Dream Me Away From That City in Cali

Chapter VIII

Jack had definitely been surprised to find his "body guard" type guys sitting in his living room. They told him to come with them and they piled into their car. Later down town in a building near the police station sat Jack and the two guys in a warm but cold feeling room. They had yet to tell him what was going on, but Jack got the feeling it wasn't going to be good.

"We have reason to believe you might need to be relocated again."

"So I was being followed?" asked Jack staring down at the soda between his hands.

"We're not sure yet," said one of the guys standing near the door.

"So what's going to happen now?" Jack stared at the guy across from him.

"Well, nothing right now, but be ready to move at anytime."

"…..I'm supposed to have a friend over soon, does this mean he can't come over?" asked Jack, already desperately trying to figure out what he could say.

"It might be a better idea to have him over. I mean, really, why do something with a witness?" said the guy across from Jack.

"Sometimes I wonder about my safety," said Jack running his fingers through his hair.

"Have faith kid. In the mean time, have some things packed."

-

Back in an office somewhere in California.

"It's getting closer to the court date and we still don't have the kid. Someone want to tell me what's wrong with this?" the guy turned in his chair.

"He's a lot harder to snag then we thought. We had a guy staking out his house, but he got pulled by a police car."

"Yeah, now you can't go near that neighborhood. Cops are patrolling that entire block."

"I'd like to take a moment and blame the scared old lady next door."

"……This isn't a game and when our boss gets out of jail I'll just let him take a moment to realize what huge idiots you all are," he grabbed a stapler off his desk and threw it at the three men standing in front of him.

"You could hurt someone like that!"

"No really! You've got till Friday to get him. Do you understand me?"

"Yes!" they scattered quickly out of the room.

Maybe if his boss did go to prison he could fire the guys currently working for him.

XXX

School Jack decided, without a class with David, was absolutely boring. Jack did however discover he had a class with Evan. They sat next to each other in their English class. Evan was apparently very good in English so they had both gotten done early. The teacher let them walk outside since they were done, which was nothing new.

Evan had just bought a soda from the machine, "Hey, can I asked you something personal?"

"Absolutely……not," Jack's smile faltered when Evan raised an eyebrow at him, "man I was joking."

"It's about you and David," said Evan walking behind the theater and pulling out a cigarette from his pocket.

"What about you and David, I mean me and Davey?" Jack took out a cigarette as well.

"Well really, what the hell's with you guys?" Evan leaned against the wall.

"I'm not sure what you're talkin' about."

"Look, I may be the only straight one in our group of popular all American rejects, but I'm not completely oblivious," Evan blew out a plume of smoke.

"What're you getting at?"

"It's none of my business, but really, David's a really good friend man."

"And?" Jack pulled the cigarette away from his lips.

"If you hurt him, not only will you answer to me, but also his sister, and Robert and Bryant. Who I'm sure you don't want to deal with."

"Understood," said Jack smiling.

Evan looked over at Jack, "Ok, I have to know. Why in the hell did you go out with Sarah?"

Jack shrugged, "She asked, I was being nice."

"Uh-huh."

"Why did you got out with her then?"

"She had nice-"

"Mr. Manhasset! Please tell me you're not doing what I think you're doing!" yelled a teacher just at the edge of the theater.

"Shit!"

Jack quickly dropped his cigarette on the ground and prepared for a wonderful three days of after school detention.

XXX

He wasn't so sure he should be surprised when he saw Sarah sitting in the detention room. She looked crossed and was attempting to finish up an essay she'd been made to do about why it was wrong to text in class. Both Jack and Evan had been told they needed to write a five paragraph essay about the dangers of smoking and why it was wrong to do it in school. David had stopped by to pick up his sisters car keys so that he could pick up Les after practice.

"Pisst, Davey," Jack motioned for him to come over.

David looked over at the teacher, but he was busy talking to someone on his cell phone, "What?"

"Wanna hang out at the mall later?"

