Chapter 83: Jonathan III

Homemade Mac and Cheese

Chapter 83: Jonathan III—Homemade Mac and Cheese

Jonathan’s stomach growled as he sat at the kitchen table, staring out of the window into the backyard where the leaves of autumn were swirling on the grass. The clouds were coming in; finally, it was getting cold around here. Gigi wouldn’t mind the winter, he supposed, that dog had enough fluff all over her that it would be insane if she ever got cold. At the moment the puppy was barking and tearing after the swirls of leaves as if they were live creatures. She was only succeeding in running tight circles.

Jonathan smiled and laughed quietly to himself. That puppy was one of the few good things that were happening. He was glad that mom had brought her in, at least playing with the fuzztail released some of the nervous pressure that had been settling on his chest.

He had thought maybe Elena was another good thing... but ever since the night she had kissed him, she hadn’t returned any of his phone calls, and she never seemed to be there when he called. Maybe she was trying to avoid him... what had he done wrong? He didn’t like being in limbo like this; it was robbing him of sleep.

And now he was hungry! Mom had promised that she would make macaroni and cheese and she was acting like she forgot all about it. How could she forget?

"Stop slouching sulking puppy," Mom said in his ear, startling him practically off his chair.

"Maw-umm!" he snapped. "I hate when you sneak up on me like that."

Mom just laughed and kissed him on the top of his head and he shrugged away. "You are sulky, aren’t you? What is it with the men of this house, hmm?" she said lightly and strolled to the fridge, casually opening it.

Jonathen’s stomach growled again and he frowned, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat. He knew exactly why she had forgot about lunch and that was pissing him off too. Facts of life his ass, they were too old to be doing stuff like that and he sure as hell didn’t want a new sister or brother. Shit, mom was mom! Moms weren’t supposed to be touched and at this point he was just as pissed off at Dad as he had been at Danny. On the other hand, the thought crossed his mind, he was probably more irritated because he now had to wait another half-hour to eat because of that.

Jonathan frowned when he looked out of the window again and he saw a fat, silvery creature hobbling along the top of the far fence. A raccoon? As Mom started humming, pulling bowls and utensils out of the cupboards, Jonathan slowly stood up and walked to the back door. It wouldn’t be long before Gigi saw that thing, and he didn’t recall any incidents where a raccoon was friendly. "Gigi!" Jonathan called into the yard.

The puppy rolled out from the middle of a leaf pile and pink tongue hanging out of her mouth, she came tearing towards him. As soon as her paws touched the glossy, lacquered floor, she yipped and slid across it. A trail of leaves scattered behind her as she slid all the way into Mom’s ankles. "Mon Dieu!" Mom exclaimed, leaving off the block of cheese she was grating to look down at Gigi. "Calm down, precious."

Gigi barked as if she were answering her and she curled up in a contented ball next to her feet.

Jonathan looked out of the window again and he could see the raccoon, waddling across the huge expanse of the back yard. As it passed Freddy’s soccer ball, it snapped at it. Jonathan was awe struck; the raccoon was twice the size of the ball. "Hey, Mom," Jonathan said. "Are raccoons dangerous?"

"Mmm," Mom said, "I don’t really know. I suppose it wouldn’t be too wise to try interacting with them."

"Oh," Jonathan said and he went to his seat at the kitchen table.

He had noticed that the door to the dining room was open when he had come downstairs. That was kinda cool ‘cause that meant people were coming over for dinner tonight, a lot of people. They had a long, glossy, cherry wood dining table reserved for large dinners where everyone laughed and yelled funny stories to each other.

"Are people coming over for dinner tonight?" Jonathan asked trying to keep a casual, disinterested tone in his voice.

"Mmhmm," Mom said as she dropped the grated cheese into the boiling milk.

"Who?" Jonathan asked.

She poured the macaroni noodles in the boiling water. "The Sakic’s," she said in a vacant voice, turning around to face him, "Mike and his family, Alex, Pierre and Coco, Eric, Daniel and Cecile."

"That many?" Jonathan exclaimed through lifted eyebrows. "Mom you’ll be in the kitchen all day!"

