Chapter 2: Jacen's Family Problems
"Not again!" Jannie squealed as she thrust the bottle of face cleaner at the floor. She stared into the mirror, "I can't believe I have another one! I just got rid of the last one!" In vain, she tried to pop the large zit on her cheek. Maybe she could cover it in eyeliner and call it a beauty mark? No, she had tried that before.
"JACCCCCCEEEEEEENNNNN! Get in here! I need someone to yell at!" she whined, playing with her long, purple hair. She twisted a handful of strands around her pinky finger. She hoped she wouldn't have to wait much longer. Her brother was such a dork. It was a wonder she bothered keeping him around at all.
Jacen scrambled down the hallway. He almost tripped into the bathroom. He caught himself on the door frame, barely able to catch his breath, "What is it, Jannie?"
Her eyebrows arched sharply and she began to chatter like an angry Rattata,"This face cleaner you bought me is USELESS! Just look! Just look at my perfect face, RUINED!!!" she sobbed and bent her head over the sink. She began to sniffle and wail.
Oh great, now she was going to throw a fit! He attempted to gently console her, putting a hand on her shoulder, "It's alright! It's not that bad, Jannie. In fact, I think those are-"
"I KNOW WHAT THEY ARE!" she roared loudly, knocking Jacen out of the bathroom, "Now go get me some different stuff. And this time... GET SOMETHING THAT WORKS, NITWIT!"
"But I just went out this morn-"
"I DON'T CARE!" she interrupted him, yelling in his face. She took a breath and straightened up, "Now, Jacen, don't you want me to look my best?" she asked semi-sweetly, batting her heavily mascared eyelashes.
"Yes, but I-I-"
"Ooooh! You make me so mad! If you don't do what I ask, then I tell Mommy!" she pointed her finger at him menacingly.
His skin paled. That's all he needed, Jannie tattling on him again... again, "Alright...you win. I'll be right back," He sighed and ran his fingers vigorously through his flame-colored, hair as he headed down the hallway. He could her Jannie giggling to herself in the bathroom.
He wasn't sure what to do. It certainly wasn't the first time, his twin sister had bossed him about like her own personal slave. And it also wasn't the first time she had threatened to tell on him. He knew if she did, his parents would side with her so-sweet-it's-sick attitude. Sure, they loved him, but he couldn't stand another minute in that house!
His mind drew up a plan. Why not run away? After all, he has his own Pokémon license, and he's a hard worker! He could find a job somewhere and make some money to travel. Anything to get away from Jannie and her sibling slavery.
Still, he would miss his parents and having his room, and what would he do once he got out? He wasn't really interested in going anyplace, or becoming a 'Pokémon Master'.
No, this plan would be too risky. He would just see if he could last out the tormenting and teasing a little longer. Perhaps next time. Some time in the future maybe. He sighed, he hated the thought of an ancient, but still angry Jannie beating him with a cane. How much longer could it go on?
With this in mind, he glumly walked down the stairs and entered in the back of his family's restaurant, "THE ROCKET RESTAURANT- Blast in for a BITE today!" He passed through the kitchen and said hello to all the usual cooks and waiters, smelling all the delicious delights that he passed by. They smiled, wished him a good morning, and quickly went back to work. He finally came to a small back room with a gold plate that read:
James & Jessie McScanty
The Managers (and Owners!)
He knocked three times. No answer. He knew that they were in there, though. He opened the door. His parents were posed on the top of their desk, singing their lungs out:
"...Surrender now or prepare to Fight!-" The music blasted Jacen's ears, and when they saw him enter, they fell off and James quickly turned the music off.
"Jacen, dear... JUST WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" his mother roared.
"Sorry, it's just that... Well, you see... Jannie needs some more face cleaner... and I was wondering..."
"Sure son, we're loaded with money!" James dug in his coat pocket for some spare cash. Jessie smacked him on the head.
"Now son, we're not made of money,"
"So what are we made of?" James chimed in.
"BE QUIET!!-Honey," she gave James a pat on the head. She then turned back to Jacen, "But, since it's for a good cause, here's 10 dollars. And bring me back the CHANGE this time!" she said reaching into James' pocket and pulling out a crisp 10 dollar bill.
He took it and stuffed it in his pocket, "Thanks, Mom, Dad."
"Take care dear, and bring the change back soon!" she called as he left. James turned the music back on as he shut the door. After all, what would the staff think if they saw their managers doing such stunts? Luckily for them, he thought, that room is soundproof. He exited through the front door this time and started down the road towards the convenience store.
