Coin for the Ferryman [Closed.]

Huntington Beach High School. A school that resided in Southern California, or "So Cal" as it was called. Grades from ninth to twelfth walked the halls, either preparing for their next year or their final one. All was going to plan, and the year was going smoothly...for most people that was.

One particular student, wasn't grasping the concept of anything involving an education. James Sullivan was what he was named at birth, but he etched it into every brain that he wanted to be called 'Jimmy', as James seemed much too formal for his liking. He wasn't a kid someone could invite over easily. His reputation had trouble written in red, and it was hard to miss unless one was entirely blind. Life was always lived in the fast lane for Jimmy, and that's how he enjoyed it. Being told what to do, was against his agenda.

"Mister Sullivan, I've had enough. It's time you left to go visit Principal Daniels."

The raven-haired male looked up with the utmost amount of annoyance, shaking his head as he stood up from his desk, picking up the only thing he equipped to any class. A chewed on blue pen. He knew the drill. Go talk to the principal, get his detention slip, and go serve his time as if it were prison. It may as well have been, since it sucked away any chance of freedom.

Jimmy did all that he had practically memorized, sitting down in the back of the designated classroom for disruptive students, propping his feet up on the table with the pen hanging out of his mouth like a lit cigarette. Oh, how he could have gone for one, right at that moment.

@ black.dahlia

@ HeinekenSullivan

Senior year of high school, or as Danielle Klein’s mom called it, her last stage of teen years before she became an adult and started at California State University the following year. Danielle was every parents dream for a perfect daughter; she was an A plus student, taking AP classes and also in honors, she never got into trouble a day in her life, perfect attendance and A’s in all of her classes.

She didn’t have much of a social life, she spent her summers volunteering at charity events or helping her grandparents renovate their house. She didn’t have a job but she did volunteer at the church twice a week. She participated in school things too, like tutoring other students or being a student helper.

She was happy, kind of. Sometimes there were times when she wished she wasn’t so clean cut, so to speak. She wished she could have a little bit of a social life; go to bonfires with her peers, house parties, walks on the beach, anything. She had never even had a boyfriend and she was probably the only one still in school who had never had a real kiss and was still a virgin.

On this particular day she was helping out Ms. Levison with detention. Danielle’s job was just to check everyone in and make sure they were doing their homework or something and not talking to other students.

So she wasn’t surprised when Jimmy walked in. She didn’t know him personally but she knew of him and she knew he was a troublemaker. She looked up as he came up to the desk to check in. “So, what got you in trouble this time?” She asked, sliding the clipboard that had the sign in sheet to him.

[hope this is okay!]

@ black.dahlia

Jimmy took sight of the blonde haired female as the clipboard slid across the table towards him. She looked like a face he’d seen around the building on occasion, but never got around to actually meeting. Not like he did very much of that anyway. Sitting up, he gave the sign-in sheet a quick peek, pulling the pen out of his mouth to place his name upon the piece of paper.

“Teacher thought that pen drumming against the desk was disruptive or whatever he said. I think he’s just against all forms of music. It doesn’t matter though. One day I’ll be in a huge fucking band, and top his salary. It’s coming fast, since I’m more than likely going to leave this place and never look back.”

He was pretty confident in his answer, considering it was happening whether anyone liked it or not. School just wasn’t for him, and no one has been able to teach him. He just didn’t get it, nor did he even want to. K through Twelve education was a huge joke in his eyes, and a major waste of time.

“Hope this goes quick. I’ve got band practice tonight, and can’t be missing that over stupid shit like this.”

(I loved your reply!)

@ HeinekenSullivan

“You seem pretty confident with that answer.” Danielle said. She nodded, “it should, all you need to do is work on homework or something, just don’t disrupt the other students.” She said.

She sat at the desk, working on her own homework and glancing up to check on the students every now and then. Most were freshmen with the exception of Jimmy.

They were all doing homework except for Jimmy. Danielle got up and walked over to the desk in front of him and sat down. “I take it homework isn’t your thing either, hmm?” She asked.

All he had been doing since getting in there was drumming his pen against the desk and getting on everyone's nerves. “Listen, I’m all about self expression but the time will go by faster if you preoccupy yourself with something other than drumming.”

@ black.dahlia
"Probably sounds confident, because it's true. School is entirely useless. There isn't a single reason why someone should have to go to this place against their damn will. It should be a choice. Families are well enough equipped to teach their kids how the world works. If they taught us up until Kindergarten, why not keep doing it?"

What even was homework? Surely it wasn't something he knew of. He probably did a few pieces of homework in his entire life of schooling. How he made it to the year ahead, was beyond him - but he truly didn't care enough to think into it. Schoolwork wasn't needed where he was going in life. If he had to keep repeating himself, so be it.

