“Hungover, huh?”

I looked up from the outside world of Huntington Beach to the man beside me. He kindly smiled and flicked on his turn signal.

“I know all about that. How about we get some breakfast? We can get to know each other a bit better,” he suggested.

I smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” I agreed.

Jimmy smiled and turned to drive to the restaurant. He chose a diner I had never heard of before, but swore up and down it was the cure for a hangover. Either way, I couldn’t argue.
Jimmy politely opened the door for me, which, for some reason, shocked me. I wasn’t used to gentlemanly gestures. The men in my family were, for the most part, distant and self-absorbed. In high school, the few guys I dated were nice, and some had respect and manners, but since then, I hadn’t been in a relationship, so this feeling was a little foreign to me. Nonetheless, I appreciated it, and my admiration for him shot up a little.

“Thank-you,” I said shyly, stepping inside the little diner.

Once seated and had our drink orders taken, my social anxiety kicked in, and that starstruck feeling began to seep in and seal my mouth closed.

“What made you and Rami want to move here?” he asked curiously.

I picked at my nails and gave him a small smile. Jimmy’s eyes, though behind glass, pierced right into me. I bit my lip and forced myself not to blush.

“It’s just a dream we had. Live on the beach and be hippies,” I said jokingly.

Jimmy smiled at that. The waitress came up to us and left our drinks. She then took our orders, and was off again.

“Being beach bums?” he asked jokingly.

I smiled and nodded.

“We’re both the artsy type. Rami is a painter. Freaking amazing artist. Her shit…it’s nuts, but it’s good,” I said, then took a sip of my coffee.

“What about you?” he asked.

I swallowed the hot liquid, wishing I hadn’t taken a drink so soon. Goddamn, it burned!

“Music,” I replied shyly.

Jimmy’s eyes lit up.

“Really?” he asked.

I nodded.

“Yeah. I decided to go to college for music while Rami went to another college for art,” I replied.

Jimmy looked excited.

“That’s awesome! What did you go for?” he asked.

I felt my mood fall.

“Um, I tried a bit of everything. My main was keys. Piano, organ. The rest was song writing. Arrangements and things. The things no one cares for ‘cause they’re boring,” I replied.

Jimmy narrowed his eyes.

“I think that’s awesome,” he said, “I’ve always been into song writing. Cinematic pieces. Danny Elfman style pieces.”

I smiled. In being a fan, I knew of his heavy Danny Elfman influence, and I knew he was big on long, dramatic, cinematic pieces. “A Little Piece of Heaven” was one of my favorite songs from the band. The fact that Jimmy wrote the lyrics and the majority of the music just added to it. However, I was becoming aware that what I was telling him almost sounded like I was just spewing shit out of my mouth in order to impress him, and I wished I hadn’t have said anything—even though, I was telling the honest to God truth.

“How long have you been playing piano?” he asked.

I shrugged. I was going to sound like a complete idiot in comparison to him. This man was a musical mastermind, and had been playing piano and drums all his life. Me, however…

“Since middle school. I mean, I guess that’s awhile, but it doesn’t feel like a long time to me,” I replied.

Jimmy smiled.

“Gotta start somewhere,” he said.

I smiled and nodded, but my smile quickly faded away. I looked down at my silverware that had been rolled up in my napkin and picked at the sticky wrapping holding it together.

“Just never finished,” I said quietly.

Jimmy stared at me with concern.

“What do you mean?” he asked softly.

I would have passed it off. I knew I should have kept my mouth shut, but the tone in his voice made me want to keep talking—to open up…something I never do!

“I, um…I never finished college. I dropped out before my second year was over,” I replied.

Jimmy’s concern deepened.

“Rami doesn’t know that, by the way,” I quickly added.

Jimmy smiled.

“Hey, I won’t tell,” he replied.

I gave him a small smile and nodded.

“Was it just not for you? I took some college classes for drums, but I never went. Was always with the band all the time, you know?”

I shook my head.

“I just…I went through a really rough time. Decided it was best to just drop out and work instead. It made things easier. I still play and stuff. Haven’t done it in a long time, though,” I replied.

Jimmy nodded. I thought back to my room at home. In a closet in the guest bedroom was my old keyboard. The best one I could afford before I started college. I loved that thing, but after a few technical and person problems, it had been living in its hard case since.

“I still have my keyboard. Last time I tried to play it, it wouldn’t work. I don’t know what was wrong with it,” I replied.

Jimmy watched me thoughtfully as he twirled his napkin wrapped around his finger.

“Maybe we can run back to the house later and see what’s up,” he suggested, “Figure out what’s wrong.”

I nodded and took another sip of my coffee. I was beginning to feel the side-effects from last night’s drinking beginning to ebb, and my mood began to brighten.

“It’s life is in your hands,” I said jokingly.

The waitress approached and began to pass out our plates. I unravelled my silverware and stared at my plate of food. It looked amazing!

“If we get it working, maybe we can jam?” he proposed.

I stared at him in surprise and my mood shot straight through the roof—metaphorically speaking. It had been a dream of mine to play with him.

“Yeah,” I replied, “That’d be awesome.”

