A/N: These Monday updates just keep getting later and later, eh? :/
More confrontation with Jack's mom!
Chapter 6: Jake or Jack?
"What's up with you?" Evan asked as Jack's head was still lying on top of his desk.
Why does he always ask so many questions? Jack groaned in response.
"Jack? Are you okay?" Tina asked in a worried tone. Then again, Tina was always sounding worried.
Jack winced in pain. Out of nowhere, a massive headache decided to attack him. Jack gripped his white locks as his head felt like it was being split open. "Head..." Jack whimpered. He had never had a migraine this bad before.
Tina blinked in confusion. "What?"
"...Hurts," Jack replied, turning his head to the side to glance up at his so called friends.
"Are you okay?" Tina repeated, gripping Jack's extended forearm for comfort.
"And stomach..." His stomach had been growling from the lack of food earlier, but now it only ached with a dull throb. The half granola bar had done nothing to appease his hunger.
Tina glanced to Evan, worried, and said something that Jack didn't catch. The fluorescent lighting seemed much too bright, and Jack squinted his eyes in pain. There was a ringing in his ears, growing in volume with each passing second as Jack quickly covered his ears with a groan. Eventually the ringing subsided, and his hearing came back to him.
"...be you should go to the nurse, Jack." Tina's voice came into focus.
"No, I can't," he mumbled.
"Why not?" Evan questioned.
Jack babbled on. "Stomach hurts. She'd ask questions."
"Wait, what?"
"Jack, just go to the nurse!" Evan nearly yelled from concern.
"I-" Jack paused. "Food. Do you have any?" His mind immediately went to food after his stomach growled.
"Um, I think I have some crackers in my bag," Tooth said. Her tone was unsure as she glanced at Jack worriedly.
Evan leaned down to Jack's eye level, resting his elbows on Jack's desk. "We just had lunch, why are you hungry?"
"Can I..." Jack trailed off, zoning out for a moment. "Can I have th-them?"
No, Jack. You can't eat.
Yes I can. I didn't have anything yesterday and only half a granola bar today.
"Yeah, just let me get them," Tina murmured as she went back to her desk and dug through her bag. She walked back to his desk with a small bag of crackers. "Here you go," she said, holding them out for Jack.
Don't take it.
Just eat it. You can't even think straight right now, you need food. Just eat them.
Jack ignored the conflicting voices as he grabbed the small package and opened it. He pulled out a cracker, slowly taking a bite. "Ughh," he mumbled, groaning again.
"What is your problem?" Evan asked, irritation leaking into his voice.
Jack squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out Evan's rather annoying voice. His head throbbed in protest to the noise, and Jack ate three more crackers. His head gradually stopped spinning, and everything came back into focus. "Thanks Tina," Jack sighed, handing the bag back to her.
"No problem." Tina flashed Jack an anxious smile. "But what was that about?"
"I-um," Jack searched his mind for an excuse, but came up with nothing. "Please just forget about it. Let's just focus on the lab."
"Alright then," Evan said, going to get the lab equipment. He was more than ready to get past this.
Although Jack didn't really care for Evan or Tina's company much anymore, they were in many of his classes, and it would be impossible to avoid them. Besides, he wouldn't have to sit alone in those classes. Jack was kinda getting tired of that.
Evan came back with safety goggles and an erlenmeyer flask filled with some kind of base. Each of the three put on their respective goggles, and got to work on the lab. His stomach began to hurt again, but Jack pushed it out of his mind and tried to focus on his school work for once. That way, he wouldn't have to talk to Tina or Evan.
Tina wrote down the results as Jack and Evan added a clear acid to the base. Everything was going fine until a sharp pain shot through Jack's entire body, and he jolted from the shock, dropping the vial with the acid. The test tube shattered on the floor with a sharp crash, the acid spreading all over the tile floor.
"Woah, Jake, are you okay?" his teacher asked as he came over to assess the damage. The other students began whispering to each other, spreading stupid rumours about how dumb Jake was.
"Uh- I'm fine," Jack told his teacher as the man began to clean up the mess.
