Chapter one: Singing beer

The trip to the lodge, Jack Bolton decided, was a last resort to help their marriage. Diane and Jack had kept their troubles so hidden, not even Troy, their sixteen-year-old son saw the problem.

Then again, mused Jack, teenagers do not see much except what's in front of their face and sometimes not even that.

Sighing, he sipped his beer and looked at the living room. A cream-colored wall, with a couch and a table in front of their T.V, a nice room all and all except for the portraits that had been ripped from the walls and thrown at him during the fight and the empty beer cans that littered on the coffee.

The front door slammed shut and the sound of his son's footsteps coming toward the living room made Jack force a smile on his face.

"Hey D- wow what happened here?" Troy frowned from the doorway. Jack sighed and patted the cushion next to him.

"Sit down Troy," Jack said tiredly, dropping the smile. Troy sat down slowly, with a bewildered look on his handsome face.

"Dad where's Mom? I didn't see her-," Troy began at a fast pace but Jack held up his hand to silence his son.

"She left." The words hung in the room before Troy managed to say, "Why?"

"We've been having problems, son, and we didn't want to admit it until this afternoon."

"I-I well, Dad, I just want to say-," Troy tried to say something, but he failed to put his thoughts into words.

"Son, it'll be alright," Jack tried to put on a brave front; "We'll get through this. I won't be at school for a while, but the sub I have is good."

Troy nodded and got up.

"I've got to do some homework."


Hangovers weren't fun.

Jack rubbed his forehead and splashed water on his face. His eyes were bloodshot and his tongue furry.

Taking a quick shower, he took the stairs slowly, hoping not to break his neck falling down them.

The smells of eggs and toast made his stomach churn with nausea and oddly anticipation.

Maybe she came back! He thought happily. He, as casually as possible, walked through the kitchen door.

The sun came through the glass windows and shone on the cooker, who happened to not be his wife but his son.

"Morning Dad," Troy said. He wore a white shirt under a blue plaid shirt and jeans.

Jack mentally sighed and said aloud, jokingly, "What next? Singing in the Winter Musicale?"

Troy laughed. He took the pan off the burner and said, "Here's your breakfast Dad. I've got to go!"

Jack nodded to his son and took the eggs. He picked at them and glanced at the beer cans around the living room. An unopened one seemed to sing to him, "Come on Jack! It'll make you foorrgeeeetttt!"

Apparently, beer can sing but very off-key but it still seemed to work.


"21 bottles of beer on the wall," slurred Jack, trying to drink his beer, but having a problem. It wouldn't open.

"Why! Why can't I drink this!" He hit it against the table in frustration. "Stupid drink, doesn't work. Another thing that doesn't work is me- why didn't it work out Diane! I tried!"

"Dad?" said a hesitant voice from the doorway to the living room.

"Hey Troy! Look its Troy, my son!" Jack said loudly to the beer cans. The beer cans, rolled their 'eyes' and crossed their 'arms.'

"Uhh, Dad, maybe you should lay off the beer," Troy said hesitantly. He approached with caution but Jack held the last of his beer to his chest and eyed his son as if he were a predator.

"No! No! No!" Jack whimpered and pouted. If this situation were observed from an outsider, they would have thought the rolls of teen and parent had been reversed by some freak accident involving a mad scientist and lightning.

"Dad, give me the beer!"

"No!"

"Yes, you're hurting yourself!"

"NO!"

"Mom wouldn't want this!"

"NO! NO! NO! She doesn't care, she left me!" Jack panted, backing up into the wall while Troy approached his father. Jack felt his son hugging him and he leaned into his sons chest, tears flowing into his sons shirt. He dropped the beer can, letting it roll on the white carpet and he wrapped his arms around his son's waist and sobbed.

"Why did she leave me?"

"Its okay Dad, I'm here," Troy whispered.


Next morning Jack woke up with the same headache, however, instead of waking up alone, a body lay next to him in his bed. Jack looked blearily before realizing it was his son. He looked peaceful, lying next to him, with rumpled clothes and shaggy hair.

Why was he here? Jack thought as he brushed his son's hair out of his eyes and leaned against the backboard.

He furrowed his brow in thought as the memory came to him.

"NO! NO! NO! She doesn't care, she left me!" Jack panted, backing up into the wall while Troy approached his father. Jack felt his son hugging him and he leaned into his sons chest, tears flowing into his sons shirt. He dropped the beer can, letting it roll on the white carpet and he wrapped his arms around his son's waist and sobbed.

"Why did she leave me?"

"Its okay Dad, I'm here," Troy whispered. He helped him up and led him to his room, where he stumbled to the bathroom and threw up the contents of his stomach. A hand rubbed his back.

Wiping his mouth, Jack was led to his bed where Troy said, "Get some rest Dad. I want you in tip top shape for practice." It was a joke in their family. Once when Troy had been young, he'd gotten pneumonia and Jack managed to ease his son's nerves of getting sicker or dieing by saying when he'd get better he would be able to practice basketball again.

"Stay with me," whispered Jack.

"Sure," Troy said lovingly back, sounding so much like his mother.

Jack lied down, trying to stop the spinning. Troy sighed next to him and began to sing an old lullaby Diane used to sing.

"This is the ferry for Shadowtown;It always sails at the end of day," sang Troy, his voice low. Jack felt the spinning easing as he sang on.

"Just as the darkness is closing down.
Rest, little head, on my shoulder, so;
A sleepy kiss is the only fare,
Drifting away from the world we go,
Baby and I in the rocking chair,
See where the firelogs glow and spark
Glitter the lights of the shadowland;
The winter rain in the window, hark!
Are ripples lapping upon its strand.
There! where the mirror is glancing dim,
A lake lies shimmering cool and still,
Blossoms are waving above its brim,
Those over there on the windowsill,
Rock slow, more slow in the dusky light,
Silently lower the anchor down!
Dear little passenger, say "Good night" -
We've reach'd the harbor of Shadowtown.
"

Troy stirred and opened his blue eyes and rolled over, groaning.

"Wakey, wakey!" Jack shook his shoulder slightly. "Time for school."

Troy shot up. He began running a hand through his shaggy hair and cursed under his breath.

"I forgot my homework!" Jack felt like slapping himself. Of course, his son had homework, which he hadn't done, as he had to care of him.

"Do it now, son, and I'll write you a note saying why you were late." Troy flashed his father a smile before running out of his dark colored room.

"Come, Jack, to the land of beer!" sang the head leader of the beer cans. Jack shot the beer an evil glare.

He flipped the channels before turning it off and took a basketball outside to shoot some hoops.

It would distract him long enough.


This is my first HSM fic, so be kind and tell me what you think.

R&R!

Bookworm622