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

“Well, your dad looks the same as he always did. If that paints a horrid picture for you.” My mom began.

“My lawyer and I were the first ones there, and the suspense of it all was killing me, you know? I just wanted to get it over with.”

“Then they walked in.” My mom closed her eyes for a second, as if re-living the memory.

“He looked as mad as the first day we packed up and left. But something was different… he had something hidden behind those dark eyes. Something so dark it was clouding his pupils. It made me scared Toby.”

“Then throughout the whole meeting, he never spoke directly to me. It was just so… odd.” She blinked through her thoughts. Furrowing her brow every once and a while.

“My lawyer and I spoke out, so I knew that you were allowed to speak… but he would just whisper in that damn lawyer’s ear. Then the darkness behind his eyes would flitter, and then he’d smile this… just plain creepy smile.”

My mom shook her head as if to rid off the scenes playing in her head.

“I don’t like that look Toby, I didn’t know what it meant. I think that we should move again. Just to be safe.” My mom’s words were shaking to a point I’ve never seen.

She got up from the bed and headed towards her closet. She started plucking clothing from the hangers and throwing them on the bed, a foot or two away from where I was sitting.

“Just leave. I’m not going to let him hurt you again, I promised myself that. We can just runaway…” At that point I’m not sure what came over me. You think I’d throw a little party, and run up to my room and move out of this awful rich people-infested town. But I didn’t. I shot up from my position, and approached my desperate mother. I grabbed the clothes out of her hands, and dropped them to the floor. Then I grabbed her wrists, and looked her straight in the eyes. Something so bold of me to do, for a town I didn’t really like. But for some strange reason… when she mentioned leaving this place. The image of Jacob flashed through my head. Everything in this image was so clear and an emotion rose inside of me. Then the images of Blaire and Max swept through my mind. Instantly, I knew I wasn’t ready to leave them all behind.

“Mom. Your safe here, remember? Besides, you know we cannot afford another house. Don’t let him take over your life. We ran away from his control over us. We’re going to live our lives freely, and he can’t interfere with that anymore.” I was amazed at myself for being able to say all of that. Usually I kept quiet when my mom went into hysteria’s. Or I would just say soothing things to her, to try and calm her down. But with the image of Jacob and my friends still fresh in my mind. It made me feel more courageous.

My mom’s eyes were now water, and she leaped out and hugged me.

“You’re right sweetie pie. We’re not going anywhere.” I smiled at myself, repeating the words my mom had said a little differently in my head.

I’m not going anywhere… away from Jacob.

UNKNOWN POINT OF VIEW.

Fury had a whole new meaning as to how I felt. He was winning her over. That was almost certain. Despite all my efforts, Toby was blinded to who he really was. I needed her to see the man I knew. The guy who would drop here instantly and move on to another girl… because that whole ‘she’s changing me’ bull crap he pulled was just that, bull crap.

As I got home… I should probably hate myself for doing this. But desperate times call for desperate measures.

I picked up the wireless phone from my bedside table. I then picked up the school directory.

I dialed the unfamiliar number, with a certain determination driving inside me. Toby was going to see the truth. Then I’d be there to pick up her sad pieces. She’d be with me, like she’s supposed to be.

The line clicked and a female voice answered.

“Hello, Maim. Is Cody there?” My voice asked without any sign of wavering.

TOBY’S POV.

After my mom and I decided to stay, and she calmed down, and we actually began talking and laughing. I decided it was time to face the facts.

I climbed each stair to my room, and laid down on my bed towards the ceiling.

I couldn’t deny my feelings any longer. Actually, I didn’t want t deny them any longer. My heart wouldn’t let me. The truth was… that I liked Jacob. Not ‘like’ like I did Max or Adam. I ‘like’-liked him. Actually I don’t really know what you would call the indestructible feeling in my chest for him. But nevertheless, it was there; and it wasn’t leaving. At least not anytime soon… I sighed. The only thing I needed to know now, was if he felt the same way?

Something told me he pretty much did. He slept outside my door… on the FLOOR for crying out loud. Something my father would have never have done for my mother in my whole life. Not even if she was on her deathbed. He had to care.

I could hear rain drops collect on the roof and dripped down onto the gutter. They hit steadily on the window. As if saying
‘go to him’ ‘go to him’ ‘go to him’. I closed my eyes. They were right. If I was truly going to turn my life around, and forget my father, I would have to take action.

I grabbed my hoodie and my closest sneakers. I ran down the stairs as my mom yelled after me.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m being happy mom!” I yelled back to her.

