Along for the ride

Chapter 17

"Can you please focus on what I'm saying?" I pleaded. "Just give me five more minutes, then we can call it a night."

He groaned, burying his face in his hands.

"You actually have to try if you want this to work." I informed him.

He clenched his jaw, "What do you want me to do?"

I took a sip of my Dr.Pepper to try to calm my nerves, "So for the past thirty minutes, I've been trying to come up with things that could break the eggs fall. The key is to get the egg to the ground safely without a scratch."

"Some sort of parachute would slow down the fall." He noted.

I nodded, "We type this in a word document, then print it out and put it  on our poster board. Did you bring your laptop?"

He shook his head.

"Mine's upstairs." I stood up making my way upstairs, when I felt someone following.

I turned around and sure enough Jake was right on my tail.

"Where are you going?" I snapped.

"Following you." He explained, in a duh tone.

I frowned.

"You haven't shown me around."

"Downstairs. Now." I ordered.

He shook his head.

"Ughhhhhh!" I gave up, storming into my room.

I turned on the light, then scurried over to my computer desk where my laptop was located.

"Nice room." Jake commented, looking around.

"Thanks. Now, downstairs." I tried pushing him out, which seemed pretty impossible.

He stood rooted in his place, looking down at me quite amused.

"Jake." I whined.

"Hmm?"

"Get ouuuutttt." I shoved him once more effortlessly.

"This is quite cute." Jake chuckled, "You trying to push me."

I started blushing, so I dipped my head down, trying to hide my face behind my hair. 

"Jake, please get out." I uttered, giving up and leaning against him.

"Fine." He sighed, leaving the room.

I grabbed my laptop quickly and joined him downstairs. 

"Here." I said quietly, handing him my laptop.

He grabbed it and started typing what I had already said. He opened a new tab and researched 'Egg Drop Project'.

"So what are we gonna put the egg in?" He asked, scrolling through google.

"I don't know, we could put it in a empty liter bottle stuffed with toilet paper, cotton balls, stuff like that." I called, looking through my kitchen cabnits.

"Yeah, I guess that'll work but what if the parachute fails, we need something that'll keep it in hold." He added, writing something down on a piece of paper.

"Um, lemme think," I replied, finally grabbing what I wanted and a spoon, "Honey, could work but I feel like it's too gooey, maybe not thick enough." I took a spoonful of my peanut butter, taking a seat beside Jake while sticking the spoon in my mouth.

"What is that?"

"Peanut butter." I mumbled, the peanut butter making it hard to talk.

"You're a genius!" Jake yelled.

"I am?"

"Yes! Peanut butter will hold the egg perfectly. It's thick, not too hard, not too soft. It'll be in good shape after the drop."

"Sounds good to me." I mumbled, taking another spoonful of peanut butter.

"You're cute when you eat." Jake blurted.

I blushed, "That's not something you hear everyday. Thanks."

"Yeah." He smiled before quickly turning back to the computer, "I think we might just have ourselves an egg project."

~*~

"He was in you're room?" Sophia exclaimed.

I laughed, adjusting my tablet so it wouldn't fall over.

"He followed me in there! I tried to shove him out, but that was nearly impossible, " I mumbled. 

"Okay, so explain everything that happened."

"Well, I told him I was going upstairs to get my laptop that, and next thing I know pooof, I'm trying to push him out of my room." I mumbled, taking another spoonful of peanut butter.

I was laying on my stomach on my bed, my legs crossed behind me.

Sophia giggled, "That's cute, Gabbie."

"Yeah, yeah." I felt myself blush just thinking about it.

Sophia was twirling her hair between her fingers, "When's the next time he's coming back over?"

"Sunday afternoon."

She shrieked, clapping her hands together.

"Wait, I thought you guys weren't friends?"

"We aren't," I replied, to fast, "It's just for the project."

My phone buzzed twice.

I grabbed it and just about cried when I read who it was from.

Jake: Still on for Sunday?

Sophia's interrogations brought me back to earth.

"Gabbie? Are you even listening to me? Earth to Gabriella!" She shouted.

I groaned.

"What is it?" She questioned.

"Jake," I said, quickly.

"Who?"

"Jake," I mumbled a little slower, but not to where she could understand.

"Rake?"

"Oh for crying out loud, it was Jake!" I shouted, sitting up crisscross.

Sophia shrieked once more, sitting up as well. Her face was suddenly inches from the camera.

"What did he say?" She whispered, as if we were surrounded by the whole SouthWest student body.

I rolled my eyes, reading her the message.

"He wants to see you again!"

"To finish the project so he can never see me again."

"Oh hush, Gabbie. You're always so negative."

"And you're always so positive."

She frowned, rolling her eyes in the process.

"Look, Gabbie-" She held up her index finger, "Yeah Mom! Alright! I love you too!" She turned her attention back to me, "You're lucky I have to go. This was about to be one hell of a speech."

I smiled victorious.

"Oh, wipe that smile off your face. Mall tomorrow?"

"Sounds fab. Pick me up around 2?"

"Done and done. Goodnight," she paused, "I can't wait to see you, Gabbie." She mocked, in a deep voice.

"Fuck you," I grumbled, ending the video chat.