Chapter 23
The next morning came quickly. Jack did take a few minutes to get out of bed. His ribs were hurting the worst. The doctor told him it would be due to the punches and the bruises. His lip still hurts. The two cuts were healing but weren't fully healed yet. Basketball practice was to begin in a week and a half. He was hoping his ribs would be healed enough to not miss the first practice.
Elizabeth was sore trying to get out of bed. She didn't fully understand why. She wasn't punched or anything like that. However, she was sore, nonetheless. After a few moments, she wanted to get out of bed before her mother's annoying, cheerful voice rang out. She also was supposed to pick up Jack for school.
The last couple of days were extremely hard and long. She remembered hoping to steal a kiss from Jack on the way to school when the incident occurred. As she was putting her make up on, she was imagining the kiss. Monday evening and part of Tuesday she spent with Jack. Their emotions were high, and they were surrounded by family. They didn't have an opportunity for a good kiss. She never imagined kissing would become so important to her. However, she is very eager to kiss her boyfriend.
…
Elizabeth parked her car in the Thornton's driveway. She was very early. She stepped onto the front porch and the front door opened when her foot landed on the top step. Her smile grew at Jack's expression. His smile tried to grow, but the two small cuts on each corner of his lip kept the smile from growing too much. His left eye was a nice color of purple and black. It hasn't healed very much since she saw him last. She shook her head trying to get the images of the incident out of her mind.
"Good morning, beautiful."
"Good morning, handsome."
"I'm almost ready. Would you like to come in?"
"I thought I had to come to the front door before you are allowed to leave with me." She sassed.
Jack stepped into her presence and lightly kissed her on the lips. "I would go with you no matter what."
"You're such a sweet talker."
"I'm trying."
"For goodness sakes…please invite Lizzy in the house." Charlette called out from the kitchen.
"You'll have to look over Ma this morning…she's upset I won't allow her to drive me to school and sit with me through my classes." He rolled his eyes.
"Awe…yes…my mother is overprotective too. I have strict instructions that I am to text her when I got here and to school." She playfully rolled her eyes too.
"Well…let's go inside before Ma tracks us down."
"Good morning, mom." Elizabeth stated as her and Jack walked into the kitchen. Jack smiled at the new title Elizabeth used for his mother. He didn't know about the conversation between Charlette and Elizabeth on the dock of the ambulance arrival. He noticed Elizabeth gave him a look that she would explain later.
"There's my girl. How are you this morning?"
"I'm fine, mom. Don't worry."
"Way too late for that, my dear." Charlette stood and gave her a hug. "Would you like a quick breakfast before you leave for school?"
"No thank you. I had cereal this morning."
"Are you sure. It's an egg that was baked in a muffin pan with cheese, sausage, and onion."
"No mom…I ate breakfast at home.
"Too bad."
"You should try it. I make it." Jack stated as he placed a water bottle in front of Elizabeth.
"Oh…that sounds lovely. I'll take one."
"Wait…" Charlette cried out in a bit of a fake insulted tone.
Elizabeth smiled as she took the food from Jack and took a bite of it. "Oh…this is good Jack. I didn't know you can cook."
"Yeah…a little. You know, I should make dinner for us one night."
"Uhm…that sounds nice."
…
Tom walked into William's office and both men made eye contact. Their expressions were easy to read.
"This morning better not be a replay of the other day." William warned his friend.
"I sure hope not." Tom shook his head. "I don't know if I can go through anything like that again."
"No kidding. How are you doing, Tom?"
"Proud…scared…worried…grateful…" His voice trailed off.
"Yeah, me too." William paused for a moment. "May I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"How do you do it? Being a cop and all."
"Well, the other morning was new for me. It's different when it's your child that is involved. When I answered a call before, it was always someone else's child. I wasn't attached. I was impartial, that's the difference."
"I don't know how I'm handling everything."
"You're doing better than you think, William."
"I don't know…" He thought over the course of the last couple of days. He tried to be there for his family, but it was a difficult forty eight hours.
"For what our families endured over that time, we are doing well. Our children stepped up and did everything they had to do."
"I would like for them to never face anything like that again."
"From your mouth to God's ears." Tom sighed. "That's part of what I would like to talk to you about this morning."
William nodded his head for Tom to continue as he sat behind his desk.
