Crumbling Walls (Jack and Emily #1)

by Laura Strandt

  “Nope. Grand unveiling in class.”

  “You are so not fun.”

  “Do I get to see yours?”

  Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he left the room whistling, “See you Monday in class.”

  ▪▪▪

  While they were eating their way through their lunch, “Um, Jack?”

  “Yeah?” as a noodle hung from his chin.

  Reaching over and tapping it so it fell back in the bowl, “Why didn’t you come down while Tim and I were working?”

  “I actually did, but both of you looked so serious and focused I wasn’t about to interrupt, so I went back upstairs and did some homework. Once the others got home though, I figured you wouldn’t be able to concentrate anymore, so I came down.”

  ”For a second there, I thought you had forgotten I was here.”

  “Forget you? Are you kidding?” Without stopping himself, “I haven’t forgotten about you for a minute since I faked that flat tire.”

  Well, that little secret jumped right out in the open didn’t it?

  And Emily couldn’t help the smile that spread from ear to ear, “I knew there wasn’t anything wrong with that tire.”

  “How?”

  “”Cause you rode right away on it without ever checking it again.”

  Looking rather sheepish, “Well, it was the only way I could think of to stop in front of the house.”

  “You could just as easily have quit pedaling and said hello instead of taking out half a flat of snapdragons in the process.”

  Collecting their now empty bowls and putting them in the dishwasher, “My idea seemed better at the time.”

  She just shook her head, “Well, next time you want to talk to a girl, just say hi. Works surprisingly well.”

  He was going to reply with something suave and cool, but was interrupted by the front door opening and Sam rushing headlong into the bathroom. His parents came into the kitchen a moment later … and for the first time, Emily laid eyes on Jack’s dad.

  It was all she could do to keep the macaroni in her stomach.

  ▪▪▪

  Jack saw her cringe and pale immediately. Luckily, his parents hit the fridge looking for lunch after Mr. Callaghan shook her hand, so Jack called a quick good-bye and mumbled something about walking Emily home. He then steered her towards the front door, grabbing her supplies as he passed them.

  Once on the porch with the door safely pulled shut behind them, “Are you okay?”

  By now, Emily had come back to reality and, though covered in a thin sheen of sweat, seemed calmer, “Yeah, I just don’t think the food is sitting very well.”

  Almost positive she was lying, he chose to let it slide, walking home next to her slowly and delivering her at the front gate as usual. “You’re really sure you’re all right? You seemed fine until my parents walked in.”

  With a nod, “Maybe I just woke up too early or didn’t get enough sleep last night.”

  “If you say so.” Leaning forward, he kissed her forehead, “Call me if you need anything, okay?”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “Then I’ll see you tomorrow or Monday okay? I have to go to some family picnic at Dad’s work tomorrow and I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

  Remembering him mentioning it, “Okay. Have fun.”

  Still more than a little worried about her, “I’ll try.”

  ▪▪▪

  He didn’t mention anything about what happened to anyone. After a day of thinking about it, he had nearly managed to convince himself it really was the whole food, getting up early, staying out late combo.

  Chapter 5

  On Monday morning, Tim made it to class just in time for the bell and slid into the chair beside her, “One of these days, the mob at senior rail is gonna make me late.”

  “You’re a senior.”

  “Doesn’t mean they don’t need to get the hell away from me. And I still don’t understand why the seniors need some place to hang out during school. Just use the hall like normal people.”

  With a shrug, “Who knows? Apparently it’s been tradition for decades and who’s gonna mess with tradition?”

  “Still annoys the piss out of me.”

  Class started then, so Tim’s rant ended early as they both turned towards the talking teacher, “So, everybody ready to do the unveiling?”

  Their pictures were already sitting in a pile on the front table and, two by two, she picked them up, propped them against the chalkboard, turned and stepped back to let the critiquing begin.

  Most were good, some were better than good, but then, “I decided to save these two for last. Honest opinions folks. Don’t hold back.”

  Turning the last two, the class stared in silence until, “Damn, couldn’t either of you at least fake some inconsistencies so the rest of us don’t look like simplistic freaks who accidentally landed in an art class through a scheduling mishap?” Tim turned a beet-red color as he took a quick glance at his heckler. It turned out to be Jim wearing a big grin, “Just kidding, man.”

  Ms. Tassleman looked over the class with a small smile, “Anything?”

  It was then the questions started to flow until just before the end of class, “Tim, did you add yourself in later?”

  “Huh?”

  “How are you in the picture with Emily?”

  He grinned, “That’s not me. It’s my brother, Jack. All us kids look the same.”

  Jim, with his usual timing, “Damn, no kidding.”

