Take Good Care of the Poor Boy
Please don't wake me
No don't shake me
Leave me where I am
I'm only sleeping...
-The Beatles, I'm Only Sleeping
Chapter Seven: Going Around Again
Jack showed up at David's for breakfast, mainly because he was sick of waiting for Sean to eat waffles. Besides, Mrs. Jacobs usually fed him like he was actually eight people combined in one body. Which was a-okay with Jack.
Luckily, David, and not Sarah, answered the door. In his pajamas. With a toothbrush sticking out of his mouth.
"Aaawwwwww, what a ray of sunshiiine," Jack cooed.
"Mmmugh," David muttered, his eyes squinting and hair pointing up every which way.
"I want Esther food."
"Mmmmgh."
"Pancakes? YES." And Jack ran past David at full speed, while David wordlessly closed the door.
The downside of this, which Jack had failed to take into account as he went to beg food off of his best friend's mother, was that his best friend's sister was now his ex-girlfriend. And she was sitting at the kitchen table, eating pancakes.
"Jack, darling! Eat!"
Jack grinned at Esther and sat down, pointedly ignoring Sarah.
Sarah glowered, waited for her mother to scuttle out of room and snapped, "If you're going to break up with me, you have to actually do it and not just stop speaking to me."
Jack, right before he shoved his first bite of pancake in his mouth, said, "Fine, I break up with you."
"You can't, that's not fair!"
"How is it not fair?"
"HOW many things have I let YOU do?"
"How many times did I cheat while we were going out?" Jack paused. "Hmm… NONE. Well, this conversation's over." Jack poured a disgusting amount of syrup on to his pancakes.
Sarah pouted a little. "Jaaack, come on, can we talk about this?"
"No."
"I was drunk."
"Not caring."
"And I lo-"
"Woowww, someone's hopping onto the cliche bus!" Jack looked over at Les, who just entered the kitchen. "Hey kid."
"Jack!" Les exclaimed, and rushed over to quickly grab a seat next to him. Jack wished people were this excited to see him at his house.
"Jack..." Sarah whined, as David wandered back into the room, now wearing his school uniform. Jack kind of smiled, because David looked so silly dressed up, when everyone else was sporting jeans and t-shirts.
"Sarah, leave him alone," David said helpfully, and found himself a plate.
"But I just want to talk!"
"Maybe you should've talked before you..." Jack started, then glanced at Les. "Anyway. Nice tie, Davey."
David glowered at him, but tucked the uniform tie into his vest so it wouldn't get into his pancake syrup.
David was very clean like that.
--
Sean walked into Study Hall half an hour late, but ignored the teacher's comment about late slips as he simply waltzed into a seat next to Blink and flipped his feet up on the desk.
The teacher let it slide.
"Why late?" Blink asked.
"Jack got into a fight with his stupid ex."
"Ah. Yes, it affects all of us. You should ask Itey to drive you." Sean snickered slightly. Blink didn't ask. "So I heard Steve talking about you this morning," Blink dropped his voice.
Sean gave him a weird look. "So?"
"So, he's pissed."
"He's always pissed."
"No, no, like...really pissed. I'd watch my ass if I were you."
"He better watch his." Sean grinned. "Never mind, I'll do that for him."
Blink leaned forward in his seat, whispering to Sean. "Sean, come on, just lay low for awhile. You've made your point. This guy wants to kill you."
"And I'd like him to try." Sean smirked. "I'd rather do him up the ass than kick it, but fun is fun."
"Come on..." Blink sighed. "Well, you'll just do whatever you want anyway."
Sean didn't say anything, because that was basically true. Instead, he shot a glance at Steve, who was glaring at something out the window. He smirked. Yeah, Steve could try whatever he wanted. Sean had no doubts about the outcome of a fight like that.
"So..." Blink said finally. "Is Denise still pissed at you?"
"Do I care?"
"Well, obviously."
Sean glared at him. "Excuse me?"
"Obviously you care, or you wouldn't get all huffy about it."
Sean didn't know why the hell Blink was in such a flippant mood. OR where he got off thinking he could casually analyze Sean. "Huffy?"
"Well--"
"I'm not the flamer, I don't get huffy," Sean spat. "But I do get pretty pissed off, so drop it."
Blink concluded in his head that yes, indeed, Sean cared very much that Denise was pissed off at him.
