07: So Little Time

Jake had never really been excited to put on a pair of bowling shoes. Not after how long he had worked at Rock-N-Bowl over the years. Yet he still found himself heading over as soon as his workday had ended. As if he his work ever ended.

If there was one thing he had seen change over the years, it was how easy it was to keep your work with you at all times. E-mail accounts attached to phones. Every notification from every app pulsating a colorful light that caught the eye of every owner every two seconds. The ability to check up on work correspondences, reactions to social media posts, what the "competition" was doing was at his fingertips at every hour of the day. It wasn't so out of the ordinary for Jake and Ashley to spend a night winding down from a long day at work, cuddled up on the couch, each reaching for their phones or other devices during commercial breaks, or whenever their phone vibrated. Ashley even more with her position as VP of the public relations company.

As frustrating as he found it at times – to have his mind wander to that anticipated e-mail response, to his inbox filled with proposals from those reaching out to him – he was just as attached to his phone as she was. But now, it was sitting securely in his pocket, only vibrating when the pounding music that was playing in the building was loud enough to be felt in his whole entire body.

Setting down his glass of beer onto the table he had coveted the moment he stepped into the loud entertainment center. Smacking his lips, he looked dragged his tongue over the foam that collected on his upper lip and reached for the plate of nachos that sat in the center of the table, quickly cooling.

"Hey," Katy said, slapping at his hand. "Don't take all the loaded ones." She scooped a chip out of the pile and popped it into her mouth. As she chewed, she indicated the plate with her index finger. "This side doesn't nearly have enough toppings."

"You could always make a complaint," Jake offered, handing her a napkin.

"You realize I still work here," Katy said with a laugh. She licked a glob of melted cheese off of her thumb. "I'm just saying, when I'm on the clock, no one complains about the nachos." She then pointed a finger at him. "And I hope you're not driving home by yourself, young man."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Jake said with a laugh. He looked out over the bowling lanes and angled his head to the side. "I think it's your turn, Katy." Katy looked over at the monitors hanging off the screen and her eyes lit up when she saw that her name (or rather her bowling nickname Kit-Kat) blinking.

"All right," Katy said, rubbing her hands together. "Let's see if I can make up for that one-three I missed." She made a show of flexing her fingers, stretching her arms in front of her and above her head as she went.

Jake chuckled, taking another chip from the plate of nachos as Ronan moved to sit down at their table. "Hate to say it," Jake said to his friend, "but I think these kids are going to give us a run for our money."

Ronan gave a half-smile as he started to stretch his left leg. "Sooner or later we weren't going to be able to keep up with them," he replied. His face pinched into a grimace and he pressed his knuckles into the muscle at the side. "Just didn't think it was going to be this quick. And we're not even old!"

"Speak for yourself," Jake said, angling his head towards Ronan's knee.

"You try having six kids, a daughter-in-law, and a granddaughter and not feel like you're falling apart," Ronan replied with a snort. "Although, with this group, I'm sure you'll feel like that in no time."

Jake nodded absentmindedly, looking out over the lanes. They were all here now. The three bands that would help him try and conquer the biggest feat he's ever attempted. Who had ever heard of three headlining bands all on one tour? They hadn't even officially announced everything they were planning, but still it felt like all eyes were on them.

He knew for sure he would have to keep his eyes on them. It was hard enough to wrangle McFly all into one space at a time, to get them to focus, to stop joking around long enough to answer people's questions. Even when it was their natural charm, wit, and ability to put each other down that made people like them. Still, it was his job to make sure their thoughts and ideas were heard, that they actually had a hand in doing what it was they wanted to do. Now with Busted and Blazing Phoenix attached to it? It was definitely going to be a wild ride.

