Hi all. Thanks for the reviews. Jack's back. Hope you like it.
The Tempest – Chapter 8
Destiny could hardly believe a month of school had passed so soon. And time, much to her relief, was her greatest ally. Matthew was so much better that he anticipated being back at school for the second semester of their senior year. Although her stomach had grown a bit more since the first day of school, the kids and the teachers paid significantly less attention. She was also getting her best grades ever…thanks to a certain friend of hers throwing her own advice back at her.
Her mind flashed back to the fourth day of school. Her-baby induced hormones were making her want to cry at the slightest thing. And then she heard Justin and Becca call her "Density," just as he had done during her freshman year. Freshman year, she had Matthew by her side, also being teased because he was in a wheelchair. But the second day of her Senior year was worse than all of her preceding three years. Justin and Becca picked up just where they'd left off on the first day.
Flashback. After hearing Justin and Becca state all of the ways she'd "trapped" Matthew, Destiny ran away to the same gym where she'd seen Shane humiliated the year before by Jack and his friends. She prided herself on being strong and she hated herself for running. Once there, she crumbled onto the stage into a pile of tears…until Jack walked in. The irony of feeling relieved when she saw Jack walk into the gym wasn't lost on her. It reminded her of how much time changed things.
"Snooks, what's wrong?"
Destiny sat up on her elbows. "I can't do this. I can't keep coming here everyday. It's too hard. Everyone has an opinion about me or something mean to say."
Jack slid onto the stage beside her and pulled her against him where she rested her head on his shoulder. With his thumbs, he wiped the tears from her eyes. Destiny recalled that she felt a strange electricity from the touch and it made her move away from him. For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Destiny broke the silence. "I'm going to go to alternative school." She'd done some research and learned that there was a school for pregnant girls not too far from where she lived.
"You can't do that."
"Why not? At least I can go to school in peace without worrying about what everyone thinks."
In a surprise move, Jack kissed her forehead before pulling her closer to him. It made her feel safe.
Then Jack spoke, "You can't run away because you're only going because you're worried about what people here think." He took her hand is his own. In school, he felt free. Matthew didn't have many friends left in school and David wasn't around to watch him like a hawk. "Snooks, someone once told me, "You get to choose who you are and what you want to be in life. If I have to do it, you do, too." He added with his cheesiest voice, "."
Destiny laughed. Though Jack was joking, he had turned things around. He was doing well in his classes and he avoided most of the jerks he hung out with when he terrorized Jack. His mother often invited her to dinner, but she never came because David made her feel so guilty about being Jack's friend.
Jack interlaced his fingers with hers. "I really need you to take your own advice because I don't know how I could get through being here without you…and Dani."
"You'd do fine."
"Nope, I'll go back to hanging with people like Brad, who I don't even like. You keep me from feeling so angry all the time. You and me are going to prove all those other losers that they're wrong about us." –end Flashback.
She would have never thought it was possible, but Jack inspired her to keep going…and to ace her classes. The only class that she struggled with was Spanish. Fortunately, her best friend's mother spoke Spanish fluently.
Destiny arrived at The Delgado household at 5 p.m. with her Spanish homework in tow. Tea was the first to greet her. "Buenos noches, Corazon. Como te sientes?"
Destiny didn't have a clue what Dani's mom was asking. She simply shrugged helplessly. Then she heard Jack's voice.
"She wants to know how you're feeling?"
She looked at Jack with surprise before offering Tea a smile. "I'm tired."
Tea lifted Destiny's chin with her hand. "En español, por favor?"
"Estoy cansada."
"Muy bien." Tea poked her cheek. "I'm going to put on the empanadas and then I'll be back." Tea headed toward the kitchen.
Destiny refocused her attention on Jack. Part of her was thrilled to see him and another part felt disloyal to Matthew for being so glad to see him. "What are you doing here?"
"We have an exam tomorrow. Remember?"
Destiny eyed him suspiciously. Jack was one of the best students in their second-year Spanish class, no doubt due to being around Dani's mom and he was the only junior in the class. Jack had conveniently tested into Spanish 2 and had landed in her same class...something she neglected to mention to Matthew. "I remember and I'm sure you're going to ace it."
