Chapter 10: Better Things To Worry About

Jack watched as Pippa raced down the stairs. When Jack and Detective Newburg had gone to talk, Pippa had gone back upstairs to her room. But now, she had come racing downstairs when she heard the door shut. She looked a little worried at having a cop in the house.

"Everything okay?" Pippa asked.

"Yeah," Jack said, "she just wanted to check some details about the tickets I bought."

"Why if you bought them from the ticker seller," Pippa said.

Even though this was true, Jack had to tell a lie and the truth.

"Well no," Jack said. "I waited in line with Bunnymund but the tickets were all sold. I looked online for tickets."

"So you went a ticket sculptor?" Pippa asked. She looked concerned at this.

"Yeah," Jack admitted.

"So what happened?" Pippa asked. She stared right up at her older brother.

"I had checked several dealers," Jack explained, "but they had all sold their tickets already. After about the fifth dealer, I was starting to lose hope. The Elsa Winters' concert was so hot and very popular. The tickets were drying up faster than water in the Sahara Desert. Then one day I decided to check the sites one last time for a posting and I found one. It was this guy selling tickets higher than all the others. Everyone else was selling at just a price a little higher than the ticket cost, they would make a small profit but they would make one. It was one of the last ones up and I decided to go for it. When I called the guy, we set up a meeting but when I got there, he said that the tickets were going to a friend and not for sale. I offered him a bit more money and he agreed to sell them. Those were the tickets I bought. I didn't realise that they were fakes, I should have checked."

"It's not your fault," Pippa smiled. "You trusted the guy. It's only natural. Besides, if you didn't have bought the fake tickets then I wouldn't have met Elsa Winters and have the best night of my life." Pippa then got a sneaky smile on her face. "Also, you wouldn't have had a date with her." Pippa looked quite elated at this.

"I wouldn't have called it a date," Jack said, although the idea of it being one, lightened him. He liked Elsa a lot and he just hoped that she liked him just as much. He then realised something. "You haven't told anyone have you? You go to an all-girls school and every single student there is an Elsa Winters fan."

"And what?" Pippa looked amused. "Become one of the most popular girls at school and have everyone fawn over me?"

"Pippa," Jack warned.

"Relax big bro," Pippa laughed. "I haven't told anyone. I haven't even told Sophie and I practically tell her everything."

"Thanks," Jack said. "Elsa pretty much has everyone in her business twenty-four seven. She doesn't need her private dating life smeared all over the tabloids."

"Agreed," Pippa said.

Jack hated to lie to Pippa. He had only told her the truth. Jack had always tried to be honest to the people he loved. This was his Mum, Pippa and his best friend since childhood, Jamie Bennett. Quite coincidentally, Pippa had been best friends with Sophie, Jamie's sister, since childhood too.

"Listen," Jack said, "I gotta go talk to Bunnymund. I'll be back later."

"Okay!" Pippa smiled wildly. She then raced back up the stairs.

Jack then headed out and towards his car. He got into it and drove to Bunnymund's house. He knocked on the door but he didn't get any answer. He checked his watch. Was Bunnymund out? He checked around the street and saw Bunnymund's car parked outside the opposite the house on the other side of the road. That meant that Bunnymund was still here. Jack then decided to open the door and let himself in. Jack called out but he got no answer. Jack found a note on the kitchen table to Bunnymund from his mother. It simply read that she will be back in an hour as she had gone shopping. Jack grinned at this. Bunnymund's mother did love to shop even though she didn't really have the money to. She enjoyed browsing the stores though and seeing what was in store.

Jack decided to try Bunnymund's bedroom. He would probably be in there; he was always in his room. His house was a one level flat that they had moved into when Bunnymund's parents got divorced when Bunnymund was like ten. His father had moved on and married others and eventually gave Bunnymund two step-brothers and a half-sister. His mother, on the other hand, never really did manage to move on. She had a relation with one of her colleagues for three years but that broke off when he wanted to get married and she didn't. Jack had heard rumours about why the marriage had broken off when he first met Bunnymund. Later, it was revealed that Bunnymund's father had been having an affair with his business partner's wife. She got a divorce and they ended up married. She ended up having an affair with someone else which rocked their marriage for a while but ultimately they ended up staying together.

Jack headed down a narrow hallway and headed towards Bunnymund's room. He knocked on the door and let himself in. He found Bunnymund and Tooth lying together on his bed. They were watching a movie on his computer. They had headphones in which explained why they hadn't heard Jack come in. Bunnymund grinned at Jack as he walked into his room. He paused the movie and took out his headphones.