Jake applauded, watching all but one pin on Katy's turn fall to the wooden floor. She spun on her heels, a bright smile on her face, to accept the high-fives and cheers that Patrick, Noah, and Sydney gave her. It was funny how, even after all these years the band knew how to split themselves up. The older group. The younger kids. The leaders. The songwriters. The bands. Everyone else. It wasn't long after Katy had clocked out and sat down to catch up with the Jacksons that McFly and Busted had showed up to spend the night playing a few games.

"How is that going, anyway?" Jake asked Ronan, his eyes still on Katy and her friends. "It's been, what, seven years now?" He turned to face Ronan. "Since you adopted the Jacksons?"

"Mmhm." Ronan nodded, slowly stretching out his leg. "Almost eight."

Jake settled forward, leaning against the table. He clutched his glass of beer and gently rocked it from side to side, watching the amber liquid swirl in a circle. People had often said that he and Ronan looked alike. Personally, he didn't see it. With how Ronan was more laid back, draped in his seat like the coat he had flung over the back of the seat as he joined the table, it was easy to tell the two men apart. Jake was more on top of things. He had to be. It was too easy for things to fall apart. Even now he knew he was chancing that his chair didn't give way underneath him, or he didn't break a toe by dropping his bowling ball on his foot.

"It's going really well. I think I lucked out in adopting them when they were not only already toilet trained but had a firm grasp of independence." Jake laughed. Luck had nothing to do with it. It had simply been done at the right time. "Not from each other, but in general. However, I swear, the older they get, the more they act like toddlers."

"And, let me guess, you love every minute of it?" Jake asked. Ronan just smiled. "Yeah, watching Katy grow up has been pretty awesome. But, it's so weird, too. Right?" Ronan gave him a curious look. "Like you can remember what they were like five years ago, ten years ago, and you never noticed them changing."

"Physically, sure," Ronan agreed. "I've noticed them change socially for the better, though." Jake hummed, nodding in agreement. "Therapy has really helped them out. There are some things they still avoid talking about, of course, but they've just opened up more in general."

"They seem to be so much happier," Jake said. He looked over at the lane McFly had taken over. Dougie was chancing his luck by sticking his head in the ball return, only to pull it away at the last second when a ball was spit out for the next turn. Riley had her bowling ball cradled in her arms, one hip popped out, as she chatted with Harry. Rhuben was laughing at Danny's attempts at a pirouette on the slick flooring.

"They are," Ronan agreed, "but like I said, they're basically toddlers. If they're not having a giggle-fest over here, they're practically killing each other over there. And that's without it being under the guise of trying to be my favorite kid."

"Oh, come on, you don't have a favorite kid," Jake protested with a laugh. "I mean, what?"

"Of course, I do," Ronan replied instantly, "it's whichever one isn't driving me crazy at the moment." Jake let out a loud laugh, lifting his glass to his lips. "I'm glad they're finally comfortable enough to enjoy life, but they are going to give me gray hair. I can just tell."

Swallowing his mouthful of beer, Jake nodded his head. He remembered when he had first met the Jacksons – 16-year-old twin girls Riley and Rhuben, 13-year-old twin boys Patrick and Noah, and eight-year-old Sydney were some of the most talented kids he had ever met. He had come across them trying to make it in America just like McFly was doing. Only, maybe, they were a bit further ahead. But they were so young. So impressionable. So professional. Always on time. Good work ethic. A great sense of sibling bonding. Never put a toe out of line. Almost eerily so.

At least not when their foster father, Robert, was around. They were like machines; they had a routine down pat. Always knew where each other was, what their responsibilities were. Even how to conduct themselves in meetings whenever Robert was too drunk, or too hungover to pull himself together to attend. They knew how to get their work done. They knew how to act like adults who had been in the industry for years.

When they could just be themselves, hanging out with Tom, Danny, Dougie, and Harry, they were completely different kids. Fun. Funny. Always up for mischief. And could talk their way out of it with a well-timed smile of innocence. Especially from young Sydney. His dimples could dazzle anyone into forgiving him for anything he did. The youngest in his family, in the whole entire group, it wasn't too surprising.

