Chapter Seven

"Jamie?" Joelle shouted as she entered his house. The door was open. That had made her smile, he had obviously taken no notice of the warning she had given him just a few days before. But that didn't matter now. The 'watcher' had been Ice, and there was no need for anyone to be scared of him. She certainly wasn't, she loved him. Love. That turned her thoughts back to the reason she was here. Had Jamie always loved her? Since the day she had arrived at her new house? She tried to remember. She couldn't recall any time when she had gotten the impression that he felt strongly about her. He'd been scared, she realised. Scared to tell her his true feelings. Would it have made any difference? If she had found out this before she had met Ice would it now be them who were leaving to go travelling? There was no point in asking herself these questions, she decided. It wouldn't make any difference now.

"Jamie," she shouted again. She realised she had been standing in the doorway for five minutes thinking. She continued into the house. Perhaps he wasn't in, she thought. Trust him to be out just when she needed him.

 She headed for the stairs and began to climb them. They were creaking beneath her feet, they had always been like that. As she reached the top she noticed a door open in front of her that she had never seen open before. She knew which one it was. The one which said 'Rachel's Room' on a big plaque on the outside. She had never thought it appropriate to ask who Rachel was. Now she ventured forwards and into the room. Jamie was lying on the bed, asleep she realised. She smiled. He must have been exhausted to fall asleep like that. He'd been reading a book and it was lying open on his chest. She moved towards him and sat on the bed beside him, still smiling. He didn't stir. She looked down at his hands and then took one of them in hers. It was cold. She was confused. The house was warm despite the cold weather outside. Then she noticed it, it had slid off the bed and onto the floor. A bottle which had once held pills of some kind, which was now empty. She gasped.

"Jamie," she began to shake him. "Jamie, wake up!" She shook him over and over again, but it was too late. He had been dead for a long time before she had entered the room. She stood up, looked at him in desperation, shook him one last time and ran from the room, tears rolling down her face.

"Ice!!" Joelle shouted desperately as she ran into her house where she had left him only half an hour before. "Ice!! Help!!"

Ice entered the room halfway through a yawn, and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "What is it? I was catching up on some sleep."

"It's Jamie," she said, tears still flowing. "I think he's dead!" she ran up to him and wrapped her arms round him so tightly he could hardly breathe.

He pulled away before speaking: "Dead?!" he exclaimed. "How?"

"There was an empty bottle of pills on the floor. I assume it was full before he got his hands on it."

"Oh my god Jo I'm so sorry." He took her in a hug once again as she broke down crying once again.

"Joelle!" a voice shouted. "Joelle!! Jamie won't wake up. He - " Joelle broke away from Ice as Zak ran into the room, terror in his eyes.

"I know," she put her arms around him. "I know," she repeated.

"He will be OK won't he?" Zak said innocently. Joelle didn't know what to say. How did she tell a seven year old boy that they guy he worshipped was dead.

"Jamie's gone away," Ice rescued her. "He's gone to stay in a better place. He said to tell you he loves you."

Zak looked confused, but was so awed by Ice that he nodded silently and gazed at him, tears coming to his eyes.

"Has he gone to stay with my parents?" he asked. "Jamie said they'd gone to stay in a better place."

"Yes Zak," Joelle said. "He's with them right now," she said solemnly as she held the boy close to her chest and rubbed her fingers through his hair