Chapter 367: Jonathan XIX—A Silent Touch

Jonathan woke up that morning with an aching excitement in his gut, the kind he got before big competitions or Christmas. Dad had first asked him if he wanted to play in the charity game with the wives and Jonathan had immediately jumped at the chance. Sure it was against just a bunch of girls, grown up girls at that, but the other guys would also be on each team, and he relished the opportunity to face down Rob Blake or Joe Sakic shooting at him. Even if he didn’t make a save, which realistically he more than likely wouldn’t on them, everyone would say, well they were pro players shooting on a kid. But the golden moment would be IF he DID make a save, what would people say then?

He wanted it to be a surprise for Mom, so he asked Dad not to tell her but the rest of the stupid wives had to blab it out so that when Mom picked him up from school yesterday she fished the rest of everything out of him. Being Jana’s piano lesson day, Elena had also been in the car and she had freaked, out of happiness of course but also out of irritation that he hadn’t told her either. Well, he wanted to tell her earlier that day but the sight of her throwing away her salad completely scrambled his mind. He gnawed on his lip in the car, wanting to bring that up to her.

Girls were touchy about food though, especially when it came to discussion about how they ate and everything, bodily functions. Hell it’s like they wanted everyone to believe that they didn’t poop or fart or something. Come to think of it… did they? Ew. Scott was right, being a girl had to really suck sometimes.

Of course Jana and Freddy both declared loudly how unfair that was to which Jonathan replied, tough. Mom calmed them both down by telling them, probably with no truth to back it, that there would be other games and they could play in those when they were a little bit older. Jonathan grinned, he had something all to himself now, and those two couldn’t crash in on it.

As for the next morning, since he would be in the game that night, Mom let him stay home from school so he could sleep in. He rolled out of bed following the smells of a high fat, high protein, carbo loaded breakfast frying. Was that like twice in the last three days? Damn did Mom and Dad have a fight or something? He frowned, he wouldn’t let a worry like that spoil today, needed his mind to be fresh. “Mornin’ Mom,” Jonathan said as he came into the kitchen. “Hot breakfast again? What’s up, full out rebellion?”

Mom smiled. “Good morning, baby, something like that.”

Jonathan raised his eyebrows. “Woah.” He picked up a glass of orange juice and began to drink it down.

Mom shrugged. “Your father’s a shit.”

Jonathan spit the juice and looked at Mom who laughed.

Okay so Mom had made a joke about it, but pretty much she confirmed that she and Dad had a fight about something. Well it couldn’t be that bad, Jonathan thought later, if she joked about it. So therefore, he really shouldn’t worry, right… right… RIGHT? His brain still blistered and really, he hated Mom and Dad sometimes. What the hell did they have to fight about those spoiled brats, they were rich and beautiful and had beautiful kids and an awesome house and life was good and there was gonna be a fun game tonight so what the hell could they possibly be yapping at each other about! GOD DAMMIT!

He sighed.

“Jonathan are you okay?”

Jonathan blinked and gulped and focused on Elena’s face. They stood in a large meeting room in the Magness Arena, a few hours before they would be playing the game. All the wives and girlfriends and all the guys and kids, it was kind of like a pre-war truce party complete with power bars and punch. “Sure I’m fine, why?”

Elena twitched her nose like a rabbit. “You were looking kinda funny there, like you’d had suddenly got constipated or something.”

Jonathan stuck out his tongue. “You read into things funny!”

Elena shrugged. “Hey I call like I see.”

“Eh, hey Elena you gotta try the cookies, I think Alex made them or something, they’re really good.”

“Mmm,” Elena said wrinkling her nose and shaking her head. “No thanks.”

“Hey the Power Bars are good…”

“Oh I ate before we came here, it’s good.”

Jonathan felt his heart sink a little and it must have shown on his face because Elena frowned. “You have that face again, are you lactose intolerant or something?”

“Elena… I wanted to ask you, I mean I want to talk to you about…”

“Elena, Elena come here I can’t remember the name of that ballet you’ve been practicing!”

Elena rolled her dark eyes and turned around, “Coming Mom.”

