Pinky Promises

When we got home I put the things from my car in my apartment without waking Jimmy. I figured I would let him get a few z's while I did what I needed to do.

All that I could think about was my Uncle and how I hoped that I would make it to see him before he passed away. The thought of losing someone wasn't easy for anyone, but I couldn't help feeling sorry for myself. It was my own fault I hadn't seen my uncle in a few years. I was the one who went off on my own, so I couldn't point the blame.

I turned on my a/c and then went back out to my car and drove it across the street so Jimmy wouldn't have to walk very far. I knew once he woke up he would look like a baby giraffe trying to walk for the first time.

"Jimmy." I whispered. "Jimmy...." I shook his shoulder but he didn't budge. "JIMMY!" I yelled and his eyes popped open.

"Trying to kill me?" He asked calmly and seriously as he sat up.

"Not at all. You just asked me to marry you, why would I kill you off?"

He grinned. "Insurance reasons."

"I don't have any on you."

"Well...whatever then!" He opened the door and poured himself out then stood still as I rushed around the side to help him.

The inside of the house was cool and I helped him to the couch where he flopped over and kept his eyes closed. Without saying another word he lifted his arms and I knew this to be the first step
of the 'Helping Drunk Jimmy' out.

I peeled his shirt off from him, up over his head and tossed it on the chair, then took his shoes off and flung them behind my shoulder not caring where they went. Finally I undid his belt and then slid his pants off.

Having done it a million times before getting him undressed never
bothered me. Even with my weirdly developing feelings for him, I still did it with the care that a friend would. Not someone who would jump on him the minute I got the chance.

I tossed his pants with his shirt and then went in the kitchen to get him a small bucket just in case. "There you go. I know you don't normally puke, but still."

"Thank you." He mumbled.

"No problem. Is there anything you need?"

As if there were a magic sentence to say to someone to sober them up, Jimmy opened his eyes and looked at me. "I'd love you forever if you made me a grilled cheese sandwich."

I laughed. It never failed. "Yes, I'll make you one. Or do you want two?"

"Two would be magical."

"I'll make three."

"You're a saint. I love you more than ever. You still never told me if you'd marry me or not."

I laughed. "I told you! I'd be a terrible wife."

"Why?"

"Because, I'm not good at the being a wife part of being a wife. I mean, any relationship I've had-"

"You always pick stuuuupid guys! Layla...date someone nice for once. If you go home with him and he doesn't have a book don't
put out!"

"What?" I asked but couldn't contain my laughter. "What kind of advice is that, Jimmy? And do YOU follow it?"

He laughed. "When is the last time you've seen me with a woman?"

"Wow. That's a pretty tight rule. Do magazines count?"

He shook his head. "No. They have to be books. Actual ones, bonus points if they have one of your favorites or just one you've heard of."

"Ah," I said standing up straight, "I guess you're covered then since you're a Stephen King freak."

"That and I want to be prepared if they have the same rule."

"Only you..." I said and went to the kitchen.

It didn't take long to make the sandwiches, Jimmy took even less time eating them, and soon I found myself engulfed in some movie about Aliens.

"Man, I'm really not going to like sitting at home alone now."

"Why?" Jimmy asked. He was smoking a cigarette staring at me.

"I can handle monsters in the woods, or in the lake or coming out of my closet...people dying in their own pools of blood, intestines hanging out of their stomachs, foaming at the mou-"

"You made me grilled cheese, now do you want to clean it up off the floor?" He said.

"Sorry." I laughed.

"So...what? Aliens scare you?"

"Yes."

"Whaat?! Last I knew you loved aliens. YOU MAKE ME UFO HUNT!"
He saidd loudly. "You're all 'I wish aliens would find us so they can take us to live on another planet!'...."

"I know, and I do like aliens, if I think about them in the sense of
Paul or like, E.T. or something, but fuck the bad aliens. The ones that sneak down in your house at night and look in your window, or come in when you don't even know and just stand there with their eyes and shit... "

"Seriously?"

"Yes! I'm gonna go home and have nightmares those asshole's are hovering over me. You know, one night I woke up panicking because I didn't know where I was. The whole time I was trying to get it together I was like 'I just have to get back to my room'..."

Jimmy looked at me for a long time in silence then cracked up.
"Jesus. You said I was the weird one? Fuck no."

"Hey, you say some weird ass shit too, my friend. Don't even try to put this all on me."

"Yeah but even drunk I'm not as weird as that. Give me some credit, you freak."

