i would like to thank you all for reviewing, and i would like you to know that i am going to address the moral issues of Jack dating... it seems like such a waste of a wonderful guy if he doesn't get to have fun though... and just to let you know, its not a mary-sue. i wish i was even a bit like Carli, she's very outgoing and artistic. personally i'm a bit withdrawn and i can only draw stick figures well. she will have flaws, and you will see them, because its more interesting that way, i'm not sure if she's going to be personally involved with Jack or not at this point. just, at the moment, enjoy, cause i have no real idea where this is going, suggestions are always welcome.- thanks
ps- i know its gorgon, and you know its gorgon. come to think of it, jack knows its gorgon too... (just smile and think "nintendos" ("no matter how dense")
ch 2
At first Jack looked at Gym class as a way to get in daily training that he would probably be too lazy to work on himself. After changing and standing in line for half an hour he yawned and wondered how the hell learning how to toss a Frisbee could be used to defend oneself.
"Maybe if there were an infestation of Frisbee goals..."
"Or jumping poodles," Jared muttered under his breath.
"Do we do this all year?"
"Running units next; until then I just sit back and let my natural coordination take over." Jack scoffed; Jared already had his turn, and had accidentally flung the Frisbee backwards and into the head of a waiting jock. Jared smirked and pushed Jack forward.
He took the plastic disk from their teacher, a dumpy woman with gray hair and a loud speaking voice, flung it toward the goal and bowed as it completed its mission in the assigned metal chains.
The whistle blew, warning that it was time to change again. The only advantage to Frisbee that Jack could see was that he wasn't sweaty enough to need a shower. He jogged back to Jared's side just in time to witness the bruised jock push his new friend to the ground. Holding his hand down to help Jared up, Jack only glared as the kid grabbed the front of his shirt and twisted to bring Jack to his toes. Looking down at the hand he quirked and eyebrow and slid his gaze up a light sprinkling of stubble, a firm frowning mouth and a zit perched precariously on a nose that had been broken several times. Looking the teenager straight in the eyes he hissed,
"You don't want to fight with me."
He blinked, suddenly not quite as certain of his superiority over the shorter classmate, but unable to back down with his friends surrounding.
"You don't want to help the freak. You're not part of this."
"Don't push around my friends. You will learn to regret it if this continues." Jack held his gaze, not threatening yet, but close to it. He was released as the whistle blew again and the dumpy gym teacher stalked forward to break them all up.
"Move it, I will not be issuing late passes. Mr. Fortifier, do we have a problem here?" She asked the jock.
"No Mrs. Porter, no problem."
"Good, I don't want to have to tell my husband to bench out his quarter-back so early in the season." She paused and made eye contact with the three jocks, "do I make myself clear?" she didn't wait for an answer, but strode back toward the school with every confidence that her word was law.
"You're lucky this time, punk." Fortifier muttered, but turned back, and walked away.
"You are insane." Jared drove a Mazda Miata, red paint and primed doors; it was a little worse for the wear. But it was a car, and Jack wasn't complaining.
"How so?" Jack scratched his head before pulling on a baseball cap.
"You picked a fight with Lance Fortifier. He's not only known as "Crusher" on the field, but off it too."
"He doesn't scare me. I know the type. Once I stand up and prove he can't beat me, he'll back off."
"He could sit on you and crush you to death." Jared pointed out, unlocking his doors before flinging his book bag into the backseat.
"Ow!" a bundle he hadn't noticed fidgeted under the blanket he kept in the car, "just-in-case."
"Carli." Jared sighed, well used to finding the girl napping in his car.
"I would be if you hadn't caused amnesia, throwing shit at my head." She sat up and smiled, "and what's this I hear about Jack being a giant-killer?"
Jack could only laugh as they pulled into his driveway. Jared and Carli had obviously been friends for a good long time; they had a version of what Carter used to call "The Jack and Daniel show". He'd watched, hopelessly clueless and mystified as to what the couple was actually saying, but the butt end of comments where interesting.
"He's just pissed because Sharlotte…"
"If you continue that sentence I'm going for the Jell-O."
