Nightmare at Capeside High - Part 1: Those Juicy Melons!?!
Jack McPhee was sitting on the small pier outside the Potter's B & B staring at the waters beneath his feet. It rippled from his unsuccessful attempt to skim a small stone all the way across to the Leery's side of the creek. As he tried to look past the surface of the water to find the stone he tried to work out what had gone wrong, he'd picked an especially smooth stone from the grass to his side and it was quite round yet flat, it should have gone well. He knew that trying to get it all the way across was a long shot but it should have done better than to just have hit the water with a loud 'Plop' noise and sunk right to the bottom, he worried that he might have woken Alexander or one of the guests in the house behind him. For some reason he actually held his breath as he listened but he heard no stirrings from the B&B. He sighed from relief, he didn't want to get into trouble with Bessie again, only last week she ran out fuming when his and Joey's game of Frisbee had kept Alexander awake and crying while she was trying to make coffee for a full house. It had been so full because it had been the summer vacation, but not anymore, today was the first day of a new school year and the feelings of dread and, for some strange reason, excitement (but mostly dread) this produced in Jack were the reason he was sitting on the Potters' dock at just approaching 6:30am. He had crept out, taking care not to wake Andie as he went round the kitchen beneath her bedroom to make an exceedingly early breakfast, because he couldn't stand to just lie in bed for ages before getting up. He didn't understand how his sister could be so peaceful on the first day of the semester, it probably had something to do with her being so at home at school.
He had already seen Mitch Leery go out in his car, to the shops he guessed, but Mitch hadn't seen him. Not that he wanted to be seen now, he was quite happy where he was for now. He found the quiet of the early morning and the fresh air surrounding him calming, which he decided was most definitely a good thing today. He decided to give the skimming another go, with his next five or six stone he managed to get around half way across the creek but no further. Eventually he got bored and stopped, when he looked at his watch it was 6:40. Jack glanced round in the vain hope that Joey was up already so that he'd have someone to sit with and talk to. Calming was great but it gets boring when you've been sitting by yourself since 5:50, and besides the dock was starting to make Jack's butt go numb, again! Instead of Joey he saw some of the guests, it was a young English couple, staying in Capeside for their honeymoon. He guessed they were out for an early morning walk. He smiled and waved.
"Good morning," they said together.
"Good morning," he replied. "You don't know if Joey is up yet, do you?"
"Joey, she's the younger girl, yes?"
Jack nodded
"Yes, she's been up a little while now. She's actually making breakfast right now"
"Thanks," Jack replied. "Enjoy your walk," he said as he made his way past them onto the porch.
Until the previous evening Jack had wondered why the newlyweds had come to Capeside on their honeymoon, why not Florida or New York or somewhere else. Jen and Andie had told him that they were doing some sort of world tour and this was just their first stop. This had quickly shut Jack up, he had replied a quick and quiet "oh," which made both girls smirk at him and call him sweet - at which point Jack quickly turned his attention back to the movie Dawson was totally engrossed in, 'Moby Dick'.
Dawson hadn't even noticed when Grams wandered in with a large bowl of butter popcorn she'd just prepared in the microwave. When she'd turn to leave Jack and the two girls (Joey had been busy at the B&B helping Bessie) politely asked if she wanted to watch the movie with them. Grams declined, as she always did, saying she'd seen it before.
"Like we haven't," Jen replied, "Not too long and we'll have watched this one as many times as we've been subjected to E.T.!"
Everyone laughed, except Dawson who turned round from where he was lying on the floor to glare at Jen, who winked back at him.
"Well, I suppose I'm not too busy," Grams had said as she sat down in an armchair next to the sofa where Jack, Jen and Andie sat.
*****
As Jack closed the screen door behind him, leaving the actual door open, Joey looked up.
"You're up early."
"Nice to see you too, Joey!"
When Jack had first moved to Capeside, Joey had been the first new friend he'd made. Up until that point he thought that a four-point-o GPA was a thing of dreams, unattainable by anyone who could be considered cool by anyone else. Joey had quickly changed that.
"I meant is there something bothering you for you be up this early?" Joey asked after she rolled her eyes in defeat. " I thought it was only us galley slaves who were up this early!"
"- " Jack opened his mouth to speak but before he could say anything Joey had already worked out the answer to her own question.
"Ah yes the first day of school scare."
"Got it in one" Jack smiled as he picked up a knife from the counter to help Joey with the grapefruits she was currently preparing. But as he reached for his first grapefruit Joey stopped him.
"You don't have to help, but if you insist could you slice those melons instead?"
"Sure," he replied.
"It's just that it'll be easier if we do different jobs so that the guest can eat things that aren't just grapefruits!"
