Chapter Three: Broken and Wet... Literally

Caitlyn has to find a place to stay

            The next morning I woke up to my I-Home play 'thanks for the memories' by Fall Out Boy. Even though I know that’s not how they spell it, I spell it like that. I refuse to look like an idiot who can’t spell the most simplest of words. I got up out of bed and went over to my closet. I decided to wear something simple today, since I was still in pain. So I put on a pair of Black skinny jeans and a long black sleeved shirt with a t-shirt over it. I put on my converse, brushed my hair and my teeth, grabbed my keys and went out to my new car. I knew that if I drove with two hands I would start to cry, so I just laid my left hand in my lap and drove with my right, its not like it can’t be done anyway.
 
            When I got to school and parked my car I had at least twelve people looking at me....or...my car, more or less. I locked the car and went inside. I knew that today in gym we would be doing a physical activity, so I just started praying with all my might that our replacement teacher for Mrs. Lee is not evil. And even if they were evil, I'm sure that once I explain that I fell down some stairs and sprained my wrist that they would understand...of course, depending on the physical activity we do today, I might not have to.
 
            It was time for gym class and I had made it through the day only holding in a few screams...and a lot of tears. That’s what happens when you sprain your wrist. I walked into the locker rooms and very carefully got changed in a corner. With help from Cass I was able to change, without anyone seeing my bruises and was able to make it to the school field without anybody asking about my arm. Everybody gathered around the new replacement teacher, and I was just waiting for her to blow her whistle every ten seconds like Mrs. Lee always did.
"Good afternoon everyone, I am your teacher for the rest of this year. My name is Brook Morgan, You may call me Ms. Morgan or Coach Morgan, but you may not call me by my first name. Is that clear?" Everybody mumbled a yes or an ‘uh-huh’ letting Ms. Morgan know that she can carry on.
"Alright, so today we will be doing leg endurance exercises. You will be running, doing squats, dribbling, anything to do with your waist down, you will be doing. I'll be splitting you up into groups, so get in a straight line."
 
The class started getting into a straight line and I was heading to the end when I saw Jack.
"Hey, Caitlyn, what’s up?" I shrugged my shoulders and gave a half smile.
"Nothing much,, just trying to make it through the day, you?" I smiled and gave a small chuckle.
 "Glad to finally be getting a new teacher who doesn’t blow their whistle every ten seconds.” We both started to laugh.
"You two, you’re on group green!" Jack and I both jumped from being startled by Ms. Morgan.
"Sweet, we'll being doing the course together." How can he be so excited about that? Oh, yeah, because he doesn’t feel as if he's about to be crushed by an elephant.
 
           
We headed over to where the rest of the green group was, the 'squat station'. What an interesting name for a station. When we reached the squat station I saw Ricky, the one guy that gets on my nerves more than any other human being. "Well, well. Look who we have here, little miss kitty." Ricky annoyed me so much that I twitched.
 "Ha! Look! I should be calling you little miss twitchy!" I swear I would have showed him little miss twitchy kitty if Jack hadn’t had held me back.
"Ricky shut up, your just jealous because Caitlyn is fifty times cuter then you whether she twitches at your ugliness or not." In my head it sounded so odd and stupid but I guess to Ricky it was enough to shut him up.
 