"Don't threaten me with that anymore, it's not fair." Carli frowned and tapped Jared on the back of the head as he parked. She skipped from the back seat before the teen could turn around and retaliate. "Wow, you live here?"
The condominiums weren't plush, but nice enough that Jack didn't have any complaints. Besides, he had a roof garden, a place to put his telescope, which was really all he needed to be comfortable. As he unlocked the front door he was greeted with a gasp that reminded him of the other thing he needed to live.
"You like "The Simpson's" huh?" Jared took in the posters and plush figurines that had been strewed in a semi-organized way on his bookshelf, along with games, DVDs and signed pictures.
"What's life without tiny yellow people?" he asked dryly. "You want a drink?" he was parched, he really needed a Guinness. Opening the refrigerator he repressed a groan.
"You have pop?" Carli asked, ducking her head under his arm to stand in front of the open door.
"Apparently." He'd forgotten that Carter told Daniel to keep beer from his under aged lips. Carli grabbed a diet something and an orange slice for Jared. Jack vowed that he'd bribe one of the SF's as soon as he possibly could, and took a coke for the moment.
"Wow, you have an original Nintendo!" Carli laughed and grabbed a game from his shelf. Jack smiled slightly, it had been Charlie's, he'd packed it up and it had been in his closet for years. He'd taken it from his other self, on an impulse he hadn't really understood at the time. But now, watching Carli manipulate the controller he didn't feel the crushing weight of gravity around his heart. Maybe it was time, now that he had time, to really finish healing.
"Guys?" Jared brought both their attention to where he'd set up his books on Jack's coffee table.
"Right, studying," Jack smirked as Carli pouted.
"I need study tunes."
"Fine, pop something in and let's get on with this."
"Jack… how old are you?" Carli studied his CD collection. It was mostly jazz.
"I like old stuff all right?" he rolled his eyes at Jared and shared a male moment that made Carli stick her tongue out at both of them.
"Jared, toss me my purse, I'll hook up my i-pod."
Once Jack got used to the music, he had to make a conscious effort to get used to the fact that Carli was not the best study-buddy. He tore his gaze from her, she was twirling around his apartment, dancing to her music. She'd jumped up when "The Bangles" began that Egyptian song. Daniel liked that song, once Jack learned how to download ring tones he'd stolen the archaeologist's phone and set it. It brought back fond memories of Daniel jumping half out of his chair as the thing went off in his pocket, having no idea that Jack switched it.
But the girl was twirling around, her skirt fluttering around her legs, and once again Jared cleared his throat and forced Jack to pay attention. Not that the red-head hadn't noticed his friends preoccupation.
"Carli, are you going to study at all?" he asked. The song ended and she plopped down obediently, reaching over to absently fix one of Jared's equations.
"Of course, I'm always here if you need me." She smiled sweetly as Jared stuck his tongue out at her; then leaned over to explain a minor point to Jack, who finally caught on and continued the rest of his problems with ease.
"See, you do know this stuff."
"The word problems are different than the ones we get on base. It threw me off." He admitted.
"Bet you got, if your troop is pinned down under heavy fire, and you have no ammo left, how many of the enemy can you kill with rocks before being able to run to safety?" Carli scoffed and laid her head on the coffee table. Jack sighed, remembering how many times he'd been pinned under enemy fire with no ammo to speak of, and then smirked down at her.
"Something like that."
Carli lifted her head, quite sure that he was making fun of her, but had absolutely no idea as to the content. She shrugged, decided not to make a big deal out of it, and jumped to her feet.
"Five o'clock and all it well… Jared I need to go fix dinner, if you please?"
"You think you've got it Jack?" Jared asked as he began to pack his books up.
"Yes, thank you for the help." Jack got up and led them to the door.
"I'll pick you up tomorrow around seven." Jared promised; Carli leaned over to kiss his cheek.
"We'll be here to pick you up around seven." She giggled and left as Jack blinked. The last girl to kiss his cheek like that had been Cassie.
"Don't expect that from me." Jared joked and walked out, following Carli to his car.
Jack waved goodbye to them as the car disappeared around the corner.