"You didn't need to explain, but okay," Jack said as he rather too forcefully sliced into his first melon. Joey tried hard to suppress a laugh as juice squirted down the front of shirt and his jeans. "Like today wasn't already bad enough!"
Joey turned to pick up a towel from near the sink, "Don't worry it won't stain."
She reached to start cleaning Jack up. "I actually think its better that I get this, don't you, Jo?"
"Hmm?" Joey went wide-eyed as she realised what she had just been about to do. "Oh!"
Jack grinned at her as he took the towel from her and she blushed. Joey quickly went back to what she was doing. Jack soon had a dry, but now extra-fruity smelling, outfit and also continued slicing the melons.
"I still don't see what it is about school that gets to you."
"I don't see how it doesn't get to you! Okay, I do. You do well, like Andie, which why you are quite happy there. You are both probably bummed that there are only twelve grades!"
"Hey no fair!" she pretended to be hurt by Jack's joke, "Anyway you do well too. You're great at sport, especially football, and its not like you suck in classes either!"
"Okay," he replied. "It's not so much the school part of school that gets to me so much as some of the people who go there."
Joey quickly grasped what he was getting at. She remembered the rumours that were going around about Jack last year that proved more than just rumours. She remembered the bullying and physical abuse that came hand-in- hand with those rumours. If some people couldn't get on with Jack because they couldn't accept that he was gay then it was their loss because Jack was so much fun to be around and was such a good friend to her, Pacey, Dawson and Jen. Not to mention a loving brother to Andie. This realisation of what was causing Jack to be standing next to her in the B&B's kitchen that morning made her bite her lip. Joey put down the knife she was holding and she turned to him.
"I'm sorry you had to go through all that, Jack."
Jack realised quickly that she had worked out his problem. "That's okay Joey, its not like it was your fault though, you don't need to apologise."
"It wasn't an apology, idiot!" She knew Jack didn't need to spend time dwelling so she tried to start a play fight to change the subject.
"No, but I should probably get one for that 'idiot' remark!" Jack grinned at Joey who now stood there, once more wide-eyed but now with a gaping mouth to match.
"Oh really? Now you're just taking liberties!"
Joey's plan was working.
"You know you look like a fish when you do that, don't you?" He was grinning even harder now.
"That's it, you're gonna pay for that!"
"Oh yeah, whatcha gonna do?"
"This!" Joey said picking up the towel Jack had used to dry himself off not too long earlier and, holding two corners, twirled it so that it wrapped round itself to make a whip. She now grinned her cute little grin, tongue just visible behind her teeth, as Jack's expression changed to one of worry and he started to back away from Joey as she took aim.
"Joey.. Can't we talk about this?" he pleaded
"Maybe you should" Bessie said as she emerged from the hallway, making them both jump. "I don't want you two waking up any of the guests. I know the Stuarts have already gone out but I don't want any complaints from any of the others! Good morning Jack, by the way."
"Good morning Bessie," Jack replied, rather quickly.
Joey turned to Jack, "lets call it quits then."
"Agreed"
And with that Bessie went to get the mail and Jack and Joey turned their attention back to the fruit.
*****
About ten minutes later Pacey walked in. Neither Jack or Joey had seen or heard him so he motioned to Bessie, who was playing with Alexander in the lounge area, to keep quiet.
Then, in a loud of voice he said, "You know you don't get paid for trying to be helpful here, McPhee. I've tried many times!"
"Pacey! You almost made me lose a thumb, and its not as though today is my favourite day of all days anyway!" Jack said, as he placed the knife back on the counter.
"Good morning, Pacey. But, unlike you, Jack is actually helpful," said Joey as she did the same. Pacey pretended not to hear the last bit.
"I wouldn't worry, Jack, you've got another one."
"What?"
"Thumb, McPhee, thumb. You have two thumbs so losing one, while not too helpful on the football field, it wouldn't be the end of the world! Although one looks like it could do with some medical attention about now!" Pacey pointed out as a bead of blood dropped on to the flesh of one of Jack's melon slices.
"You have a very strange of looking at things, has anyone ever told you that?"
"All the time. I just say it's not strange, merely unique!"
Joey handed Jack a ball of kitchen roll she'd just soaked under the tap. "It's nothing serious Jack, don't worry. Just hold this on it while I go and find a Band-Aid. Pacey?" He turned to look at her while she spoke to him. "While I'm gone, prove me wrong and make yourself useful and finish up here. Oh, and get rid of the slice of melon with 'added Jack'!"
"Extra protein!" Pacey replied.
