Chapter 31
Early the next morning found Elizabeth in the arms of Nana on the front porch. Jack was carrying his and her suitcase to the car. The older lady and the younger lady just held onto each other. Over the last few days, they grew very close together. Nana opened her home and her heart to Elizabeth. She also taught her how to cook some meals and make Jack's favorite cookie.
"You need to come back very soon." Nana whispered in Elizabeth's ear.
"I will come back as soon as I can."
Nana leaned back just enough to look into Elizabeth's eyes. Tears were already falling over her eyelids. "I love you, little one. You treat my JayJay like he deserves, and you make sure he treats you like you deserve."
"He has always been perfect to me. Nana…I love you."
Elizabeth stepped back and watched Charlette step into her mother's hug. Love was easily seen between the two ladies. She turned her head to the left and noticed Pops coming toward her.
"I have loved having you here with us. Make sure you come back to us."
"I will Pops. Thank you for allowing me to come and stay with you."
"Anytime."
Jack stepped into Nana's embrace. "I love you, JayJay."
"I love you, Nana. Thanks for everything."
"Thank you for bringing Elizabeth. Now, you better treat her how a young lady should be treated. Don't you dare let me hear you mistreating her."
I'll do my best, Nana."
"Now, you two keep your heads about yourselves and grow closer together. I want her around more often."
"Yes ma'am."
Everyone said their goodbyes. Tears were free flowing among the women. The men stood back and watched the love flow between all three of them. With one last hug from Elizabeth, she turned to walk down the steps.
Nana looked at Elizabeth as she was at the edge of the porch. "Bam…Now give me my trophy." Nana stated shaking her head.
Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know what to tell you. I guess I got caught up in all the excitement."
"Did you really pack that trophy in your suitcase?"
"Absolutely. It's nestled safely in my suitcase. It's mine and I'm not giving it back."
"We'll see." Sassed Nana. "You come back and see me very soon, young lady!"
"I love you, Nana."
"I love you, Beth."
"How did my Nana love you more than she does me?" Sassed Jack as they walked toward the car.
…
The ride back to Hamilton was a lot like the ride to Buxton. Charlette and Elizabeth fell asleep within thirty minutes in the car. Tom texted Julie during the car ride while talking with his dad and Jack. The trip to Nana and Pops was perfect in everyone's eyes. They were in Hamilton sooner than they expected. They had left earlier than heading to Buxton.
Jack took Elizabeth home and spent a few minutes with her family catching up on their trip. Grace and William laughed at the card game. Jack said his goodbyes and he and Elizabeth spent a few moments beside his truck.
"Thank you for going with me."
"Thank you for inviting me. I had a great time."
"Me too," Jack happily sighed. He did love introducing her to his Pops and Nana and the rest of his family. They all loved her. In his opinion, they may have loved her too much. He was afraid they may have been a little too much for her, but she seemed to fit right in with no problem.
Elizabeth loved the whole trip. It was vastly different than what she is accustomed to, but she loved every loud moment with his family. Even Jack's aunts' and cousins' questions weren't too much. Jack's friends were great and quickly accepted her. She had wished they would all move to Hamilton and join their friend group here. She was a little surprised at the small size of Buxton. It wasn't that small, but compared to Hamilton, it was.
"I'm grateful you connected so well with my old friends."
"They were great. I only wished they lived here."
"We would all be in trouble."
"I better let you go. We have school tomorrow and I need to wash my clothes."
"Me too. I need to get my trophy out and get it cleaned up."
"I can't believe you brought that thing home with you."
She gasped. "Jarrick Thornton! It's mine! Where else was I going to keep it?"
"Don't get to attached to it." He pointed his finger at her with a smirking grin.
"Kiss me before you go." She instructed him with a heart melting smile.
…
Elizabeth was in her room unpacking her suitcase. She had placed the trophy on top of her dresser just in front of the full mirror. It was the perfect place for it. She took a picture of it and sent it to Jack, Charlette, and Nana. She tried to show Nana how to open a picture attachment in a text before she left. She just hoped she remembered how to do it. She has texted Nana a couple of times. She instructed Elizabeth to let her know when she was home.
