Chapter 24: Chapter 24

Jake's POV

Earlier in the morning

"Can we at least make it to school before your usual fall out?" Josh asks rolling his eyes as he walks faster ahead of us as we missed our bus because we were busy arguing.

For the last six-minute, Jack and I have been arguing about the best sport and while I say it's basketball, Jack says it's football. I don't have a problem with football, and wouldn't have bothered to argue until Jack tried to pushing football down my throat.

"Football is the world sport, only a fool wouldn't love football." I really can't keep quiet when Jack keeps his big mouth and off-loading nonsense out of his empty brain.

"I'm not going to argue with someone as clueless as you." I fire back making Jack's face go red with anger.

"Can you two stop?"

"Not while he's still talking," I answer Josh and this makes him stop.

"I order you two to stop as your older brother." He snaps at me with a hardness and severity in his voice and my mouth shut involuntarily.

Ah! Great someone finally shut us up.

Josh is right and hell he's too mature to pick a fight with us today when he knows there's a history test for our first period. But unlike Josh who wouldn't remember what he read after an argument, I can have a long argument and still remember and Jack doesn't read because he gets to sit beside Josh who will sit beside me during the exam.

We might not the world best triplet, but I guess we find our way. Jack is the older of the two with ten minutes ahead of Josh and fifteen ahead of me, but most times he chooses to act like the youngest of all three.

"Ironically he listens to your words than mine."

I scoff and raised my brow. "Like you even know what ironically means."

We arrive at the school and we go our separate ways. We might be identical, but we dress in a way that no one will quickly recognize us. Jack has his hair styled with that model kind of look with a black jacket and Jean and brown boots, Josh is wearing a beanie that covers way over his face and with a thick grey hoodie and a tight black Jean and black sneakers. I am wearing a red face cap and a blue long sleeve and a black Jean and my favourite sandals.

So far the only ones who know we are triplets are the teachers and they don't seem to care about it and so they never say a thing which I think is a good thing. This way we make ourselves invulnerable, invincible to all forms of bullying and maltreatment from fallow students as picking on one, is picking on all.

"There's Carol, Jack," I tell him as we approach our locker and he looks away as soon as I say that. "Come on Jackson, you use to crush on her in fifth grade!" I tease him and he scowls at me furiously. "What happened?"

"Seriously? Jake, fifth grade? I'll be in college next year, do you know how long that has been?"

He opens his locker and began bringing out his books and I do the same with mine.

"I do," I reply, looking clueless which makes him more furious. "Do you?"

"I know you still like her I see your eyes." Pushing Jack always get my face broken, but I can't help it.

He slams the locker hard making some student standing around jump in fear. "She isn't my type of girl, Jake and unless you stop talking I'm going to start throwing punches." He warns hardly.

"If you throw punches, I won't see, and if I don't see, who are you going to copy from in history test?" I raise my brow at him.

As we speak, Justine walks past me and my eyes linger on her. I do have to admit that she does have it all, looks, brains and an incredible personality to crown it up, her blue eyes are endearing and her blonde hair makes them glow and a height that makes her stand out of the other girls, just how I like it. I've always wanted to walk up to her, but you can say I don't have that boldness yet.

"Whose tongue has gotten caught now?" Jack asked with an interested eye.

"None of your business."

"Oh really?" He fakes a surprised tone. "Just watch."

He walks away from me to where Justine stands talking to one of her friends and when he approaches then their eyes widen and I scowl at how girls are easily affected by him.

What does he even have?

They stay about a minute talking and he points to me while talking to the girls and the gasp and their smile increase. Something smells fishy. Then his eyes rest on Justine and remains there and soon his hands trail the strand on her hair and tuck it back behind her ear and she giggles like jelly I can feel myself go red from the anger growing within me. He says something and Justine blushes and bit her lips as she and before he walks off, he places a quick kiss on her cheek.

He's grinning when he approaches me and trying not to yell, I ask through gritted teeth. "What the hell have you done?"

He shrugs, "Figured you'll never make a move so I did. Oh her friend is single and I told her about you already, you don't have to thank me." He ridiculously says still grinning.

My hands ball into a fist the next thing I know, they collide with a hard spot which happens to be Jack's face. He stops grinning and he clenches his teeth as his face turns red with the impact of my fist, but before he can say anything, the bell goes off signalling the first lesson period and without waiting I hang my bag and hurry off.