Sarah looked over at them and smiled just as she was turning her head back to her paper she noticed Evan lifting an eyebrow at her. She shrugged and he just went back to his essay. All anyone ever wrote was what the teacher would want to hear, not that he'd be the one reading it.

"Sure," David waved at them as he left.

"Mr. Kelly, since you must be done with your essay, because why else would you talk to Mr. Jacobs, I'd like you to read me your essay," the teacher hung up his phone and stared directly at Jack.

"Well uh, how about I just summarize it for you?" asked Jack standing up and holding his empty paper.

"Please do," he folded his hands and leaned forward.

Sarah and Evan both stared over at Jack.

"Well, uh, smoking causes cancer, so you know, that's one good reason why someone shouldn't do it."

"Uh-huh," said the teacher nodding.

"And we shouldn't be doing it in school because we could influence those younger then us. Uh, also, it's just bad in general and will make your teeth and breath bad," he shrugged.

The teacher smiled and waved him off. Jack sat back down in his chair and started writing at a swift pace. Much to the entire room's displeasure they were there till five. Many kids came in and out of the room and even the teachers' son came by to get him to sign something. It wasn't till ten to five when David showed back up. Everyone in the room had long since finished their essays and so everyone looked half dead from boredom.

David walked in and laughed, "Hey Sarah catch!"

"Huh, what?" she looked up in time to catch her keys.

"So, you ready Jack?" asked David as Jack got up.

"Nice to see you too David," said Evan rolling his eyes.

"Sorry, didn't notice you," David shrugged.

"No one ever does," Evan got up and walked over to Sarah. "Can you give me a ride home?"

"I suppose," they walked off together.

"They are so going to get back together," said Jack laughing.

"You don't think they really…..you know?" asked David not really wanting to get an answer.

"……Do you really want to know?" asked Jack pulling his keys out of his pocket.

"No."

"Then no answer shall you get," said Jack as they walked out into the parking lot and to his car.

XXX

The mall, like most teen hangouts, was absolutely packed. Not only high school kids, but Jr. High school kids hung out there trying to be cool, which really just made for funny entertainment for high school kids. Jack and David were sitting down at a table across from the arcade just drinking sodas and watching all the other people around them. It wasn't really the picturesque afternoon activity they thought it might be, but just being around each other was good enough.

"So….."

David looked down at his soda and took a sip, "Funny how it got awkward after."

"We could always……go to a movie," Jack shrugged.

"How about, we hang out at the park?" David looked over at Jack.

Jack smiled, "Sure, just have to tell me how to get their."

They got up and walked out the large glass mall doors. Tossing their sodas on the way out, they made their way to Jack's car. Jack pulled out his car keys and tossed them to David and smiled.

"You drive today," Jack smiled and momentarily bit his bottom lip.

David couldn't hold back his smile at that, "Cool."

By the time they got to the park it was getting dark, not that it really mattered. David loved the park and relished the so few little times he went there. There was a light breeze coming in and the tree's swayed in the light wind. Jack was walking alongside David who was walking on the tracks of the kiddy train, which had long since stop running. Jack personally had never been to a park before in his life and found the place completely uplifting even though he wasn't even down.

"This place is nice Davey," said Jack as they made their way up the walkway of the mini bridge over the foe stream.

"I know, isn't it?" said David leaning against the ledge.

Jack looked over the water, they were covered by trees, "Would it be too soon to ……."

David smiled to himself, "We haven't even been on a date Jack."

"Well, what constitutes as a date?"

"Well for one, going out to eat."

"We went out for a soda at the mall."

"Maybe going to a movie," David looked briefly back at Jack.

"We've done that. Not on the same day, but we've don't it," he smiled at David.

"And something romantic alone."

"We've walked along the beach alone and ……" Jack looked around them again, "I'd say right now is pretty romantic."

David looked around them, "I guess you could be right."

Jack leaned his back against the ledge, "Ok, now I'm too shy to do it."

