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gumballavocadoharry · 9 months

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A poison pen letter; Jack chambers:

Bradley Nickles sleepover party. The boy was only a couple years older than Roger, but yet his parties were some of the most memorably, edgy ones of the same categorizes that high schoolers and college students throw. The special recipe to that?

No supervision whatsoever.

His parents were too busy to simply notice- or care- what Bradley was up to, and despite ending up in the hospital for a deranged dare from one of his friends, his parents just flew down only to say indifferently to "Not play so rough."

Of course, Jack and Alice have never heard such a youngster like that from their children, mostly because they'd flip their lid if even the thought of one their children would be around such an amoral sway of guidance. But, Roger nonetheless didn't seem to care that much about examining the recalcitrant side of Bradley Nickles. All he wanted in that moment from the minute he heard about from school was to go to that party.

"Roger, you've gotta come! Bradley's parties have everything and you hear all the school gossip without all the fluff thrown in it. It's always the real deal when you hear something from Bradley."

"Gee Alex, that sounds awesome.....but I know my parents would never let me. They have this kick about adults playing this important role in parties and such....it really brings everything down. And besides, once they find out what Bradley's about, they'll nark him as a bad influence."

Alex hung his head, pinching his lips. "Sneak out?" Roger's eyes widened. I mean sure he's thought of the idea, but never fully had the courage to go through with it. "I don't know.....maybe," The wheels were turning more aggressively as Roger questioned his strategies for the things he wanted.

"Think about it. After all, Bradley did mention you and....he says your pretty cool." That made Roger's pride do a cartwheel. Bradley Nickles thinks I'm cool? Roger couldn't have been more galvanized at this electrifying news.

So much so, that it had struck 5 in the evening while Roger was still walking home. The little doo-wop tune in his head played like a radio as he danced quietly with a pep in his step. "Roger Chester Chambers! Where have you been? It's been 2 hours since you were supposed to be home from school."

His father's 'greeting' ricocheted Roger from his internal radio station. "Oh, sorry about that Dad, I was talking with a friend about a party this boy at school is having." Jack's furrowed eyebrows turned to one of concern.

"A party? What type?" "Sleepover." Jack nodded slowly. Susan's head perked from the kitchen bar where she had been studying for an upcoming test. "You mean Bradley Nickles? He's this popular kid in the middle school across the way and he has these blowout sleepover parties that his parents completely abandon for their date nights or something like that."

Roger shot Susan a glare that was mixed of astonishment for 'keeping up with the Jones's' type awareness at school and exasperation for spilling the beans on what Roger could only hope to be an attempt to get into one of the coolest parties he's ever been to. "Oh really?" Jack questioned, eyes glancing back and forth between Roger and Susan.

"Yep, last year the police was called because of some crazy dare he did from jumping off the roof of his house blindfolded."

"Why don't you finish you're books in a less annoying spot Susan?" Roger hissed in a irksome tone. Jack shot his glance back to Roger. "S'not nice," He turned back to Susan, "Thank you honey."

"Now as for you young man, if that's the party you're talking about, it's off limits period."

"But dad, this would be my big chance to be considered accreditation for being one of the best pranksters in elementary. No one takes me seriously because to them, I'm just some eight year old kid who doesn't belong with the 'mature' members of pranking society," Jack lifted his left brow in confusion, "I know it's a lot to understand, but trust me....this is huge for me."

"Roger, even if there nothing wrong with this boy, I still don't know him or his parents and neither does your mother." The thought of the very attendance of Roger being at a party like that sent a shudder down Jack's spine. Looking into those big green eyes were of the same babyish ones Roger once blinked lust into the eyes of his father.

Even Jack understood that through his own looking glass, he still saw the little two year old, sucking his thumb; diaper sticking out from his little pants and the plushy teddy bear in the crook of his arm asking for permission to attend this minacious sleepover. Those pangs of his heart is what moved him to no, because he had to.

"I'm sorry Roger but you're not going. That's final." But it wasn't. At least that's what the scowl that slithered onto Roger's face said. "It's not fair! Okay so maybe he is a little on the wild side, but it doesn't make him a bad person! You always treat me like a baby and never Susan!"

