Chapter 8
By: MysticFantasy
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"Bobby, there's no need to have so many fireworks for one night!"
"Come on Ma. It's New Years." Bobby pleaded.
"It doesn't matter Bobby. You got too many to begin with. Or is there another reason you got so many?" Evelyn asked with a knowing look on her face.
"Of course they're for New Years." Bobby answered. "And with Jackie here we got make this one big."
Jack felt himself being lifted under his arms and then presented to Evelyn all while he'd been in mid bite of his peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
"How can you say no that face Ma?" Bobby asked.
"I can't say no to Jackie but I can to you Bobby."
"Dang it." Bobby muttered putting Jack back at the table.
Being placed back on his seat to finish his sandwich, Jack looked at the fireworks that were in bags or were spread on the table in front of him.
In the previous years, he'd watched as his foster siblings lit and popped the fireworks in celebration of the new year starting. He not once got to participate in the fun and had just stayed sitting on the front steps watching as the celebration took place without him.
His only enjoyment from those years was when he got to see the bright lights explode in the sky. They were about the only color that he would ever see in the foster homes since he'd mostly be kept somewhere dark so he wouldn't be in anyones way.
"Well, I do agree that we do need to celebrate having Jack enter the new year with us." Evelyn said.
"Exactly." Bobby agreed. "That's why I got so many."
Jack noticed the suspicious look that Evelyn was giving Bobby.
"Bobby." she said slowly and with a knowing tone.
"Alright. I was gonna use the Black Cats to scare Jerry and Angel." Bobby confessed.
"You jerk." Jerry exclaimed.
"Well, since you confessed and since we have a bigger reason to celebrate, I want to see every one of these used on New Years Eve." Evelyn said. "And don't think I won't check to see how many there are Robert Mercer."
"Yes ma'am."
"Ever popped fireworks before Jackie-poo?" Angel asked.
Jack shook his head.
"You've never popped fireworks?" Jerry asked only to get the same answer Angel recieved.
"We'll show you how to use 'em." Angel vowed.
"The proper way and nothing too big or dangerous." Evelyn added as she grabbed a notepad and pencil and started to take inventory of the fireworks. "I feel uncertain enough knowing Bobby's the one who picked the fireworks."
"Hey." Bobby exclaimed with a grin.
"Face it big bro, you're a bit of a nutcase when it comes to explosives and fire." Jerry said.
"I am not."
"Tell that to the guy who called you a coward and somehow his car caught on fire." Angel stated with a huge grin.
"That was never proven!"
Jack finished his sandwich and took a sip of his milk as he watched the scene before him.
In the years he'd been in foster care and placed with foster families, not a single family had allowed him to participate in the New Year activities.
No fireworks, no helping set picnic tables, no helping decorate the house...Heck, four of the families had locked him in a basement or closet so none of their friends would know they had an orphan in their house.
The only thing he ever did was get ordered to clean up the mess that had been left since the foster parent's were still too drunk and they let their real kids sleep in as long as they wanted. Which would be until midafternoon.
So Jack had been left to clean up the wrappers, tables, tossed liquor bottles, beer cans and anything else that had been left behind. Having learned to clean so effectivly made the foster parents think it was better for Jack to do all of the cleaning from then on.
"Alright. I have everything writen down and I'm going to double check everything that you pop tomorrow night and scratch it off this list until there's nothing left." Evelyn announced.
"You're killin' me ma." Bobby exclaimed playfully.
"She really will if you burn something down tomorrow." Angel declared.
"I'm not gonna burn anything!"
"Jack, take it from me. Stay clear of Bobby when he's got a firework in his hand. He's been known to start fires." Jerry said patting Jack on the head.
"Don't tell him that. He looks up to me." Bobby said proudly.
"Looks up to you?" Angel repeated. "Gotta be because he's shorter than you."
"Can it Angel before I decide to throw these fireworks at La Vida Loca."
"Bobby!"
"Sorry."
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Later that evening, Jack sat in his room going over the scales that Evelyn had shown him on the guitar. He was getting better at it but felt that his hands and fingers were still too small even though Evelyn had told him they were fine.
"You excited about tomorrow night Jackie?"
Jack looked up from the guitar and saw Bobby walk into the room with a smile on his face.
"I guess." Jack answered.
"You guess?" Bobby repeated. "Come on Jackie. You gotta be more excited than that. It's the New Year we're celebrating tomorrow. And it's even more important since you're here with us."
"Why is it more important because of me?" Jack asked confused.
"Well," Bobby started sitting next to Jack. "You've really grown on us kid. It's like you're really part of the family. I feel like you really are my little brother."
Jack lightly smiled hearing what Bobby thought.
"So how are you coming along with that thing?" Bobby asked.
"Ok, I guess."
"You make a lot of guesses don't you?" Bobby teased. "Let me hear ya play it."
"I only know the scales."
"Ok, ok. Guess you're shy at letting others hear you play. I know you're doing good. As long as you keep practicing you'll be an awesome rockstar someday."
Jack lightly chuckled.
"Anyway, you really never got to pop fireworks at any of those other homes?"
