Jack:In his Workshop
Jack left Ellie's Room, his pace quickening, almost storming back to his room. Anger, sadness, fear, it all mixed inside of him and he didn't know what to think. He arrived first in his work shop, picking up this tool, that length of wire, this washer, that screw, but he couldn't concentrate. He was...was he heartbroken? It was the end, it felt
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Jack took a quick, but cautious, look in Anna's direction, she wasn't sugar coating, or treating him like the idiot dork who was looking for a miracle relationship cure, and she was offering...what was that, friendship? Jack...he could talk to Salene, maybe, or Alice, kind of, he couldn't talk to his best friend about this because Ellie was the issue, and Dal...well Dal was gone. There were various males in the Mall, Bray maybe, or Ryan, never Lex, but something about Anna was comforting, and he looked away again, staring at the workbench. He was embarrassed about how he'd behaved, and her hand rubbing his back suddenly felt very condescending, almost as if he was being a child and she was comforting him after one irrational tantrum.
Sniffling was the only sound that filled the silent air, and he stared at the workbench so hard it almost felt like he could burn a hole through it with his gaze. Swallowing hard after a few more minutes, Jack cleared his throat, sure that it wouldn't crack, only to have it betray him a few words in, “I ah, thanks, I don't really have,” he stopped, clearing his throat, “have any real, I mean, I could probably talk to Ryan or Salene or Bray or something,” he shrugged, “But ah, thanks, I, I shouldn't burden you with it, Ellie, I mean, I don't want you to get the wrong impression, she's a good girl, a nice person,” he added, nodding his head and still not looking at her. “You ah, don't have to feel obligated to stay, I ah, I'll be fine, just, fine, but, thank you,” he promised, his head bobbing, almost as if he was afraid to stop the motion.
Truthfully Jack didn't want to be left alone, the more he was left alone, the more he began to think, the more he thought, the more he began to dwell, to go over, and then the anger and intensly jealous feelings started and it made his head hurt. At least Anna had brought some conversation to the room, something to change his mind from his own personal drama. “You know, I was born last in my family,” he said quietly, so quietly he wasn't sure if she could hear him, or why he was even talking about this now. “I had two brothers, Duncan was seventeen when I was born, he was into computers, and he was the one who got me interested in the things my father sold first, when I was younger. My other brother, Steve, was fifteen when I was born, he was kind of a jock, but really smart. After Mom and Dad died, Steve moved home with his wife, Leena, but they died too, and Duncan and his wife, Kathy. I have no family left, but I have this Mall to remind me, always,” he added, wrinkling his forehead as he took a chance to glance at Anna, not even really sure why he'd told her that.
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He was telling her about his family. They seemed to have very similar backgrounds in regards as to how they grew up. Jack was talking so quietly that Anna had to tilt her head to one side to hear what he was saying. When Anna looked up, she found Jack looking at her. Something in her gave way as she looked at Jack. It wasn’t bad, so much as different. She held his gaze for a long time before dropping her eyes and blushing. oh no…not him… Anna thought in dismay. If it was possible to blush more than she already was, she did. Her face felt like it was on fire and she wanted to crawl into a hole and hide. Unintentionally through his stories he had gotten through her defenses. Anna found herself with a crush on him. It couldn’t have come at a worse time. There was no use having a crush on Jack, he was off limits. As the thought crossed her mind, she wondered why he was… then she remembered...Ellie. Jack was hung up on her, but she didn’t know Ellie’s side of the story. Tense and nervous, Anna shook her head. Sitting this close to him was not helping. Turning, she slid off the stool and looked around the room.
Moving slowly, she walked over to a table by the door and looked at the items laid out on it. A small silver object caught her attention. Picking it up, she turned to Jack, “What is the whistle for?” It looked like something that could be found in cereal box. A small toy whistle, it was almost endearing. Anna groaned at her stupid self for being interested in him.
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"Why do you refer to them as your siblings anyway? I mean, you're not really related, right? They're just kids you met cause of the Chosen..." his last word trailed off as she got up and he turned on the stool a bit, watching her. What was with his mouth? His brain worked against him sometimes, and it used his mouth as it's weapon of choice. Hello Mr. Foot, Nice to meet you, bet you taste realllll yummy!
He had his hands on his knees, his eyes trained on the floor, and it took a moment for him to register what she'd just asked...whistle? "Whistle?" Jack spun so fast the stool had almost knocked over, making a big production out of steadying itself on it's legs again. Walking over to the table, he took the whistle from her, was this, this was the whistle...he'd given to Ellie before he left to be taken in by the Techno's, the whistle she'd returned to him that day she'd decided to take a day trip to the farm, before he'd remembered things correctly. This was the whistle he'd given back to Ellie that same day, when they'd gotten separated out by the color war kids, he hadn't seen it since.
Jack ran his thumb across the smooth metal of the whistle, thinking about all of this, and his eyes easily fell to the table top, the crumpled piece of paper he didn't recognize. Unfolding it, he saw that it was a note from Ellie. He finished it quickly and lowered it down, dropping it to the floor, dropping the whistle with a clattering clink against the tiles. It was the final nail in the coffin, it was the stake driven through his heart, how could he not take that the wrong way? She'd obviously left it there before their talk, did she even know he hadn't seen it yet?
Jack was oblivious to the fact that Anna was even still there, and the pain of it all showed on his face. He looked to her with sad eyes then turned away again, a wreck, she'd think nothing of him but a blubbery girly boy for all of the crying and moaning he'd done. It didn't matter, nothing mattered anymore, he'd lost Ellie, even before he knew it, it was simply over now. Jack moved to the hole in the wall, stepping across the threshold and walking almost zombie like to his bed, flopping down and burying his face in the pillow. Perhaps he could suffocate himself, and this nightmare would simply just all be over.
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Looking down, she saw the whistle and the piece of paper next to her. Part of her warned that it wasn’t her business, but she was curious. Bending over, Anna picked up the whistle and looked at it. What about it caused him such pain? It was just a whistle. Her eyes strayed to the note on the floor. Picking it up, she read it quietly to herself. Pursing her lips, she shook her head. For a brief moment, she thought going to talk to him. But there was nothing left to say. Now what? She wondered.
Setting the whistle and note on his work bench, she turned and walked out of his workshop. Anna needed to check on Willow and Flower, see where they were and what they were doing. Briefly, she poked her head into their room. No one was there though. It was possible that they were still up in the café. Before she went to check the café, Anna walked a little further to her own room.
Tatty was where she’d left him with the blanket. With a sigh, Anna went in and sat down on the other bed. Scooting backwards, she leaned against the wall. She’d go look for Willow and Flower in a bit. First, she just needed some quiet to let her thoughts recollect. And to get Jack out of your mind… Her inner voice reminded her. Just the thought caused her cheeks to blush. Leaning her head back, Anna closed her eyes.
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