Jacob's Tutor | Jacob Day

Chapter 19

Thomas had a bounce in his step on the Sunday morning after the skating competition. The blinds were drawn open swiftly. The dogs got a heaping scoop of food. Coffee was made with extra cream, stirred with a touch more vigor. It didn't take much for Vinnie, who was slumped over a bowl of cereal, to look up at him curiously. "The tooth fairy visit you last night or somethin'?" "Even better. 400K new views on the new video did." Dimple etched into his cheek, Thomas slid his elbows on the counter beside Vinnie, clearly looking to pull it up. "Who was tortured as a sacrifice for this week's views?" Vinnie said sarcastically. "No one- that's the point. Just watch." Thomas fast-forwarded to a certain spot and began playing it. On the screen was the footage from the skating competition they all filmed the week prior. The point of the game was to see which team could complete the most obstacles, of course. Despite this, it was Jacob and Lily who stood across from each other in the center of the skate park. But wait... were they standing? The camera shifted to their feet, and it became clear that they were each balancing on a skateboard with a tennis ball under it. Lily stuck her tongue out at Jacob just before he tried to take a swipe at her. "You guys are on the same team!" Tabitha exclaimed in the background, voice twangy. But their determination only intensified. "You will lose," Jacob said under his breath. "Talking to yourself, are you?" Lily was so intent on not losing her balance that she hardly noticed Thomas' camera in her face. The two of them began swatting at one another- poking, prodding, and swiping- in a steadfast attempt to throw the other off their skateboard. "This is madness!" Thomas could be heard saying. It had become one of those videos where the camera was spinning around wildly and all that could be heard was unintelligible laughter. You know, the kind of video you wish you were in. Vinnie wasn't even sure who won in the end- but as his gaze broke from the screen, he had to admit it was entertaining. "Good stuff, my man"-him and Thomas dabbed each other up- "I'm not surprised about the views." A strange look washed over Thomas. "Yeah, Lily's gonna be pissed when she finds out, though." "Oh, wait, didn't she say no recording her?" A voice asked behind him. It was Jake, all clad in some Alien pajamas. "Yeah, but you were there, Jake, that competition was begging to be filmed. And look how well it's doing!" An eager Thomas shoved the phone into his face to prove the video's performance. Jake's intense green eyes maintained their solemnity. "That girl's feisty, though. She's not just gonna let it go that you didn't respect her privacy." "Respect her privacy?? Jake- I know that any other girl would be jumping up and down at this claim to fame right now. She literally has all eyes on her and she's ignoring it. I'm doing her a favor, for Christ's sake!" "Take a shot every time Thomas says 'for Christ's sake,'" Vinnie interjected, trying to lighten the mood. But Jake refocused the conversation. "Dude, I get it. But don't be surprised if she comes knocking at your door in a fit of rage."