"No." Jack answered. "They only made me clean up everything when everybody left. I never got to pop any fireworks or help decorate or anything. Some of them even locked me away so they wouldn't be embarrassed when their friends went over."
"Embarrassed? Of what?"
"That they had me there. Cause I'm...an orphan."
"Forget them Jackie. They don't know how awesome you are. You're a really great kid. You have no idea how happy all of us are to have you here. Just forget what those other people said. They're messed up to begin with. I bet they did a bunch of drugs and drank a lot."
Jack nodded.
"You're in a safe place now Jack and we're doing everything we can to make sure that it stays this way. We want you here with us. You remember where any of those people lived? We can toss a bunch of fireworks into their houses and scare the daylight out of them."
Jack chuckled.
"See. You think it's a good idea. We'll start planning it tonight. Ok?"
"Ok." Jack laughed.
"Great. I'll make sure to save some of those fireworks. I'll show you what I meant when I said I was gonna scare Jerry and Angel."
"You were gonna put the fireworks under their beds?"
"How'd you know?" Bobby asked a bit surprised.
"Happened to me before." Jack answered. "The other kids would put the fireworks they had left under my bed, when I had one, and would laugh when it scared me."
"Those little...Like I said before Jack. Just forget them. You don't have to worry about something like that happening anymore."
"Really?"
"Really." Bobby promised. "I'll find those people and throw a few cherry bombs in their house and see how they like to be scared awake. You didn't deserve any of that. Here you'll have nothing but fun. At least until you gotta start school. Did you like going to school?"
"Yeah."
"You're a confusing kid Jack." Bobby teased with a grin. "What kind of kid likes school?"
"Me."
"Exactly. You're confusing kid." Bobby said as he picked Jack up under his arm.
"Hey." Jack laughed as Bobby move the out the room and downstairs.
"Bobby, put Jack down." Evelyn chuckled looking up from her soap opera. "He's not one of your sports bags."
"He's lighter than one though." Bobby replied.
"Down." Evelyn said.
"Alright, alright." Bobby said and lightly dropped Jack on the couch next to Evelyn.
Jack chuckled and straightened himself out. He was happy that he would be entering the next year with this family and hoped that he could always be with them.
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"Is anybody else coming?" Jack asked slightly muffled from the scarf around his neck that was a little too big on him and partly covered his face.
"Maybe a few of our friends but normally it's just us." Jerry answered picking up a few pieces of chopped wood and carrying them over to the circular stone fire place that he'd made over the summer for such occasions.
"Ready?" Bobby asked walking over with a can of lighter fluid in his hand.
"It's ready you pyro maniac." Jerry answered with a smirk.
"Better watch it Jerry. I've also been known to have bad aim with fireworks."
"Bobby!"
"Sorry mom."
"Just start the fire already." Jerry said through a chuckle.
"Wise guy." Bobby muttered kneeling next to the fire place.
Jack watched Bobby spray the wood with the lighter fluid and once it was enough for Bobby he took out a box of matches from his pocket, lit one and tossed it into the wood. The ten year old lightly flinched when he saw the fire instantly blaze up.
"Alright. We got the fire started." Bobby announced standing as Angel and Evelyn walked outside. Angel was carrying a small blue cooler and Evelyn had a few plastic containers that held several cooked foods.
"Jerry, can you get the paper plates, paper cups and the plasticware?" Evelyn asked.
"Sure thing momma." Jerry answered and went back into the house.
"And I'll be right back with the goods." Bobby added with a grin as he followed Jerry.
"I'm watching you Bobby." Evelyn called after the oldest before he disappeared into the house.
"Does he always get in trouble with fireworks?" Jack asked curiously.
"Fireworks? Not really." Angel answered. "It's those dang matches and lighters that he's always got. But don't worry Jackie. He won't do anything stupid tonight."
"Or else he'll be grounded for the rest of his life." Evelyn added as she adjusted Jack's scarf and knit hat before the two older boys came back outside.
"Come on Jack. Let me show you how to use a Roman Candle." Bobby said after placing two bags on the table and pulling out a long white firework.
"Be careful showing him how to use it Bobby." Evelyn said as Jack walked over to Bobby.
"I will. Don't worry." Bobby said kneeling to be eye level with the ten year old. "Alright Jack. Hold it like this and point it up. Once I light it it's going to take a few seconds and then different colored balls of light are going to start shooting out. Just keep it pointing up until it runs out. I'll stay with you while you do it."
Jack nodded and held the firework the way Bobby showed him. He felt nervous as he watched Bobby take out a lighter, flicked the flame on and then light the small fuse.
"Alright. Just keep holding on." Bobby said.
Jack nodded and watched the fuse vanish into the firework. A few seconds passed and he gasped in surprise when a sudden ball of red light popped out of the cardboard rod and into the sky.
"Keep holding it up. Got a few more left." Bobby said.
"How many?" Jack asked.
"Don't know." Bobby answered as a yellow light shot out quickly followed by a green light. "Don't worry Jack. You're doing ok."
