#and one mention of sex

[jimmypesto]

tinimmy drabble set when they’re 18-19

“Tina. T. T—”

Jimmy Jr. starts to say her name again, but his voice cuts out. It’s hard to be sure over the phone, but Tina thinks he might be gagging.

“Are you okay?” She asks, worry about his well-being suddenly outweighing her annoyance.

“Fine. I’m fine. I’m good. So…who was that guy?”

This takes her aback. When she saw a call from Jimmy Jr. coming in past midnight, she assumed he was reaching out for drunk phone sex. That’s what he usually wants when he’s wasted.

“The…guy?” She asks. “Oh. Simon?”

With a hint of smugness, she realizes it’s hard to narrow down which guy he’s referring to. She’d gone to a college party, her first ever college party, and she got to flirt with a handful of guys. Not bad for her first time.

“Ugh. I don’t know! Whatever. The guy with the glasses. You shouldn’t date guys with glasses, Tina. Only one person can have glasses in a relationship. That’s like…the rules.”

As his words slur with drunkenness, Tina knows this should irritate her more than it does. But she can’t help it—Jimmy Jr’s adorable, even when he’s getting drunk and calling his ex. Maybe even especially then?

“I thought…”

He starts to talk but stops himself. Tina’s whole body thrums with anxious curiosity.

“What? Thought what?”

Too drunk to reel in his emotions, he answers honestly.

“I thought you were there for me.” He admits, his tone petulant. “When I saw you come in, I thought you came to see me.”

Like faulty fireworks, contradictory feelings shoot wildly through Tina’s body. His admission makes her feel guilty, and a little sad, but…she can’t lie to herself. Knowing he’s given this much thought to her actions is exciting.

“…oh.” She says dumbly, not sure which emotion to lead with. “Really? I…didn’t realize you’d be there. Tammy said we were going to a frat party, but she didn’t mention it was your frat.”

When Tammy first brought up the idea, Tina agreed instantaneously. Since starting community college in the fall, she’s felt a little left out of the shenanigans the kids at real universities get into.

If she’d known they were attending a party Jimmy Jr. would be at, she’d have done…something. Curled her hair? Or…put on lipstick? Definitely something.

“You didn’t answer my question.” Jimmy Jr. says sullenly. “Who was that guy? Are you dating him, Tina?”

Part of Tina, a cruel part she wishes didn’t exist, wants to lie. With one word, she could shatter his night and make him regret not saying hi when he saw her at the party. Instead, like always, her innate compassion wins out.

“Nope. Not dating. We were just talking. Barely. He wasn’t really—um. Looking at my face. Or listening to my words.”

The line is silent for a moment, as Jimmy Jr. wrestles with a horrible truth: other guys talk to Tina, and check her out, and all of this will probably happen even more now that they’re in college. Sounding like it pains him to do so, he speaks again.

“I listen to your words.” He says. “I like when you talk. It’s like…weird. But cool. I miss talking to you.”

Flopping down on the bed, Tina fights the urge to kick her feet in delight.

“Really?” She says, unable to keep the joy out of her voice. “Then…maybe we should talk. Like…right now?”

A quick glance at the clock reminds her how late it is, but time always feels immaterial when she’s talking to Jimmy Jr.

“Oh.” He says. “Uh…yeah. Yeah. We should. So…how did Tammy get invited to the party anyway? Does she know someone?”

Curling on her side, Tina smiles widely at the receiver. As she launches into the backstory he requested, a familiar kind of giddiness floods her chest.