Trust Me Again

3: Jacob Meets Max

I mimicked a girlish squeal while jumping up and down, pulling my hand from his grasp to fan myself as if trying to save the makeup from running because of the invisible tears. "Oh, my God! I would love to." I turned and did a happy dance. Thank God the halls cleared seeing how the bell rang a while ago.

He laughed from behind me and jumped up with a smile."Let's go to Vegas." I know he was just playing around, but the thought of going to Vegas did sound appealing. Just not the whole eloping thing.

"What room is it?" I took a deep breath from laughing so much.

"Roooom . . . " he paused for dramatic affect and from reading the number off the paper, "forty-five A," he breathed out in a low voice, treating this thing as if it was top secret. I like this guy already.

"Forty-five A? Cool that's my class, too." I held out my hand for a high five which he slapped, then, as if we've known each other since diaper days, fist bumped. One time I was going to fist bump with some guy but ended up almost punching him because he hadn't planned on doing the same. "Follow meeee!" I said playfully.

We were walking side by side quietly when he scared me by asking loudly, "Why were you on the floor when I found you?" He looked at me with curiosity in his eyes.

My mind was flooded with thoughts of Mikayla right then. I don't know why I talked about her mother in that way. But I do know I can get mad easily now. When me and Mikayla were close and I'd go to her house all the time, it looked like she had the most perfect family ever, to me. So you can imagine it came as a shock when she told me her mom left. I had been the one who comforted her, saying it would be okay, not her dad―not that he's a bad guy, he was like a second dad to me―because he had to work two jobs that would pay just the amount he needed for everything and feed him and Mikayla both. Apparently his two jobs weren't enough because last year I heard she got a job at the diner a block away where a lot of kids go to eat after school.

"Jacob? . . . Hey Jacob!" Someone snapped their fingers in my face to get my attention.

Shaking my head, I turned to see Max looking at me. I must've been lost in thought again. "Sorry man. Whadya say?"

Max rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I said . . . why were you on the floor ?" he inquired, serious written all over his facial features.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair, ". . . Girl problems?" I settled on though it sounded like a question because it wasn't a complete lie. I just didn't want to tell him the whole story. It has to do with a girl and it's a problem, but what most guys mean by when they say 'girl problems' is when they are referring to problems they have with their girlfriend. Mikayla my girlfriend? Yeah, right.

Max laughed. "Uh oh, what did you do?" He was looking at me mischievously now, all traces of seriousness out the window.

I smiled, not really comfortable with reminding myself with what I said. "Let's just say I said something I didn't mean or was allowed to say." I scratched the back of my neck.

He shook his head slowly. "Been there, done that. That is why I don't do relationships anymore my friend, you say one wrong thing and they go all WWE on you." He chuckled.

"Nah, like, I said something really, really bad, that she might not want to ever talk to me ever again." 'Not that she does anymore' that annoying little voice in my head said. Looking for a reason to change the subject, I see our classroom not to far from here. "Hey look, do you see that room right there," Max squinted before nodding. "Race ya," I said before taking off. Max laughed from behind me before I heard rapid footsteps. I looked over my shoulder only to feel woosh of air, but no Max. I turned my head back in front of me. And that's when I saw him already stopping at the door.