『Jacky Boy』

"Jacky boy! What're you doing out of school?" The Police Captain in a white shirt and tie, his golden badge clinging over his left peck, was walking up the front of the lawn. His eyes shifted towards Gwen, a brow raised. His daughter, to his knowledge, had never skipped out of school before.

"I hit my head... So Gwen decided to bring me home in case I got a concussion." Jack responded immediately to the inquisitive police officer who just happened to be Gwen's father and the Captain of New York City's Police force.

Blinking a few times at this, the Captain looked to his daughter who nodded.

Letting out a light huff, he looked to Jack. "Was it that Eugene fella again?"

Jack tugged the corner of his lip as he glanced away slightly. Falsely confirming the Captain's thoughts, causing the older male to sigh.

"I really have to get the Principal to do something about that."

Jack shrugged as he returned his gaze to the man, "I can take of it myself..."

George Stacy stared at Jack when he had heard this declaration, an immediate decline of his help. "I see... Well if it gets any worse, you have to tell someone."

Letting out a sigh, he nodded to the officer before turning to face Gwen who turned the knob of the front door and opened it.

"Oh uh..." Raising her hand slightly in a wave, "Hi dad... Why are you home so early?" She fluttered her lashes as she blinked at him gazed up at him, she had one foot in the door and the other still on the porch.

"Oh," The officer sniggered quietly to himself, "I'm just picking up some things for an all-nighter tonight. I won't be home until late tomorrow morning. So you better go to school tomorrow." His eyes quickly shifted to Jack when he said the last piece.

Jack found himself grinning at the old man as they then turned to go inside.

Gwen 'guided' him over to the steps and up toward her room on the second floor.

As they entered the hallway, Jack's eyes shifted from door to door. One door was open, her father's gym. The door closest to the steps was the bathroom. At the very end was the Master bedroom, and beside that was Gwen's.

The house was so empty, devoid, of life. Though Gwen had brothers and a mother, they were no longer in this world. Dead and gone. That was probably one of the reasons her father was so happy to have him around. He was like a son he no longer had as they had perished in a car accident.

So there were two empty bedrooms on the opposite side of the hall from her room. Having been untouched for years.

When they finally reached her door, which was painted cyan blue just like the pack on her back. He blinked at the sign hanging from the door. 'Intruders will be shot, survivors will be shot again,' it was the sign he had regifted her for her Christmas.

"So that's what you did with it."

Gwen gave him a toothy grin before opening her door, taking him by the hand and pulling him into the room, swinging him onto the couch that was settled along the foot of her bed.

FLOOF. He let himself land on the couch in a partial sitting position, resting the side of his body on its arm. "Oi... What was that about...?"

She shrugged lightly, "Felt like throwing you around a bit. You don't give much of a reaction... That's kinda boring ya' know."

Jack shrugged and looked to the flat screen against the wall in front of the couch. Pursing his lips slightly. It was bigger than this twenty inch at home. He was sure by just measuring by eye, this television was about seventy five inches!

His eyes then trailed along the room, looking at her personal affects. There were plenty of stuffed animals on her bed, which was adorned in a china white and faded navy blue embroidered quilt.

On the night stand was a pair of blue ballerina shoes and on the exterior of her closet door was a white hoodie with red inner lining hanging on a hook. Under that hoodie though, was a lab coat.

A small smile tugged his lips as he fidgeted with his fingers. He then let his eyes drift towards her as she was now plugging a playstation one into the television. There was a small television stand beneath the flat screen with various Sony and Nintendo products.

"...Which one's your favorite?"

"Hm?" She looked up from the console and over to him as he was pointing his thumb towards the stuffed animals on her bed. Her face flushed a light tinge of red, "Uh.. The Tuxedo Cat."

Jack nodded slightly, so she liked the black and white bicolored cat. When she went to go back to what she was doing, he asked another question, trying to make small talk. "What's your favorite color...?"

Raising a brow as she returned her attention to him, "Are we suddenly playing twenty questions?"

"...Twenty Questions...?" Jack was unfamiliar with the game.

Gwen simpered, "I'll tell you mine, if you tell me yours."

Jack stared at her for a few seconds before lulling his head to the side lazily. "Blue."

"Mine's red, I like vibrant colors and eye-catching hues." Gwen bit her lower lip lightly, "Now it's my turn to ask a question. Why are you attending Midtown High School?"

Jack leaned into the couch, glancing towards the door of the bedroom, before focusing on the television she hadn't even turned on yet. "...To experience what it's like first hand as I was pretty much 'homeschooled' for most of my life," letting out a soft sigh he lulled his head back into the cushion.

Gwen smirked at this, "I see... Your turn."

"Hm... Do you prefer the winter or the spring?" Jack preferred the cold over the heat, unless it was a hot shower. He was rather curious of her take.

