Welcome to the Family

“So talk to me about what happened yesterday.”

Jimmy rolled his eyes as he sat on the floor of his counslor’s office. “Why? You already know.”

“James sit in a chair please.”

“Why? Floor’s more comfortable.”

“Because I can see your face. Chair please.”

“I’m 6” 4’. You can see me fine,” Jimmy said resisting the urge to laugh.

The woman shook her head and sighed. “Fine. Tell me about yesterday.”

Jimmy yawned and shrugged. “You already know.”

“No. I don’t.”

“Yes you do. Otherwise you wouldn’t ask.”

“I don’t know exactly…”

“Well you know enough for me. Can I go?” Jimmy asked as he got to his feet.

“Sit James.”

Jimmy sighed and sat on the floor again grinning as his counslor rubbed her temples.

“What happened?”

“We went skinny dipping.”

“We?”

Jimmy rolled his eyes and nodded. “Yes. We. You know who I hang out with. Zacky, Matt, Brian and Johnny.”

“And?”

“And what? We got caught.”

“Why are you so against this?”

“Because I’ve been here for a year six months ten days twelve hours and five minutes and this hasn’t done shit,” Jimmy answered without missing a beat.

His counselor blinked caught off guard for a minute and it took all of Jimmy’s will not to laugh.

“It won’t work if you don’t cooperate,” the woman said running a hand through her hair.

“Please. This shit never works and you freaking know it,” Jimmy muttered as he ran a hand through his hair.

The woman sighed defeated for the moment and a smirk spread across Jimmy’s face. “You can go James,” she muttered rubbing her temples again.

Jimmy got up and headed toward the door with a triumphant grin. As his hand touched the knob he hesitated before turning to look at his counselor. “Hey…have you heard from my dad?”

The woman looked up from her notebook and shook her head smiling sadly. “I haven’t seen him Jimmy. I’m sorry,” she murmured.

Jimmy sighed and nodded as he walked out the door, his smile disappearing completely. The moment the door slid shut he kicked the wall as hard as he could wincing slightly as he kicked it again.

“What did the wall do to you?”

Jimmy spun around his sharp blue eyes wide as he came face to face with a small girl with mousey brown hair. “….Who are you?”

“Sami. I work at the front desk with Paige sometimes,” she said with a small smile.

Jimmy’s eyes glinted as his mind raced through possible plans. He kept his face neutral as he smiled. “I’m guessing you’re going to work. Mind if I walk you? I’m going that way anyway.”

Sami nodded and smiled as she headed down the hall. “You still didn’t answer my question,” she murmured.

“The wall and I have a longstanding argument. The wall made a very unprofessional comment.”

Sami gasped in mock horror and clicked her tongue. “How dare the wall make fun of you,” she said trying her hardest not to smile.

Jimmy grinned and she burst out laughing. “You’re a strange one James Sullivan,” she murmured grinning up at him.

Jimmy smiled and shook his head. “Maybe. But it’s so much better that way.” He grinned up at Nikita as they got to the front desk.

“Hey Sullivan. Your dad called. Said he’ll be up next week, Nikita said with a grin.

Jimmy’s eyes brightened and his smile widened impossibly. “Sweet. Did he say what time?”

“He said ‘I’ll see ya when I see ya’.”

“Yup. That sounds like him,” he said with a grin.

Sami smiled as she took Nikita’s spot behind the desk. As he watched her Jimmy saw just how pretty she really was. Her eyes were a dark green like Matt’s and her face was almost shaped like a perfect heart.

“It’s rude to stare ya know Jim.”

Jimmy blinked as he heard Nikita and flipped her off. The girl laughed and waved to Sami as she left.

“I gotta get back to my room,” Jimmy said as his mind raced.

“Will I see you around?” Sami asked trying to hide the disappointment from her voice.

Jimmy grinned as he nodded. “Most definitely.”