Part 9: Interlude
After the party had finished, everyone left, leaving Jen and Jack to clean up.
"Why do I let you do this to me?"
"What are you talking about, Jack?"
"Well, it's like we're permanently attached at the hip! Anytime you do something I have to help out!"
"Who're you kidding? You love it!"
Jack did have to admit that he was grateful for a friend with whom he felt so close. "True, but sometimes I think it might be an interesting experiment to test the length of the umbilical cord!" He grinned cheekily at Jen.
"So, you just gonna walk out that front door and leave me to clean up all this mess?" Jen asked, spreading her arms out to gesture at the lounge.
"You were the one who thought that party poppers were going to be a good idea!"
"Shut it. Sweep"
"Since when have I been an annoying yet loveable squeaky gray dog?"
Jen responded by throwing a dustpan and brush at her friend.
"Fine, not funny, I get it."
While they cleaned the two friends listened to the storm that was starting outside as they played 'anywhere but here':
"Okay, I'm in Miami, in South Beach and I'm lying on the sand with hardly anyone else around. I've just walked down from the nearest Starbuck's and I'm still holding about a half a cup of my tall caramel crème Frappuccino with extra whipped cream. It's late in the day and I can just see the bright purple sunset under the brim of my straw sun-hat but its starting to get colder so I pick up all my things and walk to Jerry's to eat.
"A bit later and I'm busy eating my cheesecake when the Maitre-D' walks up and says that they're sorry but they've run out of space and would I mind if they seat someone with me. Of course, I don't mind, I've nearly finished myself, so they seat this guy with me, and its Julian McMahon. So now I definitely don't mind, and we sit there for hours, talking and drinking sodas."
"Wow, Jen, that's impressive. So much better than mine!"
"There was nothing wrong with yours, okay you always say the same thing but there's still nothing wrong with Florence."
"Not just that, you've got such attention for detail! I mean, c'mon, Julian McMahon, and Starbuck's!"
"Well I daydream a lot."
"That explains the faraway look then."
"You bet!"
"I think we're done here." Jack said, putting the last handful of streamers in the bin-bag.
"Yep," Jen said putting a pizza box in before knotting the top of the bag. "Are you sure you want to go home in this?" Jen looked out the window - the rain was coming down hard and fast and lightning flashed outside. She turned back to Jack as the thunder sounded.
"I'll be fine," he pulled on a heavy coat and took a telescopic umbrella out the pocket. "I watch the Weather Channel!"
Jen grinned at her friend and then walked with him to the front door to let him out.
"See you tomorrow," she said as she hugged him.
"Bye," said Jack as the hug ended.
"Bye," Jen called back as she shut the door behind him.
Jen went and sat down on the sofa in the newly cleaned lounge. She turned on the television and waited for Grams to get home.
Jack got home alright, but was soaked through from the knees down. He got a surprise as he looked up when he approached the house. Standing there in front of him was a very wet Joshua. He stood there hugging his arms, soaked through.
"What are you doing here Joshua? Have you had a problem getting home? Actually, why didn't Andie let you in?"
"She doesn't know I'm here, she must have already gotten in when I arrived. Jack, I-"
"Lets get you inside and dry first, okay?"
Joshua nodded, he now stood under Jack's umbrella and a drop of rain water ran from his hair, down his forehead and dropped from his left eyebrow to his cheek, where Joshua unfolded his right arm to wipe it off.
Jack closed the door behind them, took off his coat and folded up the umbrella before turning back to Joshua. "The bathroom's just over there," Jack said pointing to the door in the hall. "If you dry yourself off in there I'll go get you some dry clothes."
"Sure, thanks," Joshua said.
"No problem," Jack replied. "Andie!" He called up the stairs. "I'm home!" He shrugged at Joshua; "She must be asleep already."
As Joshua locked himself in the bathroom Jack ran up to his bedroom, changed his own pants and then grabbed a pair of faded jeans and a long- sleeved gray T-shirt.
Jack came back downstairs and called through the bathroom door; "Joshua, I'm gonna leave the clothes o-"
That was as far as he got because Joshua pushed the door open and said, "that's okay I'm ready for them now, thanks though." Jack couldn't help but sneak a quick look; Joshua just stood there with the towel wrapped round his waist. Jack glanced at Joshua's well-developed biceps and then handed the clothes over. "Here you are."