Mom laughed. "You’re so sweet," she said. "No, no, Coco, Tammy and Debbie will also be bringing food. Is not so bad."

"Tammy won’t come," Jonathan said in a low voice. Sadness brushed over him again. Tammy Keane was another one of those ladies that didn’t like mom. Why? Mom never ever did anything to anyone!

"Oooh," Mom said, making a sad, puppy dog face. "Another grumpy cloud passed over you now. What’s wrong?"

Jonathan shrugged. "Nothing," he said.

The raccoon was gone when he looked out of the window again, and the sky was a helluva lot more gray. He sighed and thought of Elena’s soft lips on his mouth. It was just a quick, brief kiss, had he offended her somehow? But she kissed him!

He had even told as much to the priest in confession yesterday. He had recognized his voice through the partition as Father Mallory’s so Jonathan had figured he could talk to him. He wasn’t like the other cow-eyed, pasty, doughy old man priests in the church. He was pretty young, and really understanding.

"Father," Jonathan had begun. "I’m not sure if I’ve sinned or not. And maybe I’ve really pissed her off but I know if I did and I haven’t been sleeping all weekend and I don’t know what to do cause I’m not happy and I just want to cry all the time."

"Goodness," Father Mallory had said, "This is more than your usual request for forgiveness for cursing."

"Well," Jonathan had said. "I need help! She kissed me and that was totally it but now she won’t return my calls and did I sin somehow? Am I being smited? OK I have tons of impure thoughts but I can’t help out hormones OK? SO don’t try to make me feel too guilty about that!"

"I see we still have to work on your temper, kiddo," Mallory had said. "No, you haven’t sinned. God isn’t so cruel as that....."

Mom’s warm arm sliding around his shoulders startled him a bit. She kissed him on the top of his head and squeezed him.

"Is dad pissed off at me?" he asked. He could feel her tense up a bit so he decided that he must be right.

"Of course not!" Mom exclaimed. "Why would he be?"

"Cause...I," Jonathan began and then he realized that he couldn’t tell her the reason why because that would be too weird.

"I think you are being melodramatic," she whispered.

Jonathan sighed, his chest hurt.

"You’re so gloomy!" Mom exclaimed stepping away from him. "Why don’t you call your new friend and invite her over for dinner tonight? Hmm? I’ve seen her only once."

Jonathan looked at her and shrugged one shoulder. "I don’t think she likes me. She hasn’t returned any of my calls."

Mom’s eyes narrowed and her lips pursed in that bloodless, angry way that made Jonathan shrink back in his chair. Now what had he done wrong?

"So that is why my baby has been moping all weekend?" she snapped. "Already she is breaking your heart?" Gigi jumped to her feet and barked in almost the same tone.

"Awwww," Jonathan growled. "I don’t really like her that much." His cheeks were burning now.

"Call her right now," Mom said. "Go on."

"Mom!" Jonathan protested.

This time, he knew the angry look was directed at him. The boy wasted no time in scurrying to the phone. His chest felt hollow as he dialed Elena’s number. He was already prepared for the answering machine or a family member telling him to call back later. Now it was ringing.

Jonathan sighed.

Two rings.

He closed his eyes.

Three rings.

He looked at mom.

The fourth fatal ring where the answering machine would pick up.

"Hello?"

Jonathan almost puked. It was Elena! His mouth flopped open and he lost the ability to think coherently. He could only look helplessly at Mom who covered a giggle with her hand.

"Eeee!" Jonathan squeaked.

"Jonathan?" Elena said.

Panicked, Jonathan hung up the phone.

"Mon Dieu!" Mom exclaimed. "She answered, didn’t she?"

Jonathan nodded tears in his eyes.

Mom rolled her eyes. "Call her again!"

Frantically, Jonathan’s fingers flew over the buttons on the phone, how the hell could he have panicked like that?

"Invite her whole family," Michele said.

"Oooh no, Mom," Jonathan said, "She’s got like eight siblings."

Mom’s eyebrows skid up and she mouthed out the word, "Oh." She scratched her head. "Just her and her parents then. Is good, is good."

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