My Knight in Shining...Ah, Screw It. He's an Egotistical Asshole.

I couldn’t have really told you what else happened in theater today though, because the neon sign my body kept flashing, as a grave warning to let me know that I was growing to like Jacob. Maybe even more? It couldn’t be as serious as a crush could it? But, I was denying the right answer to that question.
History only made it harder to deny, with Jacob and I working together on the project.
“Let’s work in the corner. Incase we start arguing, I don’t want people to easily overhear us.” I said, grabbing the poster-paper and walking to the back of the room.
Jacob followed, silently. How odd.
We sat down, and I quietly brought out my notes to record onto the poster. Jacob reached in his pocket and pulled out pictures of our explorer to glue to the poster as well. He began taking them out, one by one. Into a neat pile. I had been focused on writing down information until I heard plastic hit the floor beside me. I turned my head to see a CD case on it. In the glass covering, it read the following:

To: Princess.
From: Your Knight. (a.k.a- savior)

I scoffed. “What is this?” I asked, holding it up to the light.

I wonder if it has a CD in it? I thought. I opened it, and sure enough it did. A silver one, donut shape and all.
“Didn’t you say that you didn’t have the new ‘There For Tomorrow’ album?” Was all he said. I smiled. I loved There For Tomorrow.
“Yeah…” I said, hesitantly.
“Well, I made a copy for you.” He smiled, and looked at the pictures on the floor. He got up and grabbed a glue stick as I sat there. Shocked as never before.
That…that meant he had taken something I told him, remembered it, and put it to use. Again, in order to do something nice like that, wouldn’t you have to I don’t know… CARE about the person? Maybe he…maybe he did care about me.
“Thanks. Do I need to pay you for it?” I asked when he came back.
“Nope. Your smile and reaction was enough.” He said shyly, and began pasting pictures on the poster.
I blushed. Yep, that’s right. I BLUSHED in front of Jacob Naughtingham, because of something he said.
“Thanks for printing out pictures of our guy.” I said, changing subjects. Well heck, if he could do something… then I could do it better. Therefore, if he was nice, then I’d be nicer.
“Please, it’s just an ‘I’m-sorry-I’m-not-smart-enough-to-find-us-good-notes plea.” He laughed, and I laughed with him. Heads were staring at us, and gossiping. I scanned the classroom until my eyes landed on a familiar set of gray ones. Burning into mine. I flinched at them. They had anger in them, which was almost certain. What else was certain, was that they belonged to Max. I noticed Blaire sitting beside him, waving her hand in front of his face, annoyed and shaking her head in disappointment. I would have laughed at her desperate efforts if it weren’t for a weird feeling inside me. For some odd reason… I felt like I was betraying Max by being nice to Jacob. If that was even the same Jacob I knew, and not some nice twin of his that he hadn’t told me about yet.
“Well, it was considerate.” I finally said.
“Yeah, I guess it kind of was, wasn’t it?” He smiled arrogantly.
Yepp, it was the same Jacob. I thought to myself, smiling. I was smiling an awful damn lot this period.
“So. Are you…are you coming to my party tomorrow?” Jacob asked, avoiding my eyes.
“The whole school’s going.” He pointed out shyly.

I hadn’t planned on doing so…
“No. Why?” I said as nicely as I could. Weird. Huh? Me being nice to Jacob.
“No reason.” He shrugged.
“-Well, there is this whole issue that there’s dancing involved, and Bridgette always makes me dance with her.”
My heart twitched a bit with anger, and jealousy, was it? When he said her name.
“So?” I tried not to say venomously. I had no clue if I succeeded because I was partially inattentive from anger towards that girl.
Jacob laughed briefly. “Well she won’t let any other girl dance with me. Not that any try, because they’re so scared of her.”
“HA! That little plastic Barbie?” I laughed throatily.
“Surprisingly, yes.” Jacob laughed with me. Earning more mind melting glares from Max across the room.
“But, I wanted you to go, because I know you’re the only girl that will stand up to her.” He sighed.
“That sucks.” I joked.
He just frowned. It almost made me want to go. It was kind of like one of those Cinderella stories where they have this romantic dance & what not. But I said ALMOST.
“I’ll see.” Was all I said, and it’s what I meant. If I didn’t have anything better to do, then I’d go to the party.
“Alright, Thanks.” He smiled widely, and I rolled my eyes.

