Measures of myLife: Jack Mercer

Authors Note: Yep, chapter four is finally up! Thanks again to all of you have reviewedI have some personal thanks yous down belowand to all my new readers please leave feedback. It is greatly appreciated, believe me. Hope you all enjoy.

xtOUCH tHE sKY: Yes,you caught my drift exactly. I'm glad you're enjoying my version of Jack. At least that's how I see him. Acting tough especially with his brothers, but in reality he's just sensitive. Thanks for your reviews, visit often, I'm working hard to post new chapters.

xNegAttentionx: You worded itbeautifully. I couldn't have described Jack better myself. And I'm sure we'd all love to take Jack home and cuddle with him. Who wouldn't! I'm so happy that you're enjoying the story. Oh yeah and Jaime...I just might let her stick around, who knows:)

pwrhungryir: Haha don't worry I'll try not to stop. Hopefully I won't ever encounter evil writers block. Thank you so much for taking the time to review, I'm thrilled that you really like my story, thanks for the support.

Yellow jersey girl: Sorry if it's on the short side. When I write it on microsoft word it seems really long and then I realize it's short. I'll try to make it longer, but it really depends on my attention span, but I'll try really hard. Thanks for the review.

Chapter 4

I tapped my feet on the floor of the car, looking out my window watching the houses pass me by. The car slowly came to a stop in front of a quaint looking house that was painted white and covered in snow. I quietly studied it when my social worker's voice broke through my thoughts.

"End of the line kid. If you can't stay here, then I honestly have no where else to put you." He gave a sigh and turned to me. "Jack…I don't know what happened to you at the Grover's but Officer Green made me swear that I wouldn't send you back, so I'm taking his word on good faith." I rubbed my hands over my eyes and started digging through my pockets for a cigarette. "Her name is Evelyn Mercer, she's one of the best in the foster system. She'll take good care of you, just give her chance. Just a good few months Jack, without any trouble, that's all I'm asking." I sighed and lit my cigarette to calm my nerves.

"Easy for you to say."

"Put that out Jack. Fourteen year olds shouldn't be smoking." I laughed.

"There's a lot that shouldn't have been done to me while I was growing up. Believe me, having a cigarette once in a while is not that bad." The next thing I knew he had taken the cigarette out of my hand and threw it out the window. "Hey, what the fuck!"

"First impressions are important Jack. You can smoke yourself to death later, but first we go meet Ms. Mercer." A string of profanities left my mouth as I made my way to the front door. I was dreading it, I didn't know what to expect, hopefully there wouldn't be any beatings. I held my duffle bag close to my body and stood by Jerome's side as he knocked on the door. I stuffed my hands in my pockets and rocked back and forth on my feet. The door slowly opened revealing a small lady with graying hair and kind blue eyes.

"Ah…Mr. Caldwell, I've been expecting you. On time as always, come in, you both must be freezing." Jerome shuffled me inside and we both stood in front of the doorway, the warmth of the fireplace warming my bones. It smelled like cookies, god was I starving.

"Ms. Mercer, how have you been?" She smiled brightly and wiped her hands on her apron to give Jerome a handshake.

"I've been fantastic… and this must be Jack." She looked at me with her piercing blue eyes. I stared back cocking my head to the side.

"Yes, yes… this is the one I've been telling you about. This is Jack Bradshaw in the flesh. Jack this is Evelyn Mercer."

"Hello Jack, it's nice to finally meet you." I looked down at the hand that she was offering and looked back up into her eyes making no move to take her hand. I never understood the need of touching a stranger's hand when I didn't want to.

"Charmed I'm sure." I simply said and Evelyn's smile faltered. I gave her a smirk and looked to Jerome who was glaring at me.

"Jack that's now way to…"

"No, it's all right Jerome. He's in a new setting, it's understandable. Jack, why don't you go and sit in the living room while I have a few words with your social worker." I nodded my head and turned to Jerome.

"Well…I'll miss you buddy. I'll see you in oh, about a few weeks!" It was the most sarcastic tone I could come up with. I shoved my way passed Evelyn and sat on the couch. I don't know why I was being so hard on her she was just an old lady after all. But how could you blame me, every foster experience I ever had, as far back as I could remember, were not very pleasant. From what I heard from Jerome I was born in a community hospital in a another city not too far from Detroit. He told me right after I was born my mother gave me up to that baby surrender program, sometimes I wonder if it would've been better if she had just dumped me in a trash can, but no of course not, she wouldn't want to go to jail for murder. All I knew about my mother was that her last name was Bradshaw and that was it, I didn't even have one clue as to who my father was.

