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Konnichi wa
Sam - Yeah, I’m going to have her about my age. I haven’t decided exactly her age yet, which is why it’s a blank right now; but I’m debating about anywhere between thirteen and fifteen. I think I might make her fourteen or thirteen so that her older sister can be fifteen.
You and I seem to think alike – that’s the reason I made her close to my age – so that I can easily portray her! I think you should be worried if you’re thinking like me, LoL.
Well, that would be totally cool if it’d be published, but I somehow doubt that’s likely. It’s really just a “book” to see how far I can go. You’ll be the first to know if it actually gets published, though. Promise! P
About me being able to write Darlene so realistically – I’ve had tons of help with that. First of all the place I volunteer is a place for battered women who hide from their husbands. I also have read a few books (including A Child Called It) about it. And, of course, I’ve had a couple of people (mainly Lac t) help me out with the facts and information about abuse. So I’ve had help from all corners, which is what’s made Darlene that much more realistic.
Joralie – You say you’re sorry for not sending a review for so long? Excuse me? I’m the one who didn’t post in forever thanks to my stupid lapse of Writer’s Block (which is, unfortunately, still in full cycle). Yup, I’m the one who should be kneeling on hand and foot, begging for your forgiveness. Sorry! Please, please forgive me! I don’t mean to do this; it just happens! And, of course, the Writer’s Block isn’t helping any (groan). I’m so, so, so sorry that I haven’t posted in forever. And you’ll hate me for this chappie, too, since it’s such a filler chappie. I was planning on keeping this for another chappie or two, but since I can’t find anything else to use – this’ll have to be it. Sorry in advance.
Sigi – You said “I still love your story.” Do you still love it now, too, when I’ve been so late I think I’ve forgotten what happened myself? The only thing I can say is I’m sorry, but that’s starting to lose its meaning after so much use (shakes head).
C – I’ll ask you the same question I asked Sigi: Do you still love it even after I pretty much abandoned it for over a month? I’m motivated to write, especially after reading the two sequels to A Child Called ‘It’ (for those of you who haven’t read it, I highly recommend it); but I just have this bad case of Writer’s Block that’s getting worse by the second! I’m dead serious! But anyway, that’s not the point. The point is, I should get started with this chappie before the Writer’s Block gets so bad I won’t ever be able to write again! (Okay, that’s a bit extreme.)
Dedication: This chappie is dedicated to Warriora for writing the best Charmed/Harry Potter crossover in the history of Charmed/Harry Potter crossovers (and one of the best fics period that I’ve ever read). I worship her fic (Fishing Off The Roof), and I think anyone reading my fic right now must – absolutely MUST – stop reading this and go read hers. Okay, fine, you don’t have to be that extreme, LoL. But after you finish reading (and, hopefully, reviewing) this chappie, please go read it. It’s for your sakes, not mine, okay? You’ll love it, I think. I did. :-)
“A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.” – Anonymous
“Got any threes?”
“You know,” Chris replied nonchalantly as he handed over two cards. God, how the heck was he losing Go Fish to an eight-year-old? “Your birthday is in two and a half weeks.”
Jake shrugged casually. “Any Aces?” he asked then continued with their conversation. “So?”
“So,” Chris shot back, “Don’t you want to celebrate? Oh, and Go Fish.”
Jake drew a card from the pile and carefully placed it in his hand, not answering Chris’s question at first. “Not really,” he replied at length.
Chris stared at the boy, wondering what exactly was wrong with him (before remembering who the child had grown up with). What eight-year-old boy didn’t want to celebrate his birthday? It wasn’t every day, after all, that one turned nine. “Why not, Jake?”
“It’s your turn.”
“You’re avoiding the questions,” Chris sighed, shaking his head.
“And it’s your turn,” Jake returned flatly. “I just don’t care all that much ‘bout some silly, little party that no one would come to.”
“I’d come,” Chris protested. “You know I’d come.”
Jake shot his angel a grateful expression and quietly murmured, “I know.”
“So what about a party for just the two of us. You know, I could take you out somewhere fun, like an amusement park.”
“No thanks,” Jake answered shortly, ever the polite, young gentlemen. “I’d rather not.”
“Is this because of your mom?” Chris wondered, and Jake squirmed uncomfortably. Sighing, Chris inquired, “What’ll it be this time, hm?”
“Look,” Jake replied, “You don’t know her like I do. She’s really not so —”
“Don’t say it,” Chris warned darkly. “Don’t you dare say she’s not so bad. She hits you, Jake. What she does… she could get arrested and go to jail. I don’t understand why you don’t just do something about it. Why do you let her walk all over you like that?”
