Jack doesn't have very many friends. In fact, he doesn't have any at all, expect for the people who took him in after he came up being a storked baby. Actually, they were more like family to him. Two older girls, who were about in they're twenties, and old man, and his wife. Even a black cat who would always stalk him in the night when he got up to get a drink of water, watching and waiting for the right moment to attack.
Little Jack was only a 14 year old boy. In his country, he was considered an adult. He always tried acting like one, but there was something more that he wanted than to be an adult. He wanted to be a child, only for a day or two, He never had the chance to do that, always delivering parts, tools, whatever for the old man's customers. When he saw kids his age on the streets playing a game of cards or with a ball, he would take this as an opportunity to be something that he's never had the chance to be.
But...
The kids would always push him away, as if he were some monster who they saw in they're dreams. Maybe he was, or he thought so. Was there something wrong with him? What exactly could it be that bothered the other kids so much? Sometimes the two twenty year olds, who lived with him, understood his problems, sometimes they didn't. Sometimes they would make fun of him, or giggle behind his back. The elderly woman would always be there to say "Stop that at once, or the both of you will have to find another place to find."
The treat would always get both the young women to shut they're giggle boxes. It was a little funny to Jack, but he always tried not to show it.
The old woman found Jack on her doorstep one snowy night, wrapped up in numbers o blankets to keep him warm. Jack was a quiet baby, and almost had no reason to bawl, but only when his dipper was full or when it was time for him to eat. The old man liked Jack, and though of him as his own son. The woman, was a mother figure to Jack. He loved her like she was his own mother. He loved the old man too, but he'd never say this. The old man acted like an uncle who would always joke around to put smiles on sad faces. The old man's name was George Rigal, and the old woman's name was Maeva Rigal. They were married, of course.
Jack forcefully moved his feet through the snow packed side walk that belonged to the old city. He groaned, clutching to the bag he's always taking with him on deliveries. "Can't the day just get over with?" He desperately wanted to go back to the house on the hill to have a seat in the large front room and rest his feet.
It was daylight, the afternoon. In only a few hours, it would get dark, but it felt so far away with how Jack was feeling on this day. He groaned again after looking up in George's shop window to see the sign he hated most in the world. It was a sign that was almost always directed to him. It meant that he did something wrong before walking out the door.
"andouille"
Jack felt the need to smash the window out. This word meant he was being called a dummy by the old man. What did he do this time? Jack gently pushed the shop door open. A bell rang from above his head. The bell was supposed to be some sort of alarm that was always triggered when somebody had came in... but the old man said it was something else. The old man would say "It meants it's just another blaireau coming through my door."
Right, was he one of those assholes? Jacka sked George only one time, and one time only "What if it's me or Maeva who's coming through?" He received a huge smile from the old man. The old man said "My lovely woman and my va te faire voir of a son is coming in."
Jack didn't understand it, but what the old man had called him, meant "You're admonishing someone to be seen somewhere else."
Jack stood at the back of the small line of customers. He wasn't planning on walking towards the door that lead the back where George was. He looked past the man's head, who was in front of him, and watched George count bills for a middle aged woman. George was leaning over the counter, and he seemed like he didn't want to be there anymore than Jack did. Maybe Jack did do something wrong before he left the shop. He shook his head, not wanting to think about it until the old man said something to him.
George's shop was made of wood on the inside. The floor itself was old and it seemed it needed to be redone. It squeaked like a mouse when you take a step this way and that way. Actually, the building itself needed to be redone. All this wood was getting ready to fall apart and it seemed it was going to fall apart anytime now. It was as old as the old man.
Jack looked to his left. There was a window where he could see the snow falling slowly. It fell every now and then. Sometimes there would be days without snow falling. There was almost never a blizzard where he lived. Yet, living on a hill was sometimes dangerous. Who knows what could happen if Jack or somebody went too far walking.
"Bouge-le, mon garcon!" George's old cracking voice came from across the room, "I don't have all way!"
Jack noticed the three or four customers had already left the shop. That was quick! George must of been shooing them out with a broom or something. How long was he standing here again? He turned his head to looked at the old man. The old man patiently waited for Jack to come to him. While standing there, staring back at George, he was finding the courage and building it up to face him... whatever he did this time.
Then Jack quickly went over to the old man. He watched him close his eyes and take a deep breath. Jack must of been in big trouble, getting eyes closing and a huge chunk of air being sucked in by George. He was prepared and so he waited for an insult to come from George.
No insult ever came. Only a "You're two hours late on TWO deliveries!"
It was a relief for little Jack. He almost let out a sigh of relief, but he held it in so that the onld man didn't get any ideas. "I shall quickly deliv--"
George cut him off, "Absolutely not! I'll get somebody else to do it. Anyways, your mother needs to speak with you, immediately after you walk through her door."
"What exactly does she have to say? Is it important?" He dared to ask.
"You know when I say she has to she has to speak to you, or when she says she does, it means it is important." George responded.
"Right," Jack could agree with this. When Maeva wanted to speak with him, he always knew how the conversation would go. He knew it was going to be the same as the last. Everything had to be ordained.
"I'm letting you off early, just this once. Next time I won't." The old man turned around, getting up from his seat. He walked a little ways to the brown wooden table that hid in the dark behind the counter to get something. "You've just turned 14 and your mother wants you to do something for her."
There same a long pause after the word "mother" came out of the old man's mouth.
Jack's like eye twitched along with his right hand. He didn't exactly like calling Maeva "mother" because he knows good and well the she never gave birth to him. He always knew he was a storked baby and never knew the woman who pushed him out of her belly when it was time. He didn't exactly like hearing the word "mother".
"She's not my mother." The tone of his voice almost sounded threatening, but it didn't matter to George.
