Treacherous

Part 18

I quickly paced myself as I walked through campus towards my class. Class had started nearly 20 minutes ago, but I was too mixed up from being stopped by the fan and trying to find a cab to even realize what time it was.

My bag caught on the corner of a boys jacket as I winced and tugged away, not stopping but turning to give him a sympathetic smile. "Sorry!" I shouted towards him as I reached the door.

My hand pulled on the cold metal as silence engulfed me. Every eye flickered towards me as I stopped in the doorway, caught off guard by how out of breath I was. 

My eyes flickered towards Max as I gave him a weak smile. "Sorry." I muttered under my breath as I walked through the narrow path of desks back to my seat.

"Nice of you to join us Lauren, we were worried." Max said with a smirk as he turned back towards the board and started to talk again.

I sighed lightly as I placed my bag onto the floor and fished out my notebook. Jake's eyes burned against my skin but I didn't turn to look at him, I was still flustered and confused about everything that had been happening lately.

"Where were you?" He finally whispered to me, inching his desk closer towards me as I gazed towards him. Worry and confusion was plastered across his face as I turned back to my open notebook and began to draw small box.

I shrugged my shoulders, keeping my eyes glued to the paper. "I went to go get a cup of coffee and then I couldn't find a cab after." I lied. 

I had completely ditched the idea to go get coffee. After running into the girl, I was already late for school. The part about not finding a cab was kind of true, I mean...it took a couple of seconds for one to finally show up.

He scanned my desk and tilted his head to the left. "You don't have any coffee with you." He told me as I looked up from the paper and glanced around my desk. Of course he would find the only fault in my story.

My eyes locked with him as I suddenly turned completely serious, just like I did every time I tried to cover up a lie. "I drank it already obviously." I told him, adding a bit more of sass then I had expected.

He studied me for a moment before his eyes finally softened and he grinned. His golden brown hair engulfed his eyebrows as he nodded. "Obviously." He whispered back teasingly with a smirk.

I awkwardly laughed as I turned my attention back towards my drawing and Jake drew his attention back towards Max's lesson.

I don't know why I didn't tell Jake about the fan, it wasn't like those things didn't happen all the time. I was stopped in the street, yes nearly every time I go out. But never once had a fan treated me the way that the girl had today. It seemed different, she made me feel like Harry actually still loved me and If I told Jake any of that, I don't think he would be too happy.

I know Jake doesn't like Harry, he's made that very obvious to me. Harry hurt me, yes. But now every time he even heard Harrry's name or see a picture of him on a magazine when we walk by, he stiffens and freaks out to himself. It was weird for me to see. Out of all the time that Jake and I have been friends, never once had he acted like that towards someone. It freaked me out a little bit, and I knew that mentioning anything about the fan would make him even more on edge.

I gazed back down towards the paper as my hand tightened on the pen. So much was running through my mind right now, and I had no idea how to process any of it.

My feelings for Harry were constantly tugging on my heart strings, yet my mind was firmly telling me that I wasn't aloud to give into them. I knew that I would hate myself If i allowed my heart the choice, I would only get hurt again. After all, he couldn't actually still love me. He purposely hurt me just to try and get back at me for "cheating" on him.

My pen pressed firmly into the paper as the corner ripped lightly, sending my pen mark deep into the sheet underneath it. I let out a sigh as I placed my pen down and leaned back in the seat, crossing my arms in the process. I couldn't let these things get to me...I couldn't let Harry get to me, especially if I wasn't even sure if he liked me or not.

I needed to talk about this, I couldn't let it bother me on my own. I needed someone else's input. My eyes casted their way towards Jake. His cheek was pressed against his hand and his eye were closed again, just like always. 

I wanted to go to Jake, I wanted to tell him...but I couldn't and that killed me inside. I wanted to talk to him without him being such a dick about it. I could always talk to Perrie, Perrie was always there for me. She listened and cared. Yet, lately all we have been talking about is Harry. She even came over the other day and I had to leave because of Harry.

The bell quickly snapped me out of my thought as I looked over towards Jake. His face slipped off of his hand as his concerned eyes scanned the room.

"Have a good day everyone!" Max shouted from the front as I got to my feet. I reached my hands above my head and stretched as Jake did the same.

He yawned as his eyes met mine. "I fell asleep." He muttered as I shoved my notebook back into my bag.

I smiled over at him as I picked up my bag and began to walk towards the door. "I noticed." I muttered as he laughed lightly and nodded.

He pushed the door open, walking out and holding the door for me. "I always fall asleep." He told me with a grin as I nodded and began walking down the path.

The cool air tickled my skin as I glanced around at the people scattered around the green. Jake sighed next to me as I glanced up at him. "So what do you want to do?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Want to get something to eat?"

I thought about that for a moment as I looked away. I hadn't eaten anything yet today, I was hungry. I opened my mouth to respond before my phone vibrated in my pocket. For a moment, I froze as the thought of Harry burst through my mind. I quickly reached my phone out of my pocket as Niall's name crossed the screen. 

I let out a sigh of relief as I smiled and placed the phone up to my ear, slowing my pace as Jake glanced at me. "Niall! What's up?" I said into my phone with a smirk as I heard his laughter on the other side.

"Lauren! I wanted to see what you are up to?" He told me. "My friends are visiting from Ireland, wanted to know if you wanted to go to the pub with us tonight!" 

I grinned as I studied my feet, perfect. It was exactly what I needed, to go out with a good friend of mine and get drunk. What could go wrong? "I would love to." I replied as a smile grew across my lips.