Categories > Original > Drama > The Stupid Boy and the Outsider
Author's Note: This chappy is dedicated to Kevin (who I don't know nor am I associated with in any way) since it is his b-day and all. Happy Birthday Kevin! Welcome to the land of 21 year olds. It's a hoot!
Chapter 32
It's almost like there's aforce out there that always wants me miserable. You'd think "He finally got the girl and now nothing can bring him down." That's a load of crap!
First Kevin brings up that dirty laundry crap. That got me freaked out. I didn't want to chase Jackie away with intimacy or whatever.
Then there was Nick telling us about some stuff he heard mom and dad talking about. I didn't really pay attention to it since it wasn't for sure yet. Nothing's ever official without having a family meeting. I didn't need something that was undecided to mess with my head.
Luckily I got that dirty laundry crap sorted out. Jackie didn't care, so now everything's fine.
On the way to school, before class, through homeroom, our first two periods, and midmorning everything was great! Then it was math class, the class of death. I've always hated math, so of course that's when bad things will happen.
I forgot my math homework in my locker so I had to run to get it and then run back to class for I got locked out. I was pretty winded when I got to class, but that didn't stop me from walking over to Jackie's seat to give her a kiss before going to mine.
When the lesson was over I really had to pee, so I got a hall pass to go to the bathroom. When I was done doing my business I passed the main hallway and saw mom coming out of the main office.
"Mom?" I said to get her attention.
"Joseph what are you doing out of class?" She asked me.
"I just finished use the bathroom. What are you doing here?"
"I'm just getting some information for a friend," she said. She said it so normally I didn't know if there was actually a friend or if it was one of those things where she says friend and actually means herself.
"A friend," I repeated.
"Yes Joseph, a friend. I think you should go back to class now."
"Yeah... okay."
"See you at home sweetie," she said before walking away.
This would pretty much prove what Nick said to be true. That or Nick heard mom and dad talk about this friend, if there is one, and thought they were talking about us.
Before I knew it I was in my next class and the bell rang for lunch. I barely remember walking Jackie to her history class after math. I should talk to her before she thinks that I hate her or something.
"Can I talk to you?" I asked Jackie when I got to the cafe.
We walked out of the cafe to the football field. No one hung out there since it was so far away from the main building.
I was thinking of what I was gonna say. Now that I thought about it, it wasn't really that bad. I mean no one was dying, but...
"Joe if you're gonna break up with me just do it already," Jackie said really fast breaking me from my thoughts.
"What? No. That's not why I brought you out here."
"Then why?"
"Well," how was I gonna say this? "It's not that big of a deal."
"Then why are you acting so weird?" She asked.
"Nick heard our mom and dad talking about the band and stuff. You know the school tour they pulled us out of?" She nodded. "They're thinking of letting us do it next year."
"That's great!"
"Yea, but... Nick over heard them saying that they were also talking about getting us home schooled. This year we were supposed to just have those two weeks off and come back to school, but Kevin, Nick, and I were thinking if we're home schooled then there'll be more time for us to be on the road or finishing our CD, so maybe they're planning that too."
"Oh," was all she said.
"But it's not official yet and if it does happen it won't be until... maybe next year." At least that's what I was hoping.
Jackie just sat there. There were a couple of times when she took a deep breath and opened her mouth to say something, but she just closed her mouth again and let the air out her nose.
I reached over for her hand that was closest to me and held it. She looked at me trying to hide how sad she was.
"This is good," she said. "You'll be able to do what you want to. You guys will be on your way to live out your dream."
"But I'm gonna miss you, Kevin doesn't want to leave just when he finally started talking to Rosa, and Nick is okay with it as long as we're touring, but that's not for sure."
Jackie just nodded. She cleared her throat and said, "Let's not worry about it just yet."
"Okay," I said before leaning in and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "You wanna head back to the cafe?"
She nodded and we headed back.
When we got there we saw Ryan and Cindy sitting at our table with the others. I wonder what's going on. Ryan has been hanging out with us a lot. How will he react to Jackie and me?
I felt Jackie squeeze my hand. I guess she knew what I was thinking. I squeezed back.
"Hey guys," Jackie said as we sat down.
"Hey," everyone chimed in.
"Well, if it isn't the newest cute couple," Cindy said causing Jackie to blush.
"So the guy you were talking about was Joe?" Ryan asked. She talked to him about me? I wonder what she said. "How did I miss that? Well... the last week must have been awkward for you guys."
"Just a little bit," Jackie said with a light laugh throwing a glance my way.
"Well I hope there are no hard feelings."
"As long as you don't try to take her away from me then we'll be fine," I said partly joking.
