I DO NOT OWN EMMERDALE OR IT 'S CHARACTERS...THEY BELONG TO ITV1
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LATE-JULY 2013
Hazel sat on the sofa with an expression akin to a bulldog chewing a wasp plastered across her face.
She had stayed quiet till now...only giving Jackson the odd disapproving glare...but she was dying to get it off her chest...vent the anger that had been building up all day.
She turned her head slightly to see Jackson coming out from his bedroom...well she could smell him first! With that much aftershave wofting about the place, where ever he went.
"Gone to alot of trouble I see..." she mused out aloud, not looking at him, Jackson was stood behind the sofa doing up the cuffs on his shirt, " what was that...", one hand to his ear.
"Nothing..." Hazel said with a quick glance his way.
Jackson narrowed his eyes and rounded to the front of the sofa, "IF you've got something to say...then say it!" he told her with some force.
Hazel wished she had not said owt now...she hated it when Jackson got all narky with her...so she justed waved a hand generally out in front of him, " You...I'm only saying...you've gone to alot of trouble...someone must be worth it, that's all"
Jackson raised his eyebrowes at her, " oh yeah...IS THAT all its is?...No.. 'I shouldn't be doing this'.. or..'what about Aaron'"
Hazel folded her arms, she wasn't going to rise to it.
Jackson made his way into the kitchen to get himself a beer from the fridge, " anyway..." he called to her, " I know how YOU feel about it...you've given me enough of yah frosty looks at me"
He came back into the lounge uncapping his bottle, " ...and...you've sat on that fat arse of yours with a face like one all day..."
Hazel opened her mouth in surprize, " no I haven't! I..."
Jackson took a swig from the bottle and then pointed to her with it, " Yeah you have...you've sat there with a frown as long as my arm...NOT that you have got anything to be miseable about"
Hazel turned her head, " and what's that supposed to me..."
Jackson smiled, " you...staying here in the flat...now me and Aaron have split up, YOU don't have to move out, do yah?...as I said..." he leaned right into her, " YOU should be happy..." and with that, he disappeared back into the bedroom, Hazel was nearly choking on the beer fumes...HOW MANY HAD HE HAD EXACTLY!...she wasn't about to ask him though, the mood he was in.
But even so, Hazel could swing for him at times...where was Jerry when she needed him...then on second thoughts, WHAT use would he off been anyway!
This was what she HATED about her darling son...he was a lovely man who would do anything for anyone...but then there was THIS SIDE to him...the narky sarcastic side that really drove across, that he didn't care about what or who anybody thought...THAT WAS HIS FATHER in him.
Jackson was then back in the lounge again, beer in one hand mobile phone in the other...and his gaze was fixed to it...he chuckled...
Hazel was ignored him, it was bound to be a text from his 'date' no doubt.
"right I'm off..." he then announced to her, " cab'll be here in a bit...Jack'll be staying over with Sheila tonight so you've got the evening to yourself...THAT were him texting me just then...he says Sheila is making him eat peas...you know how he hates his peas"
Hazel looked at him, " only because you let him..." she said with some sarcasm.
Jackson pocketed the mobile, downed his beer, slammed it on the coffee table and opened the front door, " don't-wait-up" and then he was gone.
Hazel jolted as the door slammed...she hated all this...Jackson was self destructing...her poor son's heart was broken and what was he doing...?
Doing what he always does...making things 10 times as worse!
Xxx
Aaron walked up the lane towards the Barton farmhold...it was a nice warm summer evening, and he could hear that Adam's party had got off to a fine start.
The music got louder as he approached the barn...there were stacks of hay scattered about so folk could sit and drink if they wanted to.
Aaron stood there watching a number of folk milling around drinking and having a laugh, he bit his lip and was ready to backtrack away, when Alex had spotted him.
"Hey Aaron! Come and grab yourself a beer mate!"
Aaron nodded his head in acknowlegment...and came forward and took a bottle of beer out a crate of crushed ice.
Adam was then at his side with the bottle opener, " alright mate!...THOUGHT you weren't coming just then when you didn't show"
"sorry" Aaron managed to say.
