The Deal

Chapter 3

Dedicated to @EllieReyAria for voting on this story, it means a lot :)

Jake was apparently in Samantha's English class. (Ew. Why did it feel so weird to think of herself as a Samantha? Like... she'd never been Samantha in her life.)

He was really, really, really good at staying invisible - something that deserves three "really's" when you're as hot as he is. How does he manage to both attract all girl's eyes and also make sure nobody knows when he's in their class?

Well, no matter, because now Samantha (what the heck was that name it wasn't her name) knew, and was going to get to know him - and quickly. And within ten days, she'd have kissed him, and have photographic evidence of this to show the Queens.

So... Samantha - Samantha decided that since this needed to move quick, she didn't have time to do this the less awkward way. She needed fast. So she needed to get to know him. So she needed to just ask him to hang out and if he said yes she had a chance, and if he said no, well, Leah was right and she'd never be a Queen.

She had worked on the plan ever since she'd found out he was in her class the day before. She had eight days left to get him to kiss her, so they needed to start hanging out. She was going to go up to him, tell him he looked like he needed some coffee, and offer to buy him some from Starbucks.

English class. Last period.

Samantha had already told her mother she'd be hanging out with Leah after school and wouldn't be home until four thirty. Of course, unless Jake didn't want coffee, that was a lie. But if he said no it would be true! Leah was in on the whole thing.

She really was a great friend. Samantha was lucky to have her.

(And would you look at that? Calling herself Samantha was getting... slightly less weird. It was still foreign, but not as cringy as it had felt at first.)

The bell rang. Students filed out of the classroom.

Samantha waited by the door. Jake was the last to leave.

He walked right past her and a few feet ahead before Samantha took a long stride to catch up to him and said, "Hi Jake!" Like I knew him for more than five seconds of exchanging names the other day.

Jake didn't act like it was weird though. He was totally emotionless about the whole thing. He just said, "Hi Samantha."

Samantha was taken aback for a second that he remembered her name - and also that he actually acknowledged her at all. She really didn't know anything about his personality, and the more she found out, the more clueless she realized she was.

"So... you, ah, look like you might be able to use a little caffeine."

"Do I ever look any different than this?"

So not anti-social. But he only spoke when he was spoken to.

Okay. Sammi could work with that.

Samantha! She meant Samantha. Her name was Samantha now. Samantha, Samantha, Samantha. Get used to it, Samantha.

"Well, I mean, I guess you always look like you could use caffeine," she said with a small laugh, trying to joke. Jake may have internally been amused, who knows? His face had literally never changed. It was like he was wearing a Jake Samuels mask over his face.

"So, anyway, if you wanted to, you know... get some coffee at Starbucks... I'd pay. For both of us to get coffee. If you wanted to."

He didn't stop for the conversation - he was still heading towards the exit of the building, so Samantha was too. "Now?" Jake asked.

"Yeah, unless you have something else to do - I understand. Schedules. Heh."

Jake shrugged. "No, I don't have anything else to do. You can buy me coffee if you want."

His tone of voice hadn't changed... well, at all, but Samantha was super excited to hear those words. The possbility of her becoming a Queen had just brightened a notch.

"There's a Starbucks right down the block. I biked here to I'll bike there, but now that I think about it you might not have a bike so -"

"I biked here too," Jake interrupted, the first time that he'd spoken that wasn't directly after she'd said something. He'd actually interrupted. Shown interest in the conversation. "We can bike to Starbucks."

He was still talking in the nonchalant voice that was... well, the only tone of voice that he'd used at all ever since Samantha had first heard him talk, and wasn't asking any perfectly normal questions, like, "Why do you want to take me to Starbucks?" or "Do I know you?" If he wasn't so dang hot and such a topic of conversation, he'd probably be perfectly invisible.

Being invisible probably took just as much effort as being popular. Samantha internally applauded him. (And her luck, since he had a bike to get to Starbucks with. Perfect.)

They didn't talk anymore, but kept walking together until they reached the bike rack, each grabbing their own bike. With no leisurely conversation and no intent but to go to Starbucks and have Samantha pay for his coffee, Jake swung one of his legs over his bike, and Samantha did the same.

Time to get to know this "Jake Samuels."

Thank you to those of you reading this story. If you're enjoying and you'd like to leave a vote that'd be great. Also, I love getting feedback and won't be offended by criticism so long as it's constructive! :D Have a nice day!