"I would like to suggest that Elizabeth take a self defense class. She fought hard the other morning. She has an internal fight in her. If she had a little bit of self defense foundation, she could have done a better in fighting against that man. Plus, with her going to college soon, knowing self defense would be beneficial for her."
"I agree. Do you have a recommendation?"
"I do. I have two different groups that teach self defense in Hamilton."
"Tom is this something you can do?"
"I can. I have taught Jack, but I'm not qualified as an instructor."
"I trust you. Elizabeth trusts you. She called you. I don't want her to take a class just for the certificate. I want her to know how to protect herself. I believe you can teach her that."
"I can. If you and Elizabeth are ok with it, I'll teach her some moves to protect herself."
"Thanks, Tom."
The two men sat for another ten minutes discussing issues that needed to be addressed. They checked their phones to see where their children were. They were beginning to love the Life360 app. They knew they shouldn't always check in on their children like that, but with everything that happened the other morning, they couldn't keep from it. They promised themselves they would only do this for the next week and then they would back off. Their daddy's hearts were just too strong and worried at the moment.
They spent another ten minutes just talking about life. William was worried about Jack and how he was dealing with everything. Tom was worried concerning Elizabeth and how she was doing. They also agreed on the old truck for Jack. Tom didn't like the total William was asking for the truck. He thought it was too low. As much as he tried to argue, William just wasn't budging on the price. They made plans to begin work on the truck with Jack.
…
"Is E coming this morning?"
"She is, Connie."
"Steph, I'm worried about her."
"You sound just like a mother." Steph laughed. "You saw her yesterday. She's doing well. We just check on her occasionally and we make sure we keep an eye on her. We don't keep reminding her of it, but we watch her. She'll let us know how she is doing by how she is acting."
"True…we don't all have the same schedule, but one of us is in every class with her except for one. We can keep a close eye on her."
"And that's what we are going to do."
"Alright, I'm leaving my home now. I'll meet you in the parking lot and we will enact the E Safety Plan."
"Perfect, just don't let her know we are doing this, or she will kill us."
"I'm not saying a word."
…
Elizabeth turned onto Jackson Ave quickly approaching the traffic light where everything happened. She slightly tightened Jack's hand she was holding the moment he tightened the hold on her hand. Jack eyed her discreetly when the light changed to red.
"You good?" Jack asked.
"I'm ok…with you here."
"We do this together."
Elizabeth stopped the car and turned her attention toward Jack when she knew there wasn't a car in front of her or behind her. He gave her a small smile she knew all too well.
Jack wanted to lean in and give her a kiss, but he didn't. He remembered the last time he did that while they were in the car. He understood he wasn't the reason for the incident, but he still thought about it. He just didn't want to be the cause of another problem. Elizabeth could see the thought process in his eyes. She released Jack's hand and placed her index finger under his chin.
"If you decide not to kiss me while we are in the car, I will not come and pick you up anymore."
"But I…"
"You did nothing wrong that morning. I wasn't driving. We were stopped. Now, I would like a kiss from my hero."
"I'm not a hero."
"You are my boyfriend and my hero. I would like a kiss." She leaned in with her eyes closed.
Jack sighed. He didn't want to, but how could he tell this precious girl no. After looking around to make sure no cars were close by, Jack leaned toward Elizabeth and gave her a soft kiss on her lips.
"Not exactly what I want, but I'll take it." She smirked.
Jack smiled at her. He would have never guessed he would have loved kissing so much. He was surprised Elizabeth did. She was always so reserved. She seemed to enjoy kissing as much as he did. He was grateful for that fact.
"If I remember correctly…" He flirted with a sparkling smile that stole Elizabeth's breath. "…there is a park close by."
"Jarrick…you always have the best ideas."
Jack let out a happy sigh at her flirty expression.
…
Charles stepped out of his sports car and looked toward Elizabeth's parking spot. He didn't see her car. Then he glanced at the bike rack. Jack's silly red bike wasn't locked up in its normal spot. He knew he was a little early, but he wanted to check on his friend. He texted her several times last night, but she only responded once with a thumbs up emoji. As frustrated as he was with her picking Jack over him, he was still worried about her. He heard the stories about the kidnapping. He stubbornly still believed that somehow Jack caused the whole issue.
