Confession, Confusion, Comfort
by Kawaii.Megami
Disclaimers: All of the characters in this fic, and everything about In A Heartbeat, belong to Disney. The only thing I really own is the plot. Hehe.
Timeline: After "And The Winner Is..."
Archiving: Please ask first. Thanks!
Author's Note: This is my first attempt on writing IAHb fics. This fic is probably the first one about an unconventional couple. And I'm honored to write it. It is a Val pov. I want to dedicate this to my friend Jade, even though she thinks Jamie is her man. Hehe. I realize that Val is totally out of character in this fic. But I just want to submit it just in case anyone wants to read it. Feedbacks/reviews are ALWAYS accepted, good or bad. Hope you enjoy it!
Warning: This fic contains unconventional coupling.
***
I glanced at the clock again. It was already 5:30 PM and he's still not here yet. All of us were on call, since it's Friday and everyone's out clubbing and getting drunk. Everyone except me, it seems like. It's not that I don't go to clubs because I'm a so-called 'good girl,' it's just that I don't exactly have a date.
All the people at school thought I'm too busy for a boyfriend, even him. But the truth is, I'm not! I mean, true, I have cheerleading and EMS. And the fact that I just joined the debate team doesn't help. But I'm not busy! Call me crazy, but to me, 'busy' is only used to describe something that is impossible to control. My schedule is controllable. My opinion, anyway. I need a boyfriend. I don't want to sound desperate, but I want a boyfriend.
I sank down in the couch at the rest area. Lately, it's just stress everywhere. First, Dad had a heart attack. Then, I suffered through that... crisis with Tyler. After that came the whole thing with Caitie and I both being finalists of that stupid essay contest. Now this. I don't know when this urge started. But it did. It's just, a sudden thing. It's not like I've planned on it or anything. This is all so confusing!
I looked up and saw Hank reading his French book on the other couch. Apparently, he walked in while I was fighting with the voice inside my head. "Hank?" I asked.
"Yeah?" he mumbled without looking up from his book. This is the very first time I saw him studying for French.
"Have you seen Tyler and Jamie? Aren't they supposed to be here by now?" I continued casually. He finally looked up, read the clock's face, and looked back down at me.
He shrugged. "I guess. But they better be here before the Big Guy comes back," he replied.
I sighed and looked around. Brooke was nowhere to be seen, either. Where is everybody lately?
I've decided that I have to take my mind off them. To do so, I stood up and went over to the kitchen. I thought that I'd make myself a cup of coffee and do my homework while I wait for them, since I'm done with the equipment check-up.
I took out my math binder and the pre-cal book. I started flipping the pages until I've reached the page with our assignments on it. I picked up my pencil and began to write things on the paper. Clearly, I wasn't paying attention. Several minutes later, I finally looked down at my paper and saw writings. It wasn't my pre-cal problems. It's all doodling. They're all either hearts or about me and him. At that moment, I officially declared myself insane and crazy.
After taking a deep breath, I realized I can't concentrate on anything at all. A few minutes later, at about 5:45, they finally came. "What took you so long?" I asked impatiently.
"My car broke down at the school's parking lot so we had to walk," Tyler replied. "We're not that late."
Hank just shrugged. I'm probably looking like I'm gonna explode. And I am, sooner or later. I just took deep breaths. They didn't help.
"Jamie, can you.. help me stock the IVs in the back?" I asked casually again. This is the first time I asked someone other than Tyler to give me a hand in something.
He looked at me, then turned to Tyler. "Sure."
We started walking out of the rest area. Then, Tyler said something to me from behind. Just as I thought.
"I can help you guys out."
"No, we're fine. Besides, Hank said he wanted to talk to you," I lied.
"He does?" Tyler asked.
"I do?" Hank echoed, puzzled.
"Yeah, remember?" I pushed. "Come on, we better stock them up before Alex comes."
"Val?" Tyler started, "Can I talk to you first, in private?"
He better not do what I think he's doing.
"Um, sure," I replied nervously.
"I'll head to the storage room. The IVs are there, right?" Jamie asked. I nodded and saw him strolling away.
We walked out of the rest area and back to the kitchen. "Ok, shoot."
"Ok..." Tyler hesitated. "You wanna go to the movies or something tomorrow night?"
He did.
I looked up at him, and then back down. "As in, on a date?" I asked. He nodded. "I... I can't. My mom's going to a company dinner and she... told me to look after Brooke and my dad 'cause she said he might try to eat something high cholesterol," I improvised. I studied his face. He bought it.
"Maybe I can come over and help you out," he suggested. I haven't got this far in my thinking yet! Now I need another excuse.
"Thanks, but my dad's a bit grouchy lately. I don't think you should risk it," I countered slyly, making the you-really-don't-wanna face.
