Chapter Text
“Fuck.”
Jake stood motionless in his bathroom, staring at his reflection in the dimly lit mirror. In his hand, he clutched a pair of dull, rusted scissors—the same ones he had used back in middle school. Or was it elementary school? Honestly, he couldn’t even remember anymore. It was 2:37 AM, and his mind felt foggy from exhaustion. He could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on him. “What the hell was I thinking?” he muttered to himself, his voice sounding thick with regret.
He glanced at the mess he had made of his hair. A small, uneven chunk had been hastily cut. He had stopped himself before making it worse, but the damage was done. A sigh escaped his lips, a mix of frustration and disbelief.
Jake knew he didn’t want to bother Drew with this ridiculous situation, but here he was, already reaching for his phone. He hesitated, thumb hovering over the screen before dialing Drew’s number.
The phone’s ringtone echoed off the bathroom walls. Jake's fingers tapped nervously on the edge of the sink counter as he waited, impatience growing with each passing second. The sound of the ringing seemed to stretch on forever, each tone mocking him as he fought the urge to hang up.
Drew groaned as the persistent hum of his phone pulled him from the depths of sleep. His eyes flickered open, and the dim glow of the screen revealed Jake’s name flashing across it. He rubbed his face, trying to shake off the haze of sleep, but his tiredness clung to him stubbornly. With a frustrated sigh, he sat up in bed, running a hand through his messy, fluffy magenta hair that seemed to defy all attempts at taming. Another yawn escaped him as he reached for the phone, answering it with a flick of his thumb, the weight of sleep still heavy in his voice.
He pressed the phone to his ear and mumbled, his words a little slurred from exhaustion, "What the hell... why are you calling me at... 3 AM?" His tone was a mix of confusion and annoyance, as he tried to shake off the grogginess that still lingered.
Jake let out a deep sigh, the sound of it almost blending with his quiet chuckle. He couldn’t help but feel a little ridiculous, but Drew was the only one he could turn to right now. "Sorry for calling so late..." he began, his voice trailing off. "I might have, uh..." He groaned in frustration, setting the phone down on the sink counter with a soft thud.
He ran his hands through his hair, then lifted them to his face, rubbing his eyes as if trying to wake himself up from the mess he had gotten himself into. He leaned against the sink, his head tilting back as he let out a resigned sigh. "I need your help with something..." His voice was tinged with embarrassment, but there was no way around it. He just hoped Drew wouldn’t judge him too harshly for what idiotic idea he had gotten into his head.
Drew stayed silent for a moment, his confusion clear as he blinked a couple of times, trying to process what Jake had said. He could hear the groan and the unmistakable tone of someone in distress, and it only made him cringe a little. After a beat, he rolled his eyes, already knowing this wasn’t going to be a simple phone call. “What did you do this time, Jake?” he asked, his voice laced with annoyance, though the small grin that tugged at the corner of his mouth betrayed the amusement he couldn’t hide. “I swear, you’re always getting yourself into something idiotic..”
Jake picked up his phone again, his grip tightening around it as he grumbled under his breath. "Hey! I am not idiotic!" he snapped, his tone defensive, though he knew it was a losing battle. On the other end, Jake could practically hear the eyeroll in his voice. “Sure you aren’t,” Drew replied, the sarcasm dripping off each word, even though a quiet chuckle escaped him. He leaned back in bed, still half asleep, but clearly entertained by Jake’s frustration.
There was a brief silence between them before Jake finally spoke up, his voice a little quieter now, as if hesitant. "Can you come over... I'll explain once you get here."
Drew raised an eyebrow, his confusion deepening. “What? Is this, like, serious or—?”
Jake mumbled into the phone, his words barely audible. “Not really... I kinda messed up my hair and was wondering if you could help me... fix it?” His voice trailed off with an awkward chuckle, the embarrassment clear.
Drew’s quiet pause on the other end was all Jake needed to feel the full weight of how ridiculous he must have sounded. “What am I doing?” Jake mentally groaned, face-palming in his own head. He couldn’t believe he was asking for help with something so silly.
Drew let out a deep sigh, his irritation still lingering but tempered with a hint of amusement. As he stood up, still groggy from being pulled out of sleep, he mumbled to himself, “I can’t believe I’m doing this...”He cleared his throat, shaking off the drowsiness as best as he could. "I’ll be there in 20. Don’t do anything stupid." His tone was firm but with a trace of teasing behind it. Before Jake could respond, Drew ended the call with a sharp beep, the sound marking the end of their conversation.
Jake was left standing there, phone in hand, as a mix of relief and lingering embarrassment washed over him. He couldn’t believe Drew had actually agreed to come over.
Jake paced around his room for a few minutes, the silence of the night pressing in on him, before he decided to quietly make his way downstairs. The house was still and calm, save for the occasional creak of the floorboards beneath his feet. He headed to the kitchen, poured himself a glass of water, and leaned against the counter, staring out into the darkened house as he waited for Drew to arrive.
He didn't have to worry about making too much noise. His younger brother, Milo, was a heavy sleeper, and by now, Jake knew exactly how to move quietly without disturbing him. His mom, as usual, was working late, leaving the house eerily quiet. And Oreo was in the backyard asleep. The only thing Jake had to focus on now was the impending awkwardness of the situation. What had he gotten himself into?
Jake's ears perked up as he heard the familiar sound of a bike rolling across the driveway. He quickly glanced out the window, seeing Drew’s bike coming to a stop as it was dropped against the steps with a soft clang.
Moments later, Drew’s footsteps creaked on the front steps as he made his way up to the door. Jake, already expecting him, was just about to open it when his phone buzzed with a notification. He glanced down at the screen—it was a text from Drew.
“I’m here.”
With a sigh, Jake swung the door open, catching Drew just as he was reaching for the doorbell. Their eyes met, and despite the awkwardness of the situation, a small, knowing smirk tugged at the corner of Drew’s lips.
"I told you I'd come," Drew chuckled softly, his voice still carrying the remnants of sleepiness but tinged with amusement. He stepped into the doorway, his gaze falling on Jake’s uneven, cut hair.
Drew sighed, shaking his head as he looked at the mess. "I wish you told me before you did this," he muttered, his voice filled with a mix of exasperation and disbelief. He quickly covered one hand over his face, as if trying to shield himself from the absurdity of the situation, while his other hand slid into his pocket.
Jake winced slightly, already feeling the weight of Drew’s judgment. "I know," Jake mumbled, his embarrassment creeping back up again. "I wasn’t thinking..."
Drew's expression softened, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Don’t worry," he said, his voice a bit lighter now, as if he could already sense Jake’s discomfort. "Let’s get your hair fixed up."
Jake let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, grateful for the reassurance, even though the situation was still more than a little ridiculous. Drew might be annoyed, but at least he wasn’t making it worse. "Thanks," Jake muttered. Drew walked with him into Jake's room, ready to face the "hair emergency". Drew hoped he could help his friend.