We Can Only Pretend for So Long

School on Monday, wasn’t any better. I was back to being the fake girlfriend, and Nick, well let’s just say Nick was still flirting.
Hardcore.
Every two seconds he was trying to flatter me, but, it was just down right annoying.
Especially when he did it in front of Jacob.
By after school Wednesday, I couldn’t take it anymore, the flirting, Monny trying to ruin everything, but mostly, this fake ass relationship.
“Jacob.” I stopped him in the parking lot before he could leave.
No one was around, besides Ryan, but he was waiting patiently in the car, not able to hear us.
Partly because he was so far away, but also because he was talking on the phone to his girlfriend.
That’s right, I said girlfriend.
Sorry ladies, my brother is taken.
“Hey Kylie, what’s up?” His key was just placed in the door ready to unlock it.
“I think, I think we should tell them soon.”
“Tell who what?”
Really Jacob? “Our friends, about this fake relationship.”
“Why should we?”
“Because Jacob, it’s been long enough, they all fell for it, whatever.”
“I don’t think so, not yet.” He opened his door but stood there, staring.
I let out an exasperated sigh.
“Jacob, we can only pretend for so long.”
“That’s just the thing Kyle, I’m not pretending, never was.”
I watched in shock, mouth agape as he drove away.
Did he really just say that?
“Kyle, you ready?”
“Uh, yeah.”
And just like that, I pushed the thought aside, concluding it was just some sick daydream.
__________
“I’m staying home today.”
“What? Why?”
Quickly I threw the covers over my head, hoping he didn’t see my blush. “Tell your girlfriend, Bri, I said hi.”
“Okay, whatever, fine, bye.”
With that, he left me alone, for a very long, eventful day of reading.
By lunchtime I was already half way through my book.
A light knock brought me from my pages.
“What Ry? Come back to drag me to school?”
“You know,” That’s not Ryan. “You don’t have to skip school in order to avoid me.”
Shit, I’ve been found out.
“I’m not trying to avoid you, I wasn’t feeling the greatest.”
He gave me that look, I-know-you’re-lying, before pointing to his lip, referencing to my own. “So does that mean you’re feeling fine now?”
“Nope, still a little sick to my stomach.”
“Oh well, then I’ll have to stay to take care of you.”
“What!? No! I’m fine. Really, you need to go back to school.”
“On one condition.”
Shoot. “And that would be what?”
“Come to school tomorrow.”
That’s actually, a good condition.
“Fine, deal, now leave.”
Instantly my thoughts began to wander as I heard his car pull away.
Yesterday, in the parking lot, wasn’t just a daydream, it was real. No matter how much I don’t want to believe it.
And he was serious. How do I know this? He used my real name, he called me Kyle.
God I hated it when he called me Kyle.
Jacob.
So…does that mean, what he said at Thanksgiving was true as well, excluding the kissing part of course.
Jacob likes me? He’s liked me for a long time.
But, do I truly feel the same way? Or is this just some stupid crush formed from his fakeness?
__________________________
“Kyle?”
“What Ryan? I’m up, I’m ready for school, what more do you want?”
“I want you to tell me,” he hesitated for a moment. “I want you to tell me why you’re so depressed.”
Whoa, I was not expecting that one. “I’m not depressed Ryan.”
“You’re lying Ky, just please, tell me.”
Don’t plead! That doesn’t help me at all.
I’m sure the aching that I was feeling inside showed in my eyes. “Please.”
“I’m fine Ryan, really. I’m just, thinking about crap right now, nothing that I need to burden you with. Besides, you have enough of your own problems already, like how you’re going to keep Bri entertained all the time.”
Finally smiling, I looked at my brother. “All I’ll have to do is roll up my shirt sleeves and she’ll be entertained.”
“Hey, don’t make assumptions like that, no matter how true they are.”
I know I’m slamming on my best friend right now, but it’s true, and we all know it.
“Okay, let’s get to school, I’m sure your boyfriend is waiting for you.”
My mood instantly darkened at the mention of my ‘boyfriend’. “Yeah, you’re right. Wouldn’t want to keep him waiting in the cold for too long. He might get sick.”
“No Kyle, that’s only you.” Ryan chuckled, obviously missing the mood change.
The ride to school was short, much to my dismay, and much to my surprise, when we got there, Jacob wasn’t waiting. Hell, his car wasn’t even there.
