They Found Him In A Cadillac..., chapter 4
JAKOB'S POV
"So, Jake, remind me how long you've been going to school here?"
"A day..."
"And you've already met a girl? Wow, I underestimate you," says Dad.
"Dad," I say, blushing furiously, "I'm not... We're not..."
"Oh yes Jake, yes I'm sure."
"DAD! SHUT UP!" I punch him on the arm, and he clutches it in mock-agony.
"Is that how you got her? Your macho fighting skills?"
"Shut up."
"Or your huge vocabulary?"
"Shut- be quiet." He laughs, and I join in. I grab a drink and head up to my new room. This is all sorta normal for me, but most people freak out when they meet my dad... Sophia didn't though.
Well.
She sorta did.
But she didn't jump up and down, screaming, ask for an autograph and then faint (it's happened before, believe me).
****Couple of hours later****
SOPHIA'S POV
I pick up Jack where he's fallen asleep on the couch, watching the Simpsons, and take him into his room, tucking him in and turning out the lights.
I go back to the Simpsons, and watch the last episode on the video. I look at my watch. It's 9 PM. Mum won't be home for another two hours, at least. I sigh, and go to my bedroom, lying on my bed and reaching underneath. I pull out a large drawing pad and a black pencil. I open the pad to a fresh page, and start to sketch.
I sketch Jakob. I put in his dark hair and eyes, pencilling carefully until I have a full-body sketch. I shade it carefully, making sure to get his hair perfect. I finish after an hour of careful drawing and colouring. I look at it, and sigh. I reach under the bed again, and pull out a cardboard tray. I take off the lid, to reveal many sheets of paper, all the sketches I've done of people. Hundreds of them. Everyone who I've seen enough of to really recognise them. My most recent one lies on top. Its Mum. Its about my tenth or eleventh one of her, because I often find myself tearing her up. Ripping her to little pieces. For what she does to little Jack. And to me. And then re-drawing her again the next day, even more carefully than before.
She never hits us. Never screams, never abuses in any way. But its the way she acts around her boyfriends. Like she'd do anything for him. And if the boyfriend doesn't like kids, she'll shoo us out the apartment, give me some cash, and make me take Jack to the park, then the movies, then to the shopping centre, then the ice cream place, until the poor little boy's completely exhausted and is practically falling asleep as he walks. Sometimes I have to carry him home. Its like she'd trade us in for some guy she brought home and slept with. I sigh, and place Jakob's picture in the box, covering Mum. I stare at him there for a moment, looking up at me with grey eyes. He doesn't seem right there. Not stuck in a box. I take it out, and prop him up on my bedside table, next to Jack's picture. I look at the sketch as I fall asleep.
I wake up next morning, to find myself still staring at the picture. I check my watch. Oh, shit! I've overslept! I jump out of bed, quickly getting changed. I run into Jack's room.
"Jacky, come on, wakey wakey, gotta get up..." I shake him gently, and he shifts slightly, refusing to uncurl from his warm ball. I tickle him, and he shreiks and quickly uncurls, trying to fight off my scrabbling fingers. I pick him up like a baby, and carry him into the kitchen, ignoring his struggles, and plonk him on a chair.
"Ok, Jacky we don't have much time, so you're gonna have to eat your toast on the way to school, ok?"
"Mmhhmm..." nods Jack sleepily, yawning. I smile and make two pieces of vegemite toast, biting into one.
"Now, go get dressed for school, or we'll be late!" He obediantly jumps up and runs to his room. I finsih my toast, and 5 minutes later he comes back out, holding his shoes and otherwise dressed in his school uniform. I hand him his toast and he eats it, while I put his school shoes on and tie the laces.
"Now, come on! You have to be in school in 20 minutes!" I sling my heavy back onto my back, grab his little rucksack and hang it on my arm and seize Jack's hand and rush out the door with him still trying to eat his toast with his other hand. I lock the door, and run down the stairs with Jack flying after me, laughing as he almost falls. We run up the road, until we get to the crossing, where we stop and pant. I look at Jack, and laugh. He has vegemite all over his face. I wipe him down, and walk him across the street, down two more streets and to the gates of his school, all bright and colourful. I wave as he runs off into the playground. I sigh, and start making my way to my school, which is a couple of blocks over. As I walk in the gates, I notice Jake walking down across the street, looking slightly forlorn. He crosses the street, and then looks up, noticing me.
