I yawned, I was tired and it was the last lesson of the day. I hadn’t had a decent nights sleep since I had arrived in Capeside a week ago. The only thing I wanted now was sleep, and sleep I was planning to get as soon as possible.
The bell rang; I collected my books and headed into the hallway, only to bump right into Pacey and drop them all.
“Pacey!” I said and bent down to pick them up.
“Sorry!” He said and helped me pick them up.
“Don’t worry about it, it was an accident!” I smiled; he nodded as we walked towards my locker.
“Got lots of homework?” He asked as I open my locker to retrieve my bag.
“Like you wouldn’t believe, you?” I asked closing my locker; he nodded as we headed for the door.
“I couple of things, you want to study together?” He asked
“I can’t, I promised my mother I would stay home tonight, she’s starting to get ideas about us!” I smiled and waved goodbye and headed towards Dawson car, for my lift home.
* * * * * *
“Mum I’m home!” I said opening the door and walking into the house, there was no answer. I could here the soft sound of music; I couldn’t pick it so I headed to the kitchen. I rounded corner and found my mother. Music was coming out of the radio on the counter, but I could tell she wasn’t listening. She was hunched over the sink; her eyes fixated on something out the window, I’m pretty sure she had being crying. “Mum, what’s wrong?” I dropped my books and approached her. She turned her and stared at me, not saying a word. I raised an eyebrow at her mood. She shook her head and her winning smile appears, oblivious trying to cover something. She wiped her hands on her apron she was wearing; the timer of the oven went off.
“Jo, what are you doing home so early?” She asked picking up a tea towel and opening the oven up.
“I thought I would have an early night and have some quality time with my mother!” I said trying to smile at the thought.
“Oh!” was all she said. My mother was never one to be at a loss for words. The only time she was; was when my father was around.
“Mum, did you hear me?” I asked standing next to her, as she put the try of cooked cookies on the counter. She handed the tea towel to me.
“Early night, quality time, got it!” She was in a daze. She headed to the cupboard, opened it in search of something, she produced a tin and started putting the cookies inside it, “You hungry I made you some cookies!” she wasn’t even looking at me.
“You never make cookies!”
“Yeah I do!” She nodded her head but didn’t stop.
“No you don’t, you always told me they rot your teeth and you were never going to allow yourself to let me do that to myself, remember?” I asked reaching over and touching her arm.
“I got a call from your father!” she said it like the mention of my father wasn’t something that was out of the ordinary.
“And?” I asked turning her to face me.
“He getting released next week,” she stopped putting the cookies in the tin and looked at me for the first time since I had first got home, “He wants to see us!” I stayed quiet, I didn’t know what to say; I didn’t want to see him; ever, “I told him to drop dead!” I smiled faintly, I was proud she stood up to him.
“Do we have protection from him?” I asked growing more afraid by the second.
“Yeah, I went down to the police station after his call, and talked to them about it and our situation, they under stood and took care of it!” she closed the tin and pushed it aside.
“Good!” I signed.
“You’ll never guess who I met down there, Pacey father and older brother!” her voice changed she was happy and free again. I couldn’t speak, “They were really nice about it, and surprised when I talked about Pacey and you!” I turned around and headed to my room, in silence. My mother wasn’t meant to go anywhere near him.
* * * * * *
It was much later, when I decided to talk to someone.
Her house was so big. One of those houses that had huge pillars in the front and bay windows, that light shone through lighting up the porch.
I rang the doorbell, I stood back waiting for the door to open, and the sky was light with stars. I door heaved open and Jack stood there, not who I was really expecting.
“Hey, what are you doing on this side of town?” Jack asked offering me entrance to the house. The rooms inside were just as big as the outside. There was a ten seated dinning table, set up in the dinning room to the right, the stairs and the hallway in front and the family room to the left, which sat a huge T.v.
“Actually, I needed to speak to Jen, is she here!” I asked as we walked along the hallway into the kitchen.
“You do realize this isn’t actually where Jen lives right?” Jack asked walking to the fridge.
“Yes, I already called her house, her grandmother pointed me here!” I said, sitting down at the island in the middle of the kitchen.
