Fated Fae (Fractured Fae 1)

“3…2…1,” Jacob counts down as I plant my ass in the seat and the clock hits twelve. I give him a cocky grin as I pull out my sketch pad. We started to work on perfecting our shading in the last class, so today is reserved for completing and turning in our work. Our group was given a vase and flowers as our subject, not exactly exciting work but fairly simple. Pulling out my pencils, I dive into fixing my previous mistakes and adding more shading, losing myself in my work.

“So, it’s Friday…” Jacob trails off with a suggestive eyebrow wiggle and my face lights up at the prospect of a night out.

“Diamonds for karaoke?”

“Hell yes!” He whisper-yells, earning him a glare from the girl sitting across from us. We look at each other and roll our eyes, before returning to our work for a few minutes. I’m not exactly an artist, but for this class I can hold my own, so it’s not looking too bad.

“Sam coming this time?” Interrupting the silence, I whisper back to Jacob a little quieter this time. He gives me a sad look and shakes his head no. I frown at his response, hating that Sam seems to be changing. The last thing I want is to see my best friend hurt, but I’m afraid Sam is starting to pull away from Jacob and I know if they break up it will devastate him. Opposites attract, but they have to find a common ground to work out and theirs seems to be slipping out from under them.

“What’s his excuse this time?” He hasn’t joined us in weeks. It’s not even like we try to convince him to sing karaoke with us, but he still has a few drinks and laughs along with us at the other acts.

“I’m not sure, something about a new tech job. I just don’t think he wants to do anything anymore. He hates going out and I get that he prefers the quiet life, but going out once a month with your boyfriend isn’t too much to ask,” he vents before letting out a huge sigh and distracting himself by over-shading his project. I put my hand on his arm to stop him before he ruins his work and fails the assignment. He blinks a few times to clear his head before he starts to fix it in silence, his eyebrows furrowed in frustration. It’s an odd look on his usually cheerful face and I want to karate chop Sam for putting it there.

Not wanting him to be upset, I try to find a nice way to delve deeper. “It’s not. Have you told him you like when he goes?” I ask softly. But I know the answer, Jacob isn’t afraid to say how he feels. He nods again in lieu of speaking, his distress still clear on his face.

“He doesn’t seem to care. I think I’m losing him, Bells.” His voice sounds so sad that it makes my chest ache. I’ve noticed Sam withdrawing the last few months, but I think that Jacob overlooks it on purpose. He loves Sam and doesn’t want things to change.

“Give it some time and give him some space. Come home with me tonight? Make him realize what he is missing?” He just gives me a noncommittal shrug, not really wanting to take me up on it.

“His loss, bestie, we are going to go get our drink on and belt out our eighties ballads.” He does a shimmy in his seat which has me holding back the giggles threatening to burst out. We don’t want to get more angry glares from our overly serious classmates.

At least I only had to make it through one more class before heading to work, both of which flew by. My excitement grows as I get home to change for tonight. Jacob needs a pick-me-up and we could both use some major stress relief. Anxiety and stress aren’t something I usually struggle with, but this project accounting for a major chunk of my grade is adding extra pressure.

My debate on what to wear is interrupted by a knock, then the door opening. That can only mean Jacob came over early, he’s the only other one with a key. I wince, hoping this doesn’t mean bad news. Since my time is up, I grab the outfits that caught my eye and line them up on my bed so I can go greet Jacob.

“I choose the purple dress,” Jacob says as he enters my room before I even have a chance to go find him. I look over, surprised to find him in a pleasant mood. “I guess Sam really does have a big project. He was pouring over numbers when I left,” he announces happily, clearly back to denying their issues. He may be optimistic, but I’m not… I just can’t see it lasting and that kills me. If Sam made half the effort that Jacob does, then it might be a very different situation.