"Do you need to go to the nurse? Are you okay?" Mr. Orr asked him seriously.
"I'm fine..." Jack tried to say more, but another wave of nausea swept through him, leaving Jack clutching the lab table for support.
"I think you should go to the nurse's office," his teacher told him, dumping the glass shards in the trash can. Apparently he had noticed something off with Jack.
"We can take him to the nurse," Tina offered immediately.
"Yeah. Come on, Jack." Evan prodded his friend, trying to get him to stand.
Jack merely nodded numbly and stood, letting his friends guide him out of the room, his classmates whispering as they left. It was only when they were halfway to the nurse did Jack realise what was happening. "Guys, no. I can't go."
"Huh? What?" Tina questioned in confusion.
"I don't want to go to the nurse," Jack told them, yanking his arms from their grips.
"Look, I don't care if you don't want to," Evan said seriously, taking a step towards Jack. "You look like you're about to throw up. We're taking you to the nurse."
He realised that neither of them were going to back down, so Jack relented with a sigh. Tina and Evan grabbed his arms again, and led him to the office as though Jack couldn't walk by himself. He was sort of annoyed by that, but he did appreciate the help. Pain still shot through his body with every step, and Jack winced from his obvious discomfort. After a few more moments of walking, they reached the office, Tina pulling the door open.
"Can I help you?" A woman with short blonde hair asked from her desk.
Tina and Evan pulled Jack in the room as Tina spoke. "Jack isn't feeling well, so Mr. Orr told us to take him here."
The nurse glanced over Jack's form with scrutiny, and Jack tried not to shy away from her intimidating gaze. "Come here and sit down," she finally spoke, gesturing to the medical bed opposite of her desk. Jack nearly sighed in relief; his legs felt ready to give way at any second. He shuffled over to the examination bed, hopping on the white paper sheet, while Tina and Evan moved to sit in the chairs in front of the nurse's desk.
"How are you feeling, Jack?" the nurse asked, and Jack read her nameplate as 'Ms. Paint'.
"Not well," Jack admitted slowly.
"You don't know what's wrong?" Ms. Paint asked as she pulled out a clipboard and began jotting things down.
Well of course I do. But I'm not telling you. Jack shook his head, regretting the sudden movement which sent the room spinning.
Ms. Paint pulled out a thermometer, checking Jack's temperature through his ear. "No fever," she spoke aloud. "Does your throat hurt?"
Jack shook his head again. Tina and Evan sent him worried glances. Ms. Paint continued asking Jack a number of customary questions before she finally got to the one he had been dreading. "What have you eaten today?"
He looks to Evan and Tooth, who were still sitting there, listening to everything. "Um, a granola bar and..." Should I lie? Jack wondered. I can't tell her I've only eaten half a granola bar and some crackers. Not with both Evan and Tina sitting there. Jack glanced over to them once again.
Ms. Paint noticed this time and got the idea. "You two should go back to class. I can take it from here."
"Can't we stay?" pleaded Tooth.
"You need to go back to class," the nurse repeated. Tina and Evan both reluctantly got up before exiting the room. Ms. Paint's attention was on him once again. "What have you eaten today?" she repeated her question from earlier.
"Half a granola bar and like four crackers..."
Ms. Paint made a face of disapproval. "You need to eat more than that to have energy to make it through the day."
Jack stayed quiet.
With a sigh, Ms. Paint moved on to the next question. "What did you eat yesterday?"
There's an awkward silence as Jack tried to think of an answer. The room remained quiet for a few seconds before he answered. "Uh... an apple," he lied. The nurse eyed him warily, and Jack could tell that she didn't fully believe him.
"Is that it?"
He nodded in response.
"Alright, then do you mind if I check your weight?" she asked.
"I-I'd rather not," Jack replied cautiously.
She frowned. "What's your name again? Jack, right?"
"Yeah." He idly thought that this was the first time a teacher or adult at this school had actually gotten his name right.
She wrote down a few more notes. "Is that how much you normally eat?"
