Jubal: Aftermath
Copyright  © 2011 Faeriemage
All Rights Reserved.
After the events of the Winter Dance there is much that Jubal is left to decide.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Apparently, my references to the closet dweller at Heredity Inc have been a little garbled to say the least. There is only one person in this story who is hiding in a dark room surrounded by monitors. I am beginning this story with him.

Also, a thank you goes out to Eric for corrections in American football terminology and rules of play.

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The light of the monitors illuminated his darkness. It had been weeks since he'd left the building, let alone this room. His stick pervaded the small space, and his emaciated form welcomed the comfort of anonymity.

Food and drink he had in abundance, but that wasn't the sustenance he craved. Heredity gave him everything he craved.

People called him variously the voyeur or the spider or that creepy security guy in the basement.

He preferred the anglicized version of the first one: The watcher.

Sometimes he felt that a person's physical privacy was sacrosanct, so while he didn't always watch, he did always listen.

He'd had one of his hands, the pickpockets and other urchins he employed, place a bug in Jubal's bag weeks ago. The boy carried it everywhere, so that made listening easy.

That hadn't been possible with last night's dance, so he'd gone for full color cameras.

Now, to determine what he would tell Jim Hastings about Jubal, and also how he would break the news of his son's indiscretions with a certain well known male prostitute in San Fransisco.

If he made a big deal of it, then the watcher could simply imply that he know of the older Hastings own indiscretions.

***
Jubal thought he'd left the notoriety of dancing with all the girls, and one boy, at the Winter Dance. Valentine's dispelled that thought.

"Hey, Jubal? Um, would you like to go to the Valentine's Day Dance with me?"

"Look, Thomas, I'm not even sure I'm going. If you're looking for a boy to take out, Louis asked me yesterday."

"Louis? You mean Louis Germain?"

Jubal smiled as the understanding dawned in the other boys eyes, "Yes,"

"Okay. . ." Thomas wandered off down the hall, not even paying attention to where he was going.

Katie began giggling next to him. "So, that's what? Four this week?"

Jubal blushed at this. Why had he become the focus of all of this. . .this. . .craziness.

"I think it's adorable how you've been playing matchmaker, though."

"I just wish that they would all stop asking me!"

"You're just the most public member of the community."

"What are you two talking about?"

"Another freshman asked him out to the dance."

"So sorry, man."

"It wouldn't be so back, George, if I could tell them I was going to the dance with someone else."

"Amanda turn you down?"

"Not exactly. . ."

Katie spoke up for him when he didn't continue, "She was asked the day before by Brian."

"Ouch, man, that sucks."

"It's fine, but there aren't realy any other girls I'd like to take. They all so. . .old."

George and Katie broke up into laughter about this, and Jubal joined after a moment or two. They split up and headed to their next classes.

***
"So, how did today at school go for you, Jubal. I know last week when we talked you were worried about the fact that another boy asked you to the dance."

"Yeah, there have been another five ask me since then."

"So, how is that making you feel?"

"I don't know. Embarrassed. It just doesn't feel right to me?"

"How about if you were at school as Marie? Would you have accepted their invitation then?"

Jubal sat there for a moment thinking about it, and smiled. "Maybe. Hard to say. I haven't been worrying about it in that way."

"Well, next time someone asks you, then mention you would be coming as Marie if you went with them. Many of the students remember you as Marie, right?"

Jubal looked a little unsure, but nodded.

"You don't have to do this, Jubal. You really are a little young yet to be worried about pairing up with anyone else. You just feel unprepared for any of this, don't you?"

Jubal nodded and then opened his mouth as if to speak. He sat there for a moment with his mouth open, and then got up and started walking around the room.

"I don't really like any of them. It's not that I think of them as boys or girls or anything. I don't think about them at all. I just want to be left alone. I want to spend time with my friends, and that's it."

"What if Lance asked you?"

Jubal stopped dead in his tracks. Having talked a lot about it with Dr. Rath, he was pretty sure that it wasn't love or infatuation or whatever. He liked Lance. He liked George and Katie too.

What Dr. Rath asked wasn't the same as if he'd asked if George had asked him though. There'd been a little flutter of his heart. It was almost as if he was a bit excited by the prospect.

Jubal blushed.

"How have your feelings for Lance changed, Jubal?"

