John James Searle (inneedofrepair) wrote in the_colony, @ 2010-12-27 00:59:00 |
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Entry tags: | ^ week 24, jacklyn baker, john james searle, | jack and searle |
Week 24 - Thursday morning
Characters: Jack and Searle.
Location: The attic.
Summary: Jack and Searle discuss their talks with Tom and work past a few concerns they both have, but end up on good terms.
Rating: PG
The good thing about spending the past couple of weeks sneaking around with Searle was that they were used to it. She hadn’t seen him since their cringe-inducing encounter with Tom the night before but when Jack saw him heading back towards the house just as she finished taking Bosie outside, it was easy to get Searle’s attention. Wordlessly, she caught his eye and jerked her head. A minute later they were back in the attic.
Jack sat down in a patch of sunlight from the room’s small window. “I’m sorry you’re in trouble,” she told them once they were alone.
“Not anymore,” Searle answered, shrugging. “I did my punishment last night.” The only unknown element left was Jed’s reaction when Tom told him.
“What was it?”
“He made me run with a heavy backpack on. He wouldn’t let me stop for a long time.” Searle didn’t want to admit he’d ended the punishment himself by his body giving out. “Then after we had to talk about stuff. He talked to you too, right?”
Tom made Searle run? What kind of punishment was that? Boys were weird. She ignored that thought to answer Searle’s questions. “Yeah, he did. Kept going on about how you’re bigger and stronger than I am, like you’re going to Hulk out and do something to hurt me. Stupidest thing I ever heard.”
Searle couldn’t help but laugh at the way Jack phrased it. “He told me about how young you are and how you’re not ready for stuff. Second stupidest thing you ever heard?” There was genuine inquiry in his voice.
Jack laughed too and didn’t ask just what exactly Tom thought she wasn’t ready for. After their conversation, she had a pretty good idea what it was. “I think people need to stop telling me what to do. This isn’t Tom or Jed’s or anyone else’s business. So yeah, pretty stupid.” Jack didn’t know how to tell if she was ready for that but she did know that now she had Searle, she didn’t want to lose him.
“You’d tell me if you didn’t want to do something, right?” Searle felt dumb asking, but Tom had made him somewhat unsure. It had made him think about what he’d been like at thirteen, and how he hadn’t been ready for many things he really wanted at sixteen.
“Yeah,” Jack answered slowly. Searle seemed to be echoing Tom’s line of thinking that he would get out of control and do something to her. “I know you’re not going to hurt me. Not ever.”
Searle shook his head. “I won’t hurt you, I promise, but I’m sixteen. I’m probably ready for more stuff than you are, that’s all. And since what we’re doing is supposed to be for fun, just tell me if we’re going too fast. When we’re kissing, I don’t think about much,” he admitted with a short laugh.
“Well, neither do I, dummy,” Jack told him, frowning a little. She hated when Searle reminded her how much younger she was than him. It always made her feel like a baby. “I told you I liked it.”
“If you say you like it then I believe you.” Searle lifted his hands in a disarming way. “Tom kept saying how you were so young. I don’t want to take advantage of anyone and not even know. I’m new to this stuff. With Nevaeh - she’d gone all the way, so I didn’t have to worry.”
“You - you did it with Nevaeh?” Jack’s voice was suddenly much smaller than it’d been before. Searle had never even looked at her before she kissed him but he’d done it with a girl he’d only met one time? Jack had been so pleased to finally get Searle’s attention and she suddenly felt second best, like Searle had to like Nevaeh more than he liked her. It hurt and that showed in her face.
“No, we didn’t do it.” Searle was wide-eyed at Jack’s hurt expression. The comparison to Nevaeh had just kind of slipped out; he realized he’d never told Jack about what he’d done with her before. “... We just made out.”
“Oh. Okay.” Jack wasn’t sure if that actually made her feel any better and she turned her face away from his. Maybe they hadn’t done it, but they’d still kissed. Did Searle compare the two of them, thinking about how much better Nevaeh was? How could she ever compare to a girl with that kind of experience?
