THE RISE OF JAKE MILLER

chapter four

Chapter 4

“Margaret! What in heaven’s name are you doing? Why are you harassing him?”

Before Margaret could answer herself, Antonio, one of the security guards jumped Jake and held him roughly, as though he had caught a thief. “He bumped into Madam Margaret, and made her spill coffee on her dress, and would not even apologize.”

Antonio did that to show off because he has a crush on the manager.

“Margaret, did he bump into you or spill your coffee deliberately?” Mr. Black asked Margaret, totally ignoring Antonio.

“No, Mr. Black,” Margaret said meekly.

He then turned towards Antonio, and said, “And you, let go of him and walk out that door, but do not return to set foot in here. You're fired.”

Antonio was perplexed. He started to plead but Mr. Black dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

“Now, Margaret, apologize to Mr. Miller here.”

When she heard him call Jake Mr. Miller and treat him with so much respect, her heart began to beat fast because she then realized that he was not just a nobody.

She stepped forward rolling her hips as she walked, smiled from a lip covered in too much lipstick, and said, “I’m sorry about the misunderstanding, Mr. Miller. It was my mistake and for that I apologize. I'm ready to do whatever you ask of me” she said and posed in a sexy manner in front of Jake.

Jake noticed her attempt and felt disgusted at her because she reminded him of his ex.

“You're demoted to the position of receptionist,” he said without waiting for her response and began walking towards the exit.

However, his phone began to ring and he picked it up.

“Hello, Saint-James”

“Hey, Jake. Where have you been?”

Jake tried to come up with something to tell his friend, “Umm… work.”

“Every time, you're at work. Do you ever have time for yourself?. By the way, the game is by 4, see you then.” Saint-James said and hung up before Jake could reply.

Jake shook his head at the recollection and tried to clear his mind.

He had a basketball game to go to at his school and for now, he wanted to just forget everything that had happened in the last few hours.

He turned towards Mr. Black and said, “I need to get to college as soon as possible.”

“Okay, Mr. Miller, I’ll take you there.”

***

Jake got to college a few minutes before the games would begin.

He knew his ex-girlfriend would be there because she was a cheerleader, but that was all a past that he had started to forget even though he was still badly hurt.

At the basketball court, he made out his friends and walked over to where they were.

“Hey Saint-James. Hey Santino, how are you guys?”

“Man, it’s been a while since we last saw you, Saint had even begun to doubt if you would show up here today.”

“Yeah, man,” Saint interjected, “We rarely see you these days and when we do, you are always in a hurry.”

“I’m really sorry about all of that though, you know how it has been, and this week especially has been crazy.”

“Wait, is that not Melissa, What is she doing with that dog?” Santino was pointing in the distance

“Yeah right, why is she with him?” Saint was staring too.

They both looked at Jake and he said, “We are not together anymore, I caught her in some hotel room with some sleazy middle-aged guy called William. I wonder if Arthur knows about it seeing how he is strung along with her.”

“Obviously, he doesn’t know. Santino and I saw them together at the bleachers and just dismissed it.”

“We came here for the game, right? So would we please drop this dreadful subject? Thank you.”

As they walked to find their positions Jake could not help but think how he had been in love with such a person for years.

It seemed as though each way he turned he saw them.

Arthur was everywhere showing off and Melissa was just trying to hide away with the thought that Jake might reveal her affair with the middle aged man to everyone.

Although Jake didn't care. After all it's none of his business and he just thought that they were two scumbags. Melissa was already a cheat and Arthur is the school bully, and unknown to Arthur, Melissa is cheating on him with Williams, her sugar daddy.

The only reason she came to the game was because she is a cheerleader and not because of Arthur.

Just that moment, Arthur walked towards Jake and decided to rob his affair with Melissa in his face.

“Hey pauper boy? Why are you looking at us? I know you can't stand the fact that Melissa left your wretched ass to be with me.”

Jake said nothing and ignored him completely. He made to walk away but Arthur held him instantly and blocked his path.

Arthur thought Jake was afraid of him.

“And where do you think you're going? Huh? Afraid that I'd kick your ass?” He mocked and his friends burst out laughing.

“He wouldn't afford a punch!” Nathan Baths, one of Arthur's friends said.

Jake's friends tried to help him, they couldn't stand and watch their friend being bullied.

“And I bet you cannot throw one...” Saint-James shouted at Nathan but Jake gestured for him to stop.

Jake chose not to counter attack them, because he knew that he and his two friends cannot beat Arthur and his numerous friends plus he doesn't want his friends to get involved, so he endured all their insults.

However, a female voice was heard "Hey, leave him alone! Can't you find something better to do?" It was one of the school's cheerleaders, Katy, a rich, tall and beautiful girl, who is also one of the best students academically.

"Whatever. Not worth my time." Arthur snorted and left

Jake walked up to Katy hoping to thank her. “Um… Hi. I just wanted to say thank you for standing up for me, even if we don’t know each other.”

“If you really want to thank me, Jake then come to my birthday party.” She pulled an invite out of her bag and handed it to him.

“You know my name?” he asked, incredulously.

“Of course I know your name, what with how many times that spineless bully called it.”

“Oh I see. I’d be at your party.” He concluded by taking the invite and smiling.

“Keep in mind that it is a masquerade ball.” And with that she was gone just as the coach arrived.

Just then, two cheer-leading friends of Melissa passed by Jake, cackling louder than any other person.

“From the way he looks you would know that he was born and still lives in poverty. I don’t even know if he has eaten all day. Sometimes I fear that he will soon pass out because he lacks enough glucose.”

“Now Daisy that was mean,” Samantha said to her friend in mock sympathy. “But I do have a solution, he could tag along with us to dinner, that way he would get something to eat and maybe then you would not have to worry about him passing out.”

And they both laughed hysterically, wiping tears dramatically from their eyes.