Tales of Pixfare

Jack-Jack Flashback part 2

One year later, November 1997, at the Group Home for Children in Minnesota. Jack, now 8, was in his room, looking at a green and black flyer for the talent show. He took out a tape recorder with an attached microphone and recorded himself humming a song.
A boy, 2 years older, came into Jack's room, saw the flyer on his bed, and took a look at it. "What's this?" He asked.
Jack stopped humming and turned off the recording. "It's none of your business." He said.
"What, think you're going to be the next David Bowie?" The boy asked.
"What do you know?" Jack argued. "Maybe people actually want to hear me sing."
"Who?" The boy argued back. "As soon as you get up on that stage and look out at the audience, you'll realize the truth, Jack." He continued. "You're just like the rest of us...all alone." He then left.
Jack was hurt by his words but felt like he was right. He crumpled up the flyer and threw it into the trash can.

Kelly, now 15, was watching some TV in the TV room at the shelter with her friends, Amy and Linea, now 16. Now her other two best friends were in college, but in different places with new environments.
"I miss Anna and Mary." Kelly said while writing something for history class.
"Me too." Amy agreed.
"So do I" Linea added.
"We'd better study for our tests when we come back from fall break." Kelly said.
"Yeah, ok." The other girls agreed and took out their textbooks.

Hopkins, Minnesota, late-October 2004
With a new decade, comes new changes, as for the recently 15-year-old Jack, with a combed up style hair, white tank top, black hoodie, dark blue jeans, white and red striped knee socks, and some Nikes red sneakers. On his birthday, he knew that no family was going to want him, neither his powers nor his previous family. The night after his birthday, he packed his things and finally left the orphanage, finally going on his own. Several days after leaving the orphanage, he was at the store buying some food when he came across delicious frosted chocolate fudge toasted Pop-Tarts.
Jack then noticed another teenage boy was watching him, but then walked away. With the coast clear, Jack took a box of Pop-Tarts and hid it in his jacket. He started walking out when a store employee suddenly stopped him.
"Woah." A security guard stopped him. "What you get there?"
Before Jack could answer, the boy came over with a cart. "I've been looking all over for you. Just go with it." He said softly to Jack. "Thanks for hanging on to that till I got us a cart." He took the box of Pop-Tarts and put it in the cart.
"You two boys are on your own?" The security guard asked.
"My parents are outside in the car." The boy replied. "They sent us to grab a few things."
"Okay." The security guard said, walking away.
Jack sighed relieved. "Thanks. That was about to get ugly."
"Yeah, no kidding." The boy said. "You know, the whole 'stuffing things under your shirt' move never works." He then grabbed a blue credit card from the right breast pocket of his red checkered shirt. "You need one of these. "Lift some plastic, and you can buy whatever you want."
"I'll remember that next time." Jack smiled, nodding. He then began to walk away.
"Wait!" The boy stopped him. "You're part of my cover now." He said. "So what do you say? You want to go shopping?" He asked.
Jack grinned and agreed to his offer.

21 minutes later, the boys got their grocery bags and left the store.
"Wow. That actually worked." Jack said, amazed.
The boy saw an SUV following them, and then looked at Jack. "Hold onto your bag and run." He warned Jack.
"What? Why?" Jack asked, confused.
"Trust me." The boy said, then looked at the same green SUV. "Go! Go! Go!" He told Jack and then they begin to run.
"Hey!" The driver, a middle-aged woman, shouted and kept following the boys as they ran.
The boys kept running when another SUV blocked the green one. "Come on!" The boy said. "This way!" He instructed.
After the other SUV drove away, the woman kept driving and searching for the boys. She drove past an alley where they were hiding.
The boys took a deep breath in relief. "I'm Jack, By the way." Jack introduced himself.
"Tommy." The boy introduced himself. "Thanks for the help."
"You had my back, and I got yours." Jack said, and then they both laughed.