Hey guys! I'm back with a new story! Don't worry, I'm not neglecting 'Second Chances'. This is just a summer!fic of mine, that I've had stuck in my mind for the longest time. I also would like to say that as of right now, 'Survival' is on hiatus. I've just been stuck in a rut with that story so I'll leave it be for right now.
Just a little warning, this story will be sappy and cliche. I feel that my 'Second Chances' story has already put a lot of people who read it into distress. Plus .. there's been a lot of angst stories lately *ahem*Ariana*ahem*. But, I adore those as well! SO NO HATING ON ANGST STORIES. I just felt like breaking the record and writing a happy story :)
Enjoy.
JACK ANDERSON
Hot white sand curled up in his toes, the sun's rays hitting him in the perfect light, girl's swooning over his every move and being able to show off his rather-fabulous toned body.
The brunet was rudely knocked out of his thoughts when a greasy and already bitten falafel ball managed to hit him right in the forehead. His lips contorted into a scowl as he used the back of his hand to wipe off the left-over grease. Wouldn't want him to break out .. could possibly ruin his adorable face.
"Watch it, Jerry!"
His Latino friend sat right across from him licking some sauce off his finger-tips, "No dude. I meant to do that on purpose."
"I had a feeling." Jack retorted, grabbing the nearest napkin and dabbing his fingers onto it.
"You were all out of it. Decided to bring you back down to planet Earth." Jerry smirked. "You're welcome!"
"Whatever, man." Jack leaned back into the leather seat.
The duo were currently having lunch at the nearest fast food restaurant in their strip plaza, which was unfortunately, Falafel Phil's. The place itself was quite clean considering that the owner, Phil, let his goat run throughout it. The food was deep-fried to the fullest and if you were to just stick your fork into the said-food, the grease would immediately come out and you would your own personal drink.
Jack frowned at his best friend who seemed to be slurping up the grease as if it was beer. Usually, the brunet would order a salad but even that was deep-fried here. He pushed his tray aside and crossed his arms - his frown almost permanently etched into his face.
"I know you're upset." Jerry let out a tiny burp. "Hell, even I'm upset."
"Gee .. thanks."
"What I mean is that .. dude, you're pretty much my wing-man. You help me with all the ladies. Now, who's going to help me land a few girls' numbers this summer?" His big brown eyes grew larger as realization struck him.
"Aren't you in a predicament?" Jerry nodded repeatedly. "However, I have bigger problems than you!"
"You know .. it really isn't all that bad once you think about it."
"It's not all bad?" Jack eyed his friend who merely scooted deeper into his seat.
"No?"
Jack let out a laugh, "Well let's see here, my mom is forcing me - that's right, forcing me to go to MISSISSIPPI. You know, I wouldn't mind if I just had to go to Mississippi .. but nooooo, my mom decided to torture me while I was there. Yeah, turns out, she had talked to my father - you know, the one who I have had no contact with for the past eleven years! Yeah, apparently, I am supposed to go over there and 'bond' with him. Well, you know what Jerry? Huh? Do you?"
"What?" Jerry gulped.
"I don't want to bond with him!" Jack drew out the word, 'bond'. "I don't want to talk to him, much rather see him. He left my mother and I when I was like seven! That's what you call a coward! Decided he couldn't handle being a father, so you know, the first thing you do is abandon everything! And now, out of the blue, he wants to be all fatherly! Well, over my dead body! And you know what sucks even more?"
Jerry didn't even bother to reply.
"This stupid trip. Yeah, stupid - it is ruining my summer plans. Dude, you and I were supposed to go to the beach like every weekend! We finally graduated from high school! This is supposed to be the summer where shit goes down .. before we're all forced to go 'be adults'. But, every-single-thing that I had planned for this summer ... BOOM .. gone .. nada. Thanks to my father. My mother is responsible as well ... so, there you go Jerry .. is that not bad to you?"
"Well .. when you put it that way .." Before Jack could even hear the end of his sentence, Jerry jumped out and ran as fast as he could from his best friend.
Jack merely rolled his eyes in annoyance before getting up to go himself.
••••
"Jack, I don't care what you say - you are going to go visit your father in Mississippi." Elaine Anderson crossed her arms as her son had tried, yet again, to fight with her. "I think it's about time for you to see him. You're old enough .. and somewhat mature."
"I just don't understand why you couldn't have asked me in the first place." Jack shook his head. "I don't even need to see him. He's not my father."
"No matter what you say, he will always be your father. And I know, deep down, you still love him - and you miss him. I could always see it in your eyes whenever Father's Day came around or if there was some type of program at school which needed your father to be there too."
Jack scoffed, "That's where you're wrong. I don't love him nor do I even miss him. I do not need someone like him in my life. I grew up fine without a father. You were here for me."
