"Hey Jack, you okay?"
Jacks head snaps up. Did he doze off again? "Yeah Crutchie, I'm okay. Spaced out I guess," He says with his signature Jack Kelly smile.
"Thinking of the girlfriend?" His best friend asked teasingly. Crutchie sat down next to Jack on the steps leading to the school building. "When does she come back from her trip to France?"
Jack thought a moment. "I think she's back on the tenth?" He said.
"September tenth?"
"October," Jack frowned. "We only get to talk at night, too, her mom wants her to 'experience the outside world'."
"You would make the same rule, Jackie boy," Crutchie said, lightly punching his adoptive brother's arm.
"I know, and I'm happy for her." He sighed. "I just wish I could see her."
Crutchie laughed. "Of course you do, but just think 'bout it! Shes gonna have all sorts of fun stories for you when she gets back!"
"Yeah, in a month and a half."
Crutchie sighed. "Yeah, in a month and a half, but you get to talk at night at least!"
"Her nights." Jack sighed. "Why couldn't she do this earlier in the summer?"
"Because her birthday is at the start of school?"
"It's just not fair, Crutch."
Crutchie laughed. "Sure it isn't, big man. You'll do it, though. Hey, class is boutta start. Help a crip out?" Crutchie extended his hand for Jack to help him to get up from the ground.
Jack stood up and grabbed Crutchie's hand, helping the younger boy up. He passed Crutchie his crutch.
"Math class." Crutchie sighed.
"Ah, don't stress about math. Davis just has you do your assignment from yesterday." Jack said, walking with Crutchie to his class, swapping information with his friend about the classes they have been to that the other hasn't yet.
Jack and Crutchie sat outside the school, waiting for their adoptive mother to come and pick them up. She ran the theater nearby and was normally a bit late. Today was no different. Medda Larkin always tried to be there on time, though she ended up about fifteen minutes late at the earliest.
The boys started making a game of it by making bets to see how late she would be. Once they think they've found a pattern, Medda always managed to throw them off their game by showing up early, or being an hour late and sending a friend to come and pick the boys up.
Today, Medda was only twenty minutes late. "Ha! I win today," Crutchie said.
"Ay, that's okay. I didn't say what I was playing for this time," Jack grinned, and helped his friend up off the stairs they sat on.
"Dirty, Jack Kelly," Crutchie said. "I oughta start paying more attention."
"You sure do." Jack started walking towards Medda's car, Crutchie in tow.
Medda smiled, seeing the two. She unlocked the car doors. The boys opened the doors, Jack sitting in front seat.
"Hey Medda," Jack said. "Thanks for the ride."
"Oh, you say that every day!" Medda said. "You do know, the car ride is my favorite part of the day. Tell me, how was school, boys?"
Crutchie began explaining how he was sure he turned in his History assignment, but he has a zero on it, and how he feels that teacher is out to get him. Jack and Medda listened intently. According to Crutchie, the teacher is so horrible, none of his classmates ever get good grades anyway.
