Hey, there's a lot of stuff in this one...it's looooooong, but if you don't read it all um...you'll be lost forever and I'll send the squirrels to attack you...hehe...anyway enjoy and cookies to all who review...
Thank Yous: BugleGirl, Dodger, Mouse and Spades...
And to Ducky...who well pretty much writes this story now..hehe anyway enjoy!
I awoke the next day freezing! I found that Blink, Mush and Ace were already up and playing with the snowman.
"I'se ain't walkin back ta da house ta get a carrot!" Blink yelled.
"PLLLLEEEEEAAAAAAASSSSSEEEEE!!!!!" Ace pleaded.
"Make Mush do it!"
"I've got a bum leg!" Mush said.
"It ain't my fault ya fohgot ya Vicoden!" Blink said.
"And it ain't my fault you're cold."
"I ain't cold." Blink said confused. Mush then pushed him in the snow and began whitewashing him.
"Dat was cold!"
"Hahahahahahaha." I laughed.
"Morning Angel!" Ace called.
"Good morning Ace." I said getting out of my sleeping bag.
"UNGH snowman." Jack mumbled in his sleep.
"Hey stink head, wake up!" I said poking him.
"Eh whaddaya doin?"
"Poking you love." I grinned.
"Why ya doin dat?"
"You were mumbling in your sleep."
"So ya had ta wake me up?"
"It's also morning."
"Don't ya wanna sleep in now, since ya classes will be stahtin back soon?"
"Not when it's 20 degrees outside." I replied huddling next to the embers.
"Ya know Angel, if ya put some sticks on it, hot stuff called fiah will come up." Jack said.
"No duh genius!"
"Incoming!" Mush shouted as a snowball pegged Jack in the head.
"HEHE." I laughed.
"Ya tink dat's funny do ya?" he asked. I nodded grinning.
"What bout dat?" he asked throwing me in a snowbank.
"I think you're goin down!" I said running at him and tackling him into the snow.
"He's dead!" Ace shouted.
"Not by a long shot." I grinned helping the snow covered Jack to stand.
"Not Jack the snowman!" Mush said pointing at the mound of crumbled snow.
"I told ya not ta keep packin at it!" Blink said.
"But his cheeks weren't full enough." She protested.
"Did you roll it?" I asked Blink.
"We rolled the base and built up the other two." Mush explained.
"Oh no, it died." Dodger said coming out of the tent and seeing the pile of snow that was Frosty's cousin.
"Yeah, fare thee well little snowman." I said giving it a eulogy.
"Nock it off Spot!" I heard Media mumble.
"Get up!" Spot said poking Media.
"Do it again!"
"Dat's okay." Spot said backing away.
"Spot, you should know by now that no one messes with Media before her morning coffee." I told him.
"Well someone's gonna hafta cause she didn't bring a coffeemakah."
"You guys just don't know how to wake her up." Mush said smiling.
"EWWW!!!!!" Dodger shrieked.
"NUN!" I growled at her.
"All right, I'm up because you people keep talking!" Media growled getting up.
"We haven't yet mastered sign language, so we kinda have to talk." Mush said walking over to her.
"A likely excuse." She said teasingly.
"Not an excuse, just the truth."
"So I lost the ring in the sleeping bag, but I found it now." Media said.
"Does it not fit?"
"No it fits fine, I'm just not used to sleeping with rings on so I took it off."
"Well get used to it babe, cause it's gonna be on you til you're dead."
"That's true."
"If you ever get tired of it, I'll take it!" Dodger said.
"Like hell you will!" Media said throwing a snowball at her.
"Besides, Blink will get you your own." I smirked.
"Yeah, but not dat one." He said.
"Like I said her own."
"I'se hungry." Spot said.
"You're always hungry!" I sighed.
"Eat some snow, just not the yellow stuff." Ace teased.
"EW." I said.
"When were we gonna go back ta da cabin?" Jack asked.
"After we pack up." Media said.
"When will dat be?"
"The sooner the better!" Dodger said shivering.
"Blink you're falling down on the job man, she's cold!" I teased.
"Yeah Dodger, what Media said was true." Ace said smiling.
"What did she tell you?" I asked obviously having missed the pep talk.
"I just explained to the girls that guys do have a loving nature and want to protect us and keep us warm when we're cold." She said trying not to laugh.
"And you two believed her?"
"It's true!" Ace said.
"Oh, yeah what's up with that Dodger?" Mush asked mischievously.
"What?" Dodger asked.
"I saw ya staying warm the other night…" Mush smiled. Dodger's jaw dropped.
"Y-you saw that?!"
"And sickeningly enough, heard!" Media said. Dodger's cheeks flushed immediately with embarrassment, Blink was just smiling.
"I guess you're only a nun during the day!" Media laughed.
"I'm not a nun at all." She defended herself.
"Den why is it, when anyone says anyting, ya freak out?" Spot asked.
"I just don't want to hear about it!"
"No, you have a dirty mind." I said. "I was talking about holding Jack's hand and you thought it was something else."
"No, like I said I just don't want to hear about it."
"It was holdin hands!" Jack exclaimed.
"I don't care."
"Ok, this conversation is redundant. Let's start packing up." Media said grabbing her stuff.
"Good, cause Mush got me cold!" Blink said.
"Oh hush, do you know how many times I've been shoved into a snowbank since we got here?" I asked.
"Ya didn't fall in da frozen pond."
"So that's cured you forever of getting shoved in snow?"
"Moh packin, less talk!" Spot said as his stomach growled.
"Yes Mum!" I said quoting Narnia.
"What ah we havin foh breakfast?" Jack asked.
"PIE!" Mush smiled.
"No, no pie!" I said.
"As long as Angel don't boin it, I don't cah." Spot said.
"You're a dead man!" I said tackling him.
"Stop eatin snow." He said smashing snow in my face.
"PACH!" I spat. "You my little brother are a brat!"
"Dogpile!" Blink yelled as he jumped on us.
"Why do I always end up on the bottom of these things?" I asked.
"I was on bottom once." Mush said.
"I'm very happy for you but I can't breathe!!!"
"Ya always say dat." Blink said.
