Divided.

Divided. (Part18)

Jack began to worry on the 3rd day. He hadn't heard so much as a peep from Daisy and although trying to play it cool he was worried that she had decided she didn't want to be friends with him anymore; that she didn't like him anymore, cast him aside like she'd told him she had with the peanut butter addiction... one day she loved it and the next day poof ... it made her skin crawl and she loathed the stuff. Perhaps it had something to do with why his parents were acting sneaky behind closed doors. It was always that way but lately every time he walked in to a room where his mum and dad were hovering together they'd stop talking instantly as if they were hiding a huge secret, smile brightly and start asking him all sorts of over-the-top questions about school, tennis club and if they were feeling particularly brave and snoopy they'd ask questions about Daisy.

"How's Daisy?"

"Have you seen Daisy today?"

"Does Daisy still like her phone?"

"You are being careful with Daisy aren't you?"

"Does Daisy like school as much as you do Jack?"

"When's Daisy's birthday?"

Daisy.... Daisy... Daisy ...

Jack shook his phone in his hand; he knew it wouldn't do any good but still that didn't stop him. Why hadn't she text or called? He'd already sent her 6 or 7 texts and he re-read them back to himself searching his outbox for a clue as to why she hadn't replied to any of his text messages.

"Jack your father and I were wondering ..." Jack's mother said as she loaded the dishwasher beneath the perfectly clean and gleaming sink, "And do say no if you think it's a bad idea ..."

Jack frowned at his mother; he could already tell he wasn't going to like what she had to say. He was sitting at the kitchen table making pyramids out of tooth picks and he held his hand up to silence her whilst he concentrated on balancing the last stick to his 7th tall triangle.

"...We were thinking you should invite Daisy over for dinner. You know... if you wanted too."

The pyramid fell apart before Jacks eyes, he couldn't believe it; he must have let out a large and all powerful breath and the wind had knocked down the wooden sticks like the wolf did to the little pigs houses in the story his mum used to tell.

It took a minute for him to register the craziness of what his mother was suggesting.

"It could be nice? And your father and I would like to meet her ... if that's okay with you? It's just an idea."

Jacks mum was nervous; he could hear it in her voice "Isn't that illegal?" Jack asked puzzled.

"Well it sort of is."

"It either is or it isn't mum?"

"Like I said ... it was just a thought."

Jack couldn't help but feel agitated and he left the table and walked out of the room in a huff with his phone still grasped tightly in his hand. He tried to call Daisy again once he locked himself in the upstairs bathroom; she didn't answer.

The next day at school Daisy was all Jack could think about. She was here somewhere on the school grounds and if he could only catch her eye he'd feel better to know that she was okay. If she was okay.

"Jack!" The teacher shouted from the front of the classroom, "Jack would you collect everyone's assignment please."

The assignment was History about the Tudor family line; they'd all had to write an essay on the Tudor family tree, something much too advanced for and un-advanced child in their age group.

Jack flopped out of his school chair and whipped around the classroom snatching piles of paper from each of his classmates.

"Cheer up it might never happen," a boy with black curls called Henry said to Jack. Jack thought Henry must have written a dam good essay ... you know ... because his name was Henry ... silly really but that's what he thought when he looked at the mountain of paperwork on Henry's little desk.

"Yeah what's wrong with you?" Matilda teased, "You have a face like my grandpa when mum forgets fish and chips Friday."

"I'm fine." Jack sighed, "Just bored."

"Me too" Henry said.

"I like History," Matilda grinned.

"You would because you're a girl." Henry rolled his eyes at Jack and Jack half smiled.

"Thank you Jack now take your seat... and please try and concentrate"

"Yes miss" Jack said and then turned back around to face his teacher "Please may I go to the toilet first?"