Dear Jimmy
Setting Up
~Sam~
I was now driving slowly down the street looking for the address Val had given me earlier while I was picking up Wallace. Once I found the house I parked my truck and stepped out. Their house wasn't huge, but it defiantly wasn't small either. I saw other cars parked in the driveway as well so I knew others were here. I knocked on the door and was greeted instantly. I looked at Val oddly before stepping in. She chuckled obviously catching my facial expression.
"I saw you in the window. Nice truck." she said walking into another room pointing to the window that overlooked the street. She walked into the kitchen where I saw Gena, Lacey, and Michelle staring at an assortment of alcohol.
"What's wrong?" Val asked as she walked over to them. I walked over and sat on the bar stool across from them.
"Do you think there's enough?" Gena asked. She drummed her nails against the counter in thought she probably didn't even realize she was doing it.
"Well how many people are going to be here?" I asked suddenly. They all looked at me before going into thought.
"I'd say...50 maybe 75" Val said, the girls nodding in agreement.
"Are they heavy drinkers?" I asked making them laugh out loud.
"As long as it's alcohol they'll drink it. For the most part." Michelle said smiling making me laugh.
"Yeah but they won't drink the fruity 'girly' drinks." Lacey said.
"Are you old enough to drink?" Michelle asked suddenly.
"Jimmy met her at Johnny's. Of course she's old enough to drink!" Val said lightly bumping into her.
"Can't you just feel the love they have for each other?" Gena jokingly asked each other.
"Well why don't you get a case of Bud Light of something from the liquor store?" I proposed. They all looked between them and thought that was a great idea.
"Will you and Michelle go get it?" Val asked. I looked to Michelle and saw her nod her head so I nodded. I hoped off my chair and walked to the door with Michelle beside me.
"We're gonna have to take your car since Brian dropped me off." she said as we stepped outside. I nodded and made my way over to my truck. I unlocked it and got inside and waited for Michelle to do the same.
"Why did you park so far away. You could've just pulled into their driveway." she commented as she put her seatbelt on. I shrugged and started the car and pulled out and onto the road.
"I didn't think she would want me to." I said.
"Nonsense! You're a friend now so you're allowed." she said smiling at me.
"Thanks. So how did you and Brian meet?" I asked. It was the first question that came to my head. She automatically smiled at the thought of Brian.
"Through Val. She had been friends with the guys since forever and I ran in my own circle in high school. One day the guys came over, and me and Brian just...hit it off I guess. Been uphill ever since there. Now how bout you and Jimmy. How did you two meet?" she asked turning to face me.
"Well like Val said, we met at Johnny's. He punched a guy who was bothering me." I started. She squealed making me look at her like she had a couple screws loose.
"What? Don't look at me like that. It's cute and you know it!" she laughed making me chuckle at her.
"ANYWAYS, we started talking. Then the other day, my clumsy brother ran straight into Val knocking her down so I saw him then and then yesterday at the beach when Val spotted me." I said listing off the times we've run I to each other. I pulled into a Safeway and parked. We walked inside and towards the liquor section.
"What kind do you think they want?" I asked Michelle as we stared at the different options.
"What bout Corona?" she suggested pointing to it.
"You know them better than I do." I said.
"Corona it is!" she said. I nodded and picked two up, one in each hand, before walking back towards the cash register. I set them down and got inline.
"So this is a surprise party?" I asked as we waited.
"Yeah. The guys are taking Matt to the bar and keeping him busy while we decorate the house. Where's your friend Grace?" she asked as she threw the bee in the bed of the truck.
"She had to go home and have dinner with her parents. She does it every Sunday." I said as I started the car.
"What's bout you? Are you close with your family?" she asked. I quickly glanced at her to see her staring at me waiting for me' to answer.
"Well to my older brother Chase yeah we're close. He was my protector in school when I was bullied. To my younger brother Wallace not so much. He's 16 and it's automatically 'uncool' to be seen with family. He avoids us all like a plague." I said and she nodded as if to say she understood.
"And your parents?"
"Well, my parents are your everyday parents I guess. They only want what's good for us in the long run. They were so proud that Chase went to an Ivy League school and became a lawyer. My mom was practically in tears when he got the acceptance letter am my dad was patting him on the shoulder saying 'Way to go son' and all that jazz." I turned onto Val and Matt's street and was pulling in where I was before.
"No! Park in the driveway!" Michelle demanded playfully. I laughed and did as she said. I parked my car behind a black Nissan. We got out and grabbed the beer from the back.
"And what bout you? Do they approve of you being in the service?" she asked as we walked into the house.
"Well in the beginning my mom was straight up 'No way! You go to college like your brother!' and all that, and my dad had the 'no women in the service' attitude, but over time they saw that it was what I wanted to do and left the subject alone. They're just glad to see me come home in one piece." I said as we walked into the kitchen to set the beer down. Val walked into the room and looked at the beer and nodded her head in approval.
"Come on! The guys will be here in any minute. Let's grab the beers and put them in coolers." she said grabbing a box with both hands.
"She really gets to work when she wants to huh?" I said to Michelle as I carried the other box out.
“Yeah. She really wants this to be special for Matt. She loves him a lot.” she said following me out. Once we got out back, Val started packing the beers in the coolers and demanded that we do the same. It was only a minute or two before they were all in the coolers and people started showing up.
