Chapter 5
Rage or Lust?
The next day as Jack finally got out of bed he looked around, glass was shattered everywhere.
What had he smashed?
He looked on his dresser to see the picture of Hailey that he had kept, missing.
He found the frame on the floor.
The front of it was missing.
That was what the glass was from.
He finally found the picture and looked at Hailey's smiling face.
He was so confused.
But he knew he couldn't go back.
He tore up his last remembrance of her, and dropped it on the ground.
He didn't know why but he was in a state of rage.
He needed to cool down, but the only thing that would comfort him now was.
No, he couldn't.
Then again, maybe he could.
He picked up Kevin and set him down hard as he stepped outside, on the way to the ranch.
When he finally got to the ranch he saw just who he didn't want to see.
Cliff.
He had wanted to talk to Ann alone about what he was going to attempt but that didn't look like it was going to happen anytime soon.
He turned on his heel and headed towards the village.
When he got there he thought of going to the bakery.
Maybe eating something first would calm him a little.
He hadn't eaten anything in the past two days.
He decided against it and went to where he had come into town to go.
As he stepped in the Flower Shop, he looked around.
Popuri wasn't there.
He went up to Lillia.
"Hey uh. is Popuri around?"
She nodded.
"She's in her room. She'll be glad to know you're here, you're all she's talked about since last night."
Jack gave a slight laugh.
"Thanks."
He went over to Popuri's room and knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Came a call from the inside.
"It's Jack!"
Suddenly, Popuri rushed up and opened the door.
"Hey Popuri!"
He handed her a flower that he had with him for some reason.
"Hey Jack! Oh, thanks for the flower! Come in, come in!"
He stepped into Popuri's room.
It was mostly pink and it had flowers painted all over the walls.
Not what he would have chosen, but it was good for her personality.
"So um, what did you think of last night?"
He asked conversationally before her asked her what he really wanted to know.
"Oh, the mountain part was crap, but once we got back here it was great!"
He laughed a little, closing the door behind him.
Popuri looked up at him, searching his eyes, trying to read his expression before she said,
"You should lock it too. I know what you want ya big goof."
"Oh great, am I really that predictable? Two girls can figure me out from my expressions!" he thought to himself.
Then he just stood there, not sure what to say next.
Luckily she said something.
"Come on!" She beckoned to him, as she slipped under the covers of her bed.
Jack threw his shoes off, and jumped in after her.
About an hour later Popuri and Jack were walking out of the shop together.
"So, I'll see you at my house at 7:00 then, Ok?"
She nodded vigorously.
"Definitely!" She responded.
Jack ran his hands through his hair one last time before replacing his hat.
He was glad Popuri had the same take on relationships as him.
She reminded him of Hailey though.
Jack sighed in frustration.
No matter what he did to try and forget about her, he couldn't stop thinking about her.
Maybe things would be different after tonight.
Maybe being with Popuri would make him forget about Hailey.or maybe it would make him remember her even more.
He decided to stop living in the past though, and quickly ran home to start making preparations for that night.
As Jack sat at his small table, now having a few candles on it, he was reminded of his second day with Hailey.
It was exactly like this one was.
He sighed remembering it fondly.
"I wonder how Hailey is doing?" he thought to himself.
He had told her that he might come back someday but now he knew, that just wouldn't be true.
He already had a life here.
Then he was reminded of one time with Hailey, not long before he had left that they were talking about plans of marriage.
The main reason was that Hailey was pregnant with a child.
Jack was to be the father.
But they were so young, him being only just 21, and her being 19 that they knew it just wouldn't be good for either of them.
Even though it pained them both to do so, Hailey had to have abortion of the baby.
He was still upset over it now.
It had been his fault anyway.
~*~Flashback~*~
Jack had just walked out of the door to go find Hailey.
She was late.
They had promised to meet at his house at 8:30 to go into the forest, their favorite place to have time to themselves.
There was a small clearing there that they had found a few months ago and said they would meet there every Thursday night.
Then as he was going to her block, he saw her rounding the corner.
She was biting her lower lip, a sign that she was upset.
Jack ran up and embraced her.
"What's wrong Hailey?"
"I went to the doctor's earlier, because I didn't feel well at all, my stomach hurt so badly that I thought that there must have been something wrong."
"Well, what was it?"