"Deal," he said back before shaking my hand.
"You bounce back fast," Berna said. "Damn."
"I've been prepared for this since she said she 'didn't really' have a boyfriend."
"Really?" I said looked at Jackie. I could see her cheeks flush.
"Is Cindy your new prospect?" She asked Ryan changing the subject.
"Ew no," Cindy said while Ryan shook his head. "He's more like a brother."
"She comes to me for all kinds of advice," Ryan said. "She's more like family than Kristine."
I heard Berna growl a little bit at the name.
"So what brings you here?" Jackie asked Cindy. "Not that we don't mind, but don't you usually hang out with Kristine and Francis outside near the fountain?"
"We're kinda in a fight," Cindy said looking a little sad. "If you guys really want me to go I can."
"Well," Berna said. "If I'm being completely honest, I'm a little suspicious... but since I can't prove anything I'm okay with it... for now."
"And as for the rest of us," Jackie said, "it's fine. Right?"
We all more or less agreed.
"Jackie you're too nice," Berna said critically.
"Yeah, you were never this nice when we were younger," I said. "Actually... I was the only person you were ever mean to."
"Well maybe if you didn't smash my snowman my first winter here I wouldn't have been so violent towards you," Jackie said with a little attitude. "But I'm nice to you now aren't I?" She asked in a sweeter voice.
She had a point.
The rest of the day went by pretty normal. During last period I remembered that Jerby seemed a little down this morning. He seemed normal throughout the rest of the day, but I needed to make sure. So after school I caught up with Jerby at the front of the school.
"Hey Jerb," I said.
"Hey," he said back.
"So what's up?"
"Nothin'. Why?"
We never really had these talks before. I've never actually seen Jerby really upset and not know why. Plus I've always had JD there. It was like a packaged deal, three of us or none of us and two of us would be bugging the third until he gave in, but JD wasn't here now.
"Uhh... well, you seemed pretty down this morning."
"Oh," he said. "Umm... it's nothing."
"You sure man? You know JD and I are here if you need us... for anything."
Just then dad pulled up.
"Yeah, I know," Jerby said.
I just nodded. "Alright, see you tomorrow then," I said before heading to the van with Jackie and Kevin.
As the days past Jerby didn't seem any different and he didn't talk about what had him so down that day, Mom and dad still hadn't brought up home schooling, and Jackie and Berna have been getting pretty close with Cindy, but Berna always made sure to mention that she was still suspicious. She wasn't the only one.
Chapter 32
It's almost like there's aforce out there that always wants me miserable. You'd think "He finally got the girl and now nothing can bring him down." That's a load of crap!
First Kevin brings up that dirty laundry crap. That got me freaked out. I didn't want to chase Jackie away with intimacy or whatever.
Then there was Nick telling us about some stuff he heard mom and dad talking about. I didn't really pay attention to it since it wasn't for sure yet. Nothing's ever official without having a family meeting. I didn't need something that was undecided to mess with my head.
Luckily I got that dirty laundry crap sorted out. Jackie didn't care, so now everything's fine.
On the way to school, before class, through homeroom, our first two periods, and midmorning everything was great! Then it was math class, the class of death. I've always hated math, so of course that's when bad things will happen.
I forgot my math homework in my locker so I had to run to get it and then run back to class for I got locked out. I was pretty winded when I got to class, but that didn't stop me from walking over to Jackie's seat to give her a kiss before going to mine.
When the lesson was over I really had to pee, so I got a hall pass to go to the bathroom. When I was done doing my business I passed the main hallway and saw mom coming out of the main office.
"Mom?" I said to get her attention.
"Joseph what are you doing out of class?" She asked me.
"I just finished use the bathroom. What are you doing here?"
"I'm just getting some information for a friend," she said. She said it so normally I didn't know if there was actually a friend or if it was one of those things where she says friend and actually means herself.
"A friend," I repeated.
"Yes Joseph, a friend. I think you should go back to class now."
"Yeah... okay."
"See you at home sweetie," she said before walking away.
This would pretty much prove what Nick said to be true. That or Nick heard mom and dad talk about this friend, if there is one, and thought they were talking about us.
Before I knew it I was in my next class and the bell rang for lunch. I barely remember walking Jackie to her history class after math. I should talk to her before she thinks that I hate her or something.
"Can I talk to you?" I asked Jackie when I got to the cafe.
We walked out of the cafe to the football field. No one hung out there since it was so far away from the main building.
I was thinking of what I was gonna say. Now that I thought about it, it wasn't really that bad. I mean no one was dying, but...
"Joe if you're gonna break up with me just do it already," Jackie said really fast breaking me from my thoughts.