  The bell rang and everybody but Emily stood, gathering their things. She in turn just sat, staring at the pictures still leaning on the wall.

  “Hey, you okay?”

  She hadn’t said much during class, answering the questions she was asked quickly and quietly. Even now, she was still answering in a daze, “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  “Then why do you look like the pod people got you?”

  Not even hearing the comment, “Do I really look like that?”

  Tim looked from her to the picture and back to her in confusion, “What do you mean?”

  Grabbing her bag, she moved to stand in front of the picture of herself, “Do I really look like that?”

  On the paper, there sat a girl, eyes shut, head leaning against Jack’s shoulder. The lips were slightly apart and one small strand of stray hair had fallen across her face. Her hand was lying against Jack’s thigh and Jack himself was asleep as well, his fingers entwined ever so slightly with hers. For lack of a better word, she looked beautiful and peaceful and completely content with the world.

  When Tim didn’t answer, she asked again quietly, “Is that how you see me?”

  “It’s how everybody sees you, Em. Don’t you ever look in the mirror?”

  With a shake of her head to clear the fog, she turned towards the door, “But that’s not what I see.” Not wanting her to walk away yet, he reached out to grab her elbow and stop her. With that motion, Emily came crashing back to the real world and jerked her arm back, “I’m gonna be late.”

  Ms. Tassleman came back through the door just as Emily was leaving and nearly knocked into her. Looking confused, she spotted Tim still in the room, “Need anything?”

  He stayed by the pictures, “Can I ask you something?”

  Coming to stand next to him, “Sure.”

  “Do you think it looks like Emily?”

  “Are you kidding? It’s a near dead ringer. Why?”

  “She just asked if she really looked like that and I told her yeah. Then she said ‘that’s not what I see’. I just wanted to make sure I was seeing her the way everybody else did.”

  Ms. Tassleman stood staring at the two pictures for a moment before responding, “You have to remember, she’s 15. Most girls at that age see themselves as ugly, unattractive and probably hideous individuals. Maybe you’re the first person to show her she really is beautiful.” He shrugged his response, still contemplating and she continued, “I’ll also say this. I’ve had her in classes for three yea
rs now and I have never, ever seen her so relaxed. She’s usually guarded and wound tight but here, well, it’s just nice to know that she can take a break.”

  He nodded, “She had me worried for a minute.”

  Patting him on the arm, “That just means you’re her friend and that’s a very good thing.”

  They stared a few more seconds at the side by side images, then, “I hate to ask, but do you think I could get a pass to my next class? The bell rang like five minutes ago.”

  With a smile, “Of course.”

  ▪▪▪

  The rest of the week passed quietly, Jack still having a stray thought every now and then about what had happened with Emily the previous Saturday, but by Wednesday, those thoughts were crowded out by their upcoming Friday night date.

  He showed up on time and, ringing her doorbell, it occurred to him he had never had to do that before. Usually she was waiting outside already, either leaning on the porch post or sitting on the steps. Feeling suddenly rather grown up, he stood a little straighter and made sure the flowers in his hands weren’t falling out of their tie. But, as usual, when the door opened, he forgot the world completely.

  Now, usually boys get bowled over by the appearance of their dates in gorgeous dresses and heels, their hair done perfectly, make-up flawless and jewelry sparkling. Jack was done completely in by Emily opening the door dressed in a pair of jeans, her black boots, remarkably scuff free for the first time ever, and a simple burgundy sweater that nearly matched her hair.

  Holding out the flowers to her, he opened his mouth like a fish a few times before the words came, “Hi.”

  She took them with a smile, “Hi.” Aiming those sparkling green eyes of hers at him, “Let me just run these upstairs.” Back next to him before he could get his brain working again, she pulled her coat on, “Thanks for the flowers. They smell wonderful.”

  Since it was a date, he decided he'd better get in as much hand holding as possible and sliding his fingers into hers, “Hungry?”

  “Starving, but I’ve only got ten dollars on me, so we’re gonna have to go real cheap.”

  Waving his wallet in the air for a second, “Dad took pity on my allowance and slipped me another 20, so tonight, everything’s on me.”

  “I said I could pay for myself Jack.”

  “I know you can. And I recall saying that I wasn’t going to let you, not tonight.” And with a smile that made her melt, “But I might let you buy the popcorn … maybe … if you’re nice to me.”

  “Define nice.”

  Squeezing her thumb, “Right now.”

  ▪▪▪

  Dinner was eaten at an extraordinary place called Fred’s Diner. And, unlike most girls Jack had heard Tim and other guys talk about, Emily ate like a horse. Yes, there was salad involved, but also a hot dog, fries, a chocolate shake and Opa cheese.

