Chapter Sixteen
-You Must Whistle At An Engine, Even If You Don't Know What You're Whistling At-
I was still sprawled over the engine when I felt a shiver down my spine giving me that feeling that someone was watching me. I looked over my shoulder and found Jake staring at me dazed a few steps from the car.
"Hey J," I grinned at him and he focused onto my face, but the look on his face didn't change, he looked almost confused or surprised.
"Oh hey Walters," He seemed to mentally shake himself, becoming his usually self. "What are you doing?" He asked, surveying the scene as he stepped up to the car.
"Holding the light for Robbo and Taylor," I told him.
"Who's that?" Robbo called from under the car.
"Jake," Jake replied.
"Know anything about cars?" Robbo demanded and Jake gave me a side look.
"...yeah?" He slowly replied.
"Good. Taylor get out of here, Jake get under here and help me," Robbo demanded.
"What?" Taylor demanded, "I didn't think I was doing that bad!" he defended himself and Robbo snorted.
"You see that?" Robbo asked, "Yeah, that's not meant to be leaking."
"I was only following your instructions," Taylor grumbled as he scooted out from under the car, "Ungrateful bastard."
As Taylor wiped off his jeans, Jake and I shared an amused grin. Jake then dropped to the floor and disappeared under the car. Taylor sat against the car with his arms crossed looking like a bear with a sore head as Jake and Robbo chat casually about what they needed to do. I was still sprawled all over the car and I heard moving under the car and felt something hit my foot, and then it hit it again harder, grinding back and forth. I pulled back and looked down and almost died. Jake had twisted onto his side and was rubbing.. uh... himself... against me. The, uh, Voldemort part... because I shall not name it.
...Okay, his baby making part was rubbing against my ankle, okay...?
I stared down at it again as he squirmed again, obviously trying to reach something. The denim rubbed against my skin and I blushed, starting from my ankle and ran up my body to my face.
"What happened to the light, Walters?" Robbo called out, from underneath.
"Oh, uh. Yeah. Sor-sorry," I stammered and went to reach across the car again, but Jake's body was hindering me and I was hindering him. Without even so much as a word, I stepped aside and Jake moved over, I then stood over his legs and was able to reach better. Now I was straddling him... sort of... great.
To anyone looking, it wasn't anything weird. It was just guys fixing a car but seeing how much I want to be in this position in a different way and scene, the awkwardness was gnawing at me.
"Rule forty, Walters," Taylor spoke for the first time since getting kicked out from under the car. He was looking over the car, looking a little lost. "You must whistle at an engine, even if you don't know what you're whistling at." There was a hint of a smirk on his face, telling me his sooking was over and he must be getting bored due to his hyper personality. His rule worked as a distraction as I laughed at him.
"What if the engine isn't worth whistling at, but you whistle anyway?" I asked and he laughed.
"Don't poke holes in the fifty man commandments," He rolled his eyes. "This is why woman aren't allowed to know the rules. You're all fun sponges!" He frowned at me and I over dramatically frowned back at him before laughing. "By the way, your jumper is riding up with you bent over like that," He told me, "Your ass is looking particularly girly at the moment." I looked over my shoulder and pulled the jumper down as well as I could.
"You're such a pervert," I glared at him and he gave me a condescending look.
"If I was a pervert, I wouldn't be telling you how your ass looks. I would be busy staring at it, wouldn't I?" He asked and I glared at him.
"Whatever," I grumbled, not liking being outsmarted by Taylor. I was having trouble accepting fully that Taylor was actually a good guy. He had been such a self centred, arrogant, grade A a-hole the first time we spoke in class but excusing his ADHD tendencies, he was actually quite sweet and decent. It kind of went against everything I believed in. Leopards don't change their spots and jerks are always jerks. Taylor was a jerk. He probably kicked puppies and punched kittens in his spare time and set time aside on the weekends to knock ice cream cones from kids hands and then laugh in their faces when the ants started attacking the mess on the floor. He had to, right? That's what jerks did. They didn't look after girls best interest and hide girls pretending to be boys identities by letting them know when their jumper was riding up. Guys are completely one dimensional. They're either the good guys like Jake or Trent, or they're buttholes like Taylor. Jake and Trent's couldn't be buttholes, just like Taylor couldn't be the good guy...
