The NEWBIE

Chapter 6

***6***

JACK

I stopped right next to my house and parked my motorcycle inside our garage. I placed down my helmet on the work table and speed off inside. On the way, something familiar was just lying in the hallway. I picked it up, realizing that it was Friday, which means she's here.

"Look out, look out, wherever you are!" I called out while clutching a lalaloopsy doll in my hand.

Every Friday, Jamie comes to our house for a visit. Jamie is actually my sister but when our parents divorced, Dad took Jamie from us, which was one of the reasons why I despised him so much. I was still looking for Jamie when the door of the cupboard suddenly opened.

"Hi, Jack!" Jamie popped in to view.

She ran to me and then I crouch down to hug her. "Why were you inside the cupboard?" I said as we let go of the hug.

"I was hiding!" she replied, taking her doll from my hand. "When will you visit Dad and me back at Ohio?" Jamie suddenly asked.

"Uh..." I rubbed the back of my neck, clueless of what to answer. I never tell her about my hatred for Dad because I don't want to make any issues with him. "But I thought you liked coming here?"

Jamie frowned, "Yes. But I like it when you're in Ohio. I miss you. Dad misses you."

I didn't reply to that and remain silent when she mentioned that Dad missed me. I don't care about him, anymore. It's his fault and his loss.

"Why don't we head to the kitchen with Mom?" I said, changing the subject. "Do you like ice cream?"

Jamie's eyes brightened, "Ice cream! You scream! We all scream!" she squealed and ran to the kitchen.

I followed her in the kitchen. Mom was busy cooking our meal.

"Mom! Mom! Jack said there's ice cream!" Jamie exclaimed, pulling Mom's apron. Mom smiled down at her.

"Sure, baby. Just let Mommy finish and she'll get your ice cream." Mom said and turned off the stove. The two of us sat on a chair, waiting for Mom to take out the ice cream.

"I'm going to eat chocolate." Jamie shared as if I didn't know. "What are you going to eat?" she asked me. She knows that the only flavour I eat was strawberry but she always asks me every time we eat ice cream.

"Strawberry," I replied.

"Strawberry's good. But I like chocolate better." She said as she sat quietly on her chair.

Mom finally took out the ice cream from the freezer. She gave us a big jar of ice cream each. Jamie opened it as soon as she had the grasp of it. I opened mine and began to eat.

"Jack, you're in charge. I'll be out in the nearest grocer." She said as she kissed our foreheads. After Mom left, Jamie spoke.

"Chocolate is so good. Why don't you try it?" she finally said after eating a scoop.

"Uhm, not really, Jamie." I replied. "I like strawberry better."

"Nuh-uh." Jamie disagreed. She leaned closer to me and said. "I'll scoop one for you. Just one. It's the best flavour ever!"

"Uh..." she began scooping the chocolate with her spoon.

"Say, 'aaaah'." She told me as the spoon went closer to my mouth. I didn't open my mouth. "Jack,"

"Stay here, Jamie." I said as I stood up, remembering that I bought a gift for Jamie. I was supposed to give it to her on her birthday last week, but I had to visit her in Ohio just to do that. "I'm just going to get something from my room."

"Sure." She said. I ran up to my room and took my gift under my bed. After that, I quickly ran downstairs, hiding the gift behind my back.

As soon as I arrived, Jamie shouted, "Close your eyes!"

"Why?" I asked her. "But I got something to-" but Jamie cut me off by trying to cover my eyes even though she couldn't reach it.

I finally closed my eyes, still hiding her gift behind me. I felt Jamie's hand pull mine, "Just sit here, okay? And don't peek!"

I did as she told me, but something about it didn't feel right, as if something bad was going to happen. But I stayed put. I believe my sister.

"Open your mouth." She said. It took me time just to open my mouth but I didn't have any choice but to do so. And then, she placed something inside my mouth. She let me close it and finally open my eyes.

"See? Chocolate wasn't so bad, right?" she smiled, innocently. Oh no. I gulped.

"Y-yeah! It does," I gave her a smile just to hide the sensation I was feeling at the moment.

"Yehey! Jack likes chocolate!" she exclaimed. I don't want to offend her by saying that my allergies had hit me when she made me eat her ice cream. I quickly ran for the bathroom and started looking for my medicine before it was too late.

Something was beginning to block my lungs. I couldn't breathe, anymore. I opened a small rickety cabinet and finally saw the medicine. I poured how many capsules inside my mouth, enough to prevent what was going to happen.

"Jack? Are you okay?" Jamie asked, worriedly.

I stopped and wait for me to breathe, normally. After a couple of seconds, the blocking stopped. I turned around and gave her a pale smile.

"Yup." I said. But her face didn't look convinced, at all.

"Hmp. You don't look okay to me." She replied. "You didn't like chocolate?"

"I did." I lied, just to make her feel okay. "Just don't do it, again, okay?" I bent down so her face could level mine.

She nodded slowly with a frown. I hugged her tightly and carried her back to the kitchen.

***

The doorbell rang. It must be him. Jamie was sleeping quietly on my bed but I didn't want to wake her up. I carried her in my arms, trying to keep her asleep. I didn't want to give her to him, if I could, I might've hid her away to a place he couldn't get her.

I opened the door, seeing him standing there. He was about to say something when I walked past him and to his car. I opened the door and gently placed Jamie on the shotgun.

"Jack, son," he called me, but I didn't look back.

"You know, you only had the chance to come here because of Jamie." I coldly, said.

"Son, I don't blame you for being mad at me but-" he tried explaining but I quickly cut him off.

I finally turned to him, "Drive her home safely, Arthur." I said, calling him with his first name.

He seemed a little moved when I called him, 'Arthur' but there was nothing he could do about it. He opened the door of the driver's seat and looked at me one more time. My face was blank, cold, and emotionless when I looked at him.

"Goodnight, son." He said, and the sound of the engine echoed across the neighbourhood. After that, he drove off, leaving trails of smoke coming from his car. The car I used to ride when I was a kid.

Every time I see his face, I would remember the nights when I would sneak out of bed and hear the two of them fight inside of their room. They don't know how miserable I became just by hearing them curse at each other's souls.

He'd done a lot of things to Mom. It may not be physically, but Mom certainly became hurt, verbally and emotionally. He doesn't know how she felt after all he's done to her. I became affected in that matter even in such a very young age. I became involved in it all.

I was such a miserable kid, I thought to myself as I went back inside.

*Credited to: thehopefuls