Loving you

The beginning

The ringing from a nearby phone echoed through the silent room. A woman with dark brown hair, tied up in a messy bun, jolting up from her sleep. Her eyes glazed over with sleep as she struggled to keep herself awake. Her thick black rimmed glasses crooked on her face as she tiredly searched for her phone that sounded from under the tons of paperwork in front of her.
"Hello?" She croaked slightly, rubbing her eyes as she tried to wake herself up further.
"It's me. I'm coming over."
"Jacob- it-" quickly looking over at her clock her eyes widened in shock. Quickly scrambling to get up, tripping over her own legs. "It's 3 in the morning! What- you can't come here, now!"
"I don't care what time it is, Marie. Somethings happened and I need somewhere to stay and you're the one person I trust right now."
"Jacob- wait-" before she could utter a full reply the call hung up. Groaning in exhaustion, Marie dragged her hands down her face. Catching her reflection in the window, she sighed. She looked a mess. To go with her messy bun and crooked glasses, she had dark bags under her deep green eyes and wore a big baggy jumper with black shorts and big, fluffy socks. Looking around the room, she huffed seeing nothing but heaps of crap everywhere. Stacks of papers and books littered her apartment, along with mugs from her late night coffees. Her piano in the corner barely noticeable as it laid buried under mountains of paperwork and music sheets. How she let it get this bad she would never know. Rolling up her sleeves, she clapped her hands in determination. Searching the room for where to start cleaning up. She couldn't have Jacob over with such a mess.
"Come on, M." She muttered as she began picking up little bits.

"Marie! Marie!" A hammering at her front door disturbed the girls humming. Rolling her eyes as she placed down the objects in her hands, she shuffled down the hall to the door to answer it before her idiot friend knocked it down.
"Calm down! I'm coming!" Marie shouted out through the door. Opening it, she didn't get the chance to even breathe as a tall body barged in with a bag over its shoulder. "Jacob!" She exclaimed in surprise and frustration, quickly locking the door and jogging to the front room. She found her black haired friend sprawled out on her now clear sofa. His usually playful brown eyes, staring at the ceiling in hatred. Bag forgotten by the door frame as he scowled. "Jacob what the heck is going on?"
"I can't take it anymore, M!" Jacob burst out as he shot upright from laying. The action making the girl jump.
"What are you going on about?" Marie asked softly this time, seeing her friend so distressed, and hurt.
"I'm so sick of them! They just throw stuff at me, expecting me to catch it while balancing everything else-" Jacob began ranting as he paced around the room, his hands pulling at his hair slightly. Not stopping very often to take a breath as his voice only grew louder. Concerned for her friend and the fact her neighbours may hear what's happening, Marie rushed in-front of the ebony haired boy. Grabbing his wrists- his hands still gripping his hair, and staring into his eyes, she smiled softly.
"Hey..." She whispered. His eyes while still upset, softened. His words halting, leaving him panting for air. "How about I go and make some hot chocolate and bring out the cookies, and we can sit down and you can tell me what's wrong?" Jacobs hands released his hair as he released a sigh of relief. His arms wrapping around Marie's waist and head falling into the crook of her neck. Marie only rubbing his back in comfort as she felt his breathing settle. She waited a minute, comforting the taller boy. Their height difference painfully obvious as he had to lean down slightly to rest his head on her shoulder.

"So are you ready to tell me what's wrong?" Marie questioned, placing the hot chocolate and cookie down on the coffee table in front of the sofa. Sitting down crossed legged on the sofa, facing her black haired friend with a worried look and a gentle smile.
"It's my parents..." Jacob huffed. "I can't deal with them anymore. They keep on going on about taking over the business and they've gone and taken it too far."

Jacob was the son of Karl and Monica Rivers, founders of the Rivers corporation and the most famous, influential couple in the country. Jacob was their only son, and has been put under immense pressure, since he was young, to take over the company. He is constantly tutored and strictly looked after in preparation for him to take his parents place. Marie often felt sorry for him, his parents never really having been very loving towards their son. They spoke very little, despite living in the same house, and when they did it was always about the company.