"Jack, everyone has reasons for the things they have done. Your father is no exception." Elaine sighed as she turned to face Jack once again. "So, please, just for me - can you just start to pack. Your flight is in two days already."
Jack paused for a moment before eying the luggage near his door.
"If only I didn't love you," Jack started. "I would already be at the beach ditching all this."
"Thank you." She replied with a soft smile for placing a kiss onto his forehead. "I'm sure you'll have fun."
"I doubt it." He mumbled to himself as his mother stepped out of his room.
••••
Jack thumped his head to the beat of the music. His best friend, Jerry, had offered to drive him to the airport - considering his mother was called into the office. He rolled his eyes as he turned to face his window. The rain was pelting down hard on a summer day, and the skies were grey and gloomy. The brunet pursed his lips as he tightened his rain coat to his toned frame. The weather in Seaford was always bipolar and whatever the weather was - that's usually how Jack would be feeling too.
"Dude, I'm sure you'll do fine." Jerry commented as they were currently stopped by a train. "At least you're not going to some far place like India or Japan. You're still in the United States."
"Yeah .. like pretty much all the way on the other side." Jack crossed his arms. "I'm going to Nesbit, Mississippi. I don't even know anyone from Mississippi."
"Well, now you will!" Jerry offered with a grin as he started to drive once more.
Jack let out a laugh, "I guess so. But, it won't be the same."
"Who knows?" Jerry shrugged. "Maybe, if I pool enough money together - I can come visit you there. Eddie might come with me too once he gets back from his family vacation."
"I guess that's the only thing I'll be looking forward to."
The car slowly came to a halt and Jack slightly cringed to himself when he saw the words - SEAFORD AIRPORT - staring right back at him.
They both got out, with Jerry opening the back of his car. Jack swiftly pulled out his luggage and carry-on before nodding to his friend, "Thanks for the ride!"
"Anytime, bro." Jerry nodded back at him. "Try to be somewhat optimistic?"
"Yeah, as if that's going to happen." Jack scoffed at Jerry's idea and made his way into the cool airport building.
••••
The brunet let out yet another scoff as his view filled with green fields and crops. He cringed slightly to himself and slammed shut his window which earned a glance from the person sitting next to him.
"The light was blinding my eyes." He tried to explain but the person just looked away.
He raised an eyebrow and shook his head. Only a few more minutes and he would be back on the ground. He lifted his headphones that were hanging around his neck before placing them above his ears.
He looked above him and saw the 'seat-belt on' sign flashing. His hands fiddled with the hinge and he eventually tightened the belt around his waist.
The plane was descending and he could not be anymore glad that he was currently listening to music. If he hadn't, his ears would be popping like crazy.
The brunet eyed the little slit that was still open on his window. He could see the runaway approaching them closer and before he knew it, the wheels came into contact with the road - giving them a slight jitter. Jack clenched his arm-rest for a brief moment as the plane slowed down. He turned his head to face the window once more, but quickly realized his view was now blocked by another airplane.
He slid his headphones off once more and did it just in time to hear that they were starting to allow people from first class to get off the plane.
••••
He patiently tapped his foot while waiting around the luggage carousel. He looked around his surroundings and frowned a little when he saw about twenty others near him. He swore that there were more people on the plane but he figured they might've just had to stop here before heading somewhere better. The brunet so desperately wanted to get away.
Behind him, he could hear the rustle and bustle of some of the staff at the Nesbit airport. Their Southern twangs were new to Jack and it would take an extremely long time before he got used to them. His attention was thrown off when he saw a dark green suitcase shoot-out of the spout on the top. He took only three steps forward - considering it wasn't even crowded, unlike the airport in Seaford - and grabbed the handle of it. He skillfully lifted up and placed it back on the ground next to him. He pushed the button and was able to drag up his handle. He turned it slightly before walking away, with it rolling behind him.
He continued to walk until he could see the exit doors. He wasn't really informed on how he would be getting there, but the address of his father's home was tucked away in his pocket and he opted to go find a cab. That was until he saw a sign.
JACK ANDERSON.
His name was written with a sharpie, perhaps but that wasn't what intrigued Jack. His forehead creased slightly when he came closer to the spiffy-dressed man holding it. He stopped a couple meters before the man - pretending to blend in with the crowd. The only problem was that there wasn't a crowd to blend in with. The airport at this point was almost deserted - with the exceptions of a few people scattered around, talking on their phones or reuniting with loved ones.
The brunet was about to turn on his heel for he did not know this man when he suddenly called him out.
"I'm guessing you're Mr. Anderson?" Jack turned to face the man once more and could see he was rather older than he expected. His white hair mixed in with the little black hair he had left. But, Jack popped his eyebrow when he heard the man speak. It wasn't because he had a Southern accent ... more-so because he had a British accent.
Jack gulped slightly to himself. No one would ever know if this guy was a kidnapper or serial killer as now, the people around him had gone on their ways.