Charles looked up when he noticed Steven's truck pull in the parking lot and he parked in his normal spot. It was six spots from his. Instead of getting out of his truck, Steven pulled out his phone. Charles thought he was waiting on Connie. He has noticed them hanging out with each other more lately. He wasn't surprised when Steven didn't look his way. Ever since the first unofficial practice when he leveled Jack, Steven was one of a small group of players that completely ignored him. With basketball practice officially beginning soon, he wondered if he should make an effort to reconcile with that group. The problem was that the group seemed to gravitate toward Jack. Charles leaned on the driver's side door waiting for Elizabeth to arrive. He would have a few moments to talk with her before they reached the bike rack and Jack.
Charles' hatred of Jack only grew since Monday morning. No one tried to kidnap Elizabeth before Jack came along. He heard the stories about the two guys intent of kidnapping William for money. Since they couldn't get him, they went for one of his daughters. That didn't make any sense to him. Why take Elizabeth instead of Julie or Viola? Why not just take William. Sure, he would have paid for any one of his kids, but Mrs. Thatcher would pay to get William back too. Somehow, this all came down to Jack. Maybe it was someone from Jack's old school? Or maybe from Jack's father's job as a cop. Something was amiss. He just had to figure it all out.
…
Elizabeth pulled into a beautiful small park along Jackson Ave. Jack didn't remember ever seeing it before.
"The Duck Park?" Questioned Jack.
"Yes. There is a small creek that runs through it. There are countless ducks in this park."
"Hence…The Duck Park."
"Alright Mr. Sassy."
"This is where you want to take me?"
"It's nice here. There is a turn around spot that's nice to sit and watch the water and the ducks."
"You come here often?"
"Some. Some people come here to kiss and make out." She bashfully stated.
"And you?"
"You know the answer to that question." She wagged her finger at his smile. "It's peaceful and quiet. Father takes me here some. When I was little, he would bring me here after getting takeout. We would eat at one of the picnic tables and just watch the ducks. In recent years, we would grab ice cream or a snack and just talk. This place holds nice memories for me."
"Wow…thanks for sharing this with me."
"You're welcome, Jarrick." She stated as she pulled to a stop at the turn around. She placed the car in park and turned the engine off. Jack followed her as she stepped out of the car. She leaned against her door as Jack stepped beside her. They instantly reached for each other's pinky finger.
The air wasn't cold, but you could tell fall was coming soon. The sun was bright and felt warm. The ducks were swimming around the creek foraging for food. They were graceful and peaceful in their search. Elizabeth let out a long sigh before she began to speak.
"Jack…I'm very sorry about what happened…" She stopped speaking when he squeezed her finger.
"We've already talked about this. It wasn't your fault any more than it was my fault."
"True…"
"I hope the next word out of your mouth isn't 'but'."
A small smile creeped on her lips. "How do you know me so well in such a short period of time?"
"The same way you know me so well. We pay attention to each other."
"Yeah…"
"I'm sorry…" He began until she squeezed his pinky.
"Don't you dare finish that sentence." She warned him.
They settled a little closer to each other and just looked out over the waters and the ducks. This intimate moment effectively closed the chapter of guilt on that nightmare of that morning. Elizabeth placed her head on Jack's shoulder. She was as contented as she ever has been.
"I'm meeting with Frank tomorrow." Jack whispered.
"That's great. I'm meeting with him today."
"That's good."
"I still think we should meet with him together when he sees it would be beneficial."
Jack let go of her pinky and wrapped that arm around her. She settled even more into his side. "I like that idea. We can work out our things separately and then together once we know what those things are."
"I think I'm dating a very smart guy."
"Oh sweetheart…you are." Proudly proclaimed Jack.
"You do need to work on your humor though." She giggled as he tried to tickle her side.
They settled into silence for a few moments. They were enjoying the quietness of the moment together. The ducks were still searching for food while some younger ducks seemed like they were playing with each other.
"Jack…may I tell you a secret?"
"Of course, Elizabeth. You may share anything and everything with me."
"Please don't take this the wrong way." She whispered.
"Ok…" He nervously stated slowly. A little bit of fear evident in his voice.
"I never wanted to date in school."
"I already know that. I didn't either."
She playfully patted Jack on the stomach but quickly stopped when he jumped at the pain. "I'm sorry…"
"It's ok."
She settled back onto his shoulder. She tried to speak but the words weren't coming easily. "I always thought…I mean, you are the first guy I dated…the first guy I kissed…I always thought that my…" Her voice trailed off to silence.
