TEACH ME TO SIN

Chap.2 A New Friend in Town

JERICHO

Fortunately, I didn’t get a nasty bump from the accident. Just a slight one that had disappeared totally. Unfortunately, Ethan had made my beloved bicycle disappear until further notice.

I was sure that Grayson was going around looking for top of the line helmets, knee caps and etcetera. Left to Ethan, he’d get me full-body armor. No way was I riding my bicycle with a helmet and all that. That’d take away whatever fun I got from it. I’d just rather Ethan went ahead and forced a car on me.

That morning, mum was driving me to school. I was wearing my plaid blue skirt and white polo. My hair was left down instead of its usual ponytail. Mum’s reasoning was that a ponytail would stress the area of injury. I rolled my eyes at that one. I had hair ties stacked in my purse, and I was using them as soon as she left.

“Be good,” she said as I hopped out of the car.

“I’m always good,” I pointed out.

She narrowed her eyes at me.” too good maybe.”

“What does that mean?”

She sighed, “I don’t know Jerry. Occasionally, I wish you’d just be bad so we’d know what you are capable of”.

“Maybe I don’t have anything bad in me. Isn’t that something I should be applauded for? You guys never have to worry about me”.

“Oh you definitely have something bad in you. You have three naughty parents. Your bed is in there and one day, it’s all going to explode out”.

“Sheesh mum. Have a great day”, I smiled and walked away.

“Love you, Jerry Berry.”

I groaned as people around me tittered and chuckled. Did I mention that my name is Jericho? In short, it was Jerry. I’d complained when I was six that it was a boy’s name. Hence, the addition of berries. The name was now much worse. In a world of Ariana’s and Amelia’s and Kylie’s, I was a Jerry Berry.

I ignored all the surrounding whispers, my mind completely on the beautiful man from a week ago. Mum said she got a call from my number and a nurse said I had been admitted to the hospital. It turned out, Ethan’s whole rule about setting up an emergency contact was helpful. He was super overprotective of me. I wondered if he was my biological dad. But mum said I shouldn’t worry about it. They never checked. I had mum’s blue eyes and either her or Grayson’s gold curls. I think it made them relieved that I didn’t pop out favoring either of my dad's appearance. It also made me relieved.

“Hey Jerry '' someone drew behind me. I sighed and ignored that whiny voice. Natalie Craig’s whiny voice. I pulled open my locker just as she slammed it shut. I swallowed back my growl. She was two inches shorter than me, with too straight blonde hair and brown eyes. And far too much makeup.

”I was just wondering something.” She began.

“Surprise surprise. I didn’t know you could use that peanut up there for anything.”

People around chuckled. She smirked, “do your dads f**k each other while your mum watches, or do they all line f**k?”

Chuckles went up all around. Seriously! This was the best taunt they could come up with? What a joke. I grin. “Why? Are you asking for your dad? Or your mum?”

Her face twisted. ”It's a legit question, you b***h. One woman can’t love two men. One is her true love, who unfortunately can’t get it up properly. The other is help.”

“Very enlightening, Natalie. I would be sure to pass your question across to them.”

“What happens when one of them falls out of love, Jerry? Oh, let me tell you. The whole dynamic falls apart like a house of cards. It’s obvious your parents love each other more than they could ever love you. Your mum has two husbands for god sake. Where does that leave you?”

I grin at her, “with three parents. Your mum has zero husbands. I hope that leaves a lot of space for you.” I brushed past her shoulder as I walked away, hearing the chuckles behind me and Natalie’s aggravated groan.

Seriously, Natalie and her brood are losers. Their attempts to shame me had been humiliating once upon a time, when I’d been younger, stupider, and confused. Those were the dark years. I remember screaming at my parents to just choose one. I remembered hating them for making me go through s**t. I also remember the day I realized I hated myself for hating them. I came home early from school after getting in a fight. I had been heading to my room when I heard someone crying. I knelt down and peeped through the railing. My parents were in the kitchen. Grayson was standing beside two suitcases. Mum had been crying so hard. Ethan was pacing.

“It’s best for her, Izzy. And you know it.” Grayson had said.

