Chapter 10: the monster under the bed.
Jack sauntered home, clutching his pint of...apple juice. In the end it had been Diego who'd managed to pick someone up and Jack was walking home alone. As soon as he got to the door, it dawned on him.
"Bugger! It's one o'clock in the morning and Teague already wants my guts!" Jack tried the door handle but it was locked. He looked up and saw that a window was open... on the fourth floor. Could he climb the bushes up or would he plummet to his doom? Jack wasn't sure, but it didn't matter; either way he was doomed. He put his foot into a crevice, grabbed a vine (which snapped instantly), grabbed another brick before he fell and slowly, inch by inch, crawled his way up. Finally, he reached the window sill. He wrapped his fingers around it and heaved himself up then tumbled through and into the room with a resounding crash.
The figure in the bed shot up and stared at him.
"Jack?" Valerie hissed, "What are you doing in my room?"
Jack's mind went blank, "This is all a dream..." he attempted an impression of Mabeltrude, "I am not here. Go to sleeeeeeeep." He waved his arms in front of Valerie's face.
Valerie slapped them away, "Don't touch me!"
"This is not how it seems... honest." Jack tried to explain.
"I don't care! Just get out of my room!"
Valerie dragged him to the door, flung it open and pushed him out, right into Teague.
"VALERIE!" Jack cried desperately, "Let me in!"
But there was no response.
Teague's face looked haggard and exhausted. Jack reckoned that, if he ran really fast in a zigzag line, he might be able to confuse the half-asleep Teague for long enough to get to the safety of his room.
It worked.
He flung the door open and shut it in Teague's face, but as soon as Jack turned to face his trashed room he saw the body of Fitz...in his bed!
Jack screamed silently, his room had been infected, he felt betrayed. Everything needed to be sterilized and why was he in there! There were so many guest rooms! He realised with a heavy heart that he'd been replaced, that his family cared more about the naval swine than him.
Jack rushed back out the room before he caught Fitz' germs and darted across the hallway, missing Teague who was wielding a candlestick into the first unlocked room he could see, and dove under the bed hiding himself quickly.
Arabella yawned as Teague rushed into her room.
"Where's Jack?" Teague asked menacingly looking suspicious.
"What?" Arabella groaned still half asleep, Teague sniffed.
"I can smell him..."
"That's not weird at all..." Arabella groaned, "he's not in 'ere, I'm going to sleep."
"If you are harbouring the fugitive..."
"HE'S YER SON!" Arabella practically shouted. Teague sniffed once more.
"I know the nature of your relationship." He growled, "stay safe." He walked out and slammed the door.
Arabella stayed bolt upright, suddenly though Arabella felt something clutching her foot,
"East?" she asked with dread, "Monster under my bed?" She said almost hopefully.
"It's Jack!" Jack said popping up from the end the bed, Arabella was about to scream at the sight of his bloodied face and black eye, when Jack put a hand over her mouth, "Please be quiet." He begged, when she nodded he let go.
"What are ye doing here!" she demanded.
"My room has been over taken by invading forces that carry strange diseases that make you talk all posh...savvy?" he said anxiously,
Arabella sighed. "Fitz? We told him he could sleep in your room 'cause you weren't back!" she explained,
"Oh thank you." Jack replied his voice littered with sarcasm, "so where am I sleeping!"
"Ye can't sleep here!" Arabella snapped.
Jack's face fell. "Well, pray tell, how do I get to another room, in which to sleep, without my mad father, murdering me with a CANDLESTICK!" He screeched.
"Stop shouting at me! It's not my fault!" Arabella moaned, snuggling down amongst her pillows.
"Yes it is! You put Fitz in my room!"
"Stop moaning, I want to sleep." Arabella's voice was muffled by the pillow.
"WHERE DO I SLEEP!" He demanded.
"Use your initiative." She said slowing drifting off into sleep.
"Ok then...I will." Jack muttered, looking around the room, hard wooden floor, hard wooden desk, hard wooden wardrobe, or soft comfy bed, Jack lifted up the corner of the sheet and snuggled into the pillows and Arabella, her eyes opened wide.
"GET OUT!" She got up and tugged at the sheet, but as there was a space into the bed, Jack decided to fill it, he sprawled across the entire length of the bed,
"Don't care now, do you?" Jack asked groggily, Arabella began jumping on the bed and on Jack,
"I'm so tired I don't care..." Jack moaned, "OW MY RIBS!" Jack shrieked, Jack sat up and clutched his side, moaning in agnoy. Arabella decided to seize the moment, while her enemy was weak and with hard kick sent him sprawling off the bed. She snuggled down again.
"Goodnight Jack." Arabella said smiling smugly and throwing him one of her many blankets, " Sleep on the floor." She commanded, Jack crawled over to a more comfy looking piece of floor and tried to make himself comfy.
"Now go to sleep." Arabella whispered, Jack was silent and Arabella began to snuggle back down to sleep, then Jack suddenly remembered what Faye had said and decided that Arabella was the best person to consult for advice... especially at this time of night.
"Bells...I need to talk to you, its impor-,"
"Not now, talk to me in the morning," Jack sighed as Arabella began snoring lightly.