"You know…I always told Rosey that my first kiss would be my last first kiss…my only kiss. That I wasn't going to date anyone until I found the person that I wanted to spend my life with." Jack stated. His voice was very soft and low in volume. Even though her head was on his shoulder, she had to really concentrate to hear what he was saying. A smile covered her face.
She had known for a while that she was going to marry this guy. She couldn't explain it. She had asked her mother about it without going into too much detail, but she knew it in her heart of hearts. She knew that God showed her this truth. A couple of mornings ago also showed her. How he fought for her and with her against those bad men only cemented what was in her heart. She just knew it.
"Me too." She whispered.
"Really?" Jack asked slowly.
"Yeah…"
For the next few minutes, they didn't speak or move. She settled her head on his shoulder a little more and he laid his head on the top of hers. Their conversation, while short about that topic, spoke volumes to them. He wanted to say more, but his tongue was lost in forming words. They stood leaning against her car thinking through their last part of the conversation.
…
"Hey…Lee!" Rosey called out when she jumped out of her car.
Lee turned around to see who called out to him. He smiled at the beautiful blonde haired lady walking toward him.
"Hey." He had a large, ridiculously large smile on his face.
Cory walked past his brother and lightly smacked him on the back of his head. "Go slow." He whispered.
Rosemary walked up to him and saw his smile. "You didn't steal another piece of clothing from your brother, did you?" She giggled.
"Not yet. It's still way too soon. I'll take something in another day or so." Lee smirked.
"You're early." Rosey stated.
"Cory wanted to get here early to make sure to check on Jack. Plus, he wanted to see the special ed group before school."
"Yeah, that's why I'm here so early. There is just something about that group."
…
"Jarrick, I love you." Elziabeth finally broke the silence. She was lost in the conversation. She felt they were talking about marriage without ever using the word.
"Elizabeth, I love you." Jack kissed the top of her head.
Elizabeth reached into her pocket to pull out her phone. They still had a few more minutes before they had to leave for school. Her intent was to stop by The Duck Park for a kiss. However, their conversation brought her closer to Jack. This just confirmed that they were on the same page as where this relationship was heading.
"We have a couple of minutes."
Jack smiled at her words. "Yeah."
"Yeah." Elizabeth stated. She raised her head and then moved to stand in front of Jack. When she placed her forearms on his shoulders, he placed his hands on her hips. He took hold of her belt loop and pulled her to him. He wanted to kiss her, but he was afraid the two cuts on his lips would hurt too much. He was also afraid she wouldn't like it because of the cuts. Instead of kissing her, he leaned his forehead against hers. They kept eye contact.
Jack grinned at her as he moved his hand to the small of her back. He tried to pull her closer, but she was already against him. Elizabeth looked up and gave him a small kiss on his lips. She wanted to proclaim his lips as hers with the passion building inside of her, but knew his lips had to be sore due to the cuts and bruises.
Jack took his right hand and slowly lowered his hand along her back to the part that began to flare out to her bottom. He gently patted the very top of her bottom. Just like he did in the pool. Elizabeth curled her nose slightly. She gave him a 'I dare you' expression. She inwardly smiled when he swallowed deeply. Slowly, he lowered his hand to her bottom and gently patted it. Then he cupped it. At that moment, he leaned in for a kiss. It wasn't as deep as he wanted, but he pushed his limits with the painful cuts.
Elizabeth leaned more of her weight on Jack. She couldn't get him close enough. For some strange reason, when Jack patted and squeezed her bottom, it did something to her. No guy has ever touched her bottom before. The sensation was different, but something special. She loved it. She deepened the kiss until she felt Jack pull back a little.
"I'm sorry." She stated when Jack released her bottom and reached for the bigger of the two cuts on the right side of his mouth.
"It's ok." He sighed. He wasn't happy the kiss was cut short. He also wasn't happy he let go of her bottom.
Jack kissed her one more time and opened the car door for her. Once inside, they turned right on Jackson Ave toward the school.
"Mr. Thornton, that was very bold of you to squeeze my bottom." Elizabeth sassed.
Jack began to apologize until he saw the smirk on Elizabeth's face. "Well, I wasn't the first person to grab the other's bottom." He returned her sass.
"And how did that feel?" She asked with a light blush on her face.
"Better than I dreamed." She quickly glanced in his direction. The smile on his face stole her heart all over again. He exhaled as he closed his eyes. She thought he was reliving the moment.
"Jack, you need to know that I have limits…"
"Me too, Elizabeth. Intimacy is only in marriage." He sighed. "I'm sorry. I just got lost in the moment. I won't do that again."
