Finding Jaime

Chapter 33

Jaime POV

I woke up earlier than my alarm. I guess I was a bit nervous about starting back at school after the past couple of weeks. The last time I'd been at school, my classmates saw me called out of my class by the principal and two cops. Then I disappeared for two weeks. And wound up on the news once.

"Jaime?" Dad was knocking on my bedroom door. How quickly I'd accepted this was my room. Much bigger than my room in our old apartment.

Dad opened the door slowly.

"Hey, good morning," he said, smiling as he came into my room and sat next to me where I was lying on my bed.

"Morning," I said simply.

"You okay?" Dad asked. I shrugged.

Was I? Would I ever really be 'okay' again?

"A little nervous about going back to school?"

I shrugged again.

"I don't know. Maybe a little," I said. "Last time I was at school, the principal and two cops called me out of class to tell me Mom died. And then I disappear for two weeks but wind up on the news?"

Dad sighed.

"It's going to be interesting, to say the least," Dad said. "And of course, now that the media knows about you and me, there have been and will be a lot of questions about it. At some point I'm going to have to do interviews and you're definitely going to come up. There have already been calls asking us to be interviewed by different publications. I didn't say anything to you about them, because we were still figuring things out. And then you broke your leg and, well, all that stuff."

Dad smirked a bit.

"Are they going to be at my school?"

"I don't know. Honestly, I really don't."

I nodded. I believed him.

"So, look, get up, get dressed. Saint and Bronx are almost ready for breakfast. Meagan's going to take them to school and I'll drive you down to Santa Monica. I have to go in to the office anyway."

"Why?" I asked.

"Well, for starters, I have to change the contact info in your file. They might have a hard time reaching your mom if they need to," Dad smirked. I groaned and put my pillow over my face.

"Too soon, Dad," I said.

"Sorry, Kiddo," he apologized. "But seriously. Get up. Get a move on."

I nodded and made to get up. Dad left the room.

I got dressed carefully. Looks like shorts or sweatpants are going to be the main part of anything I wear, with the stupid cast on my leg.

I threw on clean sweatpants and a t-shirt, grabbed a hoodie and checked my backpack. I only had a few things in there that I'd tossed in from the apartment, so I pulled them out and left them on my bed. I put my backpack on my shoulders and made my way downstairs.

"Hi Jaime!" Marvel said when she saw me.

"Good morning, Mar," I said brightly. I couldn't help it. I'm in love with the kid. She's just too cute.

"Daddy said because it's school we can have cereal or fruit and yogourt because that's faster," she said.

Dad looked over at Marvel and then at me with a smile.

"Cereal's okay," I said.

"We have Kashi, Froot Loops, Corn Flakes or Corn Pops," Dad said.

"Corn Pops, please," I said. Dad nodded he pulled out the cereal, milk and a bowl and spoon and put them on the table in front of me. Bronx and Saint were eating the Froot Loops. Marvel was eating fruit and dipping it in yogourt.

"Jaime, here. Try," she said, holding up a strawberry covered in yogourt and sticking it in my face. I took a bite.

"Yum!" I smiled at her.

"Finish you strawberry," she said, holding the strawberry out to me. I took it and popped it in my mouth. I smiled at my sister. My sister. Never thought I'd say that.

"Fruit is yummy and nature's candy," Marvel said. "Momma said."

"She's not wrong," I reasoned.

"Good morning Jaime," Meagan said coming to to the kitchen. She gave me a hug and a kiss on my head. It sort of stunned me when she did that. Mom used to do that. It always made me feel so loved and safe. And when Meagan did it I felt the same. I felt safe. I felt loved. And I missed my mom. I tried to stop tears from coming into my eyes.

I focussed on eating my breakfast, examining the detail of every Corn Pop on my spoon. Anything to distract me from how much I missed my mom.

I ate quickly so I could leave the kitchen and get away from Meagan. I really liked her, but every once in a while she did something that Mom would have done and it just made me miss Mom so much.

I put my bowl away and grabbed my bag.

"Ready to go?" Dad asked. I nodded quickly. I didn't trust my voice yet.

"Bye, Jaime!" Marvel said. I nodded at her.

"Have a good day, sweetie," Meagan said. "I think your dad is picking you up, but we'll text you if that changes? Okay?"

I nodded tersely at her and turned away, heading to the front door.

Dad and I went out to his car and I got into the front. Dad was talking about something but I wasn't listening. I was looking out the window as he pulled out of the driveway.

"Jaime!" He said loudly.

"What?!" I said back.

"I asked you what was up. You're suddenly quiet."

"Nothing," I mumbled.

"It's not nothing. You have a look on your face like you're either very angry or very determined. What's up?"

I sighed.

"It's Meagan," I said, my voice wavering just a bit.

"Why? What? What's wrong with Meagan? Did something happen?"

"Yeah, well, no. Not really. Meagan's great. Really. It's just sometimes she does stuff that reminds me of Mom. I know she never knew Mom, and so she can't know."

"Do you want her to stop? What's she doing?"

"You know how she gave me a hug and then kissed the top of my head?" Dad nodded. "Mom used to do that all the time. She said she could only kiss my head when I'm sitting down because I'm too tall for her to reach anymore."

"Meagan really likes you. Actually, I think she loves you."

"She feels sorry for me," I said.

"Sure. To a point. You've lost your mom. That's a lot for anyone to deal with. And yeah. She's sorry that you've lost your mom. She feels badly that you have to deal with this at your age.  But believe me. She does not pity you."

"I know," I sighed. "It's just so Mom. It catches me off guard."

"I bet," Dad said.

We drove the rest of the way to my school in mostly silence.