"Not again!" Jannie squealed as she thrust the bottle of face cleaner at the floor. She stared into the mirror, "I can't believe I have another one! I just got rid of the last one!" In vain, she tried to pop the large zit on her cheek. Maybe she could cover it in eyeliner and call it a beauty mark? No, she had tried that before.
"JACCCCCCEEEEEEENNNNN! Get in here! I need someone to yell at!" she whined, playing with her long, purple hair. She twisted a handful of strands around her pinky finger. She hoped she wouldn't have to wait much longer. Her brother was such a dork. It was a wonder she bothered keeping him around at all.
Jacen scrambled down the hallway. He almost tripped into the bathroom. He caught himself on the door frame, barely able to catch his breath, "What is it, Jannie?"
Her eyebrows arched sharply and she began to chatter like an angry Rattata,"This face cleaner you bought me is USELESS! Just look! Just look at my perfect face, RUINED!!!" she sobbed and bent her head over the sink. She began to sniffle and wail.
Oh great, now she was going to throw a fit! He attempted to gently console her, putting a hand on her shoulder, "It's alright! It's not that bad, Jannie. In fact, I think those are-"
"I KNOW WHAT THEY ARE!" she roared loudly, knocking Jacen out of the bathroom, "Now go get me some different stuff. And this time... GET SOMETHING THAT WORKS, NITWIT!"
"But I just went out this morn-"
"I DON'T CARE!" she interrupted him, yelling in his face. She took a breath and straightened up, "Now, Jacen, don't you want me to look my best?" she asked semi-sweetly, batting her heavily mascared eyelashes.
"Yes, but I-I-"
"Ooooh! You make me so mad! If you don't do what I ask, then I tell Mommy!" she pointed her finger at him menacingly.
His skin paled. That's all he needed, Jannie tattling on him again... again, "Alright...you win. I'll be right back," He sighed and ran his fingers vigorously through his flame-colored, hair as he headed down the hallway. He could her Jannie giggling to herself in the bathroom.
He wasn't sure what to do. It certainly wasn't the first time, his twin sister had bossed him about like her own personal slave. And it also wasn't the first time she had threatened to tell on him. He knew if she did, his parents would side with her so-sweet-it's-sick attitude. Sure, they loved him, but he couldn't stand another minute in that house!
His mind drew up a plan. Why not run away? After all, he has his own Pokémon license, and he's a hard worker! He could find a job somewhere and make some money to travel. Anything to get away from Jannie and her sibling slavery.
Still, he would miss his parents and having his room, and what would he do once he got out? He wasn't really interested in going anyplace, or becoming a 'Pokémon Master'.
No, this plan would be too risky. He would just see if he could last out the tormenting and teasing a little longer. Perhaps next time. Some time in the future maybe. He sighed, he hated the thought of an ancient, but still angry Jannie beating him with a cane. How much longer could it go on?
With this in mind, he glumly walked down the stairs and entered in the back of his family's restaurant, "THE ROCKET RESTAURANT- Blast in for a BITE today!" He passed through the kitchen and said hello to all the usual cooks and waiters, smelling all the delicious delights that he passed by. They smiled, wished him a good morning, and quickly went back to work. He finally came to a small back room with a gold plate that read:
James & Jessie McScanty
The Managers (and Owners!)
He knocked three times. No answer. He knew that they were in there, though. He opened the door. His parents were posed on the top of their desk, singing their lungs out:
"...Surrender now or prepare to Fight!-" The music blasted Jacen's ears, and when they saw him enter, they fell off and James quickly turned the music off.
"Jacen, dear... JUST WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" his mother roared.
"Sorry, it's just that... Well, you see... Jannie needs some more face cleaner... and I was wondering..."
"Sure son, we're loaded with money!" James dug in his coat pocket for some spare cash. Jessie smacked him on the head.
"Now son, we're not made of money,"
"So what are we made of?" James chimed in.
"BE QUIET!!-Honey," she gave James a pat on the head. She then turned back to Jacen, "But, since it's for a good cause, here's 10 dollars. And bring me back the CHANGE this time!" she said reaching into James' pocket and pulling out a crisp 10 dollar bill.
He took it and stuffed it in his pocket, "Thanks, Mom, Dad."
"Take care dear, and bring the change back soon!" she called as he left. James turned the music back on as he shut the door. After all, what would the staff think if they saw their managers doing such stunts? Luckily for them, he thought, that room is soundproof. He exited through the front door this time and started down the road towards the convenience store.