"That's not what I meant Jack. Maybe we did push the line a little bit, but I'm not sorry I did that in the pool."
"I'm sorry you didn't like it when I did that back there and I'm sorry for that. But I have to admit, it was very nice."
"Jack…that's not what I meant. I'm ok that you did that. I just don't want…I mean, you understand I have my limits."
"I understand. I have my limits too."
She reached for his hand. She wanted to make sure she said this correctly. "Jack, I enjoyed what I did in the pool. And I enjoyed what you just did. I don't know why, but I did enjoy it. I just want to make sure that we are on the same page."
Jack tightened his hold on her hand. "I understand and I agree."
"I guess we are finding our limits."
"Yes. Are we good?"
"We're good."
…
Cory, Steven, Connie, Steph, Lee, and Rosey were all standing on the large top steps waiting for Jack and Elizabeth to show up for school. Their small huddle was directed to the parking lot. Smiles broke out all over the group when Elizabeth's mini cooper pulled into her parking spot.
"Well…" Jack stated as he nodded toward the top of the stairs. They both smiled to see the friend group looking in their direction with a smile on their face. "…it looks like we have a welcoming committee."
"It seems that way." Elizabeth smiled at her friends.
Charles noticed the mini cooper pull in the parking lot. As the car parked in its normal spot, he straightened up. He took one step and then noticed the passenger side door open. He cursed when Jack stepped out of the car. "Why is he always around?" He whispered to himself shaking his head.
Jack and Elizabeth walked up to their friend group to a chorus of good mornings and hellos. To the young couple's relief and joy, no one mentioned Monday morning, Their conversation was typical teen discussions. Elizabeth and Jack were grateful for the normality. Their past few days were chaotic, and it was just nice to be back to normal again.
The group of teens walked into the main doors to their normal group of special ed friends. Typically, the group would wait for Jack and Elizabeth to come to them, however, today was completely different. Every one of the special ed kids came running toward Jack and Elizabeth. Adam led the pack with his arms open and waving. Mrs. Johnston was behind the group. She was eager to see for herself that her favorite young couple were ok but knew she would have to wait her time after the group of kids said their hellos.
"There's my guy!" Jack exclaimed as he dropped his backpack and opened his arms. He knew the hug was going to hurt, but he wasn't willing to bypass their routine. He didn't realize how much he missed this until he saw the excitement on Adam's face.
Jack winced in pain when Adam jumped into his arms. He did spin Adam around like normal, but he did grunt the whole way around. His ribs were just hurting. As soon as he placed Adam down, Elizabeth placed her hand on Jack's back for support. When their eyes connected and she was sure he was ok, she turned her attention to one of the young ladies who called for her.
"Princess Beth…I missed you!" She exclaimed as she hugged Elizabeth.
Elizabeth removed her hand from Jack's back and gave the excited girl a hug that exceeded the excitement of the young girl. Elizabeth realized how much she missed this too with a show of affection.
The group stood in the front doors for a few minutes until Mrs. Johnston made them all move out of the way for the other students to enter the building. Just like normal, all the young guys gave Jack and high five, except for Adam. All the young gals gave him a side hug. This time, however, Jack kissed the top of their heads. He just couldn't help but reciprocate the love they were showing him.
Everyone gave Elizabeth a huge hug and called her Princess Beth, except for the two nonverbal guys. She enjoyed the affection as much as Jack did.
Once Jack and Elizabeth received their greetings, the group turned their attention to Cory, Steven, Steph and Connie. The group didn't know Rosemary or Lee, so they didn't receive the normal greeting.
As the group turned their attention toward the rest of the group, Mrs. Johnston came toward Jack and Elizabeth. She knew she shouldn't hug them. It wasn't proper for a teacher to hug a student. However, she couldn't help herself. She gave them both a hug and an extra squeeze.
"I'm go grateful you are both ok."
"Thank you, Mrs. Johnston." Jack and Elizabeth stated at the same time.
"Now, I don't want to dwell on it, but if you two need anything…and I mean anything…please don't hesitate to ask me. Ok?"
"Thank you, Mrs. Johnston. That's very kind of you." Elizabeth smiled her appreciation. Jack nodded in complete agreement.
"Mr. Thornton…other than this group, you are never allowed to kiss another female."
"Ms. Thatcher…you never have to worry about that. Only you consume my mind when I think about kissing."
