The Late-Night Host And I

Eleven

Leigh

I nodded and walked upstairs. I knocked at James' door. "Come in!" He yelled. I opened the door and saw him snuggling on his comforter. "What's wrong? Your dad told me that you slammed the door on him." I placed my hand on his forehead. Aw! That's too hot.

"I told dad that I'm sick. He asked if I packed my things. If you were me, I would do that." I nodded and looked at his bed table. "Why do you have Gatorade there? You should have water." He shrugged. "I don't know what to do when I'm sick." I tucked him in his comforter. "I'll go check on Jiana and I'll come back with a glass of water." I closed the door and knocked at Jiana's door.

"It's open!" I opened the door and I saw her watching Mean Girls. "Why did you slam the door at your father?" She rolled her eyes. "I'm asking for a new jacket and he asked if my things are ready." I looked at her closet and checked her wardrobe. "You have many clothes than me." I mumbled. "They're small for me!" She whined.

"You better get ready. We're going to go buy you a new jacket." She smiled and I went downstairs to James a glass of water. "How did it go?" I looked at Jimmy who was watching the television. "I'm going to bring Jiana to the mall. Do you some sort of Paracetamol here?" He went to reach something from the kitchen cabinet. "Here." He handed me a pill bottle of Tylenol.

I filled the glass with water. "Pixton?" Jimmy said as he filled his glass with ice cubes. "Yep?" I placed the glass and the pill bottle down. "Thanks." He smiled a little. "Am I getting paid for this?" I chuckled. "Yes. How much?" I was joking but he is asking seriously. "No! I was joking!" He shook his head. "I'm not joking. How much?" Now, he's dead serious. I grabbed the glass of water and the pull bottle. "It's fine." I ran upstairs and opened James' door.

"Hey buddy." I tapped him and he turned to face me. "Get up. Take this and drink a glass of water." He got up and I gave him a pill of Tylenol. "Don't lie immediately. Wait for five minutes." He took a sip of his water. "I'll bring home some kind of soup when me and Jiana finished shopping. Okay?" He nodded and I stood up to left his room.

"Are you ready?" I yelled at Jiana's door. She opened the door. "Let's go." She said as I followed her going downstairs. "Check on James, he has fever. I already gave him Tylenol. Check on Justin too."

--

We're done picking a jacket for Jiana. We also bought some snacks and essentials for the trip. "You know any good restaurants here?" I asked while looking at her in the corner of my eye. "There's a good pizza place here." I nodded and pointed at the pizza place I saw. "That one?" She nodded and I parked in front of the restaurant.

"What can I get for you?" The woman asked. I looked at the menu board. "Pepperoni. Please, please, please!" I heard Jiana whisper and she was crossing her fingers. How cute.

"Party size of Hawaiian." She frowned. "Chicken soup." She sighed. "And party size of Pepperoni." Her eyes lit up and she was hiding it from me but I can still see it. I looked the LED display. I reached for my wallet and gave the exact amount of money to the woman.

We sat first while we wait for our take out. "What did you like about my dad?"

"His kindness. His smile. Everything." Wow. My acting skills are awesome.

"It doesn't mean that I like you but thank you for the nice jacket." I just smiled even though she rolled my eyes at me.

"Here is your take-out." I thanked the waiter and left a tip on the table and we left the restaurant.

I pulled off in front of their house and Jiana left me with the food in the car. "Jimmy!" I shouted as I hopped our of the car. Nobody heard me. Wow.

I carried the two boxes of pizza and returned for the soup. I placed it all in the kitchen counter. "I didn't notice you're there." Jimmy sassily said. I know he saw me and he heard me yelling.

"We could end this movie tomorrow." He said walking to me. "After the visit in Chicago tomorrow, it's over. This whole relationship thing is over. Got it?" I nodded.

Jimmy reached for a slice of pepperoni and he puts it on his plate. "Thanks for the treat." I walked upstairs with the chicken soup and went to James' room. "Buddy, here's your soup. Do you want me to leave it here or I'll help?" He shook his head no. I gave him the soup.

"Thanks." He simply said.

I knocked on Justin's door. No one answered so I went in and saw him knocked asleep. I tucked his blanket and I walked downstairs to eat.

"Pixton." I was about to take a bite of my pizza and Jimmy called my name. "Yep?" I placed down my plate and looked at him. "I've made up my mind. Thanks for pretending. I want this to end now." I furrowed my eyebrow. "Yeah, about that? I cancelled the trip. I told my kids earlier." This is now confusing me. "Who is the man you're always with?" Man? Man? Man? "Oh. Derek. What about him?" Is he jelly? Yikes. "Tell him to apply as my secretary. I need another one. That's all. You may now go home." Nah.

I finished eating my food and hopped in my car to leave Hamptons. I looked at the passenger's seat and saw an envelope.

Thanks for the time and effort. JF

I opened it and there is a certain amount of money. He paid for the treat, gosh.

I started the ignition and picked a moody song for a long drive. Long drive it is again.