Jerome told me that I actually was on the verge of being adopted. A small extremely religious family, I'm told, took me in after about a year after I was born. I can't really remember them but Jerome said I was rebellious from the beginning. They kept me a grand total of three years before they labeled me the demonic child of Satan and that no matter what they did I could never be saved. They cancelled the adoption papers and never signed. I supposedly killed their precious dog by feeding it chocolate, I also supposedly broke over twenty thousand dollars worth of merchandise in their home, I also never stopped crying, I didn't eat properly, and I supposedly bit the finger of the priest that was trying to baptize me with the one tooth that I had. I think that was the last straw for them.

Of course I'm not saying all of my foster parents were abusive jackasses, they just all gave up too easily. Some of them threw me out because of my rebellious behavior and all the trouble I caused at school, something about being violent towards other kids. Jerome said I bit another kid in the arm for trying to take a red crayon from me, I was five. Others threw me out because of my drug problems, I do remember one of my foster parents getting extremely pissed when he found out I had downed his Crystal. That family only kept me for two months. In another family I had persuaded the actual children of the family I was staying with to try some marijuana, they were so fucked up, their parents were horrified. That family only kept me for about a week.

The families that kept me for more than two months were the ones that abused me. Whether it was a belt, a fist, a kick, attempted drowning, or throwing me down a flight of stairs it happened to me. But the worse I've ever been through was most definitely the Grover household.

I heard the door close and I found Evelyn standing in front of me smiling. "I have some people I'd like for you to meet. Why don't you all come down now, I know you've been listening." I then heard other voices.

"I told you she'd hear us."

"Hey it was your idea." It was then I heard a thunder of footsteps come down the stairs. I simply sat there as I watched three guys tumble down the stairs. One of the two black guys was holding a little girl and the third white guy stood there with a smile. Oh god, I don't think I can take these guys out, they were much too big.

"Jack, I'd like you to meet my three sons, that's Angel, Jeramiah, and the oldest one here is Bobby. And that little girl right there is Missy, she's four, she'll be staying with us for a while. Boys and girl meet Jack Bradshaw, he'll be staying with us till I can find him a family." They all waved at me in unison. I felt this sick knot in my stomach…what was that…I found myself growing angry…I wanted to wipe their pretty little smiles off their faces. I was jealous, it became so obvious to me. So I did the most obnoxious thing I could think to make them stop smiling, I started laughing as hard as I could. They all looked at me strangely and I just laughed harder. I stood on my feet and tried to catch my breath.

"Well, well…if it isn't the ghetto Brady bunch. I'd love to stay and chat but I'm just way too tired to put up with you. Hey wrinkles…" I turned to Evelyn, "You going to show me my room or do you have a nice closet fixed up for me?" I noticed the boy name Bobby clench his fist and glare at me.

"Her name is Evelyn." I looked straight into his brown eyes and glared back.

"I don't recall asking for your help."

"You'll show her some respect and call her by her proper name" Evelyn put her hand on her son's shoulders trying to restrain him.

"I'll call her whatever the fuck I want dickhead. Now why don't you shut the hell up." Somewhere in the back of my mind alarms started going off: Jack Bradshaw prepared to get you ass kicked by this Bobby. Bobby took a step forward and unconsciously I flinched and took a step back, he noticed this and stood still, staring at me with concern in his eye. I immediately looked away, ashamed that I had shown fear. It was then that Evelyn chimed in.

"Now boys, Jack has had a long and emotional day. Let's just all give him some space. Jack if you could follow me, I'll show you to your room." When she opened the door I was actually kind of pleased, I had a bed, my own desk, my own closet, things that I had never really had before. I entered the room and dropped my duffle bag on the ground. I looked at my hand and noticed it shaking, Bobby's sudden movement towards me had freaked me out. "Make yourself at home, the bathroom is across the hallway, and I hope you'll be joining us for dinner tonight, we're having roast beef." I heard her sigh as she silently closed the door. I finally let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding. I walked to the window and checked for possible escape routes that might come in handy. I wasn't going to unpack my bag, I never did, there was no point. I sat on the bed and opened my bag. The thought of Jaime came into mind she truly was my guardian angel. The bag held all of my clothes, an extra towel, a first aid kit, and some food. I hadn't bothered to open it after I left that house, I figured it was just my clothes. I remember how she threw the bag at me before I climbed out of the window. "Stay safe," she said, said before closing the window. I then noticed a white envelope, I slowly opened it and my mouth dropped open when I saw what it was. It was three hundred dollars, three hundred dollars, no one in my life had even given me a penny, and Jaime had freely given me three hundred dollars. There was a note also, it wasn't a long letter or anything, it was just a few quick scribbles.

Jack,

Use the money for food and other necessities. Don't use it to get drugs or alcohol…promise! I'm sorry for all that you've been through, I'll miss you. Hopefully I'll see you again some day… Jaime

Authors Note: How was is it?Hope you all enjoyed it. Now you know what to do PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review!