Chapter One-Hundred and Ninety-Two

John stripped his clothing off, stepping onto the bathroom scale for his weekly weigh in. He closed his eyes, afraid that the number would be too low for his health. He stood as still as possible, listening to the silence that fell as Ryan, Thomas, Vernon, Paul, and Chris watched the needle until it stopped wiggling and showed his exact weight. "How low is it?" He asked, terrified of the answer.

Thomas smiled, looking at the number of 160 pounds. "You did it, kid." He patted John on the back, forcing himself to not notice the scarring on his shoulder blades. "You're not underweight anymore."

John opened his eyes, grinning as he saw he numbers. "I DID IT!" He cheered, jumping off of the scale and bolting to Clarissa and Thomas's bedroom. "Mom!" He shoved her door open, lifting his arms and turning around so that she could see that his ribs weren't showing anymore. "Look!"

Clarissa chuckled, placing her hands on his sides and pushing on the spots where his bones used to stick out. "Look at you." She smiled, placing her hand on his cheek and looking into those ever-changing eyes of his. "Where did you get those eyes?" She asked, remembering how the shape and lashes were from his mother, but neither of his parents had the color that changed with their emotions.

John shrugged, closing his eyes as the memory of his father using his eyes against him returned. "I don't know…"

Clarissa sighed, knowing that there was so much more to John's past than he let them see. "It's all your own then."

"Jacob… he used to say that if they kept turning black, he would poke them out."

She shook her head, pulling him to her in a motherly embrace that she knew he'd been so deprived of as a child. "Well, I would never do that." She pressed her hands against his shoulder blades, rocking him back and forth on his feet. "I love those eyes, and nothing could make me change my mind. No matter how black they get."

He smirked, resting his chin on the top of her head as he slowly began to dance to his own music. "Hey… you know how Claire and Dad are gonna have their own dance after me and her say our vows?"

"Uh huh…" She looked up at him, letting him spin her with the skill of a true dancer.

"What if me and you did the same thing?"

She smiled, placing her hand over his heart as he pulled her back to him. "I think that would be wonderful."

John scratched Chance's ears, having to work a little harder at sighing albums than he would with two hands. He smiled at the little girl beside who he guessed was her older sister, pulling a taffy from a small jar behind him and handing it to her. "Here."

She gave a shy smile, taking the candy from him before hiding behind her sister's legs.

The teen laughed, tucking her hair behind her ear as she batted her eyelashes at him. "Do you have any kids?" She asked, unaware that John was only seventeen.

He shook his head, passing the record down the line for the others to sign. "Not yet. My girl and I are waiting until we graduate." He took another Album from the next person in line, scribbling his initials on the cover beside his own image.

John rubbed his hand, attempting to work out the cramps in his muscles. "God, if we keep this up, I'll have carpal tunnel."

Claire took his hands in hers, massaging the calloused and scarred skin. "I just hope that you can still use them as well as you can now." She kissed his lips, able to taste the mint of his gum on her tongue. "I like how they feel when we spoon."

He chuckled, remembering their night in the cave and how he'd held her so close that their bodies had almost been one. "Even with the callouses?" He asked, knowing that the callouses were rough against any softer skin.

"Even the callouses." She smiled, kissing his fingers and rubbing her lips over some of the scars.