My Twisted Teenage Romance

''Ewww!'' Sage yelled and Andrew quickly jumped off the girl. Once Andrew had moved, I could see her face. She was blonde with red highlights and hazel eyes. She was wearing a black halter-top and dark skinny jeans, complete with pink converse.

''Uh- hi.'' she said, turning a bright shade of pink.

''Hi.'' Jacob and I said at the same time, both trying to hold back laughter.

''Nikki you know Andrew, and this is his girlfriend Holly.'' Jacob said and she waved meekly.

Jacob walked over to the couch across from Andrew and Holly, and then sat down. I followed and Sage went to sit in front of the fireplace. We sat in an awkward silence as I tried not to look too much at Holly. I knew it was rude to stare, but it was hard not to. She had that same abnormal beauty like the boys did; everything about her was strangely perfect.

''So how's your car been running?'' Sage asked in a blatant attempt to break the silence.

''Great not even a sputter.'' I said, happy the silence had been broken. Andrew and Holly seemed to sense the tension was gone to because her posture relaxed and his arm found its way around her shoulders. Holly was making eye contact with Jacob, almost as if she was trying to tell him something without speaking.

''Don't do it.'' Jacob muttered.

''So Nikki, how long have you been Jacob's?'' she asked me and I was taken aback at the wording of her question. Did she think I was his girlfriend? Was there something I missed here?

''I- we- um.'' I stuttered.

''I mean, how long have you known him?'' she asked and I felt a giant sense of relief.

''A while, we met at Peter's birthday party.'' I told her.

''Yea, she watched these two annoying beyond belief girls try to hit on me in the kitchen and she didn't even try to help me.'' Jacob said sarcastically.

''Well it's not my fault you're gorg-'' I started and immediately wished I could learn to think before I speak. Everyone, including Jacob, was staring at me intently, waiting for the rest of my sentence.

''Gorg-gorging yourself with chips, I mean they probably just wanted to distract you long enough to take them.'' I said as casually as possible in a desperate attempt to save myself.

Everyone was looking at me like I had grown an extra head in the last twenty seconds. They all suddenly looked at Jacob and I could swear I saw him blush slightly before he burst out laughing and everyone else soon joined him.

''Gorging myself?'' Jacob asked through his laughter and I felt my face turn red. Everyone in the room knew what my next word was going to be.

''Shut up.'' I said, rolling my eyes and pushing him.

''So Andrew how did you meet Holly?'' I asked in a desperate attempt to shift the attention to him. Andrew had to take a few breaths before he could speak.

''Car accident.'' Andrew he said.

''What!'' I asked, now very interested.

''Well he was stopped for no apparent reason, and I was driving the limit and BANG! I hit him.'' Holly explained.

''I was stopped at a stop sign and she hit me doing eighty in a sixty zone.'' Andrew said and I burst out laughing.

''Then she got out and yelled at me!'' he added and Jacob started to laugh to.

''I didn't yell'' she said defensively.

''Yea ''WHY DID YOU LET ME HIT YOU!'' is definitely not yelling.'' Andrew said sarcastically.

''That sounds like something Jenny would do.'' I laughed.

''Who's Jenny?'' Sage asked, perking up a bit.

''She's my friend.'' I answered, noticing Sage's sudden interest in the conversation.

''Oh.'' Sage said, sounding like he was trying not to be too interested.

''Speaking of friends where's your girlfriend Sage?'' Andrew said in a taunting tone.

''Shut up Andrew, we can't all get in car crashes with conveniently compatible people.'' Sage snapped.

''Compatible?'' I asked and everyone looked at Sage as if he had just told me they had only brought me here to kill me.

''Personality wise.'' Holly said and I nodded.

''We should probably get going soon.'' Andrew said, glancing at the clock.

''Why how long does it take to get to Peter's?'' I asked and then realized it was already seven thirty.

''Twenty minutes.'' Jacob answered.