Jimmy smiled, and my heartbeat went erratic. Normally, I would curse myself for reacting like a school girl with a crush, but in this case, I was willing to make an exception. This man had selflessly saved my life, in more ways than he currently knew of, and I was definitely going to absorb this experience.

“Awesome!” he said happily, “But, for now, we feast, and then I’m going to show you what makes this town so fucking fun.”

I laughed and began to cut into my pancakes—long dead childish excitement beginning to show signs of resurrection. This was going to be, to quote the man himself, really “fucking fun.”

***

Jimmy Sullivan was unlike any other person I had ever met in my life. This man didn’t have a mean bone in his body. No tension arose between us, and never did a negative sentence pass between his lips. From the moment we stepped onto the boardwalk that ran parallel with the beach, it was obvious he was highly intelligent. I had heard the stories of him doing stupid shit, but of course, alcohol can hinder one’s ability to think clearly. He was smarter than I imagined him to be, and that scared me. We’re talking genius level IQ, but he never tapped into it. His mind was set on fun mode, and truth be told, I really needed that kind of exposure.
Apart from being a mastermind musician, the guy was incredibly funny. As soon as he came out of his shell, and we were out in the fresh air, he came alive, and the lovable maniac I had heard so much about (and obsessed over, according to Rami), showed himself. He was loud, and dramatic, and at one point, nearly had me pissing myself from laughing so hard. He talked about music, stupid shit he did when he was younger, and his friends. Of course, I knew of most of them. Brian Haner, or as most people knew him, Synyster Gates. He was Jimmy’s partner in crime. And of course, Johnny Christ and M. Shadows, but we just stuck with Matt. He also mentioned Zacky Vengeance, and his clothing line.

“He is looking for a new artist. Maybe Rami would like to go in for an interview. I can call right now and ask,” he offered.

I shrugged.

“We can when we get back to the house,” I replied.

Jimmy nodded.

“That sounds like a good idea. What was I talking about?” he asked.

I smiled.

“Jason giving you skateboarding lessons,” I replied.

Jason, being his drum tech.

“Oh yeah! That motherfucker!” he spat.

I just laughed.

“I was athletic in high school, but me and skateboarding, forget it!” he said, “Fuck that shit!”

I smiled and glanced out at the pier ahead.

“That’s Main Street. All of the cool shops and stuff are out there. It leads right into the pier,” he said, pointing from the street to the pier.

I nodded and looked ahead to see a large group of people and several tents.

“What’s going on up here?” I asked.

I pointed up ahead. Jimmy shrugged, then like a happy little kid, took my hand and towed me towards the crowd.

“Let’s find out!” he said excitedly.

And just like that, my wall completely shattered, and I came just as alive as he was. We ran down the sidewalk to see a small flea market for art. Local artists were demonstrating their skills and selling their art to make some cash. I felt my jaw drop.

“Man! Rami would have loved this!” I said.

Jimmy smiled.

“Maybe one day she can set up down here. We can tell her about it when we get back,” he replied.

I nodded in agreement. We walked among the aisles, scanning the art and judging their handiwork for ourselves. Jimmy became bored quickly, and near the end, he took my hand. I looked up at him questioningly.

“The boardwalk is cool and all, but I wanna show you the best place,” he said.

I shrugged and let him lead me down to the pier. The place was packed today, and it was hard to see with all of the tourists crowding the railing—especially when you aren’t very tall. I’m sure Jimmy could see the view perfectly.
We walked down to the end of the pier, not being able to find one open spot.

“Well, it’s awesome when no one’s around,” he said, disappointed.

I looked around, trying to see if anyone was leaving. No such luck.

“I have a better idea,” he said.

Turning around, we backtracked down the ridiculously long pier and out into the sand. Jimmy led me down beneath the pier between the wooden columns. From there, we had an unobstructed view of the water, not to mention, shade.

“Oh, wow,” I said.

Seeing the ocean like this was, by now, nothing new to me. I mean, my backyard was nothing but sand, a picnic table, fire pit, and a fence that led straight to the beach. I watched the sun set every night behind the water while having a smoke. It was nothing new, but standing here under the pier with Jimmy, watching the water up close and seeing everything in the bright morning light, was very different.
I looked up at him as he watched the ocean waves roll in, this serene look on his face. He then looked down at me and smiled. He then made himself at home, and plopped down into the sand. I looked down to see him pat a spot beside him. I couldn’t help but smile, and seated myself beside him.

“I never get the chance to come out here anymore,” he said solemnly.

I looked up at him.

“Which is bullshit, ‘cause I live right there,” he continued.

Jimmy pointed to our right to a collection of white, rectangular buildings—the Huntington Pacific Condos.

“Just never have the time anymore. Used to come out here with my friends all the time. Sit here and talk and drink all night.”

I looked back out to the ocean and pulled my knees up to hug my legs.

“I can’t blame you,” I said, “It’s beautiful out here.”

I made a mental note to bring Rami down here.

“Huntington’s not all nasty people and dark places. There’s nice places, too,” he said.