“Uhm, it was a while ago....” Jack’s obvious discomfort was rubbing off on him, and Searle was really regretting bringing the redhead up.
Jack was silent for a moment, still not looking at him. “Does it bug you that I’m younger than you?” She’d been younger than Nevaeh, too.
“No,” Searle answered honestly. “I like kissing you. I never thought about your age until this whole thing with Tom catching us.”
That was enough to get Jack to look back over at him. “If Tom is stupid enough to think you’re going to hurt me, I don’t know why we have to listen to him about anything.”
“Tom knows stuff.” He had to give the man that much. “He’s looking out for you, and I can’t be mad at him for that. I’d do the same thing if you were with someone else.”
Hearing that really made Jack feel better and she gave Searle a small smile. “I’m okay,” she reassured him. “Jed’s looking out for me and he’s going to freak out when Tom tells him. But it doesn’t matter. You’re still not going to do anything bad to me.” Jack kept coming back to that because it was one of her universal truths. Searle could be trusted and depended on. Kisses with ratty-haired girls aside, he couldn’t hurt her.
“I’m not going to do anything bad to you,” Searle agreed, “but Jed might do something bad to me.” Tom had told him he’d get his back should anything happen, but that didn’t change the fact that Searle was scared of Jed. They had been getting along so well lately, too.
“I won’t let him,” Jack promised. “I can look after you, too.”
“Thanks.” He smiled and put his hand briefly on Jack’s knee in an attempt to show her how much that meant to him. “Don’t let me make you two fight again, though.”
“Don’t worry, I can handle Jed.” The two of them hadn’t fought much recently and hopefully this wouldn’t change anything. “At least now we won’t have to hide stuff.” She paused. “Mostly. We’re already breaking the rules. You’re not supposed to be somewhere with me with the door shut.”
“Ohhh no,” Searle laughed, “I might do something really bad to you, something you can’t handle at your age.”
Jack laughed too, relieved to be feeling a bit more normal. “Maybe I should go get Tom or Jed?”
“You wish I’d let you leave.” Searle reached for Jack’s arm. Jack pulled a little against him, just to mess around but not nearly enough to actually get away. Her lack of effort inspired Searle to yank her close in earnest so he could go in for a proper noogie.
“Hey!” Jack protested immediately. “No fair!” She wriggled to get away, this time in earnest. Searle let her go, but not before making sure her hair was good and tousled.
He laughed. “Too easy.”
Jack glared at him. “When I get my cast off, I’m going to get you so good.”
“I’m so scared,” Searle said, making sure to sound as sarcastic as possible.
“You should be,” Jack said threateningly. Hoping to catch Searle by surprise, Jack darted at him, trying to get her good hand into his hair for a little bit of payback.
Searle had expected Jack wouldn’t let him get off easy, but instead of try to stop her hand from delving into his hair he caught her around the waist, just as much to touch her as to keep himself from falling backward.
“Whatever, I didn’t even brush my hair this morning. You’ll probably make it look better,” he said, laughing.
That was the wrong thing to say. Jack ignored the little flush of warmth from Searle’s arm around her and changed tactics. She quickly sucked a finger into her mouth and stuck it in his ear for a wet willie. “Hah!” she exclaimed smugly.
“Ugh!” Instead of hold her close to him, Searle used his hands on her waist to push her back as he ducked his head in hopes of getting his ear away from her wet finger.
“Serves you right for picking on me,” Jack laughed.
“I hate that feeling,” Searle complained, though he was laughing along with Jack.
“Then stop being mean to me.”
“Fine,” Searle sighed. “I should probably get back to chores, anyway.”
Jack nodded. “I’m going to try and stay close to the house so I can be around if Jed freaks.”
That sent a chill down Searle’s spine - not a pleasant feeling at all. “Okay.” He stood, pulling Jack up with him. “Hopefully he won’t.”
“Maybe it won’t be that bad.” Somehow Jack doubted it and she was suddenly grateful Tom was telling Jed about this so she didn’t have to.
“Maybe,” Searle agreed, but he sounded just as doubtful as Jack.