David smiled and nodded his head, "You're such a-"

Jack had leaned in and kissed David quickly. It caught David off guard and not in a bad way, but really, when it was Jack kissing him he doubted it could ever be in a bad way. And then David found himself wondering if Jack had ever kissed Sarah like this and the thought completely made him cringe internally. Not the thought he really wanted to be having the first time he and Jack kissed.

"Jack I-"

"Holy crap, was it just me or do I need new glasses because I thought I just saw our little David kissing Jack?"

David buried his face in his hand when he saw Bryant and Robert smiling over at him. Jack suddenly found the stream very interesting and tried to keep the smile off his face. Robert walked over and grabbed David by the wrist and dragged him to the bottom of the mini bridge and started talking to him in a hushed voice. Bryant walked over to Jack and sat up on the ledge.

"So you and David, good news."

"Bad news?"

Bryant shrugged, "You tell me."

"Not sure."

"Me neither."

Robert and David came back up the bridge and Robert poked Jack. Jack gave him a weird look and shuffled closer to David. "I have one thing and one thing only to say."

Bryant smiled and tried to look away, he kept one arm around Robert.

"And that is?" Jack noticed the way Bryant was smiling.

"Always use protection!" at that point Bryant was dragging Robert down the bridge at lightning speed.

"Robert!" yelled David, Jack held onto him.

"And this is why I ran!" yelled Robert.

"God I love your friends," said Jack laughing.

"They're gonna give me a-"

"No more talking," said Jack putting his hand over David's mouth.

"God don't put your hand on my mouth, I don't know where it's been."

"That might be a good thing," Jack smiled at the reaction that got.

"Tell me what I see in you," said David rolling his eyes.

"….." Jack looked at him, "……I don't know."

David nodded and started laughing.

XXX

There wasn't much to life really anymore. It was a series of repetition and really Jack couldn't have relished in it more. It was quite a change from the kind of life he was initially use to, but he loved it now. He spent most of his week in after school detention and with David. He was completely looking forward to having David spend the night on Friday. Jack was currently sitting with Sarah in the Jacobs living room waiting for David to get back from picking up Les from soccer practice.

Sarah poked Jack, "Can you guess what David asked me?"

"What?" he passed her the cup next to him.

"If you and I ever kissed," she made a face, "it was weird."

Jack blinked, "I can see how that would be weird. For him more then you though."

"How say?" she swung her legs from her perched position on the arm of the couch.

"……." he gave her a look, "You're kidding right?"

"This is me we're talking to," she shrugged.

"Ew God I'm one of those people!" said Jack rubbing his temples.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm like one of those guys who dates someone's sister after dumping the other sister," said Jack flinging himself down on the couch.

"OH! Ew God Jack how could you!" she smiled and Jack glared at her.

"What in the hell did Evan see in you?"

"I ask myself that everyday."

"So are you guys dating again?"

"…..Maybe," she took drink from her cup.

Jack shook his head.

"So, David's spending the night Friday?"

"…..Maybe," he took a drink from his cup.

"Do you need me to put on the Discovery Channel?" she made a move for the remote.

He threw a pillow at her.

"I'm holding a cup Jack!" she laughed.

"It's water!"

David walked in Les right behind him.

"Jack!" Les hugged him.

"Hey kid, how was practice?"

"Wicked awful, but it's always like that before a game."

"Come on, you need to shower before dinner," said Sarah ushering him out of the living room.

Les ran upstairs and Sarah pulled out her cell phone and started talking to one of her friends. David shut the door behind him and sat down next to Jack. Jack slid his arm around David's waist. Upstairs you could hear water running and Sarah laughing. David grabbed the remote and turned on the television.

"Next on the Discovery Channel….."

Jack stared blankly at the T.V. and dropped his face in his hands.

XXX

A/N: This was a bit of a lazy chapter. But I liked it. I'm so tired now! –sleeps- (send all mistake complaints to the box of Wishful Thinking Of Correctness. Now located on 2167 Fake Street.)