''We should go now then.'' Andrew said, starting to get up.

Everyone else got up and we all headed out to the driveway.

''So whose cars are we taking?'' Holly asked as we stood behind the cars.

''We are taking my car.'' Andrew said, putting one arm around Holly's waist and pulling her towards him.

''And we're taking my car.'' Jacob mocked, but completely caught me off guard when he put one arm around my waist and pulled me towards him. The butterflies in my stomach went wild, my heart fluttered, and I knew my face was red. Andrew laughed and so did Jacob.

''So then I guess I'm going alone.'' Sage said, bushing the button on his keys and making his car beep.

''See you there!'' Holly said right before she got into Andrew's car.

''Andrew has a nice car.'' I said as I got into Jacob's car and Andrew drove down the driveway.

''It's a Porsche Carrera.'' Jacob told me.

''Sounds expensive.'' I said as I put my seatbelt on.

''Yea, wait what are you trying to say? You don't like my car anymore?'' Jacob asked, pretending to be offended.

''No I'm just saying.'' I said as he started the car.

''Saying?'' he said as he started to drive.

''I'd do you in that car.'' I said as seriously as possible and Jacob slammed on the brakes and stared at me wide eyed, I looked at him and burst out laughing.

''Jacob you almost gave me whiplash.'' I laughed.

''It's your own fault!'' he said now laughing to.

''Just drive!'' I said, still laughing.

Once we both had stopped laughing it was quiet and Jacob was staring intently out the windshield, with his hands at ten and two on the steering wheel, not slouching in the slightest.

''What are you thinking?'' I asked, turning in my seat to face him and he grinned.

''About how I can get Andrew to let me borrow his car.'' he said and we both burst out laughing.

''You're such an idiot.'' I said, pushing his shoulder.

''But I'm a gorgeous idiot.'' he said and I stuck my tongue out at him.

''So what did peter ask you to get for him on such short notice?'' I asked, looking into the back seat.

''The usual, pop, chips, not you.'' he said, mumbling the last part.

''Not me?'' I asked, completely confused. Did Peter not want me there?

''Peter asked me not to ask you before tonight. He wanted a 'fighting chance' as he put it.'' Jacob said, a cocky grin spreading across his lips.

When we got to Peter's house, there was already a bunch of cars filling his driveway. The procession of three cars that was Andrew, Holly, Sage, Jacob, and I parked across the street. As we got out of the cars, loud music started to pulse from Peter's house, almost as if he had waited for us to arrive. Jacob's car was a two door, so he folded down the drivers seat and reached into the back to grab the bag full of Peter's stuff.

As we made our way up to the house, more and more people started to show up. They were all dressed in their best clothes and a lot of people had probably borrowed their parent's cars so that they could arrive in style. Peter's annual 'back to school' party was most definitely a big deal for the teenagers in this town.

''Hey Nikki!'' Peter said, his spirit clearly not that broken by the fact that I had come with Jacob.

''Hi Peter.'' I said.

''Food and drinks are in the kitchen and I'll see you around.'' he said and then disappeared to greet some of his other guests.

''What do you want to drink?'' Jacob asked, suddenly right in my ear.

''Surprise me.'' I said and he disappeared into the crowd.

Andrew and Holly had vanished the second we arrived, leaving Sage and I standing in the crowded living room. Sage put his hands in his pockets and leaned back against the wall. He flipped his hair slightly over his eyes, earning him glances from several passing girls. I copied him by leaning back against the wall and flipping my hair and he laughed.

''No no, you have to do it like this.'' Sage said, gesturing to a passing girl. At first I didn't recognize her because she was looking the other way, but when she glanced in our direction, it turned out that the passing girl, was Jenny.

Sage looked at her from under his hair, making perfect eye contact, and then flipped his hair off to the side and flashed her a smile that was as charming as Jacob's. Jenny immediately redirected herself in our direction, not even noticing that I was standing next to Sage.

