By Joanna ([email protected])
Author's Note: Okay, I don�t own these character (I wish I did, but I don�t) I write for fun and not to make any profit (My writing isn�t that good! Lol!) This takes place instead of the last scene in �Self Reliance� It�s only short but after re-watching the episode I really wished that Jack had said something to him. I started off hating Tobey; though love him now. It is a shame that the writers got rid of him. I am a big J/T fan. I�m leaving the ending relatively open, I guess. Imagine what you like for their future! >:-) I hope you enjoy it. Let me know. Fed back makes me a very happy person.
Jack stormed out of the bowling alley. He had left in such a hurry that he almost forgot to claim his shoes back. He couldn�t believe the front on that Tobey guy. Who did he think he was judging Jack like that? Because he had made the football team and stayed against his better judgement didn�t mean he had an easy life. His life hadn�t been easy for years; not since he was about eleven.
Why was Tobey punishing him? Was it really because he wasn�t gay enough for him? Jack couldn�t help that he wasn�t as obviously gay as the rest of the group. He wouldn�t want to be. Yes, he was gay. Yes, he was on the football team. But that wasn�t all there was to him. He was Jack. He had learnt the hard way over the years that he couldn�t help who or what he was. Accepting that was hard enough with out people like Tobey. A person who has suffered the same prejudice as him.
Jack had been wondering aimlessly for at least an hour, trying to relieve his stress in his heavy-footed walk. He turned the corner quickly, colliding with a pedestrian. �Sorry� Jack said apologetically before seeing who it was he has walked in to.
�Oh, look. If it isn�t �Captain America�� Tobey hissed. �Why are you in such a hurry?� He asked slightly kinder.
�Like you give a damn� Jack replied before going to walk away. Tobey grabbed his arm, preventing him.
�Hey, there�s no need for that�
�Excuse me?� Jack couldn�t believe his ears. �There�s no need for what?�
�What�s with the bad mood? Something in your perfect little life gone wrong? What is it? Realised that you�ve run out of hair gel and the stores closed? Oh, no. What will your team mates say?� Tobey�s voice was dripping with sarcasm.
�Why do you presume that you know me? You don�t! You don�t have a clue about my life!�
�Oh, come on, Jack. Look at you! Mr. Footballer, Mr. Popularity! You with the perfect life, goes home everyday to your big expensive house and rich family. Your life is nice, happy and comfortable as long as you deny who you really are. You�re fine as long as you pretend you don�t really like guys!�
�You don�t know even the smallest thing about my life! Almost everything you just listed couldn�t be further from the truth!�
�Yeah, sure. Of course!� Tobey replied crossing his arms across his chest, pushing Jack to prove it.
�You want to know about my life?� Jack felt himself grow more and more angry with the guy he hardly knew. �Fine! I�I live alone. My dad works away. My sister is in a different country after a near death experience after mixing ecstasy with her anti-depressants. My mum is mentally unstable and lives in a clinic in Rhode Island. She doesn�t have a clue what she�s doing half the time and is too out of it to acknowledge the fact that I�m gay. My sister and I had to look after her alone because my father buggered off. My sister ended up having a mental break down because a year pervious our older brother was killed in a car crash that my mum caused!�
Tobey was shocked. Jack carried on. Once he had started he couldn�t just stop. �My dad forced us to move to Capeside away from all my friends. So, I started high school as the new kid. I had to get a job to support the family just incase my dad decided to totally forget about us. I met this girl, a really nice girl, but her soul mate didn�t like me and punched me at my first school dance infront of everyone. We ended up getting together with her. When I stupidly thought that things were going okay some bully of a teacher made me read a personal poem out in class, embarrassing me as I ran out crying. I then had �fag� sprayed across me locker� Jack took a deep breath. �The school councillor called my dad. He came for a visit. I came out to him; he ended
up leaving in disgust and made it painfully obvious just how he hated me. Before long the whole school knew!� Jack shouted in a rage.
Tobey�s face was totally unreadable. He didn�t say a word. Jack carried on. �You don�t have a clue how hard my life has been. You wouldn�t even be able to comprehend it all! Well, I have to live it everyday! I play football because I�ve found something I�m good at, something that makes my dad relatively proud of me! I get just as hard time on the pitch as I do off of it, but I refuse to quit! I�m not giving up! So, Tobey, you can judge me as much as you like but I just want you to know that you are wrong! Everything you�ve said and everything you think is totally wrong!� Jack tried to hide the tears but Tobey saw them. �I shouldn�t have to do this! I shouldn�t have to justify myself to some
judgmental stranger but that�s what you�ve made me do! Those bullies you talk
about, there is no difference between you and them. What you�ve done is wrong
and so unforgivable. Actually�what you�ve done is worse than anything they could ever do. You know what it�s like to be pre-judged but you�ve done it anyway! I hope you are pleased!�
Tobey was unsure of what to say. �Jack�I�I just�
�Forget it. Why should you care anyway? Ever since I met you you�ve gone out of your way to make me feel uncomfortable and different. You�ve made me feel like I don�t fit in anywhere! Thank you, Tobey. Meeting you has certainly been an experience, hopefully one I won�t ever experience again� Jack began to walk away. �Have a nice life, Tobey!� Jack called back bitterly.
�I�m�I�m�sorry� Tobey whispered on the edge of tears, watching the man of his dreams walk out of his life forever.
The End