He didn't say so, though.
"How about you and Jack? You still fighting?"
"Does the pope shit in the woods?"
Blink winced. "I don't even know how to respond to that."
"Good. That means you have to be quiet for a whole hour."
"Who made up that rule?"
"I did, do you wanna argue with me?"
Blink shrugged. He got the idea; Sean wanted to be left alone. But after a few minutes, boredom sank in, and he sighed. Sean ignored him, so he did it again. Sean was, apparently, an expert in ignoring, because he still didn't respond.
So Blink gave up and said, "Christ, I'm horny."
"Wow, I so don't fucking want to know."
"Well, I am."
"If you're expecting me to do something about it, then you're very mistaken."
"Ugh, gross no." Blink smirked. Teasing. "I like my men big."
Sean didn't want to show how that comment annoyed him. So he said, as casually as possible, "I make up for it in a number of different ways."
"Now it sounds like it's you who wants to take care of my horniness."
"Go fuck yourself, fairy."
"Look who's talking."
"I fucked Dutchy."
"Dutchy fucks anyone."
Sean was about to reply, but then didn't. Blink had a point.
"Besides," Blink continued. "That was pretty shitty of you. You didn't impress anyone." Blink cleared his throat then, and said, "Oh and uh...back off of Jess, okay? Dutchy is getting all upset."
"And I care because?"
"Again, not fooling anyone." Blink paused. "Well, okay, you're fooling Dutchy and Jess and Jack and probably the rest of the school, but you don't fool me, Conlon."
"Then here's the question: do I scare you?"
Blink swallowed. "I don't think you're gonna blow up the school, if that's what you mean."
"It's not."
Blink hesitated, then, "I don't think you'd hurt me. Since I'm still the only one you talk to... Don't you get lonely?"
"Fuck off." And this time, something in Sean's voice made it clear he meant it.
Blink tried one last time. After all...he wanted to make progress in this friendship. It felt like it meant something.
"Sean--"
Sean didn't even have to say anything. He just looked.
Blink shut up.
Still though...he was a little worried about Sean. Which was kind of strange, because it gave Blink the idea that maybe Sean wasn't so tough after all. Maybe Sean was like him. Lonely. Just like he said.
--
"Why do we have to stop by your locker between every class?" Itey asked, annoyed. "I have to go to rooms on completely different floors than you do. Why drag me at all?"
"If I'm alone, she won't even acknowledge me," Dutchy hissed.
"Maybe she doesn't acknowledge you because you stalk her locker, you creepy goon."
"I do not, she has the locker next to mine! I didn't even do it on purpose."
"Or maybe because she thinks your name is Dennis, you freak."
"I'm not a freak." Dutchy began to fiddle with his locker, killing time, and looked intently down the hall. Itey didn't comment on the fact that Dutchy clearly had Jess's schedule memorized and knew what direction she'd be coming from between every class.
Jess approached. Dutchy grabbed Itey's shoulder, and Itey shook him off. She flounced over to her locker and opened it. Itey kicked Dutchy, who cleared his throat awkwardly. "Heyyyy, Jess..."
"Gabriel!" She seemed oblivious to the fact that Dutchy had spoken. "I heard you're being moved to starter, congrats!"
Itey nodded, smiled nicely. "Yeah, thanks."
"I bet you're excited!"
"Yeah, definitely!" Dutchy cleared his throat and elbowed Itey. Itey gave him a look. "So uh...didn't you want to ask Jessica something?" Itey asked Dutchy.
Jess turned to look at Dutchy, cocked her head and smiled.
Dutchy made an odd noise.
"You don't look so good." Jess wrinkled her nose. "Maybe you should see the nurse." She turned back to Itey. "Don't let Steve get you down, okay? Congratulations again!" And she was off.
Dutchy turned to Itey. "I don't know whether to strangle you or myself."
"Hey, don't blame me because you choked."
"I didn't choke! I was about to talk to her, I really was." He sighed. "She's so perfect."
"She has a boyfriend."
"And he's a jerk, and as soon as she figures that out, and she realizes she deserves someone who will treat her like the goddess she is--"
"Oh, turn it into lyrics or go stuff it, Dutchy." Itey rolled his eyes.
"Next period, you'll see. After next period--"
"I'm so not doing this again."
