jake (bigherotype) wrote in vaslogs, @ 2016-03-07 15:37:00 |
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Entry tags: | jake berenson, marco |
Who: Jake and Kid-Marco
What: Testing the water - Week 14 Experiment
Where: The gas station
When: Yesterday
Warnings | Status: Boy Emotions | Complete
Marco took a Hershey bar from the candy display and flipped through the stupid talking books, reading people’s conversations and trying to get a feel for who they all were. So far most people seemed to be little kids or weird people. The only person in there making any sense was Derek. But that was okay, because this was probably all a dream. Dreams always had weird things happen in them that were okay in dreams, but didn’t make sense when you woke up and tried to explain them to everybody else.
He wasn’t sure if the Jake that was coming was really Jake: He sounded weird and dreams did that sometimes, and Marco wasn’t sure yet if this was a dream or a nightmare. The things that Derek said about experiments made him feel like it might be a nightmare, but he was surrounded by candy and it all tasted really good, so it couldn’t be that bad and maybe it was a good dream after all.
Next he took a Twinkie, opening it and stuffing it in his mouth while he kept an eye on the door, waiting for the person who claimed to be Jake to come in.
***
It wasn’t difficult to figure out what was going on. The sudden appearance of a bunch of kids followed by an innocuous question written in a scrawl Jake knew better than his own handwriting had been a pretty clear sign something was up with Marco. It was just.. Weird. He couldn’t say it was out of the realm of possibility though. They’d seen too many things straight out of science fiction novels for any of this to really be strange. That didn’t mean Jake had to like it, though. That didn’t mean that when Jake stepped through the door of the gas station he was prepared for the sight of a tiny version of his already small friend casually stuffing chocolate into his mouth like there was no tomorrow either. Or any concerns at all in the world.
Jake stopped in his tracks, looking at Marco as if he were a ghost. His heart thudded in his chest and his nerves shot straight to high alert. Anxiety boiled in his veins and in his belly so he felt mildly nauseous. Lucky he hadn’t eaten much otherwise he might have just tossed it all onto the floor right then.
But he got himself under enough control, so that his hands weren’t shaking thank god, and offered Marco a slight smile, “Hey, man. Have you always been so short?”
***
The person who showed up sort of looked like Jake, but he was way too old. Marco frowned. Maybe it was a weird dream thing? Still, he remembered Derek’s uneasiness, and he stood up. His dad said he could trust people, but his mom said that sometimes people who were adults or in charge weren’t your friend and you should trust your instincts. So Marco looked him up and down, “You’re too big.” He declared, obviously meaning Jake was too old.
He kind of looked like Tom, but different. If he hadn’t said he was Jake in the book, Marco would have mistaken him for his brother.
How could he know this was Jake? Maybe he could ask him something? Sure, he said something only a few people knew, but maybe somebody told him the story, so it had to be something only the two of them knew.
“Where did I hide my Mom’s car keys when I didn’t want to go to school when we were six?” He asked cautiously.
***
That was a damned obscure question. Asked by the smallest kid voice Jake had heard in forever. Did he ever sound so young? Had any of them ever been so small? Jake furrowed his brows and stepped closer then slowly crouched down so he was on level with Marco. He’d seen Rachel do that a lot with her sisters, so it made sense, right? Tom used to do it with Jake, too.
“It was kindergarten, Marco, your Dad took you to school. Not your Mom.” They gave Peter a lot less trouble because he wasn’t brown. It had taken Jake a long time to understand that, but it had eventually settled in. Marco wouldn’t have needed to hide Eva’s keys anyway. Jake cringed inwardly when he thought about them.
They were safe and alive now but..
He looked Marco over, “You can keep asking me questions, but if you only hinge on the one’s I’ll get wrong, what’s the point?”
***
When Jake crouched down, Marco stayed standing up, looking at him suspiciously until he answered the question right. Then he broke out into a grin. It was Jake. So this dream was going to be a good dream after all, “I wanted to ask you something nobody would be able to tell you.” He said, “Come on, grab some food!” He took a Reese’s and handed the peanut butter cups to this weird, older Jake. This gas station was awesome, and if it was a dream, it was okay to eat everything in it!