"Possibly because I have 4 boys on top of me as well as my sister, cousin and brother's girlfriend!" I gasped.
"You forgot cousin's fiancé." Media said.
"No I didn't."
"Yeah but it's still fun to say."
"You are such a dork!"
"What did I say about you calling me a dork?"
"I'm invoking the right to say it in a dogpile."
"Whatever bimbo!"
"GET OFF OF ME!!!!!!"
"Aight dat was really loud in me eah, so get off guys!" Spot said.
"Thank…you!" I gasped. We packed up the camping gear and headed back for the cabin. Once inside Media and I headed into the kitchen where we found that the burnt eggs had not yet been tossed out.
"Ew." I said scraping them out of the pan.
"They're really stinky." She said.
"Yeah."
"We'll just put them in the corner." Media said putting them in the corner of the cupboard.
"Why are you putting burnt eggs in the cupboard?"
"Because I don't want any varmints to get them if I put them outside." She explained.
"Varmints?"
"Yeah instead of little armadillos we have creepy possums and raccoons and woodchucks and muskrats."
"Ok point."
"Good."
"So what are we going to make them?"
"A conglomeration." She said.
"Which would be…?"
"Oh lets see what we have in the fridge."
"We could be eating pie right now!" Mush said getting a cookie.
"No pie for breakfast!"
"Why?"
"Because…I don't know just no pie for breakfast…now out!" I said pointing to the living room.
"What is that smell?"
"Egg."
"You burnt eggs again?"
"No those are from yesterday."
"Why don't you throw them out?"
"Ask your fiancé."
"Baby, do you have an egg fetish I should know about?" Mush asked.
"No, I just don't want nasty creatures to come up to the cabin." She said with her head in the fridge.
"I'm sorry if this bothers you." Mush said to me.
"Meh, I've been living with it for 15 years, I'm good." I smiled.
"No this." Mush said smacking Media's butt.
"Aaron!"
"No it doesn't bug me." I said.
"GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN!!!!!"
"I'm goin."
"Hehe"
"I found food!" Media exclaimed.
"Good for you."
"Okay, we have tortillas, egg, cheese, peppers, breakfast burrito!"
"Okay breakfast burrito it is." I said.
"We'se eatin burritos?" Spot asked from the living room.
"Yay Mexican!" Ace shouted.
"YES!" I yelled.
"And you won't let me have pie?" Mush complained.
"BREAKFAST BURRITOS!"
"Mush, I don't even have all of the ingredients to make you a pie anyway." Media said starting to cook.
"What if I went to town and got the ingredients."
"NO!"
"Wait, someone would have to go with you."
"What like a buddy system?"
"Yeah, look at what happens to us." She said waving a knife around.
"I feel safer on the other side of the room." Mush said.
"Watch where you're waving that thing!" I protested as it came awfully close to my head.
Mush and Jack took off for town in Media's car, while Media and I slaved away in the kitchen.
MUSH'S POV
Jack and I were halfway into town and he was being unusually quiet.
"So is the snow bringing back memories?" I asked.
"Yeah."
"Cool."
"Uh huh." He said looking out the window. Never have I seen Jack that quiet.
"Good or bad."
"Mostly good."
"So you're staying in Texas?"
"Yep."
"Okay." He was the polar opposite of Media and Angel. They scream and shout he barely says a word.
"Uh huh."
"Too bad there's no radio stations up here."
"Yeah."
"Jack, why did you come with me?"
"Cause ya needed a buddy."
"No Spot would have come in a heartbeat."
"I dunno, I need ta cleah me head."
"And how is that coming for ya?"
"I'se moh confused dan evah."
"What over?"
"Angel, I dunno if I need ta step it up a little or back off." Wow, did I not just have a conversation like that with Angel a couple of nights ago?
"And how would you step it up?"
"Dat's da ting, I dunno, I don't wanna scah hah off, but if I go much slowah we'se gonna be dead befoh I can do anyting."
"Do anything like what?"
"Like propose."
"Ahhhhh."
"And den Spot's confusin me."
"Care to elaborate."
"Well, yestahday, when Media came back wid dat ring, I saw Angel goin googlie eyed ovah it and I stahted talkin ta meself dat it would be hahd ta beat dat. Den next ting I know, Spot leans ovah and says dat if it's shiny she'll love it!"
"He's right."
"I know dat!"
"Maybe he is like the girls" I muttered.
"What?"
"Uhm, so you don't know if he's mad at you or not?"
"Yeah."
"Don't worry about Spot."
"Easy foh ya ta say, he didn't threaten ta kill ya!"
"Since you've been here."
"Ya mean he did?"
"The girls don't know about this, but we brawled one time."
"Really? Is dat why ya get along so great now?"
"Yeah."
"So if we fight, he'll like me bettah?"
"You two have already fought, he's just taking his time."
"I wish he'd hurry up."
"Don't let him know that, or else he'll keep razzing you."
"Did he do dat ta ya too?"
"No, he did that to Skittery."
"Aight. And den I don't know where ta go wid Angel."
"I assume you're talking about your relationship?"
"Yeah."
"Ultimately you want to marry her correct?"
"Absolutely."
"And you're willing to give it some time before you propose?"
"If I hafta."
"What do you mean if you have to?"
"I wanna ask hah now, but if she ain't ready I won't."
"Are you ready?"
"I tink so."
"Not good enough."
"Why not?"
"You can't THINK you're ready for marriage, it's not buying something and being able to return it if you don't want it."
"I know dat."
"So do you think you're ready to marry her or are you ready to marry her."
"I'd need ta get me own place."
"Is that the only obstacle?"
"Dat and I'se wohied (worried) dat me past life'll try ta catch up wid me."
"What are you running from Jack?"
"Me lifestyle, gamblin, rocky relationships, dat kinda stuff."
"When was the last time you gambled?"
"When I foist got heah, dat's why I got stuck."
"Have you had any desire to gamble since?"
"Not really."
"Why not?"
"I dunno, just haven't."
"Come on Jack"
"Cause I been keepin busy wid Angel and woik."
"And when the time comes when you're alone and bored which it will, what are you going to do then?"
"I thought Media was da councilah."
"She is on a more public scale, I get to do the under the table talks."
