Breaking Brooklyn (11 page)

Facebook Message from Tyler Ward 8/26/2014 at
10:19 pm:

Have you messed around with
him?

Facebook Message from Brooklyn Page Napier
8/26/2014 at 10:20 pm:

We kissed.

Facebook Message from Tyler Ward 8/26/2014 at
10:21 pm:

WTF! What about
Jack! 

Facebook Message from Brooklyn Page Napier
8/26/2014 at 10:23 pm:

Jack and I are over.  I'm
going to file for divorce. I'm going to ask him to move out of the
house this weekend. 

Facebook Message from Tyler Ward 8/26/2014 at
10:24 pm:

Are you sure you want to do
this?  What about your boys?

Facebook Message from Brooklyn Page Napier
8/26/2014 at 10:26 pm:

I'm tired of being lonely! I think
it’s more important for my boys to see a real loving
relationship.  What they see now is poison. 

Facebook Message from Tyler Ward 8/26/2014 at
10:27 pm:

True, but be careful.  Don't
do anything stupid

Chapter
eleven

“Betrayal
is the only truth that sticks.
”
~
Arthur Miller

Jack Napier - Day 22

It was evening by the time my day had finally
settled. First, I was processed at the Child Protective Services
office, then two off-duty police officers transported me to an old
farmhouse on the outskirts of town.

The local kids knew this place as “The Legacy
Farm.” Smack dab in the center of the property sat a big two-story
house covered in lap siding. There was a huge wraparound porch with
white spindles. There was a porch swing hanging from the
ceiling.

The officers escorted me up a set of wooden
steps to the front door. From the arched window I could see a group
of kids playing inside.

When we knocked, a young woman with remarkable
eyes answered the door. They were a shade of green I had never seen
before.

“
Ma’am, we were instructed to
bring Jack here to stay with you. Tina from Child Protective
Services should have called to inform you of our arrival,” the
officer explained.

“
Of course,” she answered. “Tina
called about an hour ago.”

The beautiful woman smiled at me, welcoming me
into her home. She told me how happy she was to have me
there.

The officers set my belongings down by the
front door, said their goodbyes, and left. The mysterious eyes that
captivated me earlier were now fixated on mine.

“
My name is Elise. Would you like
some cookies and milk?”

I nodded enthusiastically. I had only eaten
lunch at the CPS office and it wasn’t much.

Elise guided me through the quintessential
farmhouse. There was a living room on my left that showcased a
crystal chandelier. On the right, the room opened to a den with
mahogany paneled walls surrounding a limestone fireplace. In the
formal dining room located towards the back of the house there was
a cherry grove pedestal table with matching pierced back chairs.
Everything was immaculate.

In the kitchen Elise offered me a seat at the
breakfast bar. She set a tall glass of cold milk and a plate of
warm chocolate chip cookies in front of me.

I dipped the cookies in the milk before I ate
them. The chocolate melted in my mouth. It was impossible to eat
then slowly. When I finished Elise asked if I wanted more. I
quickly nodded yes.

I heard the front door creak open followed by
a heavy set of footsteps. I saw the faint image of a man with two
young kids by his side. When they became visible the man smiled at
me, which was calming to a kid who was afraid of strange men. He
introduced himself as Andrew and instructed his two boys, Alex and
Travis, to do the same. Andrew was a petite man with soft features.
When he spoke is voice floated like a feather, the total opposite
of Elise's voice. It was clear from the start that Elise was in
charge.

“
I know there has to be a lot
going on in your mind right now, but try not to worry too much. We
are going to take good care of you while you are here,” he assured
me.

After filling my belly with cookies and milk,
Elise took me to a private room upstairs. Passing Travis’s room, I
saw racecar posters on the walls. In the corner of his room was a
bed shaped like a racecar. When I would daydream about having my
own room, this was exactly what I imagined. It was
perfect!

Elise directed me past the hall bath to the
guest room where I was going to sleep. On the top of my bed sat a
pair of brand new pajamas. Elise instructed me to put them
on.

“
I will come back to tuck you in
later,” she said, looking at me with a big smile.

Stepping over to the twin bed, I picked up the
pajamas. I looked around the room as I sat on the bed and planted
my face into the palms of my hands. It was the first time I had
gotten a chance to be alone, to really think about what happened.
Suddenly, I was overcome with fear. Nothing was familiar to me. The
thought of never seeing Brooke again invaded my mind. Anxiety
paralyzed my thoughts. I was struggling to breathe. I could feel my
heart pounding in my temples.

Lying down, I closed my eyes and took slow,
shallow breaths. Eventually, I fell asleep.

When Elise came back to tuck me in, she sat
beside me and gently rubbed my back. She spoke in the most soothing
voice.

“
Everything's going to be okay.
You're safe. We love you, Jack.”

She then kissed my forehead and said
goodnight…

I woke in the morning to the smell of heaven.
Feeling like I could already taste the bacon, eggs, and sausage, I
raised onto my elbows. I breathed in all the wonderful scents
wafting through the old farmhouse. My stomach was
growling.

I popped out of bed and saw a handwritten note
sitting neatly on a stack of clothes that Elise left for
me.

Jack,

These are for you. Jump in the shower, get
dressed, and join us for breakfast.

Love,
Elise

In a flash I was finished with my shower,
dressed, and followed the heavenly smells to the kitchen. Walking
into the room I was welcomed to breakfast by the whole family. It
felt like I was in one of those cheesy 1980s sitcoms, only this was
real.