"Yeah, probably, but this way I get to eat empanadas, study and hang out with you. It's a win all the way around." He smiled as Destiny blushed at the compliment.
The truth was Dani called and told Jack that Destiny would be there tonight and she also volunteered to make herself scarce. That still left Tea to deal with, but he had come up with a plan in which Tea would, unknowingly, play a part as well. Even he was surprised at the lengths he was willing to go to win Destiny's heart, but he had to do what he had to do.
"Hey Des," Dani bounced downstairs and hugged her friend.
"Hey." Destiny suspected that Dani was behind Jack's appearance. Lately, it seemed that when Dani was involved she wound up spending time with Jack…often alone. She hadn't minded, at first. She figured Dani felt guilty for spending so much time with Jeff. Now, she felt she should be more cautious.
Jack had always been a perfect gentleman…except for the frequent digs he took at Matthew. But Jack wasn't the problem, she was. Her hormones had her noticing things she hadn't noticed before like his thick, perfectly-coiffed hair, his broad shoulders or his beautiful green eyes. She often reminded herself that she loved Matthew and that any physical attraction she felt for Jack was a symptom of missing Matthew. She also reminded herself that Jack was only 16 and if she was too young to be going through parenthood, he was definitely too young. Then she chastised herself for even thinking about him in that way.
During dinner they made small talk, which included talk of their birthdays. In a strange twist, their birthdays were very close together; his was on October 10th and hers was on October 21st. Dani suggested they have a family party to celebrate both of them. Destiny reluctantly agreed. She assumed Matthew would hate it, but she figured she might be able to convince him to come...assuming he was home by then.
After dinner, when they finished the most amazing empanadas she'd ever tasted, Destiny, Jack and Tea sat at the table studying for their exam. Dani disappeared. When most of their work was done, Jack started peppering Tea with questions about how to say certain phrase…some of which were indecent. Then he asked a question that stopped Destiny's heart…at least momentarily.
"Tea, "Como se dice (how do you say), I'm falling in love with you?"
Although Jack asked the question of Tea, Destiny felt his eyes focusing in her. She squirmed uncontrollably in her chair.
Tea touched Jack's hand causing him to focus on her. Her touch surprised him. Jack wasn't even sure when he stopped seeing anyone else at the table.
"Why do you want to know how to say that?" Tea asked with surprise. "Who are you in love with mejio?"
"Destiny…"
For a moment Destiny couldn't breathe. She silently told herself to calm down and let Jack finish his sentence.
He continued, "I'm asking for Destiny. I thought she might want to say it to Matthew…or someone. I mean, I remember how much Dad used to love it when you spoke Spanish to him."
Before Tea could answer, the doorbell rang. She looked from Destiny to Jack and then back to Destiny. "I think I'll get that."
Jack refocused his attention on Destiny. "Estoy enamorado de ti."
Destiny's voice quivered as she asked, "What?"
Jack smiled. "I remembered how to say it. Estoy enamorado de ti." He stared at her. Then he dropped his head before he added, "You know, in case you want to say it to Matthew…You must say it to each other all of the time…especially with the baby on the way."
Destiny frowned as she thought, Jack was wrong. Matthew remained pretty tight-lipped about how he felt about her. Sure they kissed, held hands and talked about the future, but part of her wondered if he was just with her for the baby…much like Justin and Becca implied. She sighed, "It's getting late. I should go."
Before Destiny could leave Tea returned with Dani and Todd in toe. Tea spoke first. "Look who I found."
"Hey Jack." Todd turned to Destiny before he added. "Hi, Jack's pregnant girlfriend, who is not carrying my second grandchild, right?"
"Todd…" Tea chided.
Destiny shook her head. "Nope, the baby is still an Evans-Buchanan…and I'm Jack's friend and Matthew's girlfriend."
Todd shook his head, "Good to know. I really don't want to have my second kid have a kid at 16. Still, you might have been better off if the baby was Jack's. I'm not sure what you could have seen in Nora's kid, especially if he's as self-righteous as his mother."