I was now driving slowly down the street looking for the address Val had given me earlier while I was picking up Wallace. Once I found the house I parked my truck and stepped out. Their house wasn't huge, but it defiantly wasn't small either. I saw other cars parked in the driveway as well so I knew others were here. I knocked on the door and was greeted instantly. I looked at Val oddly before stepping in. She chuckled obviously catching my facial expression.
"I saw you in the window. Nice truck." she said walking into another room pointing to the window that overlooked the street. She walked into the kitchen where I saw Gena, Lacey, and Michelle staring at an assortment of alcohol.
"What's wrong?" Val asked as she walked over to them. I walked over and sat on the bar stool across from them.
"Do you think there's enough?" Gena asked. She drummed her nails against the counter in thought she probably didn't even realize she was doing it.
"Well how many people are going to be here?" I asked suddenly. They all looked at me before going into thought.
"I'd say...50 maybe 75" Val said, the girls nodding in agreement.
"Are they heavy drinkers?" I asked making them laugh out loud.
"As long as it's alcohol they'll drink it. For the most part." Michelle said smiling making me laugh.
"Yeah but they won't drink the fruity 'girly' drinks." Lacey said.
"Are you old enough to drink?" Michelle asked suddenly.
"Jimmy met her at Johnny's. Of course she's old enough to drink!" Val said lightly bumping into her.
"Can't you just feel the love they have for each other?" Gena jokingly asked each other.
"Well why don't you get a case of Bud Light of something from the liquor store?" I proposed. They all looked between them and thought that was a great idea.
"Will you and Michelle go get it?" Val asked. I looked to Michelle and saw her nod her head so I nodded. I hoped off my chair and walked to the door with Michelle beside me.
"We're gonna have to take your car since Brian dropped me off." she said as we stepped outside. I nodded and made my way over to my truck. I unlocked it and got inside and waited for Michelle to do the same.
"Why did you park so far away. You could've just pulled into their driveway." she commented as she put her seatbelt on. I shrugged and started the car and pulled out and onto the road.
"I didn't think she would want me to." I said.
"Nonsense! You're a friend now so you're allowed." she said smiling at me.
"Thanks. So how did you and Brian meet?" I asked. It was the first question that came to my head. She automatically smiled at the thought of Brian.
"Through Val. She had been friends with the guys since forever and I ran in my own circle in high school. One day the guys came over, and me and Brian just...hit it off I guess. Been uphill ever since there. Now how bout you and Jimmy. How did you two meet?" she asked turning to face me.
"Well like Val said, we met at Johnny's. He punched a guy who was bothering me." I started. She squealed making me look at her like she had a couple screws loose.
"What? Don't look at me like that. It's cute and you know it!" she laughed making me chuckle at her.
"ANYWAYS, we started talking. Then the other day, my clumsy brother ran straight into Val knocking her down so I saw him then and then yesterday at the beach when Val spotted me." I said listing off the times we've run I to each other. I pulled into a Safeway and parked. We walked inside and towards the liquor section.
"What kind do you think they want?" I asked Michelle as we stared at the different options.
"What bout Corona?" she suggested pointing to it.
"You know them better than I do." I said.
"Corona it is!" she said. I nodded and picked two up, one in each hand, before walking back towards the cash register. I set them down and got inline.
"So this is a surprise party?" I asked as we waited.
"Yeah. The guys are taking Matt to the bar and keeping him busy while we decorate the house. Where's your friend Grace?" she asked as she threw the bee in the bed of the truck.
"She had to go home and have dinner with her parents. She does it every Sunday." I said as I started the car.
"What's bout you? Are you close with your family?" she asked. I quickly glanced at her to see her staring at me waiting for me' to answer.
"Well to my older brother Chase yeah we're close. He was my protector in school when I was bullied. To my younger brother Wallace not so much. He's 16 and it's automatically 'uncool' to be seen with family. He avoids us all like a plague." I said and she nodded as if to say she understood.
"And your parents?"
"Well, my parents are your everyday parents I guess. They only want what's good for us in the long run. They were so proud that Chase went to an Ivy League school and became a lawyer. My mom was practically in tears when he got the acceptance letter am my dad was patting him on the shoulder saying 'Way to go son' and all that jazz." I turned onto Val and Matt's street and was pulling in where I was before.
"No! Park in the driveway!" Michelle demanded playfully. I laughed and did as she said. I parked my car behind a black Nissan. We got out and grabbed the beer from the back.
"And what bout you? Do they approve of you being in the service?" she asked as we walked into the house.
"Well in the beginning my mom was straight up 'No way! You go to college like your brother!' and all that, and my dad had the 'no women in the service' attitude, but over time they saw that it was what I wanted to do and left the subject alone. They're just glad to see me come home in one piece." I said as we walked into the kitchen to set the beer down. Val walked into the room and looked at the beer and nodded her head in approval.
"Come on! The guys will be here in any minute. Let's grab the beers and put them in coolers." she said grabbing a box with both hands.
"She really gets to work when she wants to huh?" I said to Michelle as I carried the other box out.
“Yeah. She really wants this to be special for Matt. She loves him a lot.” she said following me out. Once we got out back, Val started packing the beers in the coolers and demanded that we do the same. It was only a minute or two before they were all in the coolers and people started showing up.
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