"Good." She smiled as a red tint covered her face.
…
"And what in the world are you doing here?"
The tall man stopped halfway to the front office desk. He struggled to pass the mob of teens at the front door. He stared at this woman and then a smile broke out. "I'm here to find a guy we are looking at that is no longer at his old school. And what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be combing the library looking for the next great teacher or something?" He playfully sassed.
"Well Mr. Brown…"
"Coach Brown to you Mrs. Callahan."
"Pardon me, Coach Brown. I'm a little surprised you know what we do at the school since all you do is stare at a little brown ball all day and try to figure out how to make it go through a hole with some string tied around it."
Coach Brown couldn't miss the playful sass. "Well Mrs. Callahan, I'm surprised you know what a ball is since you never take your nose out of a book. Do you ever see the sun, or do you just read about it in one of your many books you always seem to be lost in?"
Mrs. Callahan and Coach Brown have worked at the same college for six years. Their paths don't always cross, but they were very good friends. They would sass each other because of their professions. Mrs. Callahan was a studious individual who loved learning. She was the chair of the literature department at Bryan's University. Bryan's University is a small university of about ten thousand students nestled in the mountains. It was the second ranked teacher college in the country. They had a great reputation and were sought out by students who wanted to become teachers. Coach Brown always teased her about her love for reading.
Coach Brown was the head basketball coach at Bryan's University. He was a jock throughout high school playing basketball, football, and baseball. In college, he concentrated on just basketball and met and then fell in love with his future wife. She made him hit the books and he graduated with a pretty impressive GPA. His wife and Mrs. Callahan became friends when Brian and Susan began working together at the university. Brian's wife works at the college in the library.
"The yellow thing in the sky that is hard to look at." Brown sassed.
"I'm assuming you're not talking about the picture books that is probably haphazardly thrown around the sport's complex?"
Their playful smiles grace their faces as they banter back and forth with each other.
"May I help you?" Mrs. Winter's asked breaking the teasing from the man and woman.
"Yes ma'am. I'm Coach Brown from Bryan's University. I believe a Jack Thornton is attending school here."
"Yes sir, he is."
"Perfect. If it is possible, I would like to speak with him and then his coach, Coach Franklin."
"Sure, I'll phone Coach Franklin. Jack should be in here in a minute."
"Thank you, ma'am."
Brown turned his attention to Susan. "And why are you here? Are you helping me land this guy?"
"Can he read?" She sassed.
"With a 4.17 GPA, I'm assuming he can."
"That's impressive…and he plays sports?"
"Not all sports guys are idiots." He sassed. "Look at me…I graduated high school and college with a very respectable GPA."
"That was because of your precious wife."
"I took the tests you know. And why are you here?"
"Just following up on one of our potential students."
"Shouldn't you be in the library dangling a book from a string?"
"Elizabeth Thatcher is a very accomplished student."
"You're here for Jack Thornton and Elizabeth Thatcher?" Asked Mrs. Winters.
"Yes, ma'am." Brian and Susan stated at the same time.
"Well, you're in luck. Here they come in together." Mrs. Winters nodded toward the door.
…
Julie and Tom stepped off the bus together. The last few days were somber, but things for them were certainly back to normal. They would spend as much time together as they could. Though they were still not dating. They just couldn't bring themselves to put a label on them. This morning, however, there was something off with them. Tom was acting differently. Julie couldn't put her finger on it.
When they stepped off the bus and took a few steps to get away from the crowd that was filing off, Julie reached for Tom's arm.
"What's wrong with you this morning? You're way too quiet."
"Nothing." He stated quickly.
"Tom…I know something is wrong. What's going on with you?"
"Him!" Tom hissed as he nodded his head toward some guy. He didn't know his name.
"Who?" Julie asked.
"Him!" Tom hissed again.
Julie followed his eyes and noticed John. "Him?" She questioned.
"Yeah…" Tom lowered his head. He was feeling something deep inside of him that he didn't know what it was. He had never experienced it before. This confused him greatly. He just knew he didn't like it.
"John? What's got you so upset about him?"
"I'm not upset!"
"Really?" She stated sternly. Tom couldn't avoid the look on her face.
"Fine." He huffed. "Yesterday and this morning when you got on the bus, you looked at him. Then you smiled and laughed at something he said."
"Ok…?"
"And then you sat down beside me and didn't talk very much. If you want to sit with him, then you should. We're not exclusive. You can talk to other guys."