"Yes." Elizabeth called out when there was a knock on the door. She knew it wasn't Julie because she would just come in without knocking. Her mother would knock and then announce herself as she same in. It had to be her father or oldest sister. They were the only ones who would wait to come in until instructed.
"Hey, you have a few minutes?"
"Sure Vi. I thought you were leaving for school?"
"My early class tomorrow is canceled. The professor's kid is sick. I'll go back in the morning for my afternoon class."
Elizabeth nodded her head and turned her attention back to her suitcase. She threw a shirt on top of the pile of clothes on the floor.
"What's this?" Viola asked as she looked at the trophy.
Elizabeth spent a few minutes telling her about it and the game of Uno.
"That sounds serious."
"It was." Elizabeth laughed. "It was a lot of fun."
"Did you have any other fun?" Vi played with an older sister's voice. "And not the type of fun you tell mother and father."
"Vi…I'm not having that conversation with you. We were mostly with Jack's family or with his friends."
"How were they?"
"They were shocked he had a girlfriend. They were really cool. We had lunch with them and went to their basketball game. I really enjoyed myself." She stated as she put away the clothes that were clean. "We were at his Nana's and Pops' home most of the time. We sat around and talked. We had Thanksgiving dinner with all of his family. Then we had the card game where I won the trophy. We enjoyed a day where Jack showed me around his hometown." She swooned at the memories of her and Jack being in Buxton. "Vi…he showed me the little play ground where his mother pushed him in the swing. I sat in that same swing while he pushed me."
Viola sat on the edge of Elizabeth's bed watching her younger sister. She most certainly had the look of a woman in love. There was no doubt her younger sister was in complete love with her boyfriend. She continued to watch her sister as she spoke.
"When we went to his school, he showed me his old locker. The combination still worked. He showed me his home and his window on the corner on the second floor." Elizabeth let out a sigh. "Did I tell you about the swing at the playground? His mother would take him…"
"Yes, you told me that he pushed you in that swing that he swung in when his mother pushed him." Her playful teasing was evident in her tone and voice.
"What?" Elizabeth asked.
Viola took a few seconds to look her sister in the eyes. She noticed she glanced at her trophy a couple of times.
"You."
"Me?"
"Yes, you."
"Vi…what are you talking about?"
"Ebeth, you may avoid answering my question. But there is no doubt that you are in love with Jack."
"Who said love…? I didn't say anything about love?"
"Elizabeth Marie Thatcher!"
"What?"
"Don't you what me. I'm your older sister. I have literally known you your whole life."
Elizabeth squirmed a little under her sister's staring. While Vi was just being an older sister, she wasn't too happy about the line of questioning.
"I'm sorry, Ebeth. I'm pushing too much. I'm sorry. I'm just teasing you…and maybe a little jealous."
"No…it's fine. You're just being the older sister. Why are you jealous?"
"I want what you have with Jack. I know I don't know the whole story, but I do remember seeing you in the pool with him. That was an intimate moment. It wasn't like the times I was with my boyfriends. It seemed different."
"It is different." Elizabeth sighed. "Jack's just…he's just different. I know this sounds really weird, but we just continue to get closer. Our relationship just gets closer each day. I can't explain it."
"I think I understand."
Elizabeth took a few minutes to explain her relationship with Jack. He and her older sister would often have sister talks, but this was different because of Elizabeth's relationship with Jack. They spoke a little about it just after the pool incident, but this was more in depth. While they shared most things, Elizabeth didn't share that she was in love with Jack or that he had proclaimed his love to her. She has only shared that with Nana.
Viola opened about her desire to have what Elizabeth and Julie had. She was tired of the on again and off again with different guys without from college. In the middle of the conversation, Julie came storming in Elizabeth's bedroom without knocking. Elizabeth moved to her favorite spot under the window and Vi and Julie sat on her bed.
They spent some time discussing Elizabeth, Juie, and Viola. They all asked questions and just listened to each other. It reminded them of all the times they would do this before Viola left for college. The sisters talked way longer than they should have, but they were grateful for the time together.