“Arr, Grams there ever so lovely grandmother!” Jack said grabbing a soda, “You want?” I shook my head at the offer, the thought of soda made me want to puke, “So what exactly, did you need to speak to Jen about, that got you coming over here, this late at night?” He sat down next to me, I shrugged, I really didn’t want to talk to him about this, “I don’t buy it,” he turned me around so we were facing each other.
“Jack, please don’t make me, its stupid and childish and -” I stared at the ground while I spoke; I stopped when Jack pushed my chin up so we were eye level.
“Nothing you could ever say would be stupid and childish, that’s got you so work up!” from the way he was looking at me, it looked like he was going to kiss me.
“You’re not going to kiss me; are you?”
“No Jo, I’m gay!” He smirked, and released his finger from my chin. I signed in relief, “But I do know someone that would!” I playful punched his arm; he acted hurt.
“Who?”
“Your blind if you don’t know by now!” I tried not to smile, at the thought.
“Don’t know what by now?” Jen and Andie had decided to walk in at that very moment.
“Nothing!” I said smiling as I looked over my shoulder at her. Andie froze in the doorway at the sight of me.
“When did you get here?” Andie stepped forward, confusion covering her face.
“About half an hour ago!” I said as I located the clock on the wall above the sink.
“Jackers, are we missing something?” Jen asked retrieving some snacks from the cupboards and placed them on the island.
“Nope, but she’s all yours, I’m done for the night!” Jack said patting my head on his way out, soda and all. Andie sat down where Jack had been.
“What was all that about?” Andie asked; Jen went to the fridge.
“It’s along story!” I said rubbing my forehead with my hand, I could tell Andie was smiling.
“Well we have all night!” Jen said closing the door of the fridge.
“And by the looks of it my years supply food!” Andie said, as we looked at all the food Jen had piled onto the island. I laughed it was rather big.
“Oh I almost forgot, cookie dough ice-cream!” Jen clapped her hands as she went in search of it.
“Why do we need that, we have enough food already!” I asked grabbing a packet of Oreos, opening it and stuffing a few into my mouth. Jen emerged with the ice cream.
“Joey, you are in despite need of cookie dough therapy!” Jen said smiling at me and walking out of the room.
“Cookie dough therapy?” I asked as we picked up all the food.
“Cookie dough, guy troubles, all better!” Andie tried to explain to me, I just raised an eyebrow at her as we ascended the stairs.
“What makes you think I have guy troubles?” I asked knowing that I was indeed wrong on that one.
“One word,” Andie said as they both said, “Pacey!” I laughed as we walked into her room. This was what I needed, a distraction from my life.
“Ok, enough said,” I dropping down on Andie’s double bed, dropping all the food, as the both sat down as well, “So what exactly have you guys been doing before I got here?” I looked around, there were opened textbooks and notebooks on the desk, make-up and facemasks spread over the floor.
“Oh the typical Friday night!” Andie said as, Jen opened the ice cream tub and ate some.
“Studying and make-overs!” Jen explained passing the tub to Andie.
“Oh!” I said, still looking around.
“So, are you going to tell us, or we going to have to spell it out?” Andie passed the tub to me; I looked down at the tub then at the two girls in front of me. I took the spoon and took a mouthful, Andie clapped her hands in excitement; I passed the tub back to Jen.
“Like I have said before we are just friends!”
“But you want more?” Jen question was very forward. I wasn’t totally sure, that was what I really wanted to happen, Pacey was a great friend, but for a boyfriend it could be very different.
“Sometimes!”
“Only sometimes?” Andie grabbed the ice cream again.
“Yeah, one minute I think we would be perfect as a couple and the next I like the friendship.”
“So in other words your getting mixed signals?”
“Yeah, I suppose. But I do know for sure, that I do like his company a lot!” I said reaching for ice cream.
“Is that all?” Jen asked opening a huge packet of M&M’s.
“Well, besides the fact that he has a sexy smile, gorgeous hair that I would love to run my hands through and cute behind, nope that’s all!” I said stuffing more ice cream into my mouth.
“You don’t feel like jumping him when you see him?” Jen asked swapping the ice cream for the M&M’s.
“Oh, yeah almost every time he opens his mouth to speak!” I giggled at the thought.
“Oh you got it bad Honey, bad!” Jen said as Andie laughed at us.
“What’s up with her?” I asked Jen as Andie continued to roll around the bed laughing.
