Unusual

Chapter 7: A Small Meeting

  Ryan spent his whole hour of free period printing and handing out invitations to people who he'd call friends in school.
Jacob on the other hand was expected to do the same, handing out invitations to his party. It was going to be a Barbecue party and Emma's brother will be the one at the grill, he does make a good barbecue feast. But having one in mid September? It's pretty much almost Autumn. Who actually has a Barbecue in Autumn? 

The fact of the current season wasn't the reason why Jacob was hiding in a room by himself with a bunch of invitations he's been asked to hand out, shredding them into a shredder, one by one. He was mixed with guilt and pleasure as he watched the helpless pieces of paper get sliced into multiple strips.

The door to the room opened all of a sudden and a familiar blonde haired boy walked in. Jacob looked up with surprise in hope it wasn't Ryan, clutching onto the invitations that yet needed to be shredded. Luckily, it was Jordan from the Spud Gang. He smiled as he silently closed the door behind him and sat on the floor opposite Jacob.

"Need any help?" Jordan asked, picking up an invitation.
Jacob took a breath of relief.
"Sure. I'll need it. Thanks Jordan."
Jordan smiled and began shredding the invitations.
"Max is going around taking away the invitations from some people," he said with a slight chuckle.
"Don't you get annoyed when Max starts acting like that to other students?" Jacob asked.
"Depends. He has a strong hatred for humanity and trusts hardly anyone besides me, Hayden, Gabrielle and now you. Sometimes we tell him he needs to lay low and chillax since he can go too far."
"I take it he believes everyone sees the UMF as heroes and believe what they say?"
"Unless they prove otherwise like you did. Have you thought more about helping us with the Unusual Prison Break Out mission?" Jordan asked.
Jacob bit his lip and took off his glasses that he doesn't really need.
"Do you think I am good for the job?"
"Of course! I know you'll do great for the position. It's only for one mission so Phoebe doesn't expect you to actually become a full time UPC mercenary like Max or Marcel."
Jacob switched off the shredder to let it cool down. "Where would I be though? Am I doing that particular role alone?"
"We have someone else to explain you all that. I don't know the answers. Sorry."
Jacob nodded to show he understood and stood up, shaking off the tiny bits of paper off him that came out the shredder. Jordan tucked his knees to his chest, looking up at him.
"You know, you look a lot more cute and fierce without those glasses on you."
Jacob chuckled at the compliment.
"Thanks. I don't actually need them. I use them to stop those sorts of compliments. I disguise my true looks because I fear all the attention. I also find it hard to express my natural ways most of the time but I'm always myself around Ryan. This may sound stupid."
Jordan stood up and pulled a hairband from his pocket.
"Not necessarily. I understand you. I find it hard to express my natural ways too," he said, putting his hair in a short ponytail. "I have a huge crush on Hayden but I don't know how everyone here will go about my sexuality, just like how people will go about your looks."
They both took a seat at the table, sitting on opposite sides.
"Have you told anyone about it?" Jacob asked. He watched as Jordan shook his head and wiped a tear away.
"I don't communicate with my parents regularly and it's scary to say. Reason I told you is because your issue is similar and I trust you to know."
"Well if you like Hayden, take him to one side and tell him the truth. If you like him, you trust him," Jacob said as he put his glasses back on and began finishing off the shredding. Jordan pulled a mischievous grin behind Jacob.
"Jac?"
"Yes?"
Jordan took off Jacobs glasses and wild up his hair to give him his pixie look.
"Thousand times better!"
Jacob looked at him horrified.
"Jordan! I can't go out like this! I'll get the attention I don't want!" Jacob exclaimed, trying to snatch his glasses back. Jordan kept it back and pocketed it.
"Let me help you. Yes you deserve the Guinness World Record for the world's most beautiful boy but what you need is attitude! Attitude to fight back that unwanted attention. Don't be too much like Max, yes he is bloody handsome, but be like what you were with Chloe yesterday."
Jacobs pupils shrank. "You saw that?"
"I did yes. I was surprised to see you like that. But obviously don't be like that constantly but Chloe has, or now did have a huge obsession over you and now you've scared her off. Proud of you man. Now show what you really are!"
With that, Jordan opened the door and pushed Jacob out. There were students walking up and down the corridor, not noticing him. Jordan shut and locked the door before Jacob had any attempt to get back in.
