Author's Note: Blank pages are very intimidating. Wow. 14 already. By the time this is over, it's going to be too many chapters for my own good. Wow. So let's see, where I left it… okay, Val fell asleep, Caitie yelled at Jamie, and Hank was the only one who actually did paperwork. ::sings "Only One" by Lifehouse:: ::stops singing:: okay, I'll stop writing the author's note and just write. But first, the disclaimer: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING! ANYTHING AT ALL!
Just read it.
**RING RING**
**RING RING**
**RING-
"Hello?" Tyler asked into the phone.
"Hi. Is Tyler there? This is Jamie Waite." Jamie said, sounding very fancy and proper and not at all like himself. He'd never called Tyler before and he didn't know what William the Evil Stepfather was like in reality-Jamie was sure he wasn't as evil as Tyler said, but you never know…
"It's me. What's up Jamie? How was the big date?" Tyler asked. Jamie sighed.
"The date was…" Jamie paused when he realized that he would sound very corny if he said 'the date was great' "…awesome." He settled on. "But, I was talking to Caitie about the club thing… and…" Jamie paused.
"And what?" Tyler asked.
"When I asked, Caitie practically had a cow. She-"
"Had a cow?" Tyler asked incredulously.
"It's my mom's favorite saying. She was upset. Absolutely hysterical. She was lecturing me about if Val knew and Val would never want to go and even if Val did want to go Caitie didn't so we weren't going."
Tyler chuckled, then asked, "So what are we going to do?"
"I told Caitie that we'd pick a restaurant and surprise the Val and her.
"Cool. That sounds good." Tyler said agreeably.
"So how's Val?" Jamie asked.
Tyler groaned inwardly. He had worried all day. He didn't need to worry more. Jamie noticed his hesitation and also groaned inwardly. He realized that that was the wrong thing to say.
"She was basically miserable, but she'll be okay," Tyler said, trying to convince himself as well as Jamie. "She said she was miserable, she looked miserable. She even whined. She was sarcastic." Tyler could practically hear Jamie's eyebrows raise.
"That doesn't sound like the Val we all know-…" Jamie said. He was about to say 'we all know and love,' but with Tyler, that would be the wrong thing to say.
"So… what restaurant?" Jamie asked, trying to change the subject.
"I don't know. How about Chinese?" Tyler suggested.
"That works." Jamie said. "Bye."
"Bye." Tyler echoed and hung up.
* * *
Val looked out of her window at the gently falling snow and wished for the millionth time that she wasn't sick- that she was with Tyler, or at the park, in the middle of the snow that was falling, or a thousand different places- anywhere but where she was, on her bed, miserably staring out the window. She sighed, picked up her book, and read some more.
* * *
Tyler hurried along the soon-to-be-snow-covered streets of Kingsport. Snow was falling, and he was hurrying to Val's house to say hi before his shift in half an hour. He briefly remembered that, oh yeah, it was his turn to do inventory, oh joy! Then his thoughts returned to Val, and he quickened his pace and kept going.
* * *
**DINGDONG**
**CREEEAK**
"Hey Tyler. Val's in her room," Brooke said upon opening the door.
"Thanks, Brooke," Tyler said and went inside.
"Hey Val." Tyler said.
"Hi," Val said quietly.
"How are you?" Tyler asked.
"Same," Val said quietly. Tyler became worried- Val was hardly talking at all. He started frowning subconsciously. "What's the matter?" Val asked concernedly.
"Nothing. I'm just worried about you." Tyler said, still frowning.
"I'm going to be fine. Stop worrying." Val scolded. She looked at the clock pointedly then said, "Hey, when's your shift?"
"In…" Tyler looked at his watch, "Oh shoot ten minutes I'm going to be late gotta go bye sorry get well soon!" He exclaimed and ran out the door before Val could say anything.
"Bye," Val said lamely to empty air. She sighed and turned back to her reading.
"Tyler where are you going?" Brooke asked as Tyler came running from their room.
"I'm going to be late for my shift!" He exclaimed and ran out the door.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Author's Note: Here's chapter 14. Review. Yes, short, I know. But really, there's not much to say for the rest of the week. Friday is Christmas, but they're all just going to stay at home with their families, blah blah blah, Saturday, not much, SKIP TO SUNDAY! YAY! DATES!! Yes I know Tyler probably has a car but guess what? I DON'T CARE!
I'll have a little "time passes blah, blah, blah etc" blurb at the beginning of the next chapter.