Adam laughed and patted his mate on the back, " don't be! you're here now...I think you know most people...well used to..." he laughed it off, " well they're just the same...still a laugh..."
Aaron nodded his head forcing on a smile...he looked around him and saw a stack of hay free to perch on...and as he sat...he put one hand flat down onto the straw...
The haystack was in flames...and Adam's dad was angry at him.
Aaron shook the vision from his head...why was he thinking that...remembering that...
Holly Barton was then sitting next to him and smiled, " alright Aaron?"
Aaron nodded at her and glanced away...he REALLY didn't want to be here...
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At Barwest, Jackson paid the cab driver, and quickly headed inside.
On climbing down the steps, he already could see Lee standing at the bar...the lad looked nervous.
Jackson took in a deep breath and went over to him, and gently tapped his shoulder,Lee swung around.
Jackson backed off, " blimey...what's with the face..." he asked.
Lee shook his head, " it's not you...it's that guy over there he keeps coming on to me..."
Jackson turned his head to see some creep standing not too far away, " well I'm here to protect you now" he said playfully, " what can I get yah?"
Lee smiled, " beer thanks"
Jackson ordered the two beers...Lee pointed, " there's a booth free over there, shall I go over and grab it for us?"
Jackson nodded and watched him go...blimey, this lad was young...he seemed younger tonight than he had been at the hotel where he had met him...
He was obviously older than he looked though...old enough to work behind a bar...but still...it made him look like a right cradle snatcher being seen next to him.
Jackson brought the beers over and sat down next to him...for a few moments nothing was said...but Jackson was burning to ask...so he did, " Lee...how OLD are yah?"
Lee laughed out loud, " I KNEW you would ask that...everybody does...i'm 21..." Jackson raised his eyebrowes alittle surprised, " I KNOW! I look alot younger...even the hotel had to do alot of checking before they employed me...but I'm only doing that in the evenings while I study for my degree..."
Lee took a swig of his beer and turned, " what about you...
"ME?...I'm 26 next month...getting old mate"
Lee shrugged it off, " I like the older guy...not that you are THAT much older...I'm surprized you've not already been taken..."
Jackson raised his bottle to his lips, " ME? taken...nah...haven't been that lucky mate..."
Jackson's smile made Lee blush...and the lad put a hand over the top of Jackson's, " maybe your lucks just changed then..."
Jackson jolted his leg abit...and looked down to Lee's hand over his own...he took in a deep breath and decided to go along with the flow...
...at least SOMEBODY wanted to give him some attention...
Xxx
At the Farm, Aaron was standing with Alex and Tim...Tim he knew, he had been out in town with them on the night of Adam's birthday a few weeks back.
Aaron took a swig of his beer, the sun was going down now and someone, Holly or Hannah Barton had found some outdoor party lights to brighten up the darkening barn area.
Aaron really hadn't enjoyed himself...and he knew alot of it was to do with not knowing folk...but he knew that they weren't HIS sort of mates anyway...he was gay...he wanted to be out and about with HIS mates...did he have mates before the accident?...apart from Adam that was...Jackson had mentioned something about a Tom...but he didn't say much else.
Adam was chatting up some girl Tim had brought with him...and he and Alex were having a right laugh at Adam's expense...
Aaron smirked too...but it wasn't until some bird with big tits was starting to give him the glad eye...
He necked his beer...she was doing his head in...HER learing at him...it was time to go.
Alex had noticed this and was round him like a flash, " looks like you're well in there mate...I wouldn't say no..."
Aaron shook his head and glared at him." have her" he blurted out, then chucking his bottle into the now full crate of empties...he walked off into the darkness with out saying a word to Adam or anyone else...
Xxx
Jackson stood at the bar waiting to be served...he turned to see a mate of his, Chris, come over from the direction of the gents, " alright Jackson mate...I tried to get your attention just now, but you were...busy" he teased him.
Jackson laughed it off, " yeah'a...yeah...just out with a drink with him..."
Chris smiled, as he glanced over to Lee sat at the booth waiting for Jackson to return, " well let me just say, WHAT an improvement on the last one...Aaron.. whatshisface..."
