Five Finger Discount

Chapter 9

S A V A N N A H ♤

I take a deep breath and ring the bell to the Campbell's for the fourth time this week.  It is getting tiring because anytime I come here after school, it's either Iris is not there or Jacob sends me away.

Things have been awkward between me and Iris ever since I found out she liked me. We don't spend time together like we used to. I pull out my pocket mirror from my bag and retouch my lip gloss.

"Okay, Annah, relax". I take a deep breath, pacing up and down the porch, I do that to calm the butterflies in my stomach. "You can do this, you were born for this". I mumble to myself.

"Now go in there and make it happen". I sigh loudly and turn only for my face to drop and redden. Jacob's been standing for who knows how long. He scoffs and blinks at me with no expression at all on his face.
How long has he been standing there?. I clear my throat.

"Umm, I-".

"Me first, he interrupts. "Iris is not home and if it is me you came to see, I have no interest in seeing you, so leave". He repeats what he tells me every time I come here. He takes a step back.

"Wait" I utter as I reach out to him. He raises an eyebrow as he watches my hand in disgust. I pull back immediately.

"Why not Jacob?", why don't you want to see me". I ask politely.
He smirks widely. The widest he has smirked ever since I met him.

"Are you stupid? Who would want to spend time with a girl like you". He says bluntly as I shut my eyes close at his words. I nod.

"You're right, I will leave but, I want you to understand I-"

"Mom says we're having dinner at the Deschanel's tomorrow nigh-". A voice I recognize yells from the living room. Iris! My eyes widen as I look at Jacob in shock.

Why did he lie about Iris not being home? Does he want to get rid of me that bad?.

"Who is there?". Iris questions. The door immediately shuts. I scoff in disbelief.
"Wow," I mumble and head out of the pouch.

I hear a click from Jacob's window and I curiously look up. I regret right away. My eyes wide open in shock and I gasp when I see Leah looking down at me with a smirk. I blink and rub my eyes. Maybe I didn't see well. I look up again and I saw just right. It was really Leah.

What is she doing in Jacob's room in just a white towel? I swallow hard as I sob. She draws the curtain and I groan angrily. This is unacceptable!

●●●●●●●

My phone chimes and I immediately pull out my phone from my back pocket, expecting a text from Jacob. I sigh in defeat when I see the recipient. Of course, why would he text me, he has never done that, he never replies to the text I send, I am always the desperate one.

My phone chimes again and I growl. "What does he want from me? Why does he keep bothering me".

Roman : [ You look disappointed to see my text, well I'm sorry to disappoint you. I just want to know why you're sitting on the ground, the cops might mistake you for a crackhead which may not be entirely wrong]. 

I scoff at the message. Why am I not amazed he's still following me?. I look around and he is standing few meters from where I've been sitting for almost an hour. I stand sharply and walk his way, with the sole intention of walking past him.
He pauses and gazes at me. I hate it when he does that, for some funny reason, it makes me weak. I also pause and look up at him.