What Comes Next

Chapter 9: Leo

Chapter 9: Leo

It's been almost a month since I was invited to Thanksgiving at the youth center. From then on, every afternoon there has been seriously busy. Today is the day before Fall Fest and I've had the whole week off, something Cara is incredibly bitter about despite it being her choice to stay in town until winter break and my willingness to work on Christmas.

Nellie and I determined the top five performers and posted them a few weeks ago so they could practice the whole act. Jack was a sure thing. He shocked every ear within hearing range. Along with him we chose the dancers, the group comedy act, the music trio, and a soloist with a ridiculous range. Apparently she sings in the shower, so people weren't too amazed.

As soon as I walk into the door I see a worried Patty talking on the phone and notice that Mave is nowhere to be found. Nellie approaches me a distraught expression on her face. "Jack's missing. He's snuck away a couple of times, but usually returns before anyone, except me, could find out. His mom checked him in this morning but no one seems to have seen him since. Patty's calling friends and Mave is out looking for him. I don't know if there's anything you can do." It was sort of a questioning statement.

"Call Mave. I'll have a better shot finding him and she needs to cook. I'll keep you posted." I turn around, bolting out the door before she can reply. I remember the day Jack gave me the phone number to his secret Nokia. The youth center usually collects any kids cell phones when their parents drop them off, but obviously Jack doesn't care about the rules.

"Hey Jack, where are you? I mean seriously this is not a funny prank. They're thinking about calling the cops."

After a ridiculous number of voicemails he texts.

Jack: Hey.

Leo: Where are you!?

Jack: Around.

Leo: I'm tracking your phone.

Jack: You can't do that.

Leo: You don't know that.

Jack: ...

Incoming call.

"You can't track my phone."

"And you can't ditch us, but here we are."

"What do you care, anyway?"

"Well aside from the legality of it all, I don't want to see your dead body on the TV!"

"I don't want to go back there."

"Yeah well I have to, and it's not fun being the only man around."

"You're telling me."

"Where are you? I'll pick you up."

click

"Damnit Jack."

Jack: North Street

I drive toward North Street and park on the nearest curb.

"Jack!" I shout. "Jack!"

"I'm not a lost dog."

"Where did you come from?" I say startled.

"I told you. Around." He spits.

Frustrated, I pick Jack up and throw him over my shoulder. Once we reached the vehicle I set him down outside the passenger door and ask, "Where to?" His expression turns from seething to puzzled. "What?" Was all he could say.

"Where to? You don't want to go to the youth center, so where to?" He paused to think. "Umm, I don't know."

"Have you had dinner?" I question. "No." "Okay so dinner it is." I walk to the drivers seat and hop in. He follows my actions still unsure.

What feels like hours later, we pull up to Marty's. "How about some pizza?"

~

It's close to eight by now since Jack took over an hour to reply to my text. An equally furious and relieved Nellie let me know that Jack's mom gets off work at 10, so we have about two hours.

Finishing the last of his tiramisu, Jack wipes his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt. I throw a couple of napkins at him, "Manners." Somewhat embarrased, he grabs the napkins off of the table. "So...are you going to tell me why you abandoned ship?" I ask. He sinks into the booth. "I'm not mad. I just don't see a clear plan here. North Street? If you were looking for a gang of devil worshippers to join, then you were definatley headed in the wrong direction." He laughs, but I can't tell if it's because of because of my top tier comedy or whatever is actually bothering him. "Why did you leave?" He pushes himself up a bit. "I was bored." "And." He elbows the empty dessert plate away from him. "Somebody cut the strings on the guitar."

He looks up. "Might want to close your mouth, you're gonna catch flies." he adds and I breath out of my nose in a sort of laugh.

"I was mad. And everyone's so busy with the stupid festival so I just walked out. And kept walking. I was going to come back...eventually."

"What kind of guitar was it?"

"I don't know." He huffed.

"Well that's a problem." I step out of the booth and drop the tip on the table, but Jack doesn't move. "Where are you going?"

"The lake. I've got to dispose of the body somewhere." I reply in a serious tone. His eyes narrow in disbelief. "Wow, tough crowd. We're going back to the youth center, dippy."

It was like all of the oxygen left his body as he deflated in the booth. "Do we have too?"

"What exactly is your alternative?"

"I don't know." He sulks as I sit back down on the edge of my seat. "Look we've got to back so I have enough time to do some damage control on your behalf-" He rolls his eyes. "Unless you'd like to represent yourself before Judge Patty and Prosecuter Mave." He sighs in concession. "We're going to go back to the youth center, and I'm going to plead your case, and you're going to go find out what kind of guitar it is so I can pick you up some new strings."

I see a smile so small I may be imagining it brighten up his face. He stacks his dishes and we leave, taking some cannolis Marty insisted on.

"It's not very often you eat here by choice. Or with a friend!" Marty says nodding at Jack. Cara glares at me from the bar which at the very least makes for good conversation on the drive home. "Was it just me or did that waitress look kind of murdery to you?" Jack asks when we got in the truck.

~

By the end of the night Jack was home safe and Nellie and Patty were, well, somewhat less angry. I had just pulled into the garage when Jack texts.

Jack: Fender Standard

Leo: Got it.

Jack: Thanks Leo

Leo: Night Jack.

**********

I'm sure you missed me. Don't really know what to say. Anyway, L created Jack, but I basically said he's my character now, so I hope you like him. (That hurt right there. I call for joint custody. ~L)

Eat healthy. (Or not, I don't care.)

~J