"You'll never have him."

"Oh, boy, you stand by me..."
"I'm forever yours.... faithfully!"
Jake and I finished our duet that we'll do for the opening at the big concert.  Now we rehearse twice a week.  It's getting closer and closer every day.... as of yesterday, nine more weeks.  Holy crap.  Where does time go?
"That's getting very good, you two," Mrs. Rosenberg said.  "Just keep working hard and it'll sound great on the big night."
"Jake!"
Everyone turned to see Jake's dad standing in the hall.  "Jake, get your coat.  We've got to go."
"Go where?" Jake asked.
"We'll talk about it when we get there," Jake's dad said.  "Mom and Luke are waiting for us."
"Are they okay?" Jake asks.
"Yes, they're both fine," Jake's dad said.  "We've just got to go."
Jake grabs his coat and is dragged out by his dad.
"I hope everything's okay," I whisper to Ava.
"Kylie, back in position," Mrs. Rosenberg said.  "We finished the duet.  Now we've got to get to our group numbers."
Rehearsal crawled by.  What was going on with Jake?
After rehearsal, there was a text from Hannah: "Johnny texted me to say Jake's had some sort of family emergency.  He's at the hospital downtown."
I texted her back: "I'm going to go be there for him.  Tell Simone I'm going to get a snack or something."
I don't even wait for Hannah to text back.  I caught the bus to the hospital.  Went to the ER and looked at the sign-in book.  "Matt and Jake Cirino, Floor 1, Wing E."
That was enough.  I was going to the waiting room of Wing E.
Sitting in the waiting room was Rachel, reading a magazine.  "Rachel, what's going on?" I asked.
"Jake asked me to come," Rachel said.  "After all, I happen to be his girlfriend."
"Well, I happen to be his - friend," I said.  "What is going on here?"
"If you knew Jake in the way I do, you'd see this coming," Rachel said.
"Rachel, just tell me what this is all about," I said.
"Jake's grandmother has had lung cancer for about six months now," Rachel said.  "She had a massive heart attack.  I don't know - "
"Oh my God," I said.  "Poor Jake.  Poor Luke.  Their poor parents."
"Kylie, this isn't your place," Rachel said.  "Face it.  Jake loves ME.  It's the girlfriend's job to come to be with the boyfriend in a moment of crisis.  You and Jake sing duets together.  You go to Snow Days together.  You go see Evan Lysacek together.  But face it, you'll never have him."
"Fine then," I said.  "I'm going home."
"Good idea," Rachel said.  "Stay off my man."
As I started to leave, I heard running a familiar voice break into sobs.  I turn around.  Jake was now kneeling in front of Rachel, crying.  She had one arm around him and was stroking his hair.
She made a face at me and I just took off.