…
Charles was in his sports car waiting for Elizabeth to show up at school. It was time for him and Elizabeth to settle things completely. He was indignant that she went to Buxton with Jack. "How could she do that?" He constantly asked himself all weekend. That wasn't his Elizabeth. She would never go away with a guy and his family for any length of time like that. Now, she just did that with Jack. She didn't even answer his text over the weekend.
Elizabeth smiled at her good morning text from Jack. It was always simple, but she loved it. It made her feel that she was on his mind. She pulled her mini cooper in her normal spot. She didn't see Jack's truck. She also didn't see Connie's or Steph's cars. She didn't realize she was so early.
Charles jumped out of his car and walked directly to Elizabeth's car. He was a few feet from her car when she opened the door and stepped out. She saw him coming toward her car in the rearview mirror. She didn't want to sit in the car with him. They haven't spoken very often, especially since that Monday's incident. She couldn't believe that Charles blamed Jack for the whole thing.
She noticed his text over the weekend, but she just didn't want to deal with him. She was having too much fun with Nana, Pops, and Jack's friends and family.
"Where were you?"
"Excuse me?" She asked exacerbated. She instantly matched his attitude.
"I texted you and you didn't reply. You left me on open."
"I was busy. You haven't wanted to be my friend for a while so…"
"You are the one who cut off contact with me." He defended himself as he stood in front of her. He squared his shoulders. His voice was beginning to rise.
"Because you weren't being a friend to me! You wanted something from me that wasn't possible. You knew we weren't going to date."
"We should be dating now!" He yelled.
"First, you need to calm yourself." She stated as she sat her backpack on the ground beside her. Her dad told her during self defense classes to keep your hands free as much as possible. "You should not raise your voice at me. I told you from the very beginning that we were not dating and that we wouldn't date. I did not lead you on. That was no surprise to you."
Charles huffed. "We were friends!"
"Yes, we were, but you were the one who wasn't acting like a friend. You blamed Jack for the men attacking us. He was actually kidnapped saving me and he was beaten up pretty good as a result."
"I still think he did something to cause that."
Elizabeth shook her head in disbelief. She calmed her voice. "You know better than that. He protected me because those two men who wanted to kidnap father but couldn't get to him. So, they went after me. Stop living in a fantasy world."
"Why wasn't I enough for you?"
"It was never that and you know it. We were good friends. You wanted more but I never wanted more with you. I can't explain it Charles but I just never felt for you in that way. I never led you on or made you believe there was a chance between us. We hung out together and with others, but I never gave you hope that we were exclusive. I always told you no when you asked. Everyone knows that."
"I can't believe you went to Buxton with him." The disgust was evident in his voice and on his face. His words were dripping with disdain.
"I had the best time. It was a lot of fun."
"You were alone with him."
"Charles, we are dating. Of course, I've been alone with him. However, I was with him and his family at his grandparents' house. We weren't alone very much on this trip."
"Why did you go?"
"They asked, and I went. I had the best time with them. They welcomed me and made me part of their family. I met some of his old friends. They were great. I really enjoyed myself."
"We should be dating!" He proclaimed once again.
"This is why we don't talk very much anymore, Charles. It goes back to this one topic that you can't get past. We never dated. Now, I have school to go to and I do not want to be late."
Before she reached down to pick up her backpack, Charles grabbed her arm. He squeezed it with enough force that she flinched a little. "You're mine!" He hissed as he jerked her toward him.
Elizabeth pulled her arm away from his grip. "I am no one's property! I don't belong to you!" She stated with calmness and great certainty. "I am not dating you! I am dating Jack!"
In his anger, Charles reached for both of her wrists. He jerked her closer to him. Their bodies were touching. "I don't think so!" He growled.
