Cheek to Cheek

Chapter 5

A/N: Oh my goodness, you guys are so awesome. Thanks for all the amazing feedback, I love hearing from you guys. Please continue to vote, comment and whatnot because it drives me to update sooner. Thanks so much already! And thanks to the dozens of those who have added this to their libraries. On with the story!

I couldn’t say I was comfortable. Absolutely not. I felt like I was in a car filled with strangers, which wasn’t exactly that far from the truth. If Sydney hadn’t been there, I probably wouldn’t have agreed at the time. However, the fact that she was and that it was pouring outside made me do it.

I had gotten in a car with Jake and Jack. I was quietly gazing at Jack through the rearview mirror. His chocolate eyes were fixed on the road. His mouth was moving, and incoherent words were flowing smoothly through his lips. He smiled a toothy grin, which had its own charm all by itself. You could fall in love with that smile without even seeing the rest of the person.

I peacefully sighed to myself as I rested my head back on the seat. Even if I never got the chance to be with him, just being in the car with him and watching him exist was enough. I smiled to myself. Out of my thoughts, I heard a familiar voice calling something I couldn’t make out. Shifting out of my thoughts, I listened.

“Hey!” Jake called to me. I brought my attention to him with an eyebrow raised.

“Yeah?” I answered.

“You okay there?” he asked me. At the moment, I was better than okay. I nodded quickly and gave him one of my most sincere smiles. It freaked me out as his eyes widened a bit at my reaction. Remembering whom I was talking to, I was once again alert. My legs were out in the open, especially my thighs. I didn’t want them to be touched again.

Slowly, trying not to be obvious, I crossed my hands and rested them on my lap. Jake noticed my movement and stared at me, throwing me a crooked smile.

“I’m not going to touch your legs, don’t worry,” he said. Jack looked through the rearview mirror at us.

“Yo, no sex in the back,” he commented. Jake laughed as a look of pure astonishment swept over my face.

“Ew! Never!” I said, trying to rid myself of the thought. Hello, Mr. Gorgeous, it’s you I want, not him. I mean, Jake was just not the kind of guy for me. He was a rude pervert with no respect for women... then again, Jack had just made a pretty nasty comment himself. Even Sydney had to laugh at that.

“I’m hungry,” Jake blurted out out of nowhere. Jack glanced at him through the mirror.

“You wanna go out to eat?” Jake nodded eagerly, and Sydney agreed. I just wanted them to take me home. Jake looked me over expectantly. I looked away.

“You coming, doll face?” he nudged me with his elbow. I pulled myself farther away from him, shaking my head. I looked through the blurry window covered in rain drops to find speeding unfamiliar houses passing us by.

“Please just take me home,” I told them. I was definitely not in the spirit for an adventure with Jack and Jake. Jake sighed.

“Come on,” he urged me, “it won’t be so bad. You might even” -he gasped- “have fun for once!” I whipped my head to give him the nastiest glare I could muster.

“I have enough fun already... without you!” I said. He pretended to be hurt as I said that, but for my own amusement, I pretended like he really was. Sydney looked over at me from the front seat.

“You should come. Really. I kinda don’t want to be stuck with the guys alone,” she said, giving me a smile. I was weary of the idea, but I understood her situation. I definitely wouldn’t want to be stuck with the two either.

“Yeah, you should, Kat,” Jack piped up from the driver’s seat. Did I just hear a personal invitation from Jack Stunnington? And did he just get my name right? These people, except for Sydney, didn’t even know me! What was going on? However, I couldn’t refuse an invitation from Jack. I didn’t want to display my sudden eagerness, so I sighed and agreed.

Jake smiled one of those suggestive smiles at me and turned to the window. “To Andy’s?” he asked. Jack nodded. Andy’s was a pretty decent burger joint, when I had it pretty far back. Yet, I was now a vegetarian and have been for almost a year. It wasn’t difficult to adapt, but still the scent of meat smells alluring to me when I miss it. I held back on my stomach. I hoped they would have salads.

We arrived there very shortly after Jake’s little outburst. Already, the petrifying stink of a raw copper-like substance engulfed the air around me. I tried to keep the contents of my stomach down as we entered the place.

The restaurant had really gone downhill since the last time I had been there. I was thankful to be a vegetarian then and there. As Jack and Sydney hurried to order, I lingered behind. Jake also appeared to be lingering behind as he stayed by my side. I was a little skeptical of his presence, but I pretended to ignore him as I looked up at the menu, pretending to ponder about what I wanted. Jake wasn’t buying it.

“You hungry?” he asked me. I shook my head.

“Not really,” I answered. He wasn’t surprised.

“Then why’d you agree to come?” he pressed on further. I stared at him with a fake smile.

“It seemed like it’d be fun,” I lied. Jake scoffed and shook his head.

“You are one horrible liar, Princess,” he said. Slightly hurt by the comment, I lowered my head to gaze down on my feet. After a moment, Jake left to join Jack and Sydney. I really didn’t want to be there anymore.

I turned around and walked over to one of the tables. There were a few pieces of trash on the table, but because it was the only table left near the window, I picked the trash off the table. I threw it away in a nearby trash can. Just as I was about to sit down, I felt a smack to my behind. I grabbed my butt as I turned around to slap the guilty one of doing so, only to find it to be Jake. I felt violated again, feeling my eyes sting.

“You promised!” I yelled. Jake smiled at me, grabbing a fry out of his bag.

“Hey, I said I wouldn’t touch your legs! You never said your ass was off limits,” he replied while chewing. I bit my lower lip. I had enough. With all the sheer amount of energy I had, I swung my hand across his face.

The bag from his hands dropped to the floor. It felt as if the whole restaurant stopped in its track to watch Jake and me. Even Jack and Sydney were staring at us baffled by what had happened.

And there stood Jake, a clear visible hand print across his left cheek, his mouth slightly agape with the chewed up fry. It seemed as if we stared at each other for ages, unable to look away from one another. He closed his mouth and swallowed his fry. Still looking at me, he sat down at the table I had chosen, not bothering to pick up his bag.

Jack and Sydney joined us quietly, silently eating their food. I didn’t make eye contact with any of them. I looked down at my lap again, trying not to show any emotion. I still felt Jake’s continuos stare on me. The rest of the time was quiet; no one dared to comment.

I had slapped him earlier by Jack’s locker. Yet, that wasn’t as hard as this time. Nor had I really meant it. I seriously slapped him this time. As hard as I could, hard enough for my hand to sting... hard enough to shut him up. 

After they had finished eating, they rose to their feet and headed to the exit. I wanted to be the last one in the group, but Jake slowly followed behind me, against my obvious attempts to be behind him. It stopped raining outside. Once in the car, I told Jack where I lived.

Jack drove me. As I left the car, none of them bothered to say good-bye. Jake stared at me as I closed the door. I stepped a few times back as the car was put in reverse. Before they drove away, I made eye contact with Jake once more. All the emotion was gone from before. He gave a smile. He gave me a wave.

He gave me a wink.