Jack woke up early the next day—he wasn't used to get that much sleep. He realized that he still had a whole 2 hours until he needed to start work, so he figured that a quick stroll around town couldn't hurt him. Jack thought about all the places he could go, and then it hit me. The Beach. He had never been there, except for that first day he had come to Mineral Town. "I could use a walk on the beach" Jack thought to himself.
Jack walked to the beach, took off his shoes, and felt the sand rise between his toes. Within moments, he soon realized that he was not alone on that brisk summer morning. She was there. But something wasn't right. Karen always seemed like the upbeat type of person to Jack, but he soon saw a side of Karen that he'd never seen before. Karen was curled up on the beach, her feet buried beneath the cold sand. She sat there, starring at the city far away. But within those wandering eyes, were tears. She kept trying to brush them away, but they kept coming. Jack didn't want to invade Karen's personal life, but she looked really distraught. He slowly crept towards her, trying not to make too much noise. She still didn't know he was there. "I-Is" Jack then cleared his throat to get rid of the mucus still bunched up from his sleep. "Is everything alright, Karen?" She quickly turned around, gasped, then turned back towards the ocean and tried to hide her tears.
"I'm fine! Everything's wonderful. You got you're news update, so you can go back and milk those cows of yours now."
Jack obviously knew that he was welcome there at the present moment, and he didn't feel like upsetting her anymore. He wanted to get to know Karen's real side, the one hidden beneath that mask of hers. She was so interesting, so peculiar to Jack. He just stared there for a few moments, admiring what was sitting before him. "Before I leave, I thought you should know" Jack had added. Karen then turned around to see what Jack wanted to say. "I can't help but smile whenever I'm around you or think of you." Jack gave a little grin. "Have a nice day, Karen." He then turned away, put on his shoes, and walked back to his farm. Karen turned back to the deep blue sea, brushed away her tears, and smiled.
Jack walked back to his farm, a little bit happier than from when he left. He continued his daily farm chores for the next few weeks, each with no sign of Ben's family. He and Ben drew closer and closer together, while Karen and him we starting to have normal conversations. Things started to be looking on the bright side for Jack.
Jack was then walking to the woods one day, to pick some grapes for Karen. He could here some laughing and talking from afar, so he decided to go and see who it was. He crept up, so that they wouldn't know he was there. And before his very eyes was Karen. But she wasn't alone. Oh no, she was with someone, and that someone wasn't Ann. Holding Karen in his arms was the one, the only, Rick. He kept whispering things into her ear, then kissing her neck. It sickened Jack to see this happen. The two then stopped talking. Rick then moved in towards Karen and kissed her. Jack felt his heart sank. He dropped his grapes and walked away.
"I thought she liked me" Jack had said to Ben. "Things were starting to go along good between us. I wouldn't stutter and she wouldn't yell at me." Ben just sat there, with his head tilted a little to the side, as if he was trying to comprehend what Jack was saying to him. Jack laughed, realizing that he shouldn't spill his girl troubles on a six year old. He rubbed Ben's head and said, "I bet you just can't wait until you get a girlfriend." Ben smiled.
Jack sighed. Karen seemed like the only person in the town who seemed to understand him. It looked like she wasn't interested in him though. She was interested in Rick.
Jack looked around his home. He then turned to see Ben sitting on his bed. Ben then said, "Mr. Jack?"
"Yes Ben?" Jack responded.
"Are you my new dad?" Ben asked curiously.
Jack didn't know what to say. He hadn't heard anything about Ben's parents. He had asked everyone in town and no one had heard of them. Jack then went to sit next to Ben on the bed. He wrapped his arm around him and said, "Do you want me to be your new dad?"
Ben smiled and replied, "Yes! I like you, Mr. Jack." He then hugged Jack.
Jack grinned. "I like you too, Ben. I like you too..." He didn't know if he could really be Ben's new father. He didn't think the town handled situations like this. He realized that he was going to have to go to the city if he was going to make it legal. But first, Jack had to think it over. Taking upon a child was a big responsibility. Jack too was a child, only 16 years old. Was he ready for something this big? He would lose some of the privileges of being young. Was Ben this important enough to him? Could this child in his life help form the life of his own?