"Ah."
"So again I ask, so what are you going to do when there's nothing distracting you?"
"I like ta say I wouldn't go, but I dunno."
"All right."
"Ya satisfied?"
"Nope."
"What else ah ya wantin ta know?"
"It's not what I want to know, it's what you've gotta figure out."
"Good ansah!"
"You mentioned rocky relationships."
"Yeah, what about em?"
"You tell me."
"Sarah, me ex-goilfriend."
"Yeah I heard about that one."
"Who hasn't hoid about it?"
"I don't think the west coast knows yet."
"Yeah"
"Ya going to make me pry more then?" I asked looking for black ice.
"It's up ta you."
"Well, we still have a ways to go till town and I was sick of your silent ness." I can't believe I just said I was tired off the silence.
"It's just Sarah an I and den we was just on again off again and I don't want dat ta happen wid me an Angel."
"Do you know why you and Sarah were on again off again?"
"Not really, I guess she got tiahed a me and went aftah anoddah guy and she'd get sick a him and come back ta me."
"And you took her back?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"I dunno, pahtly because I woik wid hah bruddah's and I didn't want dem ta kill me if I didn't and I really did like hah."
"If you hadn't maxed out your credit card, what do you think you would have done when you got back to New York?"
"Probably settled inta da same routine I went through everyday."
"But now you're changed?"
"Actually I hated da routine. I needed sumptin moh. Like sumptin was missin."
"Like free will."
"Yeah. And a goil dat actually cahed and wasn't waitin foh hah next adventah. It kinda made me feel like I was a safety net, like I was da backup plan."
"Sorry."
"Yeah, it ain't fun."
"I can relate, but so you wouldn't do that now though."
"I don't undahstand what ya sayin."
"From what I can see, you're character has developed more since you've been here."
"Yeah, I'll be da foist ta tell ya it has."
"That's what I meant when I said you wouldn't do that now."
"Oh, okay uh no I wouldn't do dat now."
"So there's no way you'd go back to Sarah?"
"Tell me Mush. If you went out wid a goil dat left ya high and dry let's say every chance she got, den ya met dis oddah goil who really likes ya and she wants ta stay wid ya, would ya go back ta da foist one?"
"Hell no."
"Exactly."
"Here's the real question. If and I emphasize the if part, what if Angel broke up with you and came back and started the whole cycle again would you stay with her?" We drove on in silence for several seconds while Jack was deep in thought.
"I probably would at foist, but den I wouldn't be able ta take it anymoh."
"So you'd try to work it out to see if the relationship could be saved and only walk away AFTER you saw it was a dead end."
"Yeah."
"Okay."
"Is dat it?"
"Is there anything else?"
"Still don't know what I'm supposed ta do right now."
"You want my opinion?"
"Dat's why I came!"
"Aw I thought you just needed to clear your head."
"Dat's what I'll say if da goils ask."
"Glad we have that covered. Keep pursuing her, going out with her more, but don't smother her."
"Dat's da ting, how will I know if I'm smotherin hah?"
"If she starts cringing when she sees you coming, you'll know."
"She almost does dat now 'cept I tink its cause Dodgah and Ace can't keep dere mouths shut."
"Yeah don't worry, she likes you."
"How did ya know?" he asked sarcastically.
"After much hard investigations, pulling profiles."
"Wow. Nah I know dere teasin bugs hah, I just don't know what ta do when dey staht."
""Don't…provoke them, just point out that couples show their affection for one another and when they go 'Ahhhh couple!', which I'm sure they will, just ignore it. If Angel starts freakin out step up for her."
"Whad ya mean?"
"If she is tellin them to shut up and they aren't then ask them if they would like it if you or whoever jumped on their back every time they went to hug their boyfriends, just roll with it."
"Aight. What if she runs?"
"Then you'd wanna give her a little time, and while you're giving her that time give them a little talk."
"Whadda I do aftah I give hah a lil time?"
"Before we move on to that, do you know what I mean when I say talk to them?"
"Not really."
"Call their bluff. Do you know what I mean by that?"
"Let's pretend I don't"
"Nice cover. Let them know that even thought its fun for them to tease, it's messing with her head and if they care about her as much as they do then they'd respect her and stop making her run out of the room everytime you two show PDA."
"Aight. So whadda I do aftah I give hah time?"
"That depends."
"On…?"
"If Media goes up with her then wait til she, if not both come back down."
"What if she's by hahself?"
"Then ask her if Angel would mind if you went up to talk to her."
"Aight."
"If she says no, don't worry about it you can talk to her some other time. If she says yes, then your gonna have to follow your gut on how to talk to her."
"Yeah, dat's what scahs me."
"Yeah it still get scared shitless when me and Media have a blowout."
"She is scahy!"
"No, not that, I mean if we break up or something."
"Break up?"
"You know separate."
"Yeah I know dat, have ya befoh?"
"No, and I don't want to start."
"Obviously since ya just asked hah ta marry ya!"
"Yeah, still wrapping my mind around that."
"I heah ya!"
"Just to recap, you're still working on the gambling thing, which is okay. You have an idea on how to act around Angel. And you know how to defend her without using your fists."
"Yeah. But what if when I do ask hah ta marry me, she says no?"
"Believe you me, she won't."
"How do YA know?"
"Eh it's confidential."
"What is dis some kinda Dr/patient confidentiality type ting?"
"No, she's been my friend longer than I've known you."
"And ya point is?"
"Allright, what I discuss with a person, stays between me and that person, except that whole Spot thing."
"Aight. I just wish I knew."
"Wish you knew what?"
"Dat she'll say yes."
"Have you prayed about it?"
"Yeah very extensively…"
"Then just stop freakin out about it."
"Aight."
"We made it without crashing!" I said as we made it to the store.
"Yeah, I guess ya leg is bettah."
"I was more concerned about the ice, but yeah it's getting better."
"Why did ya kick at im anyway?"
"I don't know."
"Ya nevah kick at a guy holdin a knife!"
"I know!"
"Yet ya still kicked."
"I was mad."
"So?"
"This is a first."
"What?"
"Someone prying to get me to talk."
"Heh, just ansah da question."
"I wasn't thinking clearly."