At that point she basically collapsed in Jack's arms.
"I'm pregnant, Jack! That's what they told me! I'm only 19; I'm too young to have a baby!"
~*~End Flashback~*~
Jack was jarred out of his memories as he heard Popuri knocking on the door.
"Come innnn!" he said.
She stepped in, giggling.
She had changed out of her regular frilly outfit and into a light blue dress that came down only to right below her knee.
It was dazzling in the candlelight and her pink hair stood out a lot more on the blue surface.
"Wow, you look great Popuri" Said Jack.
He couldn't take his eyes off her.
She giggled.
"Thanks Jack."
Jack had turned all of the lights out so that it was only the candles illuminating the room.
They sat and talked for awhile before Jack got up to get something.
It may have seemed that Jack had spent all day socializing, but he had done some work and saved up enough money and lumber to buy a kitchen.
He walked out and set down a platter that held the most delicious looking meal he had ever seen.
Of course he hadn't made it on his own.
He had some help from Elli and Ann.
But mostly Elli, since Ann didn't know a thing about cooking.
After dinner, Popuri went into the other room to change, Jack stayed in the main room.
Popuri stepped out, giggling.
She had on a pink satin nightgown, and was wearing bunny slippers.
Jack was in a plain white pair of pajamas.
His hat was still on though.
He loved the way Popuri made it so dramatic when she took it off.
This time he got in bed first, and Popuri jumped in, a giggling fit on top of him.
The next morning, Jack awoke before Popuri.
She looked so innocent, sleeping soundly and snuggled up against him.
He felt comforted, somehow.
Maybe his rage wasn't true rage, but lust for what he missed most.
He got out of bed without waking her up, retrieved his hat and his regular clothes and proceeded to change and eat breakfast before Popuri finally began to wake up.
"Hey Popuri."
She stretched and yawned.
"Hey Jack." She was still mostly asleep.
A half hour later after getting changed and eating Jack was finally walking Popuri home. "Well I hope you had fun last night." said Jack as they approached the door to the flower shop.
She beamed at him.
"That was the most fun I've had all of my life!"
(A/N: Must have a boring life 0_o)
She gave him one last kiss good-bye and walked into the shop.
Rage or Lust?
The next day as Jack finally got out of bed he looked around, glass was shattered everywhere.
What had he smashed?
He looked on his dresser to see the picture of Hailey that he had kept, missing.
He found the frame on the floor.
The front of it was missing.
That was what the glass was from.
He finally found the picture and looked at Hailey's smiling face.
He was so confused.
But he knew he couldn't go back.
He tore up his last remembrance of her, and dropped it on the ground.
He didn't know why but he was in a state of rage.
He needed to cool down, but the only thing that would comfort him now was.
No, he couldn't.
Then again, maybe he could.
He picked up Kevin and set him down hard as he stepped outside, on the way to the ranch.
When he finally got to the ranch he saw just who he didn't want to see.
Cliff.
He had wanted to talk to Ann alone about what he was going to attempt but that didn't look like it was going to happen anytime soon.
He turned on his heel and headed towards the village.
When he got there he thought of going to the bakery.
Maybe eating something first would calm him a little.
He hadn't eaten anything in the past two days.
He decided against it and went to where he had come into town to go.
As he stepped in the Flower Shop, he looked around.
Popuri wasn't there.
He went up to Lillia.
"Hey uh. is Popuri around?"
She nodded.
"She's in her room. She'll be glad to know you're here, you're all she's talked about since last night."
Jack gave a slight laugh.
"Thanks."
He went over to Popuri's room and knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Came a call from the inside.
"It's Jack!"
Suddenly, Popuri rushed up and opened the door.
"Hey Popuri!"
He handed her a flower that he had with him for some reason.
"Hey Jack! Oh, thanks for the flower! Come in, come in!"
He stepped into Popuri's room.
It was mostly pink and it had flowers painted all over the walls.
Not what he would have chosen, but it was good for her personality.
"So um, what did you think of last night?"
He asked conversationally before her asked her what he really wanted to know.
"Oh, the mountain part was crap, but once we got back here it was great!"
He laughed a little, closing the door behind him.
Popuri looked up at him, searching his eyes, trying to read his expression before she said,
"You should lock it too. I know what you want ya big goof."
"Oh great, am I really that predictable? Two girls can figure me out from my expressions!" he thought to himself.
