Too Perfect to Be true. Part 7

Sorry for the delay everyone! Thanks for being patient. There will be a couple more chapters and then I'm going to wrap this baby up. Stay tuned everyone. The next few are sure to be good. Keep reviewing. I love hearing your feedback. Enjoy part 7! - Billy

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Too Perfect to Be True: Part 7

Will tapped his foot impatiently as Jacob’s cell phone went to the message machine. “Hey Jacob…uhhh…It’s Will…I’m just calling because…well, I didn’t hear from you last night.” Will ran a hand lightly through his straight brown hair. “Um, I was wondering if you’re swinging by to pick me up this morning.” He stopped. “Actually…no…nevermind I’ll just take my car.” Will sighed and picked up the towel on his bed. “Okay…well. I’ll see you at school.” He went to hang up his phone but quickly brought it back up to his face. “Hey, give me a call if you get this. I hope you’re alright bud.” Will hung up his phone and shook the towel through his wet hair. He was worried about Jacob. He didn’t like the way the two had left things the day before and he wanted to resolve things.

He pulled his underwear on quickly and slid on his jeans. As he reached for his shirt on the bed, his cell phone rang. It was Jacob. Will jumped for the phone.

“Hey man. You picking me up?” Will asked.

There was a slight pause. Jacob cleared his throat. “Uh…Will. I can’t swing by today okay?” 

Will sulked. He sat back down onto the bed next to him. “Yeah man…totally. That’s fine.” Will laughed. “I think I can handle driving to school myself.”

Again, Jacob took his time responding. “Will…I can’t really see you today.”

Will sighed. He didn’t want to jump to conclusions. “Why? Are you sick, dude?”

“No it’s not that…”

“Jacob, c’mon man I’m really sorry about yesterday.”

Jacob was sitting in his car listening to Will’s frustrated voice. He didn’t really know what he was doing. All he knew is that he needed more time. If he told Will the kind of trouble he was in, Will wouldn’t understand. “Listen, Will.” Jacob started. “This has nothing to do with yesterday okay babe?” Jacob said as kindly as he could. 

“Jacob, what’s going on?” Will asked.

Jacob ran a hand through his hair. He pressed the base of his palm against his eyelid. “Bud…I know it’s not going to make sense…but…whatever happens at school today…please forgive me.”

“What!? What are you talking about!?” Will demanded. 

“No, Will, please listen, alright?” Jacob begged. “I can’t talk to you today. But I promise you I’m going to figure this out. You are just going to have to give me time Will. Please.” 

“Jacob, just tell me what’s going on. I can help you!” Will pleaded.

Jacob gripped his steering wheel. “No, Will. You can’t. This one’s on me…” He said.

“Jacob. This isn’t fair man.” Will said, frustrated. He clenched the t-shirt in his hand and threw it down onto the carpeted floor below him.

“I know, Will. I’m so sorry.” Jacob said. He turned the keys to his car and started the engine. “I have to go buddy.” 

“How long!?” Will yelled. He stood up from his bed and began to pace.

Jacob shook his head. “What?”

“How long, Jacob? HOW LONG do I have to wait around for you!?” He demanded. 

“I don’t know…Will…” Jacob said quietly.

“I can’t pretend anymore with you, Jacob! Jesus Christ, one minute you’re ready to make a step forward, the next you’re running away. What am I supposed to do?”

“Please Will, I’m not like you…” Jacob moaned. 

“You came to me, Jacob! You took my car keys that day! You took the first step because you wanted us to be together. You wanted all of this to happen.” Will yelled. He fell slowly to the floor. 

Jacob knew Will was right. “I know, Will. I do want to be with you.” He paused, listening to Will’s heavy breathing. He couldn’t form the words he needed to make Will understand. “I love you, Will. I really do.” Jacob threw his head back against the leather of his car seat. 

“So why?” Will started. “Why would you make that first step if you can’t follow through, man?” He asked quietly. “Why would you do all that…when you knew I loved you too?” Will stopped. He looked down at the white carpeting and scuffed his heels into the soft fibers. “When you knew I loved you so badly…that it hurt. Don’t you see how hard that is for me, Jacob?” 

“I’ll call you tonight, Will.” Jacob sighed. He pulled the phone away from his ear and looked down onto his screen. The name “GREG” was displayed…He didn’t even have Will’s real name in his phone in fear that his father may look through his contacts.

“Don’t hang up Jacob. Please don’t.” Will begged as his phone fell silent.

