Part 7: Aftermath
Jack stood in a sea of shattered glass and water as he gripped the cordless phone, still to his ear, but the mouthpiece was down toward his shoulder.
"Who's there?" he called out.
"This isn't a joke, McPhee," it was the harsh voice on the other end of the line again. "There isn't going to be a witty punch-line. But I'm going to get a big laugh out of making you suffer."
"What? Why?"
"Like you don't already know."
Jack pressed the button to hang up the phone and quickly keyed in a new number. It only rang twice before it was picked up.
"Hello?" said the familiar voice on the other end.
"Doug? It's Jack. There's someone outside the house."
Doug sensed the urgency in Jack's voice, "Stay inside, Jack. I'm on my way."
Doug hung up and Jack just stood listening to the dial tone for a second.
Then he placed the phone back on the stand. As soon as he let go and turned away it rang again.
"Hello," he said his eyes closed as he lent against the work surface for support. He already knew who he'd hear on the other end.
"That wasn't very polite now was it, McPhee? Hanging up on me when I was trying to talk to you."
"And telling me how you're going to make me suffer? I guess that's the height of phone call etiquette?" Jack tried to stall while Doug was on his way.
"Now now, McPhee, don't be facetious!"
"Let me guess, not polite either?"
"There you go again! But never mind; let's not stray from the point. Who was that on the phone, McPhee? Who did you call?"
"Nah, I was just ordering a pizza," Jack said, still stalling. "If you're planning on talking to me much longer I'm going to need something to eat!"
Jack had been slowly making his way toward the front door while talking to whoever was on the phone and was now reaching for the lock. There was a click as the bolt slid into place.
"I heard that, McPhee! But don't worry; I'm not there anymore. Boo!" The back door started to shake as someone thudded out more rhythmic knocks.
Jack ran back through the house, the noise had stopped by the time he reached the door but he locked that door too. Then he heard a sound but he wasn't sure what it was or where it was coming from at first. Then he looked down to the phone now at his side. He put the phone back up to his ear and heard laughter.
"What's so funny?" Jack interrupted. "I've locked both doors, you can't get in; I'm safe!"
"Really? These doors don't look that strong, you know! I'm sure they'll give eventually."
Jack wondered what he was talking about, and then it dawned on him.
There was a loud thud as someone threw their full weight against the door. Then another as the same happened to the front door behind him. He spun around. Then both doors thudded together and then someone started battering the kitchen windows with their fists. Jack ducked into the hall, staying low, trying not to be seen from the outside. The person on the end of the phone was taking obvious enjoyment out of this, they were laughing so hard he could hear them clearly without needing to use the phone. Jack didn't know how long he sat there in the hall waiting for Doug to arrive. The defeatist in him wondered if he would even make it in time, if one of the doors or a window might not survive the beating long enough.
But then he heard the sound of an engine pulling up outside and raised voices calling for people to stop. Jack peered through the front window and realised he'd been mistaken; there had been more than one engine. He watched as Doug and two other cops drag Stuart Mills and three other members of the baseball team into squad cars.
Doug waved the other cops off, and only after he'd walked up to the front door did Jack dare to unlock and open the door.
"Are you okay?" Doug asked as soon as the door was shut behind him. Jack could only nod feebly, staring blankly.
Doug knew he was either lying or still in shock. "Why don't you go sit down while I make you a cup of tea?"
"Okay," Jack said mere moments before he fell backward to the wall and slid to the floor where he started to sob.
*****
Jack sat on the sofa feeling the heat of the mug in his hands. Doug was sitting next to him and Jack could tell he'd be looking right at him but Jack just watched the tea in his hands. Jack had told Doug to leave if he wanted; it was late and he felt sure that Doug should be either out at work or home resting before his next shift. But Doug had stayed, sat with him on the sofa while the tea brewed. Jack knew that it was because tea was good for shock, but it was important to feel like anyone cared right now; like maybe the whole world wasn't out to screw him over.
Doug had even sat there making gentle comforting noises as Jack cried.
Well, not cried exactly, there hadn't been any tears. He'd just sobbed dryly as Doug had moved him to the lounge and sat him down. When he'd handed Jack the mug Doug had told him that when he'd finished it he'd have to go to the station and make a statement.
Now they just sat there in silence, neither saying a word, Jack taking occasional sips of the slowly cooling tea.
*****
Andie got home from Jen's place to find the house empty. She called out to Jack but got no answer. She ran round the whole house trying to find her brother. As soon as she entered the kitchen she could tell something was wrong, the display on the answering machine was flashing, wouldn't Jack have checked and deleted any messages when he got home?
