Eternally Ours

17- Feeding Time At The Zoo

"Emmy stop fussing over me! I promise I feel a hell of a lot better than I did the other night. Now, let's talk about you going to dinner tonight with Jack's always full of joy Da." Maybe I have been fussing over Freddie a bit to much, I don't want to over crowd him.

"Yeah Jack mentioned that he was erm challenging." I say not wanting to speak rude of other people's parents because I know I wouldn't like it if someone spoke badly of my mum.

"I think arsehole fits him a lot better. From what I've met of him- which isn't much, and keeping in mind I have been friends with Jack for years, he was always working and when I did see him he was always having ago at Jack, like nothing that boy could have done would have been good enough. Like he honestly is the complete opposite of Jack's mum, I never remember her ever smiling around him. It's sad really." Freddie says twirling his pasta around on his fork.

"I'm sure dinner will be fine though, won't it?" I ask Freddie who's face is telling me all I need to know.

"Well I'm glad it's you that's going and not me," Freddie quips before popping a fork full of his pasta into his mouth.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Freddie, such a help as always." I retort, the anxious feeling I know oh to well creeping up slowly but surely. I shake my head and try to suppress the feeling as much as I can.

"Oh thank you, I do try, I do try," Freddie says in his usual sarcastic tone, bowing from his seat.

Freddie insisted on picking out my outfit after lunch for tonight I just hope tonight goes well for Jack, I don't know if it's because I never knew my dad but the idea of helping mend a broken relationship between someone I care about and his dad is important to me. I feel that even if there is a slight chance that he might have changed then it is worth trying. I haven't spoken to Jack yet today but I'll text him after I finish lunch with Freddie, who is acting a bit more himself but there is still something there and I don't think that he will be fully back to himself until he gets some form of closure with his parents- but whether it will be good closure or bad closure is a different question.

I have to focus on helping one person at a time with broken relationships with their parents, plus I don't think Freddie's ready just yet especially after he has just managed to be feeling okay and not hiding behind a smile.

"Freddie can I ask you something but don't tell Jack I asked?"

"Yeah go ahead," he brings his head up from focusing on his food, his eyes growing a concerned look.

"He, well, he keeps getting into fights, was he like this before he moved here?"

He lets out a sigh placing down his fork and giving me his full attention. "Erm yeah, he was a lot worse last year he's been better recently. He doesn't talk about his feelings so I guess he takes it out with the only way he knows how. But he has changed a lot like he rarely drinks and only goes to our parties, whereas he used to be drinking most nights at random parties with random people always fighting and I guess we just all thought he was rebelling against his dad but then he sort of chilled out on his own and when he came here it was like the old Jack was completely back, it's nice to have him back. Like I said before Jack's no stranger to a girl but I don't think he has took one out recently so I guess maybe he's trying to be a better person." Freddie leans back in his chair.

I know it's stupid but the crush I have on Jack, which I know I shouldn't, I pray that it will slowly fade away, is rather happy that Jack hasn't been seeing anyone. It's bad I know but I can't help it. It's sad that he was that unhappy with his life that he felt like he needed to act out but I'm happy that he is a lot better now.