"He's nice to me. I like that he is conscientious of me. I like the attention. I like it the way he talks to me, too."

"Jubal, I want you to remember something. Intellectually you are very advanced. Emotionally you are still eight."

"I know, Dr. Rath."

"Yes, I realize you know, but do you feel it? Let me explain this another way.

"You see the people around you pairing up. You see them getting into relationships, or in other words coupling."

Jubal nodded.

"Now, your feelings for Lance and Amanda. Are they a matter of you feeling something for them, or feeling like you're missing out on something everyone else has?"

A light dawned in that moment for Jubal. "Oh. That makes so much sense. I look at Katie and George and I want a relationship like that, because it seems to make them so happy. I know that they are older than me, but I don't feel inferior to them. I feel the equal of everyone in that school."

"So, what will you do if Lance asks you to the dance."

"Tell him I'm not ready for a relationship with anyone, but if he wants to go as a group of friends, that George and Katie and I are all going to be at the dance."

"That sounds very mature of you."

Jubal touched his head, "Up here I am very mature. It's the whole relationship thing I don't get."

***
Jubal was sitting with George and Katie later that week in the lunchroom. They were laughing like friends do when Lance nervously walked up to them.

"Hey, Lance. So, are you going to the Valentine's Dance with the three of us? George's parents still don't want him to date."

If anything it made Lance more nervous. "Um, Jubal, um, I was wondering if you'd go with me. . .like alone, with me."

"I'm so sorry, Lance. I'm only eight. I'm not ready for that sort of thing, and I still have no idea if I even like boys or girls, both or neither. I like you, Lance, but as a friend, okay?"

"You asked Amanda."

"Because I wanted someone else in our group. It is kind of lopsided. Two boys and two girls."

A gleam came to Lance's eye. "Well, if I come, then you have to come as Marie."

Jubal stopped dead and couldn't think of anything to say. He'd just been roped in by his little white lie to protect Lance's feelings.

"That sounds like a great idea, Marie," Katie exclaimed.

Jubal saw the smile on Katie's face, and George nodding right along with him.

"Fine, I'll go to the dance as Marie."

Katie squealed and dragged Jubal along behind her. She knew that the Home Ec teacher had the same lunch as they did, and this was a great time to get Jubal down there.

"Katie, nice to see you. Is this Jubal?"

"Yes, and he needs a dress for the Valentine's Dance."

Miss Emmett laughed at Katie's enthusiasm, but she didn't want to embarrass anyone. "So, Jubal, Katie wants a more teenage dress made for you. Is that something you'd like?"

"You don't need to talk down to me. I may be eight, but I'm not stupid."

"Oh ho, I see that rumors of your precociousness aren't exaggerated."

Jubal smiled at her attempt at humor. "So, basically what you want to do is make a dress for me that will be closer in style to the other girls, and not those my age."

"Well, Katie would be the one making the dress."

Jubal looked a little afraid at this suggestion, but Katie jumped in here, "It won't be my first dress, in fact, I made the outfit I'm wearing today."

"I'm suitably impressed. So, you really want me to go to Valentine's as Marie?"

"Please?"

"I'm not old enough for puppy-dog eyes to have any effect on me, Katie, and I'm still not sure if I'm the right gender either."

Katie giggled at this, and they got to taking measurements.

***
Jubal drew the line at makeup. "Katie, I know it is something you do, and other teen girls do, but I'm too young. Have you seen child beauty pageants?"

"I won't give you near that much. Just enough to make you look a little tiny bit more mature."

"But I WANT everyone to know I'm eight."

"Everyone does know. I just don't want you to look it."

With a sigh Jubal gave in and allowed her to put the lightest dusting of makeup on.

Marie was looking out from the mirror at him when it was done. A couple of tears came to Marie's eyes, and she realized she enjoyed how she looked like this.

No, she wasn't ready to tell anyone else, and not sure if it was really the right decision for her yet, but she felt right for the first time since her grandparents had passed.

She turned to Katie and gave her a hug. "Thank you for the makeup."

"You're welcome, Marie. Let's go show the boys how we look."

***
Marie created quite a stir when she walked into the Gym. Girls and guys both looked in her direction.

She smiled and waved at them, and a couple waved back. She'd insisted on flats, especially since they really didn't make any good looking heels in her size.

