Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 8 (mild adult)

"Todd?  Todd, what are you daydreaming about?"  Blair said, gently shaking his arm.  They were eating breakfast, talking about the day, and he was suddenly off somewhere else.

"Sorry, I was just. . . thinking about Jack."

"You never really told me everything he said.  He's okay?"

"He's okay.  Some troubles at school surrounding a girl.  Also, kids are being mean, mostly about the Shane thing, and of course, me and my past."

"He loves you, Todd.  He really wanted you.  He's getting at that age where the Dad means everything.  He hangs on your every word, I've told you that."

"I know," he said, reviewing in his mind that his son was accidentally now not only owner of the knowledge of his grandmother's attack and what that legacy might mean to his life, but of his recent struggles as well.  "He does.  You should know, he over heard me.  On the phone, with Ray.  I was telling Ray about . . . well, reviewing with him the things that have gone down in the past year.  He heard me say my mother was raped and that I saw it as a kid."

"Oh," she sighed, disappointedly.  "He surmised that, but to hear it?  Not sure he's ready to handle all this."

"Me neither, he wasn't supposed to be home.  I didn't know he was there.  He heard."

"Well, it happened.  Not much we can do now."  She took a bite of toast, "Why were you calling Ray, anyway?"

"I want to go and see him."

She put down her cup.  Reaching out for his hand, she said, "Are you all right, Todd?"

"Yeah.  You know how it is, can't shake that guy Ray.  And now, I can make appointments for Jack.  He should go back, he can't let go of what happened with the Morascos."

She didn't answer right away.  "But you, Todd.  I'm worried.  Is this about me, and the little meltdown I had?"

"No, it's not."

"Good, because I would have felt guilty.  But at the same time, I'm really worried, you just picking up and wanting to see him again."

He wasn't sure how far he wanted to go.  "I'm having nightmares again.  Not really bad ones.  At least I am not waking up puking."  He didn't really lie.  He was having flashes, sort of like dreams.  He just wasn't having all of them at night.

"You didn't tell me.  We agreed to share everything, even bad stuff."

He swallowed, turning his eyes from her a minute to his plate.  "I know.  Sorry, I just thought with everything going on with you and the grieving, with the Cramer Crackpots in town, it wasn't really necessary."

She said, "They're not crackpots.  Well, not all of them."  She softened, "I'm okay, my love.  I'm really okay.  The other night, well, it was just a nightmare.  Chalk it up."

"You were . . . so sad.  So much sadness, Babe.  I don't want to see you like that."

"But you knew just what to do with me," she leaned in toward him across the breakfast bar.

He leaned in to match her, both elbows now propping him on the table.  "Yeah, I know what to do with you.  And you know what to do with me.  Did I ever thank you for everything in Greece?"

"You did," she was whispering now, with her floaty tone.

He leaned far enough across to catch her bottom lip in his.  When he pulled back, his eyes were still closed, as if he were lost in it.  She reached up and touched his cheek.  He kissed her palm and opened his eyes.  "Who needs Ray Martino?  I've got you.  You're my therapy.  You're my world."

She kissed him again and then said, "No, Todd, I think you're right to go.  If you thought of it, then there's a reason.  Go."

He was a bit surprised at her answer.  "All right.  I am, actually, later today."

She stroked his face again and said, "Now, where were we about what to do with each other?  Got time?"

He smiled, and nodded to the staircase.

She whispered, "Want you, so much, Todd.  Always."

***

Jack, racing to get to his first class, turned the corner and saw her.  Her auburn hair was shining under the sunlight coming through one patch of ceiling glass by the central staircase of the high school.  He stopped and just looked in her direction, and everything else melted away.  She was looking frantically side to side, as if lost.  He wanted to go to her, but he held back.  She saw him and their eyes locked.  To his surprise, she smiled, and walked toward him.  She said, when she got closer, "Jack."

"Hi," he said.

"Are you all right?  You left so fast yesterday, and then I didn't see you again until now."

"I . . . I went home sick."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.  How are you doing now?"

"I'm okay."  He wasn't lying.  With her actually speaking to him he felt almost one hundred percent cured.

"Good.  Do you have your Ipod today, the one with the great cover?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I was just wondering what song was on it, right now.  They say you can tell a lot about a person by their music."

He looked at the front of the music player.  Don't Dream It's Over by Crowded House.  He wasn't sure she was a throwback like he was, so he clicked the next song.  Day Dream.  He almost laughed, then he said, "Lupe Fiasco.  Day Dream."

She smiled, "I love that song.  It's one of my favorites, actually."

He said, "What about you?"

"I Ran by Flock of Seagulls.  I guess I kinda like the old skool stuff."

He smirked.  What did Dad say?  Just be yourself?  "That's majorly cool, I do, too."

"Want to eat lunch outside today?"  She asked.  

He thought it was a bit cold for a girl to want to do that, but he said, "Sure.  Where?"