  As he watched her pack all this into her remarkably small body, “Are you sure they feed you at home?”

  Looking across her plate at him, she wiggled her eyebrows, “I offered to pay, remember?”

  He laughed, “Eat some more if you must. We’re still working on my dad’s cash.”

  After slurping the last of her ice cream, she sat back and stared around the mostly empty diner, “Is it wrong I kind of like it in here without all the people?”

  “It's a lot quieter if nothing else. Nice not to have some three-year-old bouncing on the booth behind me.”

  “We could just stay here all night if you’d like?”

  Pulling out his wallet, “No way. You’re not getting out of buying me that industrial size tub of popcorn.”

  ▪▪▪

  Making it to the dollar show by nine, they found two movies starting at the same time, both of which Jack wanted to see. “Which sounds better to you?”

  Emily, to be honest, had never heard of either one and told him this. He then explained a bit of each plot, and asked again, “Which one would you prefer?”

  “Well, what time do you have to be home tonight? We could always just stay for both?” Pointing to the schedule, “We could watch this one, then head right into the other theater to catch the replay of the other.”

  “I love how your mind works.” Pulling out his phone after paying for the first round of tickets, he called his mom, “Is it okay if I’m probably not back until around one or so? There’re two movies playing that we want to see.” After listening for a second, “Yeah, I’ll make sure she gets home safe, promise. I’ll even wait until she locks the door.”

  Hanging up a minute later, he turned to her, “I honestly think she could care less about me, but she was all about making sure you were gonna get home okay.”

  “You know she loves you.”

  “Oh, I know. I’m just amused, that’s all.” Motioning ahead of him and holding the door, “After you.”

  ▪▪▪

  Movies watched and popcorn consumed, they found themselves back on her porch a little before one o’clock on Saturday morning. “I think we may actually be out later than some of the people at the dance.”

  “And we did it cheaper and in more comfortable clothes.”

  Jack took a step closer to her, “That reminds me, did I tell you just how beautiful you look tonight?”

  Wanting so badly to stand that close to him, her panic still overtook her, and she stepped back, “No you didn’t.”

  Fighting the urge to follow, he stayed where he was, “Well, you look absolutely perfect tonight and I’m not just saying that ‘cause you bought me junk food.”

  With a smile, “But if it helped, I may buy you some more.”

  “Then would it be alright if I asked you out next Friday? Maybe we can watch a few more X-Files or something?”

  Hoping the darkness would keep him from noticing her blanch, “At your house?”

  “Well, that is where we keep the TV. The kids’ll probably watch with us if that’s okay?”

  She breathed out slowly, “Your parents won’t mind?”

  “Nah. Dad’s out of town anyway and Mom’ll watch with us, too.”

  The world suddenly righted itself again, “Your mom watches?”

  “Who do you think showed us our first episodes?”

  ▪▪▪

  Fridays in Jack’s living room became the norm for Emily. She enjoyed having the younger boys around her and Elizabeth made it even more fun by really getting into the episodes, turning off all the lights and grabbing her children at just the right scary moment to make them yelp in terrified glee. Mr. Callaghan never joined them though, choosing instead to read upstairs.

  Elizabeth said he didn’t get much time to get through his books, but Jack just laughed, “Come on, Mom. You know the show gives him the willies.”

  She gave her son a serious-eyed stare, “Just make sure not to rib him about it, okay?”

  “’Course. I’m not that evil.”

  Emily was about to ask what exactly gave him the willies, but Jack gave her a look that plainly said, ‘I’ll tell you later.’

  One night, after everyone had trooped upstairs for bed and Jack was about to walk Emily home, she stopped him while still on the couch, “What scares your dad?”

  Jack could only shrug, “Not really sure. He watched the first few episodes, but once Skinner showed up, he stopped watching. Said he'd rather read. I guess maybe the guy who plays him reminds him of somebody. I asked once and he just told me the show was a little too disgusting for him.”

  Mr. Callaghan’s voice drifted in from the kitchen, “Are you telling lies about me again, boy?”

  Calling back to him, “Of course I am. What else are dads there for?”

  He came into the living room, cup of tea in his hand and looked at Emily, “Don’t listen to a word he says. I’m perfect and it just kills him.”

  This was the first time since the kitchen, weeks ago, that Emily had actually seen Jack’s dad. On Fridays, he was usually at work until after they had started the shows and he always yelled hello from
the front hall, going immediately upstairs. Now he was approximately six feet from them and Emily felt as if she had a vice wrapped around her throat. Air wouldn’t move into her lungs and she thought they were going to explode. He looked just like he did in her nightmares and forcing herself with every ounce of strength, she sat stock still, nodding in the proper places but never looking him in the eye.