She was thankful for that, because she was asked to dance by about half the people there, and asked a good portion of the other half to dance as well.

It was a wonderful feeling to be such the center of the attention. Again, Lance asked her to dance the last slow dance of the evening.

She was just enjoying herself, when Lance began to pull her toward him.

She pulled back and walked to the chairs where Katie was saving her a place.

"Marie, wait."

"Jubal, Lance. I'm Jubal. I don't think of anyone that way, least of all you. You were a friend, but if that's all you're looking for I don't think I'll feel comfortable being that anymore."

"But. . ."

Katie stood between Jubal and Lance.

"Look, Lance. She, he, is not ready. She is way too young. If you really like her, then you'll have to give her years before she'd be anything resembling ready to date, and probably years more for anything else."

"But, I really like her."

Jubal was getting angry, "Lance, just leave, ok? You're only doing this because you saw me naked and are confusing lust with love. I don't want you to bother me again, please?"

"Jubal, please, let me try again. . ."

"Katie, I think I'm going to walk home. Tell George for me?"

Jubal was pissed off to say the least. He'd started the evening feeling so right about everything, and ended it feeling so wrong. Why did that stupid Lance have to ruin everything?

He walked home swiftly and ran up to his room before Mama Joey could stop him.

He flung himself on the yellow bedspread and began to cry.

"What's wrong, baby?"

"How come I'm so confused over who I am? I can see myself looking pretty, and I'm so sure that's me. And then Lance tries to kiss me and I'm sure it's not. It felt so wrong when he did that."

"Oh Jubal, honey. It might be that girl or boy yourself, you might just want to be with women. It also might be that you simply aren't looking for either."

"You've been talking to Dr. Rath again, huh?"

"All the time, baby. All the time."

Jubal lay on the bed, held by Mama Joey. He still didn't know where his life was going, but he knew that Lance wouldn't be a part of it.

***
Jubal was bored out of his mind. George was off doing the summer football practices in hopes of getting put on first string right off the bat this year. Katie was at camp for the next couple of weeks.

He hadn't seen Lance since Valentine's

He'd already run this morning. He was considering going out running again when a boy on a motorcycle drove up. He had bleached blond hair and a number of ear piercings. He had a ring in his right eyebrow and a stud through his lower lip with a spike on it.

Jubal was even more curios about him when he walked up to the door.

"Hi, kid. I'm looking for Jubal. Is he around?"

Something seemed off about this guy, but Jubal didn't quite know what it is.

"Whatcho want him for?" One of the kids in the neighborhood thought that was the funniest thing to ask in the world. Jubal figured it would make him seem his age.

"I wanted to meet the person my dad keeps yammering on about. Trying to see if he's all that. You probably have no idea what I'm talking about do you, squirt."

Jubal just nodded at the guy, thinking more and more he might be insane. After all, who puts that much metal in their head willingly.

"Can I tell him you were here?"

The blond looked a little strangely at Jubal for a moment and then shook his head.

"Nah, I'll probably just try to come back another time."

Jubal decided right there he would not be home when that happened. Now to figure out something to do this summer that would keep him away from home.

***
"Thank you, Ms. Bonny. It's really alright if I read books here?"

"Yes, Jubal. And with the speed you're reading, it seems that this gets you new books faster."

In the two weeks since he'd started, he'd finished a full rack of the paperback books. Now to move on to the next rack.

***
"Jubal, where have you been all summer?" Katie was sitting on his front porch when he arrived home.

"Reading at the library and running."

"What's wrong?"

"I've been avoiding this strange man. He came over to my house at the beginning of summer and said he was planning on coming back. Mama Joey said that he came back a couple of times."

"So, I've been meaning to ask. . ."

"It's not about Marie is it?"

"Yeah. Mostly I wanted to ask if you were angry at me for the dance. You'd never talk about it, and I was so happy to see you in that beautiful dress, and I only hoped that you didn't hate me, and. . ." Katie began to cry, and Jubal wrapped her in a hug.

"Katie, I don't hate you for the dress. It was the most beautiful dress I've ever worn, and I would feel honored to wear any dress of yours."

"But, you tore it!"

"I was mad, and I felt betrayed, and I wanted never to see Marie again. I was completely Marie at that dance, and because of it I betrayed myself again. Someone wanted to take advantage of me. It happens every time I become Marie. Someone takes advantage of me."