"Outside the left wing.  By the courtyard.  You want to?"

"I'm down, sure."

"Okay," she said, walking away from him.  "I'll see you there."

He went off to class and his steps felt lighter.

***

Todd pushed himself into her the last few times before they both cried out in passion, and then rolled off her onto the foyer floor.  He could hear her softly moaning in her after-pleasure, as he reached for her hand.  Taking it, he turned on his back, so both of them were facing upward.  Her blouse was open, her bra not even unhooked, her skirt haphazard and hiked; his pants were at his ankles, and his shirt was unbuttoned and crinkled at the tails.  She looked at him, and said, "We didn't even make it up the stairs."

"No, we didn't."

"I like it when you're like that every once in a while."

"You mean impatient?"  I love her so damn much.

"Yeah, I mean impatient."  She really could have called it something else, but went with his word.

"You feel so good."  His voice emphasized the last two words and a chill went up her back.  If he turned over and onto her again just then, she would welcome it, and always would.  Even though she felt so good herself every time he made love to her, she still wanted more.  I love him so freaking much.

She smiled, "You do, too."  Both of them looked back up, and their eyes had to fix on the chandelier above them.  She was just getting her breathing back when she felt him jump to sitting.  She said, "What is it?" 

He didn't answer.  That swinging lightbulb with the chain pull.  At first, he just ran his hand through his hair.  Finally, he said, "I have an appointment.  With Ray.  I can't believe I forgot about it."

"You didn't.  You told me before we made love."

"Oh, I did?  Yeah, I guess I did."

She took his face in her hand and turned his head to her, "Todd, are you all right?"

He nodded.  He pulled away from her hand, got himself to his feet, and hiked his pants up in one movement.  Then he said, "I can't really go like this, I need a shower."  Looking at his watch, he said, "Or a bath," and he gave her his side eye as he went to the steps.

She caught it, and putting out her hand, needed his help to get to standing with the slim skirt she was wearing.  She stood and they held hands up the stairs.

***

The lunch bell rang, and Jack went as quickly as he could to get his tray so he could meet Jenna outside.  He chose a sandwich and apple for today, so it was easy to carry, then ditched the tray and put the items, and a carton of milk, into his bookbag and headed to the left wing of the building.  When he got there, no one was visible.  It was sunny and bright, but chilly.  The weather was definitely becoming wintery, and Jenna was nowhere in sight.  Already there, and on limited time, he took out his sandwich and apple, and drank his milk, thinking suddenly that she could have set him up to look like a fool.  Just as he swallowed in discomfort, she appeared across from him at the picnic table.  She said, "Hey."

"Hey," he said.  She had done the same as him.  Both of them had an apple, a sandwich and a milk.  They laughed awkwardly.  

She said, "What do you have after lunch?  This is my second day and I still don't have the whole thing straight."

"Study hall with Martinez," he rolled his eyes.  

She took out a ratty paper that he assumed was her schedule.  "Me too!"

"That's cool," he said.  "Mr. Martinez doesn't pay us much attention.  We can sit there and write notes.  He won't notice.  You just 'can't have electronic devices in view.'"  He mocked the voice of the teacher.

She laughed, taking a bite of her sandwich.  "Okay, that's good to know."

He said, "So, if you don't mind me asking, where are you from?"  She didn't want to respond, he could tell.  In trying to make things lighter, he said, "What your family is on the run or something?  Big bank robbers?"  She smiled, and then her face became sullen.  He said, immediately, "No problem, really."  then, awkwardly wanting to change the subject, he added, "Do you like movies?"

"Yeah, especially action and adventure ones."

"Me too, but my favorite is horror."

"I watch those, too," she said, smiling.  He had finished his whole sandwich and she was still eating one half.  She said, "You were hungry."

He answered, "Yeah, I was."

She smiled again, and their eyes caught.  She said, "Do you want to talk about yourself?"

He said, "If you want me to, I will."  Anything for her.  Just don't let her hate me.

She said, "Okay.  Tell me about your interests.  Stuff you like to do?"

He thought about it, and said, "I play soccer.  I was on the JV team last year and this year, I made Varsity."

"That's so cool.  What position?"

"Fullback."

"Sounds tough."

"Eh, not really."  He ate his apple, and said, "What about you?"

"I . . . like to draw and paint."

"You're an artist?"

"I guess."

"Have any drawings I could see?"

"I have a small sketch pad in my bookbag."

"Okay," he said, and the bell rang.  "Oh, crap, we have to go."

She said, "That's okay, we can eat lunch tomorrow, if you want, and I can show you then."

"Yeah.  We can't get away with that in study hall, I don't think.  But if he falls asleep, whip the book out, okay?  Come on, I'll walk you."  

She put the uneaten half of her sandwich into the baggie and handed it to him.  "You need this more than I do," she said, and smiled.

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