"But Gaaaabe, she knows you! You could introduce us... Set us up... be the best man at our wedding..."
"Dutchy, this is Planet Earth paging you. Please come back to us."
"Shut up."
"You shut up."
Itey made a disgusted noise as they walked down the hall, past Dutchy's classroom. Dutchy was never on time. "Why are you such a bitch this morning, Itey baby?"
"Because."
"No, serious. This is most unlike you." Dutchy stopped walking, grabbed Itey's arm. "Do you need a good fuck, Itey?"
"DUTCHY!!"
"What?"
"AUGH!"
Dutchy stopped teasing. "Geeze, you are pissy. What's wrong?"
Itey shook his head. "I'm just under a lot of stress, okay?"
"With what?" Itey didn't respond, just hung his head a little, hands shoved in his pockets. A stance most unlike Itey. "Come on, Gabe. I'm your best friend."
"I dunno... I just..." The bell rang, but they continued to stand in the hallway. "Basketball stuff."
"Such as?"
"Such as..." He sighed. "I dunno. I think Steve is pissed at me."
"And... You care what he thinks?" Dutchy asked.
"No! No, it's not like that. Just... I dunno, he's not the kind of guy you want to have pissed at you, unless you're Sean. Which I'm really, really not."
"Yeah, you'd never sleep with me."
Itey gave him a weird look. "And I just... I feel bad about..." He shrugged. "I don't like Steve or anything, but he seems to think I do."
"Steve is hot." Itey stopped talking completely. Dutchy smiled. "I'm making you feel better."
"Yes, that's what it's called."
"Come onnn." Dutchy slung his arm around Itey's shoulder. "I'll walk you to class."
"K. Thanks."
Sometimes, Dutchy was a good best friend.
And as they were about to go to class, Dutchy's nose started bleeding, and Itey, being his best friend, walked with him to the bathroom instead. "You should see a doctor about this, Dutch," he noted.
So much for being on time.
--
Sean hated History.
Thus, he was taking the longest piss break he'd ever taken in his entire life. It consisted of having a smoke for fifteen minutes behind the bleachers, and then walking the long way back to class.
Steve Olsen, who had a spare during the same period, was walking to the bleachers with some buddies, armed with a football. Sean, for once in his life, ignored someone and was actually pretty set on just walking by the fucker and saying nothing.
Steve was a fucker though.
"Hey, fag," Steve snarled.
"Hey lover."
"I swear to god, I'll wipe that fucking smirk off your face..." Steve threatened.
Sean smirked. "Try it."
"Later." Steve turned away, his friends following him. "I'll fucking show you, Conlon," he added over his shoulder.
"You fucking do that," Sean answered, as he wasn't one to let anyone else get the last word in.
He stalked back inside, annoyed. Something was up. Steve had walked by too easily... But still, he didn't think much of it. He'd already proved he could come out on top in a fight with Steve.
If only, he mused, he could get on top of Steve in other, more fun situations...
"Sean!"
Jesus, how a girl's voice could turn him off so quickly.
Jess rushed over to him, looking slightly put out, a frown on her face. "Sean, Sean, I need to talk to you."
"'K." Sean continued walking, inside of the school. Jess jogged a little to keep up.
"Sean, can you please avoid Steve?"
"You tell him to avoid me."
"I don't want anyone getting hurt."
"Your boyfriend's a dick. Talk to him."
Jess frowned, hung her head a little. Sean hated how easily it was to deflate her little happy bubble. She was so easy to read.
"He's not so bad, really…"
"He's a dickhead and he's full of himself. I don't even like you and I think you can do better."
"Sean, come on. I love him."
Sean snorted. "Yeah, well, bad call on your part."
"Please try and avoid him, okay? It would... It would mean a lot to me."
She looked up at Sean through her thick lashes, eyes doing a perfect imitation of a puppydog asking for a pat. Sean wondered if she'd figured out yet that he was gay.
"I'll leave him alone if he leaves me alone. But I sure as hell finish anything he starts. So you tell him to back the fuck off."
"I..." She sighed. "Oh, Sean. I'll try."
"Good."
"By the way, Sean, I--" But he turned on his heel and stalked away. Jess was probably making a sad face behind him. Which just pissed him off.
Steve was one hot asshole.