Destiny smiled politely knowing that Mrs. B. hated Todd, both the Walker-version and the scarred-version as much as they hated her. Dani had promised to give her a ride home and this seemed to be as good of a time to leave as any. She called upstairs, "Dani. "I've got to go…"
Jack walked up and stood toe to toe with Todd. He wanted to punch him. "Why do you have to be such a jerk? She hasn't done anything to you."
"Why don't you back off?" Todd inched closer to Jack's face before backing away. "I wasn't trying actually giving you a compliment…not offend your knocked up girlfriend."
And this time Dani bounced down the stairs, but froze just short of reaching the bottom as she watched her dad and her brother get into it.
"You should shut up before I make you shut up." Jack balled his hand into a fist.
Destiny noticed Jack's fist and called his name loudly. "Jack, if you don't mind, I need you to take me home." She looked to Dani who simply nodded. "I think Jack and I need to talk." He remained toe to toe with Todd, until she called his name again.
"Sure." Jack mumbled before he turned and grabbed his car keys.
Destiny took Jack by the hand and pulled him toward the door. Once they were inside the truck, he banged his fists against the steering wheel. "I hate that guy! He had no right to say that to you."
"Jack," Destiny touched his arm before continuing. "You can't keep finding reasons to hate your dad. All he did was tell the truth…about the baby, at least. In case you hadn't noticed there is a baby in here." She pointed to her stomach. Then she swallowed hard because she knew she could no longer avoid having the conversation she'd dreaded with Jack. "And you are too young to be a father."
"Destiny, I'm not a kid. You're only a year older than I am and I'm the same age as Starr when she had Hope." Jack stared straight ahead; he was afraid if he looked at her, she would see his frustration.
She smiled at his sensitivity to their age difference. "Starr was too young. I'm sure she'll tell you the same thing herself. Truth is Matthew and I are too young, but we put ourselves in this situation so we have to deal. What do you see in me anyway?" She touched his hand causing him to face her. Once more she pointed at her stomach. "You know as time goes on my stomach is just going to get bigger and bigger, right."
Jack took her hand into his. How could he make her understand that the baby wouldn't scare him away, "All I notice when I look at you is you…and you are beautiful. I want to be with you and the baby doesn't scare me."
Jack leaned in sending his lips on a path to kissing Destiny. He noticed she didn't move away, which seemed to propel him closer. When he was close enough to hear her breathing and marvel and the length of her eyelashes…her phone rang.
The sound of her phone ringing made her jump. The sight of the caller's picture caused her heart to race more. It was Matthew. "Matthew, can I call you back in a few minutes? I can't talk right now…I just can't."
Jack was annoyed hearing her call Matthew's name, yet he still felt encouraged. She would have kissed him if not for the call. When she hung up, Jack was the first to break the silence.
"Snooks, I'm sorry…"
Destiny sighed deeply. She felt horrible about what almost happened. "Jack, I just want you to take me home. Can you do that?"
"Yeah sure."
They drove the rest of the way in silence. Although she told him he didn't need to walk her to her door, he did…in silence. She said, a simple, 'goodbye' before closing the door in his face."
As Jack drove home, he smiled to himself. He was getting to her. He arrived back at Tea's house; he preferred it to any place David Vickers lived. He was a bit annoyed to find Todd still there, playing a board game with Tea. Within 30 seconds of Jack's return home, Todd asked to see him in the kitchen.
When Jack and Todd were alone, Jack lit into him. "What do you think you were doing talking smack about Destiny?"
Todd began munching on an apple. "Did you or did you not stop by my office this afternoon and tell me to come to Tea's house and make you angry?"
Jack knew Destiny would want to comfort him after an unpleasant exchange with Todd…and she did. Still, Todd made her feel bad. That was not part of the deal.
"She's off-limits, you got that?"
"Look, she needed to feel like you hated me. So, I had to make you angry enough that it would look believable. Your girlfriend seems to be the only thing you care enough to get angry about. I'm guessing it worked. Are you going to thank me?"
Jack felt like dirt. He felt as though by going to Todd, he'd been disloyal to his Dad, Walker. He also knew Destiny would be furious if she found out he played her. "Yeah thanks. Now do me a favor."
"Anything," Todd wanted desperately to get to know his son.
"Stay out of my life." Jack marched up the stairs leaving Todd silent and confused.