"Thanks." Joshua shut the door again.
Blushing slightly, Jack called through the door again. "Did you want a hot drink?"
"Please. But what do you have?"
"Coffee, tea, hot chocolate..."
"A hot chocolate would be great, thanks."
"Sure." Jack made his way into the kitchen, blush receding, and he poured milk into two mugs and sat them in the microwave. He put the timer on for two and half minutes and set about getting out spoons and the chocolate powder. Just then Joshua appeared beside Jack.
"Anything I can do to help?"
The microwave went beeped as the timer hit zero. "You can get those out if you want."
Joshua followed Jack into the lounge, both boys stirring their own mug of hot chocolate. When they sat down Jack put his mug down on the table and turned to Joshua, who was gripping his mug for the warmth. "So, Joshua, why were you waiting outside? Did you have a problem getting home?"
"Actually I just wanted to talk to you. There's something I should tell you."
"Really?"
"Well..." Joshua chewed his lip, obviously having trouble trying to think how to put what was bothering him.
"Go on," Jack's brow was furrowed as he tried to work out what was on the other boy's mind.
"You remember the other night? The night when Stuart and the other guys were here?"
"Sure I do," Jack said with twinges of both pain and speculation in his voice; he wasn't likely to forget that evening any time soon but he wondered were Joshua was heading with this.
"I knew it was going to happen, I mean they told me they were going to do it. They wanted me to help."
"But you didn't, so its okay," Jack watched as Joshua fidgeted with his fingers.
Joshua swallowed as he looked up at Jack, eyes and pupils wide and sad. "I was there, Jack."
"What?" Jack exclaimed as he stood up suddenly, a whole medley of emotions playing across his features.
"No not like that, I was trying to stop them. I told they should just leave, that it was stupid. I hate that I didn't get through to them."
Jack's face softened, he perched on the table in front of Joshua. "You shouldn't feel so bad because a couple of idiots didn't listen to you. Don't waste your time on them."
"You don't understand, Jack. It hurts so much because I like you Jack."
To Be Continued...
After the party had finished, everyone left, leaving Jen and Jack to clean up.
"Why do I let you do this to me?"
"What are you talking about, Jack?"
"Well, it's like we're permanently attached at the hip! Anytime you do something I have to help out!"
"Who're you kidding? You love it!"
Jack did have to admit that he was grateful for a friend with whom he felt so close. "True, but sometimes I think it might be an interesting experiment to test the length of the umbilical cord!" He grinned cheekily at Jen.
"So, you just gonna walk out that front door and leave me to clean up all this mess?" Jen asked, spreading her arms out to gesture at the lounge.
"You were the one who thought that party poppers were going to be a good idea!"
"Shut it. Sweep"
"Since when have I been an annoying yet loveable squeaky gray dog?"
Jen responded by throwing a dustpan and brush at her friend.
"Fine, not funny, I get it."
While they cleaned the two friends listened to the storm that was starting outside as they played 'anywhere but here':
"Okay, I'm in Miami, in South Beach and I'm lying on the sand with hardly anyone else around. I've just walked down from the nearest Starbuck's and I'm still holding about a half a cup of my tall caramel crème Frappuccino with extra whipped cream. It's late in the day and I can just see the bright purple sunset under the brim of my straw sun-hat but its starting to get colder so I pick up all my things and walk to Jerry's to eat.
"A bit later and I'm busy eating my cheesecake when the Maitre-D' walks up and says that they're sorry but they've run out of space and would I mind if they seat someone with me. Of course, I don't mind, I've nearly finished myself, so they seat this guy with me, and its Julian McMahon. So now I definitely don't mind, and we sit there for hours, talking and drinking sodas."
"Wow, Jen, that's impressive. So much better than mine!"
"There was nothing wrong with yours, okay you always say the same thing but there's still nothing wrong with Florence."
"Not just that, you've got such attention for detail! I mean, c'mon, Julian McMahon, and Starbuck's!"
"Well I daydream a lot."
"That explains the faraway look then."
"You bet!"
"I think we're done here." Jack said, putting the last handful of streamers in the bin-bag.
