“We… we can be strong for each other, Katelynn.” he says on a small smile, holding her hands in his now. “Okay?”
She nods, a smile breaking out onto her face as she looks into his eyes. “Sounds good to me…t-though I guess we should get back to looking through the boxes so there won’t be so many of them…Though most of them are just photos..”
“Sounds like a good plan…!” Jack says with a laugh as he settles down to help her unpack her things.
“I’m strong for you. Th-that’s what I care about.” Jack said quietly before pulling back and smiled at her, before brushing his hand against her cheek. She had almost cried, he’d seen it in her eyes. But she hadn’t. “You’re brave too. She didn’t make you cry, you didn’t let her make you. I’m proud of you, too.” he whispers.
She smiles softly, leaning in to kiss him quick before pulling back. “Yeah..cause you gave me strength, that’s why. But Jack..I want you to be strong for you too. Not for me, but for you. And you are really. I know you are.”
“We… we can be strong for each other, Katelynn.” he says on a small smile, holding her hands in his now. “Okay?”
“If he finds you she’ll find you too.” Jack whispers. “Y-you could send him letters? No return address, but… but just to him. Don’t mention your mother. Don’t even think about her… y-you’re not weak, not any more Katelynn. You survived being hit by a car, you’ve recovered so well so quickly a-and you’ve found me and I love you so much for everything you’ve gotten though alone but you’re not going to be alone again. N-not any more.”
She sighs softly, comforted by his words. He was so strong, so sure that it warmed her up, her shaking calming down. “Thank you Jack..” she replies softly, holding onto him. “You’re so strong, you know that? Thank you for being here for me..so much…”
She inhales and exhales again, closing her eyes and the feelings her mother had set there was being swept away, slowly eroding thanks to him.
“I’m strong for you. Th-that’s what I care about.” Jack said quietly before pulling back and smiled at her, before brushing his hand against her cheek. She had almost cried, he’d seen it in her eyes. But she hadn’t. “You’re brave too. She didn’t make you cry, you didn’t let her make you. I’m proud of you, too.” he whispers.
His arms are around her in seconds, his face pressing against hers, his eyes shut. He’s never felt this angry at somebody before, not even when Psycho Delic was playing around with Katelynn that one day. He’s still shaking, but not from fear. Not from this woman.
“It’s all right. We’ll get you a new phone. With a new number. I didn’t even leave a forwarding address at your old place. They won’t find you, Katelynn. I, I won’t let them find you I don’t want her to hurt you again…”
She clings to him, drawing in deep gulps of air and trying to stay composed. “B-But what about my dad? My mom is the way she is..but..my dad sort of cares…he’s just..he has to suffer with her..he’s too meek for his own good and does what she says. That time..I ran away from home once and she told him not to look for me so I’d learn my lesson and he didn’t look. I had to go home on my own to my mom yelling at me. I don’t know why she hates me so much. She used to wish I could become something! I used to want to be an actress…I had dreams of being famous. And I didn’t shoot for them..and she blamed me..said I was weak for not going for what I wanted. I told her why I didn’t want to and she said it was all my fault. And it was but that’s why I wore ugly clothes! Why I chose to be ugly so it wouldn’t happen again. And I ran away again, to Metro City, to escape.”
“If he finds you she’ll find you too.” Jack whispers. “Y-you could send him letters? No return address, but… but just to him. Don’t mention your mother. Don’t even think about her… y-you’re not weak, not any more Katelynn. You survived being hit by a car, you’ve recovered so well so quickly a-and you’ve found me and I love you so much for everything you’ve gotten though alone but you’re not going to be alone again. N-not any more.”
Before she knew what was happening her phone was out of her hand and Jack was standing, phone to his ear.
“Excuse me but I’m so sorry to interrupt what I was sure to be a lovely breaking down of Katelynn’s self esteem and confidence but I just have one thing to say to you, Lady,” Jack says, voice coming out in a way that Katelynn’s never heard before, “I do not want you contacting her ever again. Who am I? I’m her boyfriend and I know enough about you to never let you talk to her again! You’re blaming her for being hit by a car? What about the jerk who hit her? Are you mad at him or is your dealt to jump down her throat?” he isn’t giving the woman a chance to get a word in edge wise, at all.
“I don’t care who you are, I don’t care if you’re her mother, but Katelynn is better without you in her life and I’m not going to have you undo what I’ve worked so hard at helping her with! She moved away to get away from you to become her own person and you’re not going to pull her back down for your own stupid mind games! Never call her again! She’s not even where she used to live any more! She’s moved, she’s moved on, she doesn’t need you any more!” Jack reaches down and takes Katelynn’s hand into his, his whole body shaking as he continues.
“Because she has me, and I love her no matter what you think or what you say so I’m going to look after her now not because I have to but because I want to! Put that in your pipe and smoke it and as I said before never call her again.” and he hung up, then turned the phone off, and dropped it. Not because he was mad, his hand was shaking.
Katelynn was shaking as well, staring down at the phone and letting out a shaky breath, wincing when it had made a loud noise on the floor. She really hadn’t called her father in a while and had wondered if he was worried but her mother…oh god she was as mean as ever, blaming her for everything.
She let out a choked sob, pressing a fist to her brow, trying to hold it in. She didn’t want to cry. She wanted to be strong. But her mother’s word had stung. Having her called a failure, a disappointment of a daughter who ran away from her problems.
“I-I’m sorry yo-you had to h-hear that Jack..I didn’t think t-they’d call..”
