I Was Abducted

Chapter 35 Jackson

"Hey, I'm just messing with you. You know you're my buddy," Jake says patting my shoulder.

"Whatever, let's get this shit over with," I huff and we begin walking around the corner and to the front. People's eyes burn into my skull. People I recognize and people I don't, but they all know who I am. I stomp on my cigarette before walking into the church.

I glance at the two closed caskets and pictures for a moment and notice Carson sitting with my grandparents in the front row. I scan the crowd until I find my family. I give Jake a handshake before he goes to the back where his mom is sitting. I glare at the people who stare at me for a little too long.

I scoot past dad and mom and sit between mom and Charlie. "Jackson you smell like smoke," mom whispers into my ear. I shrug and stare at the man on the podium.

"Today we are here to celebrate the lives of Margot and Andrew Floyd." The man speaks.

Andrew and Carson are twins. He knocked up Maggi and a month later they eloped. A two months later Raymond was arrested. Maggi divorced Raymond on the spot. I guess it could up to her and she killed herself and 5-year-old Andrew.

The rest of the funeral consisted of mom crying on my shoulder, causing Charlie to cry and me taking her out of the room. Charlie knows I'm her brother but she tends to cling to me more than my parents. My parents both know this and often give her to me when she throws a tantrum.

After, the ceremony thing we move to the cemetery. The caskets got put into the ground and I closed my eyes wanting a break. Today was tiring enough, people trying to give me hugs, Charlie throwing tantrums every 30 minutes, and mom having mental breakdowns.

Dad was extremely tired from not getting any sleep last night so I was given the job of driving the family back to my grandparents' home.

I shift my eyes to keep myself from dosing off. Both my parents fell asleep during the drive. The only thing that kept me awake was Charlie's sniffles. It reminded me that I need to keep control.

"I wanna go home, Jack," Charlie cries in the back with my sleeping dad beside her.

"Me too." I realized the first time I missed Blondie that she was my home. Where ever she is at I belong. She is my mom and right now I'm homesick.

When I make it to my grandparent's house I wake everyone in the car and carry Charlie inside. "Jackson, heat Charlie up some leftovers," mom calls as she heads upstairs. Dad follows behind her half asleep.

After Charlie eats I send her upstairs to change. I wander out to the backyard and watch my breath steam from my mouth. I stick a cigarette in my mouth and run my finger across the lighter. I light my cigarette and sit on the back steps.

I want to pull my hair out. I grind my teeth thinking about the events of today. I stare off into the trees wanting to see Blondie. My phone vibrates in my pocket and I immediately press it to my ear.

"Hello?" I ask, realizing I didn't look at the contact.

"Hey," Blondie says cheerfully through the line. I pause not knowing what to say. I suck in the air as my eyes water. "A-are you okay?" Blondie asks dropping the excitement.

"Yeah," my voice cracks. I haven't cried in years and right now I want to more than anything.

"No your not. What happened?" Blondie asks shuffling around.

"I don't wanna be here. I miss you, Nadia," my voice sounds hoarse and breaks.

"I miss you too Jackson. Don't stress yourself out so much. You'll be home in no time," she hums.

"You're right," I say pulling myself together. I want to stay strong. No, I need to.

"Just take some time to calm down. Do you want me to hang-," I cut off Blondie before she finishes the sentence.

"No," I growl. "I need to hear you're voice."

"Okay."
~
In the morning I'm woken up by voices. I sigh rolling out of bed exhausted. I spent the whole night talking to Blondie. We talked about her mom being furious about her quitting cheerleading and about the tests that are coming up. Blondie insisted on helping me study since I missed school. Little does she know I already know what the teachers are teaching.

When I was locked away by Raymond I had time to read the big books that he brought. Math, history, and science. I studied all the books, front to back. The glossaries taught me what the big words meant. I already knew everything when I was put back into school. I still missed a lot of school from ditching. I missed months in a row but I stayed onto of my classes.

I didn't tell Blondie that though. I want her to "study" with me. I don't care what we're doing as long as she's next to me.

I sleepily make my way downstairs in my baggy sweatpants and t-shirt. My eyes rake over Maggi's sister and the small child next to her. Her eyes widen at the sight of me. I freeze and stare at the kid realizing he's Raymond's boy.

"Jackson," she gasps pulling me off the bottom step and into her arms. I stiffen and my head gets hot. I hate when people touch me without my permission. It's just a trait I picked up. My eyes go to mom's and she silently pleads with me to calm down and be nice. Dad and my grandparents shift uncomfortably. "I'm so glad to see you again. I'm so sorry. You look so grown up," she muffles into my chest.

I want to throw her off of me. I want to tell her that anyone related to him makes me sick, even myself. But instead, I let the steam come out my nose like a bull. When she releases me I walk straight into the kitchen. I pick Charlie up off the kitchen counter and hold her to my chest.

Her green eyes stare at Carson curiously. The brown-haired boy stands shyly behind Maggi's sister. He looks eerily like Raymond, but I shrug it off. He's just a kid.

"Who's that Jack?" Charlie whispers in my ear.

"Our cousin," I tell her walking back over to Maggi's sister. I bend down to his level and stare at the boy with dark eyes. He looks scared. "Say hi," I say to Charlie.

"Hi," she peeps. "My name's Charlie. What's yours?" She asks with her tiny voice.

"Carson," he says scooting behind the lady's legs.

"He's just shy," the woman says shoving Carson forward.

"He's been through a lot," mom interjects. Carson looks at the ground and I notice burns on his arms. I look down at my arms and at my scars too.

I nod, putting Charlie on the ground in front of him. They're the same age, they'll get along. "Go take him to play," I whisper before standing up again.

"Thank you for taking him for the week. I've been a mess recently," Maggi's sister admits.

"It's really no problem. We'll take him anytime," Mom assures her.

"Then I guess I'll be going," she sighs placing a lag bag on the ground. "These are his clothes," she says.

"Get home safe," grandma says hugging her. Charlie and Carson run off to the playroom and I go to the kitchen for coffee.

"Dad, we're leaving first thing tomorrow, right?" I ask wanting to get the fuck out of this place.

"Yeah, so pack up tonight," he says sipping for his mug. For the first time, I got here my tense body relaxes.

Thank god.