"Hey Jack," he said. "I'm watching Robocop, you wanna come and watch?"

Bunnymund had a device that when connected to your computer, allowed for multiple headphones to be plugged in. Both he and Tooth had those old fashioned headphones and not the slick nice ones that you can just put into your ear.

"Actually," Jack said, "I would like to talk to you."

"Go ahead," Bunnymund leaned back into his bed and placed his arms behind his head with his elbows pointing out.

"Alone?" Jack said with his eyes darting to Tooth.

"I get it," Tooth said. "The bromance is getting to me."

Bunnymund laughed at Tooth's joke and placed a small kiss on his girlfriend's lips.

"I'm hungry, think I'm going to make something," she said. "You boys want anything?"

Jack shook his head.

"I could use a Gordon Ramsey beef wellington with roasted potatoes and vegetables," Bunnymund said.

Tooth laughed. "I only got the chief apprenticeship last week. I can't make something as amazing like that without practice and ingredients."

"How about a grilled cheese sandwich instead?" Bunnymund grinned.

"I think I can manage that," Tooth smiled back and hopped off the bed.

Jack waited until Tooth had walked passed him. He smiled at her as she walked pass and she did the same. Tooth opened the door and shut it behind her as she walked out. Bunnymund closed his laptop and got off his bed.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Bunnymund asked.

Jack carefully explained what had happened with Detective Newburg. He made sure he didn't leave out a single detail. When he finished, Bunnymund started to pace up and down his room. Jack couldn't tell if he was scared or felling alright.

"We're okay," he said after several minutes. "We've got nothing to worry about. The police have better things to do than launch a big investigation over a couple of phony tickets."

When Jack had told him the truth, he had told him everything which included how Jack met Elsa. Bunnymund had been a little shocked at that part.

"Man I wish you had talked to me first," Bunnymund pounded his fist into his other open hand. "I would have come up with something believable."

"I think she believed me," Jack said.

"Pablo?" Bunnymund shook his head. "You shouldn't have mentioned that carpark and supermarket."

"I know, I wasn't thinking."

"That was obvious," Bunnymund said. "Look if she interrogates you again just remember one word; 'kiss'. K-I-S-S. Keep It Simple, Stupid!"

"I she believed me."

"You know we're in this together. We split the money fifty-fifty."

Yes, he realised that.

"Not to worry," Bunnymund said, "The cops have better things to do. Man, it's just my luck that the Mayor was there! What kind of Mayor goes to a young person's pop concert?"

"You're lucky she was there," Jack pointed out.

"Oh yeah! How's that?"

"If the Mayor hadn't been there, I woulda have been sent to jail, Pippa would have been taken to the hospital and had her stomach pumped, and you'd be dead."

Bunnymund laughed. "You're such a joker."

Tooth popped her head through the door at that very moment. "You ready for that food?"

"Absolutely," Bunnymund said.

Jack headed into University on Monday morning as usual. Inside his backpack were his usual things; a couple of course books for his Economics classes, some food, a drink bottle, some notes and his pencil case. It almost seemed unreal returning back to his usual routine and life. The whole weekend seemed like another world. Jack couldn't help but always grin at the memory of the weekend. Meeting Elsa, that was something he never expected to happen. Falling for her? That was another thing he didn't expect. Her liking him back? He thought that was impossible.

Jack's legs were on autopilot as he headed to his first class of the day. He took his usual seat at the back of the room and spread himself out. He tapped his pen against his cheek as he started down at Mr. Warren who was getting his notes together for the lesson. Jack saw Mr Warren check his watch before taking up a position at the lectern.

"Okay class," he said into his microphone, "settle down, settle down. Now let's get started on today's lecture." He clicked his mouse and the slide on the projector changed to a picture of a graph. "Now as you can see by this graph…"

"Have I missed much?" Jack looked up and saw Izzy taking the seat next to him.

"Just started," Jack said.

"Good," Izzy started getting her books and pens out before like Jack, started to take notes.

After the lecture was over, Jack and Izzy headed off out of the lecture room while taking care to dodge the overly-excited first years.

"So how was Elsa Winters?" Izzy asked, adjusting her bag to make it more conformable on her back.

"Amazing," Jack said.

"So what kinds of outfits did she wear? What songs did she sing? What was her opening number? Did she do an encore? If so, what song did she sing? What were the dancers wearing?"

"Woah," Jack said. "You spoke at like the speed of light. Slow down and ask one question at a time. I promise I will answer them all."

Izzy grinned and asked her questions, slowly and one at a time. Jack managed to get them all answered before they got to his bus stop.