I looked up at him and smiled. It didn’t last for long, though. After running around all morning, my bruises were starting to bother me. Breathing was becoming painful, but I passed it off as just from sitting slumped in the sand.
Jimmy tapped my arm and climbed to his feet. I looked up to see him reach down, pull his tennis shoes and socks off, then yank his pant legs up, revealing pale, partially tattooed legs. He then grin mischievously at me and held his hand out. I bit my lip and shyly took his hand, pulling myself up.

“Come on,” he said, “Let’s go get wet.”

I just smiled and followed him down to the water. Jimmy walked right into the waves, while I pulled my own shoes and socks off, tucking my socks in a shoe and tossing them into the sand. I then pulled my jeans over my knees

“Is it cold?” I asked.

Jimmy shook his head. I proceeded to walk in with him, making it to knee-height. The clear water washed under my, and my toes sunk in the sand. Bits of ocean debris, like broken shells and coral appeared and disappeared in a flash. The current was strong today, what with it being really windy, and the further we waded, the harder it was to keep my balance. Jimmy, being the freaking tower that he was, had no problems. Of course, being born here, he was used to it. I had yet to acquire my “beach legs.” So, when a particularly strong wave knocked me off balance, I made an idiot out of myself. Good thing Jimmy was beside me.
When the water hit me, it yanked a foot I had lifted and caused me to stumble as if I were shit-faced. I went sideways, yelped, knowing I was bound to get the side of my jeans soaked, and Jimmy grabbed my arm as I stumbled into him in the most disgustingly cliché way possible. Jimmy took my other arm and laughed at me.

“You okay?” he asked.

I nodded breathlessly and pushed my fringe out of my eyes.

“Yeah,” I replied, playing it cool, “I’m good.”

Jimmy giggled at me and let go of my arms.

“That’d be something, huh? Not fuckin’ like, five minutes in the water and you get soaked,” he teased, “Although, that one almost knocked me on my ass, though.”

I laughed.

“Go me,” I said sarcastically, “Fall in the water like a dumbass.”

Jimmy smiled.

“Why are you so hard on yourself?” he asked softly.

I stared up at him, completely caught off guard. He just smiled and lightly punched my shoulder.

“Smile, Sandy Pants,” he said playfully, then turned and trudged back up to the beach.

I turned to stare at his backside.

“Oh, good Lord. Don’t call me that,” I said.

Jimmy smiled at me over his shoulder.

“What?” he asked.

As if he didn’t know!

“Sandy,” I spat.

Jimmy grinned. I began to follow him out of the water, but only made it to the edge.

“Sandy Pie,” he teased.

I rolled my eyes.

“Rathead,” I played along.

Jimmy gasped and spun around, honest surprise on his face.

“You liked Pinkly Smooth?” he asked.

I just shrugged, not really seeing what the big deal was.

“What do you expect from someone who is supposedly ‘freakishly in love with you?’” I asked sarcastically.

Jimmy let out a hilarious cry and in one leap, closed the space between us and tackled me with a hug. Pain shot through my body during the collision, but I couldn’t focus on it long enough to be angry with him. So instead, I laughed at him and enjoyed the hug, making a mental note of how nice he smelled. I felt completely dwarfed by the hug, and it lasted a little bit longer than a normal, casual hug would last—not that I minded so much.

“Sander Salamander,” he teased.

I laughed and squirmed away.

“Jimbo,” I retorted.

Jimmy crossed his arms over his chest.

“Sandy Sunshine!”

I growled in frustration and stormed a few steps away.

“Stop!” I whined.

Jimmy laughed. I turned to see this sweet smile on his face, and again, my anger dissipated. No wonder he got away with murder with the band!

“What?” he asked, playing innocent.

“Don’t call me that! I hate that name!” I replied.

Jimmy giggled.

“Oh, come on! It’s cute,” he said.

I stared at him that he was crazy.

“Oh, please!” I said.

“Sandy Poo,” he said.

I crossed my arms and shook my head.

“Don’t make me vomit.”

Jimmy gave me a grin—one that meant trouble.

“Aww! Is Sandy Sunshine mad at ol’ Jimmy?” he asked in this ridiculous baby talk that both infuriated me, and cracked me up.

I kicked my foot up and lightly splashed him, causing little droplets of sea water to land on his leg and a little bit on his jeans. He looked down at the wet spots, then up at me in disbelief.

“I know you just didn’t!” he said sassily, holding a finger up and staring at me with hooded eyes.

I smirked and put my hands on my hips. His attitude, I must admit, is pretty infectious.

“Did what?” I asked, taunting him.

Jimmy’s eyes widened.

“Oh, you’ve had it!” he said.

“Bite me,” I retorted.

Jimmy bent his knee in preparation to lift his foot. I had about three seconds to run for cover. This man was tall, and with height, comes compensation in the shoes. Jimmy had big feet. Just judging by his shoes in his hand, they were over size 12. Maybe 13 or more. Enough to cause a big enough splash to soak my clothes without falling in.

“You’re in for it. Come here, Sandy Lou Who!” he shouted.

I saw the foot come out of the water, and I bolted. He kicked water at me, but I was far enough away that I didn’t get soaked. However, in the sand, I could only run so fast, and Jimmy was a lot faster than I was.

“Come here, Sander!” he shouted.

We ran up the beach, laughing as he caught up with me. There was really no escape, so I did what I do, and tumbled to the sand in the fetal position.

