November 10th, 2022
Jason Jackson
"Damien, if you know you're not gonna make the shot pass the ball! You're the point guard, remember? That's what Gabe is for. Don't risk causing your team to lose because you want to test your luck." Jason shouted.
The boy, Damien, sadly tossed the basketball to his teammate and watched as Gabe effortlessly threw the ball into the net.
"Coach!" A boy called.
"What's up, Kel?"
"I can get some water real quick?" Kelon asked, his breathing heavy. There was sweat bleeding from his forehead and his shirt was wet clinging to him.
"There's like five more minutes left," Jason shrugged, "You can wait."
"There's actually seven minutes left." Dante, the team's benchwarmer advised.
The team collectively let out groans as JJ blew the whistle hanging around his neck.
"Dante, bro, you gotta shut up sometimes." Gabe sighed.
"Why are y'all still standing?" JJ's brows were furrowed, "I blew the whistle. Get your asses up and start running. Dante, go make the Gatorade."
Dante happily jumped up from the bench and ran over the kitchen. Well, it's not really a kitchen. It's a room with a refrigerator.
"Why is Dante not running?" Freddie, the team's center asked, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Why are you minding Dante's business?"
"Because he literally did nothing but sit on the bench all practice. He's gotta do something, JJ."
"He doesn't have to do shit," Jason hissed, "He's a benchwarmer. He's not supposed to be doing anything. Just for that you can go ahead and run three extra laps."
Freddie's eyes were damn near out of their sockets. He let out a frustrated sigh as he continued running.
Dante returned to the gym carrying the cooler and the team's water bottles.
"JJ, Gabe doesn't have to run three laps for me. I don't really care about what he said." Dante said, pouring the Gatorade into the bottles.
"No, he's gonna run the laps because I said so. You're free to go. Tell your dad I said hi."
Dante grabbed his things and left the gymnasium. He quickly apologized to his teammates and then he was gone.
"Come get these water bottles!" JJ called.
All twelve boys ran towards the bench. As soon as they were close enough JJ scrunched his nose up in disgust. The smell radiating off of the boys was something terrible. No Highschool student should smell like that.
"Hit the showers! Immediately." Jason gagged.
_+_+_+_
"Yo, what the hell?"
Jason noticed Lilian's car on his side of the driveway. He wasn't advised that she was coming like he usually was so that was the first sign that something was up. The second sign was the door being unlocked. We're they trying to get themselves killed. The last and final sign was him seeing all of his belongings scattered and littered around the house.
He heard voices coming from upstairs so like anyone else would, he followed them.
In his bedroom stood Harlow and Lilian. More of his belongings scattered around.
"Yo, what the fuck?" Jason yelled, "What the fuck are y'all doing?"
"Jason, I don't know where you're going to go, but you can't stay here," Harlow shrugged, tossing out more of his possessions, "Maybe your room at your mom's house is still available?"
"You can't kick me out! I pay the bills in this bitch." He kept his voice high and his fist balled.
And though he knew he paid one bill once, he felt as though that was enough. It was his house. It was in his name and he lived in it.
His outburst caused Lilian to fall into a fit of giggles. This angered the man even more.
"Something funny?" He asked through gritted teeth.
"Yeah," Lilian laughed, "You thinking you can get away with what you did. You will not be staying here so you're going to finish packing your shit and then you're going to leave."
"I'm not taking orders from you." JJ scoffed.
"You will today," Harlow spoke, "Pack your shit and get gone. You can't tell my children I'm a
slut and then expect to still be able to stay in
the house I pay for. You're smoking a fuck ton
of crack to think that."
His emotions were all over the place. He was confused, and upset, annoyed, angry. A large mix of emotions he didn't know how to control.
"Listen here, Slut. I told them the truth it's not
my fault you can't keep your legs closed-" His words were cut short due to the searing pain now sitting on his face. Harlow stared at him with wide eyes.
Jason took time to analyze what his next move was going to be. He could either let her hit him and leave it at that or he could hit her back.
He thought about his two choices. He decided to take the latter. How dare she put her hands on him and not expect repercussions?
His right arm swung back and connected with her head. As her eyes were rolling back he hit her again, this time in her face. He asserted his dominance. He knew she knew not to put her hands on him again. Once the yelling started that's when he realized what he actually just did.
He ran down the stairs, past Salem who just got there, and out of the house. He kept mumbling things to himself as he got back into his car.
He told himself it was self defense, but if that was the case why the hell is he running?
_+_+_+_
November 11th, 2022
It has been two days since JJ ran away. He'd been sleeping in his car, in motels, on his friends couches. Everywhere but his house. He knew if he went back he would be in serious trouble. Not just with the police, but with everyone Harlow Hanes has a relationship with.
He missed his daughter but he couldn't risk going to see her. It's an unfortunate situation for him however his bed was made, so he, in all of his alpha male glory, now has to sleep in it.
_+_+_+_
November 12th, 2022
Three days in to being on the run. His friend kicked him out after being told what he had done. Jason was now back on the streets. He turned his phone off immediately after he left so when he randomly popped up at his mother's house she was surprised. Jocelyn hadn't heard from her son in weeks but here he is standing in front of her smelling terribly.
"Jason? What the hell? Where the fuck have you been? I brought you into this world and I can't even get a call or text?"
"Momma, I did something really bad," He said, breathing heavily.
"When are you not?" Jocelyn laughed.
"No, Ma, this is serious." He glared.
"What did you do?" Jocelyn asked, her laughs cut short.
"Harlow slapped me so I hit her. Hard. Twice. She passed out and I don't know if she's awake yet but-"
For the second time in four days his face received another harsh slap. And then another one. And another one.
"I have never in my life raised you to put your hands on a woman," Jocelyn spat, "I know you've been telling yourself that was self defense but it wasn't. You intentionally did that to that girl. You wanted to hurt bad, didn't you? Make you seem tough? Hit me. Go ahead. I just slapped you, you're not gonna knock me out?"
Was she crazy? Of course he wasn't going to knock her out, she's his mother!
"Fucking hit me, Jason!" She screamed, "Go ahead. You love putting your hands on women, huh?"
He raised his hand and Jocelyn, being the swift ninja she is, caught it.
"You know better." She gritted, "Harlow is too damn pure for you to have done what you did. She is the mother of your child and you put your hands on her? You're lucky if you ever see Halo again. You're a fucking idiot. I no longer have a son. You ruined that. I will be contacting the police and you will be going to jail. I'm going to make sure of it. Get the fuck outta here."
The door was slammed in his face. One single tear fell as he walked back to his car. Where was he supposed to go? He should've thought about that before he decided to assault Harlow. Back on the run he goes.
1417 words
A/n: I love Jocelyn so much! Originally I wasn't going to write about Jason but I added it so that y'all could see what he's been doing. I do feel like this book is starting to not make sense but it's almost the end so it's okay. I'm also going to be putting out chapters close together so I can finish this book. The next set of chapters are pre written!!!
-Mj