An hour later, Jack was digging in the dirt at yet another house for work. This time it was at one of North's friend's house. North's friend had a bit of an issue when previous landscapers had broken through and busted his water pipes. North had laughed and said that his friend should have called him straight away instead of calling someone else. North had gotten Jack onto it at once when he got the call. North's friend, who he called Manny – Jack thought his real name was something strange like Tsar Lunar or something -, was leaning against his fence as he stared at Jack. North whacked him on back and grinned at his old friend. Jack could hear them talking.

Jack didn't bother craning his neck to pry on what they were talking about. He just continued with his work.

A few hours later, Jack was packing his tools into the company's truck which had North's logo on the side. Jack soon heard someone's voice, and it sounded a lot like his boss's voice, calling his name. Jack shut up the truck and turned around. He did indeed see North walking towards him.

"What can I do for you boss?" Jack asked as he wiped his hands on an already dirty cloth.

"Manny gave me these tickets," North said. "They've for some musical showcase which is happening here in Burgess next month. Manny originally bought them for his daughter but she's in New Zealand with her new husband so he wondered if you would want them as a little reward for coming to his aid when he needed it."

"Thanks," Jack took the tickets off North and stared at them. The musical showcase that the tickets were for was a huge event every year and this year it was Burgess. Tickets had sold out months ago. Jack wondered who was going to be the big event this year. This year it was supposed to be Rihanna but she had dropped out due to commitment issues. She was in some big movie and she couldn't get out of the contract. Her replacement hadn't yet been announced.

"There's two tickets," North said.

"Do you wanna come?" Jack asked with a grin.

"No," North laughed. "Although I figured that the second ticket could be used as a hot date."

Jack laughed. "Maybe." Jack knew who he wanted to take but she probably would be busy with recording a new album or writing new music or on tour or something. She would be busy and unavailable. Maybe he should ask Izzy if she wanted to come.

Jack soon headed home after that. He threw his bag onto his bed and picked up his phone and dialled Izzy's number. She picked up after the second ring.

"Yo, yo, yo," she said. "If you're hot and single please continue, if not, hang up."

Jack laughed. "Hey Izzy."

"Oh it is someone hot and single," Izzy laughed too. "What can I do for you Jacky?"

"Listen," Jack said. He sounded a little nervous. He didn't want this to sound like he was asking her out. He was just asking a friend to an event, that was all. Izzy was an attractive woman and Jack had considered asking her out in the past but meeting Elsa, drove any thought of that out his head. "I have a spare ticket to go see that big musical thing next month and I was wondering if you wanted to go."

"Of course," Izzy gushed. "Lorde is going to be there! I love her so much."

"So does Pippa," Jack said. Sometimes he wondered if Pippa was too much like his friends.

"Great," Jack said. "We can make arrangements closer to the time then."

"Okay," Izzy sounded positively delightful. "This is not a date or anything." She sounded a little nervous.

Jack didn't really know how to respond to that.

"Um," he said, "I thought we could go as friends."

"Okay," Izzy said. Jack thought he heard something that sounded like disappointment in her voice. Could she had wanted him to ask her out? Jack just hoped he imagined it.

"I think I better go," Jack said. "Mum's calling me about something."

"Okay," Izzy said again. "Thanks for the offer Jack. This should be fun."

"Yeah it should," Jack said before he hung up.

That was really awkward, he thought.

Jack and Pippa were staring down at their souvenir t-shirts that they got from the concert. For the past week and a half, they had been staring down at the list of cities trying to predict where Elsa was.

"Maybe she will call from Albuquerque," Pippa said pointing at it.

Jack laughed. "She's not going to call."

Jack pretended as if he had never game it a thought. The truth was quite the opposite. Not a day went by that didn't have Jack thinking about very thing. His body went to red alert every time the phone rang and always felt immense disappointment when the phone wasn't her. He hated leaving the house as he was afraid he would miss her call but after a week and a half, that didn't seem too likely.

The next couple of days passed in a sort of haze for Jack. He failed an Economics quiz as he hadn't read the chapters required for it. He hadn't managed to be able to concentrate. Work didn't seem to go too well either. During work, he had been trusted by North to install an entire sprinkler by himself. He had installed the sprinkler so that they were evenly distributed across the lawn, so that the water would cover the entire lawn. The problem was that it was all connected to itself in one big giant rectangle. No water was able to enter the system. Jack ended up having to work overtime and redo the entire thing. He had to dig new trenches, cutting into the pips and attaching the main water line.

"You don't have to pay me for the extra time it took," Jack said to North. "I'm the one who screwed up."

"Unfortunately I do," North said. "It's the law."