--
"Hey, asshole," Jack called after Sean from his locker, as Sean left his classroom. Sean gave him a sneer. "If you want a ride, meet by the van in the parking lot. I have to talk to my math teacher."
"Yeah, yeah," Sean muttered, and stalked off. Part of him wanted to walk, but he was tired, and he hadn't actually eaten in awhile. Denise had only forced a forkful or two of breakfast into him, and he hadn't eaten since.
He felt a little woozy.
He dragged his feet as he walked into the parking lot. For a change, Blink wasn't dogging his steps; Blink had seemed to pick up on his 'leave me alone' vibe and wasn't bothering him. Which was good, because he didn't want to be bothered, but it STILL irritated him that Blink could read his moods. Could see through him, sometimes.
He decided not to think about it. He stared down at the pavement as he walked towards Jack's van.
Until he saw Steve Olsen leaning against it. Smirking.
Sean was immediately on guard, because something was very wrong. Steve should have been in the gym or something, for practice; and anyway, why would Steve be near Jack's van? He clenched a fist. Maybe Steve was going to attack him.
Yeah... He could use the chance to work out some anger.
"Hey, faggot," Steve sneered as Sean walked closer.
"Fuck off."
"Not this time." Steve smirked. "This time, you're going down."
"If you wanted a blowjob from me so badly, all you had to do was ask," Sean shot back.
Steve didn't bother to respond verbally. He rushed forward and tackled Sean, and they tumbled to the pavement together, Steve on top, using Sean to break the fall.
And as Sean hit the asphalt, he glanced up, and saw the figures of four of Steve's friends crowding in around them. As he got an elbow into Steve's stomach and began to roll, he muttered, "I always did figure you for the gangbang type."
"Fucking faggot!" Steve growled, and swung his arm back. Sean knew he was lucky that Steve was being so predictable, and he dodged the punch.
But then again, he was outnumbered.
"Look at him wuss out, like a chick!" one guy exclaimed, hoisting Sean up from the ground and pinning his arms behind his back just after he dodged another punch from Steve. "You gonna actually FIGHT or what?"
"Who's the one holding me back and fucking not actually DOING anything?" Sean said over his shoulder, before thrashing wildly, catching the boy on the jaw with his fist.
The boy stumbled back and Sean pulled himself free, got a swing at Steve and connected hard with Steve's jaw. Steve fell back and Sean turned to try and get a hit at the one who'd grabbed him, but as he turned someone else came up and socked him from behind. He fell forward a little and a shove from Steve sent him back on to the pavement.
He rolled over and looked up. "Fuck you, you fucking--"
Steve kicked him in the jaw and his head slammed into the ground. The world got a little swirly and he didn't remember much of the rest of the fight.
--
"Hurry up, will you?" Jack said to Dutchy, somewhat briskly. "Why the hell did you have to take so fucking long at your locker today?"
"How was I supposed to know Jess and Sarah would walk to Jess's locker together?" Dutchy whined.
"They're both cheerleaders," Jack snapped.
"Yeah, but--"
"No buts! I fucking had to deal with Sarah whining at me in front of Jess--"
"Who was giving you some pretty scared looks, actually," Blink supplied thoughtfully. "You know, I thought she was gonna run away." Jack punched Blink roughly in the shoulder. "OW! Hey!" Blink punched him back. Because as much of a flamer as Blink was, he did not like being punched.
"Where the hell is Sean?" Jack griped, changing the subject. "I'm not waiting for him, he can fucking walk home."
"Does he have detention today or anything?" Dutchy asked, turning to Blink.
"I don't think so, he--oh, holy shit!"
Blink broke into a run and Jack and Dutchy stared to try and figure out why, and then saw, crumpled on the pavement by Jack's van, a figure skinny enough that it had to be Sean.
Blink skidded to a halt and dropped into a crouch, shaking Sean slightly. "Sean? Sean, are you... are you conscious?"
"Fuck off..."
Blink let out a sigh of relief. He was conscious. Or else the phrase 'fuck off' had become instinct. But Sean's eyes opened, and Blink realized just how shitty he looked. He now knew exactly what the phrase 'beaten to a pulp' meant.
"Holy shit, Sean," Blink said, wincing. "What happened to yo--"
"What the FUCK?!"
And Jack shoved Blink aside slightly and knelt down next to Sean. "What the hell, Sean, what happened to you?"