 
Ms. Morgan blew the whistle for us to start our activities, so within three minutes I was able to do forty squats. After that we had to run to our next station, and while I was running, holding in the tears that I so badly wanted to let out from all the pain, Ricky tripped me. Making me land on my wrist and scream like I was being murdered. Well, I imagine that’s what it sounded like to everyone else, but to me, it just sent a flash back of the first time my dad beat me.
"Caitlyn!" I heard Jack yell from our next station running over to me.
 "OW!!! AGH! GOD!!! MAKE IT STOP!! IT HURTS!!" I was screaming and crying as loud as I could it seemed. Ms. Morgan pushed through the group of kids and came to my...other side...Jack was already on my left.
 "Caitlyn what hurts?" I heard her ask me, but I couldn’t get enough air in my lungs to say it. "M-m-my....wrist..." She pulled up my sleeve and saw my ace bandage.
"What did you do to your wrist before?" Well...I guess it’s a good thing I already had a story planned.
 "I fell down some stairs and sprained my wrist....that’s my guess." I said as I was still crying and choking to get some air into my lungs. She looked at my wrist some more.
"And you didn’t go to the doctors to make sure?" I shook my head no. She slowly started to unwrap my wrist and when half of the bandage was off my wrist I felt my bones rub against each other and screamed on the top of my lungs.
“STOP! OH- MY-GOD STOP!! IT HURTS! IT’S BROKEN! I KNOW IT!" Nearly most of the kids had their hands over their ears because I was so loud.
"How can you tell?"
"I know because I felt it!" I was crying so hard I couldn’t see anything, not to mention I was pissed because nobody listens to the ballistic screaming girl anymore.
"We need to get you to a hospital." Ms. Morgan wrapped my wrist back up as carefully as she could and asked Jack if he could carry me. Without even answering he just picked me up and took me to the nurses’ office.
 
            Once we got to the nurses office Jack laid me on the bed.
"And what seems to be wrong with you?" I was still crying and couldn’t answer the question that the Nurse asked me. This was my first time ever going to the nurse ever, so I didn’t exactly know her name. "Well, we think Caitlyn broke her wrist Mrs. Green." Think? THINK? WE KNOW!!!! I know for a fact that it is broken. God! Don’t believe me!
 "Oh dear, Caitlyn, you need to go to the hospital, is there anyone we can call to take you there?" Now, since my grandma was staying with us I would have said her, but she left for home early in the morning. I didn’t even know that that was the day she was leaving until I read a note on my bathroom mirror. "No. There’s no way to reach my dad and my grandma Lane left early this morning." Mrs. Green was pacing back and forth thinking when Jack spoke up.
"I can take her."
 "Oh Jack, no, I couldn’t let you do that, your favorite class is after this, not to mention it's against school policy." Jack just shook his head and said, "But Caitlyn is one of my good friends and I don’t mind." Mrs. Green really had no other choice so she said to him ok and to take his car instead of mine. DARN...I wanted to take mine! Jack nodded his head then picked me up again, even though I'm sure I could have walked because breaking your wrist has NOTHING to do with you legs...but...what ever.
 
 
            He placed me in the passenger seat, buckled me in, shut my door then went to the drivers’ side and started the car. I knew that the ride to the hospital wouldn’t be that long, so I decided to make the time pass by quicker. "Want to play a game?" I asked. "Uh…Sure. What game?"
"Question or confession." he just looked at me like I was crazy. "What’s that?" I looked at him as if he should just know...it’s a simple game really.
"Well, it’s kind of like truth or dare. Only, I can ask you a question, or say a confession. If I ask you a question, you have to answer honestly, and then ask me a question or say a confession, and so on." After my little explanation he looked as if he had just seen the sun for the very first time.
"Ok."
 "I'll go first okay Jack?" He nodded his head yes and it only took me three seconds to figure out what I was going to ask him.
"Question: How did the nurse know your class schedual?" I turned to look at Jack and waiting for his response. "Simple, I visit the nurse a lot when I don't want to go to my LEAST favorite class, her and I have the Anti Mr. Shoester and Ms. Su thing going on. Speaking of nurses, my confession is that when I was in the third grade I had a crush on the nurse."
"No way!" I couldn't believe it, I've never heard of little boys having crushes on their school nurse.
"Yeah, it's true."
"Okay my turn. What would you say, if I told you that last night my father beat me to a pulp and that’s why my arm is broken?" The second I let that question escape my lips I knew I would either regret it, or be thankful. I just hoped that I wouldn’t regret it.
"Uhh...I really don’t know. I guess I wouldn’t let you go home to him tonight or ever probably. That's kind of a hard question." Eh, seemed good enough. Jack was about to take his turn but then we pulled into the hospital.
"Save your turn for later." I said, hoping that it will give me some time to think about weather I want to tell Jack about my dad or not. Cass could be right, I might feel better if someone else knew besides her, and I could get help.
 