Jacob stared at the fake name. He was appalled with himself. The lengths he was going through to hide the most important person in his life were utterly disturbing. He didn’t know how to deal with it. There was nothing more he could say to Will without talking in circles. He placed his thumb on the icon of the red phone and pressed down. 

Will heard the sound die on his phone.

****

Things were moving too quickly for Jacob. He needed to be the one to tell his father that he was gay. He wasn’t going to let Erin Peterson take that away from him. 

Jacob pulled into the school parking lot. He saw Will’s old Volvo already parked in the same place that it was everyday. Will was nowhere in sight. Jacob climbed out of his truck and walked over to Will’s car. He held a note tightly in his hands, looking around to make sure that no one (particularly Erin) was watching him. Jacob placed a hand on the trunk of Will’s car and looked around at all of the windows. As always, the passenger seat’s window was just slightly cracked. He ran around to the passenger’s door and slid the folded piece of binder paper through the space. It landed neatly on the seat below. 

He darted away from the car as coolly as possible and headed towards the school building. As he opened one of the front doors he noticed a familiar figure standing against the lockers in the hall. The first bell had rung and most students had already headed off to class. Will was waiting in silence for Jacob to appear.

Jacob hung his head. He felt the floor drop beneath him as he saw Will quietly staring at him. A couple of students walked between them not noticing their exchange. Jacob didn’t look up.

“Okay.” Will said. He pushed off the side of the locker and started to walk past Jacob. “I just needed to see if you really were going to do this to me.” He said quietly and continued down the hallway.

Jacob said nothing. He couldn’t. He stared straight at the floor and wanted to cry in frustration. Erin put a hand lightly on his shoulder. 

“Morning sweetie.” She smiled.

“I don’t even know what to say to you.” Jacob stammered, appalled.

“Wow. Warm welcome. Oh please, are you still mad about your little friend?” She laughed. “Give me a break Jacob.” She rolled her eyes, placing her arm through his. “Like I said…If there’s nothing going on, then this shouldn’t be a problem…So don’t make it a problem.” She snapped pulling his arm into her chest. “I don’t want to fight with you Jacob. The whole point of me making you drop your faggy little friend is just so we can be closer. I swear you never spend any time with me.”

Jacob walked silently down the hallway with Erin attached. He felt a cold chill creep up his spine as the reality of what he had just done to Will set in on him. 

****

Will sat in his Spanish class completely numb. He stared at the board and repeated the phrases his teacher yelled without thinking. Kate sat next to him and stared at him with suspect. She quickly grabbed a pen and began to scribble down a note to her friend. Cautiously, she flicked the folded piece of binder paper onto Will’s desk.

Will unfolded it carelessly and loudly, making Kate nervous that the teacher would notice. He looked down and read it.

“What’s up loverboy?” The note said. Will stared at it for a moment and then lightly handed it back to Kate. Kate took the piece of paper back confounded. She wanted a reply. Suddenly, her hand bolted straight up, interrupting the teacher’s babble. 

“Mr. Lopez! I’m sick!” She hollered. Some of the students around her giggled. Mr. Lopez just stared at her blankly.

“Kate…I’m in the middle of…” He started.

“I know, but I’m really sick. Will needs to take me to the nurse. I’m going to be sick!” Kate demanded. The teacher said nothing. She sighed in frustration and then began to pantomime gagging.

“Okay! Okay! GO!” He yelled. He signaled Will to get her. Will rolled his eyes and stood up from his chair grugingly. He grabbed Kate by the arm and dragged her out of class.

The two walked a couple steps down the hallway before Kate turned on him.

“You could at least TRY to play along!” She snapped. “God.”

“Kate, I’m really not in the mood.” Will said. He walked a couple steps ahead of her.

“No. No way, pal.” She said grabbing him by the shoulder. “What is wrong with you?!” She demanded. Will sighed and continued to walk.

“Will. Stop being such a drama queen and just fucking tell me!” Kate yelled. She was loosing her patience. Will turned around quickly and stared her straight in the eye. 

“FINE!” He shouted. He took in a deep breath and shook his head fighting back tears. “He’s doing it again.” Will said. He folded his arms and looked down at the floor. 

“What?” Kate asked. Will was not being clear.

“Jacob!” Will pressed. “God.” He paused for a moment. “He’s not talking to me at school.” He said quietly. “Something happened and he wont tell me.” 

Kate stood motionless for a moment. She cringed and shook her head. “Oh you have GOT to be kidding me.” She steamed. “I’m gonna kill him.”