“Shut the f**k up Gray. I love you, but I will hit you if you say ‘it's best for her’ one more time.” I was shocked. Ethan had sounded angry and choked. Had he been crying? I’d always seen Ethan as tough and domineering. Sure, Gray had an inch on him, but Ethan was always like the superior power. He could never cry. No. No.

“Don’t go. Don’t go” mum had been saying between sobs.

“ Izzy. Baby” Gray cupped her face. “None of us are happy right now. Jerry is our kid. And it kills me to see her so unhappy. She didn’t sign up for this. We always knew things might get hard. She’s just a kid and kids are cruel. I hate seeing her go through so much. Ethan, please back me up on this.”

“When did you decide all of this? When did you go ahead and make this decision for us? Huh?” Ethan barked.

“I will be a ten-minute drive away. Maybe Jerry can come stay during the weekends if she likes. We can still vacation together or something” Gray’s voice broke, “we can Skype. Or something?”

“Gra-”

“It’s better this way, Ethan. It is. Please. For Jerry. We love Jerry. We’d do anything for that kid. We love her, Izzy. I’m not going forever. Ethan, please. I can’t- we can’t-”

“It feels awfully like you are dumping us,” Ethan whispered.

“Baby”Gray whispered back. With that, Izzy crumpled into Gray’s arms. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed.

Gray pulled away finally and grabbed his suitcases, “I will come see you Friday. When she’s at school. Or something” his voice was hoarse.

“Don’t go. Don’t leave us” mum lunged from the island. Ethan caught her around the waist and pulled her back to him. She struggled, kicking and screaming. “We can make her understand. Don’t go Gray. Ethan, don’t let him go. Don’t let him do this to us. Gray! Gray! Get the f**k back here”

With that, I started racing down the stairs, my cheeks flowing with tears, ” daddy! Daddy!” I lunged for Gray and wrapped my hands around his waist, “don’t leave us. Don’t go”.

“I’m not going forever, Jerry berry. Just for a while. So you can get friends again”.

“I don’t love my friends. I love you” I screamed, “I hate them all for saying those things about you guys. I should never have said those things too. I love you. I love my dads and my mum. Please don’t leave us. I’m sorry. I’m sorry”.

Gray dropped to his knees and I flew into his arms. Mum joined us on the ground, then Ethan. We were all crying together. At that moment, I decided I loved having three parents, and I was proud to be a member of this unconventional family.

I dropped into my seat at the back of the class and next to the window. I loved sitting by the window. Most times, I doodled whatever I could see out of the window.

“Nice view.”

I turn with a start. A boy was leaning too close to me. I frowned. He grinned and backed up. I took in his face and did a double take. Eyes, a dark brown. Floppy brown hair, a dimple on his right cheek where his lip was curled up in a smirk. He was cute. Not cute. Hot. Wait, why was he talking to me?

“I’m new. Transferred here a week ago. I’m Bennett Kent. Son of Clark Kent. At least I used to be”.

“What does that mean?”

“The state let me choose my surname. Greatest, coolest and awesome were rejected. So what’s the next best thing?”

“ Apparently it’s becoming Superman’s son for you”

“I was eight”

I grinned,so, foster kid?

“Yeah. My new parents have nine kids. I’m the tenth. Super nice people. The Alleys”.

“I’m Jerry River-Blaise”

“ Your name is Jerry? Woah. I knew there was a reason I wanted to talk to you aside from the cool let down you gave that girl out there, which I regret to inform you I missed the beginning”

“Jerry is short for Jericho. And Natalie is just a b***h. I have three parents by the way in case you want to switch seats. I don’t mean that my mum has been married twice. She’s married to two men. At once”

“I’ve had twelve parents. Not at once though, so not as cool as yours. And I’m the son of a man who flies to the sun to charge up. Why would three parents faze me?” he huffed.

“I officially like you, Ben. Stay alert for the vipers. You are cute enough to become snake food”.

He looked at me and smiled. “Want to be on my animal control team?”

I mock sighed ”do I have a choice Kent?” it seemed I had made my first official friend.