"Oh," he replied, clearly disappointed. Then he shrugged and smiled a small smile. "Oh well, forget I asked then."
Did I break his heart? Does he think I'm avoiding him? Great, now I've done it.
"Sorry..." I whispered. I can't lie to myself. True, he's a great friend. And I did have a crush on him. The keyword there is 'did.' But not, I have feelings for someone else. Someone mysterious, rebellious, almost anything but my own type. Like they said, opposite attracts.
Tyler shook his head. "No, it's okay. Really."
I sighed. This is the very first time I actually lied to Tyler. And he has no idea.
"You better get back to the IVs," he reminded me. How can he act like nothing happened?
But that comment made me shake away those thoughts. Everyone knows there are sacrifices in the battlefield of love. You have to protect yourself.
I groaned. I have officially become something lower than a jerk. How could I even think that? Tyler's my best friend other than Caitie.
Once again, I'm confused.
"Right," I said softly, still lost in my thoughts.
I started to wander down the hall and to the storage room. Jamie was already there. I was still dissolute.
"Hey," Jamie greeted. "What happened?"
"Nothing..." I started, deciding whether or not I should tell him. "Tyler asked me out."
"You call that nothing?" he asked. "Not to be nosy but, what'd you say?"
I bit my lip and sighed deeply. I squeezed my eyes shut. "No."
"You said 'no'," he started and shook his head. His eyes widened. "You said 'no'?"
"Yeah. I said 'no'," I replied weakly.
"Excuse me but, why?" he asked again, still surprised. He sat down on one of the closed IV boxes.
"Because..." I mumbled. "I don't... I don't like him... anymore."
I was stuttering. I know it.
His jaw dropped in shock. Then he narrowed his eyes. This is totally scaring me.
"You don't like him," he repeated more clearly. "Everyone knows you like each other. What do you mean you don't like him?"
I wanted to run through the hall and out of the station. This is really embarrassing. Am I supposed to tell him or not? People are definitely gonna kill me if I do. 'People,' and 'a person.'
"I like someone else," I hinted. "Emotions change, you know?"
He slightly nodded. I read his face. Obviously, he's still surprised. "Ok, then. Who do you like?"
I looked at him. Ok, he's sitting down. Good. Should I tell him?
But he beat me to it. "Your 'emotions' aren't directing you to Lean Dean the Rebound Machine, are they?" he joked.
"Hell no!" I exclaimed, shutting my month immediately as I caught myself swearing. "I mean, heck no." Gotta keep the 'good girl' rep.
"Now I've seen everything," he teased. "Or rather, heard."
How can he kid at a time like this? But then again, he doesn't know it....
"Well?" he urged.
"Well what?" I asked, hoping he'll forget.
"Who do you like...," he replied.
I took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. And I will so kill myself if he thinks I'm joking.
"You," I muttered quietly, praying he didn't hear.
I looked into his eyes and saw astonishment. He was, without a doubt, stunned. Then he began to chuckle forcedly.
"You're kidding. I know you are," he responded tensely.
That's it, I'll kill myself. I stared at him with seriousness. "I'm not kidding."
He sighed. "So you rejected Tyler... for me?"
I nodded warily. "Yeah. Guess so."
"Wow," he stated. "I.. I don't know what to say."
"Well..." I started. I'm gonna regret this, I swear. "You wanna go out or something?" Like Caitie said, this is the new millennium.
Then there was silent. Is he thinking or is he just... well, still stunned?
"What are you gonna say to Tyler?" Jamie asked.
"I don't know," I replied thoughtfully. I haven't even thought of that. This is a wreck. Worse than a wreck, even. "The truth, I guess."
"I can just see the look on his face," he commented. "And it ain't pretty."
"I know what you mean," I replied. He totally ignored my asking him out. Is that a good thing, or a bad thing? "So..." I leaned down and opened one of the other IV boxes.
"And yeah, I will."
I froze.
"Will... will what?" I asked casually.
"Go out with you," he answered, smiling. That's the first time I saw his wearing a smile on this face. At least, a genuine one.
"You... you don't have to if you don't want to..." I reminded him. I want him to be my boyfriend, but not if he feels he's being forced into it. "Besides, what will your friends think? They're already not too happy with you hanging here with us."
"First of all, I want to," he replied. "And second, I'll just talk to them. If they wouldn't allow me to hang out with different people, then it's not a true friendship."
Now I'm the one that's amazed. Who would've thought Jamie would ever say things like that? This is one of the reasons why I want to be with him. All these surprises.
