Author's note: Ok, I know the last chapter was so short it was sad. But I
promise you, this one will be longer! I had a lot of homework to do , plus
I had swim practice AND I had to baby-sit. But I'm back and here is chapter
2. Ok, here we go.
Chapter 2:
Emma paced around her room after school that day, with Toby, Manny, and Sean watching her every move tensely. They had been trying to figure out what had happened to J.T. ever since he got up and ran away from them at lunch when Emma asked him what was wrong. Sean sat with his hands resting on his knees, bent over trying to put together some clues.
"Ok, let's see here." He began still working out some details. "J.T. runs away from us every time we come near him, he hasn't cracked any jokes in the past two days, and he refuses to tell anyone what is wrong. Did I miss anything?"
At that moment, Toby spoke up. "When he came by my house the other day, he asked what time it was. I told him it was 7:00 and he literally jumped out of his chair in my kitchen and ran out the door mumbling "He's gonna kill me."" As he said those last words, Emma's eyes grew wide. She quickly ran outside and down the street to J.T.'s house.
When she got there, she pounded on the door. The door opened, revealing J.T's father. "Hi, Emma. How are you today?" A couple of minutes ago, Emma would have believed Mr. Yorke's charade, but she had a feeling she knew what J.T.'s secret was. She had to answer, to make sure he didn't know she knew what was going on.
"Hi, Mr. Yorke. Uh, is J.T. home?" she plastered a smile to her face, as hard as it was.
"Uh, I think he went down to the river about an hour ago." He smiled. "You should check there." Emma grew scared. Why would J.T. be down there? Did Mr. Yorke do something to him? Was he ok? All of these thoughts went through Emma's mind at the same time.
"Uh, um, thanks." She said, and off she went.
As she ran, it began to rain. It started as a light drizzle, but as she neared the river, they rain became heavier and it became harder to see. She searched frantically around . She ran across the bridge to the other side. She was about to give up when she was able to make out a figure sitting on the bench a couple of yards away from her.
"J.T? Is that you?" she asked as she walked closer to the bench. As she moved in closer, she realized it was him. She sat down next to him. He was shivering. Drops of water dripped down the tip of his nose and fingers. She looked at him with worry. He looked away.
"J.T, I'm your friend, you can talk to me! We've been friends for like- 5 years." There was an awkward moment of silence. She couldn't help what happened next. She just kind of blurted it out. "It's your father, isn't it?" She said, looking into his eyes that had turned to her was she stated those last words. He nodded, still shivering. "Come on, you should go home before you get sick. We'll talk more there." She began to get up, and noticed J.T. did not have an interest in moving from the bench. She sat down again.
"I can't go home." He stated flatly.
"Why not?" she couldn't help but ask.
"My dad- My dad is an- alcoholic." Emma looked at him with obvious sympathy.
"What does he do to you?" By now, she became oddly nervous and started fiddling with her fingers.
"Just- stuff." J.T. looked away. "He hits me sometimes. He says he has a dud for a child, and he wishes I was never born. He says he had always wanted anything BUT me. And after my mom and he got divorced, and she moved to New York, well," He didn't think he had to finish in order for Emma to get the picture.
"We need to tell someone. Maybe my mom and Mr. Simpson can help-"
"No." J.T. cut in. "You can't even tell Manny about this. Promise me you won't tell anyone." He said, looking her square in the eye. As much as she didn't want to do this, she agreed.
"J.T?" she asked, nervously.
"What?" he asked looking at the ground.
"I love you."
OOOH! CLIFFIE! Lol. Sorry, but I gtg so review and I'll keep writing! TTFN!
Chapter 2:
Emma paced around her room after school that day, with Toby, Manny, and Sean watching her every move tensely. They had been trying to figure out what had happened to J.T. ever since he got up and ran away from them at lunch when Emma asked him what was wrong. Sean sat with his hands resting on his knees, bent over trying to put together some clues.
"Ok, let's see here." He began still working out some details. "J.T. runs away from us every time we come near him, he hasn't cracked any jokes in the past two days, and he refuses to tell anyone what is wrong. Did I miss anything?"
At that moment, Toby spoke up. "When he came by my house the other day, he asked what time it was. I told him it was 7:00 and he literally jumped out of his chair in my kitchen and ran out the door mumbling "He's gonna kill me."" As he said those last words, Emma's eyes grew wide. She quickly ran outside and down the street to J.T.'s house.
When she got there, she pounded on the door. The door opened, revealing J.T's father. "Hi, Emma. How are you today?" A couple of minutes ago, Emma would have believed Mr. Yorke's charade, but she had a feeling she knew what J.T.'s secret was. She had to answer, to make sure he didn't know she knew what was going on.
"Hi, Mr. Yorke. Uh, is J.T. home?" she plastered a smile to her face, as hard as it was.
"Uh, I think he went down to the river about an hour ago." He smiled. "You should check there." Emma grew scared. Why would J.T. be down there? Did Mr. Yorke do something to him? Was he ok? All of these thoughts went through Emma's mind at the same time.
"Uh, um, thanks." She said, and off she went.
As she ran, it began to rain. It started as a light drizzle, but as she neared the river, they rain became heavier and it became harder to see. She searched frantically around . She ran across the bridge to the other side. She was about to give up when she was able to make out a figure sitting on the bench a couple of yards away from her.
"J.T? Is that you?" she asked as she walked closer to the bench. As she moved in closer, she realized it was him. She sat down next to him. He was shivering. Drops of water dripped down the tip of his nose and fingers. She looked at him with worry. He looked away.
"J.T, I'm your friend, you can talk to me! We've been friends for like- 5 years." There was an awkward moment of silence. She couldn't help what happened next. She just kind of blurted it out. "It's your father, isn't it?" She said, looking into his eyes that had turned to her was she stated those last words. He nodded, still shivering. "Come on, you should go home before you get sick. We'll talk more there." She began to get up, and noticed J.T. did not have an interest in moving from the bench. She sat down again.
"I can't go home." He stated flatly.
"Why not?" she couldn't help but ask.
"My dad- My dad is an- alcoholic." Emma looked at him with obvious sympathy.
"What does he do to you?" By now, she became oddly nervous and started fiddling with her fingers.
"Just- stuff." J.T. looked away. "He hits me sometimes. He says he has a dud for a child, and he wishes I was never born. He says he had always wanted anything BUT me. And after my mom and he got divorced, and she moved to New York, well," He didn't think he had to finish in order for Emma to get the picture.
"We need to tell someone. Maybe my mom and Mr. Simpson can help-"
"No." J.T. cut in. "You can't even tell Manny about this. Promise me you won't tell anyone." He said, looking her square in the eye. As much as she didn't want to do this, she agreed.
"J.T?" she asked, nervously.
"What?" he asked looking at the ground.
"I love you."
OOOH! CLIFFIE! Lol. Sorry, but I gtg so review and I'll keep writing! TTFN!