As she walked over to listen to the messages something crunched under her sneakers. She picked up her foot and looked down to see a shattered piece of glass. The floor looked like it was wet so she gingerly reached down and wiped her fingertips around and found that the floor was slightly damp. Then she nicked her finger on another piece of glass and withdrew her hand sharply, ignoring the temptation to put it in her mouth. She ran the cut under the tap, when it stopped bleeding she dried off with a sheet of the nearby paper towel. She scrunched the towel up and then made to throw it in the bin but hesitated when she saw the glass in the bin.
Why it hadn't occurred to her before she didn't know, but it was obvious that the glass on the floor hadn't gotten there by itself. She threw the towel inside the bin and then headed over to the answering machine to see if she could learn anything about her brother's from the messages left on it. She was just about to push the 'play' button when the front door opened behind her. She spun around to see Doug and Jack come in.
She ran down the hallway and called out to her brother, "Jack? Jack? What happened?"
He wouldn't look her in the eye but Andie could see that his eyes were red and slightly puffy; he'd been crying but didn't want her to know.
"Jack, what's wrong?"
"They were here, Andie."
Andie put both her hands on Jacks shoulders to make him look at her,
"What? Who was here? What did they do?" The last question was spoken with a ferocity that both men found surprising from Andie McPhee.
Doug spoke up at this point, "I think you should let Jack get some rest, Andie. He's had a long night."
Jack said goodnight to them both and then went up to his room were he lay on his bed, scratching off the Band-Aid on his hand and cried himself to sleep.
*****
The next morning Jack woke up to hear Jen and Andie talking downstairs.
As Jack neared the bottom of the stairs Joey came through the front door and called to the other girls, "What happened? I got your message and came as soon as I -"
Then Joey saw Jack standing on the last step, holding the banister rail so tight his knuckles were turning white. Jen and Andie charged out into the hallway, hand-in-hand.
Joey pulled Jack's hand from the banister and led him after the other two girls into the front room.
Forcing himself not to beaten by tears this time, he told the three girls what had happened the previous night and answered all their questions.
Then Pacey and Dawson both arrived and Jack was forced to relive it once more.
"But the important thing to remember is that they've been arrested now," Joey reminded him. "They'll get what's coming to them, they won't bother you anymore!"
"I'm wish I could be so sure!" Jack replied.
"What do you mean by that?"
"The message on the answering machine said that I'd got the wrong guy."
"That was probably just Stuart getting fired up." Dawson said, reassuringly.
"Even so, on the phone he said he was going to make me suffer!"
"Like we're gonna let him!" Jen put in, obviously failing to hide her anger at what had been done to her best friend.
"Yeah, besides 'Big Brother' is watchin' them now!" Pacey said, forcing Jack to smile, it may have been a feeble one, but a smile all the same.
*****
A few days later things had once again returned to as normal as they were going to get. Jack was trying to not let his evening under siege get him down and, on the most part, it was working. Stuart Mills had been expelled and his accomplices were suspended for two weeks.
It was the first Monday rehearsal and so everyone was feeling a little nervous, on edge and ever so slightly high all at once. So far everyone had their scripts and were going through them, highlighting their lines.
Jack watched as Jen got up and made her way across the auditorium and talked to Joshua. Jack poked Joey, who was seated in the row in front of him, in the shoulder with the lid of his highlighter she looked up at him over her shoulder. He smiled at her and pointed over to Jen and Joshua. She looked over to where he was pointing and looked back and smiled too. Joey and Jack's whispered conversation was interrupted when Jen came back and picked her script back up. "So, what's the conspiracy?"
"What conspiracy?" Joey said, smiling with fake innocence.
"No conspiracy here!" said Jack.
"Well, okay then." Jen said, suspiciously.
"But, just out of interest, what's happening between you and Joshua?"
"Nothing, I was making sure he was settling in alright."
"Oh, okay then." Joey said, winking at Jack, who grinned back at her. "So how is he doing?"
"Fine, he says he's doing okay in his classes and he's playing puck in [the] play."
"That's good to know!" said Jack, amazed that Jen hadn't noticed that they were so obviously making fun of her.
"And here comes the other mischievous little imp in our lives!" Joey said, announcing the arrival of Pacey, who plopped himself down in the seat next to her.
"Hello to all of you too!"
"Oh and we're having a party tonight!" Jen announced.
"We are?" Pacey questioned. "Since when?"
"Since I told Joshua that the six of us were having a minor party to celebrate us all making it into the play and that he was invited!"
"Fine as long as it just going to be the seven of us."
"Well Grams is helping at the church rummage sale tonight its at mine and I just needed an excuse to have Joshua round!"
"Well guys at least she's open about it!" Jack said, patting her on the shoulder.
When they started rehearsing they started at the beginning of the play which, while it made sense, was annoying as none of them were in the first scene. So, Joshua came over and sat next to Jen and they all sat and watched, while at the same time having whispered conversations about the party that evening.
