Page 2 of Outlaw Xmas
A soft rapping on the door woke him up, and before he could say anything, Jack opened it.
“I don’t feel so good,” he said as he walked into the bedroom.
Pulling away from Chas, Addie got out of bed and went over to him. “What’s wrong, honey?” she asked as she placed her hand on his forehead. “You don’t feel warm.”
“So what? I still don’t feel good.”
“Hey, watch your mouth,” Chas said as he grabbed a long-sleeved T-shirt from the nightstand drawer and slipped it over his head.
“Are you sure you’re not feeling well, or you just don’t want to go to school?” Addie put her arm around Jack’s shoulder but he shrugged it off.
“I’m sick! Why’re you giving me the fucking third degree?” Jack stormed out of the room and Addie stood still, her hand over her mouth.
“Get your butt back in here and apologize to your mom!” Chas’s blood pressure spiked as he quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and started after Jack, but Addie pulled him back. “What the fuck? I’m not letting him get away with talking to you that way.”
Addie shook her head. “Listen to the way you cuss. He’s learning from you. Besides, I think something’s bothering him.”
“I can tell you that I never spoke to my mom the way he just did to you, and my dad cussed up a storm when I was growing up. Respect dictates the way you speak to your parents. We aren’t his goddamn friends. I’m not letting him get away with that.”
“Chas, wait. I think he’s having a problem at school. This is the fourth time in two weeks he’s said he’s too sick to go.”
Chas stopped dead in his tracks and his body tensed as his mouth went dry.Someone’s messin’ with Jack.“Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
Addie placed two hands on his shoulders and softly kissed the side of his face. “I wasn’t sure if it was a problem or not. There’s been a lot of colds and flu going around the school.”
“This doesn’t have anything to do with that. I’m gonna talk to him.”
“Be gentle. Jack’s a sensitive boy. I better get Hope ready for school. I can only imagine what she’s picked out to wear.” Addie laughed and went into her room just as Chas rapped on Jack’s door.
“I’m trying to rest,” Jack said through the door.
“Open the door or I’ll break it down,” Chas answered. In less than ten seconds, he heard the door unlock. He turned the knob and walked into Jack’s room, making sure to close the door behind him.
“I know I was rude to Mom. I’ll go and apologize,” he mumbled as he sat on the edge of the bed with his head down.
“Yeah, you were. I don’t ever wanna hear you speak to your mom like that again. I don’t give a damn if you’re fifty years old, you’llalwaysbe respectful to your mom. You got that?”
Jack nodded but his gaze was still focused on the floor. Chas sat next to him on the bed. “You wanna tell me what’s going on with you and school?”
Jack wiped his nose with the back of his hand. “Nothing.”
“Then why have you been BSing about not feeling good the last couple of weeks?”
His thin shoulders went up and down. “I guess ’cause I don’t.”
“Do you need to go to the doctor?”
“Maybe.”
“Is someone messin’ with you at school?”
Jack whipped his head up and stared into Chas’s eyes. “No. Why did you ask me that?”
“Just got a vibe that may be the problem. You can tell me.”
Shaking his head vigorously, Jack pushed up from the bed and went to the window. “It’s not that. I just don’t feel good. My stomach’s queasy and I feel kinda dizzy.”
Chas stared at his back, his insides twisting. He saw Jack was afraid, so he didn’t want to push him.Some punk is making his life miserable.The urge to go to school, find out who it was, and teach the brat a lesson was strong, but he wouldn’t do it. Jack had to learn to fight his own battles, but he could help his son be better prepared for the assholes who were going to be a constant in his life.
