My Fair Lady

"Dude, what is up? You look like you got a stick shoved sideways up your ass." Frankito broke the set of pool balls with a quick stroke. "I'm stripes."

Jakob moodily watched several balls fall into pockets. He had come to Frankito's house to talk to him. It was the day after the game and he knew that nothing else had happened between Chloe and Frankito since Chloe rode home with her parents, not Frankito. "Uh, something but nothing."

"Don't use intellectual language around me Jake. I don't understand it." Frankito lined some balls up and hit one into a designated pocket. "Speak in the language of dumb ass if you don't mind."

Jakob took his turn with the balls but ended up scratching and ultimately missing because his mind was elsewhere. "What's up with you and Chloe?" He blurted out just as Frankito was lining up another shot.

Frankito paused and straightened his back, his pool stick vertical from the floor as he leaned on it casually. "Why?"

"I just want to know." Jakob said in a rougher manner than intended.

Frankito narrowed his eyes at his friend and his tone was just as rude. "For what? She's not your property and she has every damn right to speak to me. Just because I'm not mister high-and-mighty-I'm-better-than-everyone-else Jakob Armstrong, doesn't mean I'm dirt-shit." Realization dawned on his face. "You can't stand the fact that a girl you like likes me."

"Where the hell did you get that? I'm not better than anybody else and I don't act like it." Jakob ignored Frankito's snort of disbelief. "How do you know she likes you like that? She hasn't said yes to you yet."

"Hasn't she?" Frankito raised his eyebrows in glee at Jakob's shot down expression. "You may know a lot, but you don't know everything Jake. We're going out tonight."

Jakob didn't say anything. He bit his tongue and threw the pool stick down. "Whatever. Have a blast."

***

Billie Joe knocked softly on Jakob's door. When he heard a muffled welcome, he poked his head inside. "Hey Jake. Uh, is everything all right? We actually made dinner tonight and you didn't come down." He sat down on Jakob's desk.

Jakob was laying on his bed, chemistry book before him. He twirled a pencil through his fingers in a way Billie Joe had taught him years ago. "I'm fine." His tone was bland, a clear sign he was upset by something.

"Oh, really. You just seemed a little off to me, that's all." Billie Joe remarked as he fiddled with a pen that was on Jakob's desk similar to the way Jakob was fiddling with his pencil. "You normally go out on the weekends and stuff. Especially since school just started back up and all."

"I have a chemistry test on Monday and I need to study. I don't have time to go out." Jakob growled through his teeth. In truth, he wasn't studying. He was simply avoiding the world at all costs.

"Oh." Billie Joe wasn't exactly sure of what to say. "That sucks."

"Yes, it does and I can't study if people don't leave me alone." Jakob snapped. "And if I don't pass it I won't get into college and I will end up selling my body on Sunset and dying before I can drink legally."

Billie Joe set his jaw firmly. He did not like this change in attitude in Jakob. "You know Jake, you need to get off your damn high horse and come back down to the little people every once in awhile. It may humble your annoying aspiring actions just a bit. By the way, Lauren called. Apparently you're so absorbed in yourself you won't answer your phone."

"Why do people keep saying that? I'm not fucking stuck-up " Jakob sat up on his bed, his face set as firmly as Billie Joe's.

"Really? Could have fooled us." Billie Joe shot back. He didn't like arguing with his sons but he and Jakob had the potential to fight rather often. "Just because you're smarter than most doesn't mean your better. Don't treat your friends like shit Jakob because then they won't always be there for you and it won't be anyone's fault but yours."

Billie Joe left Jakob's room on that note and left his son to mull over his words. He knew Jakob would eventually get the message because Jakob was the child that analyzed everything and left nothing to the common 'because' factor.

Jakob's cell phone vibrated on its silent mode on his bedside table. He grabbed and answered it before he even checked to see who was calling. "Yeah."

There was a beat of silence followed by a sigh and a "Never mind," on the other line.

"If you're gonna tell me you fucked her Frankito, spare me the details. I don't give a shit." Jakob snapped into the phone. It was only nine o'clock, too early to be finishing a date. That small factor made Jakob furrow his eyebrows.

"No." Frankito said sadly into the phone. "It was a disaster. It was awkward because we had no idea what to say. It wasn't like, you know, just going to a game or anything where you can talk about whatever. The date-mode makes things a little different, you know?"

Jakob nodded silently as he leaned back on his headboard.

"Anyways," Frankito continued. "We go out to eat, the place is packed and it looked like there weren't enough waiters and shit to go around so we waited forever for a server, all the while in awkward silence. When we finally get a server, he's a total dick and I'll explain why in a minute. Anyways, we sit there for awhile and we eventually get a conversation, I don't know what of, but we had one anyway.

"Anyways, we were sitting there, talking and all, and all of a sudden, Mary-chick comes up and just starts bitching at me. Jake, dude, she went into detail in the middle of the damn restaurant on how I went down on her and all and telling Chloe I'm only interested in one thing and she should just keep her legs crossed and she'll be a whole lot happier. Anyways, remember the waiter? He's her damn boyfriend so he comes out and starts arguing with me and wanting to take me outside so he could quote 'kick my ass' unquote. Well, that went well and the night just sucked and Chloe asked me to take her home after that. She said she wasn't mad at me or anything, but that we should just call it a night after that note. She said she'd call me later and I bet she does because she's actually decent like that and all. So, yeah." Frankito fell silent after his long speech.

"Wow. That sucks." Was all Jakob could think to say.

"Fuck you too." Frankito hung up, mistaking Jakob's words and tone.

Jakob looked at the non-receiving phone with disbelief. He was beyond caring how Frankito was feeling at this point and he knew he was being selfish like that. However, he really didn't care.