It was true. I was taking action to make myself happy. It was a risk, but that indestructible feeling told me that it would be worth it.

The rain pitter-pattered on my head at the same steady beat it had done on my window.

‘go to him’ ‘go to him’. It repeated. It was probably soaking every limb on my body right now. But I didn’t care. I ran down the streets as puddles began forming on the sidewalk.

As I rounded the corner, and the huge mansion came into view, all big and white and intimidating. I entered the slightly opened gate, and began up the driveway. A lump formed in my throat as something I hadn’t considered came into play.

Rejection.

What if he rejected me? What if my petty un-pampered ways were unattractive to him? What if he just felt sorry for me?

I hadn’t thought of that. I froze near his door. At those steps that lye right before it. My eyes watered. I never thought of myself as ‘not good enough’ for someone other than my dad… because family is always what mattered the most to me.

I glanced into the window at a woman talking to Jacob. She had the same blue eyes as him, but her dark hair was striking. Very vibrant, but she was scolding him. He had his head down. His form was as beautiful as always. His blonde hair was neatly combed, and he had changed out of his pj’s. He had a button-up shirt on, and light jeans on. He looked at his mother, and with a plain expression, nodded at her. I looked at the woman again. She had on a expensive looking diamond necklace. Her clothes were unwrinkled. She had on a dark blue skirt, a white blouse, and a matching dark blue coat on. Each embroidered with unique designs. Something I wouldn’t be able to afford if I worked for half a year.

I felt my breathing catch. I wasn’t like him, not at all. I wouldn’t be able to catch up to him. To please his spoiled rich friends. I never realized why Jacob put up with Bridgette and her expensive clothing and designer purses. But now I realized. It was just because of those stupid designer whatevers, that he did. For the image. An image I obviously wasn’t meant to be in.

The rain splattered on me as if to say. ‘go home’ ‘go home’ ‘go home’. My bottom lip trembled, as I wanted to cry. I felt a few tears leak out.

I turned down the driveway, my feet now aching. Actually everything was aching, aching with rejection. I faintly heard a door click though.

I ran, and ran to a place I felt was comforting at the moment. The park.

“TOBY!?” The voice was familiar, and it sounded surprised and happy at the same time. I stopped in my tracks, not knowing if I was brave enough to turn around.

But reluctantly, I turned around. The voice, like I had known it to be, belonged to Jacob. Jacob Naughtingham. His eyes fluttered brilliantly at the sight of me. His smile reached all the way across his face. He looked like a boy at Christmas. But the strange thing was, I don’t think he knew how his face was giving him away.

“J-Jacob.” I said, surprised. Had he followed me here?

“Wh-what are you doing here?” I asked, as my lip was still trembling.

“I saw you outside of my house. I just thought. I mean… did you want something?” He asked breathlessly. Still looking at me with his sincere expression. As if he didn’t care what the hell his eyes gave away.

Without thinking I took a hesitant step toward him. My brain was screaming how I’d be rejected and embarrassed and I’d hate myself later for this. But my heart was throbbing in my head, blocking out the scolding. My feet became faster and faster as I was running to him. I wanted to devour him. To never leave his side. The sight of him made me weak with that indestructible emotion. I didn’t even realize it when his own feet were moving too.

When we were inches apart, I stopped. Waiting for his words to break me down. Waiting for that rejection.

His eyes held nothing but that emotion. That same indestructible emotion that I saw myself portray in the mirror each and every time I thought about him. But what emotion was that?

In a blinking moment, his hands cupped around my waist, and he pulled me in. Was this the moment? The moment I had continuously dreamt about. Wanting it more than anything ever before. That certain craving that just might possibly drive me crazy?

But. I didn’t need to answer myself. He did that in one swift movement.

His lips connected and crashed into mine. Possessively and tainted with lust, they moved against mine. They were softer and fit more perfectly that I could have ever imagined. I never knew a pair of lips could feel so completely fulfilling. We moved against one another. Neither of us taking a break not even to breath, because oxygen wasn’t as important to me as remembering this moment, and not even time or space could interfere.

Once in a blue moon that we broke away, Jacob’s eyes now flooded with that emotion. Not one corner of his massively blue eyes was free of that emotion. He looked at me and breathed.

“Toby?”

“Yes?” I asked, his foreshadowed rejection slowly leaving my mind.

“Will you be my girlfriend?” He asked. Those words should have scared me, and they would have if they had come out of any other boy’s mouth. But I knew my answer to this specific boy.

“Yes.” Was all I said before our inter-locking lips found themselves again, and oxygen was once more forgotten.