Chapter 4
Jack
“Icannot believe you put Morgan on the spot like that!” yells Noel.
“I saw an opportunity and took it. For the crew. They’ll benefit and she can afford it. Chill,” I reply.
He walks away, pissed.
Whatever. He’ll get over it.
I make dinner and Tommy sets the table. We sit, but Noel doesn’t come out of his room.
I groan and drag myself to his room. I knock this time and open the door. He’s on the bed, watching his laptop. I hover and hide my frustration. It’s Morgan’s social media bullshit.
“Please tell me you’re not stalking her page.”
He taps the like button on a video, causing me to roll my eyes.
“Noel,” I groan. “Don’t be stupid. Girls don’t like clingy guys.”
“I am not clingy.”
“You are. She isn’t worth it, either.”
He sits up and folds his arms. “How can you hate her so much? You met her. She’s great. Sweet. Gorgeous.”
Noel isn’t wrong. I understand why my brother has a hard-on for her. But he’s young and doesn’t understand there are other girls out there better than some shallow influencer.
“Noel, she isn’t into you. I could tell.”
He scoffs. “Fuck you, man. She is.”
“Why would she want a sixteen year old guy? You are still in high school.”
He jumps to his feet and points at me.
“She’s like three years older. Big deal. Wait a second... I know what this is. You’re into her. That’s it, isn’t it? You want Morgan for yourself.”
I shake my head and hold up my hands to calm him. “Easy. I ain’t into that snob. I’m-”
“Admit it! I saw the way you looked at her. How you flirted with her on camera. Leaning on her. Touching her and shit like you had any right.”
“Noel, stop. I’m not into her. I swear.”
He puffs his chest and steps closer.
I purse my lips to hold back a laugh because he’s not intimidating. There’s no muscle. He’s a tall twig. But I am glad he’s defending himself.
“You’re a liar,” he snarls. “You think she’s hot.”
“Okay, fine. Morgan’s hot, but I don’t want her. I don’t like evangelists. They screw people over. Now come eat dinner. Tommy is waiting.”
The last bit softens him and he begrudgingly backs off.
When we arrive at the dining room, Tommy has demolished his hotdogs and mac-n-cheese.
I mess up his thin dark hair. “Thanks for waiting for us,” I tease.
“You are welcome,” he says, missing my jab.
Noel laughs.
I take a napkin and wipe off mustard on Tommy’s forehead.
“What a mess,” I say.
Tommy nods. “I am!” But he says it with a huge smile.
My brothers are so different. Both tire me, but only one makes me feel unsettled. It’s as if something bad is looming nearby, about to strike.
I take a bite, and try to be positive. They’re alive, healthy, and taken care of. My parents would approve.
The Alabama sun sets. Noel is out with his friends to watch a movie, and Tommy draws in a notebook.
I realize it’s Noel’s and check to confirm it isn’t important before I’ll give it back to Tommy.
The first page is a beautiful drawing of Morgan. My brother is an amazing artist. The portrait looks just like her. I flip the page.
Her again.
Damn.
Flip the page.
Another.
What the fuck?
By the tenth page, the drawings start to change. They become full-body images. Less clothes, and... now she’s naked. I look away before I start getting a chub from a sketch.
I rip out a few blank pages for Tommy’s scribbles, then snap the notebook shut. I head for Noel’s bedroom and toss it on his desk.
How would Mom handle this? It’s just a crush, but he’s getting his hopes too high. I don’t want to see my brother hurt, but there is no way Morgan will hook up with him.
He just has too much testosterone. That’s normal for his age.
Normal for me, too.
I sigh, irritated, then shower and put on underwear and shorts.
Knock, knock.
Tommy’s voice carries through the bedroom door. “Time for bed.”
That means he wants a hug before laying down.
I open the door and extend my arms. He gives me a strong hug, then walks happily to his room wearing pinstripe pajamas.
I lie in bed and stare at the wall.
Another day done.
I pass out fast, exhausted.
Early in the morning, my phone vibrates on the nightstand, waking me from a dead sleep.
“Hello?” I answer, groggy.
“Jack,” says Noel. “I got arrested.”
I sit up fast, ripping off the sheets. “Arrested? For what?”
“I’ll tell you later. Can you bail me out?” he says.
I drag my palm down my face. “I’ll be there at lunch.” I hang up the phone and call Teresa, and elderly woman who helps me with the center in emergencies. She agrees to watch over the crew midday so I can go to the courthouse.
Shit.
Still exhausted, I roll out of bed and start a new day.
Cicadas buzz in the humid air as I approach the courthouse. Inside, I pay a thousand bucks to get my dumbshit brother out.
“What did you do?” I ask when we get into the car. “The paperwork listed trespassing and criminal mischief.”
He slumps in the passenger seat. He won’t look at me.
“After seeing the movie, I went to Morgan’s house.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. See if she wanted to hang out.”
I clench my jaw and gesture for him to keep talking.
“Well, the security guard wouldn’t let me past the gates. I told him I knew her, but he didn’t believe me. I walked around to the backside of the property and jumped the fence.”
“You jumped the fence?” I repeat in disbelief.
“Yeah, but it wasn’t as bad as it sounds. I knew once I talked to her, she wouldn’t be mad about it. That’s why I looked into the windows. I was trying to find her, but then the cops showed up. Her dad wanted them to press charges.”
I start the car and drive out of the parking lot without a word. I have no idea how to fix this. What was he thinking? This is crazy. He’s mental for this woman.
Later that night, I look up the charges and possible fines or jail time.
My stomach sinks.
The website says he’s facing up to ten years in prison. I know that’s unlikely for a first offense, but even a week in prison is too much for Noel. They’ll beat him up in there. A juvenile detention center would be just as bad. He isn’t the type to handle stress well.
Somehow, I need to convince that damn preacher to drop the charges.