“Okay let me change, then I have to attempt my makeup.” I throw my jeans and shirt in the hamper, and put on the dress Jacob picked out. It’s a dark purple strapless number that stops just above my knees. Glancing in the mirror, I’m glad to see that it somehow makes me look taller than my just over five foot frame. My hair is cooperating and hanging down in soft waves, the light blonde standing out against the darker vibe of my outfit. I finish my makeup before I pull on ankle boots. Diamonds is always insanely hot so I don't bother with a jacket, instead stopping and adjusting my long platinum blond hair in the mirror. For once I managed to get the smokey eyes right and it transforms my face from cute, to sultry. That’s a definite win.

“Perfect. Now move! I want a good table!” he barks out, already by the door. I laugh and salute him before we lock up and walk down the street to Diamonds. We flash our IDs and Jacob flies through the crowd to secure a table. I head to the bar and grab our favorite drinks, the Diamond Special. It’s a sweet mix of juices and vodka because I can’t handle straight liquor. I couldn’t tell you what all is in it, but we love it.

The bar is already packed and I have to wedge myself between two giants to even be seen. As soon as she spots me, the bartender nods and makes up our drinks. I guess we’ve finally reached regular status. After paying, I duck back into the crowd and fight my way to the table. At least Jacob is tall enough so I can easily spot him over the crowd.

“Alright, sign us up my friend!” I yell over the noise as I set our drinks down. We clink our glasses together and down half for a bit of liquid courage.

“Already did, doll.” I glare at his nickname for me. He always says I resemble one of those antique porcelain dolls, only with a tan. Grumbling under my breath I flip him off and take another sip.

After another round of bad karaoke, it’s finally our turn, the announcer calling us up. Jacob pulls me up on stage to choose our song. A few people in the crowd cheer, because we do this often enough that some of them already know what’s coming. We pick Total Eclipse of the Heart and move in front of the microphone as we wait for the first notes to play.

As soon as the song begins, we put all we have into it, belting it out while using the usual dramatic arm movements and flair. The lights are hot and I’m already sweating, but up here all thoughts of projects are wiped away. We feed off of each other’s energy, having a fucking blast while we sing and dance badly.

We finish the last note and give a dramatic bow. I realize it’s a bad choice as soon as I stand back up, the world spinning for a few seconds before it recedes. The crowd cheers while I regain my composure, Jacob reaching out and grabbing my hand to lead me off stage. Apparently my lightheadedness wasn’t unnoticed by him.

“Come on tipsy, let’s go get some water before our next round.” Jacob has a point. I’m kind of a lightweight, but for some reason my alcohol metabolizes fast. I may get drunk quickly, but I also sober up in the same amount of time. I’ve learned to enjoy my buzz while I can, though it felt a bit different tonight. Could be all that coffee I’ve had in the last twenty-four hours.

“Yeah, yeah… bring on the water.” I sit at our table and wait while he runs back to the bar. I laugh along with the crowd as the next guy takes the stage. He’s trying his best, but his voice cracks as he tries to reach the high notes of his rock song, making me laugh so hard I’m crying.

“Nice singing up there, gorgeous.” A preppy guy with overly gelled hair and unnecessary swagger leans his arm on the table, blocking my view of the stage.

Trying not to be a jerk, I hold back an eye roll and give him a small, polite smile. “Thanks.” Maybe keeping my responses short would end this quickly. I even try to lean to the side to see the stage but it seems hints aren’t his strong suit.

“Can I get you a drink?” he asks with a wink. I cringe a little, winking is a terrible pick up move. It just makes me think that he’s a creeper and he doesn’t need any help in that department.

“Nope, my drink is already on its way,” I reply and turn around to see Jacob marching my way. “There he is now,” I announce happily as he joins us. The guy gives Jacob an appraising look, then apparently decides he isn’t a threat.

“Well maybe the next round? Or you

can join me for some pool?” he offers, looking put out, but never losing his smile. I hear Jacob chuckle quietly and can’t help but wonder what he has planned.