“Jimmy, stop!” I laughed.

I held out my hands in defense. Jimmy gently took them and held them.

“What? I’m not going to hurt you,” he said softly.

I sighed as I looked up at him.

“I know,” I replied.

Jimmy smiled.

“I guess I shouldn’t have chased you like that,” he said, “After what happened.”

I shrugged, too focused on the fact that he was holding my hands than his concern over last night’s traumatic experience.

“It’s okay,” I said.

Jimmy moved my hands from side to side, rocking me in the sand.

“You sure?” he asked.

I gave him a reassuring smile and nodded. He returned the smile.

“Alright. How about we go pick up lunch and head back to your place? Then we can work on that keyboard,” he suggested.

“Sounds good to me,” I replied.

Jimmy smiled and helped me up. I dusted the fine grains of sand from my butt and legs while Jimmy brushed off my back and shoulders.

“We can get Rami something, too. I know of a great place,” he said.

I eagerly agreed with him, and went to retrieve my shoes before following him back up to the boardwalk.

“Before we go home, I need to go pick up a new cell phone,” I said.

Jimmy smiled.

“Sure thing, Sunshine,” he said.

I playfully shoved him.

“Hey! I didn’t say Sandy that time!” he exclaimed.

I sighed and smiled at him.

“Fine,” I replied.

Jimmy grinned and tossed an arm around my shoulders. The starstruck feeling was beginning to wear off, and I was glad. I hated that feeling discomfort around people, and with someone like me, I felt it A LOT! Jimmy didn’t let that feeling last. He acted like strangers were his best friends. I wasn’t necessarily a stranger, especially by now, but in less than 24 hours of knowing each other, he acted like we had known each other for years. Rami, to a certain extent, was friendly like that, but not to the level Jimmy was on. It took her a few weeks. Jimmy seemed to decide right then and there, and I quickly learned that to know him was to love him.

***

“How much did we eat at breakfast, and now we’re starving?” I asked.

Jimmy laughed.

“Hey! It’s all that walking we did and shit. Getting my fucking shoes wet,” he playfully griped.

I laughed and put my face over the warm bag, taking a deep whiff.

“Oh my God,” I moaned.

Jimmy snatched the bag away from me. I whined and tried to grab it, resulting in a play fight that could have resulted in a wreck.

“You’ll get drool in my food!” he whined.

I rolled my eyes and huffed.

“They’re in styrofoam boxes, Jimmy. I think they’re safe,” I laughed.

Jimmy stuck his tongue out at me and turned his turn signal on to cross the highway. I smiled and shook my head. We spent several minutes in the turn lane, Jimmy screaming at people and flipping them off. He only relaxed when we were able to cross and pull into the driveway.

“Don’t they know I’m fucking hungry?” he asked.

I laughed and began to gather my things.

“Well, let’s eat, then we can go upstairs and find that keyboard,” I said.

Jimmy parked in front of the garage door.

“Hell yeah!” he said excitedly.

I laughed at him and climbed out of the car, taking my drink and sandy shoes with me. Jimmy followed behind me with the bags and his own drink, locking the car and following me up the steps to the porch. I unlocked the front door and stepped inside, holding the heavy door open for Jimmy.

“Thank-you,” he said as he stepped into the dark foyer.

I shut the door, and as soon as I did, a strange smell flew up my nose.

“Shit! What’s that smell?” I asked.

Jimmy looked down at his bags.

“Probably garlic,” he replied.

I shook my head and took another sniff.

“No, that’s not it,” I said.

Jimmy raised his head high in the air to sniff, and immediately curled his lip.

“Oh, damn! It smells like liquor,” he said.

I nodded in agreement.

“Smells like the bathroom at Johnny’s Bar at three in the morning,” he went on.

I signaled for him to follow, and we made our way down the hall, following the strong odor of alcohol. It led us straight to the kitchen. That's when I spotted the trashcan, its lid pushed up, unable to close properly.
I reached for the light switch and flicked it on, revealing a trashcan loaded with a massive amount of broken glass—all of the alcohol in the house.

“What the fuck happened?” I asked.

Jimmy peered around me as he went to set the bags on the island.

“Holy fuck,” he said, “Looks like someone got into the stash.”

I nodded and backed out of the kitchen.

“Rami!” I called, “I’m home!”

Jimmy slowly approached the trashcan and popped the lid open to inspect it.

“Why do you guys have so much booze?” he asked, laughing.

I smiled and shook my head.

“I don’t know. It’s just something that happens every time we go to get groceries. Pick up new stuff to try,” I replied.

Jimmy laughed. I looked over my shoulder to see no sign of Rami.

“Rami, can you come in here, please?” I called again.

Jimmy frowned and looked up at me.

“What do you think she got into the alcohol for?” he asked.

I shook my head and shrugged.

“Maybe to stay drunk so she wouldn’t feel hungover. I don’t know,” I replied.

Jimmy nodded.

“Whatever the case, she’s in deep trouble,” I said.

I walked back down the hall until the stairs were in my view.

“Jacqueline Ramirez, get your ass down here right now!” I shouted.

I then returned to Jimmy, who was leaning over the trash.

