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Janae liked Thomas. Finally, someone similar in age who was quite smart, just like him. And not just "can read quickly" smart, but "actually knew about interesting topics" smart.
The two often waited for their parents together, outside the school on the edge of the sidewalk. Gave them more time to talk.
"People like feeling like they belong," Thomas explained. "That they have a purpose in this this world, how people end up making or joining cults."
"Part of the reason why people get really involved in any community really. Cults, definitely, but also simpler groups like a yoga class or sports team," Janae added.
Thomas nodded along, shivering as the cool winds picked up again.
"Should have brought a coat."
"You can borrow this one," Janae offered as he pulled the rather large winter coat off himself, revealing a much better fitting one underneath.
"Thank you, but why were you wearing two coats?" Thomas questioned as he slid his arms through the sleeves a bit too long for him.
"That one's my brothers," Janae explained. "He left it with me on accident. So I put it on so I didn't leave it anywhere."
"Smart."
Janae nodded. Was then he noticed his shoe was untied and bent down to fix it.
"Oh hey, there's your dad," Thomas reported.
Janae didn't have to look up to hear his dad's loud voice approach, obviously on the phone with whoever, as usual.
Thomas watched the man he'd spoken to once or twice prior walk over to them, attention fully taken up by his phone call. Hardly even looked at the two boys as he briefly stopped in front of them.
Janae finished with his shoe, standing up just in time to see his mentally absent farther drag a confused Thomas into the crowd of other parents and children.
"… Dad? Dad!" A few other fathers looked as Janae attempted to run after them, but not his own. Eventually, he lost them in the crowd, unable to even spot his father's car in the parking lot.
Woah.
He knew his parents were stupid. But managing to taking the wrong child? Ridiculous. He really needed to find a better home for him and Johnny. Moving that up on his priority list.
What was the best course of action now? Was a far walk home. However, would likely be shorter than the time it took his parents to realize they had the wrong child. No matter how many time Thomas tried to tell them. Waiting was another option. But —
"Oh, Janae!"
He turned around, spotting Thomas's mother, Gemma running over to him. 'Play-dates' were always at Thomas's house, so Janae knew her and her husband well by now.
"Janae, have you seen Thomas? Got all confused when you boys weren't where you usually are."
"Well, it seems my father managed to mistake Thomas for myself, and took him home instead."
….
"What?"
"He's not very smart," Janae noted. "I was tying my shoe, he was distracted on the phone and Thomas was wearing my brother's jacket. Which I was wearing this morning."
Gemma's eyes blinked a few times as she tried to understand the situation.
"Janae, are you saying your father failed to realize the entire way to the car that he was taking the wrong kid?"
"He's not very bright."
"Oh sweet Jesus," Gemma muttered under her breath, still loud enough for Janae to hear. "I'm… sorry Janae. I'm sure your father didn't mean to —"
"Oh you don't have to justify his actions Ms Gemma," Janae interrupted. "I am aware he's a very absent father, this isn't the first time he's left me at school. Though it is the first time he's mistake another child for me."
Gemma was a little taken aback by Janae's blunt answer, struggling to come up with the correct words.
"That shouldn't be normal Janae — are you and Johnny okay at home?"
"Well physical I suppose we're fine, my brother and I. Have food and clothes. Our parents just don't really care that much about us. Outside of our football practice. Definitely not a stable home for children. After the incident with the neighbour last week, it's been considerably worse."
"The incident with the neighbour?" Gemma repeated. She'd now crouched to his level, listening carefully to his words. Something nice about having and adult seriously listen to him. "You mean the house fire?"
"Yes. But before that, the neighbour came over and had an affair with my mother, under the assumption that sex with her is where my father got his football talent from, that lead him to beat said neighbour in a game many years ago," Janae started to explain. "Things I legally shouldn't admit to lead to the neighbour's house catching on fire and my father came home to discover the fire and the affair."
"… Oh?" Gemma said, once again slowly trying to process Janae's wall of information. "And your parents are still, together?"
"Legally." Janae confirmed.
"Okay… okay that's a lot of information in thirty seconds," Gemma muttered. "Okay — I need to get Thomas back. Surely your parents will noticed soon —"
"Not likely," Janae insisted.
"Well suppose after all that it's not surprising," Gemma admitted. "We'll just head to your house then. Believe I can remember the way."
Janae followed Gemma to her own car, taking a spot in the back seat.
"I am glad you trust me enough to tell me all about your family, Janae," Gemma remarked as they pulled out of the school parking lot.
"Considering Mr. Thomas was a part of a cult, you would not be in a place to judge my family situation," Janae stated bluntly.