“I deserve it,” Jake whispered in his tiniest voice. “I’m a bad boy. I do bad things.”
Chris dropped his cards and reached for Jake’s shoulders in an instant, shaking the boy as if to shake some sense into him. “No, Jake. Don’t you ever think that. Not ever. You’re the sweetest, most polite, gentlest kid I know.”
“Mommy loves me. She would never hurt me on purpose.”
“Oh no? Then why does she do it – for kicks?” Before Jake could reply that it was all his fault, Chris added, “She’s crazy, Jake – completely lost her marbles.”
“No, no, no,” Jake countered. “She isn’t. She didn’t. She’s not…”
“Easy,” Chris murmured, seeing Jake working himself up. The younger boy’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment, and he automatically opened his mouth to apologize. “I told you not to say sorry, remember?” Chris said before Jake could speak.
“How did you—?”
“Know?” Chris finished for him before chuckling. “I know you well enough by now. Which is why I don’t understand why you don’t want a party.”
“It’s just that… well… My birthday’s on a Wednesday.”
“Yeah. So?” Chris prodded impatiently, picking up his cards again, though he didn’t guess a number.
“And, well, that’s the middle of the week. Mommy almost always ‘has a little drink’ on Wednesdays.”
Yeah, and every other day of the week, too, Chris thought darkly. He knew Jake well enough to know not to bring that up. “What’s that got to do with you?” he questioned bitterly.
“I’m the only one she’s got,” Jake replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I gotta clean her up if she throws up and make sure she gets to bed without getting’ hurt. Otherwise she wakes up in the morning and… and…” His eyes darkened morbidly. “Well, she’s not happy if she doesn’t wake up in her bed.”
Chris shivered at Jake’s bleak remark and shook his head in dismay. “I wish you would let me —”
“I can’t,” Jake said shortly. Forcefully, he muttered, “It’s still your turn.”
Chris sensed the conversation was definitely over and decided not to press the issue. Instead he glanced down at his cards and asked, “Do you have any fives?”
“Nope,” came the smug reply. “Go Fish. Boy, you sure have a bad memory, Chris,” he added as Chris grouchily drew a card from the pile. “You asked that two turns ago.”
“Yeah, well,” Chris muttered, though he could never be upset at Jake. Frustrated and annoyed – hell yeah. But the kid was too cute and sweet-tempered to ever be upset at him.
They played without conversation for a few more minutes before Jake blushed and glanced up at his fifteen-year-old angel. “Uh, Chris? Can I ask you a question?” he asked in embarrassment.
“Shoot, kiddo.”
“Can you… I mean… do you want to… come to my Family Night?” He stared down at his cards as he spoke, as if that might save him from his humiliation. When he noticed Chris hesitate, he bit his lip. “It’d only be if you wanted to, of course,” he hurried to add. “You don’t have to. I mean – it was a silly idea anyway.”
“No it wasn’t,” Chris gently replied. “I was just thinking you might not be allowed. You know, it is called ‘Family’ Night, isn’t it? As in people who are related to you. As much as I think you’re a great kid, we aren’t technically related.”
Jake smiled a bit and reminded Chris, “Yeah, but Mrs. Apostle thinks you’re my cousin.” Teasingly he added, “Remember?”
Chris laughed and nodded. “I forgot about that. Well, sure. I guess there’s no harm in going. I’d love to come with you on Family Night.” He paused suddenly, finally wondering, “Uh, is your mom —?”
“No,” Jake murmured shamefully. “I didn’t—I didn’t tell her about it.”
To his surprise Chris let out a sigh of relief, smiling. “Good,” he said. “I don’t want her anywhere near you on a special day.” The expression in his eyes said he wouldn’t accept any defense on Jake’s part for Darlene, so Jake kept his mouth shut. “What day is it?”
“Tomorrow night,” Jake responded, his eyes twinkling gaily. “It starts at seven, but you can come at six-thirty to meet my teacher.”
“Um… I think I’d better come at seven,” Chris answered remorsefully. He didn’t really want the teacher to start asking him questions – in case she was a bit suspicious as to why Jake’s cousin was joining her Family Night. “I should probably eat dinner before I go anyway. I’ll… um… I’ll bring you some dinner. Does that sound like a plan?”
“I can make my own, you know,” Jake replied, shrugging. “I’ll have noodles.”
“Kid,” Chris laughed, though inside he wanted to cry at the casual way Jake said that his eight-year-old self was already self-sufficient, “You haven’t had noodles until you’ve had my mom’s noodles. She’s a chef, and her meals are to die for.”
