See Jack Run

When you stepped in the Way house, something would always feel a little off. It was a little house, and it was quaint, if you can say that about a house that lay in a sprawling suburban wasteland. But there was always a feeling that something was...wrong. You might look at the furniture, and it matched with everything else. You might look at the wallpaper, and it matched. But still, even after seeing that every physically there matched, something still felt off.
It was a feeling more than an actual sight. It felt like there was a lot of discontent, and the air reeked of it. The children and the mother wore it on their faces as if it was a part of them now, as though ther lives were always discontent.
Some people said that they felt that the Way house was the scariest place they had ever been to.
The worst thing was, though, Jaqueline Way had to agree with them.
Whenever she walked in, that sense hit her in the face, almost the same way Mikey would. The sense would block her throat, and in her mind, she could feel herself gasping for air. Why did she still call this place home? True, she did eat there and sleep there and went there when she wasn't at school. But that never made it a home. That made it a shelter. But only from the elements, and only certain ones at that.
Rain. Snow. Wind. Thunder. Lightning. But not Mikey's anger. Her "home" never protected her from that.
However, today, Jack had nothing to fear. She didn't have play practice, and it seemed that Mikey was in a good mood. She kept a good five feet away from him, however.
"Come here, Jack."
"No, I'll stay over here."
So Mikey got up and came to her. She pressed herself against the wall, wishing she could shrink away from him. But instead of getting what she had feared, she got a hug.
"You're great, Jack. You try so hard. I'm so glad that I have you. I love you a lot."
The hug hit her with the same surprise as a slap, but the opposite emotion. She hugged back.
"Thanks, Mikey."
She tried to say that she loved him back, but the words couldn't get past her throat. They were blocked by guilt, guilt because she knew if she said that, she would be lying to him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Jack."
"What? Mikey, it's three in the morning."
"I miss Gerard."
Gerard had just gone away to college. He hadn't even been gone for three days, and Mikey was already waking her up at three in the morning to tell her that.
"What can I do about it?"
"Can you call him?"
"I'll call him later."
"No! Now!"
"If you want to talk to him so bad, why don't you just go to the phone and dial the number?!"
"Because I don't want him to be mad at me."
Even though the night was as black as tar, Jack could almost hear the smirk in his voice.
"No!"
"Jack, if I were you, I'd dial the number."
"Mikey, please."
"Jack."
"Fine."
So Jack dialed the number. Gerard didn't answer. As she had expected. But at least she wouldn't have bruises in the morning.