Fourth period was better. Adam was back, and Cody didn’t bug me as much. I told him about yesterday and he insisted I tell the teacher, but I told him it wasn’t a big deal. But he said he’d be on extra bodyguard duty today.
Evidentially, the teacher hadn’t bought my excuse as well as I had hoped, because she had Cody running errands throughout the whole period. I felt like I could breath easier that way.

After school, I met Blaire by her car. It was a pretty, a silver BMW.
“Hey, I’m going to stop at my dad’s house to gather money before we head to the mall, that ok?” She said, pulling out of the school parking lot.
“Dad’s?” I asked, noticing she hadn’t included both of her parents.
“Yeah. My mom and dad are divorcing.” She shrugged.
“Oh… I’m sorry.”
“It’s ok I guess.”
“Alright. Well. I’m- a. I’m here if you want to talk.” I managed to spit out. Knowing it would help her. A friend would have been a big help in my situation as a little girl, and even though this isn’t child abuse. It still hurt you emotionally.
“Thanks, Toby. You too. You can tell me anything.” She smiled, looking at me before keeping her eyes on the road.

*****
We pulled into a driveway of a pretty gray house. It was really modern and cool, and not old fashioned like every other house in this town.
“Whoa. I like your house.” I said reverentially.
“Thanks. This is my favorite of the two.”
“You can come in you know…” She laughed, as she got out of the car, and I stayed put. I hurriedly got out of the car as well, and walked with her to the entrance of the home.
“Dad’s. I’m home!” She screeched. The sound echoed throughout the house, before it was answered.
“Good deal!” Said a deep, older voice.
“Be right back, I’m going to go in my room to get my wallet.” She said, and disappeared behind a wall.
“How was school, Bear?” The voice from before said, rounding the hallway entrance.
I stood there awkwardly. “Oh. My. I’m sorry, you’re not Blaire are you?” The man said, turning a little pink and swinging his arm to the back of his head.
“No. Sorry.”
“It’s chill. Where’s Blaire?” He asked, looking around the room for his daughter.
“She went to get her wallet.”
“Ohhhh. Girl stuff.” He sighed, and I laughed.
He smiled and it seemed really warm, and homey.
“Yessir.” I nodded my head.
“Oh. Dad. I see you met Toby.” His eyes went wide.
“Toby…Montgomery?” He stuttered.
“Mhmm. That’s me.” I said, and gave Blaire a questioning glance. She returned it, so I assume she didn’t have a clue to why her dad was acting so weird.
“You’re- a. You’re Annette’s daughter?”
“Yeah… why?” Blaire’s eyes went wide, and she looked like she was holding in laughter.
“No reason. You girls have fun, ok. Blaire, do you need money?” He asked, grabbing in his pocket for his wallet.
“No. I’ve got it.” She said, still grinning with humor.
We waved goodbye, and headed back to the BMW.
“Dang. I wish I had a nice father that gave me money whenever I need it.” I stated.
“Actually, I wish I had a nice father, period.” I smacked myself mentally for letting something like that slip.
“Oh. Is your dad mean?”
“Yeah. Uh…my uh, mom divorced him.” I lied.
“Cool. Does he live here?” she said, pulling out of the driveway.
“Nah, he lives back in Georgia.”
“My mom and I moved down here.” I stated, looking out the window.
Blaire started to laugh. “What’s so funny?” I asked, wanting to laugh myself. Blaire had this odd laugh that sounded kind of like a piglet.
“I think… my dad has a crush on your mom.” She laughed, and I just raised an eyebrow. Well, I mean it was kind of weird for my friend’s dad to like my mom. But cute all the same. He seemed like he would treat her right, unlike her last pick.
“Yeah. But he doesn’t want to make things awkward… with him being her boss and all.” My eyes went wide. Her dad was my mom’s BOSS? That certainly made the situation uncomfortable. I laughed.
“Wow. That is awkward.” I said.
“No kidding.”
We pulled into the mall’s parking lot. It was a nice looking mall, lot of glass windows and stuff. A Two-story building, with a big neon sign above the food court.
“We’re here.” She smiled, putting the gearshift in park.
“Did you bring money?” I nodded, I had 100$ in my wallet, in my back pocket.
“Alright. Cool, if you need more I got you covered ok?”
“Ok.” I agreed, but I knew I wouldn’t allow for her to pay for my things like that. It was another thing I don’t like about rich people; they give money loans out to the ‘less-fortunate’ as they say. Not that I didn’t like Blaire, I just didn’t like that scenario in general.
We entered, and quickly the smell of fast food, and beef hit my nose. I always loved the smell of malls.