Jacob takes my wrist in his hand and stares at my tattoo—our tattoo. He traces the heart and infinity symbol with his finger and brings it up to his lips for a sweet kiss. “I’m glad we got these together.” His eyes meet mine. “I understand, babe. If you don’t mind, I’m gonna go with the guys to that party tonight. This exam has me stressed the hell out, and I’d rather let loose than study.”

  Typical Jacob, procrastinating then hating himself later on. Instead of arguing with him about it, I let it go. His blasé attitude towards schoolwork is something I’ve learned to live with.

  The first time I saw Jacob was in my Algebra class during our freshman year. I thought he was cute, and immediately felt butterflies every time he looked at me.

  He liked to bother me and push my buttons. I always acted like I was annoyed, but I liked the attention he gave me. Our friends looked like they wanted us to go out, and when he finally asked me out on a date, I said yes.

  The bell rings, and I’m brought back to reality. Jacob kisses my forehead and says he will see me after school before we both dash to our classes.

  As Mrs. Thomas talks, I stare at my tattoo. I trace it in the same way Jacob did, and the memory of when my parents found out about it comes to mind.

  They were pissed beyond belief, and even more so when they found out Jacob has the same one on his forearm. We got them for our two-year anniversary last September. I never told Jacob, but I regretted getting the tattoo immediately after the needle had touched my skin.

  My parents didn’t let me see him for nearly two months. They couldn’t keep us apart at school, but outside of that, I couldn’t see him at all.

  Eventually, they forgave us and we were allowed to hang out again. They started trusting Jacob again, and that was when I let him meet my aunt and grandparents.

  My mom liked him simply because he made me happy
. My dad liked that he was captain of the soccer team and promised to continue liking him as long as he didn’t hurt me.

  Picturing my life with Jacob before the accident was a no-brainer. I wanted to be with him forever. We’d be the ultimate high school sweethearts, telling our kids and grandkids about our matching tattoos. After the accident, it suddenly felt like forever was a foreign idea.

  After school, I meet Jacob in the parking lot like we usually do. He drives me to my aunt’s apartment in his truck and parks in front of the building.

  “Have fun tonight,” I tell him.

  He grins. “Let me know if you change your mind and I’ll come get you.”

  “Whose party is it anyway?” He hasn’t mentioned it being one of the soccer guys throwing it.

  He shrugs. “Honestly, I don’t remember.”

  Who knew everyone would be throwing end-of-the-year parties? I give him a kiss on the cheek before I let myself out of his truck. Once inside the apartment, I take a deep breath. The unpacked boxes in my room are enough to make me break down.

  ***

  The weekend went by quickly, and I hardly heard from Jacob. I thought for sure I’d see him on Saturday, but he said he wasn’t feeling good. I figured he was hungover from the party.

  It’s Monday morning, and I am not getting a text back from him about whether he is going to pick me up. I end up asking my aunt Jade to take me to school. She has the day off anyway, and I don’t feel like bothering Casey.

  Aunt Jade pulls up in front of the school and meets my eyes. Her nose is a bright pink, as it has been since the accident. Her short brown hair is done up in a lazy ponytail, with pieces of it coming out at messy points.

  “I promise I’ll help you get a car soon. I know it isn’t exactly cool to be dropped off by your aunt,” she says.

  “I’ll ride the bus if I need to,” I tell her so she doesn’t worry. I know she has a million other things to worry about too. “I’m sure Jacob will bring me home this afternoon.”

  She smiles. “Have a good day,” she says as I step out and wave to her.

  The atmosphere is different once I walk into the main building. I can’t put my finger on it, but everything feels off. Maybe it is because we are in the last couple weeks before summer break.

  I spot Casey in the hallway and she frowns.

  “Where’s Jacob?” she asks.

  She knows that if I am not with her, I’ll be with Jacob. Her face makes me think she doesn’t really care where he is. She has never been a huge fan of him anyway.

  “I think he slept in.” I shrug. It won’t be the first time it happens. “Today feels weird, right?”

  “Probably because it’s Monday. You know my philosophy, Monday’s are bad for the skin.” She moves her sandy blonde hair off her shoulders. “Hey, do you want to go shopping with me later? I literally have no good bras, and I can’t ignore the wire sticking into my boob right now.”

  Casey has always been the candid one in our relationship. I don’t know what I would do without her.

  I agree to go with her, and we begin walking down the hall. I see some of Jacob’s friends from the soccer team and wave to them, but they run off to the opposite direction, which I find a bit weird.

  Soccer players aren’t as glorified as the football players, so Jacob’s popularity comes from being a social butterfly. Being in a relationship with him has boosted my own popularity, though I know I can only really trust Casey.

  I feel eyes on me as I trudge into class. Heather, a girl who sits diagonally from me, is staring at me blatantly. She looks away once I sit down.

  What is everyone’s deal today?

  Many review notes later, class ends. I shove my binder into my backpack and, in the corner of my eye, see Heather approaching me slowly.

  “Hey, Heather.” I decide to greet her first. We’ve only spoken directly a handful of times while working on class assignments, and she has always been friendly. I wonder what she wants to talk about.

  “Hi.” She smiles, though it looks forced.

  She hasn’t said anything else so I ask, “What’s up?”