''Hi.'' she said in a very seductive tone that I had only heard her use when the guy she was talking to was drop dead gorgeous.

''Hey.'' Sage said in a voice that could make girls knee's weak with just one word.

''Hello!'' I interrupted and Jenny looked ready to explode.

''What do you wa- NIKKI!'' she said, her voice loosing the venom after she realized it was me.

''Hi.'' I laughed as she gave me a quick hug.

''How long have you been here?'' she asked.

''Not long.'' I answered and she cleared her throat and nodded discreetly towards Sage, who looked like we had left him out of the loop on some big event.

''Right! Jenny this is Sage, Sage this is Jenny.'' I said and Jenny stepped slightly closer to Sage as she waved.

''Sage is one of Jacob's brothers.'' I said and Sage flashed another charming smile in Jenny's direction.

''Speak of the devil.'' Sage said as Jacob wove his way through the crowd towards us.

''Here.'' he said, handing me a red cup. I took a sip; it was Sprite, one of my favorites. I grinned at the fact that he remembered what I liked just from that one time we had gone to the movies. Jenny cleared her throat again, looking irritated that I hadn't introduced her to the guy who had just brought me a drink.

''Oh! Jenny this is Jacob, Jacob this is one of my best friends Jenny.'' I said and Jacob stuck out his hand and Jenny shook it. Sage looked right at Jacob for a second and Jacob nodded.

''Come on, let's go find Andrew and Holly.'' Jacob said, placing one hand gently on my shoulder.

''I'll see you later Jenny.'' I said as we started to walk away and she gave me a quick wave before turning back to Sage.

''They really wanted us gone.'' I laughed once we were out of earshot.

''Yea, Sage especially.'' Jacob chuckled.

''How do you know?'' I questioned and Jacob shrugged.

''It's a guy thing.'' he said and I rolled my eyes.

When we got to the kitchen, Andrew kissed Holly on the cheek and then left. Then out of nowhere, a tall, blonde guy I recognized as being the captain of our school's lacrosse team, walked over to Holly and stood way too close as he, what looked like, hit on her. We went over to her, but the guy didn't seem to notice that we were there.

''I've never seen you around, are you new here?'' he asked and she nodded, looking very uninterested.

''You know if you ever needed someone to show you around I'd be glad to help.'' he said and she rolled her eyes.

''I think I can manage myself.'' she said with an obvious 'go away' tone in her voice, but he didn't seem to get the hint.

''You know, I'm a lot more fun then that other guy.'' he said, getting even closer.

''I don’t think she's interested.'' Jacob suddenly interjected.

''Well I wasn't talking to you freak.'' he said and Jacob's look turned to one of stone.

''Jacob, Andrew forgot something in the car, go help him look for it.'' Holly said and Jacob pulled his gaze of steel from him to her.

''You sure?'' he asked.

''We'll be fine.'' she said, nodding slightly. He looked to me and I nodded as well. He shot one last look at the lacrosse guy and then left the kitchen.

''Now where were we?'' the guy asked and she rolled her eyes.

''Go away.'' she said simply and he looked shocked for a minute. I figured that he didn't get rejected that often.

''You know a feisty little thing like you would go perfectly with me.'' he said, looking her up and down.

''Perfectly, well where do I sign up?'' she said sarcastically and I laughed.

''As you might have noticed I don't take rejection very well.'' he said, putting on hand on her elbow.

Holly glared down at his hand, which was firmly on her arm, and then back up at his face.

''And I don't take being touched very well.'' she snapped and he laughed.

At first she glared daggers at him, but then she started to laugh. I stood there stunned, unable to figure out why she was laughing. Then in one swift movement, she yanked her arm from his hold and decked him right in his jaw and I thought I heard a crack. At first he started to fall backwards, but he soon doubled over, holding his face. He looked up at her, a mix of hate, surprise, and fear filled his eyes. He mumbled something under his breath before standing straight up and turning to leave.

