Jason returned, reading one of his texts for another final. His hands were numb from the cold as he grasped the book, and he mumbled to himself. He half noticed the person in the kitchen, decided someone had gotten up early, and went back to his book.
"That's minor," he muttered in frustration.
"Sounds like Jon." He started and dropped the book at the words and the familiar voice that spoke them, looking up in surprise to see Danny staring at him.
"It's not, it's Jason." He bent down to pick up the book. "What are you doing here?" he asked, voice and eyes cold.
"We came to get you, even if you are unfriendly," Danny responded, nearly as coldly as Jon had spoken.
"Oh? what for? Defending your lover's honor?" He set the book on the table, letting it go just as Danny grabbed his collar and shoved him against the wall.
"Is that what you think of Sam!?" he demanded. "No wonder she cried so much! She took a lot of crap from you. You should know both of us better than that. Not once did I touch her, understand?" Danny paused. "I thought you trusted me." He looked consideringly at Jonathan. "You chose an appropriate name."
Jonathan flinched and looked down, guilt and anger roiling up in him again. He should have known Danny would be able to pin him. And that he'd be angry. He shook his head. He certainly wouldn't be going anywhere until Danny said he could. He took a deep breath and tried to remember why he'd thought they were sleeping together.
"Danny, I'm sorry. You were really acting suspicious,..." he paused. "And I can't even say why," he finally said. "I'm sorry I never asked either of you. I did a lot of stupid things, and if there was anyway to patch things up..."
"You owe Sam a major apology," Danny said.
"I know. Would you consider putting me down, please?" he asked. Danny let him go.
"We've gotta get back. The best way to make up is to talk to Jordan and Sam. You're comin' with." Danny moved over to the door to get Donnie up.
Paul lay quietly, straining his ears for the conversation just outside his room. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. It sounded like Jason had done more than just grow up with New Kids on the Block, he seemed to have insulted some of them as well. He closed his eyes and lay still as Danny walked into the room and roughly shook the man on Jason's bed.
"Early wake up twice is bogus, man," Donnie moaned. "Why'd you make me come again?"
"Because I thought we'd have trouble with Jon, and we're having it. C'mon. You gotta help me convince him to go back." Donnie sat up, shook his head to rid himself of the sleep, and followed Danny back into the front room.
Jon? Paul thought. Who's Jon? Then it hit him. Jason was Jon. Jonathan Knight, the one that Jason had told him had messed up. No wonder he knew all the details. He strained his ears to listen to the conversation that had moved from just outside the door to around the corner, in the living room.
Danny and Donnie found Jon sitting dejectedly on the couch, head in hands.
"Explain why you can't go back," Danny repeated.
"I don't remember," Jon mumbled, looking at him with the same haunted eyes. "I keep trying, but what I remember and what I saw never makes sense."
"What did you see?" Donnie asked, confused. Jon glanced at him, then Danny, very disturbed. He finally focused on his hands clasped before him.
"What I saw looked like a rape," he said softly.
"Jordan never told you?" Danny asked, surprised.
"I haven't talked to Jordan since I left," Jonathan said softly.
"You didn't rape JJ. Is that why you disappeared?" Donnie asked. Jon had looked up at him, hope in his eyes again, then he nodded.
"You didn't touch JJ. She jumped all over Jordan when she found out what he'd thought. She and Sam have been searching Teen magazines for any word of you." Danny asked, looking at his watch. "We have to go now. Are you comin'?" Jon paused, then grinned as his spirits rose.
"Yeah, I'll come. Give me a second to get some books together." He vanished into his room and reappeared shortly. "Where are we going?"
"McNichol's Arena," Danny said.
"How did you get here?"
"Taxi," Donnie muttered. "Peter doesn't know we came, I don't think."
Jon chuckled. "I'm sure he knows now. Come on, I'll take you." He grabbed his keys and lead the way out the door.
Paul sat up as the front door closed behind the three, confused. Okay, so he was on drugs, got off them, and thought he had raped his girlfriend? why would he think that? He obviously hadn't, if his girlfriend was JJ. So, what had made him think so?
Then he paused. He had been rooming for a year and a half with one of the New Kids on the Block. He blinked in surprise, and turned to the picture. Hadn't he said that the girl was his cousin? Sam. Maybe that was the Sam person he they had been talking about. He took a deep breath. Wow. He couldn't wait until Jason... Jon got home from his final.
Go on to Next Chapter | Grounds for Vengeance
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