It took two more dates before Jake asked me to be his girlfriend officially. We were leaving the movies, laughing about how bad it was when he grabbed my hand, "Hey Ariel." He said.
I looked at him, "I've had so much fun with you this last week." he said.
I smiled, "I have too."
"So, would you officially be my girlfriend?" He asked.
I smiled widely and pulled him to me, pressing my lips against his. I pulled away after a few seconds and looked at him, "Absolutely." I said.
He smiled and kissed me again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day he kissed me when I got out of my car and we walked into school holding hands. People saw us walk by and immediately started whispering to the person they were standing with.
We went to my locker since it ws the closest. After a few seconds, Maya, Miles, Cole, Alex and Tyler came up, "What the Hell Ariel?" Cole asked.
"What?" I asked as I pulled out my history textbook.
"You went on three dates with "Hollywood Dream Boat" and became his girlfriend, and didn't think to tell us?" Tyler exclaimed, pointing to Jake who just smirked.
"Not to mention you let Maya know but not us?" Miles pointed out.
I rolled my eyes, "Calm down. You know now. Isn't that enough?" I asked as I closed my locker and leaned agaisnt it.
"No! We had to find out at the same time as the rest of the school. The whole point of being friends with someone is to know things about them before everyone else!" Cole exclaimed.
"Well, I would love to stay and watch this whole...whatever it is unfold, but I need to get to my locker," Jake spoke up. He turned to me, "I'll see you in English." He said, kissing me on the lips before walking away.
"I'll never forgive you for this." Cole said to me, sticking his nose up in the air.
I rolled my eyes, "You're just jealous because you couldn't get it on camera." I said.
He thought for a second before bowing his head, "You're right..." he said quietly, trailing off.
By the time lunch rolled around I had figured everyone in the friend group ha found out about Jake and I. Apparently, I was oh so very wrong.
I was sitting at the lunch table with the others, Jake as our new addition who was next to me. A few minutes in, Lucas arrived and sat at the table across from me. He narrowed his eyes atJake, "Who are you and why are you sitting here?" He asked Jake.
"Uhh, I'm Jake." He said after a few seconds of awkward silence.
"Okay, and why are you sitting at our table?" Lucas questioned again. I noticed Cole filming out of the corner of my eye.
I rolled my eyes and spoke before Jake could, "He's sitting with me. Stop interrogating him." I said.
Lucas narrowed his eyes at me, "I've never seen you talk to this dude before. Why are you two suddenly sitting next to each other at lunch?" He asked.
I rolled my eyes again, "Jesus Christ why are you asking so many questions? He's sitting here because I asked him to, because he's my boyfriend." I said.
Lucas' head shot up at my last sentence, "Since when do you have a boyfriend princess?" He asked.
"Since none of your business," I shot back, "now, are you done interrogating?" I asked.
He just held his hands up and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms and smirking at my words, "Whatever you say princess." He said.
Jake looked confused, "Why does he call you 'princess'?" He asked.
I shook my head, "Because he's an asshole. I babysit his little sister and since my name is Ariel, she thought I was a princess when I met her and he calls me that in an attempt to piss me off." I said.
Jake seemed to understand and just nodded once before going back to his lunch. I thought it was over then.
Ha. Nope.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So you and Jake...when did that become a thing?" Lucas asked me. I was over his house, watching Clara who was super invested in the movie on the TV that she didn't hear a word we were saying.
I sighed, "Why do you care?" I asked.
"Because that guy is following you around like a lost puppy. That mean's he's going to be inserted into the group now. I want to know how you went from never once speaking to him to all of a sudden being his girlfriend." Lucas said.
I rolled my eyes, "Actually, we've sat next to each other in english all year and talked quite a bit," I began, "he asked me out on a date when we got back from February break. I said yes and we went on a date. We went on two more after that and he asked me to be his girlfriend. I said yes. Here we are." I said. holding out my arms, my palms facing the ceiling.
He thought for a second before speaking up again, "I don't get it." He said.
"Jesus Christ, what about that entire situation is so hard to understand?" I asked, exasperated.
"You never once mentioned him when you were so-called "talking" to him, whatever the hell that means." he said.
"Look, I didn't tell anyone because I wasn't sure where it was gonna go. The first time he texted me about something other than what the homework was, I assumed he just wanted to hook up. As time went on, I saw it wasn't just about that. Not to mention I don't really share personal life details with anyone. That's why I never mentioned it." I said with a shrug.
He just shrugged in response, "I get it." Was all he said.
"Thank you." I answered. I turned back to my homework and continued taking notes for History.
If only I'd known how fast things would go downhill from that point.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For the next couple of weeks, Jake fell into a rhythm with the group. They started to accept him and he was more comfortable around them.
But, it seemed that the more comfortable Jake got around everyone, the less Lucas was around. He didn't seem to like Jake for some reason. Whenever Jake would say something, Lucas would either scoff silently, make some kind of face, or even go as far to have a snide comment ready to respond with.
One day during lunch when, Jake had mentioned his basketball game at lunch, and Lucas scoffed again, I narrowed my eyes at him. I decided not to call him out on it because I didn't want to make a scene, however I did make a mental note to bring up the instance later that night at the house when I was watching Clara.
And I did. It wasn't a good idea.
It was a Friday night, and Tessa and Jason wouldn't be home for hours, and Clara was asleep in her room. Lucas and I were sitting on the couch, watching 'How I Met Your Mother' on Netflix when I decided to bring it up.
