Jack pulled into the driveway, he groaned as he set his head on the steering wheel. When he sat up some of his hair got caught and was pulled out. "Ow, Cole I don't know how you did it, but after one day I am done with this long hair thing. I am getting it chopped and getting you some new clothes. Oh and your life sucks, no wonder people think you tried to kill yourself."
I didn't try to kill myself. I wouldn't do that Zie or my family.
"I know I can see your memories." Jack responded to Coles voice in his head. He could hear the voices of the original occupants of the bodies he had possessed. It was like when your conscience talks to you, and just like it, it was sometimes hard to figure out which was his voice and which was the voice of the owner because they were, for all reasonable purposes, the same person, just in different environments.
"What do you think he is going to do to us?"
Beats me, I have never done anything like that before, although I wish I had done it sooner.
"Ya, me too."
Marks car pulled in behind his, he could see his father on the phone. Probably talking with his mother telling her how in trouble he was, and mutually plotting his untimely demise.
"We're doomed." Jack and Cole said together.
"No regrets?"
My only regret is that we should have punched Hans in the nose before we died.
Jack watched his dad hang up the phone and call someone else.
"Who is calling now?"
I don't know but it probably means that we are doubly screwed.
"Awe man." Jack sighed resting his head against the steering wheel and instantly regretting it.
It was a few more minutes before Mark hung up the phone and got out of the car. Jack hadn't spent the time doing anything but waiting. He didn't even bothered to look at his phone and text Elsa his email, what if he wasn't going to be alive long enough to see the reply?
Mark walked up to the car and motioned for Jack to get out. Jack obliged and locked the car behind him.
"Are you ok? Do we need to go to the doctor or anything?" Mark tried to pull back the bangs out of Jacks face but he jerked back unsure of what he was going to do.
"I am fine." Jack responded curtly.
Mark gave Jack a look that said to check your tone.
"I am sorry," Jack looked at the ground.
"That's alright son now get in the car I will be right back," Mark motioned to his car that parked behind Jacks. Then he went inside and came out with an icepack, and handed it to him as they put their seatbelts on.
"What is this for?" Jack asked taking the ice pack from his father.
"You may feel fine, but you look like you just got run over by a truck." Mark pulled down the passenger side visor, which had a mirror on it.
Jack looked into the mirror and saw that half of his face was swelling up. Dang! Without thinking Jack slammed the ice pack against his face, and came to appreciate how solid that it actually was. "Ow!"
"Careful, you don't want to give yourself another bruise, if your mother saw you right now she would have a heart attack, and then skin me, and then have another heart attack." Mark turned on the car and pulled out of the driveway.
"Where are we going?" Jack dared to crack a smile while holding the ice pack to his face and fearing the worst.
"We are going to get you some ice cream," Mark put his hand on Jack shoulder and smiled brightly.
Jack and Cole were both shocked. "You mean you are not going to punish me?"
"Sure I am, but only for not telling me about the bullies sooner, and hiding so much from me about how rough school has been for you, but I think that you have been punished enough for one day, don't you think?"
Jack was stunned, he couldn't even comprehend what was going on, were they really getting Ice cream? "But why are we getting ice cream then?"
"Well, from what I gathered, you stood up for yourself, and in a place where not even the vice principal will, that says a lot about your character and I am proud of you. The sad part is that you are also right, Mr. Westergard has a lot of power. There really isn't a lot we can do to help you, so I understand why you didn't bring it up sooner."
"But Yzma suspended me?"
"I swear Yzma has been vice principal since me and your grandfather went to that school, and she has always been a crazy bitter old woman, there is no changing that. I am sure when the actual principal hears what happens he will straighten things out."
"So I'm not in trouble?"
"Cole you have had a rough couple of days, from almost dying to being suspended from school. I think you have had enough punishment for one school year, now just pray the swelling in your face goes down before your mother sees you or she'll have a stroke. I told her I pulled you out of school because you weren't feeling well, when she finds out what happened she'll want blood."
"You lied to mom?"
"I wouldn't call it lying, I would say I told her enough for now. All she really needs to know is that I have taken you out of school. When she gets home I will fill in the blanks and she can fawn over you till her heart is content."
"And she will kill you."
"That is between your mother and I, for right now you are on my time, and I think that you deserve Ice cream and some lunch. That, and I have a surprise for you."
Wow, neither Jack nor Cole could believe how cool their dad was. They were sure that they were dead.
Sure enough, Mark took Jack to get ice cream and lunch. Once they finished with their food Marks phone began ringing. He checked who was calling and set the phone on the table on speaker.
"Say hello to Jackson, you are on speaker phone." Mark said.
"Hey Jackson."
"Hello sweetie."
Jack recognized the voices it was his Aunt and Uncle who lived in Europe.
"Hi, Aunt Ariel, and Uncle Eric," Jack said leaning over so the phones microphone could pick up his voice.
"Hey champ, we heard what happened," Eric said.
"We hope you are all right," Ariel cooed.
"I am fine, it is good to hear from you." Jack replied.
"Ya, we are just happy to know you are alive."
"I was on the phone all day with your mother while you were in the hospital, you gave us all a scare you know."
"We also just talked with you father about today, and how you got suspended."
"And...Well, we wanted to do something special for you."
"How would you like to visit?"
"We will fly you and your family over and you can stay with us."
"It could be a nice little vacation to clear your head."
"We could see the sites, go shopping, do whatever you want to do."
"What do you say?"
Jack looked at his dad, completely unprepared for the proposition. It was no secret that Eric had a lot of money. He had been an incredibly successful investor and entrepreneur. He owned three mansions, one in France, one in England, and one in the States near Jacks family. In fact, to say he was only rich was an understatement. A simple trip to England would be nothing to them, heck; they had bought Jack his car for his sixteenth birthday. His father even had to talk them down from getting something too expensive that would skyrocket their insurance bill.
Mark looked at Jack, "It is totally up to you Jackson. A little time away from this place might just do us all some good."
Jack smiled so hard it hurt his face even more than it already throbbed. "Ok, we are in! Aunt Ariel get you credit card out we are definitely going to do some shopping."
He could hear his Aunt Ariel squeal with excitement. "Great, we will make all the preparations!"
"We will see you when you get over here, good luck telling Emily, she won't be happy that you made plans without her."
"She kind of knows," Mark said.
"Are you still doing that 'I will fill in the blanks later' thing?" Eric laughed.
"It got her to marry me didn't it?" Mark laughed.
"Barely, besides do you know how long she was waiting for you to propose?" Ariel chided in.
"You are sleeping on the couch for sure tonight."
"Good Bye!" Mark stressed, chuckling at the banter.
"Good bye, see you in a couple days," Ariel and Eric said together.
Mark ended the call. "Now we have to tell your mother, let's just hope she had a decent day at work today."
Jack laughed. "Uncle Eric is right, you are sleeping on the couch tonight."
Mark hung his head playfully, "well at least you're smiling, and I haven't heard you laugh in a long time."
"Things finally seem to be looking up for me." Jack smiled. "Thanks dad."
"Anytime son, I just want you to know that I love you, more than life itself and that I would do anything for you."
That almost brought a tear to Jacks eye. He could a hardly contain it when his dad hugged him when they left.
"You're life may suck, but your family is amazing." Jack said quiet enough he hoped his dad wouldn't hear.
They are pretty amazing aren't they. Cole said cheerfully.
Jack smiled a smile he knew came from Cole. Perhaps being stranded here wouldn't be the worst thing that could ever happen.