"Are you saying you have more control of your life as Jubal? I mean, Lance originally latched onto you as Jubal."

"Well. . ."

"Jubal, have you talked to your therapist about this?"

Jubal silently shoot his head.

"Jubal, honey, this isn't your fault. You are still a little kid. You have a lot less control than the rest of us over your life, and even we have no control right now. Why do you think that teens rebel? We have no control otherwise."

Jubal gave a weak little smile, and Katie hugged him back.

"Jubal, you are the smartest kid I know. But sometimes you're really dumb, you know that?"

Jubal began to cry tears of joy, "You say the sweetest things some times, Katie."

"Only sometimes?"

***
Jubal huddled with Mama Joey in the stands because Katie was freezing on the sidelines in a cheerleader outfit. Jubal wanted to go home at this point since he really figured that the game was over.

Having watched enough games to begin to really have a basic understanding of the game, he figured a twenty-one point lead and five minutes left on the clock meant that Griffin would be taking the state championship this year.

He went over all of the combinations he could, and nothing he added could get two turnovers and three touchdowns in five minutes.

Jubal hadn't yet heard of an onsides kick.

In American football, the team kicking the ball is not allowed to regain control of the ball unless certain restrictions are adhered to: The ball either travels ten yards or comes into contact with a member of the opposing team and the receiving team is not directly interfered with in the regaining of the ball.

In a moment of distraction, a pass was thrown by the Sampson High quarterback for a seventy five yard gain, and a touchdown. Instead of kicking the ball through the uprights for a single extra point, it was run in for two.

Difference of thirteen points.

The two plays cost only a minute and a half between them.

Three and a half minutes remain.

The kicker lines up and sends the ball low and straight into the helmet of the Griffin Academy special teams players. It arced back toward the Sampson High line, and was recovered for another fifteen second loss.

Jubal perked up in the stands. Sure, the other team had done this, but it was still kind of awesome.

Assuming the other team meant to do another long bomb, the Griffin team backed up to try for an interception, or at least a dead ball. It would have been stupid for the Sampson High team to run the ball, because the clock would keep running, and not stop as soon as the ball came to rest.

They needed all the time they could get, but they had some razzle-dazzle plays of their own.

This one they nicknamed the freight train.

It was a running play and it basically involved all of the linemen running in front of the quarterback clearing the way. It never would have worked if the Griffin team had not assumed the passing play.

They were ready for the two point conversion this time and that brought the game to a seven point difference.

A touchdown and extra point to tie and go into sudden death field goal kicking.

A touchdown and a two point conversion would mean that Sampson won the game outright.

That is if they could pull another onsides kick. They only had forty-five seconds left, but as seen already this can be an eternity in American football.

"Time!" Coach Hensen called to the ref.

"Samuels, Eades, I want the two of you out there with special teams. Get that ball. We can worry about what we're doing next after that, we have another time out to deal with that. Get me that ball boys!"

When George trotted out onto the field Jubal cheered. He had a little bit of hero worship by this point. Even at nine years old he was still much too small for any of the organized sports, but that didn't mean he couldn't live vicariously through his friend.

The cheerleaders were leading the crowd in cheers trying to throw off the kicking team.

Samuels was five yards back from the line in the middle. George was at the left end.

As soon as the kicker's foot touched the ball George was off. He put out his hands and the ball dropped right into them.

It had bounced off Samuel's head and George was right where it had come back down. He laid on the speed then and took off. The stunned special teams got a move on, especially Samuels, and started screening for George as he ran down the field.

The crowd was on their feet and the announcer was yelling into his mic, "He's at the forty. . .the thirty. . .the twenty. . .the ten. . .he seems to be down on the one yard line. . ."

At the last second, George had stopped and grounded the ball within inches of another touchdown. The play clock and the game clock were the same as they set up for the next play.

The ball was snapped and the quarterback just waited for time to run out as even the Sampson High team knew that they had lost.

"The game is over. Time is up. Griffin wins! Griffin has won the state championship!"

***
Following the championship game the tables had been expanded to a double ring. People wanted to be part of the group that George was in.

"You know that as soon as high school is over, you go back to being an unknown freshman in college."

