Orphan (A Jack Gilinsky Fanfic)

4. Hiding Place

KATHRYN'S POV

Nighttime

I hear quiet snores coming from my lap, Jamie's chest steadily huffing up and down against my thighs. Jamie is fast asleep, his head still facing the TV.

He had a long day: he spent all afternoon drawing up a gamebook with Jack for the Gilinsky's annual Thanksgiving's flag football tournament. Every feature of Jamie's face screamed excitement and joyfulness when he asked me for permission to help Jack, and I didn't have the heart to break it to him we probably will not still be here by then. So, as Jack and Jamie scribbled in a red spiral notebook and whispered covert strategies in each other's ears, I sat in the plush red armchair at the corner of the living room, pretending to read 1984 and basking in a massive sun of guilt. If Jamie was so into this tournament now, I could only imagine how he was going to react when he never gets the chance to try out the plays he was so determined to perfect. With that doubleplusungood picture in mind, I started to wish I lived in George Orwell's Oceania.

Picking him up from under his arms, I grunt as I struggle up the stairs, pausing only once on the way to catch my breath, and into our room. I swear I'll never need to lift weights as long as I have a sleeping Jamie to tuck in.

I lay him gently on the left side of the bed, placing his head on the fluffed pillow and grabbing the sheets to cover his body up to his chin. I kiss his forehead and let out a sigh.

The stairs whine as I walk back downstairs. It's dark outside and the digital clock on the oven reads 12:15 am. I yawn silently to myself, but I don't feel tired enough to sleep. With the mug of coffee I had only an hour earlier, I have enough energy to run a mile.

Stepping outside, I decide to wander the premises of the yard. I'm immediately assailed by the chilly night air. I feel the goosebumps rise on my skin, automatically causing my hands to caress my arms and rub vigorously. The friction warms me up slightly as I make my way down towards the lake.

I walk carefully down the hill, my vision limited due to the dark night sky. I stop merely three feet away from the murky water, the sound of crickets and frogs filling the air. I breathe in the salty air as I plop down onto the dry grass.

I spread my legs out parallel in front of me, letting my hands lean on the earth on either side of my torso. The cool breeze flows through my silky hair, letting it fly freely in the wind. I close my eyes and throw my head back. In the first time in months, I feel serene. Letting out a blissful sigh, I absorb the beauty of silence and let all my worries slip my mind momentarily.

After a short minute, I hear shuffling behind me. I instantly flutter my eyes open and snap my head around in annoyance. I see the silhouette of a tall figure walking down the hill towards me, growing larger with every step.

As the figure approaches me, the moonlight illuminates the stranger and reveals Jack's tanned face. He raises his eyebrow at me and questions quietly, "Kathryn?" So much for my silence.

I sigh and pick at a piece of grass underneath my fingertips, "Did you follow me here?"

He walks towards me until we're side by side. He sits down and turns to me, "No, actually." I see him grin at me from the corner of my eye. "I didn't even see you until I got to the top of the hill."

I stare straight forward at the dark, enigmatic lake, "Oh."

He lays his hands down on either side of his body, "But it looks like you found my little hiding place."

I raise an eyebrow and say, "It's not very hidden."

His lips curve into a slight smile, "Not in the daytime. But at night," His eyes gaze in front of him, admiring the lake. "The darkness hides you."