            When we were in the waiting room we only had to wait for what seemed like five minutes. Most likely because there weren’t very many patients that day. The doctor looked at my arm and ordered an x-ray, even though we all knew it was broken we still needed to know where it was broken at so that it could get "the proper attention and care that it needs to heal." When I went to get the x-ray they made me put my wrist in MANY uncomfortable positions, but I sucked it up. I was in no way about to cry in front of Jack. I sat in my room talking to Jack waiting for the x-rays to be printed. We talked about school and cars, art; we were all over the board. We even started talking about Paris Hilton. Now that was kind of scary.
 
            After what seemed like forever the x-rays were in and the doctor was highly suspicious. "Well Ms. Johnson. It seems that your wrist was already broken, and when you fell, it broke to even further extent. But it’s nothing that can’t be fixed with a cast for about a few months. How exactly did you break it again?" Was this doctor dumb? I could have sworn on Jacks elbow that I told them that Rick tripped me while I was running.
"I was tripped."
 "Well yes, I understand that. However your wrist was broken before then, so what happened the first time that made you have to wrap your wrist in an ACE bandage?" Oh. So I have to tell that story too.
"I fell down some stairs at home. My dad scared me and I lost my footing." This is practically what happened....more or less. My dad did scare me, I did fall down some stairs, I did lose my footing, but that’s not how it was broken. So I did not lie....that much. The doctor nodded his head, yes; the doctor was a man, which explains why he was being so nosy. Well no, not really, he's just doing his job, but still! It didn’t take long for me to get my cast on, or well, plastered on. What ever the correct term was it's what happened, but either way I was in a cast.
 
            Once I was released and free to go home, Jack tried to pick me up again but I told him that I am perfectly capable of walking on my own. That breaking my wrist had no affect on my legs. Jack being Jack and all was however a bit on the paranoid side not taking his eye off of me one bit and making sure that he walked exactly two feet away from me. It was as if he were my body guard. We got into his car and drove in silence practically. When we reached the school parking lot Jack parked right next to my car. I gave him a smile and started to open the door when Jack hit the automatic button for locking the door. At first I was scared, thinking the worst that maybe Jack wasn’t a nice guy, that he was going to do something terrible to me, but then I saw his face and the panic and worry was gone. I looked at him with a confused expression, pretty much begging with my eyes for an answer. "It’s still my turn on question or confession." I smiled, how could I have possible been such a worry wart in those few seconds with Jack? "Oh." Was all that I could say to him. "Question: You remember the question you asked me on the way to the hospital?" I nodded my head. "Did it really happen? Did your dad really beat you?" I sat there for a second with an expression clearly giving away the fact that I was thinking. And just thinking, or possibly debating.
 
            
"You asked three questions in a row, and I answered one. There for I have the right to dismiss the other two, but thanks for taking me to the hospital, I appreciate it." I said while unlocking the door only for him to lock it again. DAMN THOSE AUTOMATIC BUTTONS! 
"Caitlyn, I'm serious."
"Well so am I! You can’t ask more than one question!" I said snapping back at him trying to unlock the door again, for the third time, only for him to press the damn lock button again too!
"Caitlyn I can do this all day." Now I don’t know why he's so calm but I personally am getting a little pissed off.
"Well so can I but I suggest that we don’t or I will be in deep dog s**t." For what seemed like the millionth time I've tried to unlock that damn door but only actually being the fourth, I attempted only to fail once again. No surprise there. I do believe that Jack is just as equally stubborn as me. I rolled my eyes and looked at Jack.
 "Jack, let me out of this damn car right now."
 "Not until you answer my question."
"Questions! You asked me questions! Thats more than one! That is against the rules!" Jack just smirked and asked, "Since when? You didn’t say that when you were explaining the game." I took a deep breath trying to calm myself down trying to accept the fact that I have been caught. I swallowed hard and took another deep breath and just stared out the window.
 "If I say no, then will you let me go?" I asked Jack in a calmer voice.
"Yes." I turned my head slowly to Jack and looked at his forehead, to scared to look him in the eyes.
"No." He sighed and unlocked the door. I opened my door and put my right foot out of the car then just sat there for a second. I was fully debating on weather or not I wanted to truly lie to Jack. I really wanted someone other than Cass to know and I really wanted that someone to be Jack but I couldn’t understand why Jack was any different from anyone else. I looked at Jack once more and saw his puzzled expression, wondering what was going on inside my head, I was even wondering that myself. The more people I told, the bigger chance I had of something being done, or of me getting the biggest beating of my life. I took a deep breath and swallowed hard for the second time.
"Yes....He beats me." I said to him, looking him in the eyes. Only to get out of his car and into mine in the blink of an eye. I put my key in the ignition and drove off.
 