“Well.” Jake paused to consider. “All right,” he reluctantly conceded. As much as he trusted Chris (and he did – with his life and more), he had grown accustomed to relying on himself and not others. It was hard to learn to really trust someone again.
“The family always comes over for dinner,” Chris scoffed.
“I know,” Piper sighed, massaging her temples to rid herself of her growing headache. “I know,” she said again. “It’s just that this time is different. One of Phoebe’s colleagues is getting married, and Phoebe and Coop were invited to the wedding. It’s in the Caribbean, so the girls are staying with us while they’re there.”
Chris frowned and questioned, “Why wasn’t I told about this?” Sure, he wasn’t told everything that occurred in this household, but his two cousins were staying at the manor for… “How long?” he wondered.
“Just until Sunday night,” Piper responded.
“That’s a long wedding,” Chris muttered, rolling his eyes.
“Chris,” Piper said in a warning tone. “I’m serious. I don’t want you going.”
“But, Mom!” Chris burst out. “I promised him I would go! This is really important to him. You never missed one of my family nights,” he pointed out irritably.
“You were already there tonight,” Piper reminded him, “and tomorrow’s another school night. Chris, final exams are looming; are you sure you’re not falling behind in all your work. I mean… you have been spending a great deal of time with your charge.”
“No way, Mom,” Chris protested. “I’m keeping up. You can ask any of my teachers!” He felt like a kindergartener trying to justify his actions: Ask my teacher.
“Well, fine,” Piper sighed heavily. “Dinner starts at six, so I want you to be here until you have to leave, at least. Deal? And when you come home, you need to spend some time with your cousins. The last time they came, you didn’t show up.” She eyed him challengingly, and he didn’t dare defend that it wasn’t his fault that some stupid teacher (could he call Ms. Gowell that now that she wasn’t so evil to him all the time?) stuck him in detention!
“Deal!” Chris said immediately.
“And I want you home by eight sharp, all right? I don’t know when they’ll want to go to sleep.”
“All right, all right,” Chris replied at length. It might break Jake’s heart when he informed him he’d have to leave early, but at least he’d get to be there in the first place. He could only hope Jake would understand.
“But we’re gonna be late!” Jake whined. He continued to half-pull half-drag Chris down the hallway. “Come on, come on, come on!” he repeated enthusiastically.
While he kept a straight face, inside Chris was smiling. For once in his short life, Jake was actually acting like any other boy his age, showing impatience, irritation, excitement, pride it what was his.
“Jake,” Chris murmured thickly, pulling his charge to a halt. Jake’s eyes pleaded with him to continue, but he didn’t dare speak his mind again. “Jake,” he whispered again, kneeling down to Jake’s level and grasping his shoulders firmly. “I’m so proud of you, kiddo. So, so proud.” Without warning, he drew the boy into a binding embrace. He felt Jake smile against his shirt and could only guess he was blushing as well.
“Thanks, Jake,” Chris heard Jake mumble shyly as he released him.
Chris smiled, ruffled his hair, and then jumped up. “Well,” he demanded, his eyes twinkling impishly. “What are we waiting for? We’re going to be late!”
Jake’s eyes widened in disbelief, and he said, “But I just said —”
“No excuses, mister!” Chris cried as he dragged the boy down the hall and into his classroom. “Come on, I want to see your cubby.”
Jake jumped to oblige, grabbing his angel’s hand and leading him over to the cubbies. “This one’s mine,” he proudly proclaimed and pointed to the cubby between “Jamie” and “Lillian.” His books were piled neatly one on top of the other, and there was a small cube above that for his lunch box (when Darlene was sober enough to give him one or when he had time to make his own lunch the night before). There were three hooks, though he owned only one jacket.
“…This is my hook for my coat,” Jake was saying, pointing to one. “This is my hook for plastic bags if I have ‘em… and this hook… Well, no one knows what this hook his for,” he admitted.
Chris laughed. “It’s probably there in case one of the other designated hooks break off,” Chris mused, shrugging his shoulders.
“Right,” Jake replied, though he wasn’t too sure what “designated” meant. Maybe it means silver, he thought, noticing that the third hook was more of a rusty-brown color than silver.
Then again, Jamie’s third hook is silver; so maybe it’s just mine.
“Hi there, Jake. I’m glad you could come.” Jake whirled around to see Mrs. Apostle standing in front of him, smiling pleasantly. He mumbled a shy “hello,” as she turned to look at Chris. “And this must be your cousin.”