JAKOB'S POV
I walk back to school, remembering the way this time, hoping to see Sophia again, but no luck. Maybe she comes a different way to school. I walk across the street to the school gates, and I notice Sophia just outside them I grin. She's here after all! I run up, still smiling, and she smiles back.
"Hey, Jake," she says, "Found your way ok?"
"Oh, shut up." We walk inside, when a posse of girls comes past and spots us.
"Hey gorgeous," says the first one to me, walking up and putting her arm around my shoulders, "What are you doing talking to the goth freak when you could be with us, hmm? C'mon, leave the loner here, everyone else does..." I shake her arm off my shoulders and take a step away from her, and towards Sophia.
"Get the fuck off of me. You make me sick." I say, then put my arm around Sophia and walk off.
"Um, Jake?"
"Yeah?"
"We're going the wrong way."
"Isn't there another way to get to the class?"
"Not without being late..."
"We'll be late then."
The bell rings as we walk down the corridors, Sophia leading. Five minutes later, after going up two flights of stairs, down another, and accross a quad, she opens a classroom door and steps in.
"Ah, Sophia, how nice of you to join us." says the teacher, fixing her spectacles on Sophia, "And..." she pauses when she sees me.
"Jakob."
"Jakob...?"
"Jakob, Miss."
"Jakob who?"
"I don't know your name, Miss." The teacher looks pissed.
"What is your full name, boy?"
I brace myself. Here we go..."Jakob Armstrong. Miss." The teacher looks slightly relieved that she can stop talking to me.
"Now, sit down." I gladly go and take my seat next to Sophia in the back. Everyone's staring at me, whispering. I think some of them have worked it out... Crap... The shit's hit the fan now...
"So, Jake, remind me how long you've been going to school here?"
"A day..."
"And you've already met a girl? Wow, I underestimate you," says Dad.
"Dad," I say, blushing furiously, "I'm not... We're not..."
"Oh yes Jake, yes I'm sure."
"DAD! SHUT UP!" I punch him on the arm, and he clutches it in mock-agony.
"Is that how you got her? Your macho fighting skills?"
"Shut up."
"Or your huge vocabulary?"
"Shut- be quiet." He laughs, and I join in. I grab a drink and head up to my new room. This is all sorta normal for me, but most people freak out when they meet my dad... Sophia didn't though.
Well.
She sorta did.
But she didn't jump up and down, screaming, ask for an autograph and then faint (it's happened before, believe me).
****Couple of hours later****
SOPHIA'S POV
I pick up Jack where he's fallen asleep on the couch, watching the Simpsons, and take him into his room, tucking him in and turning out the lights.
I go back to the Simpsons, and watch the last episode on the video. I look at my watch. It's 9 PM. Mum won't be home for another two hours, at least. I sigh, and go to my bedroom, lying on my bed and reaching underneath. I pull out a large drawing pad and a black pencil. I open the pad to a fresh page, and start to sketch.
I sketch Jakob. I put in his dark hair and eyes, pencilling carefully until I have a full-body sketch. I shade it carefully, making sure to get his hair perfect. I finish after an hour of careful drawing and colouring. I look at it, and sigh. I reach under the bed again, and pull out a cardboard tray. I take off the lid, to reveal many sheets of paper, all the sketches I've done of people. Hundreds of them. Everyone who I've seen enough of to really recognise them. My most recent one lies on top. Its Mum. Its about my tenth or eleventh one of her, because I often find myself tearing her up. Ripping her to little pieces. For what she does to little Jack. And to me. And then re-drawing her again the next day, even more carefully than before.