“Kate…” Will started

“No Will. I don’t care what you’ve told me…that kid has got a pussy not a dick. What the fuck!?” She started walking fast.

“Kate!” Will struggled to keep up with her. “God this is exactly why I didn’t tell you! I knew you’d flip out and it’s not even your problem!”

Kate whipped her hair back. “Not my problem!?” She started. “Ha! Will I’m your best friend. Don’t tell me it’s not my problem.” She kept pushing forward.

“Where are you going!?” Will demanded. 

Kate stopped and calmly turned around. “I am going to the nurse, Will. If you can’t follow through on a good lie, than what’s the point? Besides, I actually do feel sick now.” She turned and kept walking.

Will talked to her from behind. “Okay, but just promise to stay out of this. You know what’s wrong so just let me deal with it.”

“Not a chance.” Kate sniffed.

****

Jacob had been listening to the awful drone of his teacher’s voice for too long. He had been in his economy class for almost ninety minutes and only devoted two seconds of that time to actually thinking about economy. That was when he thought he had heard someone say “Will”, but they actually said “bill.” The sweet, dark haired boy was the only thing on Jacob’s mind. The bell finally rang and Jacob lifted his head to see the clock. The past 90 minutes had been utter torture.

Will left his classroom with his economy book still in his hand. He headed out the door and turned the corner to where his locker was. A familiar face was leaning up against it. Kate’s. 

Kate had a fire in her eye and a dry smile. Jacob was petrified of Kate. He hated to admit it, but he was. She saw right through him and he knew it.

He approached his locker slowly and smiled at her as he made his move. She glared. When he finally reached the metal door Kate picked up her hand and quickly slapped him.

“Jesus Christ!” Jacob exclaimed taking a step back. 

“You know Jacob…you really never had a reason to be scared of me…until now.” Kate said coolly.

“Kate. Stop it. There is so much you don’t understand.” Jacob said seriously. Kate frowned.

“Yeah, you’re right. There is a lot I don’t understand. I don’t understand how you can be so utterly in love one moment and then toss your lover aside like he’s a piece of trash the next. I don’t understand how you can take my best friend’s heart…the warmest heart I know of…and run it through more ups and downs in a DAY, than it’s been through in it’s entire lifetime. Jacob, Will loves you. And you’d be lying if you said you didn’t love him…” 

“I do love him.” Jacob interrupted sincerely.

Kate threw her head back. “Then for the love of god, Jacob…what is going on!?” Kate stamped. She pierced him with her glare. 

“Kate…I just need to take care of a few things. I know it must be hard for you to understand and even harder for Will, obviously…But…I need to handle this on my own.” Jacob spoke calmly and honestly. 

“Jacob, cut the bullshit.” She snickered. “I’m really not in the mood. Those puppy eyes don’t work on me.” She stepped forward. Before Jacob could ever see it coming Kate put her hand on Jacob’s wrist gently. “But I am your friend, Jacob.” Kate said sincerely. She took a breath. “I know we haven’t connected –God, we’ve barely even spoken much- but hey, guess what…I know you better than most people in your life right now.” Kate squeezed Jacob’s wrist.

Jacob looked at her for a moment. He suddenly felt as if Kate was truly listening. He sighed. “Kate, I didn’t even tell Will this…” 

“It’s okay Jacob…but I can’t let you walk around treating Will this way. So whatever is going on needs to be resolved now.” She let go of his wrist and leaned against the locker.

“Erin…” Jacob started. Kate Cringed. “Erin saw us kiss in my truck the other day. Will tried to play it off as a joke.”

“I know, he told me.” She said.

“Well, I felt horrible about the whole thing and I was going to do something nice for him…but then Erin was at my house waiting for me to come home and…”

“…and?” Kate tapped.

“She didn’t buy it. Not any of it.” Jacob sighed. 

Kate lifted an eyebrow. “She has a brain cell. Good for her.” She scoffed.

“She told me that if she ever saw me with him she would ‘tell everyone what kind of a man I’m not.’ Especially my father.” He said quietly. Kate pressed further into the locker and said nothing. “I was just getting up the guts to tell my dad myself…but not this soon.” He said earnestly. “I can’t let HER tell him. I’d have to live with that for the rest of my life.” 

Kate shook her head slowly. “Jacob, why didn’t you tell Will this?” She asked.

“I didn’t think he’d understand. I’m going to talk to him after school. It was all too much this morning. I didn’t know what to do.” Jacob started to breath heavily. He ran his hand through his hair.

“Slow down pretty boy.” Kate stopped him. “So what’s the plan?” She asked.