She was sure her mother was angry, trying to call back only to hear it go straight to voicemail. Then she’d have to listen to those voicemails when she turned her phone back on. She voices these concerns to Jack softly, in concern.
His arms are around her in seconds, his face pressing against hers, his eyes shut. He’s never felt this angry at somebody before, not even when Psycho Delic was playing around with Katelynn that one day. He’s still shaking, but not from fear. Not from this woman.
“It’s all right. We’ll get you a new phone. With a new number. I didn’t even leave a forwarding address at your old place. They won’t find you, Katelynn. I, I won’t let them find you I don’t want her to hurt you again…”
“Katelynn you’re not a burden.” he knew what she was thinking even without saying it, as he opened the box and looks in at the photographs. “I’m here because I want to be, o-okay?”
She blushed a bit, smiling. “Are you sure?”
But before she could get an answer, her phone rang. She took it out of her pocket, staring wide eyed at the name on the caller ID. With a shaky hand, she answers it. “H-Hi dad……returned your calls? Oh because um..I was in the hospital…..for what?….I got hit by a car…..what? Oh god dad no…..M-Mom!…..” She stays silent for a while, merely listening to her mom go on and on about things. She tries to be brave and not cry and for her credit, no tears appear but she still looks shaken. “…It was an accident! I didn’t mean to get hit or anything..! …….N-No that time maybe it was my fault but….!”
Before she knew what was happening her phone was out of her hand and Jack was standing, phone to his ear.
“Excuse me but I’m so sorry to interrupt what I was sure to be a lovely breaking down of Katelynn’s self esteem and confidence but I just have one thing to say to you, Lady,” Jack says, voice coming out in a way that Katelynn’s never heard before, “I do not want you contacting her ever again. Who am I? I’m her boyfriend and I know enough about you to never let you talk to her again! You’re blaming her for being hit by a car? What about the jerk who hit her? Are you mad at him or is your dealt to jump down her throat?” he isn’t giving the woman a chance to get a word in edge wise, at all.
“I don’t care who you are, I don’t care if you’re her mother, but Katelynn is better without you in her life and I’m not going to have you undo what I’ve worked so hard at helping her with! She moved away to get away from you to become her own person and you’re not going to pull her back down for your own stupid mind games! Never call her again! She’s not even where she used to live any more! She’s moved, she’s moved on, she doesn’t need you any more!” Jack reaches down and takes Katelynn’s hand into his, his whole body shaking as he continues.
“Because she has me, and I love her no matter what you think or what you say so I’m going to look after her now not because I have to but because I want to! Put that in your pipe and smoke it and as I said before never call her again.” and he hung up, then turned the phone off, and dropped it. Not because he was mad, his hand was shaking.
“I don’t think he saw us as rude… Six is, is a really okay guy.” Jack said with a smile as he picked up another box and inspected the word on the front. Photos.
“Yeah, he’s really sweet,” she says with a smile, noticing him grab a box. “I can unpack if you want to relax or have work to do Jack. I um..you’ve had a lot of work right? I’m taking you away from it.”
“Katelynn you’re not a burden.” he knew what she was thinking even without saying it, as he opened the box and looks in at the photographs. “I’m here because I want to be, o-okay?”
“B-Bye Six thank y-you again!” Jack calls after him before moving over to Katelynn and crouches by her, smiling up at her. “S-so here we are…!”
“Yeah,” she whispers softly, looking over at the door. “I-I hope he doesn’t think I was being rude or anything..I just didn’t want to be a bother for him.”
“I don’t think he saw us as rude… Six is, is a really okay guy.” Jack said with a smile as he picked up another box and inspected the word on the front. Photos.
She actually wasn’t, having been forced to eat a huge breakfast earlier at the hospital and the taste of it hadn’t been very pleasant. “I-I’m good too…The nurses made me eat too much this morning, saying they wanted to make sure I ate well one more time while under their care.” She pouts, putting a hand to her stomach in remembrance.
“It’s really fine Six. I don’t want to bother you more when you’ve been such a big help already.” She moves the wheels of her wheelchair, trying to get around and promptly opens a box to see what’s inside. Photographs. Of course. She had more photos than clothes. She takes some out, looking at them. Most of them are random and she looks at the wall, trying to decide where her photo mural was going to go.
“Well all right. If you guys need anything just give me a ring, okay? You both know my number now.” Six lifts his hand and waves at them, smiling, before heading out.
“B-Bye Six thank y-you again!” Jack calls after him before moving over to Katelynn and crouches by her, smiling up at her. “S-so here we are…!”
She’s busy admiring the look of the apartment. Gone is the horrible carpet, the cheap paint to be replaced by nicer looking furniture.
It’s small but she doesn’t care. It’s cute, clean and close to Jack. She looks over at Six. “You don’t have to help unpack Six. I can do it. It’s enough that you helped move everything here. I can’t thank you enough for that.”
“You sure?” he asks. “I could go get you guys something to eat for lunch if you’re hungry?” he offers, since if there’s one thing Six enjoys it’s helping the people he cares about out. And Katelynn’s had such a rough time, she needs the help now but he knew she was in good hands with Jack. In all their messages it was painfully obvious how much he loved her, which was something Six hoped to achieve one day with Roxanne.
Their relationship was still new, still in that innocent ‘I’ll hold your hand now’ kind of way. It was safe, nice.
“Oh um. I, I’m good but Katelynn if you’re hungry….?” Jack asked as he managed to find some space and eased her into the apartment, walking around Six to inspect the boxes. There were a fair few of them…
Jack Maple 