Julie studied Tom for a minute. "Wait…you're jealous!"
"What? I've never been jealous!" He defended himself.
"You are…you're jealous. Tom, John is only a friend. I have two classes with him. He said something funny about what the teacher did yesterday. He's dating a friend of mine."
"Oh…"
"Tom Thorton…you're jealous." The smile on her face confused Tom.
"Jules, I have never been jealous." He defended himself again.
"Well, you can't say that now."
"I'm not jealous."
"Instead of asking me about him, you were upset I talked to him."
"You laughed with him."
"Fine, I laughed with him. Then I came and sat with you."
"But you didn't laugh with me. You just sat there."
"Well, the last few days have been trying. I'm sorry."
They began to walk toward the school. Julie smiled because she knew Tom wanted to be more serious than they were. She wanted that too, but she did admit she was nervous about it. For Tom, he was trying to figure out how he was feeling. He never thought he would be the jealous kind. He never was before. He could never remember being jealous before…ever. Now, he had this emotion that was just troubling him.
"You're right!" Tom exclaimed as they took the first step of the stairs. Julie smiled at his proclamation. For some odd reason, Tom being jealous made her happy. "Jules…I don't want to be friends in like of each other. I want to date you."
"Are you sure? You know our track record. We don't do that well."
"Very true." He stopped in the middle of the stairs. "I've never done that well."
"Neither have I."
"But we haven't done that together. For the first time, I want a relationship."
"Are you sure?" She couldn't stop the smile overtaking the corner of her lips.
"I am. For the first time I am certain."
Julie reached for his hand. He immediately took it. Their smiles gave their answers.
"On one condition." Julie stated.
"What's that?"
"We have to be open with each other. Both of us are big flirts. We have to learn to control that. But most importantly, we need to talk about things. No more sitting on the bus steaming without saying anything."
"I'll try. It may take me a few times to get this right."
"If you're patient with me, I'll be patient with you."
"Deal!"
…
As Jack and Elizabeth said goodbye to their group, they needed to go to the office to turn in their doctor's note for missing school for the last two days. So far, they were very pleased with the morning. They were together, they were able to share a few kisses at the Duck Park and they were able to spend a few minutes with friends who didn't constantly remind them of the last two days. Jack opened the door to the front office. They smiled at the tall man and distinguished woman that were smiling back at them.
"Good morning, Mrs. Winters." Jack and Elizabeth stated at the same time. Then Elizabeth stepped up to the counter with Jack.
"Mrs. Winters, I was out of school the last two days. I have a doctor's note. I've never been absent before. I don't know what I am supposed to do."
"Give me those." Mrs. Winters stated as she reached for the pieces of paper Jack and Elizabeth were holding. She whispered so the grown ups wouldn't hear her. "I'm grateful all ended well. Are you two doing, ok?"
"Yes ma'am." Elizabeth stated as Jack smiled and nodded his head. "We are." He stated.
"That's great to hear. Your teachers will have your make up work with them. Now, before you two go to your first period class, these two individuals would like to speak with you."
"Ok…" Jack stated as they turned to look at the two individuals who were grinning.
"Good morning, Ms. Elizabeth Thatcher. My name is Mrs. Susan Callahan. I'm from Bryan's University."
"Good morning Mrs. Callahan." Elizabeth stated as she took the extended hand from Susan.
"I'm the head of the Literature Department. We received the information you sent in. I would like to discuss the possibility of you visiting Bryan's University and tour our campus and our department.
"Good morning, Jack. I'm Coach Brown from Bryan's University. I was hoping to speak with you about maybe visiting our campus."
"Wait, you are going to Bryan's University?" Elizabeth asked, shocked.
"I'm not sure. I've never spoken with them before. I never heard of it. Coach Fisher mentioned some school last year, but I never saw anyone from there. I'm not good enough to play college basketball."
"Because we weren't allowed to speak to underclassmen. Now that you are a senior, I would like to speak to you about attending our school on a potential scholarship and play basketball for us."
"Really?" Asked a very shocked Jack. "But Coach Brown…"
"Jack, you need to let me make a decision if you are good enough or not. I've seen some game films. I would like to watch more and speak to you, your family, and your coach."
Susan smiled at the conversation. She had a feeling that this could play in her favor. Especially if this young couple is dating, which it appears they are.
"Ms. Thatcher, I would like to speak with you about attending Bryan's."