I laughed and nudged him with my elbow. He was sobered up pretty good now and I was feeling a bit tired. "Well it was fun tonight. I'm really glad you came. Sometimes I dunno what I'd do without you, you know that?"

"I'm glad I can help out."

"Anyway, I suppose. I better get over to the house. I'm pretty sure
I left the a/c on too and I've been here awhile. It's almost four.

"What? You're gonna go. Don't go." He frowned.

"I gotta. I have a few things I gotta do tomorrow and I want to get some sleep. I'm not like you, I don't run on alcohol."

He waved his hand. "I don't either."

"Uh huh."

He smiled. "Alright, well if you have to go..." He reached over and hugged me to him tightly.

"It's not like you won't see me tomorrow."

"Maybe I won't."

"What do you mean? You got plans? Wait, no! You have other friends!?"

He grinned. "No, it's not that. I just don't know for sure if I'll see you tomorrow...something could happen to one of us between now and then."

"Jimmy, don't talk like that. We'll both be fine. We always are, I see you every day."

"I know. I just get that way when I think about it sometimes. It could be my last day..."

I leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. "You'll be okay. You still have a lot of days left in you, so don't worry. Everything is kosher."

"I know! I didn't mean to bum you out!"

I laughed. "No, you didn't bum me out. The aliens bummed me out. I'm going to leave all my lights on and if you hear me screaming you have to come running!"

"I will." He rolled his eyes but then grinned at me.

"Pinky promise?" I asked.

"Hey! You wanna go and pull out the pinky promises on something like aliens? Zombies I can see, because there's a good chance that could happen, but ALIENS? Come on. Aliens?"

"Jimmy, think back to how many stupid things you've made me promise you...seriously. I've got time."

He shoved me playfully. "Get out of here and go sleep with your probing buddies."

"What?!"

Jimmy laughed. "Oh come on. They're not gonna mess with you. If aliens are here, that means they're not stupid. If they're not stupid that means they probably know that people like us don't mean jack shit. We're not important. So I doubt very seriously, if there were in fact aliens, that they'd be here looking for you."

"You're just trying to make me feel better, aren't you?"

"Nope. Those aliens would take one look at you and be like 'nah, this shit is boring'. Me on the other hand...they might take me."

"Dear Lord. Alright, well....goodnight Jimmy. I'll see you tomorrow okay?"

He nodded. "If you're not abducted between now and then, sure."

"Thanks!"

"Night!" he called as I closed the door behind me.

I thought I was on my merry way to get inside and go to bed but I didn't even make it across the street before my phone went off.

'Come back and stay with me.'

I turned around and made my way back to his house then went inside. "What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Stay with me. Just for tonight."

"Jimmy, are you okay?" I sat down next to him on the couch and he promptly laid down and put his head in my lap.

"I'm okay. I just don't want you to go. Is that so bad?"

"It's not bad, it's just...you haven't really asked me to stay or wanted to stay at my place for awhile. Not since... you know." I couldn't bring myself to say 'not since the night you almost died'.

"I just want to be with you, so please don't go." He reached around and grabbed my hands, taking one in his left hand and putting the other on top of his head. I knew what he wanted.

I began running my fingers through his semi long hair and he closed his eyes.

"Alright, I won't go." I said softly.

"Good." He said. "And Lay?"

"Yes, Jimmy?"

"If you want I'll come with you to see your Uncle. So you don't have to do it alone."

I had forgotten momentarily about my Uncle Everette and at the mention of his name tears started to form in my eyes. I shook them away and cleared my throat. "I wouldn't make you come with me, that's gonna be hard seeing him like that... It's bad
enough I've got to see him like that."

Jimmy turned over so he was on his side facing me, but scowled when I stopped playing in his hair. I continued quickly. "I don't care what kind of shape he's in. He means something to you. He could be a head in a jar and I'd still go see him with you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm sure. Plus it's a long drive. I don't want you to have to do all that alone."

I hesitated trying to let the emotion run out of me before I spoke. I didn't want my voice to give me away. "Okay. Thank you."

"No problem. Now, snuggle with your best friend and let's get
some sleep."

For being such a tall guy he shifted fast and before I knew it we were laying side by side on the couch. He reached up with his left arm and pulled me to him, wrapping his arm around my head contently. With his right hand he reached for mine and I felt his pinky wrap around mine.

"What's that for?" I asked, surprised at how comfortable and asleep I already was.

"That I'll be with you every step you take tomorrow."

I smiled.

"And you know, the alien thing."

I laughed. "I love you."

"I love you too." He kissed my forehead and just before I fell asleep I heard him add, "Sometimes more than I think you realize."