Jason returned from his final extremely happy, and was met by all three roommates demanding to know about the girl that had called.
"Slow down, guys," he laughed, shaking newly fallen snow from his dark hair. He set his backpack down and stretched. "What?"
"First, who came this morning?" Tim asked. Jason figured he'd been the one to let Danny and Donnie in, because Jerod slept like a log. "And where did you go?"
"Who was the girl that called?" Jerod asked, as soon as Tim was done.
"And you never whistle. Why are you so happy?" Paul asked, curiosity eating him up, not just about the questions his friends were asking.
"Okay," Jason laughed, sitting in a chair at the table. The others sat around the table and looked at him expectantly. "The two who came in this morning were Danny Wood, who did all the talking, and Donnie Wahlberg, who was asleep on his feet," he began.
"Those names are familiar," Tim mumbled. Jerod nodded, looking confused.
Jason grinned. "Do you have a little sister?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"That's why," he said.
"Go on, Jase," Paul said impatiently.
"We went to McNichol's, where I watched a..."
"New Kids on the Block!" Jerod exclaimed.
"...rehearsal," Jason finished. "Yeah."
"How do you know them?" Tim demanded.
"I grew up with them," Jason said, glancing at his roommate, who shrugged with a grin. "I got to see them for the first time in a year and a half. My cousin plays keyboards for them, and her roommate is a good friend of mine."
"So, who called?" Jerod pressed.
"I don't know. What did she say?"
"She wanted to know when and where your concert was, and how to get there."
"It was probably Sam, my cousin. I don't think JJ knew how to get a hold of me," he grinned.
"She also said Peter okayed the concert. Who's Peter, and do we get to meet these girls?" Paul asked.
Jason laughed. "I don't know. Peter's the road manager. They have a concert tomorrow night, and they have to get there. They may not get to come down. If you want to see them, they'll be sitting in the back row with five or six guys wearing hats and glasses." He stood. "Thanks for the message," he said, and disappeared into his room.
Paul followed Jason into his room, and watched him pack for a while. "Where are you going?" he asked. He didn't remember his roommate ever having this much energy.
"Home for Christmas. It's been a while since I've been home."
Paul paused a minute. "So, who is Jason Rasleigh?"
Jason looked up. "What?"
"You are Jonathan Knight. I should have guessed from the picture. Who is Jason Rasleigh?"
Jonathan sighed and sank down on his bed. "Jason is my father's name. He left us a few years ago, so I figured no one would think I would use it. Rasleigh is my middle name. How did you know?"
"I was awake while your friends were here. Sounds like you've had some rough times."
He nodded. "It was difficult."
"So everything you told me is true."
"Yes. It just happened to me, not some other guy." He sighed. "It was easier to tell you in third person because it was still so raw and new."
"I understand that." He paused. "What was that about your girlfriend?"
Jonathan looked at him, startled. "I thought I had raped her. Only, I never remembered doing it. I just saw the aftermath of it. I wasn't thinking too clear right then, either. I was in a lot of pain. The first thing I thought of was to get out of there before I did something else."
"But you didn't?"
"No. Nothing happened that I could tell. I mean, the last thing I remember was promising to tell her what was wrong in the morning, and kissing her. I was exhausted."
Paul raised an eyebrow. "Oh."
Jonathan shook his head. "So everything is mostly patched up again." He sighed. "I hope."
Paul stood up. "I'll leave you to your packing." He clapped him on the shoulder. "Looks like things are looking up for you."
"I hope so," Jason repeated, and turned back to his suitcase.
He emerged about six thirty, dressed in a tux and carrying a choir folder. Behind them, they saw his suitcase open and nearly full.
"Where are you going?" Tim asked. Jason paused a minute, then turned to look in his room.
"The suitcase?" he asked. Tim nodded. "Home for Christmas." He grinned as he grabbed his coat.
"You bringing them back?" Jerod asked.
"I'll try," Jason laughed, and pulled the door closed behind him.
Walking up the hill through the snow, he thought about what would happen now. He wasn't sure why his mother had given Maurice the records from the hospital and the center, especially because she had known he wanted to be left alone, but he was glad she had. It had been good to see Jordan again, and Danny, and... well, everyone.
Go on to Next Chapter | Grounds for Vengeance
Home | Stories | Fun Stuff | Links | Contact me