#Author's note# I want to thank everyone who has reviewed my story. Your comments were all very nice and encouraging. I'm glad that people are enjoying reading this, though I'm sure we all agree that I've treated Jamie horribly. Don't worry…things get better soon. Remember to keep your eyes peeled for more surprises! Oh, and for any character whose name I don't know (like Jamie's dad's), I make it up (*duh,* but I felt the need to say it anyway).
Disclaimer: I don't own IaHB or its characters. I'm just borrowing them. I'm not making any money off of this, so please, please, *please* don't sue. There. I think I got my point across. =o)
[6:15, Thursday Morning, Jamie's Room]
Jamie's first coherent thought as he woke up was 'Ow!' The second, after a thorough examination of how many bruises his father had left on him this time, was 'Oh shit, how in the hell can I explain these away?' Jamie sighed. This was going to be a long day.
*********************** One Hour Later **********************
'Where is he, where is he?' wondered a very worried Val. She was standing outside Kingsport High School, tapping one foot repeatedly as she waited for Jamie. 'I know that there's probably nothing wrong…but I have to know for sure' she thought. Just then she spotted the boy she'd been waiting for approaching. Val let out a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding in a sigh of relief. She hurried over to him with a blinding smile on her face as he drew near. The smile abruptly faded when she saw his face. She was staring in horror at the big, circular purple bruise on his face, a bit near his mouth. All she could manage was a gasp.
******************* Two Minutes Before *******************
He walked along slowly, trying to maintain an expression of nonchalance while also trying not to limp. 'Not an easy task when your knee feels like it's on fire and the rest of your body feels like it has just been put into a blender--twice' he thought to himself. 'Damn, why couldn't I think of a better lie than, "Oh, I had a little accident on my motorcycle last night,"? At least then I'd be able to ride, instead of going through this hell' he thought angrily, as he sidestepped a small group of loitering students and earned even more pain for his efforts. As he came into view of the entrance of the school, he noticed her…his Val. She turned her head and looked at him, as if she could read his thoughts. She wore her 1000-kilowatt smile as she approached him, and for a moment, Jamie thought he was dreaming. But as she drew closer and her view of him became clearer, her smile was quickly wiped off of her face. She stopped only a foot away from him, and stared with a nauseous-looking expression at the bruise on his face. She gasped. "Am I that hideous?" asked Jamie jokingly, though he couldn't help but feel a little hurt at her reaction. "No…" she said in a small little voice, right before she fainted.
***************** Five Minutes Later *****************
Val came to in an uncomfortable little cot in the corner of a very white, very sterile-looking room. 'It's the nurse's office' she realized. Someone, 'definitely a male' thought Val, was sitting on a side of it, holding her hand and, seemingly, pestering the nurse for answers. 'It's Jamie' realized Val, a blush creeping to her face. She felt so very at ease with him there, and she found that she thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of him enfolding her hand in his big, warm, protective one. She blushed even more. Neither Jamie nor the nurse had noticed her awakening, so deep in their argument were they. 'They're arguing about what happened to me' Val realized. 'I must have passed out…' she concluded. 'Jamie, being the good EMT that he is, is freaking out because his friend passed out cold…right into his arms…and he can't figure out why, so now he's arguing with the nurse as to what kind of medical reason there is behind it' she thought, blushing even more (if that were even possible). "Ah-hmm," she said, gaining the attention of both Jamie and the poor nurse, who must have been hard-pressed to remember everything she'd ever been taught in training with Jamie there, picking her brain. "Val, you're alright!" exclaimed Jamie, relieved. He wanted to jump for joy, he was so happy. He had been so worried. He felt like hugging her, but he was afraid that he might never let go. So he merely squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Yes," she said, sitting up. "I feel much better now, so I'll just be going now. Thank you Mrs. Smith," she continued to the ancient nurse. She got off the cot and dragged Jamie out the door with her before the slow-moving Mrs. Smith had even had a chance to blink.
*********************** 35.3 Seconds Later ********************
"Jamie, what happened to your face? Why is it bruised?" asked Val, trying to maintain the semblance of calm, even though thoughts and emotions were racing through her at dangerously high speeds. After they'd made their hasty departure from the nurse's office, Val had led Jamie by his big leather jacket towards the nearest abandoned room. Which just so happened to be a janitor's closet. A very small, very poorly illuminated little closet. Jamie hadn't known what to think until she'd asked him those questions. Now he knew that he'd have to act with all his heart if he wanted to keep her from finding out his secret. 'Oh shit' thought Jamie. 'Time to start the charade' "Relax, Val, I just got into a little accident with my motorcycle last night," he said. "Besides, I want to know why you went as white as a sheet once you saw me back there. Why did you faint? What's wrong?" he asked. Not only was this a good way to change the subject, but he also genuinely wanted to know. "Oh no, mister, you're not getting off that easily. I know you're lying about how you got that bruise," she said. "Now you can confess what's going on to me, or I can tell you what it is you're hiding. What's it going to be?" she continued. 'What in the hell in going on here?' Jamie wondered. 'She can't--she doesn't--she couldn't possibly have guessed…right?' he thought. "Wh-what are you talking about?" he asked. Playing stupid would usually work. "I'm talking about why you act like the world is a damn prison," she said, her voice getting louder. "I'm talking about why you got that injury on your face," she said, taking a step closer and trying to keep her voice down. She got on her toes and leaned a bit on his broad shoulders to keep her balance as she continued, now in little more than a whisper. "I'm talking about how you got…" she said, her breath tickling one of his earlobes. She abruptly backed up and flipped up his shirt, revealing the assorted scratches and purple and black bruises on his chest. "These," she said.
#Author's Note# Sorry this chapter is so short, but I want you guys to come back now, ya hear? (hehehe, I don't *really* talk like that). More is to come…expect the unexpected.