Jimmy's head perked up to sound of the female's voice again, immediately ceasing his desk music he had created with his writing utensil. He had to admit he had a pretty good beat down, but then it came to being interrupted that made it all fade from his mind. Goddammit.

His blue eyes cast dead on hers, showing full attention for the first time in their whole encounter. His lips were pursed slightly, and his neck muscles were stiff.

"If I could preoccupy myself with something else, I would. I don't have homework. All I have is this pen, but if you have something that would keep me busy, I guess I'll try it."

@ HeinekenSullivan

Danielle looked at him, “I have two options,” she started and showed him a notebook, “you can write down your music, that way you’ll remember it, or,” she grabbed one of the books she kept on her for reading material, “you can read.” She said, handing him a Stephen King book.

“If neither of those sound appealing, I’m sure Ms. Levison can find something for you to do, we are in a library afterall.” She smiled.

She looked at him, he was very interesting, she didn’t really have a type because she never dated anyone before, but he was attractive albeit being a troublemaker. “So what will it be?” She asked him.

@ black.dahlia
He looked down at the notebook that was shown to him, finding much more pleasure in that, compared to the large Stephen King book. Not that he didn't like that author, but his attention span wasn't slow enough to be reading at the moment.

"I should have been writing my music all this time, and you actually reminded me. So for that, I thank you greatly." That's when he grabbed the notebook, opening it up to a fresh page to begin unleashing what was on his fast-tracked mind. Hopefully he didn't draw a blank once paper was right in front of his face. He'd be pissed if that happened.

Jimmy looked up at her for a moment once again, before returning back to the notebook.

"Y'know, it's weird really. I'm so used to detention being held at the end of the day. This must be some new 'during the day' type of shit. Never had it in the library either. Usually it is in some blank classroom with a bunch of random worksheets."

Something about her looked familiar to him, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was. Maybe it was that she was blonde? That she was an assistant? How would he know if he wasn't ever paying attention in class? Either way, it was better than some micromanaging middle aged woman with the intention to stare her classmates down.

@ HeinekenSullivan

Danielle smiled and got up to go back to her spot at the front. With Jimmy busy now, the time seemed to go by pretty fast and soon detention was over.

“Well, looks like you won’t be late for band practice afterall, did you get anything written down?” Danielle asked him.

They were the only two left in the library so she figured she’d walk out with him. “I’m Danielle by the way, sorry I didn’t introduce myself before.” She said.

@ black.dahlia
Jimmy was more than pleased to be writing down the lyrics to songs that he could hopefully bring together with the guys. Their band had great success ahead in his mind, and it was a real pleasure to be part of a group with all best friends.

"Yeah, thank god for that. I got some things written down, and it'll probably be good for the band. Though now that I truly think about it, it might go for my side project with my good friend of mine. We'll see when the time comes." He stood from his chair, pushing it in as he grabbed the notebook.

Watching her approach him as they walked out of the library, he gave a small smile. Better to be decent, rather than stand-offish. Right?

"Danielle, huh? Nice name. I think I have a distant cousin with that also. I'll probably be calling you Dani, though. Name's Jimmy. Well, born James...but I prefer Jimmy. It sounds better, and doesn't seem like I'm about to be getting my ass in trouble."

@ HeinekenSullivan

“Dani is fine, you’re the first person that has ever called me that,” Danielle said, “Jimmy seems better, James makes you sound old and you’re obviously not old.” She gave him a smile.

“Anyways, Jimmy, it was nice to finally meet you. Good luck with your band and try to stay out of trouble.” She said. Even she knew that was a long shot.

She watched him walk off before she went to her locker to get her things. She was ready to go home and relax. She didn’t have any homework and just planned on spending the rest of her day watching Netflix and eating junk food.

@ black.dahlia
"Well, good. There's always a first for everything, right?" He fondled with the pen in his hand, finally shoving it into his pocket.

"James is such an old-timer name, so I agree with you on that. Why my parents named me that, I have no idea. I'm just glad there's a nickname I can use to save myself. It was nice to meet you too, Dani. Even if I about judged you for being an assistant for detention, you ended up being pretty rad."

Jimmy approached his own locker after having walked away from her, only to have it shut again by his best friend, Matthew Sanders.

"So, who was that bud? New chick to shag off the record?"

The young drummer rolled his eyes, smirking as he realized he couldn't keep a straight face around Matt.

"You wish, dude. She's a teacher's assistant I think."

@ HeinekenSullivan

Danielle placed her things in her locker before grabbing her book bag and jacket. She pulled her jacket on and then hoisted her book bag over her shoulder before closing her locker.

