The Fight:
Jax was arguing with Dennis Ryley about which one of them was the bravest person at the school. Many of the boys no longer felt that Jax could do everything they could. That annoyed Jax. So she was out to prove them wrong. Joe had been ignoring the conversation feeling that Jax could handle herself, plus he didn't want to get into a fight with her. To his horror the argument turned into a very dangerous dare.
"We'll both jump off Dead Man's Cliff today after school," Dennis said.
"Who goes first?"
"You will. Ladies first," Dennis said.
"Good I want everyone to see how brave I am and how cowardly you are."
Miss Jones rang her bell after that. As they were walking in Joe hissed,
"You're not doing it."
"Yes I am. I'm not a coward," Jax demanded.
"I'm not letting you," Joe said.
"Why?"
"It's too dangerous."
" You're just saying that because you're afraid of heights."
"I'm not and you're not doing it and that's final," Joe said loudly.
"You're not Pa."
"I'm your brother," he said louder drawing Miss Jones attention
"Is there a problem?" Miss Jones asked.
"No ma'm" Jax said.
"No, ma'm" Joe answered.
"Well let's see that you two are quiet for the rest of the afternoon."
"Yes ma'm," Jax said.
"You don't have a choice and you know it," Jax hissed the moment Miss Jones walked away.
"Jax, I said no and that's it."
"There's no way you can stop me." Jax snapped.
"Wana bet," Joe said scooting over making her fall off the bench, he knew his sister was already riled up and wouldn't let him get away with it. "Oops."
"YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!" Jax yelled and punched him with all her might in the eye.
Joe fell down but got right back up. He pushed her down. Jax was up in a second and punched him again splitting his lip. Billy grabbed her and said,
"Jax stop."
"Let me go or you'll get the same," Jax snarled.
"JOSEPH AND JACQUELINE CARTWRIGHT YOU WILL STOP NOW!" Miss Jones yelled.
Every child in the school stared at the twins thinking they were crazy for starting a fight in the middle of the classroom.
"Jax, stop and think," Bill told his best friend who was struggling against him.
Jax sat back down with tears of fury rolling down her face. She knew Joe had done that on purpose. She also knew the dare was off for today and probably for a lot longer. Miss Jones separated them and told that she would take them home personally.
"William help Joseph get cleaned up," Miss Jones said.
"Yes, ma'm."
Once outside the classroom Billy said,
"Her temper can really leave an impact."
"How bad is it?" Joe said.
"You'll have a black eye and a split lip."
"It was worth it, she's not jumping."
"It won't stop her, you know she will find a way."
"I guess I will keep finding ways to stop her."
"This wasn't your best idea," Billy laughed. "You're Pa isn't going to be happy."
"Probably not, when he takes me to the barn tonight I'll just have to remind myself I was trying to save her life."
Miss Jones took both children home. She made them tie their horses to her buggy.
Adam heard a buggy and walked out of the house to his shock Miss Jones was drinving Joe and Jax home. What had they done now?
"Good afternoon, Miss Jones," He said and looked at Joe's face, "What happened?"
"That was caused by his sister. They decided to have a brawl in the middle of my classroom today."
"Get in the house and I better not hear a sound," Adam ordered. The children ran into the house.
"Please accept my deepest apology, this will not happen again," Adam said. "I will let my father know about this as soon as he returns this afternoon."
"Please keep them home until next week."
"Yes, ma'm."
Adam stormed back into the house and realized the children had both sought sanctuary in their bedrooms.
"JACQUELINE AND JOSEPH GET DOWN HERE NOW!" Adam demanded.
Joe was down first and Adam pointed to the settee.
"Go sit next to your brother," Adam said. He watched as they each moved to the end of the settee, not wanting to be near each other. "Are you going to tell me what happened?"
Neither child said a word nor did they look at him.
"Pa, will be home soon enough, you both can sit here and wait for him."
Adam wanted to keep an eye on them. They rarely fought but when they did it was usually bad. For an hour they waited in silence and Ben walked in.
He looked at Adam questioningly seeing the twins on the settee in absolute silence. Adam filled him in on what happened and how they were not allowed at school for until next week. He was shocked when he saw Joe's face. His daughter had a strong punch.
"So what was all this about?" Ben asked calmly.
"We had a disagreement about something," Joe tried.
"It looks like more than a disagreement," Ben said trying to keep calm.
"No sir, she was just being stubborn," Joe said.
"You're just as stubborn," Jax said her voice raising.
"Besides being stubborn, what caused this," Ben said firmly.
"I pushed her off the bench and she punched me," Joe said.
"WHY DID YOU PUSH HER OFF THE BENCH," Ben yelled.
"She was being stubborn," Joe answered again.
"What happened after he pushed you off the bench?" Ben asked trying again to calm down.
"I punched him."
"I pushed her down to keep her from punching me again."
"But I still punched him again."
The twins finished with the fight part of the story, but avoided the cause of it.
"WHY WERE YOU FIGHTING IN THE FIRST PLACE?"
"She was being stubborn," Joe said.
"He was being stubborn," Jax said.
"I WANT ANOTHER ANWSER?"
"There isn't one Pa," Joe said.
"SIT THERE AND THINK OF ONE," Ben bellowed.
Ben walked over to his desk and sat down. Not saying another word they would sit on the settee until they talked.
Before they went to bed the three of them would have a very long discussion about fighting each other and fighting at school in the barn. His belt would do most of the talking.
Adam did not want to stay in the house with the ill tempered twins and a furious father. So he walked out to the barn to see Hoss.