***
More Author's Note: And I just realized that Jamie is kind of out of character too. *sighs* Writing unconventional is harder than I thought. Please Review and tell me exactly how bad it was. Hehe.
by Kawaii.Megami
Disclaimers: All of the characters in this fic, and everything about In A Heartbeat, belong to Disney. The only thing I really own is the plot. Hehe.
Timeline: After "And The Winner Is..."
Archiving: Please ask first. Thanks!
Author's Note: This is my first attempt on writing IAHb fics. This fic is probably the first one about an unconventional couple. And I'm honored to write it. It is a Val pov. I want to dedicate this to my friend Jade, even though she thinks Jamie is her man. Hehe. I realize that Val is totally out of character in this fic. But I just want to submit it just in case anyone wants to read it. Feedbacks/reviews are ALWAYS accepted, good or bad. Hope you enjoy it!
Warning: This fic contains unconventional coupling.
***
I glanced at the clock again. It was already 5:30 PM and he's still not here yet. All of us were on call, since it's Friday and everyone's out clubbing and getting drunk. Everyone except me, it seems like. It's not that I don't go to clubs because I'm a so-called 'good girl,' it's just that I don't exactly have a date.
All the people at school thought I'm too busy for a boyfriend, even him. But the truth is, I'm not! I mean, true, I have cheerleading and EMS. And the fact that I just joined the debate team doesn't help. But I'm not busy! Call me crazy, but to me, 'busy' is only used to describe something that is impossible to control. My schedule is controllable. My opinion, anyway. I need a boyfriend. I don't want to sound desperate, but I want a boyfriend.
I sank down in the couch at the rest area. Lately, it's just stress everywhere. First, Dad had a heart attack. Then, I suffered through that... crisis with Tyler. After that came the whole thing with Caitie and I both being finalists of that stupid essay contest. Now this. I don't know when this urge started. But it did. It's just, a sudden thing. It's not like I've planned on it or anything. This is all so confusing!
I looked up and saw Hank reading his French book on the other couch. Apparently, he walked in while I was fighting with the voice inside my head. "Hank?" I asked.
"Yeah?" he mumbled without looking up from his book. This is the very first time I saw him studying for French.
"Have you seen Tyler and Jamie? Aren't they supposed to be here by now?" I continued casually. He finally looked up, read the clock's face, and looked back down at me.
He shrugged. "I guess. But they better be here before the Big Guy comes back," he replied.
I sighed and looked around. Brooke was nowhere to be seen, either. Where is everybody lately?
I've decided that I have to take my mind off them. To do so, I stood up and went over to the kitchen. I thought that I'd make myself a cup of coffee and do my homework while I wait for them, since I'm done with the equipment check-up.
I took out my math binder and the pre-cal book. I started flipping the pages until I've reached the page with our assignments on it. I picked up my pencil and began to write things on the paper. Clearly, I wasn't paying attention. Several minutes later, I finally looked down at my paper and saw writings. It wasn't my pre-cal problems. It's all doodling. They're all either hearts or about me and him. At that moment, I officially declared myself insane and crazy.
After taking a deep breath, I realized I can't concentrate on anything at all. A few minutes later, at about 5:45, they finally came. "What took you so long?" I asked impatiently.
"My car broke down at the school's parking lot so we had to walk," Tyler replied. "We're not that late."
Hank just shrugged. I'm probably looking like I'm gonna explode. And I am, sooner or later. I just took deep breaths. They didn't help.
"Jamie, can you.. help me stock the IVs in the back?" I asked casually again. This is the first time I asked someone other than Tyler to give me a hand in something.
He looked at me, then turned to Tyler. "Sure."
We started walking out of the rest area. Then, Tyler said something to me from behind. Just as I thought.
"I can help you guys out."
"No, we're fine. Besides, Hank said he wanted to talk to you," I lied.
"He does?" Tyler asked.
"I do?" Hank echoed, puzzled.
"Yeah, remember?" I pushed. "Come on, we better stock them up before Alex comes."
"Val?" Tyler started, "Can I talk to you first, in private?"
He better not do what I think he's doing.
"Um, sure," I replied nervously.
"I'll head to the storage room. The IVs are there, right?" Jamie asked. I nodded and saw him strolling away.
We walked out of the rest area and back to the kitchen. "Ok, shoot."
"Ok..." Tyler hesitated. "You wanna go to the movies or something tomorrow night?"
He did.
I looked up at him, and then back down. "As in, on a date?" I asked. He nodded. "I... I can't. My mom's going to a company dinner and she... told me to look after Brooke and my dad 'cause she said he might try to eat something high cholesterol," I improvised. I studied his face. He bought it.
"Maybe I can come over and help you out," he suggested. I haven't got this far in my thinking yet! Now I need another excuse.
"Thanks, but my dad's a bit grouchy lately. I don't think you should risk it," I countered slyly, making the you-really-don't-wanna face.