“I don’t know.” Jacob said. He raised his shoulders. “Kate, I’ve been trying to figure that out all day and I just don’t know.” 

Kate stood still. She smiled. “Jacob, you do know.” She laughed sweetly. “You’re just going to have to come to terms with it.” 

Jacob looked around the hallway. There was still no sign of Erin. He threw his head back and began to cry. Not hard, but tears started to fall down his cheeks.

Kate kept smiling. “Jacob. You have an incredible gift. You have found the love of your life at only 18. So what are you going to do about it?”

Jacob laughed through the tears. “Jesus Christ this happened fast.” He smiled.

“It’s Will, Jacob.”

“I know.” Jacob said. He closed his eyes tightly and sighed. “I tell my father.” He said firmly. 

“And?” Kate pressed.

“And I hold Will.” He laughed. “And kiss him.” Kate placed her hand back on his wrist. “And tell him what he means to me…even when everyone is watching.” 

Kate cracked a light smile and let go of Jacob. “This doesn’t all have to happen right this second, Jacob. But this is what you have to do. And what’s so beautiful about it is that Erin has nothing over you now.” She laughed.

Jacob smiled and kicked the ground. “Yeah…you’re right.” He paused. “God she is such a bitch. How am I going to deal with that?”

“Oh trust me, ditching her will be the fun part!” Kate laughed. “And don’t worry, I’ve got a couple tricks up my sleeve myself.” She said suspiciously.

Jacob shook his head. “I can’t wait.” He smiled sweetly. “Thank you, Kate.” He said. “I know how much Will loves you.” He paused. “It makes a lot of sense.”

“Sure does.” Kate joked. 

Jacob looked down. “He’s hates me right now.” He said.

Kate cackled. “Oh god Jacob, don’t be dumb.” She smiled. “Will couldn’t hate you if you burned down his house and cut off all of his hair.”

Jacob laughed. “He is pretty obsessive about his hair isn’t he?” 

“2 products, every morning.” Kate said.

“Three!” Jacob corrected her. “He puts a wax in at the end now. He spends so much time making sure all of the little pieces fall into his face like he’s some kind of rock star. You should see the face he makes when he’s doing his hair. It’s so adorable. Like fucking James Dean or something. He raises his eyebrows and sticks out his chin. The other morning I caught him doing it in the…” Jacob stopped himself. He giggled. “Sorry.”

Kate pursed her lips and giggled with him. “He’s worth it Jacob.”

“God, I know.” Jacob sighed with a smile.

“You’re really special.” Kate said simply and pushed off from the locker. She kissed him lightly on the cheek. “Sorry I slapped you.” She winked at him. Jacob rolled his eyes.

“Thanks, Kate.” He said as the girl began to walk away from him.

“Just grow a pair Jacob.” She laughed hard. “Grow some balls and you’ll be fine.” 

Jacob laughed and watched as Kate pushed open the double doors of the school building.

****

Jacob ran into the parking lot. He didn’t care about the rest of his classes. The end of lunch was nearing and he wondered if Will had found his note. Will’s old Volvo pulled into the parking lot and into its familiar spot. Jacob ran for Will’s car.

He looked around quickly. Erin was nowhere to be seen. Will’s door popped open and Jacob saw the gorgeous boy pop his head up. 

“No get back in.” Jacob said crossing over to the passenger’s door.

Will threw his head back impatiently. “The note said ‘at the end of the day.’ ” He sighed.

“Yeah, well screw the fucking note. Let’s get the fuck out of here now.” Jacob urged. He opened the door quickly.

“Jacob…I can’t skip class right now.” Will said. He could barely look at Jacob.

Jacob looked at the boy he had so badly hurt that morning. His eyes were glowing. He saw the beauty in how Will always wore his heart of his sleeve. “I’m so sorry, Will.” Jacob said. He crossed around the back of the car. Will scoffed and rolled his eyes. Jacob took Will’s face firmly in his hands. He looked deeply into Will’s eyes. “I mean it.” He kissed Will deeply and pulled away slowly.

“Jacob…don’t…Erin might…” Will started.

“I don’t fucking care!” Jacob laughed. “I promise, I don’t care!” Jacob said firmly, kissing Will once more. “Get in the car Will.” He said again. “Let’s get the fuck out of here. I really want you to meet someone.”

Will rested his head onto Jacob’s shoulder for a second. He didn’t want to believe Jacob. He was too afraid of being hurt. But Jacob did something to him that no other human could. He was completely disarmed. He loved Jacob.

“Okay.” Will said.