Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 5

"Hey, Jenna," Jack said, putting his lunch tray down next to hers.

"Hi, Jack," she said, opening her milk carton.  "Sorry I had to run off, I just had to get to my class.  You understand."

"Yeah, sure," he said.  So it wasn't me . . .

"And, I guess I wasn't ready to talk about . . . what made me cry.  I hope you understand that, too."

"Sure.  What did you get?"

"Salad.  I don't like their cooked stuff much."

"I got that American Chop Suey thing.  It looks like barf."

She laughed, "Yeah, similar!  Your Ipod is nice, I like the case color."

"Yeah, it's cool.  I got this cover for it last week.  I used to have a black one, but I'm branching out."

She was charmed.  He flashed his winning smile, and she returned it.

As they ate and talked, Jack noticed a group of girls standing not far from the table.  One continually watched them, and finally they approached.  "Hey, new girl?"

"Jenna, yeah, hi."

"Why are you eating lunch with Jack Manning?"  the red-head said.  She was chewing a large wad of gum.

"He's nice.  One of the first people I met here."

"Nice?  He's a bully.  Did he tell you about Shane Morasco?  On the roof of the school building last year?"  the blonde said.  She was tall and slim, and reminded him of his mother - in looks only.  She was  bitter and cruel.  He knew by the look on her face.

Jack just looked up.  "Hey, the past is the past.  Just eating our lunch, here.  No one's bothering you."

The red-head talked again, "He kills people, just remember that.  We thought you should know, since you're new and all.  Oh and one more thing, you'd better not visit his house, his father - he's a rapist."

All three laughed, and went by the table, leaving silence in their wake.  Jack watched them go, and his hands felt numb.  He could barely look back at her, and looked at his tray instead.  It could have been vomit in reality if he did not fight it.  Jenna finally said, "Jack, what did they mean about Shane?"

He took his tray and got up, leaving Jenna behind.  He thought he might have heard her call his name, but he kept going.  Dumping the lunch in the trashcan, he left the cafeteria, and leaned on the wall outside the lunchroom.  He was sweating; his palms felt sticky, and his stomach churned.  He took out his cell phone, and dialed.  "Shaun?  I'm sick.  Really.  Gonna puke.  I'm going to the nurse, so . . . just get ready to come and get me, will ya?"

***

Dorian brought her bags to the door of The Sun home office.  She set them down loud enough for Todd to hear her.  He did not look up from his desk.  Instead, he said, "Dorian?"

"Is Blair home?"

"Blair's shopping."  He shuffled through papers.

"Todd?"  Dorian said.

He sighed, put the papers down and looked up.  "Yep."  He folded his hands.

"I . . . am not quite sure how to say this."

"What, that you were eavesdropping outside our bedroom?  That's a tough one to say, even for me."

She gulped, "Yes, I was.  I heard something, I got up to see if Blair was in trouble."

"In trouble?  How could she be in trouble?  Oh, I know," he said, the sarcasm seething, "she was with a rapist, isn't that what you mean?  That I could have been attacking her, my own wife, that I fought to get back to for eight years?"

"No, not exactly . . ."

"Look, you don't like me, you never did.  Just . . . what you did was over the line.  But you got what you wanted, I'm assuming.  You're packed and ready to go.  I'd never let Blair know this, but I'm glad."

"I can see she's in good hands.  I guess that is what I came to say."  She picked up her bags, "But if you think I'm going to forget the things you've done, Todd Manning, you're deluding yourself."

With that, she disappeared out of his doorway and he heard her feet on the staircase.

Steep stairs leading down.  It smells damp, moldy.  A pull chain with a bulb . . .

He stopped, and took three deep breaths.  Craning his neck backward, he rolled his head side to side, then sat back up.  Taking the phone, he dialed.

At the same moment, Jack passed Dorian on her way to the taxi, and they exchanged brief greetings.  Shaun went his way, to the private cottage out back, and Jack went into the house, putting his bookbag down and calling, "Dad?"  When he did not get an answer, he started up the stairs.  He had made a decision to tell his father what happened at school, and what was happening inside him as well.  He made his way to The Sun office, and stopped out of eyeshot.  His father was on the phone.

"Ray?  Todd.  Yeah, fine, and you?  She's fine, she's . . . well she still has bouts with the grieving and stuff.  Yep.  I called because, well . . . Something strange is happening with me."  Chains, dangling, and the shackles clanging. . .

Jack, walking to the door of his father's office, stopped when he heard his voice.  

"I'm getting flashes.  Things I don't recognize.  No, short bursts.  Choppy, not like a story, more like photos.  It makes me creeped out.  I feel, out of control."

Jack thought how out of control he felt sometimes, like when the memory of Shane Morasco and what happened to Shane's mother crept in.  He thought if his father would understand.  Todd was having memory flashes; Jack had his own brand of those.

Todd continued, "You know how this went.  I found out in Greece about my father raping my mother in front of me, I had a really tough time.  You know how it is.  It seems like things are evening out, and then . . . you're wrong.  Lately, I've been experiencing some flashes.  Weird stuff."

Jack was stunned, and couldn't move.  If anything like that ever happened to Mom . . .  He was stuck, where he was.  He was sure he heard it, but he couldn't . . .his father began to talk again.

"I know.  I suppose that's enough, but something. . . Do you remember I told you that I was certain there was more, that I couldn't get to it all?  Yes.  I need the closest appointment you have.  Perfect."  He scribbled onto his notepad.  "All right.  I'll be there.  Thanks."

Todd sat back in the office chair, and it creaked a bit under his weight.  He pushed back in it, almost lying down.  An animal in the corner? it's missing fur on its face. . .

Jack couldn't breathe.  He wanted to go to talk to his father, to bury his face in his father's chest, and let it all out, about Shane, about Gigi and school, about what he had just heard.  How could he be so weak, while his father, who had been through so much, now had more to face?  Jack panicked.  Standing outside the office, he wanted so much to go in and tell his father everything, once and for all.  At the same time, he thought of what he just heard. . . . his mother . . . he changed his mind, and barreled down the stairs instead.  

Jack called for Williams, and asked for a ride into town to get supplies for a school project.  Williams asked for Todd's permission, and Jack said, "He's kinda busy."  

Todd, in his office, was sitting with his head hung backward, trying to clear his mind.  He couldn't tell Blair.  Especially now, with her feeling the way she had been, and with Dorian, Kelly and Cassie in town, things were . . . sticky.  He didn't want her to have something else to explain away to them about him, yet again.  Shelves with something . . .

Somehow, Williams accepted, and drove up about twenty minutes later.  Jack loaded himself into the limo.  His plan was to go into town, buy a couple of notebooks, and on the way back . . . 

Todd tried to shake the flashes off.  He wasn't sure what was making them come faster now.  "Could be the stress, Manning, of having The Cramer girls in town.  Could be Blair's emotions lately.  Could just be you're cracking up."

Jack checked the wetbar in the car.  A large bottle of Scotch, and he'd be all right.  Just a couple of gulps would take the edge off the day and let him relax enough to get some rest.  Yep.  That's the plan.  

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