Jackson shrugged at him non-committedly, " well...it's JUST a drink"
Chris leaned on the bar, " yeah I know...but I'm just saying, you've gotta move on, haven't yah...seeing since he's a retard now, not that he was that much past that before the crash anyway..." he smirked in jest.
Jackson could feel the anger building in him...HOW DARE HE SAY THAT ABOUT AARON! HE WAS MENT TO BE A MATE!
But Jackson remained in control, " he's getting better actually..." he told in Aaron's defense.
Chris WAS surprised, " oh...but I heard that..."
Jackson picked up his beers, and turned to him before he left him standing there, "well...WHOEVER told yah better get their facts right...or they'll be landing themselves in awhole lot of trouble, won't they..."
Jackson sat at the booth, and Lee took his beer, " what was that all about?" he asked him, he had clearly seen the tense conversation between him and that guy at the bar.
"Nothing mate..." Jackson could see Lee was TOO interested...so he looked toward the busy dance floor, he glanced back at Lee with a cheeky smile, " fancy a dance, do yah?"
Lee laughed as he stood up, " I thought you'd never ask!"
And both of then stepped onto the floor and started to move to the beat...Jackson not noticing that Aaron had just stepped up to the bar...
Xxx
Aaron had gone home and tarted himself up...he had had enough of Adam's party...he would see him tomorrow or something to say sorry about leaving early.
Of course Chas had fussed over him...giving him the third degree over WHERE he was off too...but he had just ignored her...
He had just jumped onto the next bus and headed into town.
When he got off it, he had to walk about abit...the club was called BarWest...and it stood on a corner...Jackson had said to him once.
After about a half hours 'walkabout' he found it...or stumbled onto it...he bit his lip...and stood across the street and 'stalked it' for a little while...watching revellers come too and fro from the club.
When he had plucked up enough courage...he took in a deep breath and stepped across the street and went inside.
It was like going into somewhere new...it was all new to him...
He stepped down the stairs and heard the dance music begin to invade his ears...and it got louder and louder as he got down to the bottom.
He looked about him, his mind was in a bit of a whirl...there was folk all around him...the place was heaving with clubbers.
Attractive lads all tarted up like him...and some smelt so good to him.
HE WAS DEFINATELY in the right place...this was definately him.
He focused forward and saw the bar not too far away, he stepped up onto the plynth that surrounded the bar and went straight up to buy himself a beer.
"what'll you 'aving" said the somewhat cocky barman.
Aaron looked up at him, " BEER" he blurted out.
The barman looked at him sharply before opening a bottle, " a please wouldn't go a miss..." he commented flippantly.
Aaron ignored him...so what he if had a speech problem...DEAL WITH IT!
After paying for the beer, Aaron took a much needed swig and turned his attention around him...he really thought there would have been something here...some recognition...but there was none...nothing at all.
even so...this place seemed great...a right buzz...AND there MUST be someone who knew him here...a mate or someone...
He scanned towards the dancefloor...NO WAY! he didn't do dancing...he knew that much!
But something did catch his eye, a someone...Jackson! He was on the dancefloor...he smirked, what a div...he couldn't dance to save his life...he was about to approach him...because after ALL what they had been through together, they could at least still be mates...
...when he stopped in his tracks...
Jackson was laughing like a loom...and he had his hands around some other lad...
...and that lad was laughing too...and looking at Jackson like he was the greatest man there was...
Aaron felt his heart race...and he backed away...BUT THIS WAS WHAT HE WANTED! HE HAD DECIDED THAT HE WANTED TO FIND HIMSELF SO WHY WAS THIS BOTHERING HIM.
He backtracked again...hoping not to be seen...
But it was too late...because as he looked up...Jackson's gaze came to meet his own...
AUTHORS NOTE: THANKS AGAIN FOR THE REVIEWS...ANOTHER CHAPTER! THEY ARE JUST ROLLING OUT AT THE MOMENT...BUT I'M BACK TO WORK NEXT WEEK SO MAKE THE MOST OF...
INPUT/OPINIONS/OAR IN...FEEDBACK STILL FUELS THE STORY!