She never hits us. Never screams, never abuses in any way. But its the way she acts around her boyfriends. Like she'd do anything for him. And if the boyfriend doesn't like kids, she'll shoo us out the apartment, give me some cash, and make me take Jack to the park, then the movies, then to the shopping centre, then the ice cream place, until the poor little boy's completely exhausted and is practically falling asleep as he walks. Sometimes I have to carry him home. Its like she'd trade us in for some guy she brought home and slept with. I sigh, and place Jakob's picture in the box, covering Mum. I stare at him there for a moment, looking up at me with grey eyes. He doesn't seem right there. Not stuck in a box. I take it out, and prop him up on my bedside table, next to Jack's picture. I look at the sketch as I fall asleep.
I wake up next morning, to find myself still staring at the picture. I check my watch. Oh, shit! I've overslept! I jump out of bed, quickly getting changed. I run into Jack's room.
"Jacky, come on, wakey wakey, gotta get up..." I shake him gently, and he shifts slightly, refusing to uncurl from his warm ball. I tickle him, and he shreiks and quickly uncurls, trying to fight off my scrabbling fingers. I pick him up like a baby, and carry him into the kitchen, ignoring his struggles, and plonk him on a chair.
"Ok, Jacky we don't have much time, so you're gonna have to eat your toast on the way to school, ok?"
"Mmhhmm..." nods Jack sleepily, yawning. I smile and make two pieces of vegemite toast, biting into one.
"Now, go get dressed for school, or we'll be late!" He obediantly jumps up and runs to his room. I finsih my toast, and 5 minutes later he comes back out, holding his shoes and otherwise dressed in his school uniform. I hand him his toast and he eats it, while I put his school shoes on and tie the laces.
"Now, come on! You have to be in school in 20 minutes!" I sling my heavy back onto my back, grab his little rucksack and hang it on my arm and seize Jack's hand and rush out the door with him still trying to eat his toast with his other hand. I lock the door, and run down the stairs with Jack flying after me, laughing as he almost falls. We run up the road, until we get to the crossing, where we stop and pant. I look at Jack, and laugh. He has vegemite all over his face. I wipe him down, and walk him across the street, down two more streets and to the gates of his school, all bright and colourful. I wave as he runs off into the playground. I sigh, and start making my way to my school, which is a couple of blocks over. As I walk in the gates, I notice Jake walking down across the street, looking slightly forlorn. He crosses the street, and then looks up, noticing me.
JAKOB'S POV
I walk back to school, remembering the way this time, hoping to see Sophia again, but no luck. Maybe she comes a different way to school. I walk across the street to the school gates, and I notice Sophia just outside them I grin. She's here after all! I run up, still smiling, and she smiles back.
"Hey, Jake," she says, "Found your way ok?"
"Oh, shut up." We walk inside, when a posse of girls comes past and spots us.
"Hey gorgeous," says the first one to me, walking up and putting her arm around my shoulders, "What are you doing talking to the goth freak when you could be with us, hmm? C'mon, leave the loner here, everyone else does..." I shake her arm off my shoulders and take a step away from her, and towards Sophia.
"Get the fuck off of me. You make me sick." I say, then put my arm around Sophia and walk off.
"Um, Jake?"
"Yeah?"
"We're going the wrong way."
"Isn't there another way to get to the class?"
"Not without being late..."
"We'll be late then."
The bell rings as we walk down the corridors, Sophia leading. Five minutes later, after going up two flights of stairs, down another, and accross a quad, she opens a classroom door and steps in.
"Ah, Sophia, how nice of you to join us." says the teacher, fixing her spectacles on Sophia, "And..." she pauses when she sees me.
"Jakob."
"Jakob...?"
"Jakob, Miss."
"Jakob who?"
"I don't know your name, Miss." The teacher looks pissed.
"What is your full name, boy?"
I brace myself. Here we go..."Jakob Armstrong. Miss." The teacher looks slightly relieved that she can stop talking to me.
"Now, sit down." I gladly go and take my seat next to Sophia in the back. Everyone's staring at me, whispering. I think some of them have worked it out... Crap... The shit's hit the fan now...
