Circumstances Scene 51

A little while later Jean and Mary were coming to check on their charges and see if they were still asleep. Jack’s door was first and Jean opened it to find both Jack and Chastity sitting in Jack’s crib. “Oh! You’re both awake,” she said as both teens turned to look at her. Mary came around then to see. Jack and Chastity looked remarkably unconcerned to see them; indeed, Chastity’s attention had focused on a small, white rectangular object. Jean’s eyes picked out the slender white cord of the headphones and realized they were listening to music.
“Good morning,” Jack said in greeting.
“Good morning, John,” Jean said in return (she didn’t call him Jack), a look of suspicion coming over her. Jack regarded Jean casually and there was nothing but innocence in his expression. Chastity’s expression was a mirror of Jack’s, but hers had more concentration in it as she scrolled through Jack’s track listings. Jean allowed the silence to hang for a few moments as she sized up the scene before her. There was nothing to suggest any funny business had gone on, and Jean was forced to abandon the thought process. “Well, breakfast is up, and after that you two can shower,” Jean said to break the ice.
Chastity absently handed the iPod back to Jack, took the ear bud out and handed that to him as well and climbed out of his crib. Jack followed suit, taking the time to carefully wrap up the ear buds before moving. He dropped the iPod in his bag before following the ladies out of his room. “So, what would you two like for breakfast?” Jean asked civilly, even cheerfully.
Chastity shrugged. “Cereal is fine,” she answered.
“John?”
“That works,” he answered as well. “Quick and easy, no muss, no fuss.”
“Alright, then,” Jean said, still cheerful. She led them into the dining room and fetched travel pack cereal cartons for them; Fruit Loops were the order of the day. Milk came next from a gallon kept in the refrigerator and they were off. Breakfast not being any huge affair, their time in the dining room was short. Jean and Mary shooed them off to get cleaned up.