Just Picture It

Chapter 10- The Past

Saturday, January 28th

Lincoln High School Tennis Courts-  Equipment Shed

A couple hours after they had REALLY start playing they were both finally ready to stop and pick up.

Korbin shut the equipment shed door, and as they went past the office he knocked on the coach's door and yelled, "Bye coach, I'm the last one out. We'll be back later."

Jamie was startled to hear a voice call out, "Bye Korbin. I'll close up until the afternoon practice."

Jamie smiled and admitted, "I forgot the coach was there."

"I know. She had to be here to open the place up, but she figures if we are serious enough about practicing to be here on Saturday she doesn't have to hover. If we start arguing too much she will come out and kick us all out."

As they left the school grounds and headed toward home Korbin smiled and said, "You found a way to do the shot."

"Yeah, I did," said Jamie with a proud smile. "It took awhile and I lost, but I did it. I was right. Tennis is a lot more fun when you don't hold back." She hesitated briefly and then asked, "Is it still okay to come to your afternoon practice?"

"Sure. We can practice in the morning too. If you have time, I mean. You don't have to start working right away, do you?" Korbin asked.

"I offered, but my uncles want me to take a week to get settled in at school. We still need to advertise and come up with a schedule for classes, but what we really need are some part-time workers." Jamie turned to Korbin and asked with a frown, "Do you know of anyone that might be interested? It could be a mom who has kids in school."

"I don't know who is looking for a job, but I'll ask my mom. She knows everyone in the area." Korbin then fixed her with a stern stare and said, "That is enough trying to sidetrack me. Since I won, you owe me some answers. It is time to tell me why you are afraid when people get too close, and why you don't just live with your uncles."

"I guess the story will get around fast enough anyway," Jamie said reluctantly.

"Tell me about your uncles," Korbin suggested when she paused for a minute and seemed lost in unhappy thoughts.

"You can probably guess that they aren't related by blood."

Korbin grinned and said, "Yeah, I guessed that, but they seem like family still. I mean, you can tell that they have been friends for a long time."

Jamie nodded and explained, "My dad and uncles were in the marines together, but even before my mom died they were talking about getting out and starting a security business together. Dad was the first one to refuse another tour, but he had me and mom waiting for him. Sean came next. Within a few more months Jenks and Bandit joined them. Colton would have been in longer. He ended up getting injured bad enough that he was discharged. He decided to join my dad and the others. They pooled their money, and we all stayed at my Dad's house while they were starting Seymour Security."

Korbin tried to imagine it and asked, "Didn't it seem strange to have so many people in your home?"

Jamie shook her head as she answered, "Looking back, I can tell it wasn't the norm, but I was four. I was just glad to have these people that I loved around me all the time. I didn't know that it wasn't the same for everyone else in the world. Besides, they were able to support each other through the rough times." Jamie's smile turned into a frown and she continued,"The business was just starting to take off when my mom died. I was only eight, but the guys were there for me. They didn't know how to deal with my grief, so they tried to distract me by teaching me things. It wasn't your usual childhood, but I loved it.