“How old are you anyway?” He asked, raising an eyebrow, “Are you still my friend?” Marco hoped that Jake didn’t think he was a baby or anything. He wouldn’t be friends with the little little kids here: They weren’t very interesting.
***
“That’s smart of you,” Jake answered reflexively, though paranoia said it wouldn’t keep you any safer than usual. Not when the person you were asking could have an even more dangerous invisible enemy tucked away inside their heads. But Marco was.. Well, he didn’t know what any of that was. And he wouldn’t learn if Jake had any say in it at all. Not that keeping him in the dark would protect him from it. God, what was the right answer?
He took the Reese’s when Marco offered it, holding it but not being quite in the mood to eat it.
“I’m 16,” he said, grinning, “Remember when we wanted to be so old so badly? I made it.” He stood up, towering over Marco and casually ruffling his stupid, ridiculously curly hair. “We’re friends, man. We’ll never not be friends, even if you’re short and like the gross candy.”
***
Marco scowled when Jake ruffled his hair, reaching his hands up to press it down. Jake was acting like an adult, it was weird, “You’re acting like a grown up.” He accused him. It wasn’t fun. They should be having fun! Still, he eyed Jake. There was one burning question on his mind when Jake told him how old he was, “Do you have a car?” He asked. That would be awesome. Then they could go anywhere.
“No, you’re the one with no taste,” Marco corrected him, “Are our parents here?”
***
“Yeah,” Jake said vaguely. What other way was he supposed to behave? That was the problem everyone had, wasn’t it? He shrugged expressively, and then laughed. “No, man, I don’t. Not yet anyway and definitely not here. There aren’t even horse drawn carriages this place is so behind the times.” And where inside the space of a three year war was Jake supposed to find the time to learn to drive anyway?
His heart skittered to a stop though and Jake tried to control his expression. Don’t freak him out, Jake, be casual. His parents were dead and Marco’s depended on how old he was. And besides, he could tell the truth without revealing any of that. Jake relaxed a bit.
“Nah, man. It’s just me, you, and you remember my cousin Rachel?” Jake and Rachel weren’t close before the war. They didn’t hang out regularly, but Marco had been around the Berensons forever. “Lots of other adults and a couple more kids your age though.”
***
“You’re acting like a lame grown up,” Marco corrected, “What’s next, are you going to tell me how much I’ve grown and ask how I like school?” He rolled his eyes. Jake was being boring, acting more like an adult than his friend, “There aren’t any cars here at all? This place is so retarded.” He said. What were they even supposed to do in this stupid dream town.
He cocked his head when Jake tensed up. Marco wasn’t stupid, he knew something was upsetting Jake, “Yeah, I remember Rachel.” She was pretty, not that he would tell that to Jake. Jake would make fun of him for days if he told Jake that, “Why are you upset?”
***
“You haven’t grown much and you hate school,” Jake replied. “I already know, see? There’s no point in asking.” He eyed his little friend then finally opened the Reese’s. He wasn’t hungry or even craving it. In fact the peanut butter cups tasted a little bit like cardboard. Probably because Jake was Not Feeling It. But Marco was expecting a level of normalcy and so far Jake wasn’t living up to his end of the deal.
Which wasn’t good because Marco was already too clever and too insightful. Those were the characteristics that would keep him alive over the next six years and the ones that would make Jake need to be extra cautious just now.
No use in denying he was upset. Marco knew Jake too well. “I miss my parents,” he admitted. “That’s all. It’s okay, though. Rachel and I have been hanging out more, since we’re here. So that’s something, at least…”
He looked around the gas station, noting for the first time that it looked.. Normal. He turned to look outside. Outside looked normal too. What the hell?