They had to grow up fast, learning how to traverse a life that asked so much from them in the form of their careers in music after the death of their biological parents, and their placement with their foster father. There had been a lot of outbursts. A lot of excuses. A lot of promises that Jake had witnessed firsthand from the Jacksons that had him worried for their wellbeing. When it had come to his attention the reasoning behind it all, the years of abuse they had been hiding, it had made him sick. Every encounter he had with them, with Robert as intense as he was at every moment, they were in the same room together, made a lot more sense in hindsight.

He had grown so attached to them over their time spent working to get their music out that he had considered adopting them. It didn't work out the way he had planned, but he knew things were better off this way. Five kids, six with their oldest brother in Australia, and Katy? All the while still traversing an industry as unpredictable as teenagers dealing with trauma could be. Often times he had wondered if he had made the right decision not going along with it, but seeing them now? Jake knew it was right.

"If Ronan hadn't adopted the Jacksons, would you have done it?" Katy had asked him once upon a time.

"Sure," Jake had replied without hesitation. He had made a joke about how his bad luck probably wouldn't have fared well for any of them, but he still stood by his words. Despite the guilt that reared its ugly head from time to time.

Katy had spread her arms out, using her hands to indicate herself as she had said, "I've lived with your bad luck all my life, and I'm still here in one piece. That's a win there, don't you think?"

"Well, you've done a great job with them," Jake said, setting his glass down once again. "They're really flourished with you. I'm glad they had you to look out for them." Just looking at them all talking, joking, laughing, and teasing each other, he wondered how they would have turned out if he had done it on his own. Or if it would just be another thing that he would have failed at.

The biggest change Jake could see between them all, physically, mentally, or emotionally, was Sydney. Not only was he taller, and of course his voice getting deeper, he had lost his baby fat, and his face had become more angular. He was certainly becoming a man, resembling his own father and any other male figure in his life. While still an open and happy young man (evident by his ever-present dimples), a lot of the energy, and shy energy, he had as a kid had mellowed out into the more chill and laid-back person he was today. He was even draped over the hard-plastic seat much like Ronan was now.

Patrick was a ball of energy as usual, trying to keep the game light by trying different styles of rolling the bowling ball down the lane. His hair was slicked upwards in its usual spiky style. And he was debuting the return of his lip piercings, and his single earring. Noah also had his lip piercings in but looked "cleaner" than his twin with his hair slicked back, wearing a simple grey t-shirt and dark wash jeans. Noah was still more quiet, more observant than Patrick, but could dish out a teasing comment or two, followed up with a smile, accepting the surprise that usually followed his comments. He was more the type to speak when he had something to say.

Of course, Riley and Rhuben stuck to their accent color for identification purposes. But they had both grown into confident young women. He wouldn't say their clothing style was more revealing but more relaxed. More into what fit their personal style compared to the long sleeves and long pants they usually wore growing up. If the attention wasn't on their music, they didn't want it on themselves personally, lest anyone find out the secret they had been trying to hide for years.

Jake couldn't help but smile. They really had grown to be a well put together family.

"How was the flight?" Jake asked.

"Well," Ronan said, his eyes widening slightly, "it was uneventful compared to the cart races they all decided to have in the terminal waiting for our flight." He made a face. "And I'm talking both luggage carts and security carts. I'm telling you; I don't know how they got out of the country."

"Between that and daring each other to try and take a full lap around the baggage claim track, I think you got off pretty lightly," Jake said.

"This is going to be crazy," Ronan said, his smile fading slightly. "I mean, a triple headlining tour. And Jacqui and Gen will be coming out soon, too."

Even Jake could understand Riley and Rhuben being tired of being around guys all the time, even with their growing interest in the opposite sex over the years. It would be nice for them to have some girl friends to blow off steam with. But it was the blow off steam part he was a little wary about. Whenever any member of this big friend group got bored, some extraordinary things seemed to happen. And not always in a good way. In the kind of way where it was better not to get too many answers.

