D/C: I do not own the Twilight Saga
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Any lyric ideas? Please? Lol I'm running out of lyrics!
Not sure if you guys will like this chapter or not... I'm on the fence about it XP
We got back home and I went to the barn
I bowed my head and I prayed real hard
Said, "Lord, please help me help my stupid self."
Just this side of bedtime later that night
Turnin' on my son's Scooby-Doo nightlight.
He crawled out of bed and he got down on his knees.
He closed his little eyes, folded his little hands
Spoke to God like he was talkin' to a friend.
And I said, "Son, now where'd you learn to pray like that?"
~Watching You by Rodney Atkins
"Well, what do you want to do now?" Jasper asked.
"I want to know what is with your Dad, dude!" I sighed. "Why is he so, so strict with you? I mean, don't you think he's over reacting?"
"He's just extremely, ridiculously protective of me," He explained. "He just wants me safe."
"Jasper, he grabbed us by our shirts and yanked us around! I thought he was going to give us a beating when he yanked us into the barn!"
"But he didn't!" Jasper snapped at me angrily. "I know he's not perfect but he really does just care about me!"
Shocked that Jasper snapped at me, I didn't have anything to say and could only blink at him. He sighed, mumbled an apology and sat on his bed. We were quiet and the only sounds were Mr. Whitlock pulling his boots back on and leaving. Jasper and I looked each other in the eyes for a few seconds. I tried as hard as I could to see if maybe, just maybe, I could see a glimpse of what he was keeping from me. But I couldn't and he broke his gaze from mine.
"He, he can't have kids of his own." Jasper whispered, then held his hand near his chest and pointed down towards his legs. "Some thing's not right with him down there. I don't know what medical condition he has, but he can't have kids. They got into the whole foster thing, but when I got here, I could tell they were really trying to connect and bond with me. They actually wanted me! The only other time I remember feeling like that was when we arrived at our Mom and Dad. And even though I didn't speak, they still tried to connect to me."
He looked at me, then looked away.
"Anyways, they adopted me, and Dad thinks I'm as fragile as a glass doll. He wants me to be the best I can, but he is winging this whole father thing. His father walked out on him and his Mom when he was seven. All he remembers of his father was when his father would hit him with his belt to punish him. He never had a father so he's just trying to wing it."
"Oh," I paused and looked at the floor. I wasn't expecting him to tell me all that he did. "Can I ask you something, Jazz?"
"Yeah,"
"Has he ever, you know, hit you like his Dad hit him?"
Jasper pulled his knees up to his chest and held them there. I could tell he was thinking.
"Once."
"Can I ask what you did to get it?"
"I got really angry and was yelling at Dad and Mom. I cussed at Mom. Dad told me to go to my room. Then I shoved Mom out of my way to go to my room. Dad took his belt to me for that one." He explained. "But that's how he was raised. That's how most of the people around here were raised and how they are being raised right now. And he felt terrible about it. Once he heard me let out a small little whimper, only after about two smacks on my butt, he stopped immediately. He hugged me, told me he loved me, then left my room. That night I heard him in his and Mom's room, and he was crying. I found it kind of ironic that he was crying about it, because I didn't even cry about it. But he told Mom that he was never, ever going to hit me again. He said he couldn't handle it himself. The next day he took me to my favorite tack shop, and bought me this real expensive saddle and let me buy new boots. He spent well over six hundred dollars on me. But I know it was because he felt terrible about hitting me. He told me that he was very sorry about it on our way home. We actually talked like our Dad used to do with us when we were bad. He told me the reason he was so angry with me at the moment he hit me was because I pushed my Mom out of the way. He said that wasn't an excuse but he thought it was necessary for me to understand why he was upset."
"So, he only hit you once?" I asked. He nodded. "But that doesn't make sense. If he felt so bad about hitting you, why was he pushing us around?"
"He was angry and probably a little scared too. I told you he thinks I'm a glass doll. I bet he'll come in here and apologize like crazy for that."
"You really love them, don't you? Even if they aren't perfect?"
"Yeah," He nodded. "Our Mom and Dad were perfect in every way. They were perfect parents and teachers and friends. My parents aren't like that. They make a lot of mistakes compared to our parents. Like when I'm angry, instead of sitting down with me and talking with me to find out what's wrong, how to fix it and calmly explaining why I can't act like that, they might send me to my room until I calm down."
"That's what my parents do." I said. "My Dad will tell me that if can't conduct myself properly, I can't come out of my room."
"What's your Dad like, Edward?"
"He's very," I paused to think of the right words. "He's proper, usually calm. He does talk to me more than he yells at me, but he won't talk to me if either of us are really upset. He tried to take time to calm down before confronting a problem. But I've pushed him to the point of him yelling before. My Mom is the same way. They always joke and say 'Edward, we're trying to turn you into a gentleman, but we're having a hell of a time doing in'." I couldn't help but smile at the words my father told me just about everyday. "I guess I do give them a lot of trouble sometimes."
"What do you guys do together?"
"Well, my Dad taught me how to play the piano. He said one day, when I meet the right girl, I'll be able to play her a lullaby. When they think I'm asleep, I hear him playing for my Mom. They're encouraging me to try to write my own music, but I'm not very good at it. But they listen and smile and tell me it sounds wonderful when I play. My Mom is a lot like yours, but I think yours is more laid back. My Mom is more quick to scold and ground me. But she is always there for me if I want to talk about our Mom and Dad or the Nova's."
"My parent's don't like talking about the Nova's. And we never really talk about our Mom and Dad." Jasper mumbled.
