Dorms Gym - Tuesday Morning

[notlikebobby.livejournal.com]

The details of the weekend were fresh in Jack's mind. The details of his life as this older guy, a politician, were hazy. Every time he tried to think about the faces and names and details he'd known on the weekend, they slipped away. He'd spent yesterday trying to write everything down. The result was four and a half pages of snatches of memories that weren't really his and garbled messages to himself about a life he found himself forgetting. Forgetting bothered him. Jack realized that forgetting bothered him more than the fact that Fandom had changed him in the first place. This freakish island was getting to him.

There was only one thing to do.

"Four," Jack counted through gritted teeth as he pulled himself up so that his chin was level with the bar he was holding on to. He lowered himself back down and then up again. "Five." The gym was a perfect way of not dealing with the situation.

[OOC: Open!]

Comments

[notlikebobby.livejournal.com]

His tone became serious. "Because I'm not that guy? Because maybe I don't want to be and no amount of pushing from this place can make me."

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

"I don't think it's pushing," Bobby said after a moment of thought. "Just kind of - showing. To make us think about it. You know?"

[notlikebobby.livejournal.com]

"Why should I have to? There's enough going on now."

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

Bobby grabbed his knees and looked up at Jack. "Did Mom finally send the check to sign up for the SATs?"

[notlikebobby.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. She did. Who knows whether it'll go through or bounce? Have you ever thought about being a priest before this weekend?"

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

"Well, if you can't do the one next month, there's one in July and then again in September," Bobby pointed out, sounding like he'd swallowed a guidebook. "I don't think even September's too late."

He shrugged. "Only a little bit when I was reading stuff last year. But I don't think I'd be very good at it."

[notlikebobby.livejournal.com]

"I'm taking the one in July. Why don't you think you'd be good?"

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

"Have you been studying? Mom sent me a book on SAT words, but you probably already have it," Bobby said. He frowned a little at the question. "Um, cause people are supposed to like priests and stuff, and they have to keep everyone happy. And God calls you to do it."

[notlikebobby.livejournal.com]

"One conversation at a time," Jack decided. "Yeah, I've been studying. I have plenty of books. It'll be fine." He sounded confident. "As for being a priest," he trailed off. "You're still a kid. There's time to figure out what you want to do."

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

"So why's it okay for me to have time to figure it out, but you're all 'never going to happen'?" Bobby persisted, taking that one conversation at a time thing literally.

[notlikebobby.livejournal.com]

"You're the one who goes to church."

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, but everyone likes you," he pointed out. "And they have to to win elections. Mom says you're a natural leader."

[notlikebobby.livejournal.com]

"Mom says a lot of things. And the big difference is that I don't want to be that guy. Not because I don't think I can do it, but because I don't want to."

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

"How do you know?" Bobby asked, not being a smart ass as much as honestly confused at the idea of being able to rule out anything about the future.

[notlikebobby.livejournal.com]

"I just do," Jack replied sharply. The idea of that guy scared him.

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

"Okay." Bobby gave him a Look but went back to trying to do sit ups.

[notlikebobby.livejournal.com]

"Make sure you clench your stomach or you'll throw your back out. You need control around your core." His own workout was abandoned now while he spotted Bobby. He crouched down nearby. "All I want is a chance to make up my own mind."

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

He made a face as he tried to do what Jack said. Bobby didn't often spend a lot of time concentrating on his stomach. "No one's trying to stop you," he frowned. "It doesn't matter what you do when you grow up, you'll be awesome at it, and it'll be a good thing."

From anyone else, there'd be at least a little sense of irony in saying that. Not so much from Bobby.

[notlikebobby.livejournal.com]

"It doesn't always seem that way. You really think this place has some benevolent force behind it, don't you?"

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

Bobby sat up to think about the question. "I don't think it's out to get us or anything," he said. "I mean, look at it. Bad things happen, but it's - whatever it is, it gives all of us this weird place where we can do our thing and meet people way different than we'd meet at home. And a lot of the kids have bad stuff they have to deal with at home or are planning to do really dangerous things with their life. So - how can it be bad?"

[notlikebobby.livejournal.com]

Jack shook his head and shrugged. "I hadn't thought about it that way."

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

"And you don't have to share a room with me," Bobby joked. "So even if they don't have sports teams, there's that."

[notlikebobby.livejournal.com]

"I might as well be sharing with you. Tony's as big a geek as you are."

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

Bobby wasn't totally sure of that. Maybe it was just because Tony was really, really rich.

"Also you can't have your Teddy," Bobby teased. Mean, mean little brother.

[notlikebobby.livejournal.com]

"Do you want me to give Alex dirt on you?"