"Pacey!" Joey glared at him, obviously annoyed, "The rest of our guests will be awake soon and I think Bessie and I would prefer not to get complaints about understaffing and poor food preparation!"
"Alright, alright!" Pacey said, rolling his eyes, "Go, take Jack and go and play nurse!"
"Thank you."
***** A little later all the guests (including the Stuarts) were at the table enjoying breakfast, Bessie and Alexander were on the dock where Jack had been sitting earlier that morning and Jack, Joey and Pacey now along with Dawson and Jen were sitting on the porch of the B&B.
"Jack, stop that!"
Jack was absent-mindedly scratching at the Band-Aid on his left hand and it was starting to get on Jen's nerves.
Dawson joined in, "Yeah Jack, How's it supposed to heal if you're constantly fiddling with it?"
"Sorry guys, but I promise I'm not doing it on purpose! And the design isn't helping!"
"It's not my fault the only Band-Aids we had the right size were the Disney ones we bought for Alexander!" Joey explained, "And its not as though I can help the fact that he doesn't like the pink Minnie Mouse ones! Sorry!"
"Don't worry. I'm sure its fine! But moving on anyway! Aren't there some auditions happening at school today?"
"Yeah," said Dawson, "It basically boils down to the fact that because the school play takes place in November this year for assorted reasons, they have to hold the auditions today!"
"Well, I'll be there! Anyone else?" asked Pacey.
They all seemed happy to go along with him and audition. Jack agreed but wasn't too sure.
"Do we even know what the play is?" asked Jack, hoping he could use it to find an excuse not to do it.
"Not yet!" They're just gonna get everyone to read a scene in groups to a camera and then they'll choose from there."
"Right, okay then," said Jack, rather bluntly.
"Where IS Andie?" asked Joey.
"Don't worry she'll be here. Like Andie would ever miss school! She's probably just checking her book list and making sure all her pencils are properly sharpened!" joked Jack, glad for the change of topic, even though he'd started it in the first place. Everyone chuckled but sure enough, two minutes later Andie arrived.
"Where were you Jack? I swear we should get you tagged or give you a beeper or attach you to piece of string or something! Just so I know where you are!"
"Sorry Andie, but I couldn't sleep so I came over here in case anyone else was up." Jack replied, sheepishly.
"Never mind, we're all here now so lets get a move on!" said Joey, herding them all off the porch. And then they all made their way toward Capeside High.
To Be Continued.
Jack McPhee was sitting on the small pier outside the Potter's B & B staring at the waters beneath his feet. It rippled from his unsuccessful attempt to skim a small stone all the way across to the Leery's side of the creek. As he tried to look past the surface of the water to find the stone he tried to work out what had gone wrong, he'd picked an especially smooth stone from the grass to his side and it was quite round yet flat, it should have gone well. He knew that trying to get it all the way across was a long shot but it should have done better than to just have hit the water with a loud 'Plop' noise and sunk right to the bottom, he worried that he might have woken Alexander or one of the guests in the house behind him. For some reason he actually held his breath as he listened but he heard no stirrings from the B&B. He sighed from relief, he didn't want to get into trouble with Bessie again, only last week she ran out fuming when his and Joey's game of Frisbee had kept Alexander awake and crying while she was trying to make coffee for a full house. It had been so full because it had been the summer vacation, but not anymore, today was the first day of a new school year and the feelings of dread and, for some strange reason, excitement (but mostly dread) this produced in Jack were the reason he was sitting on the Potters' dock at just approaching 6:30am. He had crept out, taking care not to wake Andie as he went round the kitchen beneath her bedroom to make an exceedingly early breakfast, because he couldn't stand to just lie in bed for ages before getting up. He didn't understand how his sister could be so peaceful on the first day of the semester, it probably had something to do with her being so at home at school.
He had already seen Mitch Leery go out in his car, to the shops he guessed, but Mitch hadn't seen him. Not that he wanted to be seen now, he was quite happy where he was for now. He found the quiet of the early morning and the fresh air surrounding him calming, which he decided was most definitely a good thing today. He decided to give the skimming another go, with his next five or six stone he managed to get around half way across the creek but no further. Eventually he got bored and stopped, when he looked at his watch it was 6:40. Jack glanced round in the vain hope that Joey was up already so that he'd have someone to sit with and talk to. Calming was great but it gets boring when you've been sitting by yourself since 5:50, and besides the dock was starting to make Jack's butt go numb, again! Instead of Joey he saw some of the guests, it was a young English couple, staying in Capeside for their honeymoon. He guessed they were out for an early morning walk. He smiled and waved.
"Good morning," they said together.
"Good morning," he replied. "You don't know if Joey is up yet, do you?"
