He had forgotten to take the pizza money, but that was the least of Jacob's concerns at the moment. He marched past the stairs and summoned the elevator.
He stepped out at the ground floor and made a beeline for the exit; the waiting area was sparsely populated. All was good but then clacking of heels pattered behind him. A hand got a hold of his shoulder, forceful enough to attempt to turn him. Jacob was in no mood to entertain the receptionist's sadistic indulgences.
"Hey! I told you to use the stai-"
"Fuck off!" Jacob beat her to it. Sarah felt her knees wobble under his glare. His eyes no longer held the aloofness she had gotten used to -and taken advantage of to nurse her inferiority complex- instead, they now held a flame of impatience.
As the blue-eyed receptionist struggled to come to terms with his new attitude, Jacob excused himself. He did not mind the subtle gazes the guests were shooting his way, their 'conversation' had not been secretive.
Peter, was fanning himself whilst scrolling through his phone under the shade of the large tree. Despite his age, the guard currently enjoyed online romance novels, and was a respected member of the Review Council in said world. His remarks were never sugar coated, earning the admiration of fellow readers as well as the ire of the writers whose works he had critiqued.
At the corner of his eye, a lone figure unhurriedly approached his location. Peter shoves his phone into one of his many pant's pockets as he rose to his feet, worry knitting his brows. He could tell that Jacob was in lower spirits despite his stone face, his hands were tightly clenched beside himself and his walking appeared stiff.
"Jacob? What's wrong? You look like a Jeep just ran over your foot!" Peter rushed over, diluting his worry with a little mirth in hopes of uplifting his spirits.
The lad silently walked up to his bike, doned on his helmet and slumped over the handle bars with a heavy sigh. Peter allowed the silence to stretch out, an odd comfort washing over Jacob. He appreciated the guard in his heart for such consideration; giving him space to gather his thoughts.
"I really am tired of all this Pete...nothing ever goes right, I try my hardest to lay low as I already cannot fit into this cycle. Why can't this world leave me alone? I get preyed on by predators for the fun of it!"
Jacob sighed after his rant, staring up at the skies through his visor. Peter, acknowledging that this was the first time his delivery friend had spoken more than a couple of words, decided to dig deeper into the cause of his melancholy. But before he could attempt any further conversation, Jacob revved up the scooter's engine.
"Haaa~ I've got class to catch up to and work later in the evening," with that, Jacob rode off; leaving behind a Peter that was no longer all smiles.
The guard's eyes gleamed menacingly with masked thoughts as he directed his gaze to the glass building from whence Jacob had made his deliveries. He had managed a few deductions of whom may have messed with the delivery guy that he considers a dear friend despite the short time of their acquaintance. And believe you me, he was about to take things into his own hands for said friend.
Jacob's class was set for three o'clock; he had a little more than an hour left to himself. He was to return to Johnstone's pizza place for a successful delivery. But he had no energy to deal with them at the moment, thus, he planned to head over to his little apartment and take a little breather.
While riding to his place, Jacob stole a couple of glances towards the sea under the bridge he was crossing. The violent currents were tempting but he shrugged off the day's events to the back of his mind however, to no avail.
Jacob unconsciously recalled an aged memory. It was of a time when he still had parents; well, he could remember having a mother, albeit she was slowly fading from his heart. Her smell, her smile, her warmth, her features; such were not exempted from the harsh passage of time. She was like a dying star, he shine no longer as bright. Jacob was ten years old when his mother 'passed away', and had no recollection of his father.
Jolynn, his mother, had taught him many things in regards to life; majority of them he forgot due to his young mind at the time, but a few were etched into his very soul. He had been taught to remain humble and to not bare his fangs to anyone whatsoever; irregardless of their status.
"A wolf has powerful fangs, but what are they before those of a bear? Or a Saber tooth?" Jolynn always accompanied her teachings with a decent serving of proverbs.
Amongst the many life lessons she drilled into young Jacob's head, Jolynn had put more emphasis on a particular sector. It centered around women. How to treat them, what they symbolize and a plethora of such traditions. Jacob was a natural gentleman, an unblemished gem amidst a modern society.
Jacob's mother had warned him to guard his purity and to not share a bed with a woman he was not betrothed to. Yes, Jolynn respected vows, and her son came to inherit her views; that is why, in spite of being in a relationship with Dianne for several months, he had kept away from any form of intimacy with her. Which had frustrated her enough to seek release from outer source.
Apart from the intimate boundaries Jacob had set, he was pursuing Dianne romantically. Although he was not financially stable, he allocated the little time and savings he could manage to her; the relationship had been precious to Jacob. He was not a man who tackled any situation halfheartedly.
Jacob weaved into alley ways with the old scooter and approached his home. It was a flat hidden deep within the city, a place for those at the bottom of the hierarchy of society's class. He directed the scooter before the run down flat, killing the engine, Jacob then retrieved a rusty chain from under a mossy slab and strapped it unto the bike's front wheel, locking the vehicle in place with a padlock he always had on him.
Tucking the helmet under his arm, Jacob approached the one storey flat and ascended a short flight of stairs as his unit was on the first floor. The place he was staying at was at the very corner of the the building which had a slightly bigger unit than those before it. Obtaining his spare key, Jacob unlocks his unit and walks in.
It was a humble place, and old. The sitting room was divided into two with the smaller section being a kitchenette; the unit consisted of a bedroom and a working washroom that had a bath. With running water! It wouldn't be an overstatement to declare this place a jackpot. The flat consisted of 12 units with a grumpy witch for a landlady.
Nonetheless, the prices were affordable, although the tenants were a rowdy bunch, but at least the security was good? Well, no one had died yet, so that should be a plus right? Jacob mindlessly walked over to the lone couch in the sitting room.
Electrical appliances were strictly utility based hence he had no TV, but he had a very small shelf and a desk for his studies. He lay himself on the couch and fit right in and almost fell asleep as easily as if he were on a fluffy mattress. Actually, this was his bed.