"You really know how to dampen a man's spirits, don't ya, Jubal."

"Hey, someone has to be realistic."

They laughed about it, and Katie hugged the two of them. She still wore her cheerleading outfit as they still had basketball to cheer for, even if no one she knew was playing.

"Jubal, you realize that you're a king in this school just like I am, don't you?"

"Me, I'm just the nine year old sophomore."

"And the nicest guy in the school. And the best matchmaker as well."

"Hey, the first ones were luck of the draw."

"Sure, they might have been, but you haven't failed to pair people up from your pool since then."

"I just wish everyone would stop coming to me for romantic help. I don't even date!"

"I think that's part of the reason that people come to you. You don't have a pony in the race."

Jubal snorted at this, but grinned at his friends.

"So, who are we going to talk to today?"

"Amanda actually. I realized that it's really time I helped her. She asked me almost a month ago, and really didn't have the heart to tell her."

"What? You're giving up on her?"

"She's still way too old for me. And I know someone who would treat her right."

Katie realized what he was going to say, even though George was clueless.

"Are you sure?"

"It's not like I'm setting them up as the perfect couple. I've never been trying to do that. I set people up who have similar interests, and besides me, they both actually have a lot in common."

They arrived at Amanda's locker just as she was closing it. "Amanda! Glad I caught you."

"Hey, Jubal. You finally give in and admit you want to date me?"

"Sorry, you know I don't date, but I do know someone that fits you perfectly. I've already told him my choice, and he thought I was crazy. Give him a chance, Okay?"

Like usual, he'd plotted the distance and time properly, and stepped out of the way just as Lance came around the corner. He looked a little surprised to see Jubal there, but rushed forward before he lost his nerve.

"Amanda, um, I was wondering if you wanted to go to Winter Dance with me?"

"I'd love to, Lance!"

Jubal stepped back a little sad, but with a big smile on his face.

"You want to talk about it, Jubal?"

"It's okay. I'm simply in the wrong body. Apparently I should have been born four years before I actually was."

"Yeah, but then you wouldn't be the wonderfully smart younger brother of the entire school."

They laughed at this, and Jubal only looked back once to see Amanda and Lance talking.

He controlled his breathing, and made it to the bathroom before he began to cry.

George stood at the entrance to the boys bathroom while Katie went in to comfort him.

"Jubal, what's wrong honey?"

"It's not fair, Katie. I don't get a relationship of my own."

"I thought you didn't want a relationship."

"Of course I want a relationship, I just know I'm not ready for one. I'm like my own parent."

Katie giggled at this and held him until he was cried out.

"Jubal, you have to realize that you've had a much better run of it than most kids in your position, right?"

"I know, but it doesn't stop me missing what I can't have."

"I know. Hey, maybe next year we can set you up with a freshman?"

"Are you kidding? Seriously? The freshmen THIS year were immature enough. Can you imagine what they'll be like next year when we're juniors?"

They both laughed at this, even though Jubal began to wonder. He'd be turning ten. Maybe he'd almost be ready for something then. He certainly FELT more mature than he had when he started this whole thing.

***
Jubal broached the subject with Dr. Rath the next time he had a therapy session.

"Jubal, there isn't a specific age at which you are ready for a relationship. I've had thirty-year-olds in here who still aren't emotionally ready."

"What do you think about me, doctor?"

"Do you feel like you are ready?"

"I still don't know. I don't know if I even want to be, yet. I do want to be with someone thought. I want to have a relationship like George and Katie do."

"Ah, but we haven't even answered whether or not you want to be Katie or George."

Jubal blushed, but nodded.

"May I make a suggestion, Jubal. I know I usually try and let you come to your own decisions, which is very hard for me with a child of your age, but I feel that this is important."

"Ok, Dr. Rath. What do you suggest?"

"Wait on a relationship until you know whether being Jubal or Marie is who you are. Don't let other's good intentions make up your mind for you. That won't define who you are supposed to be with, and leave that until you decide who you are.

"I say this for you as much as for whomever you decide to be with. They deserve the best you can give them, which means that you are whole in mind, body, and spirit."

"Don't you think that's kind if heavy for a nine year old, doc?"

"Sure, but then I'm talking to you and not just any nine year old."

They both smiled, and as usual Jubal shook Dr. Rath's hand as he left. the room.