Jess Mariano's Sister

California

-- Edited --

Jess' POV

I made it to California and found Jimmy's address. When I walk up to the gate I'm met with several dogs. I yell hello and a woman on the roof responds.

"Pipe down! You selling something?" she asks.

"No, does Jimmy Mariano live here?"

"Does he owe you money?" she asks.

"No, I'm his- Jess. I'm Jess," I don't know her, I'm telling her who I am yet.

"Jess?"

"Jess Mari-"

"Frodo, back off, now!" she yells, cutting me off.

Which I'm kind of happy about.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" she asks.

"I just want to see Jimmy, okay?"

"Hey, did you ever see the Wizard of Oz?"

"Yes."

"Remember when they go to the Emerald City, and the ring the bell, and the guy with the beard stuck his head out, and they said that they wanted to see the wizard, and he said no, and they said, 'she's got the ruby slippers,' she he said, 'well that's a horse of a different color, come on in'?" she questions. 

"Yes," she's crazy.

"Well, I'm the guy with the beard, and I'm saying the no unless you can come up with the ruby slippers."

"I'm his son," I say flat out.

"His son," she echos.

"Yes, his son," I reply.

"Well, that's a horse of a different color. Come on in," she says, smiling.

"Do they bite?" I ask.

"Just those two," she says, not being specific.

"Which two? Hey! Which two?" she doesn't answer.

"Great. I swear I will bite you back," I tell them.

I walk in closing the gate behind me. I see her round the corner in front of me.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know you were coming." she says.

"Neither did I."

"I'm Sasha. This is Angus, Chowder, Rufus, Legolas, Calgula, Mudball, General Lee, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and Spot. Jimmy's not here right now," she says.

So I have got her name, the name of all the dogs, and no Jimmy.

"Okay, well, I could hang out, walk around for a while. Just tell me what time he gets home," I tell her.

"Why don't you come in? I will call his work," she says, already walking to the house.

"On, well..." I follow her.

"You have a lot of pets."

"Nah, they're not all mine," she says.

"No?"

"No. Some of them followed me home. Some of them hang out. Some of them just needed a place to crash. They drive Jimmy crazy actually, but what can you do? Someone's gotta take care of them, right?"

I nod.

"I'm just gonna try and track him down, so just wander."

She calls off as I look around the house and I can hear her on the phone.