Then & Now - Chapter 11b

[madbottoms]

Chapter 11b

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Jack and a nervous Stephen sat outside the principal’s office. Jack held an ice pack to his eye.

 

“My dad’s been in there a while. He’s gonna be pissed.”

 

“It’ll be fine, Stephen. Act like you’re hurt and he won’t be able to stay mad at you.”

 

The door swung open and an elated Owen breezed in. “Way to go, slugger! Get any shots in?”

 

The secretary’s jaw dropped. “Mr. Harper, your son has a black eye.”

 

“Wuss!” Owen sat between Jack and Stephen. “Hey, Stephen. How you doin’, buddy?”

 

“I’m okay I guess.”

 

“Good. Good.” Owen turned to Jack, nudging him. “Nice goin’. How do I look? Anything in my teeth? How’s my breath?” Owen flashed his pearly whites then blew on Jack. The principal’s door opened and an angry Ianto stepped out.

 

“Owen.” Ianto nodded.

 

“Hey, Ianto. Exciting, isn’t it? My first parent/principal conference.”

 

Ianto looked sternly to Stephen. “Fighting? What’s gotten into you?”

 

Stephen rubbed his jaw and mumbled. “I can’t talk, Dad. My jaw.”

 

“My poor baby. And how about you, James?” Ianto bent down so he was eye to eye with Jack. He gently removed the ice pack...a purple shiner. “Ouch. You poor thing. Does it hurt?” Ianto stroked Jack’s f ace.

 

Jack lost himself in his caring, gentle touch. “Not anymore. You smell great.”

 

Ianto, a bit weirded out by Jack, stood and backed up a bit.

 

“Stephen, I’ll meet you at the car. I need to talk to Uncle Owen for a second.” Stephen shuffled out of the office. Ianto turned to Owen and asked in a hushed voice, “Did you give him the divorce papers?”

 

“I sent them to him.”

 

“Is there someone else now? I can handle it. Tell me the truth.”

 

“I haven’t heard from him, really. But, Ianto, do you really think he could do that to you. You know he still loves you.”

 

Ianto looked down, fighting back tears, unravelling a bit but managed to control it. “Okay. If you do, please have him call home. For the kids... I’m running out of excuses.”

 

“I’ll tell him. I promise.”

 

Ianto forced a smile and left, clearly upset. Jack watched him go and for the first time he’s really seen the reality... hurt, pain, frustration that Ianto was feeling. Jack placed his head sadly in his hands.

 

Toshiko Sato poked her head out the door. “Owen, come on in.”

 

Owen whispered to Jack. “I’ll take it from here.” As Owen passed Tosh on the way in he started, “I’m heartbroken. The boy’s incorrigible.” He took a seat across from Tosh and put on his best ‘troubled parent’ look.

 

“Look, if it was only one isolated fight it wouldn’t distress me all that much. Boys will be boys. But, it’s also been brought to my attention that James may have Krazy glued a boy to his chair.”

 

Owen stifled a laugh, putting on a serious face. “My son? James! Get in here! Now!” Jack slouched in and took a seat. “Did you glue a boy to his chair?”

 

“No.”

 

Owen threw his hands up in exasperation. “See? The boy’s out of control. He’s acting up at home. He won’t eat his vegetables...”

 

“He shaves his back,” Jack countered and it’s on.

 

“He sucks his thumb.”

 

“He wears girl’s underwear.”

 

“He wets his bed.”

 

“Enough! James, I know it’s hard to be the new kid but if I have any more trouble from you, you’ll be facing detentions or worse. You can go now.” Jack nodded and exited the office.

 

Owen stood and with exaggerated sadness said, “He’s crying out for help and I don’t know what to do. It hurts so bad. Tosh? May I call you Tosh?” Owen smiled. “Maybe we could discuss this over margaritas?”

 

Tosh ignored the invitation. “Let’s give him time to figure it out on his own. If the situation gets worse then we’ll take the next step.”

 

“You’re the expert. I’m just a single dad out here blowing like dust in the wind.” Owen shook Tosh’s hand and left, sniffling.

 

*~*

 

Out in the backyard of Jack’s house, a dirt covered Ianto wrestled a roll of sod down.

“Got an extra pair of gloves?” Ianto peered over his shoulder as Jack wandered into the backyard.

 

Ianto stood, wiping his bare, dirty hands on his jeans. “Gloves are for sissies.”

 

“Yeah, but I just had a manicure.”

 

Ianto laughed, something Jack hadn’t heard Ianto do for a while and that fact saddened him.

 

“You’re serious? You want to help?”

 

“Are you kidding? I love landscaping! It’s right up there with watching ‘Sex and the City’ and snuggling.”

 

Ianto laughed again but eyed him sceptically. “James, I’m 36 years old...”

 

Jack held his hands up. “Hey, I’m just doing this to make a few bucks so I can buy Laker tickets.”

 

Ianto blushed. “Well that was embarrassing. Sorry. I’ll give you 10 dollars a day.”

 

“Wow. Ten whole dollars. At that rate I should be able to buy tickets in... 2011.”

 

“Fine. 20. Grab a roll.”

 

Jack and Ianto stepped over to the sod, lifted a roll together and carried it over to the spot.

 

“What are the benefits like here?”

 

“I’ll throw in a baloney sandwich.”

 

“Deal.” Jack and Ianto shared a laugh.

 

*~*

 

Jack strolled into the library, sat at a back table and pulled a college application from his knapsack. He took out a pen and placed the tip to the paper where it says `name’ when he heard the muffled sound of crying. Jack rose and followed the sobs through the maze of stacks until he found... “Gwen?”

 

She was seated on the floor, head hidden between her knees. She looked up at hearing her name, saw Jack and quickly dried her eyes. “What do you want? To rub it in my face? Say I told you so?”

“You lost me?”

 

Gwen dropped her head back between her knees. “John dumped me.” Gwen bawled loudly.

 

Jack panicked, fearing the worst. “What happened? What did he do? You didn’t...”

 

“My dad was working last night. John came over with a box of...”

 

Jack slapped his palms over his ears. “Your next word better be ‘cookies’ or you’re in big, big trouble!”

 

“What am I going to do? I can’t live without him.” Gwen took Jack’s shirt and blew her nose on it.

 

“Gwen, did you two... you know... do...”

 

“Do what?”

 

“That thing... that rabbits do a lot of and that a girl your age should never do and should only do when she’s married.”

 

“Sex? No, that’s why he dumped me!” Gwen bawled again. Jack silently celebrated and sitting beside her he awkwardly patted her on the back.

 

“There, there now. It’s okay.”

 

“Sure he was a jerk but he was there for me. Which is more than I can say for any other man in my life.” Gwen sobbed uncontrollably.

 

Jack took a deep calming breath. “When you’re young everything seems like the end of the world. But it’s not. It’s just the beginning. And you might have to meet a few more jerks, but one day you’ll meet a boy who treats you the way you deserve to be treated... like the sun rises and sets with you.”

 

 “You really think so?”

 

“I know so.” Gwen threw her arms around Jack, hugging him tight and Jack hugged her back. A moment he can’t ever remember having had with his daughter.

 

“You’re so sweet.” And she was smitten.

 Chapter 12