“She’s probably passed out drunk in her room,” I said, dropping my stuff off at the island and walking out to the back porch to dump my shoes, “We can put her lunch in the fridge.”

“Sander, come here,” Jimmy said.

I turned around and shut the sliding glass door. His serious tone alarmed me.

I walked back inside the kitchen. He looked up at me, then pointed to the broken glass.

“There’s blood in this,” he said.

I felt my eyebrows knit together.

“What?”

Jimmy reached for a shard of glass and carefully picked it up. Handing from his fingers was a large, sharp piece of glass, decorated in dried blood.

“Shit,” I said breathlessly.

Jimmy set the glass on the island beside us.

“You don’t think we’re walking in on a robbery or something?” he asked.

That, of course, triggered my worry.

“Rami!” I called, then began to storm out of the kitchen, “Or worse. Jimmy, would you mind running upstairs? See if you can find her? I’ll check down here.”

Jimmy nodded and took off for the stairs. I made my way into the living room where we had left her. On the couch was her blanket, but no Rami. Calling her was out of the question, for her cell phone was still on the coffee table. So, I hunted the entire first floor. Closets, the half-bathroom, utility room, and even the empty garage. Frustrated, I returned to the kitchen. Maybe there was some kind of note that we had missed. So, I checked the refrigerator, finding nothing but saved business cards, an old grocery list, random magnets. No note there, nor anywhere in the kitchen. So, I decided to see if there was one of her bedroom door, and to check and see where Jimmy was. He had been quiet this whole time.
I jogged back through the house and shot up the stairs.

“Jimmy?” I called.

“Yeah?” he replied.

I power-walked down the hall, finding every door open, but void of anyone.

“I don’t think she’s here,” I said.

I turned a corner to find Jimmy in her bathroom.

“Yeah, me neither. Sander, come look at this,” he said.

I walked inside the bathroom, where Jimmy was staring at the counter. On the marble counter-top, an orange bottle was laying on its side, its lid in the sink and identical white pills spilled everywhere.

“Does she pop pills?” he asked worriedly.

I shook my head.

“I didn’t even know she was on anything. The only thing I’ve ever seen her take is Midol for cramps,” I said.

He really didn’t need to know that, but this was blowing my mind. Rami didn’t have anything wrong with her—that is, that I knew of. She was the most normal, and save for our shared smoking habit, healthy person I knew. Never had issues with acne, like I did in middle school, or allergies, like I did, or even a susceptibility to respiratory illnesses, like I used to have. I got a cold at the drop of a hat. This, though…

“Here’s another bottle. It’s empty,” Jimmy said, picking up the small cylinder from the tank of the toilet.

He held the label up and pointed to the small black letters and numbers.

“Look at the fucking dosage they have her on!” he exclaimed.

I took the bottle from his hand to read the label.

“That’s fucking high, and she’s tiny!” he went on.

I turned the bottle to read the label, and when I read the prescription, I was floored.

“Oh my God,” I breathed out.

Jimmy watched me with concern. I looked up from the bottle and picked up the one that was on the counter. I wasn’t surprised to find they were the same.

“No wonder she was acting weird,” I said.

Jimmy nodded.

“I’ve heard about that shit. It’s a joke,” he said bitterly.

I nodded in agreement.

“I know,” I replied, then carefully glanced up at him, “I’ve been on it.”

Jimmy nodded sadly. He then took the empty bottle from me.

“Come on. Let’s go see what the hell this is for,” he said, and marched out of the bathroom.

I turned around and stared at his backside in surprise.

“Jimmy, we shouldn’t,” I said.

Jimmy whipped back around.

“Sander, I know what this shit does to people! I lost a friend over this shit. I’m not letting you lose Rami,” he said, his voice suddenly authoritative.

I was caught off guard by his strictness, but he was right. Besides, it was nice to see that he cared so much.
I followed him back downstairs and into the living room. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and began to type in the number of the doctor’s office from the pill bottle.

“Do you know what Rami’s father’s name is?” he asked.

I opened my mouth to speak, but quickly drew a blank. Fuck! What was his name?

“Shit!” I hissed.

Jimmy pressed a button to call and waved me off.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said.

We walked over to the couch. I sat down on the edge of the coffee table, while Jimmy took a seat on the couch, absently reading the bottle.

“Jacqueline, huh?” he asked softly.

I smiled. Jimmy turned on the speakerphone.

“Rami’s just her nickname,” I replied.

Jimmy smiled and nodded. The call was finally answered, and to my surprise and amusement, Jimmy quickly changed his voice. It was so flawless, you would think he was a voice actor.

“Good afternoon. This is Dr. Nguyen’s office. How may we help you?” a woman answered.

“Hello, this is James Ramirez. I’m calling on behalf of my daughter. May I speak to Dr. Nguyen, please?” he asked in this deep voice, his lisp almost completely gone.

“I’m sorry, sir, but the doctor is busy at the moment,” the woman replied.

Jimmy rolled his eyes.

“Of course,” he mouthed.

I just smiled.

“Would you like to make an appointment?” she asked.

Jimmy sighed and pushed aside his aggravation.

“No, ma’am. I need to speak with the doctor about a certain medication he has my daughter on,” he replied.

