The Adventures of John, James and Jack: Book Two - Choices

By Janice Elliott-Howard

The trio is moving onto high school. They are physically and mentally prepared for what is about to happen. Can they handle it emotionally? The journey continues for John, James, and Jack as three become two. The new challenges that face them are the same as you and me. Will Jack forget the others? Can John cope with his secret? His affliction is revealed. It comes as a surprise and could end the friendship. Is James ready to go it alone? The trio has decisions to make that could break the ties or tighten them. Can this cause trouble as they are all starting anew? Join me to find out.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Janice Elliott-Howard
• Release date: Aug 12, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370467037

Janice Elliott-Howard

J Elliott-Howard is a native of New York, New York. She holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration. She has had a successful career in corporate America. A divorced mother of two adult children and a grandmother of three. She enjoys photography and water color painting. She had been known to always see her glass as half-full instead of empty. She has a very interesting way of relating to people and her peers always seem to gravitate to her idealism. She has always been told that she ought to be an author based on her delivery methods of good, bad or indifferent news. She always manages to keep herself and those around centered in thought and action.

Book preview

The Adventures of John, James and Jack:

Book Two - Choices

Copyright 2017 Janice Elliott-Howard

Published by Janice Elliott-Howard at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes

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Table of Contents

Prologue

New School Year

Adjustments

You the Man

Girls, Girls, Girls

The Break

John’s Affliction

The Recovery

Together Again

The Girlfriends

The Wrong Turn

Time for a Change

About Janice Elliott-Howard

Other books by Janice Elliott-Howard

Connect with Janice Elliott-Howard

Book Three – On My Own Preview

Prologue

John, James, and Jack appear to be getting along fine. The trio is bonding, and recent events give them a reason to trust each other without question. John still guards his feelings, but James and Jack seem to have put everything out on the table. James feels like he has a special connection to John and Jack. Jack feels like John and James are the big brothers that he never had. John believes that James and Jack accept him with all his quirks so there is no need to share anything unnecessary that might give them pause. Julius watches over the trio from afar; he does his best to keep them out of trouble. As the trio continues to evolve, the decisions that have to be made get more challenging, and they will not make the right choice every time. The choices that they make could determine whether or not trouble will find them.

The winter break ends, everyone returns to school except Murray. The entire eighth-grade class is talking about what happened over the holiday break. The coach is so disappointed. He calls John, James, and Jack into his office to give them a chance to confide in him should they want to talk about it. The trio is confused as to why they have been summoned. No one has anything to say about the incident. The school year continues, the basketball season ends with the Twin River Middle School Bears once again not making it to the division finals. Surprisingly, John, James, and Jack take it well. John and James are focusing on their next chapter as they will be graduating to move on to high school. The fact that John and James will be moving on makes Jack a little sad. The duo reassures him that they will still be friends and promise not to go out for any sports teams until sophomore year when Jack can join them.

John and James plan a graduation party; Jack is the first guest on their list. Rosalie and Renee are very proud of each of their son’s accomplishments. The patriarchs return to Georgia to participate in the celebration. Momma and Papa give Jack praise for his promotion to the eighth grade. They know that he is feeling a little blue knowing that John and James are moving on without him. The Stewarts are hoping with John and James leaving for high school; it gives Jack motivation to continue to do well so that he can catch up with his best buds within a year. Members of the basketball team come to the party. A few are part of the graduating class. Half are the same age as Jack and will be graduating next year.

It’s a beautiful spring day, perfect weather for a graduation party. In the state of Georgia, middle schools do not have a graduation ceremony to move onto high school. John and James along with all their guests celebrate the promotion to high school. Both are excited to be moving on; both are nervous about what lies ahead. Jack is happy for them and just a little sad that he is being left behind. They all sing For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow for the two. Mr. Michaelson and Mr. Treeburn join in with the hooting and hollering in support of their sons. The mothers wipe away tears, happy to see that the two have hit yet another milestone. Next stop, Buford High for these two. This summer would be carefree for the duo. Jack would do everything in his power to keep up with his friends as he feels as if they will drift apart once the new school semester begins. John and James try to reassure Jack that they will remain a team. Jack wants to believe them but has a hard time as loss is something that is so familiar to Jack that it only seems natural that once he is comfortable the inevitable happens, he has to start over again. Only this time, the start will be the best thing that could ever happen to him. Jack does not realize it now as the idea of losing the close friendship with John and James is all that he can see.

We pick up with our trio at the end of the summer break 2006, John and James are starting high school. Jack is now a senior in middle school; he has become a lost soldier without a company. He does not see the benefit of it all; the blinders will come off, and he will embrace this last year of middle school. John and James will discover something that they did not think was possible. John and James begin to have anxiety about high school as the first day of school grows closer. James puts his guard up, and John puffs out his chest as if he can take on the world. Mr. Treeburn is back in town for the first few days of the new school year per usual; the Treeburn family always stand together when it comes to their children’s education. Julius is not too thrilled with the idea of John and James going to the same school as he but no matter this is his senior year. He will be off to college next year.