"Suppose you're not wrong there," Gemma agreed.
Thomas had given up trying to get the man's attention a minute into the car ride, it was clearly pointless. Janae wasn't wrong when he called his father stupid. He still hadn't noticed when they arrived at the house and gone inside. Or when he briefly said hello to his wife and older son.
Martha didn't notice either, not looking up from her newspaper as she greeted who she believed to be Janae. Johnny stared a Thomas with a confused expression, the only one who seemed to pay any attention to the fact that he was not Janae.
"I tried to tell him," Thomas explained with a shrug as he gave Johnny his coat back. Johnny gave a small, understanding nod. He knew how obvious his parents could be.
It was only then Martha looked up long enough to realize that he was in fact, not her son. She questioned Thomas, Thomas explained exactly what happened. Martha than yelled at her husband for grabbing the wrong kid, he yelled it was Janae and Thomas's fault because of the coat, which quickly brought them both into a loud screaming match.
Johnny and Thomas stood to the side, watching the fight unfold. Thomas leaned over slightly so Johnny could hear him over the yelling.
"Are they always like this?"
"Often. After the whole neighbour thing…" Johnny admitted, hand covering his ear opposite of Thomas.
Thomas nodded, having heard of what had happened from Janae. "So that's why Janae always wants to come over to my house."
Johnny nodded.
"… They aren't good parents."
"Yeah… I wouldn't think so."
Johnny and Janae's parents either didn't hear, or didn't care about the loud, rhythmic knock at the front door.
"Probably my mum." Thomas assumed. He and Johnny went to answer.
Sure enough, his mother and Janae waited outside. Gemma pulled Thomas into a quick hug, looking him over as if to make sure he was okay.
"I'm fine mum," he reassured before she could ask. "But I don't think it's a good idea for Janae and Johnny to live here. Like… I've been here for five minutes, and I want to put my head through the wall."
"I'm starting to believe the same," Gemma agreed as she glared up thought the doorway to the kitchen at the still screaming parents. "Janae, Johnny, how about the two of you come have dinner and spend the night at our place?"
Johnny nodded quickly, now having both hands pressed against his ears in attempts to drown out the noise. Janae nodded as well.
"Great. Now why don't the three of you go waiting in the car while I speak to your parents?" Gemma's kind smile to the children dropped the moment she walked into the kitchen.
Johnny pulled his coat on, confused by Thomas and Janae as they got closer to the kitchen doorway.
"Didn't Ms Gemma say to go to the car?"
"You can," Thomas noted. "But I wanna see my mom cuss your parents out."
"Same," Janae agreed.
Hesitantly, Johnny joined the younger boys, watching Gemma clear her throat incredibly loudly just to finally get the attention of his parents.
"Hello. Gemma, Thomas's mother, we've met before," she introduced briefly. "Please, tell me how in God's name you managed to not only take the wrong child home without noticing once on a ten minute ride home, and, why your first reaction to doing that was to scream at each other like children instead of going to find your own child?"
"Well — excuse me!" Martha huffed. "What gives you the right to come into our home and question how we raise our children?"
"From what I've learned, you're hardly raising them at all," Gemma retorted sharply. "You know how eager they are to leave this place? To leave you? And I don't blame them one bit after what I've —"
Janae's father tried to interject. "Those children have no idea—"
"I am not done." Gemma stated loudly and firmly. Her eyes dug into the man, silencing him quickly. "Because of that, your boys will be coming and spending the night with us. And before you threaten to call the police, -" Martha's mouth fell shut again. "- need I remind you, it was you who essentially kidnapped my son, and there is a lot of things about how you treat you children I will gladly tell them. Have I made myself fucking clear?"
Martha and her husband remained silent, giving only a small glance at each other.
"It's your fault."
"Me — you went to pick up the boy!"
And their fighting resumed, pushing the blame back and forth.
"My fucking god." Gemma turned around, unsurprised to see the children still behind her.
"Good job mom," Thomas praised sincerely with a smile. Gemma smiled back as she ruffled his hair.
"Johnny, Janae, did you boys need to get anything before we go?"
"I have bags all packed with the necessities right here," Janae reported as he pulled two bags out from a bin clearly meant to hold hats and scarves. He handed one to his brother. "We can go now."
"Great. Let's get going then. I believe Thomas Sr. is making chili tonight," Gemma recalled, as she ushered the children out the door.
"I understand why you hate it there, Janae. You're parents are assholes."
"Language, Thomas."
"I didn't say bitch or fuck!"
"Thomas!"