"So, what's up with you and Jake?" I asked.
Lucas quirked an eyebrow at me, "What about Jake?" he asked.
"Why do you hate him?" I asked.
"What do you mean? I don't hate him." Lucas said with a shrug of his shoulders.
It was my turn to scoff, "Oh please. Tell it to someone who doesn't know how to read people. Every time he says something, or does something, or even is just in the same room as you, you always have something to say, or you make a face. You obviously don't like him. Why?" I asked.
He sighed in annoyance, " Why do you care Ariel?" Lucas said.
"Because. Like it or not you are one of my closest friends. I trust you with some of my darkest secrets. And Jake is my boyfriend. It's not all that fun for me if you two don't get along." I said.
Lucas sighed, "I'm going to be honest with you Ariel," Lucas said and I looked at him intently, "I think you should break up with him." He said.
I quirked an eyebrow in response, "Oh really? And why is that?" I asked.
"He's not the person he says he is," Lucas began, "you can ask anybody, he was a dick last school year and over the summer. All of a sudden you get here and he's this super sweet guy whose head over heels for you? I don't buy it." Lucas said.
I gave him a confused look, "He was a dick?" I asked.
Lucas nodded, "He treated everyone like shit, like they were beneath him. He slept around, honestly probably more than I did, and he bullied people. I think he might have bad intentions around you." Lucas said.
"Maybe he's changed. People can change. You did." I suggested.
His gaze hardened, "Maybe. But I get bad vibes. I don't think you should stay with him." Lucas said.
"Well," I started, "I appreciate your concern. However, Jake has yet to show any signs of douche-baggery to me. So I won't break up with him." I answered.
"I think you're making a mistake." Lucas persisted.
"Well it's not your choice to make!" I exclaimed, getting annoyed, "I don't know what's going on with you lately and why you seem so concerned about my well-being which, don't get me wrong, I whole-heartedly appreciate, but let me make my own decisions." I said to him.
"You know I really don't think someone who has such a great past with bullies like you should be making relationship decisions." Lucas snapped loudly.
My breath caught in my throat, but I wouldn't let him see me break, "Screw off. You don't know me. You don't know my past. You only know what I've told you. And I've barely scraped the surface. It's my life, my decisions. And if you don't like my decisions, you can fuck off." I said harshly.
Lucas stood up, "Fine. But I will be the first to say I told you so when he hurts you." Lucas said before walking out of the living room and out of the house.
I stewed in my own annoyance for the rest of the night until Tessa and Jason got home. I hid my emotions well and smiled and laughed with them as we talked for a few minutes before they paid me and I headed home.
I spent the rest of the night thinking about Lucas's words to me, and what they meant. I couldn't figure out why he seemed so concerned about mine and Jake's relationship. I couldn't shake the feeling that he knew something I didn't. I decided to shrug it off adn went to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was that Monday at school the first red flag appeared that I didn't notice but looking back on should have seen immediately. We were sitting at lunch, per usual when Jake brought up a party.
"So, Dylan Crawley is having a party at his house Friday night. I was thinking that I'd pick you up at 8?" He asked me.
I scrunched my nose up, "I don't think so." I said with a shake of my head.
"Why not?" Jake asked.
Apparently, he hadn't heard the story of my last experience at a Dylan Crawley party but I decided not to bring it up, "I'm not really a party person. And besides, I think I have to watch Clara." I supplied as my answer.
"Come on. Can't Lucas watch her or something? I mean it is his sister after all." Jake asked.
"Jake it's my job to watch her. You knew I had to work most Friday nights when we got together. And even if I wasn't working, I don't like parties and I don't really feel like going." I said.
"Seriously Ariel?" Jake asked, sounding annoyed.
I quirked an eyebrow at him in challenge, the others stopping their side conversations to look over, "What's up with you?" I asked.
He looked confused, "What's up with me? You're the one whose refusing to go to a party for God knows what reason. I should be asking you the same question." He said.
I laughed humorlessly and stood up, "Alright. Obviously you're in some kind of mood. And I don't really feel like arguing in front of the entire cafeteria right now. So, I'm going to go, and when you figure yourself out, you can come and find me." I said before walking out of the cafeteria.
I walked to my locker and started getting books for my class. As I was doing so, Jake came up behind me and wraped his arms around my waist, pulling me to him.
"I'm sorry." He whispered to me.
I put my books back in my locker and turned to him, " I don't want to have stupid, petty fights about something dumb like a party." I said.
"I know. Neither do I. I don't know why I was being such a dick about it. If you don't want to go, you don't have to go. But I would like it a lot if you came with me." He said, kissing the top of my head.
"I'll talk to Tessa and see if I can get the night off. I'll go to the party but," I said, making sure I got the 'but' in before he started talking, "If I'm not feeling it, then we leave." I said.
He smiled, "I'll take what I can get. Thank you for doing this. It means a lot to me." He said.
I smiled, "You're welcome."
He kissed me then, pulling me flush against him as he slipped his tongue into my mouth and let it roam. I wrapped my arms around his neck as I kissed him back.
After a few seconds I pulled away, dodging his attempt to kiss me again, "Come on. Kiss me." He said with a smirk.
I laughed, "Jake lunch is about to let out. I don't want them to walk in on us making out. Come on. Let's get to class." I said, turning back to my locker and grabbing my books.
He just smirked and kissed my cheek before taking off down the hall.
A/N: And the plot thickens......hehehehe......
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