***
Marco rolled his eyes again when Jake told him the answers to those questions, “Duh,” He said, “That’s not the point. The point is that you’re being lame and not fun. You act like you’re going to hold my hand when I go across the street like I’m a baby or something.” He grabbed a cinnamon bun and tore open the plastic, stuffing the iced food product in his mouth. His parents would never let him eat like this, it was great!
“Aren’t you too old to miss your parents?” He asked, skeptical. He loved his parents, obviously, but sometimes they were kind of annoying too, and who heard of 16-year old boys being sad because their parents were gone? 16 year olds were tough! “Yeah, at least you have Rachel. Is she old?” If she was, Marco wondered if she stayed pretty. Some pretty girls ended up hot, some didn’t. He hoped Rachel was still hot.
***
“I was thinking about tying a rope around your chest, that way you can’t get more than a few feet from me,” he shot back, also rolling his eyes. He watched Marco skeptically, brows furrowed. “You really are--” he stopped. Okay. Okay, Jake. Not an adult. Marco was going to get sick from eating all of that crap but Jake wasn’t his dad.. Oh, whatever, let him figure it out then Jake could say I told you so.
He smiled slightly. The last image Jake had of his mother was when she’d rolled across the lawn and shot a gun at him. Sure, he missed his parents. They were probably dead, it was easier to function if he assumed they were dead because then he didn’t have to worry about what was happening to them anymore. Jake looked away, shrugging mildly.
“I just haven’t seen them in a while. It doesn’t matter. Rachel’s my age, she’s probably a lot less boring.”
Feeling ill watching Marco wolf down sweets, Jake pivoted and snatched the roll from his friend’s hands. “I already told you I wasn’t going to hold your hair,” he said. “I’ll dunk you in a toilet. How old are you anyway?”
***
“Like you could catch me,” Marco retorted, “You’re too slow.” Jake was bigger and stronger than he was, but he’d always been faster. He furrowed his eyebrows; he was really what? This Jake was so weird, Marco wondered what had happened to him. His smile was wrong, it was more like his mom’s smile when she talked about her parents, it wasn’t a completely happy smile like smiles were supposed to be.
“I’m sorry they’re not here,” He said, “If it makes you sad, it matters, right?”
Marco glared at Jake when he stole the cinnamon bun, “Hey! Get your own!” He objected, “I’m not going to puke, Mr. Jake. Do we need to go so you can make me do my English homework now?” He scowled, “I’m 11. I’m not a baby.”
***
“I’ve got three feet on you, I can catch up.” Jake had a longer stride and was the athlete of the two of them, but Marco did have the benefit of being quick. He was like a gazelle, he could change directions faster than Jake. The boy shook his head at his friend, then happily stuffed the remainder of the sticky bread into his mouth. Eat that, Marco.
It also tasted like cardboard, but whatever. “Thanks,” he said, except it came out something like ‘fhans’ because he was midway through chewing it still. Man, if Jake’s mom was here she’d be so pissed at his eating habits. You couldn’t exactly worry about Kosher foods when your main source of food was gas station products though.
“Nah,” he finally managed, speaking clearly. “But we can go find something to do. Rachel and I live in the Gym, it’s alright…” He paused. “You gotta be careful of people here though, okay? Not all of them are good.”
***
He scoffed at his friend, “You wish.” Jake could never catch him. They both knew that.
Jake and Rachel lived in a gym? “Why don’t you live in a house?” Marco asked him. Who would want to live in a gym? There weren’t even beds in a gym. Or kitchens. “What do you mean some of the people are bad? Who?” Marco demanded, “What did they do? Did they hurt you or Rachel?” The idea of somebody hurting Jake, even this weird, sad, old Jake, made Marco angry.
***
“There aren’t any, I told you the town’s backwards. There isn’t even a motel or anything.” Or an inn. Wasn’t an inn more backwater--backwoods? Whatever. Than anything?
“No!” Jake said hurriedly. “Not exactly. I don’t know everyone here, there’s about 30 people though and you can’t.. You just have to be careful cause not everyone is what they seem. You know that stranger danger talk our parents gave us? Turns out that was for an actual reason and they were right.”