Sean made an odd face and looked away from Jack. "Fuck off."
"God, you got in a fight..." Jack trailed off, shaking his head, swearing under his breath. "Mom is gonna flip."
"Yeah, but not at you, so shut up!" Sean growled. Then winced. His lip was split and it obviously hurt to talk.
Dutchy and Blink watched, Dutchy looking horrified, Blink worried. Neither really knowing what to say to either Jack or Sean.
"This has nothing to do with Denise getting pissed at me," Jack snapped under his breath at Sean. "She'll be worried."
"Fuck off."
"She'll be worried about you, asshole."
"Fuck off."
"I can't fuck off, you'll bleed to death." Jack looked at Blink. "Come on, help me get him in the van--" Jack put a hand on Sean's arm to try and hoist him up, and Sean pulled away violently, rolling over on to his stomach and wincing terribly.
"Sean--"
"I don't need your fucking help, you dickweed." He pressed his palms on to the pavement and tried to push himself up, but one of his arms gave out and he tumbled back onto the asphalt.
"You can't stand up, come on, Blink, get his arm..."
Jack and Blink each took one of Sean's arms and pulled him up, but as Sean managed to get his balance on his feet he pulled away from Jack and nearly collapsed again, but Blink managed to hold him up. Sean didn't weigh very much, after all.
"Would you cut it out, Sean?" Blink asked, somewhat nicer sounding than Jack. "We're trying to help you."
"I don't need your fucking help," Sean snapped. But he sounded a little pathetic. He knew how obvious it was that he'd gotten the shit beat out of him. He knew he could barely stand.
"Shut up," Jack growled. "You're getting in my van and we're gonna clean you up and you're gonna shut the fuck up up and let us."
There was a very long glare exchanged between Jack and Sean, before Dutchy said, "Well...your face isn't so bad."
Everyone looked at Dutchy.
"What? I appreciate his girly face."
"Shut the fuck up, blondie." Some of Sean's venom was back, but he shifted some of his weight to Blink's shoulder while Jack unlocked the van, and between the two of them, they managed to haul Sean inside.
He collapsed into the seat and Jack pulled out, and then said, "Sean, talk. Who...?"
"Take a wild fucking guess."
"But you beat Steve last time you--" Dutchy started, but a glare from Sean shut him up.
"Steve and his groupies," Sean clarified. "Fuckers." He leaned back against the seat, shut his eyes, and Blink shook him. "What the hell--"
"Don't you fall asleep until we know you don't have a concussion."
"I don't have a fucking concussion, but if you touch me again I'll give you one."
"No offense, pretty boy," Jack said easily, "but your bark is a bit worse than your bite right now. So shut the hell up."
With that, Sean started hurling such terrible insults at Jack that even Dutchy and Blink looked slightly bothered by it.
And if Sean wasn't so badly hurt, it would have been funny.
Still though, Jack ignored the swears and just drove. He didn't say much on the drive back.
Jack didn't usually talk when he was worried. And ... He was worried. A little.
They pulled into the driveway and Jack pulled the door open. Dutchy slid out and then Blink, and Spot pushed himself off the seat and nearly toppled out of the van, but again, Blink caught him.
Jack shot Blink a kind of annoyed look. If Spot needed someone to hold him up, why the hell would he turn to Blink? When Jack was clearly far, far stronger when it came down to it.
Jack grumbled to himself.
He was not jealous that Sean trusted Blink more. He didn't even like Sean.
But Sean did let Blink help him inside and to the couch in the living room, where he collapsed immediately.
"Should I..." Jack hesitated. "Should I call Mom?"
"No."
"Sean, look at me."
"Fuck OFF, why the hell would I want to look at you?"
Jack clenched his fists. God damn it, he was trying. If Blink had asked Sean to...
No. He was not going there.
"Either you let us clean you up and send you to bed--"
"Send me to fucking bed?!"
"--and tell mom that you don't feel good, or I call her and you can deal with her on your own." Sean didn't reply. "Your face isn't so bad, you know. If you pretend you got the flu or something, she might not figure it out."
Sean still didn't say anything.
"Sean?" Dutchy finally said quietly.
"Someone get me a fucking ice pack and a damp towel."
Blink skipped out of the room to do it and Jack sat down on the couch, the opposite end from Sean.