“Well, I’m sorry, Mr. Ramirez, but Dr. Nguyen is not available right now. You can call back later and check again,” she said.

Jimmy’s eyes darkened and he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

“Ma’am, this is terribly important,” he said.

Apparently, the nice act wasn’t working.

“Sir, I’m sorry, but—“

“Ma’am, what is your name?” Jimmy snapped.

The woman stumbled for words.

“Jessica Gibson, sir. I am the secretary for Dr. Nguyen, and—“

“Probably sucking his dick,” Jimmy whispered to me.

I covered my mouth, trying not to laugh.

“Miss Gibson, you better find a way to get the doctor on the phone, because he’s about to be in the middle of a nasty lawsuit,” he said, all too sweetly.

I felt my eyes widen and jaw drop.

“Um, just a moment, sir. I think he just stepped in,” she said, sounding a little scared.

Jimmy smiled smugly.

“I knew that would work,” he whispered.

I smiled at him. Shortly afterwards, Dr. Nguyen picked up.

“This is Dr. Nguyen. How may I help you?” a man asked.

Jimmy cleared his throat.

“Hello, doctor. My name is James Ramirez. I’m calling on behalf of my daughter who’s a patient of yours. Jacqueline,” he replied.

“Yes, sir?” the doctor asked.

“I want to know what kind of drugs you have my daughter on,” Jimmy said coldly.

“Sir, I’m sorry. Regardless of family, I cannot tell you any information. Patient-doctor confidentiality. You understand.”

Jimmy’s eye narrowed.

“Then, I’m sure you understand the meaning of the word ‘lawsuit?’” he snipped.

The asshole fucking laughed!

“Sir, I’m sorry, but by law, I cannot unveil Miss Ramirez’s information,” he said.

Jimmy snarled.

“You listen to me, you son of a bitch! My daughter’s life is in the line and we need to know what the hell you have her on these pills for. You have two options. You tell me now, or I can come down there in five minutes with my lawyers. Do you understand?”

I stared speechlessly at Jimmy.

“Sir, there is no need for that. By protocol, I cannot tell you that information, but under the circumstances…”

Jimmy smirked.

“That’s what I thought,” he said.

“Sir, your daughter is being treated for mild schizophrenia. The medication we have her on is…”

After I heard it, it was like my ears closed up. The volume of the doctor’s voice slowly faded away, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Schizophrenia? No!
These pills were as Jimmy said, a JOKE! I had also been on them before, but for a totally different and totally ridiculous reason. They were shit. Crazy pills. Crack. They were crack.
Jimmy thanked the doctor for his forced cooperation and hung up. I stared into space, not sure how to process what I had just heard. Jimmy watched me with concern.

“Did you have any idea?” he asked quietly.

I shook my head.

“She’s not…she’s…there’s nothing wrong with her! She’s never showed signs of anything but being eccentric. That’s how she’s always been. Jimmy, I’ve known her since we were tiny! She has never showed any signs of any kind of disorder!”

Jimmy nodded. I looked down at the bottle.

“She didn’t start acting like this until we moved. Something happened that she’s not telling me about,” I went on.

“Stress from school?” he asked.

I shrugged.

“Something,” I said, “Jimmy, those are shut up pills. They give you those when you tell them something crazy. They say ‘Here. Take these. They’ll cure you!’ All they did for me was make it worse.”

I stood up from the coffee table. Jimmy followed me, bottle in hand.

“She’s not crazy,” I whispered.

Jimmy watched me, deep sympathy in his eyes.

“Why were you on them?” he asked.

I felt a lump rise in my throat. I shook my head and looked down. Jimmy walked closer to me. I didn’t want to talk about it, but at the same time, I wanted to spill my guts to him. It wasn’t a particular nice subject to talk about, which is why no one knew. How I wished I had someone to tell back then. Seeing that label again, and seeing how they were affecting my best friend, opened up a nasty emotional wound.

“Sander,” he said softly.

He gently grasped my shoulder. I closed my eyes, trying to relieve the burning. I made myself look up at him and swallowed down the lump in my throat.

“The wrong reasons,” I quietly replied.

Jimmy sighed and pulled me to his chest. I reluctantly hugged him back. Jimmy wound his arms around me and perched his chin on top of my head.

“It’s okay,” he whispered.

I sniffed. It had been a long time since I wanted to cry this bad, but I wouldn’t let myself.

“I bet you think we’re the biggest freaks,” I said.

Jimmy chuckled and pulled back slightly to look at me.

“No, I don’t,” he said.

I blinked at him.

“Not at all, Sunshine,” he said.

I cracked and smiled. Jimmy smiled and took my hand.

“Come on. Let's go eat. Get our minds off of this,” he said.

I gladly took up his offer, and after returning the pill bottle to Rami’s bathroom, we ate lunch (which was the most amazing Chinese food I had ever had), then went upstairs to a guest bedroom I had been storing my shit in. The house had a total of five bedrooms, and Rami and I took it upon ourselves to take an extra room and do whatever we wanted with it. She had her art room, and I had my…shit room. A giant mixture of nothing.
After finding my keyboard in the closet, and hunting unpacked boxes for its stand, Jimmy helped me set it up.