"Oh, that's a hard one." She seemed to speak a bit more relaxed as she finished hooking up the game system and plugging in the controllers. Opening the cover on the top of the console, she picked up 'Twisted Tires 4' disc and placed it into the reader and closed its top.

Hitting the power-button, she stood up from the console and flopped down onto the couch. "I like the summer most for its colors, but fall has its perfect temperature..." Her head lulled side to side, "Autumn and Winter is also perfect sweater weather..."

Shrugging, "I prefer winter... It's much colder and there's no mosquitos or bees." he turned his head to face her as she placed a controller in his hand.

Blinking at this, she couldn't help but titter. "Oh wow, didn't take you for a hater of insects! I guess I'll choose winter too, the season without itching," she wore this one sided smile on her lips as she kept her blue eyes on him as the game started up.

"...Hm..."

Gwen looked over at Jack when he made the sound, a small smile tugging on her lips once more. "Here's a question for you. If you could text or call only one for the rest of your life, who would you choose?" She wanted to know his answer, curious of who he may be interested in, or maybe who he liked most.

Jack could see the anticipation in her eyes and the way she moved, she was shifting on the couch, he could hear her cushion move beneath her. He knew what she wanted to hear, or at least assumed so, and he already knew his answer.

Out of everyone other than MJ, she was able to make him laugh and even smile.

"You," though as he said it there was no visual cues within his facial expression.

Her face almost immediately beamed, her lips smiling wide, as her face was turning red at the same time. "Is that a confession?" She quipped, though she was definitely serious about it.

"...Con-confession..?" Jack stared at her for a few moments, his eyes flickering between her and the television. He was familiar enough with the romance movies and television shows in online databases. "Ah... Who would you want to text then?" He immediately attempted to turn the spotlight back onto her.

Pursing her lips at him, before teasingly looking away, "Huh... I guess it'd be MJ."

Jack could see every bit of her lie as it was written all over her face. And for some reason his face felt all tingly and his chest heavy, as if he could be jealous despite knowing she wasn't telling the truth. Perhaps it was because of his own answer that he was getting this way?

Her blue eyes flashed over to him, seeing those irises turn a vibrant forest green with brown rings around them. She blinked a few times, watching as his gaze turned from her and to the television.

"Hey..."

His gaze moved to meet her.

"I was just kidding," she made a coy smile as she leaned towards him a bit, "were you jealous?"

Jack watched as she briefly curled her lips into her mouth, letting them pop out with a light gloss of saliva. Taking in a slow breath, he exhaled sharply. "Error 404, answer is not found, server is unresponsive."

That was his attempt at a joke.

Giggling and shaking her head, "So it's a yes. Hah, knew it," she crossed one leg over the other smugly looking him over before she started toying with the remote in her own hands.

Jack on the other hand just glared at her from his side of the couch. His eyes then drifted over towards the flat screen once more as the colors in the corner of his vision was changing and flashing.

Metal music would soon be heard, and in front of him were unique looking vehicles with guns and weapons mounted upon them. "...What kind of game is this?"

"It's kinda like a demolition derby..."

"With guns?"

"And ballistic missiles," She grinned at Jack as his eyes were almost lighting up like a child at on Christmas morning. "It has a tournament style type of plot, so it's a rather interesting story to go along with all the violence."

"Ooooh? Then I guess the objective is to be the last one standing?" Jack began to flicker through the vehicular selection window on the screen. Looking at all the choices. There was even an Ice Cream truck with missile launchers!

Nodding as Jack seemed to get it, Gwen would press herself into the couch, watching as he was looking over each choice. She only ever played this game with MJ, mostly because it was MJ who got it so she could come over and play the game here since her parents were anti-video game nuts.

She didn't really like playing the game alone, it wasn't enjoyable nor her taste.

"You've really never played video games before?"

Jack shook his head at the question, looking over at her with a brow raised.

"When's your birthday?" Gwen asked as she scooted a few inches closer to him, leaning over.

"Um...Twenty Ninth of August," Jack flexed his eyes at her suspiciously.

"Oh, you're a Virgo," she smirked, "Makes sense. "

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" Jack blinked at her as she said the constellational sign made sense to her.

"Oh, nothing." Gwen chirped as she selected her vehicle, raising a brow at him as she gestured her controller towards the television. "You going to choose a vehicle, or do you want me to choose it for you, big guy?"

Jack was pretty sure she just purred at him when she called him 'big guy,' which made him feel slightly awkward sitting there with her. "..Uh... Do you want to choose?" He felt the need to inquire as he held the controller out for her to take ahold of.

Gwen raised a brow as she looked at the controller and then back to him. "I was just kidding... Are you really okay? Did I hit your head too hard earlier?" She quipped nervously.