 
            I didn’t drive home but I didn’t drive out of state either, which I felt like doing but decided against it. Instead I drove to the park that was right next to the local pre-school. I got out of my car and walked over to the swings, for some reason swings always seem to make things better. I started to think to myself about what I've just done. Why did I tell Jack the truth? Why couldn't I just let him think it was just a question and simply just that? It was moments like this where I wished Grandma Lane was here. I really didn’t understand why she didn’t tell me she was leaving sooner. She was suppose to stay for two weeks. But instead she stayed for three days. It made no since. I sat there thinking about it for a while. I even sat there when it started raining. I guess it was a good thing I had a jacket on. It was when I looked up and saw that it was dark that I looked at my phone to see what time it was. Nine o' clock! I am so dead. There is no way that I can go home. If I go home then I can almost guarantee that I will have one or two more bones broken. I called Cass but there was no answer. So I tried again, and again, and again. Still no answer. It was starting to rain even harder and by the looks of it, it seemed as if we were going to be having a storm. I ran for my car and started the engine. I would sleep in my car, but the thing with storms here is that tree's fall over a lot in them, and I would very much not like to be squished by a tree in my brand new car. It didn’t take me long to figure out a plan. I would go home and put my car in the garage and then walk over to Cass's house. So I drove home and put my car in the garage. When I reached Cass's house I was banging on the door for ten minutes with no answer. Where could she possibly be? I turned around on her porch and started to come up with another plan. I looked to my right and saw Ricky's place and shook my head violently. Ricky would be my last resort. I looked over to my left and I could see Jack running after his baby sister who by the looks of it, wanted to play in the rain. I guess I would just have to swallow my pride.
 
            Jack was across the street and five houses down from Cass so I started running. "Jack!" I yelled as loud as I could so that he could hear me. Jack turned his head and saw me. He put his baby sister down and started running to me.
"Caitlyn! What’s wrong?" I stopped right in front of him and he put his hands on my shoulders.
"Did your dad hit you? What’s wrong?" I took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes.
"Jack, I know that I shouldn’t be asking you this but I can’t go home. If I do, then something will be wrong. Is there any way that I could stay with you for the night, I'll sleep on your couch or the floor, just please, don’t make me go home." It was dead silent, and I swear on my life, that I could hear my heart beating, even over the loud rain. Then Jack hugged me. At first I was stunned, but then after a second I hugged back, feeling safe for the first time in a while. Even with Grandma Lane staying with me, I knew that anything was possible, that a beating could be right down stairs in the basement.
"Caitlyn, you can come over any time you want, but what happened to you? You have bruises that I didn't even see earlier."
I guess the rain had washed away the layers of makeup I had piled onto my face earlier this morning.
"It's from when my dad beat me the other day, the makeup just washed away I guess."
"Why would you where makeup and hide your pretty face."
"Because it's covered with bruises." Jack just shooke his head then pulled away taking me by the hand and dragging me inside his house.
 