"Joey, she's the younger girl, yes?"
Jack nodded
"Yes, she's been up a little while now. She's actually making breakfast right now"
"Thanks," Jack replied. "Enjoy your walk," he said as he made his way past them onto the porch.
Until the previous evening Jack had wondered why the newlyweds had come to Capeside on their honeymoon, why not Florida or New York or somewhere else. Jen and Andie had told him that they were doing some sort of world tour and this was just their first stop. This had quickly shut Jack up, he had replied a quick and quiet "oh," which made both girls smirk at him and call him sweet - at which point Jack quickly turned his attention back to the movie Dawson was totally engrossed in, 'Moby Dick'.
Dawson hadn't even noticed when Grams wandered in with a large bowl of butter popcorn she'd just prepared in the microwave. When she'd turn to leave Jack and the two girls (Joey had been busy at the B&B helping Bessie) politely asked if she wanted to watch the movie with them. Grams declined, as she always did, saying she'd seen it before.
"Like we haven't," Jen replied, "Not too long and we'll have watched this one as many times as we've been subjected to E.T.!"
Everyone laughed, except Dawson who turned round from where he was lying on the floor to glare at Jen, who winked back at him.
"Well, I suppose I'm not too busy," Grams had said as she sat down in an armchair next to the sofa where Jack, Jen and Andie sat.
*****
As Jack closed the screen door behind him, leaving the actual door open, Joey looked up.
"You're up early."
"Nice to see you too, Joey!"
When Jack had first moved to Capeside, Joey had been the first new friend he'd made. Up until that point he thought that a four-point-o GPA was a thing of dreams, unattainable by anyone who could be considered cool by anyone else. Joey had quickly changed that.
"I meant is there something bothering you for you be up this early?" Joey asked after she rolled her eyes in defeat. " I thought it was only us galley slaves who were up this early!"
"- " Jack opened his mouth to speak but before he could say anything Joey had already worked out the answer to her own question.
"Ah yes the first day of school scare."
"Got it in one" Jack smiled as he picked up a knife from the counter to help Joey with the grapefruits she was currently preparing. But as he reached for his first grapefruit Joey stopped him.
"You don't have to help, but if you insist could you slice those melons instead?"
"Sure," he replied.
"It's just that it'll be easier if we do different jobs so that the guest can eat things that aren't just grapefruits!"
"You didn't need to explain, but okay," Jack said as he rather too forcefully sliced into his first melon. Joey tried hard to suppress a laugh as juice squirted down the front of shirt and his jeans. "Like today wasn't already bad enough!"
Joey turned to pick up a towel from near the sink, "Don't worry it won't stain."
She reached to start cleaning Jack up. "I actually think its better that I get this, don't you, Jo?"
"Hmm?" Joey went wide-eyed as she realised what she had just been about to do. "Oh!"
Jack grinned at her as he took the towel from her and she blushed. Joey quickly went back to what she was doing. Jack soon had a dry, but now extra-fruity smelling, outfit and also continued slicing the melons.
"I still don't see what it is about school that gets to you."
"I don't see how it doesn't get to you! Okay, I do. You do well, like Andie, which why you are quite happy there. You are both probably bummed that there are only twelve grades!"
"Hey no fair!" she pretended to be hurt by Jack's joke, "Anyway you do well too. You're great at sport, especially football, and its not like you suck in classes either!"
"Okay," he replied. "It's not so much the school part of school that gets to me so much as some of the people who go there."
Joey quickly grasped what he was getting at. She remembered the rumours that were going around about Jack last year that proved more than just rumours. She remembered the bullying and physical abuse that came hand-in- hand with those rumours. If some people couldn't get on with Jack because they couldn't accept that he was gay then it was their loss because Jack was so much fun to be around and was such a good friend to her, Pacey, Dawson and Jen. Not to mention a loving brother to Andie. This realisation of what was causing Jack to be standing next to her in the B&B's kitchen that morning made her bite her lip. Joey put down the knife she was holding and she turned to him.
"I'm sorry you had to go through all that, Jack."
Jack realised quickly that she had worked out his problem. "That's okay Joey, its not like it was your fault though, you don't need to apologise."
"It wasn't an apology, idiot!" She knew Jack didn't need to spend time dwelling so she tried to start a play fight to change the subject.
"No, but I should probably get one for that 'idiot' remark!" Jack grinned at Joey who now stood there, once more wide-eyed but now with a gaping mouth to match.
"Oh really? Now you're just taking liberties!"
Joey's plan was working.
"You know you look like a fish when you do that, don't you?" He was grinning even harder now.
"That's it, you're gonna pay for that!"
