Just Picture It

Chapter 36- Lunchtime Confessions

Monday, January 30th 11:45AM

Lincoln High School Lunchroom

Moe didn't back off even when Jamie looked at him blankly and replied, "Doesn't everyone have secrets?"

Instead, he persisted, "I'm sure your secrets are REALLY interesting. What did you do... kill someone?"

Korbin glared as Jamie flinched and she muttered, "It might have been better if I had."

Korbin's arm went around Jamie's shoulder and he ignored the shocked stares around the table as he said quietly, "It isn't really a secret. You just don't like to talk about it."

Moe ignored Danica's increasingly hard nudges and asked, "If it isn't a secret then you can tell us, right?"

When Danica elbowed Moe hard enough to make him double over, she muttered, "Can't you take a hint?" but by then the rest of the table had forgotten their food and were staring curiously.

Korbin looked around the table before he reminded Jamie quietly, "You said that not being able to give your side at Roosevelt just made the rumors bigger. You don't have to keep silent any more, but it is your choice."

Jamie leaned against Korbin as she thought about his words as she looked at the continued empty area around their table. She felt protected with his arm around her, and the people at the table were staring in encouragement and curiosity, not disgust. After a moment Jamie nodded and said, "I'll talk about it if you want. If Susie knows anyone from Roosevelt, their version of the story will spread quickly anyways."

Moe leaned closer and opened his mouth, but Danica yanked him back and interrupted, "Are you sure?"

"It isn't really lunchtime conversation," Jamie warned.

Moe squeezed forward and dodged Danica as he said dryly, "You already cleared out the gossips, and we are always ready for a good story. We are all here and ready to listen. Do you have a better time?" When Danica spun toward him again he quickly moved the other side of the table and out of Danica's reach.

Jamie slowly shook her head as she admitted, "There isn't really a good time.".

Korbin gave her shoulder a light squeeze and she leaned against his side. Somehow, that small gesture made it easier to start. "I just became an emancipated minor on Friday. Before that I was at the youth shelter."

"Why were you there?" asked Moe in a serious voice. It seemed that the words "youth shelter" were like magic. He wasn't smiling any more. In fact, he looked half sick already. Jamie was sure that he had some bad memories of his own.

Jamie appreciated the change as she answered, "The foster home that took me when my dad died in October didn't work out." Jamie paused after that loaded statement. If Susie really spread the rumors that would not be enough. She took a deep breath before she continued. "That was the politically correct term I used in court. It's more accurate to say that I put Jared in the hospital when he came to my room in the middle of the night."

Sondra asked, "Why was he in your room?"

Jamie looked away as she replied, "In court he tried to say he was just going to punish me for disobeying, but with the recording clearly indicated that he considered "disobeying" to be not signing over my shares of my dad's business, and the "punishing" he had in mind earned him a special cell block in jail."

"What do you mean?" asked Sondra.

Moe looked pained while Jamie answered dryly, "From what I learned, pedophiles don't last long in the regular jail areas, so they have their own special area inside the jail."

Sondra turned bright red, but then reached over and patted her arm. Jamie forced herself not to back away, and was relieved when the sweet gesture didn't start a panic response.

After a moment Jamie continued, "The legal system isn't fast, and foster homes didn't want me when they heard what happened to my last foster father. That was okay with me. I wasn't thrilled at the idea of trying a new foster home. The shelter tried to keep sending me to Roosevelt Senior High, but rumors were rampant. I had been told by lawyers to not talk about it, and I followed that direction. Sharon and Jared made sure a different version leaked. In that version, Jared was the innocent party, and I was the teenage vamp that couldn't deal with rejection. There was some bullying. After some fights, I was taught at the shelter until I was awarded emancipated minor status."

Moe asked softly, "How long were you there?"

When Jamie answered, "Seventy-nine days," Moe flinched and looked down at the table as he absorbed that information.

They were all quiet, and everyone was surprised when it was Hillary who spoke up, "I know how bad bullies can be. I think that you were very brave."

The rest nodded in sympathy. Moe looked around the group when the silence dragged on. He said, "I just have one more question."

Korbin glared over and Danica looked like she wanted to hit him again, so Moe quickly asked, "You said you put your foster father in the hospital. I was hoping you could tell us. Was he hurt bad?"

Jamie blinked before a mean grin came out and she answered honestly, "Pretty bad."

It hadn't really been a joke, Jamie understood when they started laughing. It was a tension breaker. After a few minutes Danica looked at the clock and said that lunch was almost over. Everyone focused on their food and Korbin removed his arm so he could eat too. Jamie felt the loss immediately, but kept silent as she began to hope that things would work out after all. Jamie gradually relaxed and turned her attention back to her own tray.

Jamie was about to take a bite when Sondra sighed and said sadly, "I guess you won't want to join the tennis team now."

Jamie raised and eyebrow and shook her head. "I'm don't back down from a challenge, and challenge me was exactly what Susie did. I'm going to join," Jamie announced firmly and took a big bite.

Danica, Sondra, and Hillary exchanged happy smiles, quickly followed by worried glances.

Stubborn, isn't she? Do you think she is making a mistake? What would you do? Please let me know your thoughts, and as always... please vote or follow if you like how I write. Thanks.