Looks like someone’s pulling a Kyle and skipping school.
Maybe I shouldn’t use myself as a reference for skipping school….
“Hey Kyle! You feeling better? Sure missed you at school yesterday, I had nothing to look at.”
“God Nick, go away.”
Yeah, that didn’t work. “But it’s true, no girl at this school is as pretty as you.”
Any other time, I would have swooned, I would have blushed like mad, I would have completely crumpled into his arms, but not now, not ever.
“Nick, I swear to Pete, if you don’t shut up and leave me alone, I will send Jacob to kick your ass. And afterwards, while you’re lying on the ground writhing in pain, I’ll come over and personally make sure that you can never reproduce. The last thing we need in this world, is more idiotic, immature, egotistical pricks like you running around.”
Holy shit, I can’t believe I just said that to him. To NICK.
I used to adore this guy, hell, I used to love him, not literally, but still. And now, here I am, telling him off, and I’m not even sure he deserves it.
Sure, he’s been completely mental by trying to flirt with me while I have a boyfriend, but was that a reason to blow up on him?
And it wasn’t even a good jab, to top it all off.
“Kyle, let’s go before you burst a blood vessel.”
A warm arm wrapped around my shoulders and dragged me down the hallway, towards my locker.
“Fuck, I’m gonna have to apologize later. I was way too harsh on him.”
“No, I think you did just fine.” I could hear the smirk in his voice as he opened my locker. “Hey, what’s this?”
My gaze finally lifted from my shoes and I saw what he held in his hands.
A picture.
Of us.
Together.
On our first ‘date’.
The one that was just moments before, hanging on my locker door.
“It’s a picture.”
He scowled down at me for a moment. “Don’t talk to me like I’m stupid Kyle, you know what I meant.”
“Doesn’t feel good to be talked to like that does it Pelter?”
Ha! I finally got him back!
“This is a really good picture.”
“If you say so.”
Again his eyes flicked to me, trying to catch my true emotion, which I think I was doing a pretty damn good job of hiding.
See, I don’t think that’s a really good picture, I think it’s an amazing picture.
“Look at it Kylie, you can’t tell me that it’s not an amazing picture.”
Can you read minds now Jacob?
With a snort ever so lady like, I snatched the photo from his hand, glancing down at it.
My heart stuttered for a moment.
We looked so happy together. Like this whole thing was real, like there was never any hatred between the two of us.
God I wish that were true.
“I uh-I gotta go class, I’ll see you later.”
Slamming my locker shut, I made it to first period, ten minutes early.
The rest of the day, I tried extremely hard to avoid Jacob.
I was still trying to figure out my true feelings for him.
Sure, I might have said some things in the past that might have given some people the wrong idea, but, I don’t know what I said that was true, and what was fake.
Yes, he is gorgeous beyond all belief, and athletic, and smart, and funny, and he has a great personality, but, deep down I think I still find him to be my enemy.
A childish label that won’t seem to go away.
Of course, the feelings he gives me, the blushing, the massive thinking, the heart stutters, the tingles, the butterflies, all lead to the same conclusion.
I’m not so sure I can really admit this, but I’m going to try.
Don’t be surprised if the world explodes into a million tiny pieces after I say this next sentence…..
I, Kyle Wilson, like, as more than a friend, Jacob Pelter.
“Hi Kyle.” Nick greeted sheepishly after school.
The hallways were nearly cleared out, besides a select few heading for the door.
“Oh, hey Nick. Sorry for what I said earlier, I didn’t mean it. I just have a lot on my mind right now, and I just kind of snapped.”
“It’s cool.”
“No, it’s not. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to apologize enough for what I said.” I turned towards him after closing my locker, surprised at the close proximity.
“Well,” A smirk spread across his face and he placed his right hand next to my head on the locker. “I think I know one way that you can apologize.”
You’ve got to be kidding me! “Get the fuck back Nick.”
“But you wanted to apologize right? I found the perfect way.”
“Nick, if you don’t step away from my girlfriend in the next two seconds, I’m going to pound your face in.”
Reluctantly, Nick pushed himself off of the lockers, turning to face a fuming Jacob.
Good god is he angry, it’s kinda, I can’t believe I’m about to say this, hot.
“What do you want Pelter, I’m just talking to her.”
“Yeah, really looked like it Red.” Nick scowled deeply at Jacob’s nickname for him. “Never touch what’s mine, ever again.”
