Orphan (A Jack Gilinsky Fanfic)

10. 21 Questions

JACK'S POV

I feel the mechanical vibrations against my thigh as my phone buzzes in my pocket incessantly. I open my eyes with strain, the drowsiness overwhelming my body.

Through squinted eyes, I see Kathryn curled into my body sleeping soundlessly. Her lips look pink and plump as her chest rises up and down.

I unwillingly remove my hand from around her, stuffing it in my pocket to reveal my vibrating phone. The brightness of the screen burns my eyes as I stare at the ID: Mom.

I run my hands through my hair hastily as I step out from under the covers, careful not to wake Kathryn. I tiptoe out of the bedroom and close the door behind me silently. As I begin to walk down the stairs, I slide my finger across the screen and hold the phone to my ear, "Hello?"

"Jack! How are you, honey?" I hear my mom's booming voice through the device as I step outside into the chilly morning air. The sun has only risen midway, causing the sky to showcase a beautiful shade of orange-pink.

Leaning against the side of the bridge, I rub my hands over my face as I reply in a cracky voice, "Good, good. Why are you calling so early?"

"We're going fishing today! Hoping to catch some carp or catfish. I haven't spoken to you all week, I just wanted to check in to see if everything's alright. How are you and Kathryn doing?"

I scratch the back of my neck as I purse my lips. "I'm fine. But Kathryn..." I pause and shake my head slightly to myself, thinking over the past few days.

I hear my mom's voice laced with worry as she questions rapidly, "Kathryn what? What's wrong?"

I blink hard. "Mom," I lick my lips before continuing. "Her parents are dead."

"WHAT?" She practically screams through the phone, causing me to jump slightly. I remove my phone a few inches away from my ear, letting it heal from the sudden outburst. My mom speaks like word-vomit, "What do you mean? What happened? Jack? Are you there?"

I press the phone back to my ears and take a deep breath, "Yeah, yeah, I'm here. Her car broke down at work last night and I went to pick her up." I furrow my eyebrows as I recall the previous night. "Right when she was about to get in the car, some police officer tapped her on her shoulder and told her that they found her parents' car under the highway in a river earlier that day. He said it's most likely been there for like, a while now since the paint job is completely ruined."

I hear my mom sigh on the other end. I can already picture her holding her hand to her mouth in shock as she slowly shakes her head from left to right. She speaks in a soft voice, "Her...her parents were inside?"

I pull my bottom lip inside my mouth, "Yeah."

My mom speaks slowly through a strained voice, "Oh my goodness. That poor girl has been through enough." She pauses. "How is she?"

I inhale deeply, "Devastated."

"I bet. God, I feel terrible. You're taking care of her, right Jack? Should we cut this trip short and come home early?"

"Nah, nah. You don't guys don't need to. I-I think I have her covered." I pull at the ends of my hairs nervously. "She's uh, she's finally getting comfortable around me."

My mom's voice suddenly becomes sharp. "Jack, don't you dare use this tragedy as a strategy to win her over. I mean it. She needs love and support right now. The last thing on her mind is boy drama. I-I think we should come home early, Jack. I can plan for us to be back home by--"

I cut her off. "Mom, stop. She doesn't want people surrounding her just to pity her." I pause before continuing harshly, "And I am giving her love and support, alright? She needs me, not you."