Jack sighed. "Roger, I do not treat you like a baby. But this party just isn't a good one for many reasons: there's no supervision of any kind, Bradley does harmful things and the boys who go there don't use good judgement.....god forbid something should happen to them and the police shows up."

Susan sensed trouble, like a gazelle sensing the sneering grasps of a preying lion and makes a mad dash to her bedroom before things get ugly. Roger and Jack, both having similar personalities with their rocket extroverted identities, and also a lion's growl perfervid blazing temper when provoked. Now father and son were both going at it; fangs now fully uprooted from their mouths. A piercing growl and roar can be heard heard miles apart from them.

The only difference being: Jack's was a protective one, fighting to protect his young cub from any marred perception's of what Roger was thinking to be cool. And Roger's being one of defiance, fighting for his right to party, despite to callous carelessness of virulent outing.

"Roger, I am your father! I'm only trying to protect you!" Jack's roar was booming, "I get that dad, but this party is not super harmful! You're just being overprotective!"

It went back and forth like this until the pot finally boiled over. "Roger, you go upstairs to your room right now!" Roger stormed upstairs before slamming the door. Plopping down on his bed, stomach first. "He's so unfair.....nothing's going to happen to me." The brunette boy sulked sullenly on his bed, legs crossed Indian style and fist poaching his cheeks upward, smooshing his face.

The first arbitrary thought that ran through his mind was to write a poison pen letter to Jack and then crumble it all up once he was finished voicing his bitter woes about his father. So, Roger took a seat at his dark maple desk and snagged the first piece of paper from his notebook and started jotting down all the; 'I hate about you's' that concerned Jack.

Once finished, even Roger had to admit the intense austerity and acerbity that laced the taboo letter. It gave a true meaning to poison in a poison pen letter. Roger then sealed it and threw in his garbage can. The crushing weight that was upon him now dangled like a thread off a toy.

For most of the night, he had forgotten about Bradley and took more pleasure in playing samurai with himself instead. In terms of throwing his "own" sleepover.

But it was the gentle knock on his bedroom door that took his attention away from his own shenanigans. Roger opened it to a Jack who had a bowl of ice cream with mountains of chocolate syrup drizzled on top of it. He couldn't hide his perplexed look.

"Rog.....I just wanted to apologize for losing my temper. That was an uncalled for reaction and I'm so sorry," Roger blinked and then cleared his throat, "I-I'm sorry too dad. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that either.....I guess I kinda lost control myself too huh?"

Jack re-framed from nodding. Instead he handed Roger his ice cream and allowed him to set it down before hugging him. "Let's promise each other to stay calm whenever there's a disagreement," Jack rubbed the hair on the back of Roger's hair gently.

"Okay, considered it promised." Jack sent a giggle to Roger. "Night champ." He kissed Roger's head before walking over to Susan's bedroom. The guilt had now seeded itself inside of Roger. The rashness of his actions were now to catch up if Jack were to ever find that atrocious letter.

To add insult to injury, the next morning upon waking up, it was broadcasted that Bradley and the boys from his party were all taken down to the police station that night when they shot fireworks into someone's lawn. The boys were awaiting legal punishment without the consent of their parents. Jack being among the first to hear this, made a beeline to Roger's bedroom.

He sat respectfully down on the boy's bed, looking keenly into his twins matching grassy globes. "I knew Bradley was a very bad influence. I'm guessing you heard what happened?" Roger nodded, looking down. "One of them was Alex.....he's one of my closest friends," Jack rubbed Roger's back, "I know. So I'm sure Alex knows he needs to be careful with who his friends are now. Things like this happen, and now who does he have?"

Roger bit his lip, uncomfortable with the answer. He gaze never left his blue covers. "Well, I hope he's alright....but as for you, I love you very much Roger, and I only want what's best for you. And that's never changed." Jack placed a hand on Roger's cheek.

Roger sniffled. "You're right, I guess I dodged a bullet this time," Jack smiled before turning serious again, "Bradley....." Jack sighed, "Bradley doesn't really care about you or really any of the other boys. He's just lonely, and he wants to take as many boys as he can down with him because his parents or anyone for that matter don't truly care about him,"

Roger gulped back his deferential words. He wanted to prove submissive to the lesson Jack wanted to teach him. "But I think you're cool, and so does you mom and Susan." Jack continued with a ardent voice. The guilt was striking Roger in face like a player striking his baseball across the field. The final strike was: "You're my special little guy. Forever and ever." With a sentimental kiss on his cheek as well.