  “I, uh, want to talk to you about something.” She is holding a textbook tightly against her chest.

  I pull my backpack over my shoulder and feel ready to talk until I notice her strange expression. Her brows are furrowed, and her entire body language is awkward and unsure. It makes me uncomfortable.

  “Can we do it while walking?” I ask her. I don’t want to be late for my next class. I start walking towards the door, hoping she will follow me and she does.

  “Have you talked to Jacob?” she asks. “Since the party?”

  “Not really,” I admit. “Why?”

  We make it just outside of the classroom when she suddenly stops. “He cheated on you,” she blurts out.

  Her words make me look at her dead in the eye. Cheated? “How the hell do you know that?” I demand.

  “I saw it happen,” she says quickly. “I was at that party last Friday, and I saw him flirting with Lauren all night. It didn’t look good when they went into a room and came out thirty minutes later.”

  My heart is thumping rapidly in my chest. Flirting with Lauren? Did he sleep with her?

  She has a pained expression on her face. “Listen, I’m not trying to start anything, but I know Jacob isn’t going to tell you anything. I don’t think you should hear it as gossip in the halls.”

  Tears threaten to spill onto my cheeks. Can I trust what she’s saying? Is she telling the truth? I don’t want to believe her, but inside, I know she is telling the truth. She has no reason to lie to me.

  “I’m so sorry, Lacey,” she says, backing away slowly. Then, she disappears into the crowd.

  It feels as if everyone but me knows what Jacob has done. It is like everyone’s eyes are on me, and they are waiting for me to react. I run to the nearest bathroom and try to calm myself down. My chest is heavy, and I am sure my head is going to explode. Thoughts of Jacob with Lauren enter my mind.

  No, no, no, no, no!

  This shouldn’t have happened. Jacob is supposed to be there for me, to help me grieve, to help me laugh again, and to be my rock. Not cheat on me at some party.

  I wipe my eyes and take a deep breath. I just have to make it through the rest of the day. I can meet Casey for lunch, and she will be able to help me get me through this.

  ***

  After avoiding and ignoring Jacob all day, I have decided to take Casey’s advice.

  I need to end things with him.

  A girl in my last class has no shame whatsoever, discussing the whole situation with another girl. She says Jacob looked unapologetic after someone brought me up.

  The way they’re talking about my personal life so openly only makes me angrier, and I almost snap at them to shut up. Instead, I hold my tongue and wait to talk to Jacob, who deserves my anger the most.

  On my way to the parking lot after school, I come across Lauren. Her glossy appearance makes me think that she hasn’t lost sleep over what she has done. As much as I want to call her every horrible name I can think of, I don’t. It won’t make me feel any better.

  Her black hair is straight behind her shoulders, and it swings from side to side as she approaches me.

  I speak before she can get a chance, “I don’t have the energy to deal with you right now.”

  “Lacey, just listen—”

  “No, you listen.” I point at her. “Just leave me alone and we won’t have a problem.”

  I’m in a relationship with Jacob, not her. What she has to say doesn’t mean anything. It is Jacob’s fault, and that is all that matters to me. I want to hate Lauren, but I can’t. I need to focus my anger and hatred on Jacob.

  I wait for him by his truck, with Casey parked nearby. I ignore call after call from him.

  Soon enough, he’s walking towards me, and I mentally prepare myself. I’m not going to let him smooth-talk his way out of the situation like he always does when we argue
. I’m not going to let him change my mind. He has made me look like an idiot, and there is no way in hell I’m going to let him get away with it.

  “What the hell? Why haven’t you answered any of my calls or texts?” Jacob asks when he comes close enough.

  I stare at him and try to detect if he’s going to apologize to me. “Do you want to tell me what happened at that party, or do you want me to tell you what I heard?”

  His face changes, but he recovers. He really is going to try to lie his way out of this. “What are you talking about?”

  “I know you slept with Lauren.” I try keeping my voice low as I say it.

  “Where did you hear that?”

  You’ve got to be kidding me. “It’s all over the fucking school,” I snap. “Everyone is talking about it like they’re TMZ or something.”

  He opens his mouth but shuts it as soon as he glances around and sees people near us. “Can we get in the truck and talk about it?”

  “Hell no. You made it everyone’s business, so we’re going to talk about it. Now, admit it.”

  “Why do you want to hear it? To make things worse?” He raises his voice.

  “I want to hear it from you, so I can believe that you really are a piece of shit!” I yell. I’m losing my cool, but I’m fine with my anger boiling over. “Say it.”

  He throws his arms out to the side. “Okay, I slept with her. Happy now?”

  People start coming closer to us after he says it. Hearing the words coming out of his mouth is a lot harder than I thought it’d be.

  “Why?” I ask.

  “I don’t know why. I was drunk. I wasn’t thinking.” His eyes refuse to meet mine.

  “You weren’t thinking of me? Your girlfriend?” The tears start trailing down my face. “My parents just died, Jacob. You think I need this shit right now?”

  I’m becoming a blubbering mess, and everyone is here watching us.

  “Baby, please. Let’s get in the truck and talk about it.” He reaches out for my hand.

  There is the sweet talk. “No.”

  His lips form a tight line, and his eyes scan around us. A partial circle of people is surrounding us now. If they are going to stick around, I’m going to make sure this is all Jacob’s fault.