Chapter Text
Jimmy
Jimmy had only begun to slumber when he heard a knocking on the door. It was always open and only one person ever had that habit.
“Pete!”, he greeted while jumping out of bed.
It was about 12 o’clock, but Kowalski was always welcome.
“Hey, Jimmy!”
“How did it go? How was your trip?”, Jimmy asked. He’d expected Pete in a few more days, but summer had always made him somewhat oblivious of dates. Damn, had it already been, what? Six weeks, two months? He mused.
“It was ok, got to see mom and dad. They even got a few days off and we spent them at my grandma’s”.
“Sounds nice, Pete”.
“Yeah”.
Jimmy kept quiet for a few seconds, wondering what it would be to have a family vacation at his age, for he could still recall when it was just mom and him. Yes, he remembered like it was yesterday; mom in a red bikini playing catch with him, the sun, the ice cream, the ride home at dusk. The beach had been so hot that day and mom had looked so pretty. It had been great, and an 8-year-old Jimmy thought it would only be the two of them, always; that he’d take care of her. But then she’d started marrying all those guys. Now, Jimmy was spending summer at Bullworth and, even though the small child who still managed to survive inside him somehow hoped mom would have come pick him up, she never showed up.
“And how was your summer, Jimmy?”, asked Pete, snapping him out of his reverie. He was still half asleep.
“Spent here at the dorm, but I’ve been hanging out with Zoe a lot, and mom even sent a post card”, he continued while pointing at a small view of the Caribbean stuck on his wall. XOXOXO, Mom, Pete read and saw a red smear of lipstick lingering in what he figured must have been a kiss. Kowalski almost felt like asking for Jimmy’s dad, but thought it would be rude. He kind of knew the answer anyway, so he just stared at the picture, before looking back at the other boy.
Kowalski gave up a little nervous laugh and Hopkins realized there was something Pete wanted to talk about, he knew the boy that much. He was his friend, right? However, his gut churned, for there was only one thing they had talked about in the past and, as much as Hopkins had wondered about it and slept to the decision of asking, the somber note hiding in Kowalski’s voice had him doubting his own resolution, making him wonder if he really wanted to hear any of it.
Jimmy was already getting lost in thought again while coming to the realization that he he’d never actually thought of Gary as gone, but as a friend he’d had his differences with. Sure they had come to tear the school apart, but then again, only them both could have done it. Smith had pushed Hopkins over his limits and the result was intoxicating, as far as Jimmy’s mind could get a hold of that word at his young age, for only Gary had driven Jimmy on until proving how far Hopkins could go, how much he could do, how strong he could really be; who he truly was and, somewhere deep, James knew Smith wouldn’t have been able to go that far without him. Still, Jimmy just held Pete’s stare, surprised to realize he felt like a toddler expecting a long-awaited surprise. So much so, his heartbeat was getting stuck in his throat.
Hopkins just slumped in bed and threw an arm over his face.
“What is it, Pete? Heard anything about Gary?”, his impatience finally getting on his nerves. He knew where Petey was going anyway and he waited patiently for Petey to get around the elephant in the room, for he hadn’t been the one to drag it in anyway. However, silence spoke of his own anxiety and just as he was about to speak again, Kowalski seemed to find the courage.
“You mean you don’t know?”, Petey looked at him in true disbelief, “well, it was something I wanted to talk to you about anyway, because I need a favor”.
“Don’t know what?”, Jimmy retorted defensively, “and, a favor? Concerning Gary? No fucking way, Pete! Where is that psycho hiding anyway?”, Jimmy shook his head in disbelief. He tried his best to pretend, to make Pete think he really couldn’t care less about it, but his body spoke of an anticipation that already had him on edge.
Petey gave him a quizzical look. He knew Jimmy wasn’t the sharpest crayon in the box, but he couldn’t be that oblivious, could he? So, he’d just blurt it out, it seemed Jimmy was eager to know, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.
“He’s at Happy Volts, Jimmy, his parents are too busy to let it be other than the doctor’s business.”
Happy Volts. Well, he didn’t deserve less, right? Still, he’d snuck into that place a couple of times and had a hard time believing anyone deserved to be there. Did Smith?