To Be Continued...
Jack stood in a sea of shattered glass and water as he gripped the cordless phone, still to his ear, but the mouthpiece was down toward his shoulder.
"Who's there?" he called out.
"This isn't a joke, McPhee," it was the harsh voice on the other end of the line again. "There isn't going to be a witty punch-line. But I'm going to get a big laugh out of making you suffer."
"What? Why?"
"Like you don't already know."
Jack pressed the button to hang up the phone and quickly keyed in a new number. It only rang twice before it was picked up.
"Hello?" said the familiar voice on the other end.
"Doug? It's Jack. There's someone outside the house."
Doug sensed the urgency in Jack's voice, "Stay inside, Jack. I'm on my way."
Doug hung up and Jack just stood listening to the dial tone for a second.
Then he placed the phone back on the stand. As soon as he let go and turned away it rang again.
"Hello," he said his eyes closed as he lent against the work surface for support. He already knew who he'd hear on the other end.
"That wasn't very polite now was it, McPhee? Hanging up on me when I was trying to talk to you."
"And telling me how you're going to make me suffer? I guess that's the height of phone call etiquette?" Jack tried to stall while Doug was on his way.
"Now now, McPhee, don't be facetious!"
"Let me guess, not polite either?"
"There you go again! But never mind; let's not stray from the point. Who was that on the phone, McPhee? Who did you call?"
"Nah, I was just ordering a pizza," Jack said, still stalling. "If you're planning on talking to me much longer I'm going to need something to eat!"
Jack had been slowly making his way toward the front door while talking to whoever was on the phone and was now reaching for the lock. There was a click as the bolt slid into place.
"I heard that, McPhee! But don't worry; I'm not there anymore. Boo!" The back door started to shake as someone thudded out more rhythmic knocks.
Jack ran back through the house, the noise had stopped by the time he reached the door but he locked that door too. Then he heard a sound but he wasn't sure what it was or where it was coming from at first. Then he looked down to the phone now at his side. He put the phone back up to his ear and heard laughter.
"What's so funny?" Jack interrupted. "I've locked both doors, you can't get in; I'm safe!"
"Really? These doors don't look that strong, you know! I'm sure they'll give eventually."
Jack wondered what he was talking about, and then it dawned on him.
There was a loud thud as someone threw their full weight against the door. Then another as the same happened to the front door behind him. He spun around. Then both doors thudded together and then someone started battering the kitchen windows with their fists. Jack ducked into the hall, staying low, trying not to be seen from the outside. The person on the end of the phone was taking obvious enjoyment out of this, they were laughing so hard he could hear them clearly without needing to use the phone. Jack didn't know how long he sat there in the hall waiting for Doug to arrive. The defeatist in him wondered if he would even make it in time, if one of the doors or a window might not survive the beating long enough.
But then he heard the sound of an engine pulling up outside and raised voices calling for people to stop. Jack peered through the front window and realised he'd been mistaken; there had been more than one engine. He watched as Doug and two other cops drag Stuart Mills and three other members of the baseball team into squad cars.
Doug waved the other cops off, and only after he'd walked up to the front door did Jack dare to unlock and open the door.
"Are you okay?" Doug asked as soon as the door was shut behind him. Jack could only nod feebly, staring blankly.
Doug knew he was either lying or still in shock. "Why don't you go sit down while I make you a cup of tea?"
"Okay," Jack said mere moments before he fell backward to the wall and slid to the floor where he started to sob.
*****
Jack sat on the sofa feeling the heat of the mug in his hands. Doug was sitting next to him and Jack could tell he'd be looking right at him but Jack just watched the tea in his hands. Jack had told Doug to leave if he wanted; it was late and he felt sure that Doug should be either out at work or home resting before his next shift. But Doug had stayed, sat with him on the sofa while the tea brewed. Jack knew that it was because tea was good for shock, but it was important to feel like anyone cared right now; like maybe the whole world wasn't out to screw him over.
Doug had even sat there making gentle comforting noises as Jack cried.
Well, not cried exactly, there hadn't been any tears. He'd just sobbed dryly as Doug had moved him to the lounge and sat him down. When he'd handed Jack the mug Doug had told him that when he'd finished it he'd have to go to the station and make a statement.
Now they just sat there in silence, neither saying a word, Jack taking occasional sips of the slowly cooling tea.
*****
Andie got home from Jen's place to find the house empty. She called out to Jack but got no answer. She ran round the whole house trying to find her brother. As soon as she entered the kitchen she could tell something was wrong, the display on the answering machine was flashing, wouldn't Jack have checked and deleted any messages when he got home?
