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Should he even call? Would Curly even want to hear from him? Curly just left him after highschool to go to that stupid fucking flight school so he cant care too much, fuck… its been over 10 years since hes even seen the guy. Jimmy was desperate, he owed some not very great people cash, he was homeless just living in some shelter that he knew he couldn’t crash at forever, couldn’t pass a drug test to save his life, etc. There were a myriad of reasons he needed help, he just refused to admit he couldn't handle it on his own due to his own pride. He knew Curly was always better off than him, no doubt he was doing something fucking great with his life while jimmy just stagnated at a point lower than Curly would ever be close to. If anyone could bail him out Curly could.
Once upon a time he was Curly’s best friend, he cared about him and he thought Curly cared about him. But he ABANDONED him he LEFT him like he was NOTHING, like he was DIRT under his boots.
The way Jimmy grew up he bounced around the foster system, court ordered home from court ordered home, going to random schools wherever the family he was staying with lived. When he was younger he got into fights, stole, vandalised shit, ran away regularly, and smoked weed & cigarettes way too young, he wasn’t the easiest to handle. so oftentimes the families would essentially say ‘hey we can’t handle him’. It was a wonder he wasn't in a facility for juvenile delinquents, but he had a habit of getting off lucky despite his actions.
Well, when he was 14 he was put in a foster home that just fucking REFUSED to give up on him and send him away. By the time he reached sophomore year he realised he was going to be staying there, he decided to buckle down and get his GED so he could leave when he was 18 and never have to deal with the system again. 3 more years he told himself, he didn't expect to make a friend.
Grant Curly, he was everything Jimmy wasn’t and had everything Jimmy wanted. He was popular, handsome, had biological parents that loved him, had money, had friends, played sports…. He didn’t understand why he started being nice to him, at first he thought he just wanted something from him. They had a few classes together and sat beside each other, the typical putting the loud guy next to the quiet kid to try and keep them quiet. But Curly, despite the popular guy stereotypes, was actually genuinely nice.
He started seeking Jimmy out in the hallway to give him fist bumps and high fives, sitting with him at lunch, inviting him to hang out with his other friends. Jimmy essentially rode on his coattails to achieve semi-popularity (at least in some cliques, most sane girls couldn’t stand the guy). He kept attention on him by being the guy that could get alcohol, cigs, weed. He was the type of guy that most genuinely couldn’t stand, and just tolerated him for what he could offer. Except Curly, he genuinely saw him as a friend. Yeah Jimmy had ‘friends’ but Curly was his only actual FRIEND. Curly got along well with his foster parents, and Curly’s parents surprisingly liked Jimmy.
Well, that all changed when they turned 18. Originally they talked about going to college together but Curly decided he wanted bigger and better, he was going to go to flight school, he was going to pilot spaceships. Jimmy knew Curly had the money to do that, but Jimmy didn’t. Curly was leaving him without a second thought.
They argued, Jimmy punched him, refused to talk to him after, got his GED, and dropped out. They hadn’t spoken since. That gave Jimmy enough time to end up on the streets.
Jimmy found himself feeling oddly reserved as he looked at the number that was written down on a sticky note. He had called up curly’s parents to get his number, he lied to them about how his life was going.
He swallowed his pride and finally dialed the number…. It rang once, twice… then Curly picked up…. “Hey Curly, it’s Jimmy… How have you been..?” He sheepishly asks in an uncharacteristically quiet voice.
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Curly had never expected Jimmy of all people to call him. He was immediately thrilled! He really regretted how he had handled their fight, and had wanted to apologize for years, but could never contact him. It had been something that ate at him for years, a type of guilt that he’d think about in passing that would make him freeze for a second and cringe.
Curly couldn’t help but think back to when they met, Jimmy was a sad weird kid with no friends. He felt bad and actually ended up thinking he was a cool dude once he got to know him. Jimmy was always kind of unstable, but it made sense. He grew up in the system, in cold unloving homes, nobody wanted him. Which Curly thought was extremely unfair, but luckily he got put in a good home, and then they met! It made him happy knowing he was Jimmy’s first friend, he had just wanted to be there for him. Admittedly it hurt, emotionally, when Jimmy punched him and ended their friendship.
He FAILED him, he had failed Jimmy and he had been his FIRST friend. He’d do whatever he could to make up for it, he missed his best friend.
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Jimmy looks around the room, looking for anything to distract himself from Curly’s happy voice. “Jimmy! Hey man it’s been forever! I’ve been good, what's been going on with you?”
Jimmy once again swallows his pride. “Not good.”
“What’s going on?” Curly’s voice was sweet like saccharine and laced with thinly veiled concern. The same tone someone would use with a kid when they were concerned.
Jimmy fell for it hook line and sinker every time, but not this time. This time he knew Curly for what he was. A LIAR that would LEAVE him at the first chance he’d get.
“Listen man… i… I need help… I'm in a really bad spot..” He knew Curly would pity him, he could play into his savior complex to get what he wanted.
“What happened?” Curly encourages him to elaborate.
“I'm half alive without a pot to piss in, I'm dead broke, on worse than coke, and homeless.” He took a gamble with being honest. Any sane person would immediately hang up when learning someone was so fucked up. “I need help…”
“Jimmy… I… wow… How can I help?” Curly asks, his voice soft. He genuinely didn't know what else to say.
“Well… I need a job for one… But I don't know how you could help with that.” Jimmy says.
“Have you ever heard of the pony express?” Curly asks, suddenly sounding confident.
“No, why?” Jimmy asks.
End.