**They are 16-17 years old, which is junior year for some places around the world. Freshman is 14-15 years old. Just in case anyone is confused by the high school system of America! I want to leave this place too, I promise.**

Jake's arms tightened around Y/n, her own circled around him.

"What were you doing near her?" Jake hisses. Dirk was holding two drinks in the loud party area, obviously about to give one to Y/n. "Can't you get out of my life already?"

"Whoa English, I'm not doing anything to your girl," Dirk says in his southern drawl. "I was just grabbing us both a drink."

"Jake, it's true." Y/n tugs on her boyfriend's sleeves. "He was just talking to me, I swear."

"Y/n, I love you dearly, but please stay out of this when I talk to a Strider." Jake smiles at her before vehemently glaring at Dirk. She wouldn't understand until the story is out. After all, it was a train wreck called freshman year of high school.

"Strider, I don't care if you want to become friends with me once more or if you're trying to get another rumor spread about me," He spits out. "But don't go near Y/n, do you understand?" The anger on the young boy could make a person freeze in fear. Dirk just acknowledges it.

"Whatever you say to make you sleep at night, English." He shrugs and downs both the drinks. "We both know you can't stop me." He saunters off with confidence and an ego too high for anyone to climb. Jake scoffs and Y/n looks a bit frightened at this new side of Jake.

"You want to go home?" She says softly, to calm him down. She places a hand on his back and he flinches by the slight touch. He nods, still looking in the direction of the flirty blonde. He grabs hold of her hand and they make a bee line for the front door of the house.
Rain clouds were practically hanging over Jake's head, and it hurt because he didn't know what to do. He loves Y/n so much and would never try to take control of her social life, but Dirk is also not someone to be trusted around her.

"Will you please sit and let me tell you what happened?" Jake sits on the couch as he asks that question. Y/n's parents were out of town so when they got home, they didn't have to worry about grown up ears listening. Y/n sits, her legs crossed and hands clasped.

"I never told you about past relationships," Jake said with a shaky breath. "You know I'm bi, it's clearly obvious when we talk about Chris Pines." His joke lies flat on her ears since she just wants to know what's going on. He licks drying lips and continues.

"Dirk is my ex boyfriend and he wasn't the best one." Jake pulls up his tee shirt, a scar about three inches long on his side. A burn almost. Y/n's breath catches in her throat.

"We were adventurous boys who wanted to make out and go to parties and be crazy," he said as Y/n's fingers lightly trail the white line. "He pushes my limits and took over my life. He hurt me and tried to blame it on myself and how stupid I can be. I broke up with him after the incident, but I've seen so many of my friends been taken control of him." He shifts the tee shirt down and looks at Y/n straight in the eyes.

"I love you so much, my dear Y/n, that if he were to hurt you I don't think I could've live to see the consequences."

Y/n nods and opens her arms up to which Jake falls into. He presses his face into her, wanting to be enveloped in the warm and safe space. The relationship took a toll on his mental health and he thought he would never date again.

But this is what he needed. He needed comfort and love and validation, he needed to see that love doesn't have to end up with hurt and abuse.

He stays in Y/n's arms until dawn, the girl asleep but still holding on. He picks her up and carries her to her bed. He lies close to her and instantly she reaches for him.

Someone who loves him made him find his way out of the middle.

**Sorry for not updating, I've been working and writing stuff for camp and getting things down and being social. Also sorry for the shitty ending, I've been having trouble sitting down and doing anything, I haven't even answered a RP in a long time and aaaaaa I'm letting them down. But other then that, I'm in a content mood right now. I hung out with my friend who's a senior and leaving me this year, but she invited me to hang out with her and her friends who were her age and older. I stayed with them from 2-9:30 PM and I have never felt so loved and validated by people older than me. They valued what I had to say about the colleges and projects I wanted to do and they had the same humor as me and they were so kind to let a fifteen year old girl hang out with them. It made me feel so special and so happy, and I might be hanging out with the on July 4th, which is super rad because They want to hang out with me of all people and they make me feel genuine happiness. I hope everyone had a wonderful day like I did. Love you guys, bye :o)!**