Author's Notes: Thanks for the reviews! And don't forget to review! Happy Reading!
Coming Home
Chapter 3
"You were meant to live, Val," Jamie said, giving her the answer he had come up for that question.
"Why?" Val asked rhetorically, "I'm a coward, Jamie. I panicked that day, I should have been the one trapped under the building. It should have been Caitie and Tyler that remained unharmed. Neither of them would have run away like a coward," As she said this the already dark sky grew darker and water began to fall. Big drops the type that sound like tiny pebbles from the inside of a car.
"Val, Caitie didn't die in the collapse," Jamie said. Now realizing how much Val had isolated herself.
"She didn't?" Val asked with a quizzical look on her face, as the raid pelted her.
"No, Mr. Keeler killed her," Jamie said. Now Val was really confused and wet. She knew Mr. Keeler had been Caitie's English teacher all throughout high school and that according to Caitie was a "racist sexist pig". Val couldn't even recall how many signatures Caitie had collected at various times. She also knew that a few days before, she died, Caitie had succeeded and just as soon they could find a replacement he would be leaving.
"How did he kill Caitie?" Val asked not sure she wanted to know the answer, but she knew she needed to hear it.
Jamie paused trying to find the best way to tell Val. "You know that Caitie got Mr. Keeler fired," Val nodded through the pouring rain, "Well, apparently he decided to take his revenge out on her English class. At the beginning of 5th period just after the bell rang and by the time of the collapse he had killed most of the girls, Caitie being one of them," Now that Val knew she wanted to run, leave Kingsport behind and go as far away as possible. So she ran, but she only got a few feet before the combination of her high heels and the wet parking lot brought her down.
"Are you okay?" Jamie asked, leaning over her.
"Yes, I think so, but could you help me up?" Val said, "I think I sprained my ankle,"
"Here you go," Jamie said bending down to help her up and then helped support her as they walked. "You can stay at my house tonight. By the way where do you live?"
"Falls Church. Thanks," Val said as Jamie helped her into his mini van. He couldn't see the look on her face, but he could guess what it was. He just hoped he would be able to see the look on her face when she found out that he was a school consular. He had softened just a bit form his rebel days.
Val looked around her new surrounding and as surprised to see in the backseat two car seats. She didn't know if she could picture Jamie as a dad, but she guessed that explained why he had the mini van. "How old are your kids?" She asked him as he pulled out of the parking space.
"Sarah's three and a half and Kate will be one next month," Jamie said and then noticed the glittering diamond on Val's finger, "Who are you engaged to?"
A/N: I finally finished! This took me three days to type (I only get thirty minutes a day of regular computer time). Well, anyways I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Happy reading! And don't forget to review! Thanks!