Jonathan watched her go and he shoved his hands into his pockets. He wanted to kick something or mutter a curse word. Why he worried like this was beyond him. Dammit, Elena was smart, she knew better than to kill herself or make herself sick. In fact once he saw Scott after the game he would have to remember to punch him in the gut or something for making him worry like this.

“How are you doing boy?” Dad asked.

Jonathan looked at him, realizing with some smug delight that he came up to Dad’s shoulder, he no longer had to “look up” to him like he usually did. Now he only had to glance up. “Hey Dad, I’m doing good.”

Dad smiled with a dimpled grin, looking as relaxed and unfettered as if he were on the living room floor with a box of fries. Well if they had been fighting, Dad certainly didn’t seem to think so. Jonathan thought about that one, your father is a shit. The realization hit him so that he wanted to laugh; of course Mom said that cause it must mean Dad won whatever battle they had had. Ha, that didn’t happen often! Well if Dad won, then the fight was over and all Mom could do would be to fill the house with fried breakfast smells in the morning.

Well that’s one worry off his mind.

“Did you hear what I said?”

Jonathan frowned and looked at Dad who had a slight frown now, a tolerant one, a I’m not mad but if you poke me a little I’ll show you whose boss frown. “Oh sorry Dad I, kinda spaced out what?”

Dad smiled. “Thinking about the game? That’s good! Very good! We’re on the same team, you’ll be just fine. Don’t feel bad if you get scored on because…”

“Oh they won’t score,” Jonathan said crossing his arms and feeling quite brash. Dad’s face beamed so brightly that Jonathan felt his entire body fill to the brim with confidence and purpose.

“That’s the spirit boy,” he grinned.

“And I’m not talking just the girls,” Jonathan added holding his finger up. “I’m talking everyone! No one’s getting past your son.”

Dad’s eyebrows slid skywards and the corners of his mouth turned down and he seemed as if he were trying to focus on an object that just didn’t seem familiar to him. Jonathan knew that look; he just never thought he’d be at the receiving end of it. “Did I go a little too far?” He said between closed teeth.

Dad laughed and patted him on the back before messing up his hair. “You can never go too far.”

Dad then turned away from him to talk to someone else and Jonathan looked around for Mom, he knew she would be playing against him and he wanted to josh her a little, prepare her for the stone wall she would be facing in him. And he knew that Mom had a horrible shot, if it could be called one. He rubbed his hands together he saw her standing by the food table talking with Cecile. They seemed in a good mood, that previous tenseness he had noticed between them months ago gone.

He rocked on his heels. Well Cecile DID save Jana’s life!

Two women, ah gorgeous Josefina and pregnant Jennifer locked arms with Cecile and dragged her away laughing about something. Jonathan then noticed Danny at the table as well. He smiled and said something, looking at Cecile’s departure and Jonathan nodded with satisfaction seeing that Danny still felt strongly about her. Good, as long as he no longer had eyes for….

Jonathan narrowed his eyes. Mom said something to Danny and he looked at her and for a moment it seemed like Danny had been stricken with something horrible and then his smile widened and he had that same goofy boy look. Hold on a moment… Jonathan tilted his head to one side. Danny laughed at something Mom said and then he leaned over a bowl of food, peering into it and with one of his hands behind his back. Mom then left his side but before she did Jonathan saw clearly, her fingers reach behind her and just lightly, oh so imperceptibly brush over the inside of Danny’s wrist.

What the hell! Boiling rage of simmering hellfire bubbled in his gut and he scowled. This time he couldn’t say that Danny had made the first overture and by the way Danny’s body jerked and he looked at her as she walked away, her not looking back, Jonathan could tell that he was surprised. What the hell was Mom thinking, that wasn’t an innocent gesture by any means. Did Dad piss her off that much?

“Hey, Kid, what’s up?”

Jonathan looked at Alex and put his hands on his hips. “Keep an eye on Danny Hinote for me will ya?”

Tanguay frowned. “What?”

Jonathan nodded. “Look Mom’s not at fault and if she does anything it’s cause Danny prol’ly did something to get her thinking or something, okay? Just… keep an eye on him.”

Alex’s eyes widened. “What do you want me to do? Tell your Dad?”

Jonathan sighed. “No, but kick his ass or something if you see anything okay?”

Alex couldn’t look anymore worried.