"Dat's obvious."
"Then why'd you ask?"
"Tryin ta figgah out why ya kicked. I didn't tink ya'd say because ya wasn't tinkin clearly."
"What did you think I'd say?" I asked wondering how much he really knew about me.
"I dunno, I just noticed dat ya nevah seemed comfortable round knives befoh da warehouse."
"I'm not even sure what she needs for pie!" I said trying to avoid Jack's comment.
"Me neiddah."
"So we're here to get stuff for a pie and we have no clue what we need."
"Yep, ansah da question."
"What was the question?"
"Why weren't ya comfortable round knives befoh da warehouse?"
"Because I don't like them."
"Why not?"
"Bad child-we need sugar!"
"Explain dat bad child- paht."
"You don't shut up do you?"
"Hate ta break it to ya, neiddah do you."
"Haha."
"Well…"
"Bad childhood experience."
"Such as?"
"I guess it wasn't really childhood."
"Den when?!"
"Mid teens."
"Ya wanna tell me or do I hafta drag it outta ya?"
"All right. It was early one morning I came down the stairs and I tripped and fell on a knife. The end! Ah flour!"
"Whatevah, you suck at lyin."
"Everyone tells me that."
"It's okay Angel does too. Anyway da real stohy?"
"Fine. Did you know my parents divorced?"
"No, but I do now, continue."
"Well, everyone thought that it was just because my parents weren't in love anymore or whatever. But, my dad liked to hit the bottle."
"Dat ain't good."
"Nope, and my mom took his crap til…"
"Til what?"
"He'd yell at her, never hit her. But he wouldn't shut up one night, so I stepped in."
"What happened?"
"Well I knocked him out with one punch, which was great, except he wasn't really out."
"What did he do?"
"He'd broken some dishes in the kitchen earlier so I went in to clean it up for my mom. Anyway, he followed me in, said it wasn't my place to be interfering in his business, and I told him we were better off without him."
"And den…?"
"And then, he grabbed a knife and cut me."
"Vital area?"
"You remember that one night when Spot and I got in the fight outside the theater?"
"Yah what does dat hafta do wid da price a beans?"
"Wow you sound like Angel."
"You sound like Media, ansah da question."
"Well, I didn't want to take my shirt off I am kinda shy but I didn't want anyone to see the scar."
"Which is???"
"Its on my left side, upper rib kinda under my armpit, close to the heart. Doctor that checked me out that night said it was a killing stroke."
"Wow."
"Yeah."
"No wondah ya hate knives."
"You're the second person I've ever told about this."
"Was Media da oddah?"
"Yeah, she found it."
"I don't wanna know."
"You sound like Dodger now."
"Ok so how?"
"How you sound like Dodger?"
"No how did she find it?"
"When we first started dating, a couple of years ago. She was helping me clean my apartment and I stole her shoe. Which is when I found out that she had ticklish feet, but anyway, I was holding it up with my left arm and she jumped up to get it, but clawed me when she came back down. She actually drew blood, through my shirt!"
"Wow."
"So I was changing shirts, she came in with peroxide, and a blind person could have seen that she didn't give me that scar."
"What did she do?"
"She was shocked at first because her parents are pretty solid. And she started freaking out."
"If she's anything like Angel I can imagine."
"See it's interesting, with other people Media's sensible, but with Angel she's a little more protective and with me it's just like psychotic territorial. Which I don't mind."
"If ya don't mind me askin, why is she so protective a Angel?"
"I think it's because she bonded with Angel better than she did with her family since most of her family moved out."
"And that's why she beat the livin daylights outtah me?"
"That I'm not sure, she said it looked like you were going to hit her so she struck first, but I don't know."
"So why didn't she bond with da oddahs?"
"Cause they don't understand her? I don't know Jack!"
"Sahy, I was hopin ya could help."
"Media givin ya problems?"
"Nah, I'm just afraid a messin up and dat she'll try ta kill me."
"She wouldn't kill you, it'd be an easy way out."
"How so?"
"When Media gets vengeful, she'll cause as much pain as she possibly can to whoever crossed her friend or whatever."
"Good ta know."
"Ah don't worry Jack, she won't come after you."
"Again how do ya know?"
"Cause she said you have potential."
"Potential?"
"Yeah so she doesn't want to interfere with Angel's relationship unless she has to."
"Dat's comfortin."
"Bottom line, don't run away."
"Why does everyone assume dat's what I'se gonna do?"
"Are you serious?"
"Ya da fifth poison dat's said dat dis week!"
"And did they tell you?"
"No!"
"Well I don't know what the others are or were thinking, but all right, what if some guy showed up out of the blue, had a gambling problem talked to your closest friends and seemed footloose?"
"Am I supposed ta ansah dat?"
"I'll answer it for you. Ya didn't seem that trustworthy."
"But I've tried ta prove dat I am, but it seems like no one wants ta give me da chance!"
"I lost my beef with you the night you cornered me in the bathroom because, no one would have ever done that."
"What can ya say, when I'm serious, I don't let nuttin get in me way."
"Then technically you were in my way, but I don't have a problem with you and I really don't think anyone else has a problem with you either."
"Not anymoh! I had ta sit on Spot ta get his problem delt wid."
"Spot's stubborn."
"Da whole family is stubborn!"
"Ya know ya complainin about how you had to redeem yourself, even though you won't let it die that we misjudged you."
"Burn!"
"You reap what you sow!"
"Case and point. Aight do we have what we need?"
"We might need baking soda, but other than that we're good." I said as we bought the stuff and made it back out to the car.
"I need an energy drink!" I said as exhaustion began to set in.
"Why?"
"I don't know, it's not a physical or mental tiredness, it's just all this deep problem solving issuses is draining."
"Haha."
"Man you are a guy version of Angel."
"You're a guy voison of Media, so what?"
"I'm calmer than her."
"Sometimes."
"Sometimes?"
"She can be pretty mellow when she wants ta."
"Yeah, but I'm mellow most of the time."
"And I don't flip out as bad as Angel."
"You whine way more."
"Whatevah."
"Since we're having this great discussion, I'd like to apologize." I said trying not to laugh.
"Foh what?" Jack asked warily.