Jack kept quiet; his silence confirming her question.
"What's your full name, dear? I'm going to look you up in the school system," Ms. Paint told him, standing and walking over to her desk.
"Jack Overland Frost."
"Okay, hang on and let me look you up." She sat there in front of her computer screen, clacking away on the noisy keyboard. "Jake Overland Frost?" she asked, reading his file with a raise of her brow.
Really. So my mom DID put me in as Jake Overland Frost? "I guess," Jack replied with a shrug. It shouldn't have surprised him that his mom had done that, he was sort of expecting it, after all. At least now I know why all my teachers keep getting my name wrong.
"It says you transferred here about two weeks ago?" Ms. Paint continued, scrolling through his file. Jack nodded blankly. "You don't have anything listed here for illnesses or disorders. And it says your not taking any extra medications, is that correct?"
"I guess."
"It says that your guardian won't let me give you any painkillers or anything. Sorry about that... Do you want me to call your guardian to come pick you up?" She turned to Jack with a serious expression.
"I- I have to stay for detention after school."
"Well, you're just going to have to make it up some other time. I can't allow you to stay at school like this."
"I only have three classes left, and then detention. I can make it through the end of the day." Jack tried to make his voice steady in order to be believable.
Ms. Paint gave him a worried stare. "What time does your detention end?"
I guess there's no point in lying to her anymore. "5:30."
The nurse grimaced. "I can't let you stay that long. You need to be home resting and getting some food in your belly. I'm going to call your guardian listed on here. Who is it?"
"My mom..." Jack felt dread building up in him at the thought of his mom having to come pick him up early.
"Okay. Just a moment," she said as she took phone and dialed the number on the screen. "Hello? Are you the guardian of Jake Frost?"
Jack strained his ears, though he supposed it wasn't really necessary since his mom was speaking obnoxiously loud.
"His name is Jack," came his mom's harsh reply.
Ms. Paint's expression changed to one of confusion. "Oh... Sorry."
"What do you want?"
The nurse glanced in Jack's direction. "Well, he's not feeling well. I can't allow him to stay the rest of the day. Can you come pick him up?"
There's a dry laugh on the other end of the phone. "Wow. Just give the brat a handful of painkillers or something."
"Ma'am, you put down that you don't want me to give him any medici-"
"Just give it to him. I just said you could!" Jack and the nurse both flinched as his mother rose her voice.
"I'm not allowed to just do that, I'm sorry," Ms. Paint replied in a strained voice. "Can you come pick your son up?"
"He'll survive, I'm busy!"
Ms. Paint narrowed her eyes. "With all due respect ma'am, I am the school nurse, and I know that Jack isn't fit to be here. He's really bad right now, and-"
"FINE! I'll pick the damn pest up!"
A bang alerted Jack to the fact that his mom had hung up. "She's on her way now," the nurse told him rather awkwardly. Jack nodded in understanding. They sat there for another moment in an uncomfortable silence before Ms. Paint spoke again. "Why don't you go get your things?"
Jack nodded again, slowly getting up from the examination chair, the paper sheet crinkling under his movements. On unsteady feet, Jack wobbled towards his chemistry class, where he was met with a worried Tina and Evan.
"Jack! Are you alright?" Tina exclaimed, rushing up to the door as he entered.
He ignored her in favour of going to his desk and grabbing his backpack. He then went to Mr. Orr's desk, telling his teacher: "My mom is coming to pick me up from school."
"I understand. You didn't look well in class today," his teacher replied with a sad smile. "Feel better, Jake."
Jack ignored the misuse of his name, but recalled how his mom had carelessly put him in the school system as Jake. Thanks, mom. I really feel the love.
"So you're leaving?" Evan's voice sounded behind him, and Jack turned to see Tina and Evan standing there.
Jack gave a curt nod. He was feeling really tired and sick at the moment, and he really didn't want to deal with these two.
"Feel better, Jack," Tina nearly whispered.
