Cracker Jack

After school, we headed back to Jack's place. Bobby was watching a hockey game on TV, and he was stretched out across the couch lazily.

"How was school, Jackie?" He asked loudly as we walked into the room.

"It was school," Jack replied, striding past him and walking briskly into the kitchen. He dropped his bag onto the floor, where it landed with an audible thunk.

"Keeping out of trouble, Grove?" Bobby smirked, though his attention was still on the TV.

"About as much as you are," I shot back, following Jack.

As promised, Evelyn had a plate of fruit waiting for us on the table. We assumed that she'd gone out to run errands, since the old woman was nowhere to be seen. Jack and I wolfed down the food, then I gathered up my school bag and prepared to leave.

"See you in a bit, Jack," I smiled at him, turning to leave.

"I'll be there."

"Don't I get a goodbye?" Bobby called after me as I stalked past him.

I didn't answer as I hurried outside. I darted down the street and into my house so quickly that the cold didn't have the chance to penetrate my thin jacket. Once I was inside, I tossed my coat onto the back of a chair. I dug through the fridge and found that, for a change, my mom had done some shopping. I wasn't hungry, since I'd eaten at Jack's, but it was nice to know that there was food around if I got hungry later.

"You're home early," Mom observed, walking into the room and sitting down at the table. "I thought that you would have stayed with Jack. The two of you seem to be hitting it off." Her tone was dry.

"Actually, he's coming over a little later."

She didn't say anything, but her eyes were dark. I felt a bit smug as I walked toward the stairs and left her standing alone in the kitchen. I hung out in my bedroom until dinnertime, when I went back downstairs and raided the fridge. I was in the middle of eating a sandwich when the doorbell echoed throughout the interior of the house. The sound was almost foreign to me; we never had visitors. I dropped the food down onto my plate and abandoned it on the table. I pulled open the door and felt an immediate chill sweep through my body.

"Come in, it's fucking cold out," I told Jack, stepping aside to give him space.

He stepped over the threshold and hesitated momentarily as I rushed to close the door. He followed close behind me as I returned to the kitchen.

"Are you hungry?" I asked, biting into the remains of my dinner.

Jack shook his head. "No, I just ate. Thanks, though. What's the plan for tonight?"

I glanced toward the living room, where I could hear low voices echoing from the television. "Well I think watching TV is out of the question. Mom's in there."

An amused smirk danced across his lips. "You're not going to introduce me?"

"You're hilarious," my tone dripped with sarcasm as I dumped my empty plate into the sink. "Let's go up to my room before she realizes that you're here."

"This isn't so bad," he said a few minutes later as he walked into my bedroom. "I was expecting worse."

"Worse than this? There's nothing here, Jack."

His eyes were alight as he shook his head at me. "You're wrong, Hayley. This room actually suits you. There's nothing here that's not a necessity."

"There's a lot about me that's unnecessary."

"I disagree. Anything more would be unnecessary. Anything less wouldn't be enough."

I frowned. "And that's what you think about me? I'm far from perfect, Jackie. Don't pretend that I'm not."

"I'm not saying that you're perfect, Hayley. Don't get a fat head. I'm saying that, as far as I can tell, you've got all that you need. Why do you think I hang out with you?"

"Because nobody else wants to be your friend," I pointed out.

"Ouch."

"I'm just stating a fact."

He grinned impishly. "Right, because they're all lining up to be your new best friend."

"And that's why I choose to hang out with you. So tell me Jack, how are things going at home? Are you warming up to Evelyn yet?" I sat down on the edge of my bed, inviting Jack to do the same.

"Yeah, she's alright. But you've been there for most stuff. It's not like I have a whole bunch of time alone there. Even when you're gone, Bobby's always around. Evelyn hasn't really had a chance to whip me into shape," he chuckled lowly at his own joke.

"She's going to have an even harder time with that now that I'm starting to rub off on you."

He matched my smirk flawlessly. "Yeah, that poor woman doesn't even realize what's coming her way."

I felt a small flutter of butterflies when I saw the glimmer in his eyes. As much as I wanted things to stay this simple and friendly between Jack and I, I couldn't deny that there was an attraction. And, for once, it wasn't due solely to the fact that my mother didn't like me hanging around with him. I liked Jack just because of who he was. It had been a long time since I'd been this close to anyone, let alone a good-looking guy.

"Hayley!" My mother's voice shrieked, making me cringe.

"Maybe if we're quiet enough, she'll think I left," I whispered.