Evelyn quickly turned on her digital camera and focused on Bobby and Jack. She snapped a picture right as a pink light flew into the air. She smiled looking at the small screen to see Jack smiling in excitment.
Jack lightly shook the wooden rod a few seconds after a blue light shot out followed by nothing.
"No more. Guess five is all that's in these." Bobby said taking the empty cylinder and tossing it into the fire. "How'd you like your first firework Jackie?"
"It was fun." Jack answered.
"Well there's plenty more and we still have three hours to go." Bobby declared.
"It's gonna be a long night." Jerry exclaimed.
"Quit crying Jerry. You've lasted through worse with me." Bobby said taking something out of his pocket and turning his back to them.
"No kidding I've gone through worse with you." Jerry agreed.
Jack watched Evelyn walk over to Bobby just as he started drinking something from a glass bottle. He quickly realized that it was a bottle of beer.
Bobby froze mid drink when he realized he was caught.
Evelyn gave him a stern look.
Bobby sighed, spat out what he had in his mouth and handed the bottle to his mother who emptied the rest of the beverage onto the lawn.
"Not in front of me Ma." Bobby pleaded.
"Next time you know better." Evelyn said tossing the empty bottle into the trashcan that was next to the picnic table. "I don't want to see any of you drinking that stuff in front of Jack. Understand?"
"Yes ma'am."
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Jack lightly yawned. He wasn't use to staying up so late. He'd actually been impressed with himself when he'd managed to stay up the previous New Years before.
Most of the food was already gone but a few sweets and sodas were left and he was counting on getting a sugar rush to give him the energy he needed to make it through the last hour.
"Come on Jackie. Can't go to sleep yet. There's only fifteen minutes left before the new year." Bobby said.
"Sorry." Jack said.
"Hey, it's alright. You've never really stayed up like this before." Bobby said. "I can see how a kid your age isn't use to something like this."
"I can stay awake." Jack declared.
"Here. This might help." Bobby said hanging Jack a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting. "This is loaded with sugar. It's sure to perk you up a bit."
Jack took the cupcake and took a large bite, getting the frosting smeared onto his face.
"Easy Jack. No need to enter the year with frosting all over your face." Bobby chuckled handing Jack a napkin.
Jack wiped his face of all the frosting before finishing his treat.
"Check out Angel." Bobby said pointing to the side.
Jack look over and saw Angel standing next to the fire with a whole string of Black Cats in his hand.
"Don't do it man." Jerry warned from a few feet away with a grin on his face.
"Too late." Angel chuckled and tossed the Black Cats into the fire.
Jack found himself fully awake when the loud popping started and he covered his ears.
"Awake now?" Bobby shouted covering his own ears.
Jack nodded and sighed in relief when the popping stopped.
"Angel Mercer. If you do that again you'll be grounded for a month." Evelyn warned.
"Man, it's not even the first day of the next year and you're already getting warned." Jerry laughed.
"Gonna break my record if you keep it up Ang." Bobby said gathering the few remaining fireworks. "Come on Jackie. Let's get these tied together to go off at once when midnight gets here."
Jack nodded and followed Bobby into the middle of the yard. He held a few of the flower fireworks and handed them to Bobby one at a time as the older man connected the fuses together.
"Ten minutes left." Evelyn announced as she turned on a radio that was announcing the countdown time. "I'll be right back boys."
Jack watched Evelyn walk into the house. She came back a minute later placing something in her coat pocket.
"Alright. These are ready to go." Bobby announced standing and admiring the line of fireworks ready to be lit.
"And they're the last ones left." Evelyn added looking at the list she had made before turning up the volume on the radio.
"...only two minutes left in the year. Let's go a few people and hear what they thought of this soon to be previous year."
"Jackie. Come here sweetheart." Evelyn said as she sat on the bench of the picnic table.
Jack walked over and stood before the kind woman.
"Here." she said pulling out a white envelope from her pocket and handing it to Jack. "Read what's inside."
Bobby smiled as he walked over to the two with Jerry and Angel close behind. They watched as Jack opened the envelope and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He opened the paper and read what it said.
"The countdown has begun. Ten...nine...eight...seven...six..."
Jack turned his big blue eyes to Evelyn who smiled at his surprised expression.
"Welcome to the family Jackie." she said sweetly.
"Five...four...three..."
Jack threw his arms around Evelyn and hugged her greatly.
"Two...one...HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
"Momma." Jack whispered and felt the arms of his new brothers wrap around him and Evelyn as the sound of fireworks and happy cheers erupted around them.
Evelyn smiled happily and felt tears of joy rush down her cheeks. She'd entered the new year with her newest son and his first word to her of the year was calling her by the name she'd long to hear from him most.
"You're stuck with us now Jackie." Jerry mused obviously just as happy to have a new brother.
"Come on little brother. You get to light these fireworks." Bobby said.
A new little brother. The oldest mused. I've got a new little brother!
Jack held the match to the fuse and quickly backed away when he saw it light.
Together, the now five Mercer's sat at the picnic table together as they watched the fireworks shoot into the air and explode in a variety of colors.
Jack savored the colors that lit up the sky above him and his new family because these were by far the most beautiful he's ever seen.