Without thinking about what Thomas had taught her, she instinctively did what he trained her to do. She lowered her chin to her chest and head butted Charles. Her forehead squarely connected with his nose. He immediately let go of her wrists and reached for his nose. It was already pouring blood. Before he stumbled backwards, she stepped to her left and brought her right knee up and connected with his stomach. Charles bent over gasping for air. Then she brought that same knee up and it connected to the front of his face. Charles' head forcible came up and he fell backwards onto the pavement landing with a loud thud as he landed on his back.
Elizabeth heard several voices after Charles was laying on his back. She looked up and saw Mrs. Williamson and Mr. Callahan running her way. She closed her eyes for a moment. She knew she was in trouble. The two teachers were on the front steps and heard Charles beginning to get loud just before he grabbed Elizabeth.
"Are you alright?" Mr. Callahan asked her as he quickly approached her.
"Yes, Mr. Callahan. I'm fine."
"Dear…are you sure?" Mrs. Williamson asked again.
"Yes, ma'am. I'm fine, maybe embarrassed but I'm fine." She stated as she reached for her wrists and then her backpack.
'Please come with me." Mrs. Williamson stated. "Mr. Callahan will take care of Charles."
Mr. Callahan was standing over Charles. He was rocking from side to side holding his bleeding nose.
"Mr. Callahan…" Another student stated slowly approaching him.
"Please, school is beginning soon, go to class."
"Sir, I videoed the whole thing from over there." She pointed toward her car. "I started when Charles began yelling at her."
"Please go with Mrs. Williamson. Alright everyone, it's finished. Nothing to see here anymore. Please go to class."
"She kicked his butt." One student stated. "She dropped him like a dirty sock." Another female student stated.
"Let's go Charles. We need to have a discussion in the principal's office."
…
William was sitting in his office looking over a few proposals that were long overdue. With Thanksgiving last week and Christmas quickly approaching, he was a little behind. This was normal for him during the holiday season. Thanksgiving was nice, but he loved Christmas time. The lights and music were his favorite. When his office phone rang, he pushed the button for the speaker.
"Sir, you have a phone call from Elizabeth's school. You should take it." The tone in his secretary's voice was urgent.
He sat for a moment and looked at his watch. School hasn't even begun yet. He pulled out his cell phone and touched the link to the Life360 app. Elizabeth was at school. He didn't understand why her school would be calling.
"Sir…Mr. Thatcher…the phone…"
"Oh, I'm sorry. Yes."
"Hello, this is Mr. Thatcher. What may I do for you."
William sat for a few moments and listened to the principle.
"She what…!"
William made his way to Tom's office. He opened the door after knocking. Tom looked up from his paperwork and noticed the solemn look on his boss' and friend's face.
"What's wrong?" A bit of panic from that Monday morning came back for a second.
"Tom, you need to come with me." His voice wasn't stern, but there was no doubt that Tom was to follow. "Oh…and I blame you." He pointed his finger in Tom's direction.
"Me? What did I do?" He asked but William already turned and was walking down the hall.
"What?" Tom asked as he jogged out of his office trying to catch up.
…
Jack pulled into the parking lot of the school and stopped in his normal spot. He noticed Elizabeth's car in her spot, but she wasn't sitting in it. He looked over the parking lot but didn't see her. That was odd. If she beat him to school, she would always wait for him. They loved walking into school together. He grabbed his backpack and made his way to the front steps of the school.
Several people nodded and smiled at him. Something was off. They were all snickering and laughing. He made sure his zipper was up and his shirt wasn't inside out. He walked past Elizabeth's car, and she wasn't in it, and neither was her bag. As he stepped onto the front sidewalk, someone called out, "Be careful Jack, she may hurt you too." Several other people began to laugh.
He walked into the main hallway and his group was waiting for him. He walked into the open arms of Adam. He picked him up and twirled him around one time. Adam's mouth was wide open in complete delight. When he sat Adam down, he pointed to the main office. Jack followed Adam's finger.
His eyes fell on his girlfriend. She was sitting on one end of the seats with her head down. She didn't look upset, but she wasn't happy either. About six seats away sat Charles. He had a towel pressed on his nose. The scene in front of him was confusing.
He looked up when he heard his name. "Pa, what are you and William doing here?"