"Only my Mom let's me talk about the Nova's. If my Dad hears me talking about them he grumbled about how I need to just forget about them and all."
Jasper got quiet and I knew he was thinking of the abuse he got from the Nova's. I could see the hurt in his eyes and how he started to retreat in his shy, Autistic shell. Quickly and without thinking, I grabbed my pillow and tossed it at him.
Jasper's head snapped up at me and we both smiled.
"Mind if I interrupt your little wrestling match?" Mrs. Whitlock smiled as she came into Jasper's room. We both nodded and jumped back and sat on our beds, quickly remembering we were suppose to be being punished. Like always, one little moved, like tossing my pillow at Jasper, caused another, like us wrestling. Mrs. Whitlock giggled. "Looks like you boys are nonpunishable when you're together. So how mad was your father Jasper?"
"He grabbed us by our shirts and grounded us for the day." Jasper explained. She nodded.
"So pretty angry, huh?" We both nodded. "Well, I can tell you boys now that you'll be grounded for longer than a day."
"He always grounds me for a day when he's ticked, but the when he calms down he tells me the real punishment." Jasper explained to me. "I don't know why he does that, but he does."
"What exactly happened with the horses? I just got an angry voice mail and all I could get out of it was horses, shoes, helmet and your names." Jasper and I looked at each other as we remembered what got us in trouble. We told her the events that took place and laughed as we told it. Even Mrs. Whitlock laughed.
"You boys," She chuckled and shook her head. "You two are definitely unpredictable together. Well, I can promise you boys that your going to get a long talking-to. But I have no idea what he has in mind other than that."
"Thanks for the heads up Mom." Jasper smiled and rolled his eyes. Mrs. Whitlock swatted his arm but smiled and sat next to him.
"I'm sure he's going to feel bad about yanking you boys around." She patted Jasper's knee and smiled at him. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. She stood up, pushed his hair out of the way and kissed his forehead.
"Well I have to get dinner started." She said as she started walking out of the door. Before she closed the door, she said, "And remember, you boys are being punished, so try to refrain from having to much fun."
Jasper and I looked at each other and laughed.
"Boys," Mr. Whitlock said as he slowly pushed Jasper's room door open.
"Hi Dad." Jasper flashed him his 'I-am-your-perfect-little-boy' smile. I recognized it from when we lived with our parents and I resisted a laugh when I remembered all the trouble he got out of because of the smile.
"Cut the act, Jazz." Mr. Whitlock chuckled, then got serious. "We all need to talk. Why don't we head out to the barn? I want to show you boys' something."
We nodded and followed him out of the room and to the door. We pulled our shoes one and Mr. Whitlock took us to the barn. He had a saddle on a wooden stand that was about three feet tall. He put his hand on Jasper's back and told him to sit in the saddle. Jasper did what he was told and Mr. Whitlock knelt down by the stirrups, then told me and Jasper to pay close attention as he took the stirrup and Jasper's boot clad foot in his hands.
"Watch," He put Jasper's foot in the stirrup the correct way, then pushed it farther like Jasper's foot was slipping through the stirrup. The heel on his cowboy boot helped to stop his foot from going any farther. "Do you boys see that? The heel stops your foot from going any farther. Although sometimes it doesn't always work like this, like the day you were dragged by Fiddle, Jasper, it is safer than regular shoes. Now hop off Jasper, and Edward, it's your turn up there."
Jasper and I traded places. He did the same with me as he did Jasper, but my foot slipped all the way through the stirrup.
"Do I really have to explain this any further?" He asked. Jasper and I both shook our heads no. He patted my leg and told me I could get off the saddle. When I did, he and Jasper picked up the wooden stand with the saddle still on it and carried it off to a different part of the barn. They came back and Mr. Whitlock put his arms around Jasper and my shoulders. "How about we go for a ride, okay?"
"Sure," Jasper smiled happily. I nodded. He pulled his truck keys out of his pocket, handed them to Jasper and told us to get in the truck. He headed to the house and we went to the truck. We hopped in the backseat and Jasper gently punched my arm.
"I bet I know what we're going to do." He smiled. "We're going to the tack shop. I told you he felt bad."
"That you did." I chuckled.
Mr. Whitlock came out and jumped in the drivers seat. As we drove down the driveway, he kept glancing in the rear-view mirror at us.
"Boys," He sighed. "Listen, I was wrong to be so rough with you two today. But you have to realize, you put me in a bad position. I can't let you boys' get hurt. And Edward, I'm sure your parents wouldn't be happy if I sent you back home wearing a cast. Those horses, no matter how much training they've had, are still animals and are unpredictable. I know Thunder is a good boy and hasn't given us a reason not to trust him, but he is still an unpredictable animal. Do you see where I'm going with this?"
"Yes sir." Jasper and I answered together. He nodded.
"Good."
"Dad?" Jasper asked. "Are we grounded still?"
"You should be," He answered firmly, then sighed and smiled. "But because the month is almost over, and Edward is leaving in a week, consider yourselves off the hook."
"Yes!" Once again, we said the same thing at the same time. We high-fived each other.
"Thanks Dad!" Jasper's smile got bigger.
"I have to take back every harsh word I said about your Dad." I smiled at Jasper as we licked our ice cream cones in his room, me in my new cowboy boots and Jasper with a new helmet, one that looked just like a cowboy hat but had the safety of a real helmet.
"Told you he wasn't perfect, but he tries." Jasper quickly licked a drop of melted ice cream as it dripped down the cone.