"Go on cutie! I'll catch you up once I am done with this shredding!" Jordan called from inside. Jacob tried turning the handle to get in but the door wouldn't budge.
"I can't do this Jordan! Let me in! Give me back my glasses!" He began clawing at the door helplessly. "I'll do your homework for a week!"
Jordan scoffed.
"Nice offer but no thanks! Off you go now Jaccy!"
Jacob knew it was no use getting in and all Jordan was trying to do was help him break out of his shell. After a long, frustrated sigh, Jacob slowly walked down the hallway with his head down, hoping no one will notice him.
Many people passed by not even glancing at him, Jacob lifted his head up a bit and saw everyone was the same. No one was onto him, giving him the unwanted attention, nothing. He began to chuckle slightly to himself as he figured he was scared over nothing. However that won't stop people from trying and stalking him anyway so he'll need to boost up his attitude levels to keep them away.
Taking Jordans advice, he sped up to find Max, hoping Ryan doesn't see him communicating in a friendly manner, which is very "unusual". He saw Max up ahead by the lockers with the rest of the Spud gang and approached with haste.
"Hey," Jacob said, breaking their conversation. He saw Max had a handful of screwed up invitations in his hand. They all stared at Jacob surprised.
"For a moment there I didn't recognise it was you until I got your scent," Marcel said "a nice cinnamon mixed with tropical berries."
Jacob side stepped away from Marcel and listened to the others giggling.
"Keep your wolfie thoughts to yourself Marcel. I don't think Jacob needed to know that," Max said.
"It's okey. No harm done. Quite interesting to know actually," Jacob said quickly.
"You look different," Hayden said.
"Blame Jordan. He stole my glasses messed my hair up. This is how I usually look when I'm not actually in school," Jacob explained, scratching the back of his head nervously.
"Your eyes look bigger without your glasses, you look adorable!" Gabrielle exclaimed. Jacob gulped.
"Thanks Babs. I don't really need them. I just wear them to hide the fact I look this way. Let's just say Ryan scared me with what could happen if people saw me as me."
Max nodded, understanding what he meant.
"So where is Jordan?"
"He is finishing off shredding invitations. I was doing it myself until he came in. He asked me to ask you Max to tell me tips of a bad attitude," Jacob said, slowing down towards the end.
Max looked confused.
"Why?"
"Because I fear of people all over me due to my looks and that I need a similar attitude like you to keep them off."
Max chuckled.
"Surely you would already know how Jac. How long did I bully you? Haven't you learnt?"
"I don't want to be like a bully Max. I'm not usually mean to people unless they annoy me to the max, no pun intended."
Jacob heard Hayden giggle behind him. Max straightened up.
"If anyone does get in your way, talk to them the way you did with Chloe yesterday. Don't make it laughable, show you are serious in what you say, make yourself feared, not a piece of trash or a helpless butterfly. That's all I can give you."
Max patted his shoulder until Jordan came running up to them, wearing Jacobs glasses.
"Ryan alert! Ryan alert! He's coming this way!"
Jacob spun round and saw Ryan has just turned the corner, heading towards them.
"Hope you are good at drama," Max said before dropping the screwed up invitations in front of Jacob and giving him a shove, making him stumble and fall backwards.
"Hey!" Ryan shouted running up. Jacob got to his knees and began picking up the invitations.
"Here comes Super Ryan, always saving his little brother," Gabrielle cooed.
"This party seems super lame anyway. Who cares you are going to be a UMF Scout?" Hayden said as he snatched one off the floor Jacob was trying to get, ripping it up.
Ryan was about to help Jacob until he put his hand up to him.
"I got this Ryan. I don't need your help," he demanded. Ryan stepped back a bit and noticed Jordan wearing Jacob's glasses and lunged at him.
"Give those back!" Ryan ordered. Jordan pushed him off with the help of Hayden.
"No. These are mine now. I look absolutely fabulous in them."
Jacob looked up saw Jordan do a pose. He had to disguise his chuckle with a quiet growl and stood up.
"Ryan I had this! Let's just go! Lesson is about to start."
Max raised an eyebrow and grinned, folding his arms as he watched Jacob taking his advice. Ryan sighed and stood next to Jacob.
"Now a baby is telling you what to do!" Gabrielle taunted. With that, Jacob grabbed Ryan's arm and pulled him away from the Spuds, hearing their laughs fade away. He let go of Ryan's arm and covertly turned his head to look at them. He caught eye contact with Jordan who took off the glasses and mouthed "I'll give them back in maths."
Jacob shook his head and replied mouthing "keep them."