"Yes, I am." He started as he cautiously moved closer to the man. "I'm sorry .. but you are?"
The old man pursed his lips slightly before turning on his heel and walking out, "Come with me."
The brunet viewed his options. Either stay here - all alone or go with the stranger to wherever he was planning on taking him. Jack sighed and thought it wouldn't hurt to go with the man. He knew his name so it must've been from his dad. He walked behind the man who was now stopped in front a very luxurious car - with the door in the back open. His hand was outstretched as if telling Jack to get in the car.
Jack merely shrugged his shoulders and hopped in and was about to drag in his suitcase as well when the old man grabbed it before him, slammed the door shut and walked around to the back with it. He opened the truck and laid it inside before walking around once more onto the driver's side. He started the engine and was about to drive off when he faced Jack in the back.
"Your seat-belt." He muttered while eying the said item at the top left corner of Jack. The brunet quickly got the memo and strapped on the bad boy.
••••
Jack felt like they were driving forever. He had tried to cure his boredom by looking outside the window for anything that would spike his attention. But, alas, there was nothing.
Nothing in the literal term.
As they continued to drive down the same road - his eyes were filled with grass. Long grass, short grass, grass that has manure on it. You name it. Jack would then see the occasional cows and horses, here and there - but the brunet was never really one to interact with farm animals.
He then felt it was necessary to strike up a conversation with the man behind the wheel considering they seemed to still have a long way to go.
"So, uh .. Mister?" He started off with a slight cough.
"I go by Mr. Venturi." His eyes never left the road.
Jack nodded his head - but the man probably never saw that, "Mr. Venturi .. where exactly are we headed?"
"Isn't it obvious?" The old man let out a laugh. "We're going to your father's home."
"Oh .. so you work for my father?"
He nodded slightly, "I'm almost like your father's butler, assistant and driver all rolled into one."
"Butler?" Jack quirked an interest into this. "I hate to break it to you, but we're not exactly in Britain. I didn't expect to have a butler in Nesbit."
"Yes, it's quite out of the ordinary. But, you're father is a great man and I am thankful to be working under his watchful eye."
Jack merely crossed his arms at this, "What exactly does my father do?"
"Oh, you'll see."
••••
And Jack did see. Eventually, the long road led to yet another road but this one was disclosed by itself. It was rocky and bumpy and Jack eyed the mysterious huge gate door before them.
ANDERSON.
This time, Jack's last name was not written in a sharpie pen but was instead, engraved in to the metal frame with what seemed to be sterling silver. The butler-assistant-driver stopped for a few seconds before the gates opened before them. Jack couldn't help but feel in awe when they began to drive in.
The rocky ground turned into asphalt which was surrounded by long, wispy trees. As they finished off, Jack's eyes grew larger when he came into contact with what seemed to be his father's house - or mansion to be exact.
A fountain with some type of Greek mythology-statue graced before him. Around it was a circular driveway and right behind the fountain was the said-mansion. The brunet turned to face to his right and saw that the mansion was built over a huge field. There were flowers that he had never seen before and the grass was so much more greener than what grass was like in Seaford.
Jack once again turned to face the mansion once more and he finally got a clear look of it. The entire outside of the house seemed to be formed using beige-colored bricks. The roof was a mix of dark and light grey shingles. The door almost seemed double the size of him and was completely wooden. On each side of the door was a window that was equivalent to the size of it. There also seemed to be an upper-level for there were three windows - equally spaced and were identical to the two next to the door.
When the brunet looked to the left of him, he could see an similar building like the mansion but it was much smaller and only had two, extremely large doors. He guessed that it was were the garage and storage was located.
Before Jack could drool even more at the sight of the incredible mansion, Mr. Venturi drove around the fountain and stopped right in front of the doors.
The brunet pressed the red button that held his seat-belt in place. It let out a click sound and he drew back where he first got it. Mr. Venturi couldn't even say two words before Jack stepped out of the vehicle and looked at the mansion before him once more.
The newly graduated looked at everything - the garage, the fountain, the trees, the grass, the car, the open fields, the girl staring at him -
Wait, the girl staring at him?
He was currently looking out into the open fields when he saw a couple of people who seemed to be more workers of his dad currently on break. They were all situated around the table in the middle of the field all chorused in laughter. He caught a glimpse of one girl - a blonde to be more precise. She was the only blonde in the sea of brunette women and brunet men there.
Jack merely smiled to himself when he saw the blonde looking back at her. When she saw him looking, she turned around and began to talk to the girl next to her. The brunet laughed quietly to himself when a thought crossed his mind.
Maybe this summer really won't be that bad.
Ta-da!
First chapter done :). What do you guys think?
Was it alright for a first chapter?
I'm thinking of incorporating the other members of Kickin' It later on .. but I'm not sure yet. Do you think it'd be a good idea?
REVIEW please :)