"Callin you a weakling."
"When did ya call me a weakling?"
"Media tried to put me in a chokehold, the one she used on you, but I caught her and said that it only worked on you because you were a weakling."
"Tanks."
"Ah, gas station."
"We runnin low?"
"No, I need energy."
"Maybe I ottah drive on da way back."
"Just leave it running." I said as I ran inside to buy my drink. I came back out chugging down my Monster when I turned the corner and saw Jack getting mugged by 2 thugs. One turned at me and said,
"What are you lookin at?"
"Nothing just passin by."
"Then PASS!"
"All right." I said as I was almost around them I made eye contact with Jack and splashed the remaining Monster into the 2nd guys eyes and tossed my jacket to Jack as I saw him get stabbed. I then hurled the can into the guys stomach.
"AHHHH" he screamed covering his eyes. We walked into each other throwing punches. We backed away from each other and the scum said,
"Ya bleedin" Before landing a punch into my shoulder. I gasped from the pain of it.
"Looks like ya been in a fight before." The guy sneered at me.
"Yah I have!" I said blocking his right jab with my arm but felt his left fist make contact with my upper sternum. I threw a powerful left hook into his ribs and heard them crack. He stepped back holding his side then rushed me by punching my hurt shoulder and pushing it down as he clipped my right knee. He must have seen me limping. I stayed on the ground and mouthed the "F" word before getting up.
"Looks like your shoulder ain't the only thing hurt!" he snickered. It was just like the warehouse…I pummeled his ribs once more
"Looks like you got a wound too." I sneered back.
"Mine ain't bleedin!"
"Yet." I threatened as I brought as I brought up my arms and signaled him to come and get me with the most taunting expression I could summon. He kicked me in the head and my anger rose.
"I am sick of thugs messing with my friends and me!" I growled as I started throwing punches at him forcing him into a corner where I relentlessly kept beating him. I pulled back once he was huddled on the ground, smiled, and kicked him in the face causing him to leave consciousness
JACK'S POV
Aftah Mush left ta go inside, I looked around da gas station just ta obsoive da scenery. I saw a newspapah dispensah dat was featurin a story bout a local playhouse. Since I'm a theatah junkie, I got out, bought one and started ta read it by da dispensah. So dere I am mindin me own business when dese 2 punks come up and try ta mug me. Da foist guy walked up behind me, held a knife ta me throat and grabbed me by da ahm. I calmly folded me papah and set it aside ta heah what dey wanted.
"Give me your wallet." Da foist guy said.
"It's in da cah." I said hopin dat he didn't see it in me pocket.
"Which car is yours?"
"I ain't tellin." I scoffed.
"He ain't talkin, just kill him." Said da second guy.
"Tanks." I said noddin me head at im. Right about dat time Mush came walkin round da cohnah chuggin a Monstah. De two guys asked him what he was doin and told im ta leave. We made eye contact for a second and I mouthed, "HELP ME!!!" Mush stahted ta walk away but threw his drink in da second guys eyes. Da foist guy still had da knife ta me throat, and as Mush toined on da oddah guy I made me move. I twisted his ahm inwahd across me shouldah but he went wid da motion and pushed fohwahd. I toined ta face him and he slashed me across me stomach. I backed against da wall and Mush tossed me his jacket. Da bum slashed at me neck but I bent backwahds and dodged it silently tankin Medda foh makin me do alla dose backbends all me life. I kicked him in da knee and tied da jacket around me waist. He slashed at me again and dis time I felt da blade cut across me foheahm as I tried ta block da attack. He cut at me a few more times but missed he den switched da knife ta his left hand and brought it down at me head. I grabbed his wrist and brought it down inta his knee, he let go a da knife and stumbled back. He swung at me stomach and I dug da blade inta his wrist cuttin da main vein. We circled and he turned and chuckled as I heard a thud behind me where Mush was fighting. I toined me head towahds da noise and da bastahed knocked me sideways wid a punch ta da left side a me head. I regained meself and sliced his gut. I den began slashin at him and he backed inta a vendin machine. I brought da blade ta his troat and pushed me oddah ahm cross his chest.
"Get outtah heah." I told him.
"Fine." He sneehed at me. I den walked him inta da stoh and da clerk called da police on im.
"Do you need to go to the hospital?" I asked him.
"Nah, it ain't deep, just a scratch." Jack said.
"It's bleeding quite a bit!" I said looking at my stained jacket.
"Will it make ya feel bettah if we go ta da hospital?"
"Considering Angel would probably kill me if I didn't make you, yeah we're goin!"
"Fine."
"Granted I have no idea where a hospital is."
"Poifect." Jack said rolling his eyes.
"I guess we'll have to do the unmanly thing and ask directions."
"Looks dat way."
"Could you tell me where the nearest hospital would be?" I asked turning to the clerk.
"Uh the nearest hospital is a couple hours away, you'd have to take the highway, but there is a family clinic in town." He said.
"How do I get to the clinic?"
"Take Jefferson stay on that for a while, left on Willow and then it's at the intersection of Willow and Saginaw."
"Thanks." I said turning to leave. "Media's gonna be happy."
"What?" Jack asked.
"She washed the interior of my car, so now I have to do it for her." I said nodding towards our bleeding wounds.
"Ah, I'll try ta get as little blood on da seat as possible." Jack said jokingly.
We followed the clerk's directions and after finding no street named Saginaw, we realized he meant St. Joe.
"Well, we'se heah." Jack said as I pulled up in front of the building.
"I hadn't noticed."
"Let's just get dis ovah."
"I'm right behind ya."
"Welcome to Family Medical, if you wouldn't mind filling out these forms, the doctor will be with you in a moment." The receptionist nodded not even looking up from her magazine.
"Thank you." I said grabbing one.
"Ah ya shoh we need ta do dis? I can patch meself up fine if ya just get me back ta da house." Jack said.
"OH MY!" the woman exclaimed finally noticing all the blood dripping off of us.
"Now she notices." I said.
"I'll be right back." She said hurrying out of sight. Jack and I were escorted to separate rooms where I had to get stitches and found out Jack's cuts were a little deeper than he had guessed.
"I coulda done dis meself!" I heard Jack yell.