The sweet smell of chocolate chip pancakes overwhelmed the entire downstairs. The homey aroma floated through the upstairs and injected itself into Roger's nostrils. "Kids, breakfast is ready!" Alice called from the bottom of the stairs. Roger and Susan both galloped out of their rooms to the lead of their growling tummies.

Jack was already at the table; newspaper in his face, coffee by his reach. "Smells good hon," Jack would never be one to pass up a compliment to his wife and her cooking. "Thank you Jack."

The toothsome taste of the pancakes, completely erased Roger's mind of the poison pen letter he had written; it was still sitting neatly on the tippy top of his trash can. School went by briskly and Roger's mind was already in a more playful state as he and Susan were playing 'cat and dog' in their backyard after school.

Until the tautness finally took its toll around the evening.

Jack whistled happily to a little melody he painted on the spot. As a good deed, he gathered the trash around the house. "Oops," He said, bending down to pick up a piece of paper from Roger's bin that had fallen out. But his eyes scanned over his name: Dad. At least his paternal title.

Against the nagging gibe of unsatisfactorily peering him over to the edge, he still opened the note. Jack's mouth became dry at all the rancorous, brutish sentences written with such clarity and multiplex. Feelings of severe anguish overcame him: Heartbreak, furiousness, insecurity and dubiety took its rings around him. Jack's hand shook and shivered like he had been stabbed in the gut without mercy.

Instead, he bit his lip, saved the letter and carried on with the chores. Roger noticed a slight change in his father's naturally fizzy personality. The man now had this gloomy shadow of betrayal lingering around him like a shadow on a sunny day. His answers were short and faded and his genial expression was now one of tetchy one.

After dinner, Jack sat in the bedroom feeling sorry for himself just staring at the floor mindlessly. "Jack, what's wrong?" Alice asked. Jack looked with dejected puppy dog eyes at his wife. "Look," He said, showing her the abhorrent letter his own son had written about him. "I found it while emptying the trash."

Alice's eyebrows furrowed the more she read it. Her mouth opened a agape a little in anger. "I'll go talk to him, this is unacceptable."

Jack sniffled. "He hates me.....this is because I wouldn't let him go the Bradley Nickles sleepover. I guess he was more angry then he let on." Alice sat next to Jack. "You did the right thing." Alice kissed Jack's cheek before getting up to confront Roger.

"Roger Chester Chambers! You come upstairs right now!" Roger trollied up the stairs with a perplexed look. Alice had the letter in her hand and instantly Roger's face sunk. "How did you-"

"Never you mind where he got it.....it wasn't nice Roger." Alice's voice softened. Roget bit the side of his lip in shame. "He got it? You mean you?" Alice shook her head. "When he was taking out the trash....Roger....you owe your father an apology. He loves you very, very much......he takes care of you and Susan and he does so much for you. Even when you get angry with him, you still can't write things like this.....that's unacceptable."

Roger looked down. "After all, when he gets angry, you never hear him say anything mean about you right?" Roger nodded. "He's your father.....and for that you owe him your respect."

That really sunk in. "Where is he?" Alice motioned to their bedroom. Roger walked in, quiet as a mouse. He carefully sat down next to Jack. "I'm sorry daddy......I should never have wrote those things about you.....I was just angry but that's no excuse. I'm really, really sorry and I appreciate everything you do."

Roger hugged Jack tightly, anticipating if Jack would accept the hug. "It's okay Roger.....but just....why? Why write something like that?" Roger shrugged, still in Jack's arms. "I don't know.....it was the heat of the moment and I remember thinking about how I was so angry, that I would just do the first thing that came to mind and that's when I wrote that poison pen letter.......I'm sorry."

Jack hugged Roger tighter. "It's okay Roger.....I love you very much......never forget that."

Roger smiled, "I won't....for as long as I live."

Roger was happy Jack was no longer bleeding love and Jack was happy Roger finally saw the error of his ways. The reconcile only proved that love would always win at the end of the day.

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