"She was a mother to you after that woman left you on our porch." George pointed out.
"That doesn't mean I would call her my mother." He replied, "She didn't leave me on YOUR porch."
George sighed and nodded. He lowered his head in defeat. "Yes," He began, "Yes, yes, I know."
Jack tilted his head to the side, looking over at the curtain that was neatly tied and hung over part of the counter. The curtain was meant to cover the counter's wall at night when the shop would close.
Jack's eyes slowly moved to the old man who was still standing over the table. George was rolling spare parts of some sort of musical instruments and Graham Bell. George noticed he was watching him so he quickly grabbed a semi-large bag gear from the counter and tossed it at the boy. "Vas-y! Retourne a la maison! Maintenant! Maintenant! Maintenant!" ("Get on with it! Get back to the house! Now! Now! Now!")
Jack quickly turned and hurried out the door. The ring of the bell gave out sound when he quickly swung the door open. A man passed him and caught the door with a hand before it had the chance to slam close.
The only thing that Jack heard after hurrying away from the shop was "Go and cook yourself an egg! Ya stupid baw!"
-
It took Jack a little bit to get back to the hill. By now he was nearly freezing. He wanted to the fireplace as quickly as possible. His bed and the fireplace were the only things that warmed the house.
He skipped up the steps. He was going to open the front door himself, but it was opened by Maeva. The lanky woman greeted Jack with a smile.
"George's speaking French to me again," Jack said as Maeva wrapped her long arms around his sounders.
Jack didn't care for hugs much, though, he never said this. He would always keep to himself about thing. He'd let only Maeva hug him because he knew she wasn't going to complain about how he smelt, how his tailcoat felt, or insult or make fun of him.
"Insults again?" She asked and almost chuckled. Instead, a click came from the inside of her mouth and she shook her head. " "I'll have his head when he comes home for supper." Then she chuckled at her own words.
Jack wouldn't help but chuckle along with her. "He said there was something you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Oh" She said, "yes."
Jack followed the elderly woman into the front room after he closed the front door. Maeva would always sit there a few minutes before Jack and George's daily workinghours were finished and waiting for them to come home.
"Since your 14 now," She began and gently took the boy's hands, "I wanted to talk to you about school."
"School?" Jack blinked. He'd never been to a school before or went to a place where they offered education. He'd always stay at the house and get taught things that he would later use in the furture when he's older. As he was told,
"Surprising?" She asked, smiling a little.
"A little..." He replied.
"Are you okay with it?"
"I don't know what to say." He quickly answered.
"I think it's a good opportunity to make friends, learn new things," She said almost cheerfully. "You've got to at least need to learn how to read and write before you can even think about going out of town for work or to Paris."
Jack shrugged, "I never thought about that."
"It's a good start.
Jack nodded. Maeva let go of his hands and stood up. She stepped onto the carpet and went over to the fireplace.
"When do I start?" He asked, not looking up.
"Tomorrow." She answered and peered over at him.
Jack seemed okay, but he was hiding his real feelings. He didn't exactly want to go. He didn't have an friends and he didn't want to go somewhere everyday where he didn't know anybody. He just wanted to stay in the shop with George. He was an adult now, right? Couldn't he make his own decisions now?"
"Do I have to wear a uniform?" This time he raised his head. He looked at Maeva and waited for an answere.
Maeva nodded.
"Will there be dorms?"
Naeva nodded again.
"Oh, I like the sound of that," A smile grew on his face,
Mawva raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms under her chest. "What sort of michievous ideas are you getting?" Maeva knew exactly when he was thinking of making shenanigans. "Are you wanting to stay there and be away from home?"
"You said it would give me a chance." He looked out the window. He saw George coming, carrying something in his hands.
"Take that up with George." She said. It almost sounded simple, yet it wasn't easy. Not when it came to George. "It's a boarding school."
-
"Jack Vasseur, yes?" A chubby man in a furry coat meanly asked.
"Yes sir." Jack politely answered.
"I trust you know everything about my school, yes?" He questioned, "Your mother went over it with you, yes?"
"...Yes..." Jack slowly answered.
"Your a little last for class." He turned and gently pushed the front gates open. "On your left are the dorms and I know your mother said she wanted you a room. On your right is the school... and in the middle is the front office." He explained. "Got is?"
"Yes sir."
"Good." The chubby man responded, "Room 17 will be your room. Bedtime is at 8 o'clock."
After tiredly pushing the dormitory doors open, Jack looked up and groaned for the last time he's ever going to groan today. Or so he thought. It took him at least five minutes to get up the long line of high wooden steps.
He regretted ever agreeing to be put in a boarding school.
Once he got up those stairs, a couple of older looking boys were standing in a door way. It must of been a room that belonged to one of them because Jack swore he thought he heard something say something about an out of the ordinary book.
Jack didn't care much and he didn't really know what they were talking about. He continued down the hallway, ignoring the boys. He was hopping he wasn't going to have a roommate. He never had one before and he certainly didn't want one.
He was almost to room 17 when just then, he heard a cry of surprise and "No! I'm not ready yet!" It was a female.
Females weren't supposed to be in the boy's dormitory!
...Right?
Out of instinct, Jack quickly looked towards the door he heard the girl scream. He was going to cuss himself out later for doing this. At this very moment, he thought he was doing the right thing and he thought there was something bad going to happen if nobody was going to help whoever was behind that door.
Jack thought it might of been somebody's room. Just as Maeva said, girls are not allowed to be in the boy's dorm so why was there one in that room? Jack slammed his left shoulder against the door and to no surprise to him, the door opened fairly easily. Inside was a tall figure and another who was a bit shorter than the tall one.