Nodding, Jack adjusted his backpack and was out the room. He slowed his pace in the hallway as all the movement had begun to make his head hurt again. Jack entered the nurse's office, where Ms. Paint sat at her desk typing away. Unsure what to do, Jack moved back towards the examination bed and crawled on top of it. Ms. Paint continued typing, the random clicking of keys being the only noise in the otherwise silent room.
Eventually Ms. Paint turned to Jack. "I don't have any food, but would you like some water? It'd be good for you."
"Sure," Jack replied. He was grateful for her kindness, even though she did ask him too many questions earlier. At least I get to go home now, Jack thought, but then, that might not be the best option. His mom was most likely pissed for having to come pick Jack up from school early. Crap...
Ms. Paint handed Jack a paper cup of water, and although Jack wondered when she had gotten it, he smiled gratefully. After taking several sips, the office door flew open with a bang as Jack's mom entered. Jack noticed that she actually looked presentable, dressed in a plain black skirt with a matching blazer and blue blouse. She looked like his old mom again, before she had started drinking, but Jack knew better than to think that she was back.
He was proved right when Jack was blatantly ignored as his mom walked up to Ms. Paint's desk. "Sorry you had to deal with him," she told the nurse in an annoyed tone.
Ms. Paint gave a forced smile. "Not at all. I just hope he feels better." She paused, seeming to consider something. "But we will have to schedule a meeting to discuss his current state."
Jack felt his heart drop. That meant the nurse was going to want to tell his mom everything. About how Jack barely ate and was feeling sick to his stomach because of it.
His mother shot Jack a deadly glare. "What did you do?"
"Oh, no no," Ms. Paint quickly said, standing up from her desk to be on equal level with Jack's mom. "We just need to talk about him."
"Fine. Later then," his mom decided. "Let's go, Jack." And with that, she was already heading towards the door.
Jack slowly stood up, head throbbing and feeling nauseous. He struggled to walk straight, and when they got to the car, Jack collapsed onto his seat with a pained groan. It was only a few seconds after his mom had gotten into the car when the yelling started.
"You're always causing problems Jack!" she screeched, pulling out of the parking lot with jerky movements.
Jack gripped the safety handle in fear of his mother's driving. She quickly sped down the street, carelessly skipping stop signs and driving way over the speed limit. Where are the cops when you need them?
"You made me leave my job interview to pick you up from school because 'you don't feel well'," she said the last part in a high pitched and annoying voice.
"I'm sorry..." Jack whispered. He had never meant for this to happen.
"You damn well should be! You ungrateful brat," she hissed.
Jack's heart twisted in agony. No matter how many times his mother said things like this, it would always hurt. The pain inflicted by her words was more painful than the ringing in his head or the throbbing in his stomach. Jack tried to sink into his chair and disappear.
"It should have been you..." she trailed off, but Jack knew immediately what she was talking about.
It made him feel even worse that he agreed with what she said.
The rest of the ride home was filled with tense silence, but it eventually ended as she pulled into their driveway. Jack stared at his rundown-looking home, noting that if it was cleaned up properly, then it would be a very nice little house. But with all of his family problems, the house's curb appeal was the least of their worries.
His mother got out of the car, slamming the door shut behind her. Jack winced, but opened his own door and followed her inside the house. She took off her heels, and headed down the hall towards her bedroom. With the slam of her bedroom door, Jack was alone in the living room.
Jack headed towards the kitchen with a sigh. He knew that he shouldn't eat, but his stomach was literally going to devour itself if he didn't eat anything soon. He grabbed a single red apple, taking small bites to make it last as he headed to his bedroom. Jack hopped on his bed, immediately regretting his decision to do so as the room spins once more. Once his vision was clear again, Jack pulled out his notebook to continue working on his homework from earlier.
After a few minutes, Jack grew tired of solving math problems and opted for flipping idly through the pages. His fingers froze when he realised that something was missing.
Jack began frantically flipping through the sheets of paper, concern raising inside him when each one turned up empty. He then picked his journal up by the spine, trying to dump any loose contents on his bed. When nothing left his notebook, Jack realised with a wave of alarm that his letter was missing.