“Chris,” Chris offered, flashing a small smile at her.
“I’m Jake’s teacher, Mrs. Apostle,” she replied, proffering her hand, which he shook politely. “I’m so glad you could come. Jake’s been so excited to show you his classroom. He’s told me all about you. Are you Jake’s only cousin?”
“Um…” Chris squirmed. “Why do you ask?”
“No reason,” she responded lightly. “He just seems especially close with you from what I hear. I was wondering if that was because you’re his only cousin.”
“Oh.” Relief flooded his features, though he remained wary. “Well, yeah. I’m his only cousin. We grew up together basically, so we’re close.”
“That’s so nice.” She smiled kindly and then said, “So Jake, is your mom coming later?”
Staring at his shoes, Jake mumbled, “Uh, no. She… couldn’t come today. She had some stuff to do.”
Yeah, Chris thought angrily as he glared down at the top of Jake’s head, like her get herself wasted. As if he could feel Chris’s gaze upon, Jake glanced up. Immediately, Chris’s eyes softened; and a touch of a smile played across his lips.
“Oh, well, that’s too bad,” Mrs. Apostle said regretfully while both Chris and Jake simultaneously thought, Not really. “Excuse me,” she then said, moving past the two boys to speak to an elderly couple (probably someone’s grandparents, Chris mused).
When she was gone, Chris let out a sigh of relief. “That was close,” he murmured to himself, and he saw Jake nod in concurrence beside him. “Okay. Why don’t you show me your desk?” he suggested, all the while thinking, I need to leave before she suspects.
Perhaps he was being paranoid, but after all these years of hunting demons he didn’t care. Something bad was about to happen; he could just feel it – an instinct, maybe, but his instincts had never let him down so far.
“Okay!” Jake said perkily, snatching Chris’s shirt and steering him towards a desk in the front row. “This is my desk,” he announced formally. “I keep it real neat.” Almost as an afterthought he added, “Mommy likes things to be neat.”
“Jake,” Chris sighed, shaking his head. His anger towards Darlene quickly returned.
Either Jake didn’t hear his wistful sigh or else he chose to ignore it. Animatedly, he tugged on Chris’s hand, pointing to look inside his desk. Before Chris could oblige, Jake reached inside said desk, pulling out different possessions: a cluster of pencils held together with a rubber band (Darlene hadn’t “been in the mood” to buy him a pencil case and merely told him not to lose his damn pencils), a trinket he had won in a class spelling contest.
Instead of paying full attention to the objects Jake was proudly showing off, Chris merely stared at the boy’s bright eyes instead. He seemed to happy to be here. School was like his safe haven. Darlene couldn’t get to him in school. In school he was safe, safe from her.
In school he was like a completely different person, a person with real feelings, one that didn’t flinch when someone raised a hand to pat him on the shoulder – and not to smack him across the face.
Suddenly, Chris’s eyes fell upon the clock hanging on the wall. He frowned. That couldn’t be right, could it? He and Jake had just gotten here; how could it be a quarter to eight already? Still uncertain (maybe the clock was broken), he checked his own watch. The digital numbers leered at him as he groaned.
“Jake,” he said quietly, stilling to boy’s hand. “I need to go in fifteen minutes.”
Jake’s smile dropped from his face. “W-why?” he stammered, crestfallen.
“I… uh… I have a curfew. I have to be home by nine o’ clock.”
Suddenly, he heard Jake giggle and stared down at him in disbelief. What was so funny about what he had said?
“Angels… angels have curfews?” Jake laughed. Chris couldn’t help but begin to chuckle as well, shaking his head in amusement at the thought. Okay, he hadn’t seen it like that.
“This one does,” he muttered with a grin. He knelt beside the boy, his hands loosely holding Jake’s shoulders. “Listen, I’m sorry for leaving like this. If I had my way, I’d stay all night long – I’d stay with you forever. You have to know that, all right? You have to always remember that. I’ll promise I’ll pop by for a visit as soon as I can, ‘kay, buddy?”
“Sure,” Jake replied, throwing his arms around his angel and squeezing tightly.
Chris hugged him back for a moment before ruefully detaching Jake from his neck. “You’ve got your ride arranged?” he asked. He had told Jake to find someone to drive him to school and back home so that no one would be suspicious as to how he and his “cousin” arrived in school. He had waited until he sensed Jake in school to orb to the bathroom there and rush into the hall to greet him.
Jake nodded, and Chris ruffled his hair affectionately. He tapped Jake’s nose playfully with a finger, waved, and slowly left the room to find a safe place to orb home.
