Chapter Thirty-two:
"Stacey, you are not allowed to see him ever again." Her father authorizes. After Kourtney's warning, they marched quickly upstairs to see their precious daughter half-naked on top of her boyfriend.
"We didn't do anything. I don't know how our pants were pulled down." Stacey defends knowing exactly who did it. For some reason she can't speak out Kourtney's name at fault for this.
"So you two just woke up like that?" Mr. Bliss doesn't but that excuse.
"It is true." When they woke up, to Stacey's parents' yell, it is there they notice they were half-naked. Automatically, Randy pulled back as Stacey's parents pulled her off him. He pulled up his pants as well.
"I can't believe you with the sight we witness." Her father shakes his head.
"Why can't you? Did I ever lie to you about something this big? You taught me better to not put myself in these situations." She speaks hurt that they don't believe her. For her if they would be intimate, they wouldn't execute it in a hallway.
"You and your brother didn't announce that you have boyfriends and girlfriends. Do you know how hurt we are to have you say it before a family barbecue?" Her mother speaks also hurt. "Were you two ever going to tell us?"
"Yes we were." She speaks quietly.
"When?"
"When we made it official." Jack answers with AJ and John behind him. Through the ruffling of leaves, John found out that Jack was stripped of his clothes and thrown in the bushes. AJ hugged him tight as John explained the situation to Jack.
"You two are not official." She inquires to her daughter.
"They are, but we, AJ and I, weren't before. She was prevented to say anything by me." Jack sighs. "AJ and I are official now, however I was scared that if I introduce her to you two, I would screw up again." He admits. "I don't want to hurt her like I did before with Emily." Jack regrets
"It was true what Kourtney said about you?" AJ speaks astonish officially having confirmation.
"Yes I was a player. For that reason, we moved neighbourhoods. Maybe that is where Stacey and Kourtney drifted apart." Jack assumes.
"What?" Their parents question.
"Mom, dad, Kourtney and I aren't best friends anymore." Stacey confesses. "She wanted to go out and party with her then boyfriend. I never wanted to go because I knew I would hate it. She has changed AJ is my best friend now." Stacey concludes.
Her parents are speechless. Do they know their children at all now?
"Mom. Dad. Say something, please." Stacey sees the disappointment and shock in their eyes on this revelation.
"Jack, take your friends home." Mr. Bliss commands.
"Dad, what about-"
"Stacey, go to your room." He interrupts to command his daughter.
"Dad-" She starts however she gets a deadly glare for an interruption.
"Jack, go now!" He points to the door. They all head down including Randy who is comforting AJ who is upset at what Kourtney said is true.
After Jack heads out the door, his parents head downstairs to notice all of their guests have left. They all volunteered to leave the house to give them privacy, oh so they thought.
"What did we do to them to have them lie to us?" Mr. Bliss speaks in a loud tone.
"Honey, they didn't lie to us." She defends her children. Their plan, of course, went horribly wrong.
"They kept it from us. They have never done that. They know that they can always talk to us." Mr. Bliss defends his reason to be angry.
"They do know." She rubs his back.
"Maybe this move was a bad idea." He is referring to the big move of leaving their small home in Brooklyn to St. Louis.
"It was the right move. Our children can have a brighter, safer future here." She informs him. "We both have great careers with benefits and our children like it here." She acknowledges.
"Back then they would inform us on everything. If Stacey got a bad grade, we would hear about it. I miss that. Even Jack told us about his player ways." Mr. Bliss blurts out the secret he and his son have.
"You knew and allowed it." She scorns.
"Well, I thought he would figure out that it is not right to treat woman as an object." He defends.
"Did he get the message?"
"He did with Emily."
"How do you know that?" She is surprise at this. She is unknown with all of this.
"He comforted in me about everything. Do you remember the weekend I took him back in Brooklyn?" She nods. "He needed to be taken back where everything was simple. We took him away from his place that he felt safe. Yes, they were only four or five years old, but they would seek comfort to go to the park near the house."
"So he just wanted to feel that again?" Mrs. Bliss wants to clarify.
"Yes, you are working now so he didn't have that warm welcome anymore. Yes, you picked them up before, however sometimes you would be tired to prepare snacks. I am not only blaming you, I would long hours and be too tired to read to them like I used to. This atmosphere is better for them future wise, however it is not the same comfort wise."
"What are you saying, we should move back?" She inquires.
"No, I think we need to revisit our own selves. We should visit Brooklyn for vacation." Mr. Bliss requests.
"I don't think we can they are in the middle of the school year." She states worried about their education.
"Maybe we can talk to their principal to have a few or couple days off."
"How long are we staying there?" She hopes it is not prolong too much.
"I was thinking a week."
"Can you get those days off?" Mrs. Bliss divulges concern.
"How about you?"
"I have some sick days I can use." He mentions.
"I can have someone cover for me. There is one guy who owes me a favour." He smiles.
"Make sure it is okay we can't have you lose your job." They are in a comfort pace, although this will damage them.
"I will."
Jack stops at Randy's car. "I am sorry for not mentioning you about my past."
"It is okay everyone has a past." AJ whispers quietly. "Can we go, Randy?" She nudges him.
"AJ-"
"Stop, it is better if we just leave." John stops him to protect AJ from more emotional pain.
Randy guides her inside to be beside John. "Tell Stacey whatever her parents decide I will honour it." He lays open to respect their decision no matter how hurt he will be.
"Randy-"
"John is right for AJ's sake we should go. Just give Stacey the message, please."
"I will." He promises feeling disgusted and shame of himself for his secret.
