Series Title: The Kids Aren't Alright
One-shot Title: Saint Jimmy
Rated: T, over all; light K+ this time
Summary for this one-shot: Jimmy Brooks is remembered as a saint. But, was he really one?
Disclaimer: I own no characters from the show, but I own any titles or ideas used.
Author's Note: This series is basically a bunch of one shots about the graduating class of '06 and the class of '07 three-eleven years after 2006.
I would also like to thank all those that reviewed. I'm really having fun with these stories.
June 5, 2008
Jimmy is dead.
Jimmy Brooks is dead and gone and he's never coming back.
He died two days ago, with Hazel Aden by his side.
The funeral is held at two in the afternoon. Attendees include Spinner Mason and his fiancée, Darcy Edwards. Emma Nelson has come with Toby Isaacs and Liberty Van Zandt. Craig Manning has stopped by, but he can't stay long. Sean Cameron's in the back, but he probably has just come out of some sense of respect. Ellie Nash comes, but she somehow seems out of place. Paige Michalchuk, Marco Del Rossi, and Terri McGreggor come together. Ashley is a notable absence.
Hazel isn't at the funeral, though no one can really blame her. She had been with Jimmy, she could have stopped him, couldn't she? She could have taken the pill bottle away. She could have called Ellie or Marco or Paige or a hundred other people. Was she honestly that drunk?
It's a short funeral, with a small get together afterward at the Brooks home. Craig Manning, Sean Cameron, and Ellie Nash are no shows at the get together. Paige whispers to Marco that Sean and Ellie should have stayed and that Craig should have made the time to stay. Marco doesn't say anything in return.
Emma tells Toby and Liberty that Ashley should have come. Toby replies that she couldn't get a plane out. And J.T. and Manny couldn't afford to come. They quietly go to pay their respects to Mr. Brooks after that.
Spinner can't stop crying, though he knows it isn't healthy to go on the way he is. Darcy silently holds his hand.
Hazel isn't at the get together at the Brooks home. No one really mentions it, but everyone thinks about it. She had been with him when he had died and she had been too drunk to notice just how depressed Jimmy had been. She had been too wrapped up in her own world to notice that Jimmy hadn't been the same since Ashley had left.
But, then…hadn't everyone?
All that meant was this: It was better to think of Jimmy as some sort of misunderstood saint, then to think on the fact that they had ignored his depression, which had lead to him downing two bottles of sleeping pills.
Hours later, the group of former classmates left the Brooks home. They had all spoken of Jimmy well. Jimmy was so smart. Jimmy was so caring. I remember when Jimmy…
Ashley had left Jimmy, he had gotten depressed, and he had killed himself. It was that simple, but no one could think of it like that. They all had to think of Jimmy as misunderstood, because if they really let them think of the way it had been, they would have blamed themselves for being too involved in their own drama to notice a friend in need.
Jimmy Brooks is dead.
Jimmy Brooks is dead and gone and he's never coming back.