I am 15 chapters ahead on my patreón, check it out if you are interested.
https://www.patréon.com/emperordragon
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Chapter 39 : People Who Show Up
The final bell rang, but Jon wasn't in a hurry to leave.
Not today.
Not after the kind of day where your whole life nearly gets flipped upside down because of a video taken out of context.
Jon leaned against the lockers just outside the front entrance, waiting for Alex, Haley, and Terry.
He didn't have to wait long.
"There's our local celebrity," Haley teased as she and Alex approached.
Jon gave her a dry look. "Trust me, I've had enough attention for one day."
Terry trailed behind them, still shaking his head like he couldn't believe any of this had happened. Jon waited until they were all close before speaking.
"Alright… before anything else — I owe you guys some serious thanks."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Well, technically, you owe me. I'm the one who thought to track down the full video."
Jon chuckled. "Yeah, I figured. Classic Alex. Smarter than the rest of us mortals combined."
Haley scoffed. "Please. I was the one who was actually at the party risking my social life."
Jon smirked. "Right. You risked everything by… calling me to come save you."
Haley gave him a playful shove. "Shut up."
Jon turned back to Alex, a little more serious now.
"Really, Alex — thank you. If you hadn't found that video... things could've gone way worse."
Alex shrugged like it was no big deal, but the small smile on her face said otherwise.
"Well," she said, adjusting her glasses, "someone's gotta keep you out of jail."
Terry chuckled beside Jon. "Man, your family's something else."
"You have no idea," Jon muttered.
Alex checked her phone. "Anyway, we should get going. Mom's probably already blowing up my phone wondering why I'm late."
Haley groaned. "Same. And I am so done with drama for the day."
Jon grinned. "Thanks again. Both of you."
Haley gave him a mock salute. "Stay out of trouble, Captain America."
Alex rolled her eyes but gave Jon a small, genuine smile. "Try not to punch anyone else before dinner."
"No promises," Jon replied with a grin.
The sisters turned and headed down the sidewalk, leaving Jon alone with Terry.
There was a beat of quiet.
Then Terry let out a low whistle. "Dude… your life's like a movie."
Jon chuckled. "Feels more like a sitcom most days."
Terry slapped him on the back. "Come on, man. We're gonna be late for practice. Coach'll have us running laps 'til graduation if we don't hustle."
Jon nodded, the weight of the day finally starting to lift from his shoulders.
"Let's go."
As they made their way toward the field, Jon couldn't help but feel something settle in his chest.
Gratitude.
For having people who showed up when it counted.
And in this crazy world he'd found himself in — that was worth more than anything else.
Dinner Time.
Dinner at the Pritchett house was never quiet — not really.
But tonight?
Tonight was chaos wrapped in laughter, sprinkled with disbelief.
Jay had insisted on a family dinner — partly to "set the record straight" and partly because Gloria wouldn't stop fussing over Jon like he'd returned from war.
Jon sat at the large dining table with Jay at the head, Gloria beside him, Manny across from Jon, and a slowly arriving parade of Dunphys and Tuckers filling in the rest.
Claire was the first to bring it up.
"So…" she said, raising an eyebrow as she cut into her food, "I hear we almost had a full-blown scandal at school today."
Phil gasped dramatically from beside her. "My Jon-boy? A bad boy? Never saw that twist coming."
Jon sighed, already feeling the heat crawl up his neck.
"It wasn't like that."
"Oh, please," Haley chimed in from across the table, grinning like the cat who caught the canary. "He punched a guy so hard it went viral."
"That's not what happened," Alex corrected, ever the fact-checker. "It was self-defense. And technically, to defend Haley, and Dylan."
"Still counts as awesome," Luke added with admiration, like Jon was some action hero.
Jay, sitting beside Jon, let out a proud grunt but stayed cool. "Kid handled himself. Kept his head down until the facts came out."
Gloria wasn't nearly as calm.
"My poor Jon!" she exclaimed for what felt like the tenth time. "People thinking he goes to wild college parties and fights like a crazy person! Ay dios mío, I raised you better than that."
Jon gave her a sheepish smile. "Gloria, I didn't even want to go to that party."
"I know, mi amor," she cooed, patting his cheek like he was ten.
Cam, sitting at the far end with Mitchell, clasped his hands dramatically. "I just love a story with a good twist — the misunderstood hero!"
Mitchell shook his head but smiled. "I'm just glad everything worked out."
Claire looked over at Haley with narrowed eyes. "And maybe next time we don't drag Jon into our messes?"
Haley winced. "Yeah… fair point."
"Haley Dunphy! Don't think we forgot about your punishment" Claire's voice had that sharp, commanding edge only a mother possessed. "You went to a college party? Without telling us?"
Haley froze mid-bite.
Haley tried her most innocent smile. It failed.
"Technically, I wasn't alone — Dylan was with me."
"Oh, that perfect!" Claire snapped. "Dylan, the human cautionary tale."
Jay chuckled under his breath. "Kid couldn't spell caution if you spotted him the consonants."
Phil cleared his throat awkwardly. "Now, honey, let's not overreact—"
"Grounded." Claire cut him off. "One month."
Haley groaned like her world was ending.
"A month? That's basically a prison sentence!"
"Should've thought of that before sneaking off to a college party," Claire said firmly.
Across the table, Luke whispered to Manny, "She's totally gonna tunnel out with a spoon."
Manny replied without looking up, "That only works in cartoons."
Jay, still eating his steak, grumbled under his breath. "Kid throws one punch for a good reason, and the school acts like he started World War III."
Jon chuckled softly. "They let me off with a warning."
Jay glanced at him, eyes sharp but proud. "You did good, kid. Just remember — don't throw hands unless you're ready for the noise that follows."
Phil leaned over with a grin. "Words to live by."
The table erupted into easy laughter again, the earlier tension dissolving into the usual family rhythm — teasing, talking over one another, sharing food, stories, and a ridiculous amount of opinions.
Jon sat back in his chair, taking it all in.
This was his life now.
Crazy. Loud. Sometimes embarrassing.
But this was family.
And no matter what happened next… he wouldn't trade it for anything.