"Uh huh, just go easy and don't lift any heavy objects." The doctor told him.
"I know dat!"
"I'm gonna prescribe some medicine for you, you can pick it up at the drug store down the block." The doctor replied.
"Whatevah."
"I advise that you not get in anymore fights." The doctor said exiting the room.
"Do ya tink I willingly got in dis one?!"
"And how is this one?" Jack's doctor asked walking into the room I was in.
"Just needed some stitches." My doctor told Jack's.
"Uh huh. Same thing I told your friend, drug store is on the corner, no lifting heavy objects, and avoid fights."
"Yes sir."
"Kids!" he mumbled, he was lucky Jack hadn't heard him.
"Here's your prescription. Will one of you be well enough to drive?" my doctor asked.
"Yeah we're fine." I said sliding off the table.
"That guy was a prick." I said as Jack and I got into the car.
"Avoid gettin in fights." Jack mimicked the doctor. "Ha, I'se been woise off dan dis!" he said pointing the giant blood stain on his shirt.
"Somehow I'm not surprised."
"Yeah yeah."
"Let's find the stupid drug store, get the meds and go back to the cabin."
"And prepah ta get yelled at."
"Of course."
"I wouldn't expect less a Angel." He said.
"Haha."
"I'se can't even read what he wrote!" Jack said trying to decipher his prescription.
"We'll figure it out once we get inside." I said pulling in the driveway. We went inside, bought the drugs, and headed back to the cabin. We were almost there when we hit a patch of black ice.
"WE'SE GONNA DIE!!!!!" Jack screamed like a little girl.
"Can't…drive when…I'm…laughing!"
"YA CAN'T DRIVE PEHIOD!"
"You are such a baby! We just fishtailed."
"We did?"
"Yes, but you were thrashing around so much it probably seemed like more than a fishtail."
"How bout we not talk bout dis ta da goils?"
"Oh you don't want them to know that you scream like them?"
"Not really."
"I won't tell the girls. But what about the guys?"
"Especially not dem!"
"You need to specify, Jackie Boy."
"Okay, how bout we don't speak a dis evah?!"
"Fine." I said laughing.
"It ain't funny!"
"Yeah it is!"
"No it ain't!"
"You're only saying it's not because you're the one who screamed."
"Ya do da same ting."
"I scream like a girl?"
"I'm shoh ya have ya moments."
"No, I do the opposite of you."
"What?"
"Instead of screaming I go quiet."
"I'se a theatah kid, I'se s'posed ta be loud!"
"Well then you are doing your job."
"Too bad I ain't gettin paid."
"Haha."
"Oh and whaddaya get paid foh?"
"I'm a personal trainer."
"Wow, no wondah Media couldn't take ya down."
"W-III won't say that."
"Say what?"
"I was gonna say that's why she could take you down."
"Like I said, I'se a theatah kid, ya really don't need a lot a muscle. Just uppah body strength foh lifts and stuff."
"That's cool."
"At least ya have fun wid what ya do."
"Usually."
"Whaddaya mean usually?"
"There are just days when you don't want to go to work."
"I heah dat. I was in dis one play, "By the Bog of Cats" and I hated everything about it."
"That sucks."
"Yeah especially when ya considah dat most a da cast, who're like me family, were being assholes about everyting!"
"Being assholes to who?"
"Everybody else."
"Oh like the less major roles?"
"Yeah, dere was dis one guy who played da Ghost Fancier, and he was s'posed ta dance wid dis goil who was a black swan. Well Medda had an audition foh da black swan an it came down ta two major goils and she didn't want ta not use one so she made da oddah one da grey swan. Well da guy playin Ghost Fancier and da chick playin da black swan kept gettin tageddah ta do choreography foh da pehfohmances and leavin da grey swan out, so she just ended up standin dere like an idiot."
"Hmm."
"What?"
"Why didn't Medda step in?"
"Cause da goil playin da grey swan didn't speak up foh hahself, so Medda didn't know."
"Why didn't anyone else say anything?"
"We was all dealin wid our own crap."
"Okay."
"Yep."
"So you grew up in New York?"
"Yeah, Manhattan."
"And how was life in Manhattan?"
"It was busy, but I was comfortable."
"It was busy even when you were a kid?"
"Well, me pahents died when I was 6, so den I went ta live wid Medda, who owned da theatah and yeah it was busy."
"So, is she legally your mom?"
"Yeah, in me pahents will, dey said dat if anyting happened ta dem den she'd get custody."
"Uh, how did they die?"
"Well I was ovah at a friends house when it happened. Dey was on dere way ta pick me up when they hit a patch of black ice and careened offa bridge."
"Aw man."
"Yeah."
"At least ya weren't there."
"Yeah, in someways it's woise dough, I still tell meself dat if I'd been dere, I coulda maybe done somethin."
"Jack, you were 6, what could you have done?"
"I dunno if I hadn't been at me friends house, den dey wouldn't be comin ta get me and dey wouldn't a hit da ice."
"Ah"
"Ya have dat shrink tone in ya voice again."
"Sorry."
"It's aight."
"So you honestly think it's your fault."
"Not entiahly, but mostly yeah."
"Hm…"
"What?"
"Jack…"
"Mush…"
"Did you ever consider that it was just their time to go? If it hadn't been the wreck it would have been something else. If you had been with them you would have seen it, and that is more emotionally scarring than just having them go."
"Yeah, I just…da way da rest a me family acted aftah dey died was like it was my fault ya know?"
"They were blaming a 6 year old?"
"Not directly."
"Do you stay in contact with your family?"
"Most a dem've passed away already, and da one dat haven't don't live anywhere neah me. Like I said da theatah crew is me family now."
"Ah. I'm glad you found your niche."
"Yeah, me too, and now it's lettin me stay heah."
"Yeah, so you might have non theater family too."
"I'se plannin on it."
"That's crazy!"
"How is dat so much craziah dan what ya just did?"
"You did not…I meant, we'd be related if you and Angel do get married."
"Hehe, yeah dat is crazy!"
"And Spot would be your little brother!" I laughed.
"Yeah."
"Nah, he's a good kid."
"From what I'se seen, he just cahs a lot."
