The guys took up most of my time, both during and after school. We would spend our days either drinking at the park, running through the town and causing large scenes as loud and often as possible, or splashing around at the beach before heading to either Zack or Matt’s house. My mother was ecstatic that I had friends in Huntington Beach, instead of moping around like I had been the first week after we’d arrived. Before I knew it, a month had passed, and I’d felt more at home with the guys than I had with my girlfriends in Sacramento.

“Hey, Amy? You have a phone call.”

“Thanks, Mom. Hello?”

“Hey, uh, what’s up?”

“Jimmy? Um, nothing, really. Just finishing up a gift for Zack. What are you doing?”

“Would you like to come hang out? With me, I mean?”

“Just you and me? Sure. Let me tell my parents. Where do you wanna meet up?”

“You know that Laundromat by the liquor store?”

“Yea. See you there.”

It was without hesitation that my mother told me to go see Jimmy once I'd explained that he needed someone. My dad was a little more reluctant. Nonetheless, he gave permission; I found Jimmy pacing outside the Laundromat from halfway down the block. His blue eyes were dark and full of an emotion I couldn’t read well. I flashed him a smile as I got closer. He pulled me into a tight hug, spinning me in circles. My nose automatically wrinkled in slight disgust at the smell coming from his clothes – and him.

“Jimmy? You stink.”

“I know, I know. Come on.”

I shrugged and followed him. He seemed completely oblivious to my confusion. My eyebrows raised in compounded puzzlement when he stopped outside a one-story brick home; he walked around the side of the house and appeared to be testing the windows. Finally, he managed to get one raised enough to fit a smaller-than-average person through.

“Come here, Ames.”

“Jimmy! I’m not helping you break into some stranger’s house!”

“I’ll explain it later, Amy. Please.”

I groaned in defeat. “What do you want me to do?”

.:.

The waves rolled lazily toward the shore, and sea gulls could be heard from their perches on the pier. The bright sunlight was a welcome addition to the slightly chilled breeze. I glanced over at Jimmy before focusing on the ocean again.

“That was your house, wasn’t it?”

“Yea, it was.” He avoided looking in my direction. “I didn’t want to tell you, because I was worried you’d ask questions that I wasn’t ready to answer.”

“You don’t owe me any explanations as to why I helped you commit a crime like that. But next time, a little warning would be nice.”

“Next time?”

“Well, yea. I kinda figure you’d probably end up doing it again.”

He didn’t speak for a while; when he did, his voice was faint, words thick. “I had you meet me at the Laundromat because…well…I live there. I have for a few months now. That’s why I asked you to help me sneak into my parents’ house. I knew they weren’t home, so I knew there was no chance of you getting trouble.”

“I'm sorry, Jimmy…”

“Do you know what it’s like to not have a home?” I shook my head in reply, and he laughed bitterly. “Of course not. Between the trouble I’m always in at school and being homeless…I can’t fucking wait till the band makes it big.”

“Why don’t you move back in with your parents?”

“I don’t think they’d want me back, to be honest. The last night I was there, I came home late, really drunk. My dad said something – I can’t even remember now what it was, but it set me off. I said a lot of things that I shouldn’t have. I wish like Hell I could take it all back. Mom got involved, but I told her, basically, to shut the fuck up and nobody cared what she had to say. That’s when Dad had enough. He told me to get out until I’d sobered up. I told him not to worry about it, that I wasn’t coming back. Told him I’d rather live in my car or on the streets than deal with the two of them. Haven’t seen or talked to them since.”

I allowed my mind to absorb this new information. Jimmy didn’t seem like the type of guy who could be so cold, so callous, especially to those closest to him. Even from the first day I’d met him, he had drawn me in with open arms; he’d made me feel welcome, loved, even before he really knew me. It was hard to envision him ever being as disrespectful and harsh as he was telling me now that he’d been. His hand found mine, and I dragged my eyes to his. There was shame in those blue irises. I knew he was hoping I didn’t think less of him – and I didn’t. I couldn’t. not with the way I’d treated my own parents more often than not. Blowing out a breath, I linked our hands even tighter.

“We all make mistakes, Jims. The most you can do is apologise and hope for the best. But you really should at least go talk to them. Soon. You never know when you’ll never have the chance again.”

The silence that fell over us once more was full of emotions. I couldn’t stop thinking about the reason why I knew this lesson so well. Jimmy’s gaze was trained on the setting sun. I leaned against him, resting my head on his thin shoulder. My thoughts drifted to how close we had become. It amazed me how fast he’d managed to insert himself into my life without even trying. A smile stretched across my face when I felt his lips on my forehead.

“So, um…how do you know that? About now knowing when you won’t have someone?”

I sighed. “Well, my mom and dad separated seven years ago. They’ve been divorced for six and a half years. Mom and I moved to Sacramento after they first split. About five months ago, Dad got into this huge car accident which left him paralysed from the waist down. When Mom found out, we immediately packed up our stuff and moved back to be with him. It wasn’t until three months ago when he got released from the hospital, and two months ago that Mom enrolled me into school. Dad is slowly getting better, but I still have nightmares where he doesn’t make it. And it’s terrifying to think about how close I came to losing him forever. There’s so much that I wish I could take back, but, since I can’t, I make do with making things right.”

His embrace was gentle, and I couldn’t stop myself from melting against him. “If I go talk to my parents…will you come with me?”

“Of course, dearie!”

“Good. But for tonight, can I stay at your house?”

“Yea, come on,” I laughed, grabbing his hand; I only hoped my parents wouldn’t mind this impromptu sleepover.

Notes

I hope you enjoy this! hah. I was going to update Things Will Never Be the Same, but...I'm exhausted. I've had a terrible day, and I just want it to end as quickly as possible. I WILL update it tomorrow.

Which brings me to this point - I will be updating in this order (as much as possible, anyway):
Come Back to Me
That's All She Wrote
Things Will Never Be the Same.

Hopefully this makes things easier!