I'm guessing this is the last chapter. well at least that's what i plan but you never know. Then
after that I have a Real World 3 planned. Thanks for the idea. :) i know just what i'm gonna write
i think. it still needs some work. i don't own in a heartbeat. someone elses so ya know. please
review. thanks a bunch! love always! *Muah*
Perfection
Chapter 4
Jamie scrambled across his full size bed to snatch the phone off its cradle. It slipped from his
hands and lay on the floor next to his dirty clothes. Desperately, knowing it was Caitie from the
caller ID, he ripped it off the floor and put it to his ear.
Before he could answer a familiar, yet weak voice ventured into the silence. "Jamie?"
"It's me! Caitie, what's wrong?"
"N-nothing." Her voice trembled a little. She was having second thoughts about this call. Fortunately,
he didn't buy that for a second.
"No really. You wouldn't be calling if everything was fine."
Caitie sounded hurt. "Why do you say that?"
"When was the last time we talked?" Jamie questioned. Caitie didn't see how that was relevent.
"I don't know. A few weeks." Her voice was down to a whisper. Jamie had to strain to hear. He
decided to drop the pointless chit-chat and get down to the reason of the call.
"Okay, so again, something isn't right. What? You wouldn't have called just to call."
Caitie knew she had to tell Jamie. It was serious and she was terrified. Jamie was her only hope.
She needed him to know what to do, because she didn't. "I can't stop."
Jamie looked questioningly at his closet. Stop what? He asked his dresser. What is she talking
about? "Stop what?" He repeated aloud.
"Throwing up." Caitie hissed. Jamie was silent. Not knowing how to read into the quiet on the
other end, she could only guess he was angry. So she tried to explain, "I tried to stop. I did
Jamie. I tried. I ate and ate and ate. I told you I was gonna try. But then I went and I felt sick
and I felt fat. I could feel it dividing up, deciding where to go. A little to the stomache, a
bit in the hits, a pound or two to the thighs. I couldn't stand it. I did what I knew I had to."
Caitie stopped. She was out of breath. Jamie was starring in disbelief.
"Uh..." He mumbled, just to break the silence. Caitie brushed away a tear.
"Jamie, I need you to help." Caitie sighed in relief. The burden felt like it had lifted off her
shoulders. Little did she know, it just fell on Jamie.
Jamie lay back on his bed, hands folded comfortably under his head, staring at his white ceiling.
His mind wondered, desperate to think about anything but Caitie. But the problem was like a
barricade and he couldn't seem to get around it. He would think about summer, which made him
think of the beach, which made him think of Caitie. Jamie thought about dinner, and in turn,
that reminded him of food, and WHAM back to Caitie. Impossible to get around the subject. And she
had asked him for help. What was he susposed to do? She'd made it crystal clear he couldn't tell
anyone and yet, she was depending on him.
"I can't do this by myself." He whispered fiercely. How could she possibly think he could?
His younger sister, Jenna , trotted in. At seven years old, she was just what Jamie needed: a distraction.
"Hey Jenna." He smiled. Jamie was trying to act like he always did. Normal, or at least half way
normal.
"Can't do what by yourself?" She asked, plopping down beside him on the bed.
"What?"
"Can't do what by yourself?" Jenna repeated patiently. She waited expectantly.
"Oh you heard me." said Jamie. It wasn't really a question, just a statement. Jenna nodded.
"Uh-huh."
"Well, I'm having a problem with Caitie. You remember her, right?" The young girl's brown eyes
lit up and she nodded enthusiastically, her chin length black hair bouncing madly.
"Are you fighting?" She asked innocently. (A/N: Spelling)
"No," Jamie answered slowly. "She is having a problem and wants me to help." Jenna nodded seriously.
She was pretended to understand exactly.
Jenna answered matter-a-factly. "So help her." Jamie felt a smile pulling at his lips. It wasn't
that she was funny; she was making a lot of sense.
"It isn't that simple." He thought for a minute, then admitted with a regretful shake of his head.
"I don't know how."
Jenna stared at him for a moment. She was having some serious thoughts, Jamie could tell.
"So find someone who can help her. That would still be helping." Jamie wrinkled his eyebrows.
"Maybe you're right."
Josephine Olivia Waite sat perched on her canopy bed, letting her toe nail polish dry and flipping
through that month's issue of Seventeen. An article on the reasons not to blow dry your hair was
face open on the blue and green comforter. The beauty pagent trophies lined the wall opposite her.