Jack walked to the beach, took off his shoes, and felt the sand rise between his toes. Within moments, he soon realized that he was not alone on that brisk summer morning. She was there. But something wasn't right. Karen always seemed like the upbeat type of person to Jack, but he soon saw a side of Karen that he'd never seen before. Karen was curled up on the beach, her feet buried beneath the cold sand. She sat there, starring at the city far away. But within those wandering eyes, were tears. She kept trying to brush them away, but they kept coming. Jack didn't want to invade Karen's personal life, but she looked really distraught. He slowly crept towards her, trying not to make too much noise. She still didn't know he was there. "I-Is" Jack then cleared his throat to get rid of the mucus still bunched up from his sleep. "Is everything alright, Karen?" She quickly turned around, gasped, then turned back towards the ocean and tried to hide her tears.
"I'm fine! Everything's wonderful. You got you're news update, so you can go back and milk those cows of yours now."
Jack obviously knew that he was welcome there at the present moment, and he didn't feel like upsetting her anymore. He wanted to get to know Karen's real side, the one hidden beneath that mask of hers. She was so interesting, so peculiar to Jack. He just stared there for a few moments, admiring what was sitting before him. "Before I leave, I thought you should know" Jack had added. Karen then turned around to see what Jack wanted to say. "I can't help but smile whenever I'm around you or think of you." Jack gave a little grin. "Have a nice day, Karen." He then turned away, put on his shoes, and walked back to his farm. Karen turned back to the deep blue sea, brushed away her tears, and smiled.
Jack walked back to his farm, a little bit happier than from when he left. He continued his daily farm chores for the next few weeks, each with no sign of Ben's family. He and Ben drew closer and closer together, while Karen and him we starting to have normal conversations. Things started to be looking on the bright side for Jack.
Jack was then walking to the woods one day, to pick some grapes for Karen. He could here some laughing and talking from afar, so he decided to go and see who it was. He crept up, so that they wouldn't know he was there. And before his very eyes was Karen. But she wasn't alone. Oh no, she was with someone, and that someone wasn't Ann. Holding Karen in his arms was the one, the only, Rick. He kept whispering things into her ear, then kissing her neck. It sickened Jack to see this happen. The two then stopped talking. Rick then moved in towards Karen and kissed her. Jack felt his heart sank. He dropped his grapes and walked away.
"I thought she liked me" Jack had said to Ben. "Things were starting to go along good between us. I wouldn't stutter and she wouldn't yell at me." Ben just sat there, with his head tilted a little to the side, as if he was trying to comprehend what Jack was saying to him. Jack laughed, realizing that he shouldn't spill his girl troubles on a six year old. He rubbed Ben's head and said, "I bet you just can't wait until you get a girlfriend." Ben smiled.
Jack sighed. Karen seemed like the only person in the town who seemed to understand him. It looked like she wasn't interested in him though. She was interested in Rick.
Jack looked around his home. He then turned to see Ben sitting on his bed. Ben then said, "Mr. Jack?"
"Yes Ben?" Jack responded.
"Are you my new dad?" Ben asked curiously.
Jack didn't know what to say. He hadn't heard anything about Ben's parents. He had asked everyone in town and no one had heard of them. Jack then went to sit next to Ben on the bed. He wrapped his arm around him and said, "Do you want me to be your new dad?"
Ben smiled and replied, "Yes! I like you, Mr. Jack." He then hugged Jack.
Jack grinned. "I like you too, Ben. I like you too..." He didn't know if he could really be Ben's new father. He didn't think the town handled situations like this. He realized that he was going to have to go to the city if he was going to make it legal. But first, Jack had to think it over. Taking upon a child was a big responsibility. Jack too was a child, only 16 years old. Was he ready for something this big? He would lose some of the privileges of being young. Was Ben this important enough to him? Could this child in his life help form the life of his own?