"What's going on in there?" Hoss asked.
"They had a fist fight in the middle of the classroom."
"Joe punched Jax?" Hoss said in disbelief.
"No but he pushed her twice; once to start the fight and once to protect himself."
"Wow. Pa's going to tan them good."
"The worst part is they refuse to say why they started fighting in the first place."
"You're joshing me."
"No. I would hate to be them after supper, especially if they don't talk by then."
"Me too."
Supper was a somber affair. Jax and Joe refused to talk or look at each other. After supper both asked if they could go to their rooms.
"Are you ready to tell me what happened?" Ben asked.
"No sir," they both said.
"Go back to the settee," Ben said.
About thirty minutes before bedtime, Ben took the two of them outside to the barn and took off his belt.
"Are you allowed to fight at school?"
"No sir."
"Are you allowed to fight each other?"
"No sir."
At that point his belt took over the conversation. First with Jax and Joe was next. It was a strong and powerful tanning, which would have the two of them wanting to stand for the next week or so.
"Go to your rooms."
Both did as they were told. Ben put his belt back on and walked into the house.
"I can't believe she actually punched him," Adam said.
"Did you see that shiner?" Hoss laughed.
"It's not funny Eric," Ben said.
"Sorry Pa, how long until they say something?" Hoss asked.
"No idea, those two are stubborn," Ben said.
"So what are you going to do?" Adam asked.
"Go up in a few minute and talk to them separately," Ben said.
"I think Little Joe might be your best bet. He doesn't seem mad he seems hurt," Hoss said.
"Plus, Jax is so mad that she'll think he told and tell on herself." Adam said trying not to laugh. He knew Jax didn't think when she was really angry.
Joe was in his room steaming and rubbing his extremely sore backside. Billy was right this wasn't his best idea. He should just tell his Pa what she was up too.
Ben knocked on Joe's door and walked in to see his son still crying. The minute Little Joe saw his father he wiped the tears off his face.
"What's going on son?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Why are you fighting with your sister?"
"Pa I don't want to talk about it."
"Joseph unless you want day on the settee and another tanning, I suggest you tell me what is going on."
"I was arguing with her because she's being stubborn about a dare," Joe said angrily.
"What type of dare?"
"Pa, I can't say anymore. You can take me back out to the barn or make me sit on the settee, but I can't totally betray her," Joe said crying again.
"Ok. Good night son," Ben said closing the door and walked into in his daughter's room. She too was crying. Ben walked into to her room looking angry.
"What do I hear about a dare?"
"I knew he'd tell," Jax said severely.
""So what is going on?" Ben said.
"I'd rather not tell you."
Ben took a breath and roared,
"YOU DON'T HAVE A CHOICE."
"I wanted to do something he didn't want me to."
"What?" Ben was sick of fishing for the information.
"I'd rather not say."
"Jacqueline Anne-Marie tell me what is going on," Ben said seething.
"I don't want to disobey you, so if I don't tell you than I am not disobeying you," Jax said simply.
"If you have to worry about something like that, I don't think it is good idea," Ben said.
"I'll keep that in mind," Jax said.
"There's no keeping it in mind, you will tell me NOW what your brother doesn't want you to do," Ben said. If Joe didn't want her to do it, it was had to be extremely wrong or dangerous.
"Do I have to?"
"YES?" He said grabbing her and smacking her already stinging backside.
"Jumping into Lake Tahoe."
"Off what?" Ben was losing his patience quickly and she was ten seconds from getting another tanning.
"Dead Man's Cliff."
"You're not jumping off a cliff. Do you understand?" Ben said firmly.
Jax nodded her head.
"You will do your brothers chores until his black eye goes away and you will spend the next week in your room after you are finished with chores. Finally, you will apologize to your brother for this in the morning at breakfast" Ben said."Look at me."
Jax did so reluctantly.
"Jacqueline, make sure you understand this. YOU ARE NOT JUMPING OFF A CLIFF, ITS TOO DANGEROUS".
Soon as their father was gone, Joe climbed out the window and knocked on Jax's. This was the new way they communicated after Ben filled in their talking hole eight months ago. Jax opened her window and said,
"I'm not talking to you."
"What are you doing now?" Joe said laughing.
"I hate when you do that," She said laughing and told him to come in. They never stayed mad at each other for very long.
Usually they would sit on the roof, but tonight's tanning would make that too uncomfortable.
"Sorry for pushing you off the bench."
"I'm sorry I hit you."
"When I pushed you I didn't think Pa would tan us that hard," Joe said rubbing his backside.
"Why did you tell him about the dare?"
"I didn't I just said you were being stubborn about the dare."
"I have good news for you. You don't have to chores until your black eye is gone."
"Can you punch me every day?" Joe teased.
"Nope," Jax said laughed. "Not worth the tanning. Plus, I have to stay in my room for the next week."
"What did he say about the cliff jumping?"
"That I couldn't do it," Jax said trying not to look at her brother.
"That means you want to do it twice as bad," Joe said shaking his head.
"Why do you say that?"
"I have spent every moment of my life with you and when you get that look it means you're going to do it."
"I might forget about the dare after my week in my room."
"Jax, I'm not going to let you do it."
"We'll have to see about that."
Joe didn't dignify that with a response. He just climbed out the window and said, "Night sis."
"Night Joe."
Jax got into bed still feeling guilty about punching Joe. She hadn't changed her mind and she didn't care how mad he would get, she was jumping off that cliff.
