Fandom: In A Heartbeat
Title: Remind Me Who I Really Am
Characters: Jamie Waite and Caitie Roth
Pairing: Jamie/Caitie
Rating/Warnings: PG. Het.
Summary: "I've been keeping it from you, because I knew you'd be disappointed in me. I just, I don't want to do it anymore. I don't want to be that person. I need you to remind me who I really am."
A/N: Thanks to gunsknivesandplaid for betaing and to anyone who reads and reviews.
Disclaimer: I don't own In A Heartbeat or anything you recognize and I make no money for writing this story.
Words: 1,197 without title and ending.
*Remind Me Who I Really Am* One-Shot:
~First Five Months~
It had been five months since he had moved to Florida, shattering his hopes of spending more time with Caitie. Jamie called and texted her every day, but it never felt like enough. He always wanted more of his girlfriend. He wrote her letters three times a week so that way she would always have something on its way to her.
It was hard not being able to see each other, and while plenty of girls at school caught Jamie's attention, none of them were Caitie or actually meant anything to him. So he would let them down gently and tell them he was already seeing someone.
When Jamie got home from school that afternoon, he was surprised and pleased to find a letter from Caitie waiting in the mailbox. He quickly unlocked the front door and entered the house as he tore open the letter from his girlfriend.
He slammed the door shut and locked it, then went into his bedroom and sat down on the bed as he began to read the letter. A smile curved Jamie's lips as he read about Caitie getting on A's on her report card and about her making new friends.
Jamie, don't tell Val what I'm about to tell you. She'll never let me forget it if she knows just how much of a good influence she's been on me. I made all A's on my report card for this nine weeks, and made Principal's List. I haven't made so many good grades in years. Also, I made two new friends. They're brother and sister and they moved here from Florida. They're pretty nice people, though the brother reminds me of you.
You know what I mean, all cockiness and swagger. He's just a friend, though. He doesn't compare to you and what you mean to me. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I miss you, and that I've been saving up some money to take a bus and visit you this summer. My parents have said it's okay, just as long as your Mom agrees. So talk to your Mom and let me know about this summer. I miss you Jamie, and I love you.
- Love, Caitie.
Jamie had received similar letters from Caitie over the last few months, and had even written a few of his own, telling her about some funny things he had seen or done at school. How he and his mother were getting along so much better now that they were away from his father.
Caitie, something funny happened at school yesterday and I couldn't wait to tell you. I tried to call, text and leave a voicemail but I never got ahold of you. So I figured it'd be easier just to write to you. There's a teacher at school who has trouble any time she says my last name. She can't stand that my last name is Waite, and sounds like the regular word wait. Any time I raise my hand to answer a question she always says, "Wait Waite," then pauses and corrects herself instead of forgetting about it and moving on.
Each day she spends half of our English class correcting herself or trying to come up with a different way to tell me to hold on. You'd think for someone who teaches an English class, she wouldn't have so much trouble trying to find another word or phrase to use. Anyway, I want to talk about something else. The school dance is coming up, and a few girls have asked me to go with them. I've told them no because I can't picture myself going to a dance without you with me.
Anyway, moving on. So, you made some new friends? I'm glad. I hate the idea of you being alone, though technically you'll never be alone because you'll always have Val and the others. On the other hand, the three of them are all overachiever's, so it's good that you've found new people to relax and slack off with. As for you making Principal's List, congrats. Also, you saving your allowance should be for something you want, not on me. As much as I'd love to see you, use your money for something special. I can't wait to hear from you and hopefully your phone problem will be fixed soon. - Jamie.
~First Two Years~
They had been living in Florida for two years, and Jamie and Caitie were still going strong, though they missed each other immensely. "We've been friends for four years and dating for two years, Caitie. You mean more and more to me each day," Jamie said into the phone one Friday afternoon as he laid on the floor of his room and drew.
Art had become something of a hobby for Jamie, now that he had so much free time on his hands without being at the station, or spending time with Caitie. He didn't do it a lot since he wasn't sure if he was good at it, but there were tons of pictures he'd drawn of Caitie that hung on his walls as a reminder of how much he loved his girlfriend.
"I miss you, too." Caitie said and she sighed softly. "I see the other girl's with their boyfriend's at school, eating lunch together, or spending time together before the first bell rings. I feel jealous of them sometimes, even though I know it can't be helped. I wish that we could do those things together."
Jamie listened to Caitie speak and sighed. "I wish we could have that, too. I miss you, I miss Los Angeles, I miss a lot of things." He paused for a moment then said, "I need to tell you something. I've been getting high at school behind the bleachers. I never did that until I moved here. I've been keeping it from you, because I knew you'd be disappointed in me. I just, I don't want to do it anymore. I don't want to be that person. I need you to remind me who I really am."
Caitie had started to cry at Jamie's words. She hadn't know that he had started doing drugs, and to hear him talk about it now, broke her heart. She cleared her throat and then spoke. "I can do that. I can remind you of the person you really are. You're Jamie Waite, my best friend and boyfriend. You don't need drugs to make you cool, or make you feel better. You're a nice guy, a handsome guy, and I want you around for many years to come. So knock it off."
She smiled through her tears at the sound of Jamie's chuckle and swallowed past the lump in her throat. "I think you should talk to your mother about this. I know she'll want to get you help and you can always call me when things get to be too much. You know that I always love hearing from you."
The two of them agreed that Jamie would talk to his mother about getting help, and after saying they loved each other, they hung up and went back to their normal daily routines. Jamie went back to his art and Caitie went to turn on some music.
The end.