"Yeah. So that explained why you freaked out when we fishtailed."
"Yeah, it's like me woist nightmah come true."
"That's gotta be pretty stressful, living in New York where there's a lot of ice and snow."
"Yeah, but I pretty much walk or get a taxi, just because tryin ta drive in NYC, is like moidah."
"Huh."
"Yeah, it's neah impossible ta drive."
"I can imagine."
"Yeah, it's crazy."
"I miss home, well not really home but ya."
"What?"
"I'm from California." I said remembering surfing and warm weather.
"Oh really?"
"Yup."
"So why aint we dere instead ah heah?"
"Because the snow is fun, I thought you liked it, and this is Media's home turf."
"I do like da snow, but Cali sounds interesthin."
"Yea it is. Course I haven't been there for 3 years.
"I'se remembah one time me and me friends went to da beach and we was playin dat marco polo game and I was it .I couldn't see since me eyes were closed and I accidentally dunked some guy dat I tought was one ah me friends. It was embarrahsin but really funny."
"Wow. That is funny."
"So ya a Cali boy, did ya soif (surf)?"
"Yes and I loved it! Cept one time I wiped out and got a bloody nose and my friends were like a shark is going to kill you! It was something."
"I saw a jellyfish once."
"Is that a fact?"
"Yeah in Cohpus Christi, we went dere on a theatah family vacation one time, it was funny because Dave saw it and he kept tryin ta scoop it up wid a boogie boahd he bought."
"Wow."
"Yeah. I had a lot a fun on dat trip, we actually got ta see da ship dey used in "Poil (pearl) Habah (harbor)."
"Really?"
"Yeah, Dreamah stahted freakin out because Ben Affleck and Josh Hahtnett walked where she was standin, I tought I was gonna hafta carry hah off da ship."
"That was such a gay movie!"
"Yeah it really was."
"Are you ready to be faced with angry girlfriends?" I asked pulling into the driveway.
"As ready as I'll evah be."
"Just remember, we didn't start that fight."
"Ya tink dey'll buy dat?"
"No, they'll probably say I should have kept walking and you should have given them the money."
"Dey woulda done it anyway."
"And those will be your famous last words."
ANGEL'S POV
We all ate breakfast and after getting bored we started playing phase 10. In some freakish way Media ruled the game and won two phases ahead of Blink who was closest behind her.
"One of these days, I'll win this game." I said throwing my cards in.
"That was the first time I've ever won." Media said.
"Yeah, I've never gotten to phase 10 though."
"We can play again and do crappy so you can win." Ace offered.
"If you did that I wouldn't feel like I won…it would be like winning under false pretenses."
"Foh you dat may be da only way ta win dis game." Spot said.
"I don't play it to win it, I play to have fun with my friends and family." I smiled.
"Awwww." Dodger said hugging me.
"Dodger…can't breathe!" I gasped.
"Whoops!"
"Anyway."
"We should make a fox trail!" Media said excitedly.
"What's that?" I asked.
"It's when you go out in the snow and you start making a path. The paths can intersect each other go in a circle, whatever you want."
"Why?"
"Because one person is the fox and the others are the rabbits that the fox is trying to catch. It's kinda like tag only you have to stay in the trails."
"Cool."
"I'm game if you are." Dodger said.
"Me too." Ace echoed.
"Yeah why not?" Blink said.
"Aight" said Spot.
WE went outside and started making our trails and through a series of battles of rock, paper scissors, Dodger was chosen to be the fox.
"All right." She said smiling.
"Everybody go!" I yelled to start the game. Somehow I ended up in one of Spot's trails that was a decreasing circle. I made sure Dodger was preoccupied and started running out of the circle and had a head on collision with Blink.
"OW!" I said holding my head.
"Watch it dwahf!" Blink said.
"Who you callin a dwarf?" I asked.
"You."
"You're goin down!" I said shoving him into the snow.
"No you are!" Dodger said charging at us.
"Run away!" Blink said sprinting off.
"Don't hit me!" I said covering my head with my arms.
"Gotcha!" She said tackling me around my waist.
"OOF!" I muttered as I hit snow.
"Angel's the fox!" Dodger yelled as she took off. I stood there for a second pondering if I should go after Blink for running into me, Dodger for tackling me, Media for suggesting this game, or Spot for his stupid trail. I decided that I had a vendetta against everyone but Ace, so I ran after the first person to come near me.
"She loves me!" Ace said as I ran past her to get Blink.
"Yeah you haven't done anything to make me not like you!" I yelled back.
"What did I do?" Spot yelled from a safe trail.
"You made the stupid trail that I got stuck in!" I yelled back.
"Blink your trail is gonna dead end!" Media warned him.
"Who made dis?" he asked.
"I did." Dodger said.
"Haha, you're mine Blink." I cackled.
"Dat's creepy." He said bringing his arms up as I got closer.
"Blink's the fox!" I yelled running for my life.
"Why da heck did ya make it dead end?" He asked going after Dodger.
"I thought it would be fun!" she said trying to run.
"Dodgah's da fox!" he said catching up with her.
"Well den we ain't got nuttin ta wohy about." Spot mocked her.
"Ok, now it's your turn Spot, you get to be the fox next!" she said going after him. He kept evading her attacks so finally help arrived.
"Dodger tag me." Media said growing bored watching them run around.
"But," she started pointing at Spot.
"I grew up here I can catch him." Media told her.
"Fine. Media's the fox!" Dodger yelled. Media then ran after Spot and caught him in no time at all.
"Spot's the fox!"
"Dat was cheatin!"
"It was perfectly in the rules my dear brother." I said.
"Aight. Ace hasn't been it yet." He said looking around for her.
"I think she got bored and went in." I said.
"Aight, I'll take you down Angel." He said.
"I've already been it!"
"We'se all been it."
"I'm cold." Dodger said.
"Yeah it is a bit chilly out here." I added rubbing my arms.
"I think we bought some hot cocoa." Media said as we all headed in for the warmth of the fire. We were lounging around the living room when we began to wonder what was taking Mush and Jack so long.
"Where are those two, they should have been back ages ago!" I said.
"Do you think the roads are bad?" Ace asked.
"Not dat bad." Spot answered her.
