The Optimist

twenty two

Nadia

. . .

Emma talked all through lunch about her and Jacob's plans and I gleefully veered along.

".. And I'll be wearing the perfect shade of red." I giggle and jot down notes as she openly plans them. Her face wrinkles together in deep though and suddebly a light bulb goes off.

"Oh! And my makeup! I'm hiring an employee from MAC to do my makeup. Yeah, sounds good. Red. Deep red lipstick!" She pauses a oment before burstikng into alight cheer! "Oh my gosh, it's going to perfect. The dress, the makeup, and oh, sweet sweet Jacob. That tux!"

"Tuexedos don't lie." I giggle and she joins. I finish writing down her few thoughts down as Nathan jeers over. A look of disgruntlement washes ovee his face as he apporaches my table. "What the hell, Nadia!" He scolds. I jump and stand up.

"Excuse me, Emma." I apologize and walk over to the oppopsite end of the cafeteria. Nathan's glare burns a hold through me as his reddened face reddens even more.

"I know Emma Lee Garritson is not going to prom with your date. Tell me I'm lying."

"You're not." I jitter happily. I can't control my relief as I bounch up and down no the balls of my toes excitedly. Nathan grabs my shoulders and presses me into the ground to stop my little bouncing fit.

"What is wrong with you?" He releases his gip from my shoudlers and crosses his arms over his chest. "This isn't the Naida I know." I nod.

"I know. That Nadia is gone." I tell him, truthfully. "Yep, something is definitely wrong with you." Nathan shakes his head.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to se tsome plans fror prom with Emma-"

"No." Nathan grabs my arm and pulls me back to face him. His face softens and my smile dissovles, but not to a frown. A.. casual face?

"What happened to you and Jacob attending prom together? Huh?" His hurtful expression is too much to bear as I toy with my fingers, looking down. I pick under rmy nails vigorously, ignoring him. "Nadia." He says firmly.

I sigh and gaze into his curious brown eyes. "Nate.."

"Really Nadia! I set you two up together because.." He fades off, glancing behind me. I follwo his gaze but see nothing but high schoolers happily munching on today's lunch: bean salad.

Yeah, gross, I know. It tastes worse than it sounds.

I turn back to Nathan. "Because what?" He shakes his head, afraid to answer. "Nothing. Forget I said it-"

"No Nathan, really! Please?" I find myself desperately begging my brother for answers, tempting to get on my kness, but that's too embarrasing.

"Because.." he struggles, "becuase he sees something in you. You don't see it, but he does and so do I! He loves you Nadia!" I laugh, he must be crazy.

"Haha. No." I laugh sarcastically. "Never."

"Yed, Nadia. He loves you and you and I can both know it. The constant smiles-'

"Yeah, thag;s just him." i say. Jacob always smiles, no matter what. "And," he huffs, obliviously annoyed, "you're all he talks about. Emma is just a basic, yeah? He doesn't want her. And, believe it or not, he was blackmailed into being her prom date."

"Wait. What? Blackmailed? Nah." I laugh again, humored by Nathan's incredulous words. "Nadia! Seriously!" He says, his ees widening.

"What does Jacob have to hide?" I kill the laughter and a serious mood takes over my when I realize how serious he is. Nathan now has my full attention and I'm generally curious about Jacob, my favorite optimist.

"Hmm," Natha mutter, "Let's just say Mr. Optimist hasn't always been so optimistic." He winks, walking off.

"Hey! That's my nickname for him!" I yell, but he's already gone. I sigh, defeated, and walk back to my table, Jacob hot on my mind. What could he possibly have done to be blackmailed? By Emma?

My thoughts fade as Emma calls me over. Oh yeah!

Time to plan some prom.

. . .

Nathan has been acting suspicious ever since thie little encounter at lunch. At every change I get, I'm determined to get Jacob to answer my question.

"What did he do?" I'd ask.

"I can't tell you." He's sing-song back to me. Then he'd walk away, leaving me to relish in my incomplete thoughts.

Now, at dinner, I have a silent cross communication with him through glares. He daggers all of them back to me everytime, smirking. I hate the he knows something and I don't, and what he knows is especially imporant.

For Emma's safety as well as his own.

Blackmail? That's wrongful revenge, but I don't believe Emma would be the type to do that to someone, so I'm still on her side and against Nathan. Until he tells me what Jacob has been "hiding", I'll associate with Emma and believe her.

"So, Nadia. How's school?" Dad clears his throat and stares at me, cutting my glare from Nathan's. The warm dining room goes silent and the sound of forks clanking against the glass plates fills it. All eyes turn on me.

"Fine." I mumble quickly to deteriorate their attention, and it works. They turn to Nathan who's sliently picking at his green beans. "And you, young man?"

A serious expression lines Mom's face, casing a few wrinkled lines to appear on her forhead as she raises her eyebrows in curiosity.

"Same."

Mom and Dad nod in satisfaction, but I guess another question pops in Dad's mind as his face lights up with a smile. "Oh, and that Jacob boy. They're moving! Finally, no more Perez's!" Dad cheers and Mom gleefully joins.

Nathan eyes me as I practially choke on the bean in shock. He stares silently, stuffing in another forkful of beans in his mouth to avoid reaction.

"The Pere.. when?" I barely if she my sentence and I want to cry. No Jacob?! Who will go to prom with Emma? It'll tear me to pieces seeing her heartbroken expression after all the vigorous planning! No..

This isn't right.

Dad takes a deep breath. "Unfortunately, they won't be leaving off until the end of May." He sips from his wine as he smiles a bit.

"But don't worry-"

"Why?" I strain lowly. The air feels heavy coming in and out of my lungs and I want to burst in my room and die. But I don't.

"Soemthing abut better jon oppoturnites. But, don;t worry. We'll celbrate."

"The end of the May is whe prom is!" I smile, regaining all hope.

"You're not going with the sick boy are you?" Mom eye me, a perfectly manicured eyebrow lifting. Dad stares, silemtly expecting.

"No." I mumble, but not to low.

"Emma is!" Natha buts in.

"Who?" Mom asks.

"No one important."

Jacob. Balckmail. The Perez's. Emma's possibly ruined prom? It all doesn't add up. Something is definantly not quite right about this, but Nathan knows.

And it will too!

. . .

YEEP! Granted you guys another chapter! Ignore the few mistakes, I was yping fast! Anyways, love you guys! -Mo