Waiting outside the lines

Chapter 3

"Just stop it! It's disgusting!"
Wayne says obviously upset.
"Man, you're just jealous because you don't know how to flirt." Jake says calmly, "Maybe you should watch me next time. Make sure to take notes."
"Yea I can really learn from you! I mean, you can teach me how to get saliva all over a girls hand!"
"Shut up! You know she loved that."
I knew he was just trying to make Wayne mad. That kinda pisses me off because he actually seemed really nice. I'm an idiot for ever thinking he would actually go for someone my age.
"So what are you gonna take her from me? Like everything else? Find nothing new! You took my childhood, why not take this girl too!"
"You're always going to throw that back in my face aren't you! And why does it matter anyway? SHE'S JUST SOME CHICK YOU JUST MET!"
"Okay, you just met that chick, too. And yeah I will always throw it back in your face because you don't even care about what happened." He's talking more quietly now. Still upset, just quieter. "And she's not just some girl. She's nice and I want to get to know her more so please don't mess it up." He walks away and after he was out of earshot Jake muttered
"I will mess it up all I want."
He seemed like a horrible person. How can someone be so horrible and fake being nice so good? It really doesn't surprise me its just that I know a lot of people who don't even try to be fake. They just act horrible.
But wait I just thought of what Wayne said. He said something about Jake taking his childhood. How does that make any sense though? How do you take someone's childhood? Maybe it has something to do with his arm. As I lay in bed I think of all the possibilities. I think of the awake sensible one and the falling asleep crazy ones. Finally after I realize I can't find the answer by thinking I drift off and think of all the amazing and not so amazing things that happened today. Hoping tomorrow will bring answers.
I wake up to a sound I can't make out. I look at the clock and it says that it is 5:45 in the morning. I get up and look outside the window and realize the sound is coming from Jake working on something downstairs. I get this crazy feeling that I should go down there. I don't know why but I feel like I really need to. So I put some toast in the toaster for my little brother, get some clothes on, fix my hair, do everything I need to, and go outside. As I walk to the back of the houses I stop and realize I don't know what I'm going to say to him. I decide I'll just wing it and keep walking. As I turn the corner I go slowly making sure nothing is flying and going to hit me. Jake sees me right away and smiles at me.
"You're up early. What time is it? 5 something?"
"It's about to be 6. I just got woken up by what you're working on. And I thought I might as well come down for some fresh air." Wow I suck at winging things. But I guess he didn't notice.
"Oh I'm so sorry I didn't mean to wake you. Is your head better?"
"Yea it's fine. I was a little dizzy last night but I just needed to sleep it off." He nods and looks back down at his work. He puts his tool down and decides to talk to me instead. He sits down on the grass and tells me to sit too. I sit kind of far away from him.
"Why are you all the way over there. Sit over here. I don't bite." I laugh and sit next to him. He asks if I'm hungry and I nod. He gives me something and we start talking. He tells me about all his projects and all the places he's been because of them. He told me about how once he got lost in some forest a few years back, he was there for some research on a project, and the people he worked with had to look for him on a helicopter. It took them a day and a half to find him and when they finally did he found out he was just a few minutes away from the nearest city.
Time just flew by us and I didn't realize how late it was. I asked Jake what time it was and he said it was 7:30.
"Oh no! I have to go."
"Why what time do you have to be at school?"
"My little brother has to be there by 8:00 and I have to at 8:15." I say as I get up.
"Then why are you so worried? You have some time. What? Your school's.. 15 minutes from here?"
"Maybe by car but we have to walk."
"What? What about your parents?"
"They're working. I'm sorry but I really have to go. It was nice talking to you." Before I go around the corner, Jake grabs my arm.
"I'll take you."
"No really it's fine. I don't want to bother you."
"No seriously. I want to."
Although I know he was probably just doing this to make his brother mad, I really do need a ride. So I tell him okay, and that I'd meet him in front of my house in five minutes.
I go upstairs and call my brothers name. "Hey are you ready?" No answer. I call him again as I go downstairs into the dining room. I see my brother sitting there and Wayne right next to him.
"Wayne? What are you doing here? Never mind. It doesn't matter. We have to go. Are you ready?" I say to my little brother.
"Yeah he's ready. I was just checking up on you to see if you were okay and..."
"Look, I'm sorry Wayne but we have to go." I say interrupting him. "Come on little bro. Jake's waiting for us outside." I say grabbing my little brother and pushing him towards the door. But before I can get too far Wayne goes in front of us.
"Jake? Why is Jake waiting for you?" He says it in such a judgy voice I get upset. "Oh you're judging me? You're the one who's in my house right now. How did you even get in here?" He breathes as if he was going to explain but before he can I add,
"You know what never mind we have to go. Bye, Wayne." I walk out more dramatically than I planned but I was pretty upset. I open the door again and say, "Make sure to lock the door before you leave." I close the door behind me and stop in front of it realizing what I just did. I think of what I heard last night and I feel a wave of guilt.
I look at my little brother and realize it's too late to take back what I just did. I keep walking and see Jake pulling up in his car. My brother and I stand there, our mouths open. It was a light blue corvette convertible. We come up to it and I say, "This is your car?! This is amazing! Why didn't you tell me you had this?" Jake smiles and opens the front door.
"Pretty insane right?"
"This is totally insane! I swear I might steal this so you better lock this up tight at night."
He laughs,"I'll make sure I do." He winks at me and I remember last night and promise I won't get too attached to him. I put my brother in the back seat and go to the front. "Okay, so where's your school?" I tell him where to go to get to my little brother's school and we take him there. I tell my brother goodbye and that I'll pick him up later. An older kid that goes to my brother's school looks at us and shouts a little "Woo hoo!" And nudges his friends. They all laugh and whistle at us. I roll my eyes at them and look at Jake. He looks at me in such a way. I can't believe this is all just to make his little brother mad. But I don't care about that for a second. We just sit there, looking at each other. Smiling.