Always Been You | Jake Baker [2]

Chapter 9

"Hey Maddie, me and Tom are going to the tennis court with Jimmy and Sarina in ten, Mark and Sarah are coming with us, do you wanna join?" Kate offers.

I look back at the lake and sigh, "Sure."

"Great." She smiles. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Yeah, see ya." I wave over my shoulder.

A few minutes pass and someone else runs down the dock and sits with me. "Hey Pretty Girl."

"Hey Jake." I reply.

"Do you wanna go swimming with me?" He asks.

"I can't. I'm going to the tennis court with your parents in a few minutes." I tell him and notice the light dim in his eyes and his shoulders slouch. "I'm sorry."

"Its fine, do you want me to come with you?" He asks hopefully. 

 "Sure I want you to come, but I don't own you. Do what you want." I shrug.

"Well I want to spend time with you. I love spending time with you." He admits quietly.

"Okay." I nod. "I've gotta go get my shoes, I'll see you at the car."

"I'll walk with you." We both stand up and head back to the house.

______________

"Hey Maddie, I need your help." Sarah states coming over to where me and Jake are sitting in the gift shop reading magazines. 

"Yeah? What about?" I ask and flip the page.

"Um, can I just show you?" She asks, shifting awkwardly.

"Yeah okay." I nod sceptically. "Can Jake come?"

"Fine." She rolls her eyes. "But only, ONLY, if he promises not to make fun of me or tell ANYONE about this!"

"Cross my heart." He holds his hand up in defence.

"Fine, come on." Me and Jake smile triumphantly and start to follow her. 

"What's this about?" Jake whispers in my ear, wrapping an arm around my waist.

"How would I know?" I retort and we follow Sarah all the way to the makeup section. "Woah! Woah, what are we doing?"

"I told you, I need help." She repeats.

"Mental help?" I question her.

"Stop!" She groans. "Can you help or not?"

"I can try." I say unsurely. "Bare in mind that the most amount of makeup I've ever own is a clear lip gloss."

"Okay." She nods.

I look at all the makeup on the stands and my eyes bulge and so do Jake's. This is not gonna be good.

______________

Me and Jake are looking at the lip gloss and Sarah is at the powdered blush stuff. I don't know what's going on anymore. 

"Hey Sarah, what about this one?" Jake asks holding up a pink lip gloss, but his face drops at the sight of his sister with security.

I hurriedly walk over to them, "Um, is there a problem here, sir?"

"Do you know this girl?" The security guard asks.

"Yeah, she's my... my sister. Yep, she's my sister." I lie.

"Well, did you know that your sister is stealing?" He asks me.

"Yes I did." I nod and pinch Sarah. "Did you know I have an addiction to shop lifting? And my sister, who actually has special needs, is very easily influenced and she has caught me on many occasions when I fall prisoner to my- my addiction... Sorry." I start fake crying, "I'm sorry I'm okay don't worry. Sadly she must've picked up a few things from watching and admiring me all these years. And the truth is, before we came here I told her to steal for me so our parents wouldn't find out. I'm so sorry for this inconvenience."