Laughing Jack: How To Put A Jack In The Box Back In The Box (Laughing JackxOC)

Chapter 17: High School Part 2

As the lunch bell resonates through the corridors, Dylan swiftly gathers his belongings, unfazed by Laughing Jack's groans of discontent. "How can you endure that?" Jack complains, his frustration evident from enduring Dylan's history class.

Ignoring Jack's lamentations, Dylan exits the classroom, making his way through the school corridors towards a nearby café and bakery for his lunch break. True to form, he soon finds himself in the company of Lilly and her clique, a group he seemingly found himself entangled with.

"Dylaaaan!~" she squeals, her voice piercing his eardrums like nails on a chalkboard. "There you are! I knew you'd be here!~" She lunges for Dylan's arm, her touch making his skin crawl with revulsion. As she plops herself down beside him, her entourage follows suit, invading his space without invitation. God, he wishes he could snap her arm for daring to touch him with her filthy hands, but he maintains his composure.

"Hello, Lilly," he grits out, offering a strained greeting. Before he can utter another word, she helps herself to his drink.

"Ooo, what's this?" she inquires, snagging his bottle of cranberry juice. "Oh my god, I am so thirsty from running all the way here. Can I have a drink? Thank you!" With little regard for his response, she takes a swig, only to recoil in disgust. "Oh my god, that stuff is disgusting. How can you drink it?" she exclaims with a grimace. "Anyways, babes, are you free this weekend? There's going to be a party at Troy's place, and you should totally come." Her hand finds its way back to his arm, igniting a fire of irritation within him. Troy, the quintessential jock with fiery red hair and freckles, a notorious playboy. It's a wonder he hasn't left a trail of pregnant girls in his wake, but apparently, he's fixated on Lilly. Dylan can't fathom why anyone would desire someone who's been around the block like a used-up cocksucker.

"Sorry, I can't work this weekend. I have a manuscript to finish," Dylan replies calmly, maintaining his composure despite the irritation simmering beneath the surface.

"Oh, come on, Dylan. All you do is work, work, work, or something to do with a damn book! Why don't you relax a bit?" Lilly protests, her hand creeping up his thigh while her other hand caresses his arm. "You're gonna die of old age at this rate. Take a lesson from your mom and live a little," she adds, her hand descending towards his crotch.

In that moment, something snaps inside Dylan. With a swift motion, he seizes Lilly's wrist in a vice-like grip, bending it backwards until she cries out in pain.

"Hey, man, chill out, she was just joking—" Troy interjects, attempting to intervene.

Dylan's gaze hardens as he advances towards Lilly, forcing her to retreat. "What? You don't like people touching you without your damn permission?" he retorts coldly. "You're honestly fucking pathetic, Lillian. You think it's cool to prance around like a slut? Fine. But if you ever bring up my mother again, I swear on my grave, I'll ensure you never have a shot at a normal life. Do I make myself clear?" His eyes bore into hers as he tightens his grip on her wrist.

"Yes! Yes, I'm sorry, for fuck's sake, let go, you freak!" she pleads, as Dylan releases her, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground.

"Glad we're on the same page," Dylan remarks, collecting his belongings. "And just a friendly reminder, it's rude to help yourself to drinks that don't belong to you. But if you're going to do it," he continues, seizing the bottle, "at least have the decency to finish it." With a swift motion, he empties the contents over her head, eliciting laughter from Laughing Jack in the background.

"What have you done?! You've ruined my clothes! I was trying to be nice, you freak! You're lucky I even had any fucking interest in your ass!" Lilly shrieks, her anger palpable.

"Interest? Lucky? How deluded can you be?" Dylan retorts, striding towards her with a composed demeanor. "I never liked you, Lillian. You disgust me. In fact, everything about you disgusts me. Unlike you, I have dignity and don't spread my legs for just anyone because I can't live without it," he says, his voice calm but cutting, hands tucked into his coat pockets.

"Well, at least I can get a guy! You can't even get a girlfriend!" Lilly fires back, her fists clenched and anger evident in her glare.

"Okay? And? Who even said I swung that way?" Dylan replies, definitely raising an eyebrow.

He observes her expression shift from anger to confusion. "What? Do you need me to spell it out for you, since nobody seems to get the hint?" he says, lowering himself to her eye level. "Let me dumb it down for you. I am G-A-Y," he spells it out, emphasizing each letter before glancing at the clock. "Well, this was a delightful chat, but I must be off. If you hurry, you can change your clothes," he remarks, straightening up. He approaches the cashier, who stands there uncertainty, and slides a $20 bill across the counter. "Another cranberry juice, keep the change," he says calmly.

"R-right," the cashier stutters, quickly retrieving another cranberry juice priced at $2. Dylan takes the bottle before exiting the café.

"Damn, Little Mouse really is a feisty one," Laughing Jack remarks, his boredom momentarily alleviated as Dylan retreats to a quieter spot to eat.

"Stop calling me that and eat," Dylan replies calmly, sliding a box with a slice of cake to Laughing Jack. He begins to eat his salad, engrossed in his book.

Laughing Jack looks down at the cake, slightly taken aback by Dylan's gesture. "Aww, is Little Mousey being nice to me?~" he snickers.

"No, I just forgot how sweet those are, and I don't like over-the-top sweet things," Dylan responds, his face still buried in his book. "So just shut up and eat it."