Inside Out: A ROTBTD FanFiction

Chapter 8: Guardian

Jack lay on his bed bouncing his basketball off his dark blue wall, surprisingly he hadn't managed to break anything yet. This was a habit as he needed something to do with his hands while he thought. His deep chocolate eyes followed the ball as it ricocheted back and forth between his Micheal Jordan poster and his waiting hands. Thump, thump, thump.

After a few more rounds his aunt burst through the door wearing a tattered bathrobe and her permanent disappointed scowl. Her hair was up in yellow curlers that made it look as if a swarm of equally grumpy hornets were attacking her head. "Quiet down!" she squeaked in her high pitched voice. "Some of us are trying to work." she snarled, but it sounded more like a squeal.

"Well if you mean trying to make yourself look half decent, I'd say you're failing miserably. I'm surprised you haven't been fired yet." He replied continuing his game, not even bothering to glance up at her. He was rather enjoying the attention even if it was negative as his 'family' never paid him much unless he was being purposefully disruptive.

"Jackson Osmond Froid!" She shrieked. "You better watch your tongue!"

He cringed a bit at the middle name but kept his cool. Responding with another snarky comment. "And you better watch your face, if it gets any more scrunched, it might invert."

She did just that, pursing her lips and furrowing her brow in anger before storming out of his room without another word, but he would hear her muttering curses as she lumbered back down the stairs.

As soon as she was gone, Jack's mind wandered back to the name. It had been bestowed on him after his little sister Rose was born as a family tradition. She was his companion, his playmate, his best friend. The name meant guardian or protector. He had taken great pride in receiving it and had spent every waking moment saving his little sister from every possible hazard, no matter how minor.

But a few years back, he had not been able to do so when they had gone ice skating on a nearby lake. They had both been too young and ignorant to realize how thin the ice was and were having too much fun to have a care in the world.When suddenly, the ice beneath his sister's feet had started to crack. He had tried to get close enough to rescue her, speaking encouraging words, but it had been too late.

He remembered the look of shock and fear frozen on her face as the sheet shattered, dragging her down to the cold depth. After they finally found her body a few hours later, she was almost unrecognizable. Her rosy cheeks that so well suited her name had paled to a grey. He clamped his eyes shut trying to block out the memory.

A few months afterwards both his parents had died in a drunk driving accident after trying to drown their sorrows in the only way they knew how, at the bar. After their deaths Jack had spent months sitting alone in his room, isolating himself from the world. He sometimes wished he could just be invisible. He had failed as his duty as a guardian, putting shame on the family name.

But one day at school Jack saw the school bullies, Ruff, Tuff, and Snot Face, picking on a skinny freckled brunette with wide frightened green eyes hidden beneath thick lenses. He had that same look of fear as Rose had in her in her final moments. He had felt a vengeful feeling of anger pulse through him and had taken a stand, fighting off all three of them with a strength he hadn't even known he possessed.

When he was finished he had gone over to the kid, who was still cowering in the corner and crouched down in front of him, holding out a strong hand. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced." The kid had glanced at his hand but kept his own wrapped around himself. He had opened his mouth as if to speak but released a nervous hiccup. Jack had chuckled slightly and stood once again offering a hand, but for a different purpose. "Nice to meet you Hiccup."

And so it had began. Jack and Hayden quickly became close friends. Others soon learned not to mess with geeky Hayden or they would have to face Jack. Every Time Jack was able to protect him, it left a warm feeling in his heart like someone had placed freshly baked cookie in his jacket pocket. Now that he had someone to protect, he sure as hell was going to redeem himself.