"Elizabeth was involved in something this morning. The school called Mr. Thatcher." Tom stated as both men met him in the middle of the hallway after they walked through the front door.
"What happened? When I got here, she wasn't in her car like normal."
"Charles confronted her at her car. He yelled at her and grabbed her."
"He did what?!" Jack's voice raised. He stepped to the side just enough to step around his father. His eyes fell on Charles. He didn't see anyone else.
"Jack." Thomas grabbed his arm and held him back. "Elizabeth stood up for herself and broke his nose. The principal is waiting for their parents so they can speak to everyone."
"Pa…"
"Jack. It's finished. She protected herself and she's fine. It's over."
"Not for me…"
"It's finished!" Tom reiterated. "Do I make myself clear?" He stared at his son. "If you do anything to that boy without him doing anything first, you will be grounded until I'm tired of you being grounded. Do I make myself clear?" Tom's voice was fatherly. He knew his son. He would want to protect his girlfriend. He also knew his son would want to walk into the office and hit Charles for laying his hands on Elizabeth. Tom completely understood. He also didn't want his son to be in trouble since everything had already been taken care of. Elizabeth handled herself very well. "Jack, do you understand me?"
"Jack, she's fine. She took care of it herself." William stated.
Jack closed his eyes and let out a deep breath.
"Fine…but if he does anything toward her…"
"Then you take his head off." William stated with complete understanding.
The bell rang and the hall was beginning to clear of students.
"I think you should go to class. We have a meeting with the principal."
Jack nodded his head toward his father and William. He walked toward the glass and knocked on it. When Elizabeth turned around, he stuck out his hand with a thumbs up. It was their signal asking if the other person was good. They did that when they couldn't ask each other. Elizabeth stuck her thumb up and nodded her head. They both mouthed 'I love you' at the same time.
"It's finished…now go to class." Tom stated as he and William walked to the door. Tom reached for the door as he spoke the words to Jack. He also gave him his father's glare.
Elizabeth tore her eyes from Jack and toward her father and dad when she heard her father's words.
"Elizabeth…really?"
"It's his fault." She sassed, nodding toward Tom. When she saw both of their expressions, she knew the joke didn't go over very well.
"Sorry…" She stated as she looked down. She raised her eyes just in time to catch a small smirk on her father's and dad's lips.
William sat down beside his daughter. He ignored Charles sitting just a few feet away. If he looked in his direction, he was afraid he would punch him.
"I'm called to the school's office because my daughter got into a fight…really?"
Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders.
"What happened?"
Elizabeth went into a detailed explanation of the incident. She was facing her father who was sitting down, and Tom was standing beside William.
When she finished, Mrs. Jefferson stepped out of her office when Mrs. Waters informed her that both sets of parents were present. Charles' father had shown up at the end of Elizabeth's explanation.
"First of all, are you ok?"
"I'm fine father. I think I may have a couple of bruises where he grabbed me but I'm fine."
William looked over his shoulder at Charles sitting at the end of the seats. Secretly, he was upset when Tom stood between them. He was grateful he did, but he was also upset. For Tom's part, he refused to look in Charles' direction. He was afraid what he would do to that young man.
"I can't believe you were in a fight and you're in the office." William shook his head. "Your mother will have a heart attack."
"Did you get in touch with her?"
"She's volunteering this morning. She doesn't keep her phone with her at the hospital. I left her a text."
"Everyone, would you please come in my office so we can work through this?" Mrs. Jefferson asked. She stood by her door with her arm outstretched.
When Elizabeth stood, she made eye contact with Tom.
"Are you ok?"
"I'm fine dad. Just embarrassed about being here. I can't believe he did that."
"Looks like you handled yourself very well." He nodded toward Charles.
Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders. When she took her first step, she noticed Tom discreetly extended his fist. She grinned and subtly fist pumped him as she walked beside him.
…
"Yes ma'am. How may I help you?"
"I'm Grace Thatcher. My husband left me a message and stated that my Elizabeth Thatcher was in a fight and is in the principal's office." The doubt in her voice was easily understood. There was no way her Bethie was in a fight. She has never been in a fight before. She couldn't even remember if she was in a fight with her sisters. This just wasn't making any sense.