How could he explain it was all because an Elsa Winters song came onto the radio?

At least he hadn't heard anything more from the Burgess Police Department. Maybe Bunnymund was right, maybe they did have better things to do than to investigate into two counterfeit tickets. He wondered if she had checked his record and found out he had a prior conviction. He didn't want her to think too badly of him.

The Mayor had even called once to make sure that he was alright. His mother, who had answered the phone, had been quite surprised and very impressed to hear who was on the other end of the phone. Jack had been disappointed that it hadn't been Elsa.

"Why did the Mayor call you?" his mother asked him.

"Remember, I told you that I met her? I did some work at her house."

His mother kept her impressed look on her face.

Eleven days had gone by since he saw Elsa and he was trying to get through some study notes that he had made in his indistinguishable handwriting. He had a test in a couple of days. He had considered asking some of his fellow students to see if they wanted to set up a study day before the test. Jack was having a lot of trouble concentrating. A certain blonde was keeping his mind occupied. It had been for a while now.

He had been staring a graph for the past ten minutes. It was starting to make sense to him when the phone rang shattering his thoughts. He waited nervously for a moment before he returned to his graph.

"Jack, telephone," his mother yelled up the stairs.

Jack forced himself to remain calm. It was most likely Bunnymund. He took a deep breath before heading down the stairs. His mother mouthed the words 'a girl' as she handed him the phone. Jack felt a little nervous when he took the phone from her.

"Yeah, hi," Jack said trying to sound casual.

"Hi, how's it going?"

Jack recognised the voice to be that of Detective Newburg. He walked back up the stairs and into his bedroom before closing the door behind him. He took a position on his chair by his desk while he talked.

"Oh, uh, fine."

"You've probably though I've forgotten about you."

"No, not really."

"How certain are you that the guy's name was Pablo?"

"Not real certain."

"Could the guy's name have been Felix?"

"I don't think so."

"Could it have been Harry?"

If Jack remembered correctly, that was Felix's right hand man.

"No. I'm pretty sure he said it was Pablo."

"Maybe he had a nickname? Is that possible?"

"I guess."

"Did he ever refer to himself as Bunnymund?"

Jack took a deep breath in before saying he had never heard of that name before.

"Could it have been Snowman?"

Jack nearly dropped the phone. Bunnymund had used that name a couple of times in the sales of the ticket when he referred to Jack. He got it from Frosty the Snowman since Jack's last name was Frost. Jack always hated the nickname; it made him sound like a small child. Despite, this Bunnymund insisted on calling him that. Jack got his revenge by calling him the Easter Bunny. It was quite comical.

"Hello? Are you there?"

"Yeah, I'm still here."

"Does Snowman ring a bell?"

"No I think I would have remembered a name like that."

Detective Newburg laughed. "I supposed so."

Jack looked at his open Economics book in front of him on his desk. He knew he could forget about studying tonight.

A/N: So Jack may or may not have a date to the big musical showcase. Jack is anxious about seeing Elsa again. Detective Newburg is still poking around. Will she discover the truth? Maybe the next chapter will answer all questions. My final exam was today. Afraid to say I had to make up some answers, at least I didn't leave any of the questions blank. But the main point is I am free! "No right, no wrongs for me, I'm freeeee!" I have done all my exams for the semester! I never thought that moment will come. Three week winter break here I come! This gives me a lot of time to write so I should be able to update at quite the rate (that is the hope anyway). Anyway, I hope that everyone enjoyed this update. Please review =)

Reviews:

archbaldmatthe1: Hmm, alright (I'm still a bit weird about your overall plotline though but that's me). The words feel a bit jumbled and crammed together. Give them space and some room. Also check your editing, it may need some work. Should be alright if you write it all out nicely and the plotline is spoken across in a clear and slow manner (don't jump too fast).

Orkidea16: First off, thanks, and yep of course Elsa wants to see him again. I love how they manipulated him too. Jack may get into some trouble, but who knows, Bunny might too. You may have to wait a little bit to find out what's going to happen. Glad that you enjoyed the chapter. I should be able to update quicker now that I'm on holiday (YES!).

Gracialoveme: Your summer break is only six weeks? If I don't do summer school (which for me is just doing more university papers so I can get my degree done quicker), my summer holiday is three months! So much time off, muahaha. Although, I get more holidays because I'm at university and it's designed to help out part time students who have jobs. Yep, it is paid. I have no idea why I wrote payed. It was a lapse moment in judgement. I'm good at spotting other people's grammar and spelling mistakes but useless at my own. I rely heavily on spellcheck. I shouldn't judge either. I'm useless on both as well. Thank you!