"Oh yeah, whatcha gonna do?"
"This!" Joey said picking up the towel Jack had used to dry himself off not too long earlier and, holding two corners, twirled it so that it wrapped round itself to make a whip. She now grinned her cute little grin, tongue just visible behind her teeth, as Jack's expression changed to one of worry and he started to back away from Joey as she took aim.
"Joey.. Can't we talk about this?" he pleaded
"Maybe you should" Bessie said as she emerged from the hallway, making them both jump. "I don't want you two waking up any of the guests. I know the Stuarts have already gone out but I don't want any complaints from any of the others! Good morning Jack, by the way."
"Good morning Bessie," Jack replied, rather quickly.
Joey turned to Jack, "lets call it quits then."
"Agreed"
And with that Bessie went to get the mail and Jack and Joey turned their attention back to the fruit.
*****
About ten minutes later Pacey walked in. Neither Jack or Joey had seen or heard him so he motioned to Bessie, who was playing with Alexander in the lounge area, to keep quiet.
Then, in a loud of voice he said, "You know you don't get paid for trying to be helpful here, McPhee. I've tried many times!"
"Pacey! You almost made me lose a thumb, and its not as though today is my favourite day of all days anyway!" Jack said, as he placed the knife back on the counter.
"Good morning, Pacey. But, unlike you, Jack is actually helpful," said Joey as she did the same. Pacey pretended not to hear the last bit.
"I wouldn't worry, Jack, you've got another one."
"What?"
"Thumb, McPhee, thumb. You have two thumbs so losing one, while not too helpful on the football field, it wouldn't be the end of the world! Although one looks like it could do with some medical attention about now!" Pacey pointed out as a bead of blood dropped on to the flesh of one of Jack's melon slices.
"You have a very strange of looking at things, has anyone ever told you that?"
"All the time. I just say it's not strange, merely unique!"
Joey handed Jack a ball of kitchen roll she'd just soaked under the tap. "It's nothing serious Jack, don't worry. Just hold this on it while I go and find a Band-Aid. Pacey?" He turned to look at her while she spoke to him. "While I'm gone, prove me wrong and make yourself useful and finish up here. Oh, and get rid of the slice of melon with 'added Jack'!"
"Extra protein!" Pacey replied.
"Pacey!" Joey glared at him, obviously annoyed, "The rest of our guests will be awake soon and I think Bessie and I would prefer not to get complaints about understaffing and poor food preparation!"
"Alright, alright!" Pacey said, rolling his eyes, "Go, take Jack and go and play nurse!"
"Thank you."
***** A little later all the guests (including the Stuarts) were at the table enjoying breakfast, Bessie and Alexander were on the dock where Jack had been sitting earlier that morning and Jack, Joey and Pacey now along with Dawson and Jen were sitting on the porch of the B&B.
"Jack, stop that!"
Jack was absent-mindedly scratching at the Band-Aid on his left hand and it was starting to get on Jen's nerves.
Dawson joined in, "Yeah Jack, How's it supposed to heal if you're constantly fiddling with it?"
"Sorry guys, but I promise I'm not doing it on purpose! And the design isn't helping!"
"It's not my fault the only Band-Aids we had the right size were the Disney ones we bought for Alexander!" Joey explained, "And its not as though I can help the fact that he doesn't like the pink Minnie Mouse ones! Sorry!"
"Don't worry. I'm sure its fine! But moving on anyway! Aren't there some auditions happening at school today?"
"Yeah," said Dawson, "It basically boils down to the fact that because the school play takes place in November this year for assorted reasons, they have to hold the auditions today!"
"Well, I'll be there! Anyone else?" asked Pacey.
They all seemed happy to go along with him and audition. Jack agreed but wasn't too sure.
"Do we even know what the play is?" asked Jack, hoping he could use it to find an excuse not to do it.
"Not yet!" They're just gonna get everyone to read a scene in groups to a camera and then they'll choose from there."
"Right, okay then," said Jack, rather bluntly.
"Where IS Andie?" asked Joey.
"Don't worry she'll be here. Like Andie would ever miss school! She's probably just checking her book list and making sure all her pencils are properly sharpened!" joked Jack, glad for the change of topic, even though he'd started it in the first place. Everyone chuckled but sure enough, two minutes later Andie arrived.
"Where were you Jack? I swear we should get you tagged or give you a beeper or attach you to piece of string or something! Just so I know where you are!"
"Sorry Andie, but I couldn't sleep so I came over here in case anyone else was up." Jack replied, sheepishly.
"Never mind, we're all here now so lets get a move on!" said Joey, herding them all off the porch. And then they all made their way toward Capeside High.
To Be Continued.