"Mrs. Thatcher. Please follow me."
Mrs. Waters stood and walked around the counter. When she was in front of Grace, she whispered.
"Charles approached her in the parking lot, and he argued with her. He grabbed her a couple of times."
"He did what?" Her voice was very loud.
"He did, but she laid him out. She broke his nose. She isn't in trouble. A fellow student videoed most of it. She is fine and isn't in trouble."
Grace exhaled a breath. "Is she ok?"
"She is…much better than Charles." Mrs. Winters laughed. "Are you ready to see her?"
"Yes ma'am. Thank you."
…
Grace walked into the principal's office. As hard as she tried, she couldn't keep that Monday morning from creeping back into her mind. She also couldn't understand that her Bethie was in a fight and with Charles, nonetheless. Her eyes quickly scanned the room and landed on her daughter.
"Elizabeth…are you ok?"
"I'm fine mother." Elizabeth answered as her mother walked toward her.
Grace lifted up Elizabeth's arms. "Elizabeth…you have bruises." She gasped and then turned her head toward Charles. "You did this?" The phrase was a question and a statement at the same time. Charles lowered his head. Grace took one step toward him until William stood in front of her.
"Mrs. Thatcher, we were about to ask Elizabeth for permission to take pictures of her wrists and upper left arm."
"She has bruises there too?"
"Yes ma'am. The police are on their way. They will take pictures too. We would like to have them for the school's report as well."
"That's fine."
"Wait…is it necessary to involve the police?" Mr. Kensington stated.
"It is. We have video of the back end of the assault. We had to call the police. Our hands are tied. Even if they weren't by district orders, I would call them on my own. Your son assaulted a young lady in the parking lot of the school. He was involved in a fight at a football game a few weeks ago. Charles is heading in the wrong direction, and it seems like he is trying to get there as fast as he can."
'It was a misunderstanding."
"No sir. It was a decision he made. Your son is in trouble with us and the judicial system."
…
Elizabeth didn't step out of the principal's office until third period. She spoke with the police and answered all of their questions. Then she had a few minutes with her parents. Everyone was worried about that Monday coming back but no one spoke about it.
"I think I'll call Pastor Frank." Grace stated.
"I'm fine mother." She looked up to her mother and father. They both had a concerned look on their faces. "I really am fine. I will admit I'm concerned that Monday would creep in, but it hasn't."
"Yes." William stated.
"I think it has to do with what dad taught me. I wasn't helpless. I was able to defend myself. It gave me a sense of power. I promise if I have any issues arise from it, I'll call Pastor Frank myself."
"Promise." William stuck his pinky out.
"Promise." Elizabeth locked her pinky with her father and gave it two small tugs.
When they walked out of the office, Tom was sitting in the seats from this morning. He hasn't left. He spoke with the cops for a few minutes when Elizabeth was alone with her parents. He quickly stood when he saw Elizabeth walk out.
"How are you?" His concern was evident.
She walked into a hug. Her relationship with Tom was genuine care, love, and respect on both sides. "I'm fine." She whispered into his ear. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For teaching me to protect myself…for still being here waiting on me."
"I rode with your father…I didn't have a ride back to work." As much as he tried to keep the corners of his mouth from curling up in a smile, he couldn't do it. Their playfulness was evident.
"Even if you did have a ride, you would still be here waiting for me. Thank you."
"Of course I would be here, you're my daughter."
"I love you dad."
"I love you, little one. Now, how are you?"
"I'm good. A few small bruises and no flashbacks."
Tom nodded his head.
"How's Jack?"
"You know him…I had to order him to class. I doubt he's learning anything today. He's worried about you."
"I figured."
"I had to remind him that your incident this morning was finished. It would probably come with more emphasis if you told him that."
"I'll tell him." She looked at the clock on the wall. "We're in Honors Biology."
"Well, you need to go…you're already late."
"I have an excuse note from the principal. I think I'm good." She smirked.