"But what if they hit a patch of black ice and ran into a tree and they're lying there bleeding and cold?" I asked my overactive imagination taking precedence of sanity.
"They didn't even know what to get for a pie, and stop overreacting!" Media said.
"Jack has his cell, if anything had happened he woulda called." Blink said.
"They probably got distracted." Dodger said.
"By what?"
"Maybe dey're like Angel and saw sometin shiny!" Spot said.
"Now isn't the time Spot." I said.
"Acorn, they're tough, they're ok." Media said trying to get me to calm down.
"You'd better be right."
"What does that mean?"
"If they're not all right, I'll kill you…" I said trying to sound threatening and failing miserably.
"WOW!"
"Ok I'm worried, I can't threaten when I'm worried!"
"Hun you can't threaten period and worrying wont' help."
"Heh, fine."
"I heah sometin." Blink said perking up.
"Is it me stomach?" Spot said as his stomach loudly protested it's emptiness.
"I hope not!" Blink said.
"Oh I see headlights!" I said.
"It's my car!" Media squealed.
"Do you miss your car or your fiancé?" Dodger picked on her.
"Two for one." She said. I waited at the window for Mush and Jack to come inside. Ace came over to watch with me.
"Why isn't Mush wearing a coat?" she asked.
"Why is it wrapped around Jack's waist?" I pondered out loud.
"Whaddaya talkin bout?" Spot said pushing his way in between us.
"Mush left wearing that jacket, and now they come back and it's on Jack's waist." I said.
"Did it always have dat crimson look to it?" Spot asked.
"He's jean jacket, no." Media said coming from the kitchen.
"It's got a crimson stripe on the arm now." I said.
"And Mush is limping!" Ace said looking out the window.
Media bolted out the door wearing only her flip-flops, I was right behind her, barefoot. Media quickly lost one of the flip-flops and it got stuck in the snow as she ran up to Mush.
"Why aren't you two wearing shoes?" Mush asked.
"What happened?" Media asked.
"Let's get you two inside before your feet go numb!"
"Fine, we'll talk inside."
"Sounds good ta me!" Jack said walking up.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"We'll talk about it inside Angel." He said.
"What happened?" Blink asked as we all came inside.
"These two lost what little sanity they had left and ran outside barefoot." Mush said.
"Who did you fight with?" Media asked looking at the bloodstains.
"I have no idea."
"What do you mean you have no idea?!" I exploded.
"Jack what happened?" Mush said looking at him.
"Well, we, uh, dese two guys tried ta mug me, and den me and Mush fought dem off. No big deal." Jack said calmly.
"YOUR STOMACH IS BLEEDING!!!!!!!" I yelled.
"Yeah I noticed dat too."
"Okay Acorn, before they get torn into more, let's patch them up." Media said grabbing my shoulder.
"We already did." Mush said.
"Good, I can kill you now!" Media said.
"No, because had the situation been reversed, you would have done the same thing."
"You don't know that."
"Hehe, yeah I do."
"Jack is still bleeding." I said quietly.
"Then we'll patch him up." Media said.
"No, I'll get it, you two talk." I said walking out of the room.
"Go ahead Jack." Media said pushing him along. He somewhat reluctantly followed after me. I guess he was afraid I'd yell at him.
"It ain't dat bad." He said.
"Take your shirt off, I wanna see how bad it is."
"What about dat walk by faith not by sight thing?"
"That's talking about trusting God even when you don't see Him working, off with the shirt."
"Aight." He removed the blood soaked shirt to reveal a stitched up gash spreading across his stomach and up through his abs.
"Looks pretty bad to me." I said.
"It stopped bleedin foh a little while."
"And your arm?"
"Dis one really is just a scratch."
"Let me see."
"I ain't sensing da trust."
"You said the one on your stomach wasn't that bad and it is."
"That's because I'se had woise, so I didn't tink it was dat bad."
"Please just let me see your arm." I said struggling to keep tears back.
"What's da mattah?"
"What the bloody hell do you think is the matter Jack?"
"I didn't staht da fight."
"I don't care if a Zen Priest started the fight! The fact is you fought and got hurt and you're playing it off like it was nothing!"
"Angel I had ta fight."
"Why?"
"Because dere was a knife ta me throat it was self defense."
"Th-they had a knife to y-your-" I said unable to finish the sentence.
"I see dis is scahin ya, so I'se gonna stop now."
"It was just unexpected that's all." I said lying through my teeth.
"Life's like dat. Ya shoh dat's all?" I nodded hesitantly. "I grew up in theatah, I know actin when I see it."
"Yes it scares me! Are you happy now!"
"No."
"What else do you want?"
"What did I do?"
"It's nothing, I'm sure it's just my overactive imagination." I replied coolly.
"Aight, we'se tied. I lied ta you twice and ya just lost ta me twice."
"When did you lie?"
"About me stomach and ahm!"
"Oh."
"I admitted dat, so what's goin on wid you?"
"What if you had died?"
"I didn't dough."
"Not this time, but what about the next time?"
"What is dis about Angel?"
"I-I'm scared."
"Of what?"
"Losing you."
"Dat ain't gonna happen."
"How do you know that? How can you be so sure?"
"Cause I hafta be."
"Why do ya have to be sure?"
"Because I can't be tinkin like dat an ya shouldn't be eiddah."
"What that at the snap of a finger someone's life can just be over?"
"I know bout dat bettah dan you can imagine, which is why I ain't freakin out ovah dis."
"So you've been through worse?"
"Yes and no."
"What kind of an answer is that?"
"I'se been hoit woise dan dis, but not ta dat degree."
"What degree, almost dead?!"
"Yeah dat one."
"Just so we're clear, how bad have you been hurt?"
"Physically bad, but woise in oddah ways."
"Such as…"
"Such as mental and emotional."
"What I meant was, what caused it."
"Death."
"You're parents?"
"Yeah."
"I'm sorry baby." I said trying to sympathize.
"Yeah."
"Sorry that I yelled at you."
"I understand."
"You do?"
"Yeah, ya just wohied (worried). It's kinda nice havin someone worryin bout ya." He smiled.
"So we're good?"
"Yes."
"Good."