“Good!”, he spat before even giving it a second thought. “He had that coming! Fucking psycho!”
“I know that, Jimmy, but...”, Kowalski was lost for a second, “… I think you should go see for yourself.”
Jimmy frowned and sat on the bed, looking straight at Petey.
“Why would I? I’m not even sure I want to see him, what makes you think he’d be happier to see me? Don’t take me wrong, Pete, I was rather curious to know what had happened to that shithead, and the asylum doesn’t really surprise me that much, but I don’t know why you’d ask something like that, you go visit as much as you want, I don’t even know why you’d want to hang around that nutcase anyway…”
“Because I like to think he’s my friend.”
“I bet he doesn’t feel the same way, Pete, just let it go”.
“Please, Jimmy… It’s just… I’ve known him since we were kids… He’s just… I don’t know… I mean”.
“Get a clear thought here, Pete! You have a crush on the guy, or what? He treated you like shit!”, Jimmy felt sorry for that outburst as soon as he closed his mouth.
Petey eyed him shyly while trying to get a hold on everything that had come to his mind since visiting his childhood friend, but he was aware that Jimmy didn’t know Gary that well. However, if he wanted Jimmy to help Gary somehow, he’d have to set him in motion, just like Gary so easily did, though Kowalski had to admit Smith made it look a lot easier than it was. So, there was no other tool he could use, but honesty and money. Manipulations had to be left to Gary and bluntness to Jimmy. He had nothing but being straightforward and a few bucks. He’d always been true to Jimmy and it usually worked.
“No, you don’t get it, Jimmy. He’d never messed with his meds like this. It happened before, you know… Him not taking his pills or switching them, but we’re growing up now and, I guess that whatever’s got hold of Gary’s mind…”
“Look, Pete, please, why don’t you better tell me about your trip?”, Jimmy cut him off before he could articulate a clear request Jimmy would have the hardest time refusing, but it was too late.
“Please, Jimmy”.
“Whý would I help him? How?”
“Because we used to be friends and I know you have a thing for justice and that’s not it, not even for Gary, but you’d really have to see for yourself and, the how, is why I’m asking for your help”, Petey tried to make his words sound as confident as Jimmy’s or Gary’s, trying to reel him in if at least just for once. “Just, don’t go on visiting hours, I think they dope him heavily for those, so don’t expect a lot of interaction.”
Was Petey truly suggesting he’d have to sneak in to see Gary? There was no way he’d miss a scheduled appointment if it meant they’d give Gary the treatment for it. Jimmy smiled to himself. Shit, he was feeling excited for the first time in a while now. There was no way he’d skip the chance to see Gary drugged beyond his senses and right where he belonged to be. Still, he couldn’t manage to feel truly glad about it. But, these were the news he had been expecting, right?
“What’s in it for me?”
“Twenty-three bucks and a clear conscience?”, came Pete.
Jimmy sighed loudly. He knew he could always say no, but Pete rarely asked him for a favor and, even though he couldn’t really sympathize with Kowalski’s motivations, Jimmy knew he could just go see Gary and make up his mind depending on what he found, he’d been curious about Smith anyway.
“He betrayed me”, the redhead thought, too loudly it seemed, for Petey lowered his gaze to stare at his shoes.
Silence stretched on, for Jimmy refused to break it.
“I swear it’s not a victory, Jimmy, not this time. The broken bones, sure… He had that coming, but…”
“Please, Pete, it’s late… I’ll sleep on it, I promise”, Hopkins mustered in defeat.
“Thanks, Jimmy, see you tomorrow, then”.
“Glad to know you’re back”, he replied and that was all he knew before Kowalski took a few seconds to stand up and close the door behind him as fast as he’d appeared at his doorstep. Still, Jimmy tossed and turned for a while, refusing to go to sleep while wondering about Smith again, but still too alien to the grip of insomnia. So, he tried to distract himself by thinking of summer and Zoe and of how soft her skin was whenever he touched her hips while making out and finally felt himself relax. Yes, Jimmy mused, that’s what should be plaguing his mind, not that treacherous, back-stabbing psycho who had decided to assault his thoughts again and again, like a goddamn sticky tune, but he was too tired to fight himself so he just let memory of Gary wash over his brain in lulling waves.