Jake paused, “Marco.. They do experiments on us, too. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you or Rachel though.”
***
“What kind of town doesn’t have houses?” His dream brain was so stupid. Marco liked the candy, but it would be nice to wake up to where things made sense, “What do you sleep on if you don’t have any beds?” Maybe living in a gym would be cool. Kind of like a sleepover. Sleepovers were pretty neat, even if they didn’t have them much anymore and wanting them made you look kind of babyish.
“I know there’s a reason for it. Mom doesn’t tell me things for no reason,” Marco said. Obviously. His mom trusted him, and she knew he was smart, and she never talked to him like he was a baby, “I’m asking you who so I know who not to talk to.”
“Experiments like cutting us open like frogs?” That idea freaked him out, “I don’t want anyone cutting you open either!”
***
“This one,” Jake offered lamely. “We collected a bunch of stuff, it’s not bad. It’s kind of like camping. Except inside a building. That sounds lame, whatever. It’s… it’s funner than you think.” Except it wasn’t, but what was Jake going to say? It sucked? What was he going to say about talking to people? Don’t talk to anyone because I don’t trust them?
He couldn’t do this.
Jake wasn’t equipped for this.
Where was Cassie? She’d know what to say and do. Jake rubbed his face and sighed into his hands, “Ugh, okay. I don’t have specific names, okay? I don’t talk to.. To many people here with us. It’s just safer that way.”
Jake reached out and took Marco by the arm, pulling him closer gently, “No one is getting cut open.” Yet anyway. “They’re more.. Weird trust exercises than anything, where we sort of have to work together to figure out problems. You’re good at puzzles, you’ll be fine. Okay?”
***
“It sounds like a sleepover. Can we play something?” Marco asked the question, but then he frowned. Jake and Rachel were older than him, so even if they wanted to play, they’d probably win, and playing wasn’t any fun if you lost every single time, “Never mind.” He said.
Jake wasn’t okay. That was obvious from the sighing and the face rubbing. Those were things Jake did when he was really upset or really scared. Marco frowned, “Why is it safer? Are you upset that I’m here?” It was all he could think of that had changed, so maybe that was why Jake was upset?
Upset and serious. Even for Jake, he was being really serious, and it worried Marco, whose face took on a concerned look, “I thought you weren’t going to let them do them on me.” He said quietly.
***
Are you upset that I’m here?
“No!” Jake said immediately, “no, Marco. I’d be more upset if you weren’t. Not that I want you to get hurt or have to be here, but I.. I like that you’re here with me.” And that was the truth. He needed Marco, weird as that was. Not that Jake would ever admit it, but maybe Rachel was right when she said they were co-dependent.
Jake frowned then crouched down again so he was on eye level, looking at Marco with serious brown eyes.
“I promise you I’m not going to let anyone hurt you, trust me, okay? Just trust me. If anyone takes you, I’ll find you.” And he’d kill everyone or anything that stood in his way. “And if they take me, I’ll come back. Alright? I’ll always come back.” He squeezed Marco’s shoulders in both hands.
He’d be there. No matter that.
“But that’s enough serious talk, okay? Do you have questions? I can show you around, or if you want real food we have some stashed. Let’s grab some cokes and b--” Not beer. 11 year old Marco wouldn’t drink. “Bags of chips and stuff.”
***
He smiled at Jake, “I like that you’re here too,” Marco told him. Even if he was a weird Jake, and an anxious Jake. Because his friend was definitely anxious, and scared. He didn’t usually hug Jake, but Jake said his parents weren’t here, and Marco always felt better after a hug from his mom or dad, so he opened his arms and slipped them around Jake, “I won’t let them take you either.” He declared, protectiveness ringing in his high voice.
Then he let go, “Let’s take all the Taco Doritos!” Marco said, going back to being excited, “Come on!” He turned around and ran down the aisle, grabbing things to take back with them for their dream sleepover.
This place was weird. But maybe it would be okay.