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Beta'd by readingmama
2.
Edward made his way down the long hallway, cringing as his shoes squeaked on the grimy tile. Each step echoed, bouncing off the boring white walls. In less than a week, those same walls would be plastered with brightly colored paper, fliers and posters and announcements all hoping to catch the attention of passing students. But right now, the school was empty, lacking the character and color it had during the school year.
Edward's meeting with his guidance counselor, Ms. Cope, had gone well. He'd managed to get into all of the classes he needed to graduate and was still able to fit drama into his busy schedule. Edward knew that most of his fellow classmates were planning on taking it easy during their senior year. They saw it as their last hurrah, a chance to relax and party before growing up. But not Edward. He had dreams. He knew he'd have to work hard in order to make his escape from the small town.
But just because he had to work hard, it didn't mean he wouldn't be able to have some fun, too.
Edward pulled his cell phone out of his pocket as he traded in the cool, quiet hallways for the sweltering Texas sun. He could feel the excitement bubbling beneath his skin as he punched in the familiar number. This was the moment he'd been waiting for all summer.
"Hey, Alec, it's Edward. Listen, you know that Collings I've been hoping to get my hands on? Well, let's just say-"
"Where am I supposed to get $3500, Tyler?"
Edward frowned as he turned the corner, nearly running into six foot plus of frantic quarterback. Jacob was the picture of frustration, one hand buried in his shaggy hair, lower lip bitten blood red. He was pacing back and forth, talking to someone on his phone.
"I don't have that kind of money and you know I can't tell my dad." Jacob heaved a heavy sigh.
"Look, I'll figure something out. Your uncle can keep it at the garage for now, right?"
Edward watched as Jacob finished his call and slumped down on the sidewalk, legs bent awkwardly and face buried in his hands. He was so wrapped up in Jacob's apparent drama that he forgot about Alec until he heard his name through the tinny speaker.
"Hey, Alec... I'll have to call you back." He didn't wait for an answer before snapping the phone shut. Edward wasn't an idiot. He recognized that this could be his chance to get to know Jacob better. There was no one else around, no one to get in the way. No one to point out that Edward really didn't belong there.
Edward walked towards the other boy, taking a deep breath to reign in his nerves. "Problems?" Edward inwardly rolled his eyes. That was stating the obvious.
Jacob glanced up, eyes faintly rimmed with red. "Oh, hey, Edward."
Edward didn't say anything as he sat down next to Jacob on the boiling concrete. He could feel the heat seep through the thin cotton of his shorts and shifted uncomfortably, leaving as little skin touching the ground as possible.
Jacob rolled his head, neck popping, and leaned back, stretching his legs out in front of him. Edward resisted the urge to stare as Jacob dropped his head back, neck muscles lengthening, eyes squinting against the bright sunlight. He tilted his head to the side, glancing at Edward again.
"The guys from Madison did some work on my truck."
Edward frowned. Madison was a rival school. He knew whatever work they did on Jacob's truck, it couldn't have been good. "What kind of work exactly?"
Jacob sighed. "Keyed up the side real good. Smashed headlights. Broke the window. Minor body damage. That sort of thing."
Edward was appalled. "Why didn't you go to the cops? That's destruction of private property! And I know the sheriff would help you out in an instant." Edward shook his head to himself. That was an understatement. The football team was treated like superstars in their small town. And Jacob, the quarterback, was the second coming. There wasn't anything anyone in town wouldn't do for him.
"No proof," Jacob finally replied, digging through the grass with one hand, not meeting Edward's stare.
"Then how do you know it was Madison?"
Edward could see Jacob's muscles coiled tight with rage. "They called to gloat."
"Seriously?" Edward frowned. He knew the rivalry between the two schools was intense but he couldn't imagine why the other team would mess with Jacob's truck.
Jacob shrugged. "Yeah. It's so juvenile. They trashed my truck and then called to make sure I knew it was them. They're just trying to rile me up for the game on Friday. They know we're the better team."
"So did they mess with any of the other guys?"
"Nah, just me. Guess I'm just lucky."
Edward leaned forward and thought about Jacob's situation. Something didn't quite add up but he wasn't sure what it was.
"Now I just have to figure out where to get the money to fix it. I have about $1500 in savings but it's going to cost a lot more than that." Jacob stared at his feet, looking tired and defeated.
"How much more?"
Jacob turned to give him a strange look. "A couple thousand probably. At least, that's the estimate."
Edward chewed on his lip, a plan quickly forming in his mind. He decided he had nothing to lose and everything to gain. "What if I loaned you the money?"
"Are you serious?"
Edward could feel Jacob's intense gaze on him. He rushed on, afraid he'd lose his nerve if he didn't get the words out soon. "Just hear me out. I could lend you the money. But in exchange, you agree to help make me popular."
Edward could feel his face heat up. He glanced over at Jacob.
"How do I do that?" Jacob spoke slowly, carefully choosing his words as he thought about Edward's proposal.
"Just hang out with me. I'd be cool by association." Edward couldn't believe he was actually making the offer. Jacob was always nice to him, never said anything mean. Never pushed him around. But they weren't friends. They never were.
"You don't need to do that, Edward," Jacob picked at a loose thread on his shorts. His eyes were focused on a spot far across the football field.
Edward followed Jacob's gaze, surprised to see the cheerleaders out practicing. He hadn't noticed them earlier. "Look, you need the money, right?"
Jacob nodded.
"Then let me do this. It's a good deal for both of us."
Jacob sighed and his shoulders fell. He closed his eyes. "Okay."
The agreement was so quiet, Edward almost didn't hear it. When he realized that Jacob had just gone along with his crazy plan, his smile grew. This was going to happen. Edward was going to be popular. After all these years of being tormented or ignored, it was finally his turn to be part of the cool clique.
He clapped his hands, standing up. "Awesome. We can figure out all the details later. But how about we head home for now?"
Jacob glanced up at Edward, squinting his eyes against the sun. He responded with a small smile, a pale imitation of his normal grin. "You gonna walk me home?"
Edward laughed at the teasing tone. "Well, as your sugar daddy, it's the least I can do."
Jacob's smile dimmed slightly. "Edward, you really don't-"
Edward waved his hand, stopping Jacob before he could say too much. "Don't mention it, man. Trust me. I want to help and if I get a little something out of it, then that's even better."
Jacob stood up and brushed off his shorts. He tilted his head to the side, indicating the road. "Shall we?"
"Yeah," Edward couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his face as he and Jacob headed toward home, walking side by side in the blistering heat. His skin was tingling with anticipation at the coming year.
This year, things were finally going to be different.
Thanks for reading!
I am going to try and update this story Sunday's and Thursday's as long as real life allows.
-Gemma
