School Activities

Second Chance

Monday morning arrived.

Jack headed to school, dropping the report off. The principal didn't ask where Ennis was. He just let Jack know he was proud of the fact that Jack and Ennis had gotten something accomplished together other than beating the shit out of each other. Jack KNEW there wouldn't be any extra credit for it, and he had been right!

He hurried to find Ennis before class, but Ennis was nowhere in sight. He sat through class, constantly thinking of what he might say to Ennis. Should he even bring up the fact that Ennis had said he'd call yesterday but didn't? Was it Jack's right to demand an explanation out of him? What was going to happen when they saw each other again? One day had been way too long.

Jack sat down with Adam at lunch. He ate in silence, looking over at Ennis' table and seeing him there with Alma. Ennis never looked his way. Alma didn't even look at him. Jack couldn't tell if Ennis was pissed or not. He was tempted to go over there but never moved a muscle until the bell rang and everyone got up to head to class.

Ennis didn't even look at him as they passed each other in the hall on the way to class.

Pure torture. Jack was beating himself up inside, knowing he should apologize for the bet if he ever wanted to hang out with Ennis again.

But, was that even the problem? If Ennis was so pissed now, how come he hadn't said anything when they were sitting in detention nearly all day Saturday? Surely he wasn't that much of a shut-in that he would hold in his anger even if he was alone with the guy that had been planning on humiliating him for just a hundred bucks.

Money that was sitting in his room, untouched. Jack didn't feel like he had earned it for the right reasons(and he hadn't), so he wasn't going to spend it anywhere. Maybe a time would come where it would be useful, but right now, it wasn't.

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After school, Jack did the impossible. He had found out where Ennis lived.

It was a quiet part of the neighborhood. A part of town where the retired often moved to. Hardly anyone saw anyone under thirty hanging around here. But, it must be cheap, due to the state all of the houses on the street were. A better paint job might make them look at least a little bit presentable. But, at least the houses weren't falling apart.

Jack stepped up to the right house, checking the address to make sure. He knocked on the door then glanced around once. This house was in better shape than the rest of the houses on the block. But, that was just obvious since an elderly couple didn't live here.

The door opened and Ennis stood there, looking very surprised to see Jack standing on his doorstep.

"Sorry I'm not Alma," Jack said, guessing the reason why Ennis answered the door. Unless he always answered the door. But, the apology would make sense either way.

Ennis looked over his shoulder then back at Jack. "What're you doin' here?" he asked.

"I needed to talk to you," Jack said, knowing 'needing to see you' would be taken the wrong way. Saying that would be VERY inappropriate and Jack didn't want to come off that way.

"About?"

"About the fact that you weren't there when I turned in OUR report," Jack said. "And, just to let you know, I was right about the reasons for why we were given that assignment."

"Here to gloat, then?"

"No," Jack said with a slight shake of his head. "I was expectin' to hang out yesterday."

"Other plans came up."

"Dammit, Ennis, why can't we be friends?" Jack asked. "Yeah, I know what I did to you was wrong and I'm sorry. I also know that hangin' out with you will ruin my reputation, but I don't give a fuck about that!"