“Oh, wow,” he said.

I was deep in the closet, digging out chords and an old amp.

“I have this one at home. It’s in the closet, but I have it. Nice choice,” he said.

I backed out of the closet to see him on his knees with the keyboard in front of him. I smiled and set the amp down beside the door.

“Yeah, if I could get it to work, it’d be perfect,” I said.

Jimmy pushed himself up and picked the keyboard. He set it on its stand, then turned to me and wrung his hands, smiling devilishly.

“Leave it up to Jimmy, Sandy Pants,” he said.

He walked passed me and rubbed the top of my hair, leaving me fuming and laughing at my irritation.
But leave it to him, I did. Jimmy set it up quickly, only to find that no matter what we did, it wouldn’t power on. This didn’t discourage him, however. I would have chucked the damn thing into the ocean, but Jimmy patiently unplugged the cords, then plugged everything back in, checked it, then had me stand at the thing while he fiddle with the power cord.

“Is the power switch flipped on?” he asked.

I nodded. Jimmy messed with the power cord, twisting it and bending it.

“You think it may have a short in it?” I asked.

He nodded.

“Start just like, pressing keys,” he instructed.

I obeyed and began pressing chords, receiving nothing but clicking sounds until Jimmy yanked the cord straight. Suddenly, sound blasted through the amp and the screen lit up, but only for a second.

“Hey! You had it!” I said excitedly.

Jimmy smiled.

“Is this the power cable that came with it?” he asked.

I nodded. Jimmy fiddled with it, bringing the keyboard back to life once more. It stayed on longer, but only if he held it just right and remained still.

“The stock cords that came with this had a habit of being defective. Mine was. I just got a new one,” he said.

I fiddled around on the keys and adjusted the volume.

“Well, I guess I need to order one,” I said.

I began to play a chromatic scale, warming up my fingers.

“Don’t worry about it,” Jimmy said, “I think I have one at my place. I can swing by tomorrow and drop it off.”

I smiled at him.

“Cool. Thanks,” I replied.

Jimmy smiled.

“Play something,” he urged.

I bit my lip nervously. I hated playing for people on the spot. I had to do it for auditions for college, and I nearly blew it.
I placed my hands on the keys and played the first song that came to mind, which was “In This River” by Black Label Society. It was one of the only songs I knew by heart. For classical pieces, I needed the sheet music.
I made a few adjustments to the sound, then became fully absorbed in the music. I hummed along, forgetting who was watching me. Jimmy lightly swayed his head to the music. I’m sure he knew the song. He seemed to be enjoying my playing, and for me, that was huge.
When I finished, he was smiling.

“That was awesome!” he said excitedly.

I smiled shyly.

“I was afraid you’d find it depressing,” I said.

Jimmy let go of the cable, killing the power to the keyboard.

“Nah. I loved it. You’re a talented pianist. Really,” he said.

I looked down.

“Thank-you,” I replied quietly.

Jimmy stood to his full height.

“What did you have planned for tomorrow?” he asked.

I pushed my hands into the pockets of my jeans and shrugged.

“Job hunting, probably. Why?” I asked.

Jimmy just smiled at me.

“I think I may have a job for you,” he said.

I felt my world freeze and my jaw drop.

“What?” I asked in disbelief.

He shrugged.

“If you want it. The band and I have started on song writing for the next album. I’ve been isolating myself to work, but nothing’s really working out. Thinking about hiring a writing partner,” he said.

My jaw hit the motherfucking floor.

“Are you serious?” I asked excitedly.

He smiled and nodded.

“If you really want it,” he said.

I didn’t mean to, but I gasped like an excited little girl.

“Hell yeah!” I exclaimed, then quickly backed off, “I mean, yes. That’d be awesome.”

Jimmy laughed at me, then victoriously balled his hands into fists and pulled his elbows into his stomach. He then high-fived me before pulling me into a huge hug. The hug was a lot tighter this time, and he squeezed a bruised spot harder than I’m sure he intended. I grunted a recoiled instinctively. Jimmy was alarmed.

“What? What’s wrong?” he asked worriedly.

I rubbed my side, trying to soothe the pain.

“Oh, shit! I forgot you said you were sore. I’m sorry,” he apologized.

I smiled through the pain. The devastated look on his face was adorable.

“It’s okay. I think I’ve overdone it for today,” I replied.

Jimmy’s frown was absolutely heartbreaking. He looked deeply guilty, even though none of this was his fault.

“Come on. While we wait for Rami, let’s go chill out,” he said.

I agreed, and we left my little play room for the living room.

Once downstairs, Jimmy and I sat on the couch and I turned the TV on.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked worriedly.

I smiled up at him.

“Yeah. I’ll be sore for a little while, but I think I’ll live,” I replied.

Jimmy gave me a small smile that barely lasted a few seconds.

“Do you mind if I check?” he asked tentatively.

I shrugged and leaned to the side, lifting my shirt to reveal my beaten and battered torso. The cut on my arm was starting to hurt, and stretching made me wince. Jimmy cringed and lightly trailed his fingertips over the bruises.

“Those are bad, Sander,” he said.

I looked down to see the damage, and noticed that they were worse than before. Focusing on them now only made the pain worse.