            Once I got inside I stopped in the hallway. I've never really been inside his house before so I was stunned to see how beautiful everything was. And not in a way too feminine way, but in a comfortable to everyone kind of way....if that makes any since.
 "Let me go find some clothes for you to change into. We wouldn’t want you to get sick." I shook my head and kept on looking around. It didn’t take long for Jack to return to my side.
"Here you go." I grabbed the clothes from his hands and looked up into his eyes while smiling and said, "Thank you." He did his little crooked smile that I thought was just so adorable and said, "Your welcome."  I looked down and away from his eyes and headed for the bathroom, with a little help from Jack telling me where it was of course.
 
            When I came out of the bathroom I was wearing Jacks grey sweat pants and his burning tree project band tee. "Well don’t you just look comfy." I heard from the kitchen door way. I turned my head and saw Jack leaning against the threshold of the kitchen already in his pajamas. "You know, I must say, I totally perceived you as one of those guys to only sleep in their boxers or something." Jack smiled and positioned himself into a pose that you would see on underwear advertisement, "Well, I thought I should shield your eyes from my intoxicating body!" I rolled my eyes and shoved past him into the kitchen, I was completely curious now on what the rest of his house looked like.
 "Have you eaten dinner yet?" I looked at Jack and shook my head.
"Oh. Well then let’s make you something to eat. What would you like?" I stared blankly at him for a moment and then leaned against the kitchen counter.
"I have no idea." Jack dropped his arms down to his hips and started imitating what the average American grandma would do.
 "Young lady how do you not know what you want to eat? You are nothing but skin and bones! Lets see here..." Jack walked over to his refrigerator and opened the door looking at the contents that it held inside.
"A sandwich? No...Not enough...how about...chicken? No, not good enough either.... AHA! I have it! Chicken pot pie! You have your protein and your veggies all in one! Its genius!" By now I was trying really hard not to laugh, but Jack was being a grandma a little too well if you know what I mean. Jack looked at me with the chicken pot pie in his hands, "Yes?" he asked, and I nodded my head. He put some of the chicken pot pie on a plate and put it in the microwave to heat it up.
 
             He came back about a minute later with my 'pie' and a fork in his hands handing it over to me. "There you go dear." I giggled against my own conscience.
 "You know Jack; you do that a little too well." Jack just shrugged his shoulders and replied in his normal voice.
"Eh, I watch a lot of cable." I lifted an eye brow not believing him one bit.
"Uh-huh. Sure Jack, you just keep on saying that to yourself. I'm sure someone will believe you someday..." I took a bite of my chicken pot pie and fell in love in that instant.
"Oh my gosh! This is amazing!" I said then took another huge bite.
"Thanks for the compliment." I swallowed my pie and looked at him. He was standing right next to me with his arms crossed leaning against the counter with his light brown hair still flat from the rain.
"You mean you made this?" Jack shook his head looked at me with his gorgeous deep blue eyes and said, "Yup, and from scratch." I turned the direction of my head from him, to the door frame, "Wow, cute and he can cook....amazing." I said in a low whisper, to low for him to hear me. I finally finished my pie and put the dish and fork in the sink and started to clean them.
"What are you doing?" I heard Jack ask me from across the kitchen.
"I'm cleaning up my mess." Jack started walking over to me and pulled my hands away from the sink and turned off the faucet. "You know you don’t have to do that." I looked at him as if he's clueless, like dirt. "Yes I do." He tilted his head to the side and put on an even more confused face.
"How come?" He was insane! How is the answer not obvious! Was he not scared? Did he have a thing for looking for my potential death?
"Because if I don’t my dad will--" I stopped myself right there then looked around. I had come to realize, that this wasn’t my home, and that my dad wouldn’t come to beat me. Jack wasn’t the one going insane… I was. "Oh." Was all that I could say after I had come to realize my behavior and how crazy it was. Jack didn’t look so confused anymore, and he was dragging me out of the kitchen before another word could be said. "You are not cleaning the dishes. Let’s just go relax." I sighed "Okay, but before we do that I have to fix your hair, you look like a soggy dog." I grabbed a towel and begane to dry his hair. When i was done his hair was in the perfect boufant I had ever seen. According to Jack anyway it was a boufant I would have just said mini mohawk or something.

Author's Note

say whatever and if you have any ideas on where you want the relationship to go