New School Year

Dude, I have no clue as to what I should wear, John screams across the hall at Julius on the first day of high school. Julius pokes his head into the hallway and says just put on some jeans, a button-down shirt, and the Adidas that you got for your birthday. John is leaning against his doorway with a look of defeat on his face, rolls his eyes, sighs and says alright as he grits his teeth. Rosalie, John’s mother, calls the two as now there is only one trip to make instead of two. Mr. Treeburn is having coffee at the breakfast bar while he waits for his sons to come down ready to go off and start their first day of freshman and senior year. Julius is the first to appear at the bottom of the staircase greeting both his mother and father with a boisterous Good morning mommy and dad. The couple reply in unison, Good morning son. Mr. Treeburn gives Julius a look as he sips his coffee as if to say, where is your brother? Julius sighs as he knows that look means get John now.

John is finally dressed, exiting his room, as Julius approaches the top of the stairway. He shrugs his shoulders as if to inquire, what could be the matter? Julius rolls his eyes as he turns around to head back downstairs. John quickly follows with his backpack. He has a perplexed look on his face as his parent look at the both of them. The family sits down to a hot breakfast before heading out the door. Mr. Treeburn watches John’s behavior at the table; he is looking for signs that John might have an outburst on this sunny day in August. Rosalie’s heart is racing; she wants things to go smoothly for both Julius and John. More so for John, as he is her biggest worry. John although fidgety appears to be in good spirits. He is sighing a lot. Julius notices this from the time John was worried about his wardrobe earlier.

The Treeburn family all pile in Rosalie’s station wagon as they head off to Buford High School. Julius worries about John, he does not want anything to mess up his senior year. The friendships that he has developed are few, but one meltdown from John can tarnish his reputation for being cool, wise, and have people gravitate to him. John breaks out in a sweat; Rosalie notices as he unbuttons his shirt. Rosalie is hoping that the anxiety is not too much for him. Rosalie clutches her purse to calm her nerves. Mr. Treeburn notices but says nothing about it. He proceeds to start a conversation with John to avert his attention from whatever it is that is currently going through his head. Do you think that you will try out for the basketball team? Mr. Treeburn asks of John. Julius and John look at each other and both answer. Julius first, Nope, I’m not interested in playing for this school. John follows with a serious look on his face. I will have to see how they play and besides we made a pact that we would not try out for any sports until sophomore year when Jack gets here. Mr. Treeburn with pursed lips shakes his head up and down to acknowledge the answers that his boys gave as he continues to drive to the school.

They arrive at the school; John sees James with his mother about to enter the building, and a calm comes across him. Rosalie spots Renee with James; she too begins to relax. Julius just wants to get through this first day. Mr. Treeburn feels the same as Julius because John should have matured enough by now to handle whatever comes his way. If only the Treeburns’ could believe that to be true, the first day of school would not be such an emotional roller coaster for all of them. Julius goes through the motions with his parent as he is dropped at his homeroom first. Rosalie and her ex-husband meet his teacher with John in tow. They quickly leave Julius to get settled as he will have the same routine, the only thing changing is the grade and the homeroom teacher.

John is starting to fidget with his clothing as they head down three flights of stairs into a sea of ninth graders all looking like calves caught in headlights. The Treeburns’ head to the school registrar to get information on where John is to report. John is dragging his feet as he follows. Rosalie is tense. She is a nervous wreck at the beginning of every school year with good reason. John is unpredictable. His acclimation is the most important thing to his parents in the first week of any new educational environment. They locate the office; John is still lagging behind. Mr. Treeburn gives him a look as if to indicate that he needs to put some pep in his step. John catches the look on his fathers’ face and sighs as he quickens his pace. Just down the corridor, they find Johns’ homeroom. The teacher is so youthful that she could be mistaken for a student herself if it were not for her attire of a skirt, blouse, and hosiery with a string of delicate pearls about her neck. Both John and his father are struck by her beauty. Mrs. Treeburn cannot help but fall into the same gaze as they looked at her from the doorway. Hello, I am Ms. Hunter. John immediately chimes in, Hi, my name is John. These are my parents. Mr. Treeburn extends his hand in front of Rosalie. The couple chat with the teacher for all of a few moments, give John a pep talk about behavior and disappear back down the crowded hallway. John finds a seat inside the classroom awaiting instructions as the school day begins.

Two corridors away, Renee and James find his homeroom. James seems excited as he is hoping to wind up with John. The two did not get put into the same homeroom class. The day is young; there is still a chance that the two might share a class together. Rene is happy that James is ready for this new adventure. She often worries about him. His ability to gravitate to people is getting better. Renee only wants the best for her son. James finds a seat in the back of the room because he is a bit taller than many of the other ninth graders in the class. He is losing hope that John will walk through the door. James knows that John is in the building because they saw each other briefly. When James gets edgy, he draws in his sketch pad. He begins creating a scene of students shuffling pass the doorway. While in the middle of drawing a set of lockers, two young ladies enter the classroom. One speaks with the teacher while the other listens. James