Marie's face turned confused yet sympathetic as she waited for the boy to continue. "They have set me up to marry some prissy rich chick, that I've only ever met once and they expect me to just go through with it." Jacob complained. "It took me years to at least get the freedom to leave the house and actually make friends and have relationships- and now they're taking everything away!"

Marie and Jacob had met at high school. It had been the first real school Jacob had gone to after being home-schooled for years. He had been awkward and cold. Though it had been unintentional- only ever being in contact with his parents and snobbish tutors left him that way, but after he met Marie, he became himself. Playful, silly and flirty.

"Did you try and speak with them about it?" Marie asked as Jacob fell into her lap. His head laying on her legs as his arms fell to cover his eyes.
"Of course I did! But as usual I was being 'selfish' and 'childish' in my dads words. I'll show him selfish! I mean, come on! I've never really had control over my life but I thought that I'd at least have control over who I would fall in love with and marry." Marie only nodded in understanding as she played with her friends hair. A soothing gesture that Marie found worked wonders when trying to calm the guy down.
"Well, maybe there's more reason behind this. I'm not psychic, and I don't read minds but maybe they're doing it because they're worried you'll be alone after they go?"
"I highly doubt that." Jacob huffed. Silence taking over as Marie continued to play with his hair. Humming a little tune as Jacob finally removed his arm from his eyes. Gazing up at his friend in deep thought. He had never noticed the light freckles that dusted her nose, or how thick and dark her eyelashes truly were, or how caring and loving her green eyes shined when her eyes gazed down at him.

Just then a thought struck him. Why he hadn't thought of it before escaped him. Jumping up, and startling the girl, he grinned brightly, his face inches from hers.  "I've got an idea!"
"Huh?"
"You can act as my girlfriend!" The statement caught Marie completely off guard.
"Wh-wha- I-"
"Come on think about it, M!" Jacob smiled. "You're perfect for the job. You're beautiful, you're a good influence on me, your dad was a famous musician! My parents wouldn't be able to say no after I tell them I'm with you!"
"Jacob!" Marie gasped as she quickly jumped up from the sofa, her cheeks blazing red. "I can't do that!"
"Please Marie! I'll do anything!"
"No!" Marie glared as she covered her cheeks in attempt to hide her flustered state.
"Please! For me! Just for a couple of months! Pretend to be my long-term girlfriend in front of my parents and then when they're convinced, and they've called off the other girl, we'll call it off! It's so simple!"
"Jacob, that won't work! The moment we 'call it off', your parents will just call the girl back! You'd only be prolonging what they see as the inevitable."
"We can deal with that later! Please! Come with me, play my girlfriend, meet my family and then when we 'break up' I can prove to my parents I don't need a wife to help me run the company!"
"Jacob-"
"Plleeeaaassseeee, M~ Snuggie boo~ my bestest friend~" Jacob cooed as he gave her the puppy eyes.
"Jacob, I can't-" Marie began to say, only to be cut off as Jacob jumped off the sofa and hugged her stomach while on his knees. Still laying the puppy eyes on hard.
"Pretty, pretty please!"
"I- you- I can't just- you can't- uh!" Marie huffed in frustration as she looked up and covered her eyes in an attempt to shut Jacob out. A groan leaving her lips as she felt him snuggle into her stomach. Marie could feel butterflies begin to flutter in the pit of her stomach as a strange, flustered feeling took over her body.
"Pretty please with a cherry on top~ my beautiful, amazing, kind, wonderful-"
"Just!" Marie couldn't take the compliments anymore. It made her butterflies worse- she just couldn't think. Her brain was going haywire. "I- I- I will think about it."
"YES!" Jacob cheered as he picked the brunette up by the waist and spun her around in excitement.
"HEY! I SAID I WOULD THINK ABOUT IT! S-STOP IT!" Marie shouted, the sudden spinning making her extremely dizzy as she held onto her friend for dear life. Letting go a sigh of relief as he finally put her down. Chuckling nervously.
"Sorry, M." He smiled as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"You'll be the death of me." Marie huffed as she leaned on her knees, trying desperately to stop the room spinning.
"Love you, Snuggie-boo!"
"Shut up, idiot!"