"I have been looking into it. You are on my top three."
"Oh dear, we are the second best teacher's college in the nation. However, many will tell you that we are the first teacher's college. I do hope we are on top of that list."
"The second best teacher's college?" Questioned Jack.
"Yes, young man." Susan began speaking to both of them. "As I mentioned earlier, many think we are the best. Our teaching graduates are sought after for employment and for further education. We have a rich tradition of teachers. Are you wanting to study teaching?"
"He is." Elizabeth stated. She reached for his hand.
Susan and Brian made eye contact. They instantly knew they needed to work together to help entice the young man and woman to attend school. If they were dating and one of them would attend the school, the second one would more than likely attend as well.
"I spoke with Coach Fisher last Friday. He stated that you moved here. May I ask, what happened to you?" Coach Brown nodded to Jack's black eye and cut lip.
"There was an incident off school grounds on Monday. All has been resolved." Mrs. Winters stated.
Elizabeth and Jack made eye contact. "You really haven't heard of Bryan's?"
"No Bella. I haven't heard of them. I'm a little surprised they want me to attend their school to play basketball."
"How many scholarships offers have you received?"
"None. I told you I'm not that good."
"I don't believe you." Elizabeth smirked.
"I was looking at a couple of state schools last year. I haven't really given it further thought since we moved."
"Maybe you should consider Bryan's."
Jack leaned toward his girlfriend. "I don't know if we can afford it. That's why I was looking at a state school. They're cheaper. Bryan's doesn't sound like a state school. They sound expensive."
"If you receive a scholarship, you won't have to worry about the financial aspect of it."
Brian and Susan stood back and smiled at the interaction between the young couple. They knew this was playing in their favor.
"Jack, if you are interested in playing basketball and becoming a teacher, Bryan's University is the perfect place for you. Plus, we are hoping Elizabeth will be coming in the fall too." Susan smiled.
"Hey, instead of sitting separately talking about Bryan's, why don't we join Mrs. Callahan for her spill on the academic side since teaching interests you? Then we can meet with your coach and discuss the athletic side of Bryan's."
Jack looked toward Elizabeth. He nodded his head when he saw the approving expression on her face.
"Great!" Exclaimed Coach Brown."
"Perfect. Let's go to the second room on the right. Mrs. Winters said we could us that room."
"We'll be late for class." Elizabeth stated.
"You won't be considered late if you are already at school and talking to a college. I'll give you a note before you leave."
"Thanks, Mrs. Winters." Elizabeth and Jack stated.
…
Elizabeth exhaled a very slow breath as she closed her car door. After walking up the stairs and through the front door, she took a moment to look around. She hasn't been in the church before. She smiled when she heard Frank's voice.
"Good afternoon, Elizabeth."
"Frank. Thanks for seeing me."
"You are a trusted friend of my wife, and to me."
Elizabeth nodded her head.
"Now, your mother called me yesterday and asked if I would meet with you. Instead of meeting in my office, would you be ok if we sit on the back row here in the sanctuary?"
"Sure. Whatever you think."
Frank intently watched Elizabeth walk toward the back row. She sat down and offered Frank a small smile. He could tell she was nervous.
"You're a couple of days out from the incident. How are you doing?"
Elizabeth spent the next forty minutes answering Frank's first question and then his follow up questions. She was grateful that he spent most of the time just listening. He would ask an occasional question, but for the most part he listened to her. She didn't hold anything back from him. She knew Abagail more than Frank, but she did know him and trusted him.
She shared her conversation with her father when she drove for the first time on Tuesday. He nodded at the fear she had and laughed at the story of the training wheels and bike. She also shared the first time driving with Jack on the same road where it all happened. Frank smiled at the effort of Jack and Elizabeth walking through this storm together.
"If we can, I would like to speak with you for four different times and the same with Jack. Once that is finished, I would like to meet with you two together. While you did go through this together, you also suffered through it individually. Jack was kidnapped while you were almost kidnapped. You haven't said it, but I can see that you still hold some guilt because of some of the injuries Jack received."
"A little." She slightly nodded her head.
"Now, we'll work on it. Until we meet with Jack, I will not share what he and I will talk about with you. I will also not share with him what you and I speak about. Confidentiality is important to me. Once you two come at the same time, you two will have some time to share your thoughts if you wish. I will also not share this with your parents."
"Thank you for doing this for me Pastor Frank."