Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter. Sorry again for the delay in getting this chapter up been so busy recently. I'm going to put the next chapter up now too. Hope you enjoys these next two chapter and please review!
Chapter 46
It was half twelve in the afternoon and the Barbeque was about to start soon. Henry, Jake, Mark, mike, Nigel and Kyle had spent about an hour and a half earlier in the day leaning up the mess they had made in the hotel's restaurant after the carry on they had of getting Buttons back.
Tom had requested that all his kids but Nora, Charlie and Lorraine since they were older met in his room before they went outside to the barbeque.
"Now I have already told all of you guys this, but as things haven't so far gone to plan I will tell you all again," Tom started off by staying, "All of you kids are to be on your best behaviour, no silly pranks, no getting into trouble, no arguing, no backchat, no losing your frog again! I think you guys have embarrassed me enough already for one weekend so please no more trouble!"
"Dad it's only the boys who have been causing trouble," Jessica reminded her dad since so far her, Sarah and Kim had done nothing wrong.
"Yeah that is right Jessica so you girls better keep it up!" Kate agreed.
"Well that makes a change as recently it has been just you girls causing all the trouble!" Henry stated.
"Henry enough please," Kate said before an argument broke out.
"Dad, are we competing in these games that Jimmy has arranged?" Kyle asked.
Tom had to stop and think about it. If he didn't compete then Jimmy would call him a coward and say he was afraid to he would lose, but if they didn't play then at least Jimmy couldn't say that they lost and that way the Baker's were still victors as they won at the most recent labour day cup. Then again if they could beat the Murtaugh's once then surely they could do it again, then it would frustrate Jimmy even more, and then Tom would have one up on Jimmy again.
"Tom I thought we agreed no stupid competiveness!" Kate said, "I can see that you have that crazy look in your eye again that you always have when Jimmy gets all competitive with you!"
"So dad are we or are we not?" Mike asked.
"Well what do you guys want to do?" Kate said before Tom could reply.
"I say we do, if we can beat them once then we can beat them again!" Sarah said as she had much faith that her family would win.
"Yeah I agree!" Mike said before just about everyone else agreed too.
"Well then it's settled we will beat the Murtaugh's again!" Tom said, "We had better let Nora, Bud, Charlie and Lorraine know!"
At the barbeque Tom had went around speaking to all his work friends and every so often Jimmy would join in on the conversation that Tom would be having with someone and say how the Murtaugh's would beat the Baker's in the games he had organised.
This was driving Tom mad and made him even more determined to beat the Murtaugh's again and wipe that smile off Jimmy's face as he was sure he would win.
"Hey Mr Murtaugh, I owe you a thanks for paying for the expenses I caused this morning and paying a fee so my frog can stay in the hotel tonight, and I am also so sorry for all the trouble I caused," Mark said as he had done what his dad had said and thanked and apologised to Jimmy.
Tom had overheard Mark apologizing and thought that he had better apologise himself after criticising Jimmy's parenting because of the trouble that Elliot had been causing between Sarah, Jessica and Kim.
"Jimmy I just also wanted to say sorry for what I said earlier I shouldn't have brought Elliot into it and what Elliot has done certainty isn't your fault and my Jessica hasn't exactly been an angel herself," Tom said. He could tell that Jimmy still wasn't aware of the situation but he wasn't away to tell Jimmy that.
Jimmy noticed that Elliot was sitting alone as the rest of his family were off talking to other people. Jimmy took this as his opportunity to speak to him and find out what has been happening.
"Elliot, how have things been recently? Feels like ages since we properly talked," Jimmy said as he sat down next to Elliot.
"Dad we never properly talk," Elliot said as he looked back down at his phone and ignored his dad.
"We do so," Jimmy replied.
"No we never do," Elliot argued back and Jimmy realised that maybe Elliot was right and he maybe did need to take a bit more time to talk to his kids about their personal lives and find out what they were up to.
"I know maybe I'm not the greatest dad but I think we need to talk," Jimmy said as he decided he was just going to have to ask Elliot what Tom was talking about, "Tom said something earlier about you causing trouble between the Baker girls, what exactly did he mean?"
Elliot stopped looking at his phone and put it in his pocket he realised it was going to be tricky to get out of this one but he really did not want to explain this to his dad.
"Elliot go on then and explain," Jimmy prompted Elliot to speak.
"You're just going to be disappointed if I do but I suppose I'm going to have to tell you. Well you know I went out with Sarah but then I kind of had that thing with that girl Sophie at my old school when I was still suppose to be with Sarah so I kind of lied a lot there and caused Jake and Sarah to fall out and Mike to run away," Elliot tried to explain without going in to detail.
"It's your fault Mike ran away!" Jimmy couldn't believe that he didn't know that, "Does Tom know that because he never said?"
