Chapter 546: Jonathan XXIV—When Everything Will be Okay

            For almost two hours last night Jonathan talked to Elena through the internet, trying to find something good about what happened Saturday morning. At first, the news had been cool! Jonathan couldn’t have been anymore proud of Jana, slugging out some snobby bitchy little girl in the name of family pride. Although Mom denied it at first, Jana kept saying that she’d told her to do it. Ha, way to go Mom! So yeah, at first, it’d been a kick ass piece of news.

            Consequences had an annoying way of making life suck. In this case, the consequences had been that those arrogant, wimpy pieces of shit running that joke of a sport decided that for some reason, Elena was to blame for everything. Jonathan knew how much Elena adored her skating, even if it were just a bunch of prissy political bull shit. He couldn’t understand why this would have to happen to her.

            Crappy things always happened to him and the ones he loved.

            An even bigger problem, however, was Elena. Yes, Jana and Mom deserved a lot of blame for the way they’d handled the situation, but it’s not like they did it on purpose! God, that’s how Elena was acting. He sympathized with her online at first, telling her how those figure skating people sucked hardcore, and yes they were probably racist.

            Probably? Elena had fired back with numerous typos and sad angry icons, I know they are! Ember pulls worse shit all the time and they never lift a god damn finger against her. This sucks.

            But, it’s not all Mom’s fault, Elena.

            Here is where the nerve fired.

            Not her fault? Elena replied in all caps, are you nuts? This is all completely her fault! She didn’t have to be all psycho and act like Jana did! These jokes have been after just one excuse, just one to toss me out on my ass and they succeeded because of her.

            Slowly, Jonathan shook his head and then he replied. It’s not like Mom did it on purpose, Elena. Yeah, I know she could have handled it better but.

            Damn right she could have handled it better. She’s a mom, she should have. What, did have a complete brain dead moment or something? God, how could someone be so STUPID???

            Blazing anger bubbled Jonathan’s cheeks, prickled the back of his neck and his forehead. He could even hear his heart beat in his ears and he wiped sweat from his upper lip. Then, he cracked his knuckles and began typing again. Look, my mom is not stupid, okay? Everyone makes mistakes.

            Yeah, mistakes that screw people over. I’m screwed, Jonathan!

            Jonathan closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Elena, Mom didn’t do this on purpose okay? It’s not like she woke up and said to herself that she wanted to ruin your potential figure skating career, okay?

            No, it’s not okay! Okay? Couldn’t she at least use a little friggin’ common sense before she opens her stupid mouth? She thinks she’s so perfect and smart and can tell everyone else how to live but she can’t even follow her own stupid advice. What a moron!

            Jonathan made a fist. But before he could really start typing, his bedroom door opened. “To bed, Jonathan.” Mom leaned against the doorframe watching him. It tightened his throat to feel her gaze and he quickly minimized the IM screen and he clicked up a few science websites he always had handy for whenever one of his parents decided to check up on his internet habits.

            “In a minute, Mom, I have to look this up.”

             “For school?” Mom asked. Her voice sounded tired, but it had that soft concern in it. Right now, she probably was thinking about how staying up too late at night would warp his young mind and body. She’d be worried that he’d get addicted to the internet and lose interest in daily activity, and get fat and soft, and bored and apathetic and become some tattoo riddled, net addicted punk.

            “Yeah…” He began to randomly hit keys, and he pursed his lips pensively to show her how serious at study he was. The beautiful thing about the internet was how dangerous it was, but any kid could still justify it to their parents with the simplest of excuses, homework!

            “Did you have all weekend to do this?”

            Jonathan didn’t answer her. How could Elena be calling her a moron? She was the smartest mom ever, she was the best mom ever. She did everything she could to make sure her family was happy, and all of their friends. Couldn’t Elena appreciate that and forgive one mistake?

            “Jonathan!”

            Jonathan blinked and then looked at her. “Uh, yeah, it was Friday’s assignment.”

            Mom sighed. “Why do you children always wait this long to do your homework? Your father asked you yesterday if you had all your assignments done.”

            Jonathan swallowed. “I guess I forgot about this one.” He frowned and looked at her feeling like the most miserable little boy on Earth. God, Mom didn’t need to see him looking like this, Dad looked at her like that enough as it was. He’d kill himself if he were turning out as big a baby as Dad.

            She raised a finger. “One half hour, Jonathan. And then I am coming back in here, and you will turn it off and go to bed. Eh?”

            Jonathan grinned with his teeth. “Thanks, Mom!” See! There it was, the best Mom in the world! She gave him a little freedom but with the proper amount of limitation. Rules without oppression, that’s how Mom worked things out. Man, if she ruled the world, everything would be a better place.