--- later that day ---

Thomas figured someone had rung the doorbell, because the dogs had gone wild and would not relent until he got up from his recliner in the movie theater. The new Thor: Love and Thunder movie was playing on the big screen, and he was eager to finally see it. He looked despondently at the warm, freshly popped popcorn that he was leaving behind. "Goddamned mailman," he said under his breath, following the dogs' lead. He traipsed down the elaborate marble hallways, circling around the swirl of cast iron stairs, feet slapping the cold stone. He heaved a deep breath and swung open the door. Spoiler alert: it was not the mailman. Lily Vine was standing in the doorway, smiling sweetly in an unmistakably ironic way. "Why do you suppose I'm here, Thomas?" With a sidestep, she casually invited herself in, and Thomas said a fleeting prayer to the Gods. "That's anyone's guess," he said over her shoulder, hoping to play dumb as long as possible. "Oh, really? Because I think the fact that there's a YouTube video uploaded of me with over 700,000 FUCKING VIEWS makes it pretty obvious why." Thomas had never seen Lily yell before, and he took a step back. She was scary when she was mad. Scarier than hangry Mia by far. Maybe humor was the best way to deal with her. "Well, you could be famous if you wanted, so that's a plus, right?" Wrong. "And just why the fuck do you think I'd want to live this life that you all live? I don't even want a taste of it. Not even a little bit. Not even a lick"- "Okay, okay," Thomas interjected, ego bruised a little. "Okay what? Okay you'll take the video down?" Damn, she was direct. He was sorry he'd made her upset, but there was no way in hell he was taking down that video. Performing this well in a matter of days meant it'd be well over a million views by the time it hit the one-week mark. Unsure how to respond once again, Thomas settled on a friendly smile. "No, but listen, anything you want in the house is yours. You can pick it. I'll give you...ooh! I'll give you one of the new theater chairs." He thought wistfully of the soft leather he was just sitting in, and sadly at his quickly cooling popcorn. It was an offer he'd never pass up himself. But Lily only scoffed at him. "You silly, silly boy. It just goes to show being rich taught you nothing about the real world. You think that a fucking material object can replace the privacy that you obliterated with your video? I've already had five people ask me if I'm 'the girl' from the Hype House video this morning. And I'm smart enough to know they aren't gonna be the last." Good god, she was seething. Her uber-long chestnut hair was wavy today, but something about it made her look angrier. Framing her stubborn hazel eyes and the rosy burn of her cheeks. Medusa-like, or something. Thomas hadn't told her yet that Jacob and the guys were moving into the Hype House, and he sure as hell wasn't about to tell her now. Nonetheless, he was relieved when Jacob heard the commotion and took a break from his unpacking to come down the staircase. "Lily!" He said evenly as he approached, obviously aware that something was awry. "Jacob," Lily said curtly, eyes continuing to glare at Thomas. "Is everything... uh... good?" "I don't know, why don't you ask Thomas? Cause you know, I've been wondering why it's so hard for your friend to respect that not everyone wants to be known or seen on the street." "Oh, so I've been reduced to 'your friend' now?" Thomas retorted, getting aggravated now. Lily ignored him and forcefully tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Not everyone wants to get a Starbucks and be fucking recognized. Not everyone wants to start a brand just because they have the opportunity to." Thomas scoffed. "Okay, well you know what, Lily? This is a content house. It's how we make money. Correction, it's how we have a roof over our heads. So if you are so opposed to the idea of us making content, then I'd suggest you see yourself to the door and not come back again." Lily's face fell, the rosy color draining from it. Everyone in the room was struck with the awareness that a line had been crossed. "What the fuck, Thomas..." Jacob said under his breath darkly. He moved himself right in between the two of them and then stared down at Thomas with a look that very clearly said 'enough.' But as he turned back to Lily, she was already well on her way to the door. As she swung the heavy door open, she turned over her shoulder once more. "I bet you're sad you didn't record this interaction, aren't you! Now that would be good for the views." Jacob didn't have a chance to utter more than a strangled "he didn't mean-" before she slammed the door in fury. Jacob spun around to Thomas. "What the fuck is wrong with you, dude?" But Thomas had a neutral expression on his face. "Chill, Jacob. She wasn't a good fit, anyway. I'm glad we just got this over with." Jacob's jaw clenched, something distinctly strong brewing deep inside of him. "She wasn't a good fit, you said? A good fit for what? She's a person, not a fucking trophy. You know what your problem is, Thomas? You're so used to living with people and then kicking them out when they don't serve you anymore." Thomas had never been afraid of Jacob before, but he guessed there was a first time for everything. Jacob was half a foot taller than Thomas and could easily bench more weight than him on any day. And today, as he towered over him, cyan blue eyes lacking their usual warmth, fists clenched hard enough to break steel, Thomas knew he should back off. But both of them were only seeing one perspective- not the major inconvenience people like Lily Vine made on a content creator. "You know how hard it is to include someone who gets a lot of views when they're included, but doesn't want to be included? It's fucking impossible. The girl's furious because the video she starred in is doing well." "Yeah, Thomas, because she wants a private life. Her goals have nothing to do with influencing. Why would she want to give up her peace for nothing?" "It doesn't have to be for nothing. She insists that it be for nothing." Jacob laughed, but his award-winning smile looked scary in its sarcastic form. "How deluded are you, bro... You can't change what someone's long term goals are. She made it very clear she didn't want to be part of the Hype House from the beginning. And you know what? Like always, you assumed you could change her." Jacob poked a shaky finger into Thomas' chest. "Yeah, because I saw a business opportunity." "Lily is not a FUCKING business opportunity!" Jacob exclaimed, slapping his hands down at his sides and turning away, as if sensing his own potential for violence. His deep voice boomed through the marble hallways, sucking the light out of the sunny California afternoon. Thomas didn't hear a peep from any of the other Hype House members, but it was safe to assume they were all pressed up against a door listening to their every word. He stood with his hands on his hips, observing his friend. "And just why do you care so much about her?" Jacob smiled in that terrifying sarcastic way again as he took a couple steps closer. "You wanna know why? Because I grew up in a family who taught me that there are other things in life more important than money. Because Lily is one of the only good friends I have. She's real, she doesn't use me for views, and she doesn't care about any of that other shit that I have to hear from you guys every fucking day." "You act as though you're the only one who came from humble beginnings. I dropped out of high school to pursue dreams that I imagined in my head. Nobody thought I could do it. I was teased for it constantly. I believed in myself, but I had to have priorities. I had to think like a businessman. Something you don't understand." Thomas felt heat rising to his cheeks as he shared the realities of his past, the passion of his truth too intense to stifle. "Go ahead, Thomas. Think like a businessman. Post videos of people without their permission and then act surprised when they get mad. But I'm going to think like a real fucking person." With that, Jacob stormed out of the foyer, his long legs taking him in intimidating strides down the marble hall. Thomas let out a strange sigh of relief and exhaustion, taken aback by the fear of his own friend. When he finally returned to the theater and sat back in his recliner, the movie was no longer of interest and the popcorn had lost its crunch.

A/N: Hi everyone, thank you so very much for all of the support and continued interest in this story! This chapter is probably one of my favorites, I loved writing it. There is more to come, and so much I've written- the challenge is just piecing it together in a way that's cohesive, and that can take time. Thank you guys for your patience! As always, please vote and share with your friends! -missprincessd <3