A light, hesitant knock sounded on the door. Joe looked up. Figures. Whenever she gets started on
something, a stupid family member had to interrupt. Exhaling in frustration, Joe called out, "Open
the door and come in. I'm not getting up." The door creaked on its hinge and Jamie stuck his head
in the door.
"Uh..Josephine?" He whispered desperately. Joe kept reading her magazine.
"Sit. What's wrong?" Joe could hear something in his voice. She felt it was her job to be the
good big sister.
"It's Caitie. My friend with the problem." Well, that got Joe's attention. She looked up eagerly.
"Uh-huh."
"She's having problems. I need to get her help...without telling anyone. Well, you already know
but I can't tell anyone else."
Joe scoffed. "Without telling anyone? Impossible. Simply impossible. Here." She ripped a peice
of notebook paper out of a little pink book and scribbled something on it. Joe handed it to Jamie.
He looked at it. It was a phone number. He must have looked puzzled so Joe explained.
"It's the Hayes' number. April's parents." She said.
"What am I supposed to do with it?"
"Jamie," Joe couldn't help rolling her eyes. "They had a daughter who had an eating disorder. Remember
I told you they tried to get her help. Well, I think they could give you some of the people's
numbers. Maybe they could help Caitie." Jamie nodded slowly and stood up.
"Okay. I'll see what I can do."
Shelly pushed the bedroom door open, holding it wide enough for Jamie to pass through. Caitie was
laying on her bed, her back to the door. Shelly smiled sadly and let the door click closed behind
her. Jamie sat on the edge of Caitie's bed. She was breathing slowly. She turned her head. Seeing
Jamie, she attempted a smile. She wasn't looking very good. Too skinny and sickly.
"I've talked to your parents." Jamie began. Caitie's expression changed. Fear was creeping up her
chest and grabbing at her heart. No, he couldn't have.
"What?"
"They know you need help. Your mom is getting ready to take you to the hospital." Jamie tried to
remain calm.
"No. I don't need their help. I'm getting better." She protested stubbornly. Jamie only shook his
head. The door swung open and Caitie's crying mother stepped in.
"Honey," She whispered, "It's time to go."
Three Weeks Later
Summer was drawing to a close. Jamie was preparing for a new school year. Things at the station
were same as usual. It was a typical end of summer. But one thing was out of place. No Caitie. Usually
at this time Jamie was being dragged off to go back to school shopping and orientation (a/n: spelling)
and all the regular things he and Caitie did. Only now, Caitie was gone. And his last sight of
her haunted him in every dream. It was always dancing on the out skirts of every thought. Her
tear streaked face, desperate eyes, hysterical sobs, clawing, fighting to get out of the car.
Jamie shook his head. It was too much to think about. School would be starting without Caitie.
Her face wouldn't greet him at the end of the hall or smile as she returned a wave. With over a
thousand people in that school, it was going to be awfully lonely.
The phone jingled on Jamie's night stand. Glancing at the caller ID, he didn't regonize the number.
Jamie picked it up and held it to his ear.
"Hello."
"Jamie." A familiar voice stated. Jamie smiled. He was surprised.
"Caitie!" He half shouted.
"Hi!"
"Hey! How are things going..ya know with everything?" Jamie asked quietly.
"Better. I'm getting better. I've got more medication in me than a pharmacy but I'm better. It's
hard though. And I'm not there yet."
"Will you be back to school for the first day?" He questioned eagerly. Jamie thought he knew the
answer but was hanging on to hope that possibly he was wrong. He heard Caitie suck in her breath.
"No."
"Oh."
"But I'll be back soon. Until then I'll be schooled here, at the Center." A silence filled the
phone. Both listened to the other breath.
"I'm sorry Caitie." Jamie said softly.
Caitie wrinkled her forehead. "What for?"
"For making you feel like you had to lose weight. I thought you were perfect just the way you were."
Caitie gulped.
"Perfect, huh? Not quite. But--" She struggled for the right words. "I was better of before than
I am now. No one is perfect Jamie. Not you, not me, not anybody."
"I knew that." Jamie replied. Both their tones were serious, with a hint of remorse.
"I shouldn't have worried about it. Perfection. Impossible. It'll never happen to me. Maybe Val,
but not me." Caitie laughed in spite of herself.
"Since you don't want to be perfect, will you settle for almost perfect?" Jamie smiled. Caitie
nodded, knowing he wouldn't see it though.
"Almost perfect sounds great to me."