            Mom waved her hand at him and then left the bedroom.

            Jonathan sighed, he clicked up the IM screen and was faced again with Elena’s angry words. My mom is not a moron, he typed. I can’t believe you think that.

            Well, if she’s not a moron, then she’s really selfish. Couldn’t she at least have considered what would happen?

            Jonathan rolled his eyes. Oh right, like she’s only supposed to think about you while her daughter is being pounded to a pulp on the ice, right? Who’s the one being selfish now?

            You’re calling ME SELFISH?

            Well, God you’ve been insulting my mom for like the last hour!

            WAIT! It’s my life that’s been ruined okay? Not your mom’s. I think I have the right to be a little upset. And I don’t know why you don’t get that? Why the hell are you even talking to me if you don’t realize that?

            God, I don’t know why I bother! Jonathan clicked off the IM screen and then shut off the computer. He kicked the bed, he punched his pillow and then he lay on top of his bed covers with his hands under his head. He stared at the dark ceiling above his head. Someone was here, he heard Gigi barking, he heard Mom shush her. It’s probably Cecile.

            Nowadays, when he thought of Cecile, he thought about Jana. It’s because of Cecile’s heroics that Jana was even alive. His little sister could have been carved to bits by some pervert; this whole family could be torn apart right now. Now THAT was a real tragedy. Definitely it was a lot more serious then being kicked out of a stupid figure skating club. It’s FIGURE SKATING for crissakes!

            Yeah, Jonathan was glad he’d just shut off the computer, because then he’d really give it to Elena. Dammit he was so mad! Anger and disappointment tumbled in his head and kept him from falling asleep for quite a few hours. By the time he closed his eyes, it felt like a moment passed, a quick blinking, and then….

            “Jonathan get up! Mom says you gotta get up or you’ll miss breakfast!”

            Jonathan scowled and glared at Jana. Sleep hung leaden in his limbs, glued his eyes shut. It couldn’t be morning already; he needed a couple more hours. “Go away, squirt. I’m not falling for this.”

            “Fine, you’ll totally reflect it, Jonathan.”

            He opened one eye. “You mean, regret.”

            “No I know what I meant. Nyah!”

            “Go…AWAY!” He waved his hand at her.

            “That means more pancakes for me.” Jana sniffed and she ran out of the room.

            Pancakes? Both of Jonathan’s eyes opened and he sat straight up. Pancakes? Dad wouldn’t allow pancakes in the morning. He sniffed. PANCAKES! And….and… he jumped out of bed, suddenly feeling wide awake and he hit the floor running. Just in the hallway, he smelled… bacon….eggs… SWEET! He dashed down the hall and down the stairs to the kitchen. “Mom…YOU ROCK!”

            Mom laughed and pointed to his seat at the kitchen table. “Don’t wake up your father.”

            With a belly full of fried foods he went to school. Actually, it kind of sucked because he couldn’t pay attention to anything through his morning classes. He was stuck nodding off and forcing himself to stay awake. In English, Elena didn’t look his way, not even once. Jonathan could only nod off or pout through that class. Yeah, it looked like Elena was pouting as well because she had that bottom lip out, and her chin held high.

            After class, he chased her down the hall. First she walked faster, and then she actually jogged away. Well, the one thing girls hated the most was being embarrassed, especially in front of their stupid friends. “ELENA! GOD JUST GIVE ME A SECOND! LOOK JUST CAUSE YOU’RE ON YOUR…”

            Elena whirled around with wide eyes. “JONATHAN!”

            Well at least that stopped her in her tracks.

            He smiled sheepishly, in a sort of apology. Elena rolled her eyes. That was pretty creepy, because he knew Mom rolled her eyes at Dad that way when he smiled at her. “Elena, this sucks, being all mad at each other.”

            Elena raised her eyebrows. “I didn’t know you had a right to be mad at me.”

            Jonathan frowned. “Well, you were ragging on my mom all night!”

            “Did you stop me just so we can fight about this again?”

            “No, Elena….NO!”

            She held both hands in the air.

            “Elena…Look, Mom made a mistake. I understand that. You’re mad, I get that. Look, Kirk Maltby was only trying to help my sister and I almost took his head off, so, yeah, look I get it. So, I’m not gonna be mad at you over Mom. Okay?”

            Elena wrinkled her nose and looked away. “Good.”

            “I just want…”

            “Want?”

            Jonathan sighed. “I just want everything to okay.”

            “So do I,” Elena replied. And then she shrugged. “But it’s not right now.”

            “I know,” he nodded.

            “But get back to me when everything is, okay?”

            Jonathan watched her walk away and then slumped against the lockers. “This sucks.”