I watched with a glazed look as Nick stormed off, not looking back.
“When,” My glazed look became slightly heated as I turned back to Jacob. “in the holy hell did I become yours?”
A small smirk graced his lips. He put his finger under my chin lightly lifting my face. “When I first set my eyes on you.”
Almost like a dream, Jacob gently pressed his lips to mine, so gently, I’m not even sure they actually touched.
My eyes stayed closed, even after he pulled away.
So many emotions flooded through me at that moment.
If I didn’t know before that I liked Jacob, I’d definitely know now.
I’m sure my eyes were glazed over once I finally opened them, and I opened them just in time to watch Jacob walk away.
Holy fuck.
Jacob Pelter-Jacob frickin Pelter just kissed me…..and I liked it, a lot.
A dreamy smile spread across my face.
Looks like Gramma Pelter was right.
“Hey Kyle, you ready to go home?”
“Huh? Oh yeah, let’s go.”
“Where’s Jacob?” My best friend raised her eyebrow questioningly.
“He left a long time ago, didn’t even show to last period.”
What? He wasn’t in last period?
Does that mean? No, it can’t be. Did I just have another little daydream?
No, that was no daydream, that was real.
And I’ll prove it, I’ll go over to Jacob’s house, and ask him myself.
“I just saw Jacob.”
“No, you didn’t Kyle.” Ryan stared at me, right eyebrow hitched. “He left, he’s not even in town anymore.”
“What do you mean he’s not in town anymore? Where’d he go?”
“He didn’t tell you?”
Bri looked absolutely shocked as she turned in her seat to look back at me.
“No, he didn’t tell me. What’s going on guys?”
“He went out of town for some family thing, he won’t be back until Monday.”
Oh my god, that kiss with Jacob, was fake?
I was home for maybe ten minutes before I couldn’t take it anymore.
“I’m going for a walk!”
“Take a jacket!”
“Yeah, bye.”
Slipping on a thick jacket, I made my way outside, my destination not far away.
Even though his car wasn’t in the drive, I still went to the front door none the less.
Knocking my knuckles on the red wood, I waited, and waited, and waited.
Shit, he’s not here, that kiss wasn’t real, I just walked all the way over here for no reason.
My converse scuffed the ground lightly as I made my way down the few steps.
“Kyle?” My heart sped up at the sound of the voice behind me. “What are you doing here?”
“Um, I uh, I need to talk to you.”
Turning back around I pushed my way inside, vaguely noting the goosebumps that ran across my skin at the slight contact.
“What?”
“I thought-Ryan told me that you went out of town.”
“Well, Jay went for me, nothing important.” I kept my eyes on the floor as he stepped closer. “Why’d you come over if you thought I was out of town?”
“I uh, I wanted to talk to you, about earlier.”
“What about it?”
“Well, when Ryan said that you had left, I wasn’t so sure that it really happened, I’m still not, actually.” I can’t believe I’m telling him this. This is embarrassing.
“So you wanted me to assure you that it really happened?” I nodded slightly. “I think I have a way of confirming your thoughts.”
His forefinger and thumb gently grabbed my chin, lifting my face to meet his before he pressed his lips to mine.
Soft, gentle, warm. The caress of his lips against my own sent butterflies to thrash so wildly through my stomach, I was afraid they were going to burst through my skin.
Just like before, his lips barely touched my own, but this time, there was a little more pressure.
This, right here, is why I’ve been waiting so long to have my first kiss.
“Does that confirm your thoughts?” He said the words against my lips, pulling away slightly so he could look into my eyes.
The only thing I could do was nod my head, I knew that my vocal chords wouldn’t work, no matter how hard I tried.
Finding some insane strength inside of me, I leaned forward, pushing my lips against Jacob’s.
Shocked, he stood there for a moment, no reaction at all on his end.
I was about to pull away, but couldn’t continue moving as Jacob brought his hands to my waist, pulling me closer and pressing his lips harder against mine.
My arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him down further.
A throat cleared behind us and we jumped apart, staring wide eyed at his father.
My breathing hitched even more as I realized that what Jacob had said before was true, his dad was checking me out.
“I gotta go, bye Jacob, Mr. Pelter.”
Quickly I ran from the house, my cheeks making the sun jealous with the heat they were giving off.
I was just kissing Jacob Pelter, and his father walked in on us.
Why had I never thought that that would happen?