''Call me.'' she said happily as he walked away. She folded her arms and looked at me with a proud look on her face.

''You just punched the captain of the lacrosse team!'' I said, completely astonished at the fact that he had doubled over like that.

''Oh.'' was all she said, but a proud smirk crept across her lips.

''What's going on?'' Andrew asked as he and Jacob came back into the kitchen.

''Nothing.'' Holly said, putting one arm around Andrew's middle.

''Holly just punched the captain of the lacrosse team!'' I said, still feeling the rush.

''Damn, and I was hoping to make the team.'' Andrew said and the four of us started to laugh.

Later on in the night, after everyone had been introduced to Jenny and Jason, we had found a couch in the living room where everyone could sit comfortably, although Holly sat on Andrew's lap. The living room was big enough that even though it had been deemed the unofficial dance floor, we were far enough away that we weren't being tripped over or having drinks spilled on us by the many people dancing.

''Totally random, but how come we've never seen any of you around school before?'' Jenny asked. She was sitting next to Sage, who looked happy as a puppy with a bone.

''Home school.'' the three boys answered.

''And I'm new.'' Holly added.

All of a sudden, the music stopped and Peter's voice replaced it.

''I think it's time for a change of pace.'' was all he said and before the upbeat music that was playing before was replaced with a slow song.

Everyone that was on the 'dance floor' either grabbed someone else that was up there, went to another room and found someone, or just plain sat down. Holly looked and Andrew and then grabbed his hand and dragged him to the dance floor, no questions asked. Sage glanced nervously at Jenny, who was obliviously watching everyone else dance. He sighed and looked away just as she turned and looked hopefully at him. When she saw that she wasn't looking, she sighed and rolled her eyes.

Jason was still sitting at the end of the couch, looking like he was trying to ask a guy across the room to dance, but his attempt was ruined when one of the blondes from Peter's last party came up and asked him to dance. I can only imagine how torn he was with a cute guy across the room, looking ready to say yes, and a pretty girl standing in front of him asking him to dance. After a minute of indecision, he said no to the girl and crossed the room to ask the guy to dance. He said yes and him and Jason got up and danced.

I was left sitting on the couch with Jenny, Sage, and Jacob. I looked to Jacob who was looking at me with a completely indecipherable look on his face. I couldn't tell if he wanted to dance, was trying to ask me to dance, or wanted to avoid it all together. I looked away from him for a minute, hoping the decision would come to me…or him. I was staring into space, trying to make a decision, when I felt my phone buzz in my pocket.

''Do you want to dance?'' the text read. It had come from Jacob. At once my heart started to race and my stomach knotted.

''And you couldn't ask me out loud why?'' I answered.

''And risk being rejected out loud? How much pride do you think I have?''

''Well if it’s a matter of your pride then I guess…you'll just have to ask me out loud, I am sitting right next to you.''

I put my phone back in my pocket and I heard Jacob sigh in frustration.

''Nikki?'' he said and I grinned.

''Why yes Jacob?'' I said and he rolled his eyes.

''Do you want to dance with me?'' he asked and my heart fluttered. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jenny's head snap around to look at us.

''I guess I could.'' I said and he rolled his eyes.

''I mean, I'd love to.'' I said and he smiled.

He grabbed my hand and led me out onto the dance floor. Once we had found a less crowded spot, he turned to look at me and smiled. He put his arms around my waist and I felt my face turn red as I put my arms around his neck and I was suddenly glad that the lights were dimmed. We stated to sway to the music and he stepped a little closer, so that we were standing right against each other and my heart fluttered, it seemed to do that a lot around him.

I looked up at him and he was grinning slightly. When I furrowed my eyebrows, he nodded towards a couch where Ashley, one of the girls who had made desperate attempts at the movies to get close to Jacob, was sitting with her arms folded and a spiteful look on her face. I couldn't help but laugh under my breath as she shot a quick glare my way.

