Finding Jaime

Chapter 109

"Let's go for a walk," Frank said. Odd but, fine, whatever.

The five of us got up and left Jose's.

We walked down the street just sort of sauntering. No one was saying much. We're not exactly conversationalists and I didn't know the other two guys that well.

"Frank," Justin said. "Let's just drop it."

I had no idea what he was talking about.

Frank didn't answer. We turned a corner into an alleyway. Frank stopped. Justin stepped back from Frank. He looked at me and I couldn't read the look on his face. He didn't look happy or mad. He just looked, I don't know, resigned? Conflicted?

"So, Jaime, you don't wanna be one of my boys anymore?" Frank crossed his arms over his chest.

"You needed to go for a walk to ask me that?" I asked. "I'm done, Frank. I'm not stealing hubcaps for you anymore. I nearly died last summer and you didn't give a shit. You got Emmanuel killed and you don't even care!"

"Emmanuel knew the risks," Frank said. That made no sense.

Frank nodded and his cousins grabbed me by the arms, holding me in place.

"What the fuck Frank," I said. "Just drop it, okay? I'm not even a concern to you."

"You know stuff. I need to make sure the things you know don't get out to the wrong people."

"Who the fuck am I going to tell about fucking hubcaps?"

"You know you know more than about that," Frank said, wrapping something around his hand. I didn't look because I didn't want to break eye contact with him. Until he punched me in the face. I have never felt pain like that. My vision went white.

I didn't have a chance to process what was happening. All I could feel was pain. Feet, fists, and eventually, I think a baseball bat? I tried to protect myself as they rained their punches on me.

Until someone hit me so hard in the head, I lost consciousness.

I exist now just in darkness. It's silent here. In the distance I think I can hear the faint sound that could only be something hard hitting something soft. Skin, I guess.

Eventually, all I knew was the dark. Not even the sounds were coming anymore. It was dark, it was silent. I wasn't even in that room where I'd seen Jon and my mom.

Even here I felt tired and closed my eyes.

When I opened them, I was standing in a strange room in front of my dad.

I asked him if we could go home, but he said I was in the hospital having surgery. That made no sense. I was standing right in front of him!

I heard someone call my name, so I told Dad I had to go, even though I didn't know where I was going.  

I was back in the dark again. I would have preferred the weird room Dad was in. At least I could talk to him there.

"Hello Jaime," I heard a voice. I looked up and I was in that room again. And Jon Hamm was standing over me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. The last time I'd seen him was the day I tried to kill myself.

"I am not actually sure, to be quite honest," he said. "I don't suppose you once again chose termination?"

"I didn't!" I said. I was laying on the floor and I found I couldn't move even if I'd wanted to. My body was just too heavy.

"Hmm," Jon said. "You have not chosen termination, and yet, you are here again.  This is not by your own hand?"

"No," I said. "I was out with some friends."

I frowned. What had happened? Something had happened while I was with Frank and Justin and Frank's cousins.

"Something has occurred that has brought you here again."

"Maybe I got hit by a car?" I said. It made sense, I suppose.

"I do not believe that is the case. All I have been told is that I am to escort you as needed."

"Escort me where?" I asked, worried.

"I do not know at this time. I have not been given any instructions. I was just told to escort you when the time comes."

"So you're not, like, god are you?" I asked. Jon laughed. It was weird to hear.

"No. I am simply someone to assist with transitions. Although I usually am assigned people who chose termination. Perhaps because you are in a state where perhaps you will terminate, they have sent me, as you have been familiar with me before."

"I don't understand. I didn't try anything. I don't remember anything. I just remember it going black. And I don't know why," I said.

"Curious. Well, all I can tell you is that I am to guide you when the time comes. I am not sure if I will be staying with you the entire time until your destination is decided, or if I am only coming to let you know that I will be with you. Until that is determined, perhaps we could have a conversation to pass the time," Jon said.

"Don't you already know, like, everything?"

"I do not. That would be because I am only given small glimpses of your life that are pertinent to what brings you here."

I frowned again.

"But you just said you don't know why I'm here," I said.

"Yes. I did. And yes, that is true. Which is why perhaps a conversation would be nice. I do not usually have this opportunity," Jon said.

"There isn't really much to tell. I'm 16, I don't know why I'm here and I want to go home."