As she walked over to listen to the messages something crunched under her sneakers. She picked up her foot and looked down to see a shattered piece of glass. The floor looked like it was wet so she gingerly reached down and wiped her fingertips around and found that the floor was slightly damp. Then she nicked her finger on another piece of glass and withdrew her hand sharply, ignoring the temptation to put it in her mouth. She ran the cut under the tap, when it stopped bleeding she dried off with a sheet of the nearby paper towel. She scrunched the towel up and then made to throw it in the bin but hesitated when she saw the glass in the bin.
Why it hadn't occurred to her before she didn't know, but it was obvious that the glass on the floor hadn't gotten there by itself. She threw the towel inside the bin and then headed over to the answering machine to see if she could learn anything about her brother's from the messages left on it. She was just about to push the 'play' button when the front door opened behind her. She spun around to see Doug and Jack come in.
She ran down the hallway and called out to her brother, "Jack? Jack? What happened?"
He wouldn't look her in the eye but Andie could see that his eyes were red and slightly puffy; he'd been crying but didn't want her to know.
"Jack, what's wrong?"
"They were here, Andie."
Andie put both her hands on Jacks shoulders to make him look at her,
"What? Who was here? What did they do?" The last question was spoken with a ferocity that both men found surprising from Andie McPhee.
Doug spoke up at this point, "I think you should let Jack get some rest, Andie. He's had a long night."
Jack said goodnight to them both and then went up to his room were he lay on his bed, scratching off the Band-Aid on his hand and cried himself to sleep.
*****
The next morning Jack woke up to hear Jen and Andie talking downstairs.
As Jack neared the bottom of the stairs Joey came through the front door and called to the other girls, "What happened? I got your message and came as soon as I -"
Then Joey saw Jack standing on the last step, holding the banister rail so tight his knuckles were turning white. Jen and Andie charged out into the hallway, hand-in-hand.
Joey pulled Jack's hand from the banister and led him after the other two girls into the front room.
Forcing himself not to beaten by tears this time, he told the three girls what had happened the previous night and answered all their questions.
Then Pacey and Dawson both arrived and Jack was forced to relive it once more.
"But the important thing to remember is that they've been arrested now," Joey reminded him. "They'll get what's coming to them, they won't bother you anymore!"
"I'm wish I could be so sure!" Jack replied.
"What do you mean by that?"
"The message on the answering machine said that I'd got the wrong guy."
"That was probably just Stuart getting fired up." Dawson said, reassuringly.
"Even so, on the phone he said he was going to make me suffer!"
"Like we're gonna let him!" Jen put in, obviously failing to hide her anger at what had been done to her best friend.
"Yeah, besides 'Big Brother' is watchin' them now!" Pacey said, forcing Jack to smile, it may have been a feeble one, but a smile all the same.
*****
A few days later things had once again returned to as normal as they were going to get. Jack was trying to not let his evening under siege get him down and, on the most part, it was working. Stuart Mills had been expelled and his accomplices were suspended for two weeks.
It was the first Monday rehearsal and so everyone was feeling a little nervous, on edge and ever so slightly high all at once. So far everyone had their scripts and were going through them, highlighting their lines.
Jack watched as Jen got up and made her way across the auditorium and talked to Joshua. Jack poked Joey, who was seated in the row in front of him, in the shoulder with the lid of his highlighter she looked up at him over her shoulder. He smiled at her and pointed over to Jen and Joshua. She looked over to where he was pointing and looked back and smiled too. Joey and Jack's whispered conversation was interrupted when Jen came back and picked her script back up. "So, what's the conspiracy?"
"What conspiracy?" Joey said, smiling with fake innocence.
"No conspiracy here!" said Jack.
"Well, okay then." Jen said, suspiciously.
"But, just out of interest, what's happening between you and Joshua?"
"Nothing, I was making sure he was settling in alright."
"Oh, okay then." Joey said, winking at Jack, who grinned back at her. "So how is he doing?"
"Fine, he says he's doing okay in his classes and he's playing puck in [the] play."
"That's good to know!" said Jack, amazed that Jen hadn't noticed that they were so obviously making fun of her.
"And here comes the other mischievous little imp in our lives!" Joey said, announcing the arrival of Pacey, who plopped himself down in the seat next to her.
"Hello to all of you too!"
"Oh and we're having a party tonight!" Jen announced.
"We are?" Pacey questioned. "Since when?"
"Since I told Joshua that the six of us were having a minor party to celebrate us all making it into the play and that he was invited!"
"Fine as long as it just going to be the seven of us."
"Well Grams is helping at the church rummage sale tonight its at mine and I just needed an excuse to have Joshua round!"
"Well guys at least she's open about it!" Jack said, patting her on the shoulder.
When they started rehearsing they started at the beginning of the play which, while it made sense, was annoying as none of them were in the first scene. So, Joshua came over and sat next to Jen and they all sat and watched, while at the same time having whispered conversations about the party that evening.
To Be Continued...