“Oh, your cousin had to leave?” Mrs. Apostle said from somewhere behind Jake. “That’s too bad. He’s going to miss the rest of what we had planned.”
“I know,” Jake mumbled, shuffling his feet in embarrassment. “He said he had to be home at nine, though.”
“I didn’t know he lived only fifteen minutes away,” she remarked. “That must be so nice to have family living so clo —” Her eyes widened, and a smile blossomed on her face. “Mrs. Alexander!” she exclaimed in delight, as Jake’s heart squeezed in fear.
How did she know?
“Oh, Jake, honey,” Darlene’s voice dripped with syrupy sweetness. “I’m so glad I was able to come after all.”
“Didn’t you have to work?” Mrs. Apostle asked as Jake was enveloped into a painful embrace. She squeezed him just a little too tightly in a way only he would notice. He understood the message she was trying to convey: Thought you could escape?
“Oh, yes, I did,” Darlene replied, “but I knew how important this day was for my Jakey, and I didn’t want to disappoint. I tried to wrap up as early as possible.
Translation, Jake thought miserably; I just found the crumpled-up note in his back pocket while going through the laundry.
He thought she’d never find it there. He was always the one who did the laundry, not her. And it was a Wednesday for crying out loud; she was supposed to be drunk! What in the world had gone wrong?
“Well, that must be so nice for you, Jake,” Mrs. Apostle said. “You know, his cousin just left a few minutes ago. I was afraid he’d have to hang out here alone now, so I’m so glad you came to be with him.”
“Cousin?” Darlene echoed, eyebrows piqued.
“Oh, you know – Chris.”
“Right. Of course. Chris. What a fine… person that child.” She obviously wasn’t sure if Chris were a boy or a girl and – for some reason – didn’t say anything about the fact that a cousin named Chris didn’t exactly exist.
Oh no, Jake thought with dread. The only reason she wouldn’t be punishing him not by humiliating him in front of his teacher and telling her Chris wasn’t related whatsoever was if she had a much worse punishment planned for when they got home.
“Jake told me how well he and Chris always got along.”
“Yes, they do, they do…” Darlene gripped Jake’s shoulder firmly, steering him away. “Do you mind if I ‘borrow’ Jakey for a couple of minutes. I feel like I haven’t see him all day.”
Jake had to physically refrain from closing his eyes as a wave of terror splashed over him. He prayed Mrs. Apostle wouldn’t allow it, though he knew there was no chance of that. What reason would Mrs. Apostle have for not letting a mother and son have a moment alone?
“Oh, be my guest.”
Darlene smiled politely, though to Jake it looked more like an evil, twisted, vile smirk. She stepped outside with him, and the hallways echoed with her thick silence. Jake didn’t dare speak until she made it clear he had her permission. She said nothing as she continued to forcefully guide him down the halls. She said nothing as she made a sharp turn and he almost fell over. She said nothing when she halted him with her hand.
Finally, she turned to him, eyes narrowed. She was beyond angry – she was livid; she was pissed. “So,” she said with a sneer. “You thought you could hide it from me, you little shit?”
“I—I f-forgot—”
“Shut the fuck up! Did I tell you to talk? Did I?”
Jake hung his head and nodded back and forth, all the while shaking like a leaf. “N-no, Ma’am,” he replied.
She raised a hand to slap him, and he cringed as he waited to feel the sting on his cheek. When he realized nothing was happening, he opened one eye and then the other. She stood there watching him, smirking at his pathetic performance.
“Scared?” she hissed. “Well, you should be. Don’t think I’m finished with you yet, Jakey.” Her words dripped with sarcasm, and he knew it without even hearing her tone. After all, when in his life had she ever used to endearing term Jakey? In fact, when had she ever used an endearing term period?
“You and… and your cousin should be very, very worried.”
Jake shrunk back under her furious glare, and he remained rooted to the spot until she grabbed him by the collar and dragged him back towards the classroom.
He knew what was coming when he got back home, and the only thing he could do was wait. Oh god, how he hated the waiting; that, above all else, was what killed him every single time.
… And she knew it, too. She knew everything.
A/N: Finally! Finally! Finally! Okay, the Writer’s Block isn’t 100 percent gone, but it’s slowly leaving. Yay (does dance)! To compensate for my major, major lateness, I tried to make an extra long chappie. I hope it satisfies y’all for a while – until I can get up the next chappie. OMG, this is just so exciting!
Question: When I say the word “mellifluous” what’s the first scene or picture that pops into your head?
Zaijen
Khudafis
-Shan-