It was more than obvious that Jacob and his brothers were the best looking guys in our town. They could have been nerds with pocket protectors and tape on their glasses, and they still would have been the most sought after guys in our school.

I felt Jacob sigh and I looked up at him.

''What do you not want to dance with me anymore?'' I asked and he smiled.

''Yes that's exactly it.'' he said and I chuckled.

Now that I wasn't so nervous, I rested my head against Jacob's chest and I never wanted to move. But that hope was destroyed when the song ended.

''Damn.'' I muttered under my breath. Jacob must have heard because he laughed a little.
We walked back to the couch where Jenny and Sage were still sitting and sat down just before Andrew and Holly. I saw Jason on the other side of the room, sitting with the guy who he had just danced with, and apparently Jenny did to.

''Damn, that was my ride.'' she said as Jason got closer to the guy he was sitting with and the two joined hands.

''I could take you home, I mean if you don't have a ride.'' Sage said, trying not to sound too eager. Jenny glanced at me as if to ask if I was about to volunteer to take her home.

''Don't look at me I came with him.'' I said gesturing to Jacob.

''Sounds like a plan then.'' she said with an obvious smile and Sage grinned.

''Shit.'' Andrew said, looking out the front window.

''What?'' I asked.

''The cops are here, the neighbors must have called about the noise.'' he said.

''Yea it happens almost every year.'' I said.

''The cops show up and tell everyone to go home.'' Jenny said like it was nothing.

''We'd better go then.'' Sage said, starting to get up, as did Andrew, Holly, and Jacob.

''Why? It's going to be packed.'' Jenny said, reluctant to get up.

''After they tell everyone to go, but if we go now we'll beat it.'' Andrew told her.

''Fine.'' Jenny and I sighed as we got up.

Jacob took my hand and the six of us wove our way through the crowd to the front door. When we got outside, the cop cars were right in front of the house and I was surprised no one had noticed yet.

''I'll see you guys back at the house.'' Andrew said as he got into the car. Holly waved briefly before getting into Andrew's car.

''Call me tomorrow.'' Jenny said as she gave me a quick hug.

''Bye!'' I called as I got into Jacob's car.

Ahead of us, Andrew and Sage both whipped out of their spots and onto the road and then so did Jacob. It was clear that he wasn't the only speed freak in their family.

As we drove back to my house, we sat in a comfortable silence until it was broken by a loud farting noise. I looked at Jacob who was sitting abnormally stiff in his seat, his eyes wide, and I burst out laughing.

''It was the seat I swear!'' he said, only making my laugh harder.

''Sure it was.'' I laughed.

''I swear!'' he said, starting to laugh.

''You can't lie to me Jacob.'' I said as I opened my window. I knew it had been the seat, but watching Jacob get so embarrassed made me laugh. He just shook his head and rolled his eyes as I did up my window.

I suddenly felt a giant yawn escape my mouth and I saw Jacob smirk out of the corner of my eye. I looked at the clock on the dashboard and realized how late it was. The clock read two a.m. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket and I wondered who it could be at this time of night.

'We stopped at Wendy's so I'll probably be late, don't wait up.' It was from Jenny and I grinned as I read the end.

We pulled into my driveway and sure enough, the lights were off in Jenny's house and I assumed Michael had already gone to bed. Jacob put the car into park and turned to look at me. My heart had already started to race with the memories of what had happened last time we had stopped like this.

''Are your parents home?'' he asked suddenly, almost completely killing the moment.

''No they've gone to my aunt's for the weekend.'' I said, starting to undo my seatbelt and thinking that the moment was lost.

''Can I walk you to your door?'' he asked, catching me completely off guard.

''I-if you want.'' I stammered, completely at a loss for words.