"What? No. That's not why I brought you out here."
"Then why?"
"Well," how was I gonna say this? "It's not that big of a deal."
"Then why are you acting so weird?" She asked.
"Nick heard our mom and dad talking about the band and stuff. You know the school tour they pulled us out of?" She nodded. "They're thinking of letting us do it next year."
"That's great!"
"Yea, but... Nick over heard them saying that they were also talking about getting us home schooled. This year we were supposed to just have those two weeks off and come back to school, but Kevin, Nick, and I were thinking if we're home schooled then there'll be more time for us to be on the road or finishing our CD, so maybe they're planning that too."
"Oh," was all she said.
"But it's not official yet and if it does happen it won't be until... maybe next year." At least that's what I was hoping.
Jackie just sat there. There were a couple of times when she took a deep breath and opened her mouth to say something, but she just closed her mouth again and let the air out her nose.
I reached over for her hand that was closest to me and held it. She looked at me trying to hide how sad she was.
"This is good," she said. "You'll be able to do what you want to. You guys will be on your way to live out your dream."
"But I'm gonna miss you, Kevin doesn't want to leave just when he finally started talking to Rosa, and Nick is okay with it as long as we're touring, but that's not for sure."
Jackie just nodded. She cleared her throat and said, "Let's not worry about it just yet."
"Okay," I said before leaning in and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "You wanna head back to the cafe?"
She nodded and we headed back.
When we got there we saw Ryan and Cindy sitting at our table with the others. I wonder what's going on. Ryan has been hanging out with us a lot. How will he react to Jackie and me?
I felt Jackie squeeze my hand. I guess she knew what I was thinking. I squeezed back.
"Hey guys," Jackie said as we sat down.
"Hey," everyone chimed in.
"Well, if it isn't the newest cute couple," Cindy said causing Jackie to blush.
"So the guy you were talking about was Joe?" Ryan asked. She talked to him about me? I wonder what she said. "How did I miss that? Well... the last week must have been awkward for you guys."
"Just a little bit," Jackie said with a light laugh throwing a glance my way.
"Well I hope there are no hard feelings."
"As long as you don't try to take her away from me then we'll be fine," I said partly joking.
"Deal," he said back before shaking my hand.
"You bounce back fast," Berna said. "Damn."
"I've been prepared for this since she said she 'didn't really' have a boyfriend."
"Really?" I said looked at Jackie. I could see her cheeks flush.
"Is Cindy your new prospect?" She asked Ryan changing the subject.
"Ew no," Cindy said while Ryan shook his head. "He's more like a brother."
"She comes to me for all kinds of advice," Ryan said. "She's more like family than Kristine."
I heard Berna growl a little bit at the name.
"So what brings you here?" Jackie asked Cindy. "Not that we don't mind, but don't you usually hang out with Kristine and Francis outside near the fountain?"
"We're kinda in a fight," Cindy said looking a little sad. "If you guys really want me to go I can."
"Well," Berna said. "If I'm being completely honest, I'm a little suspicious... but since I can't prove anything I'm okay with it... for now."
"And as for the rest of us," Jackie said, "it's fine. Right?"
We all more or less agreed.
"Jackie you're too nice," Berna said critically.
"Yeah, you were never this nice when we were younger," I said. "Actually... I was the only person you were ever mean to."
"Well maybe if you didn't smash my snowman my first winter here I wouldn't have been so violent towards you," Jackie said with a little attitude. "But I'm nice to you now aren't I?" She asked in a sweeter voice.
She had a point.
The rest of the day went by pretty normal. During last period I remembered that Jerby seemed a little down this morning. He seemed normal throughout the rest of the day, but I needed to make sure. So after school I caught up with Jerby at the front of the school.
"Hey Jerb," I said.
"Hey," he said back.
"So what's up?"
"Nothin'. Why?"
We never really had these talks before. I've never actually seen Jerby really upset and not know why. Plus I've always had JD there. It was like a packaged deal, three of us or none of us and two of us would be bugging the third until he gave in, but JD wasn't here now.
"Uhh... well, you seemed pretty down this morning."
"Oh," he said. "Umm... it's nothing."
"You sure man? You know JD and I are here if you need us... for anything."
Just then dad pulled up.
"Yeah, I know," Jerby said.
I just nodded. "Alright, see you tomorrow then," I said before heading to the van with Jackie and Kevin.
As the days past Jerby didn't seem any different and he didn't talk about what had him so down that day, Mom and dad still hadn't brought up home schooling, and Jackie and Berna have been getting pretty close with Cindy, but Berna always made sure to mention that she was still suspicious. She wasn't the only one.
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