Then he just stood there, not sure what to say next.
Luckily she said something.
"Come on!" She beckoned to him, as she slipped under the covers of her bed.
Jack threw his shoes off, and jumped in after her.
About an hour later Popuri and Jack were walking out of the shop together.
"So, I'll see you at my house at 7:00 then, Ok?"
She nodded vigorously.
"Definitely!" She responded.
Jack ran his hands through his hair one last time before replacing his hat.
He was glad Popuri had the same take on relationships as him.
She reminded him of Hailey though.
Jack sighed in frustration.
No matter what he did to try and forget about her, he couldn't stop thinking about her.
Maybe things would be different after tonight.
Maybe being with Popuri would make him forget about Hailey.or maybe it would make him remember her even more.
He decided to stop living in the past though, and quickly ran home to start making preparations for that night.
As Jack sat at his small table, now having a few candles on it, he was reminded of his second day with Hailey.
It was exactly like this one was.
He sighed remembering it fondly.
"I wonder how Hailey is doing?" he thought to himself.
He had told her that he might come back someday but now he knew, that just wouldn't be true.
He already had a life here.
Then he was reminded of one time with Hailey, not long before he had left that they were talking about plans of marriage.
The main reason was that Hailey was pregnant with a child.
Jack was to be the father.
But they were so young, him being only just 21, and her being 19 that they knew it just wouldn't be good for either of them.
Even though it pained them both to do so, Hailey had to have abortion of the baby.
He was still upset over it now.
It had been his fault anyway.
~*~Flashback~*~
Jack had just walked out of the door to go find Hailey.
She was late.
They had promised to meet at his house at 8:30 to go into the forest, their favorite place to have time to themselves.
There was a small clearing there that they had found a few months ago and said they would meet there every Thursday night.
Then as he was going to her block, he saw her rounding the corner.
She was biting her lower lip, a sign that she was upset.
Jack ran up and embraced her.
"What's wrong Hailey?"
"I went to the doctor's earlier, because I didn't feel well at all, my stomach hurt so badly that I thought that there must have been something wrong."
"Well, what was it?"
At that point she basically collapsed in Jack's arms.
"I'm pregnant, Jack! That's what they told me! I'm only 19; I'm too young to have a baby!"
~*~End Flashback~*~
Jack was jarred out of his memories as he heard Popuri knocking on the door.
"Come innnn!" he said.
She stepped in, giggling.
She had changed out of her regular frilly outfit and into a light blue dress that came down only to right below her knee.
It was dazzling in the candlelight and her pink hair stood out a lot more on the blue surface.
"Wow, you look great Popuri" Said Jack.
He couldn't take his eyes off her.
She giggled.
"Thanks Jack."
Jack had turned all of the lights out so that it was only the candles illuminating the room.
They sat and talked for awhile before Jack got up to get something.
It may have seemed that Jack had spent all day socializing, but he had done some work and saved up enough money and lumber to buy a kitchen.
He walked out and set down a platter that held the most delicious looking meal he had ever seen.
Of course he hadn't made it on his own.
He had some help from Elli and Ann.
But mostly Elli, since Ann didn't know a thing about cooking.
After dinner, Popuri went into the other room to change, Jack stayed in the main room.
Popuri stepped out, giggling.
She had on a pink satin nightgown, and was wearing bunny slippers.
Jack was in a plain white pair of pajamas.
His hat was still on though.
He loved the way Popuri made it so dramatic when she took it off.
This time he got in bed first, and Popuri jumped in, a giggling fit on top of him.
The next morning, Jack awoke before Popuri.
She looked so innocent, sleeping soundly and snuggled up against him.
He felt comforted, somehow.
Maybe his rage wasn't true rage, but lust for what he missed most.
He got out of bed without waking her up, retrieved his hat and his regular clothes and proceeded to change and eat breakfast before Popuri finally began to wake up.
"Hey Popuri."
She stretched and yawned.
"Hey Jack." She was still mostly asleep.
A half hour later after getting changed and eating Jack was finally walking Popuri home. "Well I hope you had fun last night." said Jack as they approached the door to the flower shop.
She beamed at him.
"That was the most fun I've had all of my life!"
(A/N: Must have a boring life 0_o)
She gave him one last kiss good-bye and walked into the shop.