We both got out of the car and started to walk up to my front door. I wasn't exactly sure why he had asked to walk me to my door this particular night, when he had dropped me off here several times before, but I was definitely not going to object. My heart started to race as my mind came up with an endless amount of reasons as to why Jacob had asked to walk me to my door, some of which ending in him leaving me standing on my porch like an idiot, but I was quick to get rid of those.

As we got closer and closer to the front step, a lump found it's way into my throat and a knot tied itself in my stomach. We were half way up the walk when I found myself walking close enough to Jacob that our hands brushed as we walked. My face, at this point, was in a constant state of blush and I was about to take a step slightly to the right so that our hands wouldn't brush and I could think a little straighter, when Jacob completely blindsided me by taking my hand in his. My heart started racing faster. Sure he had held my hand before, but this was different, this time he wasn't leading me across a crowded room or a packed movie theatre, this time, we were walking completely alone, on an empty walkway up to my door.

I counted the steps to my porch as we walked, and was tempted to pinch myself, just in case. I quickly glanced at Jacob out of the corner of my eye and saw that same abnormally confident look on his face and it almost drove me out of my mind not knowing what he was thinking.

We were only a few steps from my porch and I was certain that my hand in Jacob's was the only thing keeping my walking in a straight line.

''Here we are.'' Jacob said as we stepped onto my porch. Even though it had been a thirty-second walk, it felt more like an hour-long journey.

''I had fun, even if we didn't get run out by the cops.'' I said playfully and he chuckled. We were standing face to face now, my hand still tightly in his.

''I like being with you Nikki.'' he said after a moment of silence, stepping closer to me. He was so close I could hear him breath.

''Me too.'' was all I could manage. I had to concentrate on more important things, like breathing.

''I really like you Nikki.'' he said softly. His face was inches from mine now and I was certain that even the neighbors could hear my heart pounding in my chest, as if it were trying to escape.

''I really like you to Jacob.'' I said and surprised myself that I had actually managed to form a whole sentence.

''Really.'' he whispered, his lips only millimeters away from mine.

This time I didn't try to come up with a response, and I didn't need to. His lips pressed gently against mine and I was surprised I didn't faint. My lips seemed to have a mind of their own as they pushed back against his with awant need I had been suppressing for a long time. His hand tightened around mine as we remained connected at the lips.

Everything seemed almost as if it was in slow motion and I had found the one place I never wanted to leave. But unfortunately, everything amazing has to end at some point. Jacob started to pull away from my lips and I followed suit.

I stepped back and stumbled slightly, feeling a little weak in the knees, and Jacob smiled the enchanting smile I had fallen for that fateful night at Peter's.

''I've waited way too long to do that.'' he said and I smiled.

''You have no idea.'' I told him.

''I should go.'' he said and I suddenly felt as though I was in a fairytale where all the magic ended at midnight or, in my case, two a.m.

''Why?'' was all I could think of as a descent response.

''Because if I stay, then it won't leave you wanting more.'' he said with a devilish grin and I rolled my eyes.

''So that's it? You just kiss me and vanish into the night?'' I said as he started to walk away.

''If I kissed you again would you feel better about me leaving?'' he asked.

''No.'' I answered in complete truthfulness. No matter what he did, I never wanted to be away from him again.

He stepped back towards me.

''Then it seems that we are at an impasse.'' he said with a smile and I nodded. He cupped my face with his hands and stared into my eyes for a second before again pushing his lips softly against mine.

''Good night Nikki.'' he said once he pulled away.

''Good night.'' I said and watched him walk back down my driveway to his car. He got in, reversed down my driveway, and disappeared down the street.

I went into my house, closed the door and then raced up the stairs to my room. I ran in and jumped on my bed, smiling uncontrollably, and just closed my eyes, wanting to make sure that I remembered every moment from the point I got out of Jacob's car to right now. Then, out of pure paranoia, I reached over and pinched my arm, and then waited to wake up. But it never happened.

The other night I had lied, it had been the second best night of my life because tonight Jacob had kissed me twice, and tonight had been the best night of my life.