*Well there it is. The end. So now I'm going to begin Real World 3 tomorrow. Or the day after. But
soon. I hoped you all liked this story.*
after that I have a Real World 3 planned. Thanks for the idea. :) i know just what i'm gonna write
i think. it still needs some work. i don't own in a heartbeat. someone elses so ya know. please
review. thanks a bunch! love always! *Muah*
Perfection
Chapter 4
Jamie scrambled across his full size bed to snatch the phone off its cradle. It slipped from his
hands and lay on the floor next to his dirty clothes. Desperately, knowing it was Caitie from the
caller ID, he ripped it off the floor and put it to his ear.
Before he could answer a familiar, yet weak voice ventured into the silence. "Jamie?"
"It's me! Caitie, what's wrong?"
"N-nothing." Her voice trembled a little. She was having second thoughts about this call. Fortunately,
he didn't buy that for a second.
"No really. You wouldn't be calling if everything was fine."
Caitie sounded hurt. "Why do you say that?"
"When was the last time we talked?" Jamie questioned. Caitie didn't see how that was relevent.
"I don't know. A few weeks." Her voice was down to a whisper. Jamie had to strain to hear. He
decided to drop the pointless chit-chat and get down to the reason of the call.
"Okay, so again, something isn't right. What? You wouldn't have called just to call."
Caitie knew she had to tell Jamie. It was serious and she was terrified. Jamie was her only hope.
She needed him to know what to do, because she didn't. "I can't stop."
Jamie looked questioningly at his closet. Stop what? He asked his dresser. What is she talking
about? "Stop what?" He repeated aloud.
"Throwing up." Caitie hissed. Jamie was silent. Not knowing how to read into the quiet on the
other end, she could only guess he was angry. So she tried to explain, "I tried to stop. I did
Jamie. I tried. I ate and ate and ate. I told you I was gonna try. But then I went and I felt sick
and I felt fat. I could feel it dividing up, deciding where to go. A little to the stomache, a
bit in the hits, a pound or two to the thighs. I couldn't stand it. I did what I knew I had to."
Caitie stopped. She was out of breath. Jamie was starring in disbelief.
"Uh..." He mumbled, just to break the silence. Caitie brushed away a tear.
"Jamie, I need you to help." Caitie sighed in relief. The burden felt like it had lifted off her
shoulders. Little did she know, it just fell on Jamie.
Jamie lay back on his bed, hands folded comfortably under his head, staring at his white ceiling.
His mind wondered, desperate to think about anything but Caitie. But the problem was like a
barricade and he couldn't seem to get around it. He would think about summer, which made him
think of the beach, which made him think of Caitie. Jamie thought about dinner, and in turn,
that reminded him of food, and WHAM back to Caitie. Impossible to get around the subject. And she
had asked him for help. What was he susposed to do? She'd made it crystal clear he couldn't tell
anyone and yet, she was depending on him.
"I can't do this by myself." He whispered fiercely. How could she possibly think he could?
His younger sister, Jenna , trotted in. At seven years old, she was just what Jamie needed: a distraction.
"Hey Jenna." He smiled. Jamie was trying to act like he always did. Normal, or at least half way
normal.
"Can't do what by yourself?" She asked, plopping down beside him on the bed.
"What?"
"Can't do what by yourself?" Jenna repeated patiently. She waited expectantly.
"Oh you heard me." said Jamie. It wasn't really a question, just a statement. Jenna nodded.
"Uh-huh."
"Well, I'm having a problem with Caitie. You remember her, right?" The young girl's brown eyes
lit up and she nodded enthusiastically, her chin length black hair bouncing madly.
"Are you fighting?" She asked innocently. (A/N: Spelling)
"No," Jamie answered slowly. "She is having a problem and wants me to help." Jenna nodded seriously.
She was pretended to understand exactly.
Jenna answered matter-a-factly. "So help her." Jamie felt a smile pulling at his lips. It wasn't
that she was funny; she was making a lot of sense.
"It isn't that simple." He thought for a minute, then admitted with a regretful shake of his head.
"I don't know how."
Jenna stared at him for a moment. She was having some serious thoughts, Jamie could tell.
"So find someone who can help her. That would still be helping." Jamie wrinkled his eyebrows.
"Maybe you're right."
Josephine Olivia Waite sat perched on her canopy bed, letting her toe nail polish dry and flipping
through that month's issue of Seventeen. An article on the reasons not to blow dry your hair was
face open on the blue and green comforter. The beauty pagent trophies lined the wall opposite her.