Randy starts the ignition as he heads down the street. Jack looks up to see his sister in tears at her window as she listened to Randy's message.
"Hey son, we came-"
"Not now dad." Jack speaks quite irritated by this day.
"Jack, what happen?" Mrs. Bliss asks.
"I am going to my room." He answers. As he approaches the stairs, Emily and Becca head down.
"Hi Jack, thanks for the great night." They giggle assuming it was him with them not noticing that she just came from outside.
"Jack you-"
"Thanks man for the heads up." Dean enters with a pat on his back. "Mr. and Mrs. Bliss." He swaggers to the door while his parents are puzzled by this.
"Do you believe that Kourtney told you the truth?" He inquires before heading to his room.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Randy inquires as AJ opened the door. He is picking her for school in the near future.
AJ shrugs as she slowly makes her way to the kitchen table. Randy closes the door to join her. "AJ, you have to – ice cream?" He wonders seeing a carton of ice cream in front of her.
"I am eating my sadness away." She takes a big tablespoon of ice cream in her mouth.
"For breakfast, you need to eat something better." Randy requests. "How about an apple?"
"No." She rejects. "You can eat it if you want." She eats another spoonful.
"AJ." He grabs the carton away.
"Give it back." She yells reaching for it.
"You need to eat some real food." He covers it up and puts it on the high shelf of the freezer.
"Can't you see I am in pain, I need to eat comfort food." AJ sinks down in the chair.
"You found out Jack was a player, doesn't mean he is now." He sits beside her.
"We don't know that." She sniffles drowning in his own misery.
"We do. Besides Kourtney's words, did you ever question if he was a player?" He hopes to help her figure out that the past is the past. Jack hasn't done anything to prove his disloyalty to her.
"No, he was sweet, caring, and funny. We connected right away." She gives a weak smile.
"Don't judge him by what words were said, judge him by his actions. As I was a bit skeptical of him in the beginning, I see how happy he makes you. I see how you light up when you talk or see him. I see nothing he has done to make you doubt him." Randy comforts her.
"I am just upset that… that-"
"That he will be like the others you had a crush on before." He finishes her thought.
"Yah." When guys see John and Randy relationship with her, they would rethink if they miss something with her. All her crushes would talk to her, but in the end they would see no difference. They just came for the mystery and when it was not a mystery they left in the worst way. John and Randy always had to pick up the pieces.
"He is not like the other. Do you know how I know that?" She shrugs. "He is the brother of your bestie." AJ titters. "What, I said it right." She titters again. "If he is the brother of her, he can't be all bad can he."
"I guess not." She agrees.
"Now, come on we are going to be late for school." He utters.
"Wait, I have to leave food for Nikey." She grabs two bowls; one for the water and the other for the food.
"Okay." Even with the current situation, she will never forget about her dog.
At school
"Can you reconsider, dad?" Jack inquries. "AJ needs me right now."
"Jack is right we both need our significant others right now." Stacey agrees.
"Enough! You have a choice; stay here to be transferred to a different school or come for a week." Mr. Bliss strictly proposes.
"What, you mean if we don't come we leave our current school?" Stacey asks in shock.
"Yes." He clarifies.
"Can we at least tell them we will be gone for a week?" She requests.
"Jack will for the both of you." He partially accepts.
"Daddy, I can't just leave without saying my goodbyes to Randy." She throws a mini fit.
"You will, your brother will say goodbye for you." He stands his ground, even though it kills to see her upset.
"This is unfair." She huffs. "If I am forced to go then I will go, however you will speak through Jack from now. He is my mouth piece for you from now on." She marches out.
"Did you ponder what I said yesterday?"
"We did."
"I guess it wasn't deep enough or else we wouldn't be going on this trip." He follows his sister.
Mr. Bliss is speechless maybe he is wrong about this one. "They will come around." Mrs. Bliss rubs his arm.
"Excellent, Randy will be all mine." Kourtney rubs her hands evilly eavesdropping.
"Stacey-" He stops when he sees her look at Randy. "Stacey, we have to go." He speaks unfortunately. Stacey whispers in his ear. "I don't-" She gives him a sad pout. "Okay, make it quick." This is the least he can do without having her say goodbye.
Stacey smiles as she rubs to Randy for a kiss. Randy scoops her up for the long deep kiss. "I love you." Stacey expresses in his ear holding him tight.
"I love you too." Randy expresses back taking in everything about her in case it is the last time.
"Stacey, we have to go." Mrs. Bliss calls out sweetly hating to interrupt this moment. Her daughter wipes her tears as she rubs to the car.
"Umm… we are going to Brooklyn for a week. We don't have a choice in the matter." He explains as AJ starts to tear up again going to miss him.
"AJ, my sweet AJ." He smiles. "I put my explanation in this letter. I hope it explains everything, including why I am not who Kourtney says I am anymore." He passes her the letter.
She jumps in his arms to kiss him. "I will miss you. Don't forget about me." She whispers.
"I won't now, you don't go falling her these two while I am gone okay." She giggles.
"I will miss you too. Now Randy, my parents still don't approve you with my sister. I will try my best to change their minds." He offers seeing how much Randy means to her.
"Thanks." He appreciates.
"John, be careful. Take care of them for us, will you?" Jack requests.
John looks at them acting all innocent. "It will take some work, but I can handle it." He chuckles.
Jack chuckles back. "Thanks." He gives AJ one last big hug before joining his family in the car. Stacey waves sadly goodbye as they drive away.
"Shall we enter?" John inquires on proceeding through the school day. They both just give a weak nod.