"You want some Tylenol?"
"No."
"Don't you hurt?"
"Screw off."
"Sean, come on, take some--"
"I don't take pills."
"Sean--"
"I don't fucking take pills."
Blink came back into the room and handed Sean the towel, and Sean began to clean off some of the blood. He did keep wincing as he dabbed at the cuts, though.
"You're missing spots," Jack mumbled.
"Shut up."
"You are, you're not doing yourself much good if you're dabbing at places that don't even need--fuck." And Jack lunged forward, grabbed the towel and pushed Sean's shoulder so Sean was pinned slightly against the couch.
"Get your fucking hand OFF--"
"Oh, shut UP."
"I said--"
"Shut up, Sean, okay?" Blink said calmly. "We're helping you."
Jack dabbed at Sean's lip with the cloth, and Sean glared murderously at Jack. "You're fucking lucky I don't feel like kicking your ass right now, Kelly."
"You mean I'm lucky you can't?"
"Get off of me!"
"SHUT--"
"BOTH of you!" Dutchy suddenly snapped. "BOTH of you shut up! Jack, stop talking, Sean stop..." He sighed weakly. "Just let him clean you up, okay? You know you're a mess."
Blink actually smiled at Dutchy.
"Where'd that come from?" Blink asked.
Dutchy shrugged. "I'm not on drugs?" he suggested.
Blink laughed. "You're not high that often."
Dutchy laughed a little, though it didn't sound happy.
Jack finished up cleaning off Sean and dropped the rag on his lap; Sean picked it up and threw it back at Jack, who sighed and handed it back to Blink and picked up the ice. "Here."
Sean pressed the ice to some of the bruises and shut his eyes. Blink poked his side.
"I don't have a fucking con--"
"No, I just wanted to do that while you're too weak to hit me back."
Sean was not, however, too weak to flip him off.
Jack looked at Sean, bit his lip, and then glanced at Blink and Dutchy. "Listen, uh... Not to be rude or anything, but I'm gonna have to ask you guys to head out. That okay?"
Blink pouted, but Dutchy nodded.
"Why?" Blink asked.
"Because," Jack said.
"Because WHY--"
Jack growled, grabbed Blink and Dutchy's arms and dragged them over to the door, mumbling under his breath, "Because he's freaking getting so fucking proud and it'll be a lot easier to deal with him if he's not showing off for three people."
Blink shot Jack a strange look. "Since when did you know Sean behavioral patterns?"
Jack opened his mouth to respond, but stopped.
When did he...?
But he shook his head. "I'll call you both later, okay?"
"We should hang out tonight, in the alley," Dutchy said. "I'll call Itey when he gets home and--"
"Yeah, yeah, let me know later." Jack opened the door.
Dutchy and Blink made their way out, grumbling slightly, and Jack went back to the couch. Sat down next to Sean, but not too close.
"You want to talk about it?"
"Why the fuck would I want to do that?"
"I dunno. Why..." Jack groped for words, but was finding it easier to talk to Sean that normal. Probably, he mused, Sean was too exhausted and beat up to be his usual, scathing self. "Why can't you and Steve leave each other alone?"
"Ask him, I didn't do a fucking thing."
"Sean, you always do something. You provoke people."
"Shut the fuck up, Jack-off."
"Let me guess; your shrink says it's acting out for attention, right?"
"What the hell makes you think you can fucking--"
"That's what they told me, too." Jack kicked his feet up on the coffeetable. "Of course, I was ten, but--"
"You really think I care?"
"Nah," Jack answered. "What I'm saying is, you're not the only one. My Dad's in jail, too." There, he thought proudly. He was reaching out. Sharing. Davey would be so proud.
But Sean's gaze turned to ice and he said very softly, so quiet he was clearly boiling with internal rage, "Don't. Talk. About my dad.."
Jack turned to look at Sean, opened his mouth. But then he saw Sean's face, the...strange, vulnerable, furious expression.
And Jack didn't know quite what to do. Didn't know how to react. But he knew one thing; maybe Sean did have his reasons.
For the first time in his life, Jack figured he might have been wrong about something. Someone.
"Well..." Jack mumbled, raising his eyebrows. Shrugging his shoulders. "We... all got our stories, don't we?"
Sean, didn't say anything.
But he didn't tell Jack to fuck off either.