Who was I kidding?
Taylor was turning out to be lovely. Maybe it was me who was the butthole... I thought back to the cafe when that slutty horse had poured water all over me. Her assumption was that every guy that stared at her, wanted her. It was arrogant and presumptuous... and wrong. Maybe my first conversation with Taylor went so badly from my own arrogance and presumptions. I thought he was a player, but considering he hadn't gotten Kathy into the sheets, hit it up and bolted, maybe he wasn't what I thought he was. He was genuine in his affection for her and wasn't throwing whoever fell into his lap into bed. He was chasing girls and if they liked him too, it worked.
The girls I'm with know what they're getting into when they flirt back.
The statement now, with a little insight, wasn't as ominous as I once thought and really, maybe it was a matter of, he hadn't found a girl that wanted anything more, or a girl he wanted to give more. He hadn't experienced the energy that comes with meeting someone where the 'This is the one' feeling explodes on impact. Maybe he just needed the loving of a good woman like Kathy!
It took surprisingly no time at all between Robbo and Jake and when Jake had come back from under the car, he had the most adorable little smear of grease on his cheek. Not going to lie, it made him look ridiculously hot. I had to use one hand to physically stop my other hand from reaching up and rubbing it from his face.
"What are you doing now?" Robbo asked us.
"I've got assignments to start," I sighed.
"So do I actually," Taylor grimaced. Taylor sitting at a computer, patiently working through an assignment... I would love to see that...
"I'm starving," Robbo exclaimed, "Breakfast was tiny."
"Yeah, I'm pretty hungry myself," Jake agreed, "Darko rang me before and said everyone's meeting up at The Hub for a Sunday session, want to join them?" He asked and Robbo agreed. Taylor and I left the other boys and then separated soon as we got to our own buildings.
I had just gotten onto my bed in Jakes room when my phone buzzed with a message.
'Hey :)'
It was from Jake.
'Hey, how's your day been?'
"She asked already knowing..." I narrated my own life as I hit send.
'Good, what are you doing?'
'Assignments, unfortunately. :\ '
'You sound like my roommate. :\ ' Oh, the irony!
'Sounds like your roommate is a clever cookie.'
'Maybe. Skip the assignments and come have a drink with me down at The Hub.'
'Who are you with?'
'Some of the boys, but they're boring. Come keep me entertained.'
'Wish I could, but the assignments are top priority. Wouldn't want to ruin the boys vibe with all my oestrogen, anyway.'
'I'd keep you all to myself, they wouldn't even know you're there. ;) '
'Tempting... but still no. Sorry. :( '
'Disappointing. Was looking forward to more dancing.'
'You'll just have to wait and be patient. I have assignments you're distracting me from.'
'Can't say patience has ever been my middle name. If I'm distracting you, just ignore me.'
'That's rude.'
'I'm just going to keep distracting you as long as you let me. I have nothing but a beer to study this afternoon.'
'Aren't you the lucky one. I really need to start these assignments if you want to ever see me again.'
'I think you're procrastinating. Come procrastinate with me at The Hub... i'll even buy the procrastinating beer.'
'You're like the devil on my shoulder. Haha.'
'But is it working? >:) '
'No. I'm going to start ignoring you now.'
'Have fun being a geek. B-) '
'Have fun being a drunk. :S '
'I'd have more fun being drunk with you. ;) '
'I'm beginning to ignore you now. :) '
'You mean TRY to ignore... ;) '
'Luccccccccy.'
'Wow, you were serious.'
I shook my head at my phone and set it down next to my computer. Oh, if only he knew what was really going on. I would love to throw the assignment aside and go have a drink with him but, I was hesitant to pursue him full heartedly while I was this close to him without him actually realising. The closer I got to him as both Lucy and Lockie, the bigger the risk was that I would ruin any progress when the truth came out. A week of stalemate was okay, if I could keep him far enough away that he didn't completely freak out because I had deceived him. I could wish for that outcome anyway. Who knows what his reaction would be. This sucked.
I pushed Jake as far from my brain as possible and set to task doing this stupid assignment.