A light, hesitant knock sounded on the door. Joe looked up. Figures. Whenever she gets started on
something, a stupid family member had to interrupt. Exhaling in frustration, Joe called out, "Open
the door and come in. I'm not getting up." The door creaked on its hinge and Jamie stuck his head
in the door.
"Uh..Josephine?" He whispered desperately. Joe kept reading her magazine.
"Sit. What's wrong?" Joe could hear something in his voice. She felt it was her job to be the
good big sister.
"It's Caitie. My friend with the problem." Well, that got Joe's attention. She looked up eagerly.
"Uh-huh."
"She's having problems. I need to get her help...without telling anyone. Well, you already know
but I can't tell anyone else."
Joe scoffed. "Without telling anyone? Impossible. Simply impossible. Here." She ripped a peice
of notebook paper out of a little pink book and scribbled something on it. Joe handed it to Jamie.
He looked at it. It was a phone number. He must have looked puzzled so Joe explained.
"It's the Hayes' number. April's parents." She said.
"What am I supposed to do with it?"
"Jamie," Joe couldn't help rolling her eyes. "They had a daughter who had an eating disorder. Remember
I told you they tried to get her help. Well, I think they could give you some of the people's
numbers. Maybe they could help Caitie." Jamie nodded slowly and stood up.
"Okay. I'll see what I can do."
Shelly pushed the bedroom door open, holding it wide enough for Jamie to pass through. Caitie was
laying on her bed, her back to the door. Shelly smiled sadly and let the door click closed behind
her. Jamie sat on the edge of Caitie's bed. She was breathing slowly. She turned her head. Seeing
Jamie, she attempted a smile. She wasn't looking very good. Too skinny and sickly.
"I've talked to your parents." Jamie began. Caitie's expression changed. Fear was creeping up her
chest and grabbing at her heart. No, he couldn't have.
"What?"
"They know you need help. Your mom is getting ready to take you to the hospital." Jamie tried to
remain calm.
"No. I don't need their help. I'm getting better." She protested stubbornly. Jamie only shook his
head. The door swung open and Caitie's crying mother stepped in.
"Honey," She whispered, "It's time to go."
Three Weeks Later
Summer was drawing to a close. Jamie was preparing for a new school year. Things at the station
were same as usual. It was a typical end of summer. But one thing was out of place. No Caitie. Usually
at this time Jamie was being dragged off to go back to school shopping and orientation (a/n: spelling)
and all the regular things he and Caitie did. Only now, Caitie was gone. And his last sight of
her haunted him in every dream. It was always dancing on the out skirts of every thought. Her
tear streaked face, desperate eyes, hysterical sobs, clawing, fighting to get out of the car.
Jamie shook his head. It was too much to think about. School would be starting without Caitie.
Her face wouldn't greet him at the end of the hall or smile as she returned a wave. With over a
thousand people in that school, it was going to be awfully lonely.
The phone jingled on Jamie's night stand. Glancing at the caller ID, he didn't regonize the number.
Jamie picked it up and held it to his ear.
"Hello."
"Jamie." A familiar voice stated. Jamie smiled. He was surprised.
"Caitie!" He half shouted.
"Hi!"
"Hey! How are things going..ya know with everything?" Jamie asked quietly.
"Better. I'm getting better. I've got more medication in me than a pharmacy but I'm better. It's
hard though. And I'm not there yet."
"Will you be back to school for the first day?" He questioned eagerly. Jamie thought he knew the
answer but was hanging on to hope that possibly he was wrong. He heard Caitie suck in her breath.
"No."
"Oh."
"But I'll be back soon. Until then I'll be schooled here, at the Center." A silence filled the
phone. Both listened to the other breath.
"I'm sorry Caitie." Jamie said softly.
Caitie wrinkled her forehead. "What for?"
"For making you feel like you had to lose weight. I thought you were perfect just the way you were."
Caitie gulped.
"Perfect, huh? Not quite. But--" She struggled for the right words. "I was better of before than
I am now. No one is perfect Jamie. Not you, not me, not anybody."
"I knew that." Jamie replied. Both their tones were serious, with a hint of remorse.
"I shouldn't have worried about it. Perfection. Impossible. It'll never happen to me. Maybe Val,
but not me." Caitie laughed in spite of herself.
"Since you don't want to be perfect, will you settle for almost perfect?" Jamie smiled. Caitie
nodded, knowing he wouldn't see it though.
"Almost perfect sounds great to me."
*Well there it is. The end. So now I'm going to begin Real World 3 tomorrow. Or the day after. But
soon. I hoped you all liked this story.*