"Oh," he replied, clearly disappointed. Then he shrugged and smiled a small smile. "Oh well, forget I asked then."
Did I break his heart? Does he think I'm avoiding him? Great, now I've done it.
"Sorry..." I whispered. I can't lie to myself. True, he's a great friend. And I did have a crush on him. The keyword there is 'did.' But not, I have feelings for someone else. Someone mysterious, rebellious, almost anything but my own type. Like they said, opposite attracts.
Tyler shook his head. "No, it's okay. Really."
I sighed. This is the very first time I actually lied to Tyler. And he has no idea.
"You better get back to the IVs," he reminded me. How can he act like nothing happened?
But that comment made me shake away those thoughts. Everyone knows there are sacrifices in the battlefield of love. You have to protect yourself.
I groaned. I have officially become something lower than a jerk. How could I even think that? Tyler's my best friend other than Caitie.
Once again, I'm confused.
"Right," I said softly, still lost in my thoughts.
I started to wander down the hall and to the storage room. Jamie was already there. I was still dissolute.
"Hey," Jamie greeted. "What happened?"
"Nothing..." I started, deciding whether or not I should tell him. "Tyler asked me out."
"You call that nothing?" he asked. "Not to be nosy but, what'd you say?"
I bit my lip and sighed deeply. I squeezed my eyes shut. "No."
"You said 'no'," he started and shook his head. His eyes widened. "You said 'no'?"
"Yeah. I said 'no'," I replied weakly.
"Excuse me but, why?" he asked again, still surprised. He sat down on one of the closed IV boxes.
"Because..." I mumbled. "I don't... I don't like him... anymore."
I was stuttering. I know it.
His jaw dropped in shock. Then he narrowed his eyes. This is totally scaring me.
"You don't like him," he repeated more clearly. "Everyone knows you like each other. What do you mean you don't like him?"
I wanted to run through the hall and out of the station. This is really embarrassing. Am I supposed to tell him or not? People are definitely gonna kill me if I do. 'People,' and 'a person.'
"I like someone else," I hinted. "Emotions change, you know?"
He slightly nodded. I read his face. Obviously, he's still surprised. "Ok, then. Who do you like?"
I looked at him. Ok, he's sitting down. Good. Should I tell him?
But he beat me to it. "Your 'emotions' aren't directing you to Lean Dean the Rebound Machine, are they?" he joked.
"Hell no!" I exclaimed, shutting my month immediately as I caught myself swearing. "I mean, heck no." Gotta keep the 'good girl' rep.
"Now I've seen everything," he teased. "Or rather, heard."
How can he kid at a time like this? But then again, he doesn't know it....
"Well?" he urged.
"Well what?" I asked, hoping he'll forget.
"Who do you like...," he replied.
I took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. And I will so kill myself if he thinks I'm joking.
"You," I muttered quietly, praying he didn't hear.
I looked into his eyes and saw astonishment. He was, without a doubt, stunned. Then he began to chuckle forcedly.
"You're kidding. I know you are," he responded tensely.
That's it, I'll kill myself. I stared at him with seriousness. "I'm not kidding."
He sighed. "So you rejected Tyler... for me?"
I nodded warily. "Yeah. Guess so."
"Wow," he stated. "I.. I don't know what to say."
"Well..." I started. I'm gonna regret this, I swear. "You wanna go out or something?" Like Caitie said, this is the new millennium.
Then there was silent. Is he thinking or is he just... well, still stunned?
"What are you gonna say to Tyler?" Jamie asked.
"I don't know," I replied thoughtfully. I haven't even thought of that. This is a wreck. Worse than a wreck, even. "The truth, I guess."
"I can just see the look on his face," he commented. "And it ain't pretty."
"I know what you mean," I replied. He totally ignored my asking him out. Is that a good thing, or a bad thing? "So..." I leaned down and opened one of the other IV boxes.
"And yeah, I will."
I froze.
"Will... will what?" I asked casually.
"Go out with you," he answered, smiling. That's the first time I saw his wearing a smile on this face. At least, a genuine one.
"You... you don't have to if you don't want to..." I reminded him. I want him to be my boyfriend, but not if he feels he's being forced into it. "Besides, what will your friends think? They're already not too happy with you hanging here with us."
"First of all, I want to," he replied. "And second, I'll just talk to them. If they wouldn't allow me to hang out with different people, then it's not a true friendship."
Now I'm the one that's amazed. Who would've thought Jamie would ever say things like that? This is one of the reasons why I want to be with him. All these surprises.
***
More Author's Note: And I just realized that Jamie is kind of out of character too. *sighs* Writing unconventional is harder than I thought. Please Review and tell me exactly how bad it was. Hehe.