"Yep," Jen said putting a pizza box in before knotting the top of the bag. "Are you sure you want to go home in this?" Jen looked out the window - the rain was coming down hard and fast and lightning flashed outside. She turned back to Jack as the thunder sounded.
"I'll be fine," he pulled on a heavy coat and took a telescopic umbrella out the pocket. "I watch the Weather Channel!"
Jen grinned at her friend and then walked with him to the front door to let him out.
"See you tomorrow," she said as she hugged him.
"Bye," said Jack as the hug ended.
"Bye," Jen called back as she shut the door behind him.
Jen went and sat down on the sofa in the newly cleaned lounge. She turned on the television and waited for Grams to get home.
Jack got home alright, but was soaked through from the knees down. He got a surprise as he looked up when he approached the house. Standing there in front of him was a very wet Joshua. He stood there hugging his arms, soaked through.
"What are you doing here Joshua? Have you had a problem getting home? Actually, why didn't Andie let you in?"
"She doesn't know I'm here, she must have already gotten in when I arrived. Jack, I-"
"Lets get you inside and dry first, okay?"
Joshua nodded, he now stood under Jack's umbrella and a drop of rain water ran from his hair, down his forehead and dropped from his left eyebrow to his cheek, where Joshua unfolded his right arm to wipe it off.
Jack closed the door behind them, took off his coat and folded up the umbrella before turning back to Joshua. "The bathroom's just over there," Jack said pointing to the door in the hall. "If you dry yourself off in there I'll go get you some dry clothes."
"Sure, thanks," Joshua said.
"No problem," Jack replied. "Andie!" He called up the stairs. "I'm home!" He shrugged at Joshua; "She must be asleep already."
As Joshua locked himself in the bathroom Jack ran up to his bedroom, changed his own pants and then grabbed a pair of faded jeans and a long- sleeved gray T-shirt.
Jack came back downstairs and called through the bathroom door; "Joshua, I'm gonna leave the clothes o-"
That was as far as he got because Joshua pushed the door open and said, "that's okay I'm ready for them now, thanks though." Jack couldn't help but sneak a quick look; Joshua just stood there with the towel wrapped round his waist. Jack glanced at Joshua's well-developed biceps and then handed the clothes over. "Here you are."
"Thanks." Joshua shut the door again.
Blushing slightly, Jack called through the door again. "Did you want a hot drink?"
"Please. But what do you have?"
"Coffee, tea, hot chocolate..."
"A hot chocolate would be great, thanks."
"Sure." Jack made his way into the kitchen, blush receding, and he poured milk into two mugs and sat them in the microwave. He put the timer on for two and half minutes and set about getting out spoons and the chocolate powder. Just then Joshua appeared beside Jack.
"Anything I can do to help?"
The microwave went beeped as the timer hit zero. "You can get those out if you want."
Joshua followed Jack into the lounge, both boys stirring their own mug of hot chocolate. When they sat down Jack put his mug down on the table and turned to Joshua, who was gripping his mug for the warmth. "So, Joshua, why were you waiting outside? Did you have a problem getting home?"
"Actually I just wanted to talk to you. There's something I should tell you."
"Really?"
"Well..." Joshua chewed his lip, obviously having trouble trying to think how to put what was bothering him.
"Go on," Jack's brow was furrowed as he tried to work out what was on the other boy's mind.
"You remember the other night? The night when Stuart and the other guys were here?"
"Sure I do," Jack said with twinges of both pain and speculation in his voice; he wasn't likely to forget that evening any time soon but he wondered were Joshua was heading with this.
"I knew it was going to happen, I mean they told me they were going to do it. They wanted me to help."
"But you didn't, so its okay," Jack watched as Joshua fidgeted with his fingers.
Joshua swallowed as he looked up at Jack, eyes and pupils wide and sad. "I was there, Jack."
"What?" Jack exclaimed as he stood up suddenly, a whole medley of emotions playing across his features.
"No not like that, I was trying to stop them. I told they should just leave, that it was stupid. I hate that I didn't get through to them."
Jack's face softened, he perched on the table in front of Joshua. "You shouldn't feel so bad because a couple of idiots didn't listen to you. Don't waste your time on them."
"You don't understand, Jack. It hurts so much because I like you Jack."
To Be Continued...