The First Time

Can't Loose

"How could you be so careless," Joseph Kennedy Sr. yells looking at his second eldest.

"I didn't mean to get her pregnant dad, it just happened," Jack replies.

Joe looks at his son and shakes his head. Out of all his children, Jack has always been the one to have given him the most trouble.

Between the stupid pranks, he's pulled with his friends, almost being expelled twice for those pranks. His less than stellar grades; but he made up for athletically. Jack made it obvious that he is nothing like his older brother Joe Jr.

Joseph Kennedy Jr. is the apple of his parent's eye. Straight A student, handsome, athletic, star of every team he's been on. He never gave his parents any trouble in school. He is everything Jack is not.

Joe Jr. is the ideal child. Jack the problem child. Their younger siblings look up to Joe and he looks after them. For Jack, however, he always had to be under his brother's shadow. Mostly all his life he's always heard why he couldn't be more like Joe. It is always about Joe, the golden child. The one who is going to be President one day.

"I don't even know how this could even be fixed!" Joe Sr. says leaving against the mantle. He thinks for a second.

"I'll pay for her abortion, that's the only way this mess of yours could be fixed!"

"Joe! How could you say such a thing!? That goes against what the church teaches us!" Rose says.

"Is the church going to take care of this baby Rose!? For heaven's sake Jack! Could you be more careful about the choices you make? I mean everything you do has the Kennedy name on it, and I'll be damned if I let you ruin it." he says now standing in front of his son.

"I'm not going to ruin the Kennedy name," Jack says quietly.

"What do you call it then? I mean I've already had to throw money at that school to keep your ass there because of that last prank you pulled. Now I hope Bouvier will go along with this."

Jack looks out the window and thinks about Jackie. He wishes he could be with her right now instead of here being yelled at. But considering how things are right now she wouldn't even want him near her.

He's created a huge mess and has no idea of how to clean it up.

"Jack! Jack!" he hears his father standing in front of him.

"What!?" Jack yells irritated.

"John Fitzgerald Kennedy! Who do you think you're yelling at that is your father!" Rose says turning to her son.

"See Rose we never had this problem with Joe!" Sr. says taking off his glasses.

"Because I'm not Joe!" Jack yells standing up to his father, "all my life that's all I had to hear was why couldn't I be more like Joe! Joe gets good grades; Joe's the star of the debate club, football team, the list can go on! I'm not him. I'm tired of competing against my own brother! I'm tired of having my life circled around Joe because he's going to be President one day! That's the only reason why you want Jackie to get an abortion! It's because it'll hurt Joe's chances of being President."

"You damn right! I've worked too hard to start getting him started on his path to the White House! I refuse to let you and your games stand in the way!"

"I don't care about Joe running for President!" Jack spits back.

"Jack!" Rose exclaims.

"Now see here..." Joe Sr. goes to say before Jack cuts him off.

"No, you listen dad! I refused to sacrifice my unborn child for Joe's career! I gave up so much for Joe and I'm tired living my life always have to keep him at the center. That's all you give a damn about! Well, I don't care anymore and if Joe doesn't make it that'll be his problem not mine!" Jack yells before storming out.