Title: Chicago Is So Two Years Ago
Rating: Starts at "T" (but could go up to "M" with time)
Disclaimer: Don't own anyone in this story (unless you've not heard of them), they belong to whoever's great mind thought them up. So don't sue me, k? Title belongs to Fall Out Boy. Screen names actually belong to me.
Plot/Storyline: (all revealed in the first paragraph) It's been about a year since Katie and Jessie's bitter break up; Katie's in college and Jessie's in her senior year of high school. What happens when Katie returns home for Christmas holiday (possibly for good)?
Note: This is a complete repost of this story. It's actually about 3 years old and has been up here for that long. I just decided to start it back, so therefore I'm starting from the beginning.
Chicago Is So Two Years Ago
It had been a year since Katie and Jessie broke up; a year of what Katie thought were going to be 'bigger and better things.' In reality, it was just college, and college and Katie Singer didn't mesh very well. Katie didn't have the attention span to deal with the monotone professors and intellectual nonsense for such an extended period of time – and for Katie – an extended period of time was anything over forty-five minutes.
45 minutes was exactly how far away she was from Jessie at this point. Jessie was in the middle of her senior year at Upton Sinclair and Katie was fighting through her freshmen year at The University of Illinois at Chicago. Though Katie always felt like she belonged in Chicago, she wasn't sure she'd be returning after Christmas holiday. Truthfully, she didn't think she was cut out for college and she desperately wanted to try to mend things with Jessie. Still, she knew it would be a major feat, which would deserve many Oscar nominations if she actually succeeded, to even get Jessie to look in her general direction.
The downfall of their relationship started when Katie got into both UIC and Northeastern Illinois University in the fall of her senior year. Katie knew how Jessie felt about things; Jessie preferred Katie to go to Northeastern, because it was only 20 minutes away and it was close to her dad's job – so she could visit more often. Katie however, ignored Jessie's wishes and chose to attend The University of Illinois at Chicago with Tad, which was 45 minutes away from Deerfield. This upset Jessie, which in turn, made the two slowly drift apart. When Jessie refused to attend Katie's graduation ceremony she knew that whatever they had was over. She was heartbroken, but she was also determined, now more than ever, to make college work.
Once she got there and Tad dumped her for his guy friends, leaving her to fend for herself in a brand new environment, she suddenly wasn't so sure. Her studies weren't going well and Jessie was the only thing on her mind anymore. She called Jessie multiple times when she got to campus and she continued until Jessie's voicemail changed, telling her, not to call again because she 'really didn't feel like having to deal with the hassle of changing her phone number.' Katie never called after that. She knew she hurt Jessie, that she said some horrible things during their many fights, but what tore them apart in the end was Katie telling Jessie that she was dared to date her. It was a lie, but it would suffice to cause enough pain. Still, Jessie didn't let up, and managed to get the last word. Or, more specifically, three words. I Hate You.
Katie replayed those finals moments in her head over and over again; during class, while she was studying, and as she dreamed every single night. She watched each little black "x" knock off the days on her calendar until winter holiday and when she got in her car to drive back to Deerfield, she wasn't entirely sure if she'd see that dormitory again, at least not as a student at UIC.
She blasted the radio on the way home from Chicago; the whole 45-minute drive had her mind running. She was trying to formulate a plan on how she'd even get close enough to Jessie to speak to her. She knew Upton Sinclair was out for break, she knew Grace was away at college, and she knew that there was only one way to be sure and talk to Jessie. She had to approach from a new angle, and angle called Karen. Karen had always been fond of Katie and she had talked Jessie into forgiving Katie many times. She decided at that point that she was her only shot.
Katie was sitting in her old bedroom, freshly home from college for winter break. Her brothers were watching a basketball game on television and her mother was, well, she was pretty sure she was alive. Though not completely, cause she didn't really move much. Her father said she had switched medication and actually walked downstairs for about 30 minutes a week ago, but since then, she's been in bed. It saddened Katie to see her mother this way, but there was little she could do. Her mother didn't listen either and Katie was, at one time, quite sure she was deaf. So Katie closed herself up in her old room, sitting down at her desk and flipping on her computer. She logged on to AOL to check her email, Tad said he'd email her when he got into town so they could hang out, and she was happy when she heard the familiar "You've Got Mail," that is, until she saw who that email was from; Jessie.
The email read:
Katie, I cannot keep living like this, I just can't. Your sweater, necklace, and blouse are still sitting in my closet and I can't seem to escape them. I know you'll be home for break, just email me back on a time you can come by and get them. If it's not soon, I will be tempted to burn them.
Goodbye,
Jessie
Katie couldn't help but smile; no matter how mad at Katie she was, she still had a little humor left. She began to type a reply, but as she began, an instant message popped up. LadyBillieDay, it was definitely Jessie. She accepted the instant message and read it.
"Are you home? Cause you really need to come claim your things." Katie typed slowly.
"Are you going to be there if I come now?" she entered and waited patiently.
"Unfortunately, but I will probably just leave them outside the front door." Katie's smile dropped.
"But it's snowing…" she entered.
"Yeah, well, that's unfortunate also. Just come by and get them, they'll be waiting." Tired of Jessie's antics, she replied with
"Jessie, look, we need to talk. We have to." Jessie simply retorted with;
"No we don't. I'll expect them gone within the next 20 minutes or I will burn them," and with that, she signed off. Katie had never witnessed such coldness from Jessie. She was a completely different person. Katie knew that she had to get her things though; there was no way she'd let Jessie burn them, even if it was snowing out.
She drove up to the house and parked her car out front. She noticed a box sitting on the front porch and decided it was probably for her. She got out of the car, the heavy snow pelting her, and walked up the stairs to the front door. She picked up the box, that read "Katie" and took it back to her car. She placed it in the back seat and got back into the car, staring at the house for a long minute before starting the engine and pulling away.
She wasn't going to force Jessie to talk to her; she knew it'd only make things worse. When she got home she took the box to her room and opened it. On top of everything sat a folded piece of paper. Katie unfolded it and read it slowly to herself.
Katie, I put my heart out to you, wore it on my sleeve, and you did nothing but take it and stomp on it a few good times. I cannot fathom why I actually believe you when all you told me was lies. You didn't love me Katie Singer; you only love yourself. I knew I was right about you from the start; you've got too big of an ego to ever treat someone right. So I wish you well, in the future, because you're going to need it. I'm just glad I saved myself before you caused any more damage.
Katie balled up the letter and threw it across the room, her body shaking with anger, as the tears began to fall. She curled up on the bed; her head buried in her pillow and let the sobs take over her body.