She headed out to the parking lot and got into her car. The first thing she did was light a cigarette. Her parents didn’t know she smoked and she would rather keep it that way.

She stopped by Starbucks on the way home and got herself a drink, to get the taste of the cigarette smoke out of her mouth. She also sprayed some body mist on her before entering her house.

She went up to her room and closed her door so she could change out of her clothes and into something more comfy before flopping down on her bed and opening her laptop. “Time to relax..” she told herself.

@ black.dahlia
"Is she single?"

"I don't know."

"Did you try scoring?"

"No."

Jimmy was truly fed up with the amount of questions that he was getting from Matt. It was almost like HE was more curious about Danielle than anything. That was how it was though, being a late teenager with needs. Self-control was a thing, however. Perhaps he needed to teach Matt about it.

"Matt, I just met her today. How could you expect me to go that fast on a girl that I met in a damn library with teachers up my ass? I swear, sometimes you don't realize that we are in a fuckin' school. If we weren't, things probably would have been different. Speaking of out-of-school shit, we still on for tonight?"

The young vocalist shoved his backpack upward to adjust it, unable to reason with the broken straps that somehow still held it together.

"Well, duh - why wouldn't we?"

Jimmy shook his head, quite certain that Matt wasn't grasping the entirety of what he was asking.

"No dude, for the other thing."

@ HeinekenSullivan

The whole time Danielle was watching Netflix, she couldn’t stop thinking about Jimmy. She stopped the movie she was watching and switched over to her Facebook account and decided to try to find him.

She was surprised when she found him on the first try and began looking through his profile. The cursor hesitated over the “add friend” button but she eventually hit it, hoping he’d accept it.

She wasn’t sure why she was so interested in him but she suddenly was. She figured it was because he had this whole bad boy persona going on, something Danielle herself envied in her other peers.

@ black.dahlia
Jimmy arrived home not too long after practically knocking sense into his best friend's head about that night's plans, throwing all of his belongs into the corner of his room, sitting down in the swivel chair that resided at the desk for his desktop computer. Thankfully he managed to leave the computer on while he left for school. His first instinct was to check Facebook, and wasn't surprised to see a few notifications. So many girls at school thought they could have chances with him, and it truly got on his nerves. He wasn't ever looking for anything serious after the small hookups he'd have with them, yet they assumed otherwise.

Denial after denial of friend requests later, he reached the last one. His mouse hovered over the "deny" function, but his hand froze when he stopped to notice the name.

Danielle Klein.

He knew that name. Well, he knew the first name anyway. The profile picture displayed the same face he saw today in the library. It was her. That girl he met in detention. A smirk grew on his face as he moved the cursor over to accept the request. Immediately upon doing so, he gave her profile a quick look-over. She seemed pretty cool by what he could see.

"About time someone isn't throwing their tits all over social media."

@ HeinekenSullivan

Danielle had gone back to watching her movie when she noticed her phone light up. She quickly paused her movie and noticed the notification tab for Facebook. Jimmy had accepted her friend request.

She smiled as she opened her Facebook messenger and saw that he was online. She wondered if sending him a message would be to forward, “why the hell not?” She said before opening the little chat box.

Thanks for accepting. How did band practice go?

She had erased and retyped the message at least ten times before sending it. She looked at the time, seeing fhat it wasn’t to late and wondered if he had even gone to practice yet.

“Oh well, doesn’t matter, I already sent it.” She said.

Now if was time to wait.

@ black.dahlia
He had been scrolling around on various websites pertaining to music, when he heard the familiar sound from Facebook. A message notification on Messenger. Clicking back over to it, Jimmy noticed that he had a message from Danielle.

Thanks for accepting. How did band practice go?

Unfortunately he couldn't provide an answer for band practice, since he hadn't gone yet - but at least he could reply with something.

Anytime. Haven't gone yet. Guess my buddy's parents are uncertain if they're going to be leaving tonight, so we probably won't be getting the garage. Sucks, but what can you do really.

@ HeinekenSullivan

Danielle grabbed her phone when it dinged to notify her of Jimmy’s message. She read over it and thought to herself before replying. Her parents were going out tonight, her dad had a company meeting and they’d be gone pretty late, not only that but ableit having her parents car in their garage, there really wasn’t anything else.

Okay, hear me out, my parents are going out tonight and they’ll be gone super late. We have a pretty big garage, if your friend’s parents don’t leave, you guys can always come practice over here.

She hesitated for a moment before hitting send. She didn’t want to send him the wrong impression, like she was trying to get in his pants or anything, she was just trying to be nice and do an act of kindness.