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Well here's chapter 2 for Simplisity of Life. I don't really think anyone reads this, but if you do, ummm...ta dah? Anyway, I changed the rating from T to M, cause a lot of the time I end up cursing a lot, so I don't want to take any chances. Hope you like it (if anyone reads it)
Fridays seemed to continue like this for the remainder of the month. With Jacob making himself home when he should have been teaching me, and me keeping my mouth shut.
If anything, I learned that I seriously disliked Jacob.
His wise-crack manner wasn’t something that I liked to associate myself with, and his supposed “superiority” didn’t sit to well with me either.
The seasons were starting to change by the end of the month, and the hot sticky summer was starting to wind into cool calm fall.
It was a Friday, and it was starting out as all the others had, a grimacing greeting and silence. After a grueling 20 minutes of watching the clock tick, I found that I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Can’t you teach me anything?”
Jacob took in a big breath, and looked over to me, “Is the silence getting to you?”
I didn’t want to admit that he was right, “No, but I believe that this is a waste of my time, if I’m just going to sit here, I want something for it.”
Jacob looked annoyed, “Fine, you want to learn something?”
“Yes.”
“Ok. Patience is a virtue. There.”
“That’s it?”
Jacob barely nodded, and that was all that was said the remainder of our time together.
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A few Fridays later Jacob came in in a particularly foul mood.
“Sit down,” he commanded barely before he was in the door.
“Hey, you have no right-”
“Don’t toy with me today kid.” Jacob fiery eyes bored into me, and I sat down.
“You said before that you wanted to learn something? That still apply?”
I nodded, “Yes, sure.”
“Good, I’m going to tell you something, and it may not seem like much, but remember it. Nothing in life is simple. At all.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that there’s a middle to everything, love, hate, good, bad, everything blends together and overlaps each other, and most of the time people can’t tell which thing is which.”
I didn’t really get him, not completely, but I didn’t say anything more, for fear of angering him.
After that, the rest of the “lesson” was spend in a tense silence, and Jacob left early to attend to “personal” problems.
I wanted to ask what made him so angry, but had forgot to.
I read later in the paper that a woman died because of an operation that went wrong. The paper said that the doctor performing the operation was drunk, and since he was under the influence had made a fatal mistake. He was declared innocent in court, barely with a slap on the hand. The woman was Jacob’s mother.
I don’t think I looked at Jacob quite the same after that.
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“I thought you were only staying here to watch over your mother.”
Jacob looked at me, “Yea, but I don’t have anything back where I was. A lousily job, a lousily house, and a lousily life. This place isn’t the bee’s knees, but it’s better than there.”
“Do you miss her?”
There was a blank look in Jacob’s eyes, and it was the first time I saw him without a cocky expression.
“I do, but I wouldn’t bring her back if I could. She wasn’t the best mother, but I still loved her.”
I nodded, and suddenly got the urge to say something that I had no idea why, “I admire you.”
Jacob snuffed, “That’s nice.”
Since I had already said it, I decided to stick with it, “No, really. Not your cocky attitude, or your bossiness, but the way you handle things. You seem to be able to take things well.”
Jacob got up, and sat down in the chair near to me, “I can, I was taught that at a young age. My family taught me to not show my emotions, they said that they would only hold me down. But look where’s it’s gotten me. Hanging out with some kid every Friday,” then he smiled and ruffled my hair, in a loving way, “You aren’t that bad Ezekiel.”
It was the first time he said my name, and for some reason I felt my stomach flutter. I was surprised he even knew it.
“We’ve been doing this for almost two and a half months, and this is the most we ever talked.”
Jacob only shrugged, “Do you want that to change?”
I was going to say no, but Jacob was already back to the other side of the room, his feet resting on the table, and his eyes shut.
It was nice though, cause for once the silence wasn’t awkward.
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After that our relationship seemed to change.
We still meet on Fridays, and then by some odd silent arrangement we had agreed to meet on Saturdays too. We talked during our time together, about life, and politics, and our opinions on the world around us.
He was still a cocky bastard, but I was getting used to it. In fact…I was starting to like it. He was becoming a mentor of sorts to me. Whenever I saw Jacob in town, I seemed to gravitate toward him, copy the way he walked, talked, all around acted. I wanted to be more and more like him. I wanted him cool charm, and his suave demeanor.
It wasn’t like we were friends…it was more like I was the sad lost puppy looking for someone to take care of me.
And it wasn’t my fault that he decided to take me in.
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We still fought though.
It was in my teenage nature to rebel against being told what to do.
And it never occurred to me that fighting could turn into something else.
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“Your so stubborn all the time! Why do you never listen to me?”
“I listen to you Jacob, I do too much, you can’t expect me to be on your beck and call!”
“I don’t expect you to, it’s a simple favor!”
“You want me to give up my dream to become something that I don’t want to be!”
“Being a doctor is not your dream! It’s your father’s dream for you!”
We were fighting in about this again. Jacob had told me a few weeks ago that he wanted me to give up learning to become a doctor, and go to school for journalism. He had read a document that I wrote for classes, and said that it was exceptional and that I should become a journalist.
I was beginning to run out of things to fight back with, so I said that only thing that came to mind.
“Well you know what…I’ve never liked you.” The fact that I said that surprised even me.
That seemed to strike a cord, Jacob put on an angry grimace and walked toward me.
“If you never liked me, then why am I the one you seek guidance from,” Jacob’s voice sounded angry, and I was starting to think that maybe that wasn’t the best thing to say.
I had a feeling that the conversation was going to change completely.
“If you never liked me, then why do you hang to my every word, jump at my commands,” He continued closer, then closer, and I began to move further away.
“If you never liked me, then why do you lean towards my touch,” Jacob circled around me and I couldn’t help but lean in. He put a hand lightly on my shoulder and I turned to meet his clear eyes, so full of pure emotion that it shocked me.
“If you never liked me then why do you crave me so? Want me. Want all of me,” He was so close that I could smell his sweet breath and feel it tickle my ear. Then, his voice lowered and he said in an almost sultry tone, “Maybe this isn’t as simple as you “disliking” me. You have to remember that love and hate are not a solid black and white. Nothing is simple, and if I taught you anything, it would be that.” His eyes had a strange gleam to them and for a moment I thought he was going to say something else, but he only backed away from our close proximity and turned to leave.
My breath was momentarily caught, but before he was out the door I called, “If not love and hate, then what about Lust?” before I could stop myself.
He turned fast and advanced toward me again, “You lust for me then?”
My palms began to sweat and I twisted them in my shirt. I tried not to meet his gaze, but as soon as his eyes found mine I couldn’t look away, “I-I didn’t mean that, I don’t lust for you. I don’t really-don’t really anything for you. It’s like you said, this isn’t as simple as “disliking“ you, and maybe I just want to figure out what this is.”
Jacob was close again, and his hand delicately combed through the hair beginning to cover my eyes, the gesture seemed sweet, but the sinister smile that covered his lips was anything but.
He leaned a bit closer speaking with a bite in his voice, “Don’t start games that you don’t know how to play.” The gleam in his eyes was there again, and I found it only drew me in more.
Everything about Jacob drew me in.
“Maybe I just need someone to teach me the rules.”
And before I knew what was happening, Jacob’s lips were crashed against mine.