“Yeah,” I grunted out.

Jimmy grabbed the hem of my t-shirt and pulled it back down.

“Come here,” he said.

I looked up at him nervously. He had an arm stretched out, welcoming me to lay against him. At first, I wasn’t sure, but my mood was starting to plummet, and like most people when they were in a bad mood, they wanted someone to be with. I was no different, and took the offer.
Jimmy put an arm around me as I laid my head on his shoulder and shifted until breathing was easier. He gently rubbed my sore ribs, the comforting motion and warmth of his palm soothing me. In my mind, my thoughts were at war.

“It’s okay. He’s just being a good friend. That’s what friends do…Holy shit! You’re laying on The Rev? How long have you daydreamed of this?…This is the most ridiculously chick-flick-esque bullshit you have ever done!…You’re enjoying this way too much. Shit likes this doesn’t happen. This is too perfect…Maybe cliché fictional movie crap does happen in real life.”

As utterly disgusted with myself as I was, I couldn’t help but wonder…

Maybe I do need a little bit of cheesy perfection in my life. I realized that my little celebrity crush on him wasn’t just a little crush anymore. Maybe Rami was right. She saw right through me.

Maybe I needed a little freakish love in my life…

***

“Rise and shine, Sandy Pants. I hear something.”

I snorted awake and looked around, trying to get my brain to reboot. Where am I? Who’s talking? What year is it?

“Whuh?” I asked groggily.

I sat up slowly, not wanting to leave the warmth of Jimmy’s side. Goddamn, he was comfortable!

“What time is it?” I asked.

“About five,” he replied.

I looked over at the window to see the sun beginning to descend behind the ocean. I turned around and pushed my hair out of my eyes. It was getting close to dinner time, and Rami still wasn’t home? We may have to call a fucking search party!

Outside, a car revved, and I could hear footsteps. I quickly jumped up.

“Come on. We’ll be like those parents in movies who ambush their kids when they come home after curfew.”

Jimmy laughed and followed me into the kitchen, sitting down at the island where I found Rami passed out this morning.
We patiently waited and listened as the front door opened and Rami came strolling in, heading right for the last bottle in the liquor cabinet.

“Woah, woah, woah, Smurfy. Where do you think you're going with that?" I asked, reaching out to grab her hand.

“I’m going to the couch and I’m bringing a drink. Is there a problem?” she asked.

I felt my eyes widen.

“Yes, there's a problem! I came home to you missing and the alcohol cabinet empty! I thought I'd have to go out and find your stupid ass in the middle of the night!" I snapped, pissed.

At that, Rami froze and slowly set the bottle down on the countertop. She then spun around and made her way back down the hall.

“Rami!” I shouted.

But, she had already taken off up the stairs. Jimmy walked up beside me.

“You want me to go get her?” he asked.

I shook my head. Damn, I need a cigarette!

“She probably went to her art room. It’s okay,” I said.

Jimmy frowned.

“You sure?” he asked, “I was going to go ahead and get out of your hair, but if you need help, I can stay.”

I smiled at him. He really was very sweet.

“It’s okay, Jimmy. I can handle it,” I replied.

Jimmy smiled.

“Well, I better get going. I’ve kept you almost all day,” he said, then turned and headed towards the hallway.

I felt torn. I knew he had to go, but I really didn’t want him to.

“Well, hey. Listen. Thank-you for the tour of town and everything. Putting up with my bullshit,” I said.

Jimmy turned to me and smiled.

“No problem. I had a lot of fun,” he said.

I gave him a shy smile.

“Yeah, me too,” I replied.

That just made him smile more.

“Tomorrow, if you’re up for it, we can start working if you want,” he offered.

If I were a dog, my tail would be wagging.

“Yeah, sure,” I said excitedly.

Jimmy smiled. Upstairs, we heard a the clatter of an easel and Rami’s cursing. It sounded like she was throwing shit, but she had an easel that was almost as big of a pain in the ass as my piano.

“I’ll come by later tonight and check up on you, okay?” he asked softly.

I nodded. Jimmy then hugged me, gently this time, and to my surprise, kissed my cheek. I could’ve shit!

“Goodnight, Sunshine. Take it easy, okay?”

I smiled at him as he opened the door.

“And if you need anything, call me. I left my number on the coffee table.”

I nodded.

“I will. Drive safe,” I said.

Jimmy pushed walked out onto the porch, smiled and waved.

“I will. See you tomorrow, Sandy Pie!”

This time, I just laughed and shook my head.

“Goodnight, Jimbo,” I called.

I watched to make sure he got onto the highway safely before returning inside. Then, I walked down to the kitchen, chucked the whiskey into the trash, and went outside for a smoke. I couldn’t stay mad at Rami. If she had taken those pills today, they probably weren’t out of her system. I would just have to wait until she was ready to talk. However, my mind was also clouded by the days events, and the feeling of Jimmy’s lips on my cheek had me reeling.
I lit up and took a long, satisfying drag from my cigarette.

“Cheesy romance, indeed,” I muttered.

Notes

Will Rami and Sander be able to talk things out? And what about Sander? Why did she need the pills? Stay tuned!

Chapter by: sharpiewashere.

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