"Sweetheart, you let me know if you need anything."
"I will mother. I promise, I'm good."
…
"She really is good." William reassured his wife.
"I know." She sighed. Her mother's heart was hurting. She wanted to protect her daughter. She also knew her daughter could take care of herself. She just wasn't ready to give that part of motherhood up yet.
"You two have done a wonderful job with that young lady."
"Thank you, but I do believe that is all Elizabeth."
"With you and William thrown into the mix."
"Tom, let's take my wife to brunch before we head back to the office."
"That sounds lovely." Grace smiled. "Let me text Charlette and see if she's busy."
"Don't tell her about this morning."
"You haven't told her?"
"No, there was enough parents here this morning. We didn't need another overprotective mother wanting to get her hands around that boy's neck."
"You have no idea how much I wanted to get my hands on that boy." Grace stated in a dead panned voice. She really was upset with Charles. However, she was very proud of her daughter. She defended herself.
"Thank you for working with her."
"You're welcome, Grace. She is a great student." Tom stated with pride.
"Even when she face planted you into the wall?" Sassed Grace as Tom opened the office door for them.
"That daughter of yours can't keep a secret." Tom shook his head.
…
When Elizabeth walked into the classroom, Jack stood from his chair and walked to his girlfriend. The incident was the talk of the school. He knew she wouldn't be happy with everyone knowing. She didn't seek out the spotlight, especially over an incident like this.
"How are you?" Jack whispered as he stood inches in front of her. He wanted to grab her in a hug and never let go. He knew he couldn't since they were in school and in the classroom.
The teacher stepped toward both of them. "Elizabeth, how are you?" He whispered.
"I'm fine, Mr. Jackson." She nodded her head to reassure him. "I'm fine, I promise."
"Do you need a moment?"
"No Mr. Jackson."
Jack took her hand and escorted her to their shared table. Mr. Jackson usually wouldn't allow public displays of affection, but with the morning Elizabeth had, he cut her some slack. Jack refused to let go of her hand during the rest of the class. He would often steal glances her way. He spent more time watching her than paying attention to the teacher.
…
"Hey Elizabeth!" Rosemary yelled out after third period. Jack and Elizabeth just exited the classroom door and were making their way to the gym for P.E.
Elizabeth smiled at her new friend's cheerful voice. Jack squeezed her hand.
Rosemary ran toward Elizabeth. She had to push two freshmen out of her way. The story has already made its way around the school a couple of times. With Rosey's history, she was very concerned with her friend. "Get out of my way!" She yelled at another freshman.
"I hope she doesn't knock me over." Elizabeth stated just before Rosemary leaped into Elizabeth's arms.
Rosey wrapped her in a huge hug. When she finally released it, she studied her new friend. "Are you ok? Did that guy hurt you? What was he thinking? You look ok…are you sure you're ok?" She was asking the questions so quickly that Elizabeth didn't have time to answer.
"Calm down, Rosey, I'm fine."
"Telling her to calm down just doesn't work." Jack smirked.
"And what does that mean?" Huffed Rosemary.
"I'm fine Rosemary. Everything is ok."
Rosemary stepped back to take a quick look at Elizabeth. She looked at her from head to toe and then back up to her head again. She didn't see anything wrong. Then she remembered the part of the story that Charles had ahold on her wrists. She reached for Elizabeth's wrists and pulled them up to take a closer look. Rosey's face turned immediately red with anger when she noticed a few small bruises. They were the size of a person's fingertips.
"Where is he?" Rosemary demanded with fire in her voice.
When Jack took her arm, she immediately turned to him. "And where were you?" When Rosemary saw his face, she immediately felt awful at her outburst. "I'm so sorry Jack…I didn't mean to imply…"
"It's ok Rosemary. I have asked myself that same question a thousand times this morning."
"Guys…" Elizabeth stepped in. "…I'm fine. He's in trouble and hopefully he'll learn from this. I'm ok. I protected myself and I'm good. If it would have gone really bad, we would have been around other people who would have stepped in. They would have helped but I had it taken care of."
