The Perfect Family

21. Jamison and Maci?

Ah Jamison Sander, the type of kid who moves a lot, stays out of his home and hangs out in the streets with people he has no business hanging out with.

Jamison comes from the lowest of lowest families and makes his own living seiling small pieces of happiness malted into a happy face pill or powder.

So when he earned the right to be at the high school Maci Reed attends, it was that ray of hope to have him be somebody other than just the kid that deals out to make a few bucks here and there.

But what Jamison didn't expect was to actually find someone he wanted to have, besides the regular buddies he surrounded himself with.

That's when Maci Reed became the center of his small world he was trying to make for himself.

Trying to impress Maci and actually be there for her, he thought why not offer what others were dying to have just to feel better? But it blew up in his face until Maci found out his hang out spot, being noticed by his street buddies.

"What are you doing here?" Jamison asks Maci putting away the cash he just got handed into his hoodie pocket.

Maci takes a cigarette out of one of the guy's hands, wanting Jamison to light it.

"I won't do hard drugs but I'll try this," She lifts up the cigarette to her lips until Jamison snatches it away, tossing it to the side of him.

"Don't do something you wouldn't normally do just because you're around it."

Maci chuckles, "You offered me a pill and powder, why not a cigarette?"

Jamison takes her by the arm, moving her away from his friends.

"Because I was with you, now there's a whole bunch of people you don't know and will offer you pills and powder but for all the wrong reasons. Plus don't come out dressed like that if you're going to be coming to see me out here."

Maci looks down at her tight high waisted skirt with black stockings, combat boots and long sleeve crop top with a cropped leather jacket.

"What's wrong with how I'm dressed?"

Jamison has her walk down the block with him, "Go back home Maci, please."

Maci stomps her foot down while turning to Jamison, "Stop acting like some overprotective brother or something. Just a night ago you were the opposite, so why the sudden switch up Jami boy?"

Jamison does a double take of the new nickname he just heard from Maci.

"Jami boy? What is that?"

Maci laughs low, "You."

Jamison lets out a small smile then shakes it away, "No, no, come on, I'm taking you home."

Maci sighs following behind then sees fireworks from a few neighborhood kids playing around near her house.

"Jami look," She points up, then has him climb to the rooftop of some random house to get a better view.

"I can't afford to get cuffed and booked at the county Maci," Jamison says as he dusts his hands from climbing the roof but looking up at the blue and purple sparks being thrown up to the night sky.

Maci snuggles up to Jamison hooking her arm under his while laying her head on his shoulder.

"For once can you just do what I say and enjoy the free fireworks being shown?"

Jamison makes a scoffing sound but relaxes giving Maci more warmth by hooking his arm around her shoulder and bringing her in closer. 

The two of them stay until it gets too cold to stay up on the roof.

Both got down and fell on top of each other as Jamison's shoelace got caught on the ledge.

"Ow," Maci says laughing while on Jamison.

The lights turn on as the owner of the house comes out wondering what that loud thump was.

"Shit!" Maci helps Jamison up and laughs more while running away with him.

Breathing heavily, Maci looks to Jamison, crouching trying to catch her breath.

"Whew," She says, wiping her forehead from the small sweat that was there.

Jamison looks to Maci knowing all of this, the way she was acting, was because she really is trying to find ways to not deal with what's really going inside of her emotionally.

"Maci," He says, catching his breath.

Nero comes out seeing Jamison with Maci again, "Maci get in the house," Maci salutes Jamison but Nero has Jamison stay where he was.

"You don't listen do you?" Nero says coldly.

Jamison tries to defend himself but Nero stops him.

"Come near Maci again and you'll have more problems than you can imagine."

Jamison starts to walk off but angrily says, "You think I want Maci coming out and seeing me? Or doing something she's going to regret later down the line?"

Nero narrows his eyes at Jamison feeling disrespected like a dad would if their kid talked back to them.

Jamison continues, "I just kept her away from a bad crowd, brought her home and she's safe isn't she?"

Nero grabs Jamison by the shirt, letting his anger take over.

"Want a damn medal for being a decent human being? And as for Maci, she's going through a lot and she's only going to you because she wants a desperate escape. But I'm not going to let her screw up her youth with some kid like you."

Jamison scoffs, "Yeah? A kid like me? What kind of kid am I?"

Nero brings Jamison in closer and tells him in his ear making Jamison clam up.

"Now be a good kid and be on your way," Nero pushes him away,  going inside, slamming the door behind him. 

Jamison kicked the curb leaving and when school came around the next morning he looked for Maci.

He waited all morning until she arrived late with bags under her eyes.

Without a thought he goes up to hug her and everyone whispers and Cora says to herself, "Jamison and Maci?" Then goes up to her but remembers the visit she had with Orson and stops midway.