We sit in the class and get ready for the test, Josh sits behind me and Jack behind him like we always sit during most tests.

I feel a tap on my back and I look back to Josh and he wearily looks at me. "Did you see Jack's face?"

I mumble a low reply and nod my head.

"Do you know who did that?"

I also nod.

"Who?"

"I did," I answer taking a glance at Jack whose cheek has gotten even redder over the last four-minute. "It's a long story I'll explain it later."

The test wasn't the hardest, and just like I expected, so it was. I did answer and let Josh use it to make corrections where he was wrong and when he finished, he passes it to Jack who kept complaining he couldn't see Josh writing until the time came up.

"Why did you hit him, Jake? It's so unlike you."

I sigh, "I know, he went after Justine and I lost it." I explain. "He took advantage of the fact that I like her, it's not fair and he shouldn't always get away with what he does."

"I think he lost his contact lens when you hit him, he couldn't see throughout the test," Josh explains and now I understand why he kept saying he couldn't see Josh handwriting.

I almost feel sorry for him.

"He did the same to me days ago remember?" I remind Josh because he seems to have forgotten. "He broke my glasses."

"I know, but payback isn't the right thing, it's never the right thing."

I groan in frustration. "Where is he?"

"The school clinic." He answers before walking away.

I follow behind and e both arrive at the clinic and enter inside. Jack is seating there with an ice pack to his cheek while the nurse works at her table, but she excuses us when she sees us.

On seeing us, Jack expression hardens and he glares at us—me.

"What do you want? My face is messed up just like you want, aren't you happy now?" He accuses me like I am the bad guy.

I hate when he gets bitchy and starts ranting.

I fold my hands over my chest and lean on the walk while Josh goes and sit beside him.

"You deserve what you got and even worse for what you did." I slam back irritably at him.

"What did I do?" He asks with a grimace and I almost facepalm.

"Does Justine sound familiar?"

He looks lost for a while then he says. "You hit me because I helped you."

"Help me?" I scoff ridiculously. "Or help yourself?"

"I was pulling your legs, you ass, I told her about you and that you liked her."

I don't seem to be getting what he's saying my brain appears to be having a lack of clarity or order as it recollects all that took place earlier. "I know what I saw, he was flirting with Justine, he even kisses her!" I tell Josh then to Jack. "You don't think I'm stupid do you?"

He shakes his head. "I never thought you were until now."

I hate when I don't understand what others say and that's what is happening now. "What do you mean?"

"I told her you were too shy to talk to her and told her you liked her."

"Why did you kiss her then?"

"Because I wanted to make you mad?" He rolls his eyes, surely they don't hurt well enough.

"Well, you did."

"Listen, smart ass, I know you guys may think the only person I care about is me, which isn't an entire lie, but I do care about you guys too. Justine likes you, but don't think there aren't other guys lurking around to take her if you don't make your move."

That has to be the best things I've ever heard him say.

"Thanks," I tell him with all seriousness. "And I am sorry I hit you."

He grins mischievously, "Don't worry, you owe me a new contact lens."

I walk to where he sits and punch his arm playfully. "I'll get you new glasses." I stick my tongue out at him.

.

When we get home, Josh and I enter the kitchen, while Jack washes the pot and bringing out the vegetables we begin washing them. When we finish washing and start chopping them Jack hands us the pot and we set it on the gas cooker and we about to start cooking when the doorbell ring.

Jack leaves the kitchen goes over to the door and opens it.

"Hey, bro." He says quite familiar with the visitor. "What are you doing here? Taylor isn't back home yet."

It has to be Mycole and Josh and I abandon what we are doing and walk back into the living room where Jack and Mycole are.

"Hey, Jake, Josh." He says with a not so genuine smile.

"Hey, Mycole."

"Have Taylor called?" He asks, with a worrying voice.

"No. She never does." Josh replies and gives him a worrying look. "Is something wrong?"

"I've been calling her since the last four hours, and she isn't picking."

"She's probably busy with work like always." Jack points out which isn't a lie because Taylor is always busy.

But despite this fact, my heart is being gripped by the feat of the unknown.

"I told her Rory was going to put her in danger today and she should as much as possible avoid him today."

"What are you talking about!" The panic in my voice is so obvious that Josh has to hold my hand so I don't grab Mycole shirt.

"I don't know, but I think Taylor's life might be in danger." He replies in vivid grief.

This is so not happening.