"Evelyn Mercer just phoned! She said that Jack needs to go home, and you're welcome to go with him," she added the last part with a grudge in her tone.

I looked up at Jack. "Well you can't be in trouble, because then I wouldn't be allowed to go with you."

My words seemed to reassure him just a bit, and the small frown that had etched itself into his features faded away. He got to his feet and beckoned for me to do the same.

"You're sure you want me to come?"

He nodded, making his hair fall around his face. I couldn't hide my confusion as he turned to leave without so much as another word. I rushed after him, suppressing the urge to reach out and grab him as I caught up. Jack's pace seemed to stutter as he reached the bottom of the stairs and found my mother standing before him.

"You must be Jack," she smiled sweetly and offered him her hand. "It's nice to finally meet the kid that Evelyn and Hayley have both been gushing about."

Jack cast a sidelong glance at me, waiting for my permission. I merely nodded my head, and he reached out and shook my mom's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Grove," his tone was smooth; I wondered how anyone could resist him. The kid had the gift of charisma, though he rarely used his talents.

"We should go, Jack," I said, taking him gently by the elbow. "Evelyn won't want you to be late."

Mom's eyes flashed to me. "Don't stay out late, Hayley. It's a school night."

"Sure," I replied, still pulling Jack away. We paused just long enough to throw on our jackets and brace ourselves for the cold before we headed outside.

"She seemed nice enough." Jack commented.

"She always does."

"Thanks for coming with me, Hayley."

I gazed up at him in bewilderment. "You know I love it at your house. I always want to come over."

He was silent for a moment, staring up the street at his house. The porch light was a shining beacon, showing us the way. He paused to offer me his hand and help me over a particularly icy snow bank. I accepted it, and I was surprised when he didn't let go once I was past the hurdle. He gestured toward the road we had just stepped onto with his free hand.

"It's pretty icy," he stated.

I didn't argue. I flexed my fingers once, then relaxed. It felt nice.

"Evelyn said that something really important was happening tonight," he said, watching the house again.

"And you're absolutely positive that you want me here?"

His lips twitched as he fought back a smirk. "Yeah, I want you here. I prefer your company to anyone in there."

"But you and Bobby seem to be getting along really well," I argued.

Jack shook his head. "It's not Bobby that I'm concerned with."

I couldn't seem to comprehend what he was getting at. "Is Jerry coming over?"

"I don't know. I don't like surprises. And I definitely don't like it when I don't know what's going on at home. Evelyn seemed really excited."

"And since when is that a bad thing?"

Jack practically lifted me over the next snowbank and onto the sidewalk. I didn't think that his slim arms would be powerful enough to contain that much force. Clearly, he was more frustrated by the unknown than I'd thought. He paused on the concrete and dug a pack of smokes out of his pocket.

"She'll kick your ass if she catches you smoking," I told him, though I still took a cigarette when he held out the pack.

"She'd kick my ass if she knew a lot of things."

I let out a breath in a soundless chuckle. "That's probably true. I'll keep your secrets, don't worry."

We made our way over to his front steps. The two of us sat in a comfortable silence as we finished our cigarettes. I watched the last wisps of smoke leave Jack's half-open mouth. The air around us was calm and still; it was a nice break from the wind we'd been having lately, though it was still unbearably cold.

"Jack, what the hell are you doing out here?" Bobby's voice snapped from above our heads. I looked up and over my shoulder and saw him staring at us through the window in the front door. "Mom's been waiting. Get your ass in here before you catch pneumonia."

I gave Bobby a knowing grin. "Aw, you really do care!"

He rolled his dark eyes at me. "I guess you can come in, too. If it's necessary."

I got to my feet and Jack followed suit. Bobby opened the door, then spun on his heel and disappeared inside. We walked inside, and I felt warmth seep through my fingers. There was laughter echoing from somewhere within the house. Jack glanced at me warily as he stripped off his jacket. I flashed him a warm smile before stepping through the sheltered porch and into the entryway of the house. I was met with a few familiar faces.

First, there was Bobby and Evelyn; no surprises there. Then there was Jerry. His arm was resting casually across the shoulders of Camille, the girl he was engaged to marry. She was pretty enough, but I didn't really know her. Of course, I didn't really know Jerry, either. From what I'd heard, Camille was the best thing that had ever happened to him. As I looked further down the couch, I understood what the big surprise was. I felt myself smile widely as a face sent an identical gesture my way. He was sitting off to one side with one foot propped up on the coffee table.

"Hey, Angel."