Bits and Pieces (Runaways 2)

“JESSIE” I heard the voice screaming. I looked up in alarm. A short guy with blonde hair grinned at me. His brown eyes sparkled with happiness. “JESSIE” he repeated. I grinned and groggily patted the bed beside me. He ran to the bed so fast I didn’t know what hit me. He quickly scurried over the blankets and over to me. He put his head on my chest. “Hey Jessie” he whispered, in a breathless voice. I grinned. He rolled over so that he was lying on top of me. He wrapped his arms around the top of my head, and his legs around my waist. He pulled me into a hug like that and kissed my forehead. I laughed and pushed him off. Then I noticed the other guy standing in the doorway. He was just as tall and gorgeous and ever with the shaggy brown hair and laughing blue eyes. I smiled at him.

“Welcome to my house” I joked. I patted the bed, and Max, the guy with the messy brown hair came over more quietly but still very fast. He stuck out his hand to shake, but I refused it. I grabbed his arms and pulled him into a tight hug. David, his brother, was still lying on the other side of me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and put his head on them. “I’ve missed you guys” I whispered. David playfully blew a raspberry on my stomach.

“Missed you too Jessie!” he said with a false lisp. I laughed and tickled him. He grinned. Max surveyed this.

“I missed you too Jess” he said smiling at me warmly. Then a slight look of annoyance passed over his face. “Dave, do you think you can let go of her and let her breathe for a second bud?” He asked. I grinned at him and pinched his cheek. Then I put my hand on David’s head.

“Leave him alone Max, I don’t mind, it’s more affection than I usually get in a year!” I joked. Max didn’t seem to catch it and he gave me a sad look. I smiled.

Now, I guess, would be a good time to tell you who ‘we’ are. I am Jessica Lenoire; also know as Jessie or Jess. I am 22 years old. That means I’m old enough to drink legally (finally). I’m living in Sacramento, and have been for the past year; pursuing my career in art (Sacramento has the best art museums I’ve ever seen). My friends are David and Max. They are brothers. Max is 24 and David is 22 like me.

David is the sort of guy who would be your affectionate puppy dog/best friend. He is very sweet and affectionate. He is also silly, dumb (in a good way), and very funny. Most of his life I treated him like a child because of his silly personality, and sometimes I still do. He is hardly ever in a bad mood. But David can also be counted on to be your rock when you need someone to lean on.

Max is much more serious. He is quiet, and very loyal. He is also very smart, and good at getting out of sticky situations with a cool head and hot temper. Max is also a great best friend, and someone you wouldn’t want to be against you. I haven’t seen these guys in over 3 months at this point, and I’ve missed them too much!

Their mother was sick for a long time, and they had gone back to North Carolina where we are originally from to stay with her until she died. Other than that, I had moved to Sacramento around the time their mother got sick to start a business. The boys had been thinking about moving there also but they had stayed in Hollywood to continue with their career (musicians). I had no musical talent at all. I couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket so I was not a candidate for their musical adventures.

My other friends were Adam, Chase, and Sunshine. Chase had moved to San Francisco just after we had all moved to California 5 years ago. (If you do not know about this trip I advise reading the Runaways). We had all visited him regularly to keep up with each other, and I for one, wrote a letter to him every week. He had moved to San Francisco for college at the San Francisco State University and loved it so much he had never left. Now he is working as a professor, something I doubted Chase would ever do. (Chase has also been arguing that San Francisco’s art museums are better than Sacramento, but I love Sacramento too much to agree!)

Sunshine had moved on to Los Angeles to try to become a producer. She had given up her dreams of being famous for her music 2 years ago when she had lost her right arm in a car accident. We had all been keeping in touch with her. David and Max were able to visit her from time to time because they lived rather close. (San Francisco and Sacramento are much too far to travel just to visit a friend, even if you are as close as we are, if you happen to live in Hollywood or Los Angeles.) She had moved from Los Angeles to Long Beach, from Long Beach to Pasadena, and finally from Pasadena to Anaheim and she had settled down. She is very successful at this point in her producing business.

Adam was the only friend that actually lived in Sacramento with me. When I had announced my departure to Sacramento Adam had insisted he should go with me. I had been very happy because I didn’t want to adjust to a new city alone. He is a very loyal person also, and very smart. He makes me laugh and keeps me going day after day. He owns a small store and makes enough money to keep himself going. That is enough of all that! Back to the story! (Just a refresher, you just learned a LOT! Adam lives in Sacramento; I live in Sacramento, Max and David live in Hollywood, Sunshine lives in Anaheim, and Chase lives in San Francisco).

David, Max and I talked and talked throughout the day. Finally when Adam came home we went out to dinner. They boys were supposed to stay for 2 weeks, and during the second week Sunshine and Chase were supposed to come down. It was going to be an exciting time for us!