"I would say so…I heard his nose is broken."
"Really?" Elizabeth felt bad about breaking his nose, but she did exactly what she needed to do. She would do it over and over again as much as she needed to protect herself.
…
"Thank you for teaching my girl how to do that." Grace stated as she brought her cup of coffee to her lips.
"You're welcomed Grace. Jack always said she had a fight deep inside of her. She just needed to learn the technique."
Grace reached for Tom's hand and gave him a quick squeeze. The meaning was perfectly understood by everyone at the table.
"I can't believe you didn't text me until it was over."
"Charlette, I had enough trouble keeping Grace's hands from that boy's neck. I couldn't keep you back too." Tom sassed.
"She's my kid too!" Charlette shot back. Then she quickly looked toward William and Grace. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…"
"We perfectly understand." William began.
"We think the same about Jack." Grace finished. "We are very happy he is dating our daughter. I think they are a good match for each other."
"Me too."
"I told you." William sassed.
"You weren't wrong."
"I knew it." William stuck his chest out.
"What are you two talking about?"
"You two never really agreed that you had a plan for our children, but Tom and I figured you did."
Grace and Charlette shared a knowing look.
"We haven't done anything." Both ladies stated at the same time.
"Sure dear." Both gentlemen stated.
"What do you think about Bryan's?"
"I'm not too sure Grace. Jack has begun to look into it, but he really hasn't said too much. I think he likes what he knows so far."
"Elizabeth has really looked into it for the past year or so. They are well known for their teaching program. If Jack is interested with that tract, he should consider it."
"It would really depend on the scholarship. That coach said that they were looking at a scholarship but was noncommittal about it. If a scholarship isn't offered, he wouldn't be able to attend. We can't afford it."
"We'll pray it works out if that is what he wants."
"If that doesn't work out, we can afford a state school. That's what we were always planning. Jack has already looked into some back in Oklahoma. I think he has begun to do that here too."
William and Grace wanted to offer to pay for Jack's school, but they knew that would be overstepping. They didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. The Thorntons have become great friends and by all accounts, family.
"We'll just have to wait and see. The coach called Jack yesterday and asked him to come for a visit on Saturday. They have a game that day and he wanted Jack to attend."
"A Mrs. Callahan called Elizabeth to invite her to come that Saturday too. She said that since Jack was coming and they wanted the same program, they should come together."
"It sounds like they are recruiting both of them at the same time."
"That's pretty smart." William stated. "They know Jack and Elizabeth are dating, so they can use that to their benefit. Hey, if you all are going, why don't we go together?"
"That sounds good. Jack was supposed to speak with Elizabeth today to see what she was going to do, but I'm sure this morning may have pushed that conversation back a little. Coach Brown mentioned combining the visit with Elizabeth."
'So, this Saturday we are heading to Bryan's?" Asked Grace.
"Road trip!" Cheered Charlette.
"You should know, Charlette sleeps the whole time in the car. So did Elizabeth when we went to Buxton."
"She always has along with this one." He nodded toward Grace.
"Let's head out on Friday. Jack has a game that Friday night. We can leave immediately following that. If I remember correctly, it's a three and a half hour drive. We can get a hotel near Bryan's. Then the visit on Saturday along with the game. Then we stay in the hotel that evening. We can come home on Sunday."
"That's sounds great Tom."
"Maybe I can see if we can get an Airbnb?" Grace asked.
"That would be perfect." Smiled Charlette.
"I'll let you know. We'll go in on half?"
"That'll work. I don't even know where it's located."
"William…if we can get a company van, we can all ride in one vehicle instead of taking two cars." Grace stated.
"Tom, you will quickly find out that Grace loves to work on things like this. She goes into planning overdrive."
"Enough from you." Grace laughed as she elbowed her husband. "Now, the van?"
"I'll call and reserve a van with the motor pool. It's a fifteen passenger van. We can all fit into it and our luggage."
"Perfect." Grace stated.
"I'll guess we will find out if we are all meant to be together after the weekend away." Thomas laughed.
"We are, you can count on it." Grace and Charlette stated.