"I don't think he blames me anyway," Elliot replied, "But when we was looking for Mike I was looking with Jessica and we got really close and before she left the lake we kissed and then well we moved here but I didn't want to hurt Sarah so I just met up with Jessica in secret but just as friends but she wanted to be more than friends. Then I eventually told her I did too but then I found out she had fallen for some other guy called Ryan but she likes him and me. Sarah found out and went crazy and doesn't speak to Jessica now and that Ryan boy well Kim fancied him so she doesn't speak to Jessica either and technically I'm all to blame!" Elliot had no idea how his dad would react to that.
Jimmy looked like he was about to explode with anger but he didn't want to make a scene and took a few deep breaths.
"I am so disappointed in you young man, and I can't believe no one told me anything about this. What about the fight at the basketball game Tom mentioned?" Jimmy asked.
Elliot had a little bit of a nervous laugh because he could tell that his dad was going to be even more annoyed now, "Well me and Ryan got into a fight over Jessica and we both got sent off and suspended from the team and have detention still for another week!"
"Fighting, suspended, detention. How did I not know about this aren't the school suppose to contact you about things like this," Jimmy was even more angry now.
"Dad you did know I was covered in bruises!" Elliot replied.
"You told me you got into a fight outside of school not in the middle of basketball game,"
"Jimmy I think we need to talk," Serena said as she overheard their conversation, "The school did phone and I went in to speak to the principle and I said I would deal with it," Serena confessed.
"You never thought to tell me?" Jimmy said angrily.
"Dad I asked her not to. Serena understands even though she knows what I did was wrong she listens to me she is someone to speak to, unlike you who looks at me in disgust," Elliot said as he was grateful that Serena had never told Jimmy but felt bad now because he knew his dad would be upset with Serena.
"He is not even you child don't you think I should have been informed?" Jimmy asked.
"Well you don't even notice when the kids are miserable you never stop to ask them how they are or things that are going on in their life that don't involve them winning awards. You'll ask Elliot about his skateboarding and school work but nothing else Jimmy," Serena said as she finally spoke up.
Jimmy didn't know what to say. Maybe Serena was right. Jimmy never did stop to ask how his kids were and if their personal lives were ok.
"Is there anything else I should know? Any of my other kids causing trouble?" Jimmy asked Serena since she seemed to know everything.
"No, well not that I am aware of anyway," Serena replied, "Jimmy I am really sorry that I kept this from you but Elliot asked me not to tell you and I know I am not his mother but I felt like I needed to be able to gain his trust if I am to ever have a close relationship with your children. They feel like they can't talk to you and if I just tell you everything then they will feel like they can't tell me stuff either," Serena tried to explain why she hadn't told Jimmy about Elliot but she wasn't sure if he would understand.
Jimmy could see that Serena was really making an effort with his children, which is different from what any other step mom they have had has done. This was a sign that maybe this time things would work for the long term. All of Jimmy's previous relationships had never exactly lasted very long in the past but Jimmy knew a steady relationship would be best for the kids.
"Dad I am really sorry about everything I have done. I honestly never meant to cause any of this. I feel so bad when I see the Bakers and I can see just how bad things are between Jessica and Sarah. I know I look like the bad guy to you but I am hurt too I really liked Jessica and I can't believe that she did that to me. But what she did to me if the exact same thing I did to Sarah. And I am confused because I don't know who it is I want to be with". Elliot tried to explain to his dad, but Jimmy didn't know what to tell him, he was actually beginning to wish he didn't know anything but he didn't exactly feel like he was one to give relationship advice considering how much of his relationships had ended.
"It's obvious he is confused Jimmy," Serena said to him once Elliot had wandered off, "He's a teenage boy what do you expect of course he is going to have girl problems".
"Yes he maybe is going to have girl problems but this. This is more than you typical teenage boy girl problems. This is something you see on a soap opera. Cheating, Lying, backstabbing, betrayal. The list goes on," Jimmy replied," And all this time Tom has know about this. He probably been laughing at me because I am the one with the son who lies, and cheats".
"Jimmy this has nothing to do with Tom and Tom won't be laughing at you he has enough things going on with Jessica, Sarah and Kim, those three aren't even speaking. Stop turning everything back to this rivalry you have with Tom when you need to start worrying about your own kids. Admit it Jimmy the only reason you sponsored Tom's football team was to get one up on Tom. You rearranged this whole BBQ to include competitions so you can beat the Bakers or well try beat them".
"What do you mean try beat them of course we'll beat them this time. Especially if three of them aren't even talking," Jimmy replied.
"Jimmy this is what I am talking about, just stop with the competitiveness!" Serena said as she walked away as she was getting too annoyed with Jimmy now.