Elise brought me a hot plate of food filled
with juicy sausage, sizzling bacon, and scrambled eggs. My fork was
ready before the food hit the table. Elise poured me a cold glass
of milk and set it next to the half-eaten food. I couldn’t believe
these people could be so nice to someone they just met. At my
mother’s house I was the only one out of bed in the morning. I had
to pinch myself to make sure this wasn't a dream. I wolfed down my
food. I am sure they had never seen anyone eat like it was their
last meal on Earth.

Elise giggled, then asked if I wanted
more.

Remembering what Grandma had taught me I said,
“Yes, ma’am.”

She laughed, turned, and began filling my
plate again. Eventually, my stomach was so full I had to unbutton
my pants. After drinking the rest of my milk, I sat back in my
chair and grunted in satisfaction.

“
Wow, that was great,” I
murmured.

Alex, who was 11 just like me, asked I liked
Star Wars.

"Yes!" I replied wondering to myself if there
was any kid on the planet who didn’t love Star Wars.

“
Cool! Let’s go check out my Star
Wars collection!" he shouted.

Noticing Alex getting up from the table, Mr.
Howard looked at us from behind his newspaper. Its crackling sound
filled the room. Alex froze in place, realizing t he had not asked
to be excused.

“
Can we, Dad?" he
asked.

Mr. Howard went back to reading the newspaper.
With his face hidden he replied, “Yes, you can go.”

Pushing away from the old table in the kitchen
I got up and followed Alex to his bedroom. Travis, who was two
years younger and the spitting image of Alex, wasn’t far behind.
When we got to Alex’s room, we flew into the galaxy, transforming
into Hans Solo, Darth Vader, Chewbacca. It wasn’t long before we
were acting out the battle scenes.

“
Zoooooooom, zooooooom
…”

“
Traveling through hyperspace
ain't like dusting crops, farm boy.”

“
Without precise calculations we
could fly right through a star or bounce too close to a supernova,
and that'd end your trip real quick, wouldn't it?” I quoted as I
pretended to fly the Millennium Falcon throughout Alex’s
bedroom.

After we were done playing Star Wars, Alex
took me to their treehouse in the back yard. It was the greatest
thing I had ever seen. The wood was cedar and masterfully
constructed with a molded metal roof on top.

Following Alex through the narrow front door I
froze. It was unbelievable! There were armchairs, bookshelves, and
even a small kitchen table where we ate our lunch.

Alex was surprised I was so impressed. He told
me he and his father had built the tree house together, like it was
no big deal. Hearing this put a giant lump in my throat…

The next morning was my first day at Alex’s
school which was a little peculiar. Unlike my classes in
Indianapolis, everyone looked the same. I didn't like it. Most of
the kids had known each other a long time, so I definitely felt
like an outsider. I had been to so many different schools by the
time I was in the fourth grade, I had become a master of change. I
could adapt and make friends no matter where I was.

When the school bell rang, I waited with Elise
while kids raced past us on their way to class. One by one the
doors were closed and the hallway fell silent. I could hear The
Pledge of Allegiance leaking into the hallway from underneath each
door as we made our way to the principal’s office.

I was welcomed by a slender, Scandinavian
looking man, with Nordic blond hair and blue eyes. Greeting us with
a huge smile, he introduced himself as Principal Becker. He
gestured to some chairs in front of his mahogany desk. Elise and I
sat. I noticed its wide top was almost bare, except for an inbox
that held a few papers, a blotter that protected the beautiful
wood, and a single folder. My name was on the tab. It held my
school records.

Picking up the folder, Principal Becker
started to read, his eyes growing wider and wider as he studied its
contents.

“
Twelve schools in two years!” he
said in disbelief.

I slid down into my seat, wishing I was
invisible. I had no idea what the official count was, but I knew
twelve was a lot.

“
I think your placement at the
Howard's is going to be a great thing for you Jack,” he said. “I
know you have been through a lot. If you have any problems
whatsoever, I want you to feel comfortable to come to me no matter
what. Okay?”

I nodded in agreement as Elise gazed at me
with a warm smile.

We better get you to class, Jack," Principal
Becker started. "Mrs. Howard, thanks for coming in and bringing
Jack to us. I think he’ll get along great. In fact, he’s going to
be in Alex’s class.”

“
Isn’t that wonderful!” Elise
remarked.

I nodded again, feeling like my tongue had
sort of stopped working. Looking up at Elise I couldn’t help but
grin ear to ear. Principal Becker walked me to my new
class.

Things were off to a great start. Living with
the Howards was like a dream come true. But like all dreams – you
eventually wake up.

After being there a couple of months, I
noticed a change in Alex. He was obedient around his father, but
wild everywhere else. At school he got in trouble for shooting
spitballs in the cafeteria. No one bothered to tell his parents;
instead, the lunch lady made him sit at the reflection table in the
corner of the cafeteria.

It became obvious very quickly there was much
more to Alex than I initially thought. He was a kleptomaniac;
however, he wasn’t very good at it. Every time something came up
missing at school, Alex’s name was the first one on everyone’s
lips. When confronted, he denied everything. He made up tall tales
trying to get himself out of trouble. Stories only an idiot would
take seriously. I didn’t think much of anything about Alex’s bad
behavior. I had seen much worse things than spitballs and missing
pencils in my lifetime.