"We can do it," Jake said. "No problem."

The two men sat in a comfortable silence for a moment. Ronan broke it with a clearing of his throat and asking, "Things with you and Ashley going ok?" Jake looked over at him. "You have any marriage plans coming soon? You've been together for a while."

"Yeah," Jake a greed. "We've just been really busy. Wanting to make sure we can get the most out of our careers." He tapped the side of his glass with his fingernails. "I was talking to Katy about this not too long ago. She was wondering when we were going to get married, too."

"And?"

"I do want to marry her," Jake said. "I am going to marry her one day. I just…" He trailed off the end of his sentence. He wanted to be worthy of being her husband. To feel like he could bring something to the marriage. That he wasn't just living off of the wealth she had established for herself. All of that and more? It was hard for him to ask for help sending Katy to school. He knew Ashley would agree to it in a heartbeat, but it still took a lot of him to ask. At the same time, he was so happy to know that Ashley had his back and was there for him no matter what. "It just needs to be perfect, I guess."

"With the luck the both of you share, I think any way you do It would be perfect," Ronan said.

"Yeah, maybe," Jake replied, simply. "It's just the not knowing that's hard. I know deep down she'll say 'yes', no matter what. But, there's still that small chance…" He shook his head from side to side, letting out a deep sigh. He was getting ahead of himself. Even with his bad luck, he always had a positive outlook on life. There was no point in turning back on that now. They had way too much ahead of them to already start thinking negatively before they even crossed the starting line. "I think it's my turn to bowl."

"Good luck," Ronan said.

"Thanks," Jake said, getting to his feet. "I'll try not to get my fingers stuck." He made his way over to the lane, waving away the jeers from the musicians as he picked up his black bowling ball. He shifted the weight from one hand to another before stepping up onto the wooden lane. He shook out his free hand and stared down the pins. He'd be lucky if he could even break 100 by the end of the game…especially after throwing a seven-ten split.

Of course.

"Ooh," Harry called from the next lane over, cupping a hand around his mouth, "bad luck, Jakey."

"Yeah, yeah," Jake said, putting his hands to his hips, "what else is new?" He smiled good naturedly and waited for his ball to return to him. He picked it up, slid his fingers into the holes, and proceeded to throw a gutter ball. More laughs. "Alright, alright, let me see you get it, Harry."

"Now, Jake, let's not get crazy here," Harry replied, putting his hands up defensively. "We're just playing a friendly game here."

Rolling his eyes, Jake moved to drop down into the empty seat beside Katy. The plastic seating creaked under his weight. He nudged Katy with his shoulder. "I'm surprised you're not turning this into a photo shoot; you're always glued to your phone."

"Bull shoot," Katy said with a roll of her eyes.

"No shoot," Jake shot back with a smile of his own. He quickly grabbed her phone from between them and snapped a picture, ignoring her noise of frustration. He didn't give her time to perfect a better pose). "Here. Post that. You look fine."

"Ehhh, it's ok," Katy said, taking a better look at the picture on her camera roll. She slid up next to him and held her phone up in front of their faces. "Smile!" Jake briefly rolled his eyes before giving the camera a bright smile. The shutter clicked, and Katy moved back to her end of the couch. "Can I share that online?"

"Go ahead." Jake waved his hand in the air. "I just apologize in advanced for ruining your cred with my ugly mug."

"Nah," Katy said with a laugh, "all my friends think you're a fox. And no one says 'cred' anymore. Get with the times."

Jake chuckled. He had learned that it wasn't easy to keep up with the times. Not anymore. Things were always just changing too quickly.


A/N: So, like usually happens, with McFly releasing Happiness and new music/content coming from them again (I am so excited to see what else they have in store for this new album), I've got some inspiration to get this updated. Thanks for your patience and for taking the time to check this out.

-Rhuben