Silent Heartbeats 19: Save Me from Going Mental
By Maureen
***
"God, this is ridiculous!" Tyler exclaimed, throwing the stack of papers in his hand on the table. "I will never, ever, complain about doing paperwork again!"
"I'm going to hold you to that," Brooke informed him, her arms loaded with papers as she headed to the storage room to file them.
"Haven't you learned yet?" Val teased, "You can't say stuff like that around here! The walls have ears!"
The dynamic duo as they were being called now that Hank was in college, were attempting to fill out college applications to submit by November 1. Both had claimed half of the table in the kitchen at the station (and divided it fairly with masking tape) and heaven help anyone who tried to use the table for something else.
"Hey guys," Catie said, flouncing in as she usually did in a blur of black. Today she had her customary pig tails braided through with blue that matched the blue in her peasant blouse and trim on her black skirt.
She glanced at the papers strewn across the table. "Ugh, you over achievers make me sick!"
"Haven't you started filling these out yet? If you start now, you may finish by next millenium." Tyler informed her.
"I'm going to state so why do early admissions? I already have 2 brothers at state, and it's not like I have a choice, unlike two EMTs I could mention." Catie pulled up a chair, careful not to touch or otherwise disturb the papers. She had no desire to watch them go mental when she was wallowing in self pity.
"What about Ohio then? I thought they had sent you some info on minority scholarships?" Val asked, momentarily forgetting that Catie had wanted to keep that quiet.
"Ohio State?" Tyler asked, intrigued. OSU was a good school, one he never would have expected to be interested in Catie.
Catie sighed, knowing that her secret was out, "Yeah, Ohio State is interested in me. They're willing to give me two partial scholarships, one for being half hispanic and the other for academics. My parents would only have to pay the same as state here." Catie explained.
"Catie, that's wonderful!" Tyler exclaimed, congradualating her. "Um...wait, did you say for 'academics'?"
Catie snorted shaking her head, "Yeah. I'm not brainiac smart like you two, but I'm not failing by a long shot. I do homework in detention, or did you think I just stared at Carlson all the time?"
"Does anyone truly know their friends?" Tyler asked rhetorically. Val just laughed, knowing that Catie was ranked 90 out of 400 students. This put her in the top 25% of the class, a very respectable place to be.
Catie stuck her tongue out at the both of them, before turning somewhat serious. "I'm turning them down, my parents don't even know about OSU, okay? I'm not going."
"Catie!" Val complained, "You can't do that! OSU is so much better than state!"
"Well, I am." Catie was nothing if not stubborn.
"Why don't you like OSU then?" Tyler asked. He wanted to go to up to Boston and was applying to all the universities in that area.
"Well, Jamie will be here and he's probably going to state too," Catie explained, without realizing how sappy she sounded.
"Um, Catie, does Jamie know about OSU?" Tyler questioned.
"No."
"Don't you think he should know? He may not go to state...and I'm sure he'd want you to have the best education you could get."
"He's a ward of the state. He'll go to state on scholarship, he doesn't have any other options," Catie told him, getting annoyed at his questions.
"Fill out the applications for OSU, Catie," Tyler instructed her, "Don't worry about Jamie. If he loves you as much as I think he does, he will be thrilled you're applying. He'd be more upset if you didn't."
"Damn you!" Catie hissed, grabbing her bag and leaving them. Instead of heading farther back into the station to see Jamie, she left, her eyes stinging. How dare he make sense! How dare he say that!!
***
Two hours later, Jamie was watching the Simpsons on tv with Brooke. The squad was out on a call.
*Hey,* Tyler signed, joining Jamie on the couch. *We got back a minute ago. Val is going to sleep.*
"Hey,." Jamie looked at his watch, "Have you seen Catie today? She said she was going to come by, but I thought she'd be here by now."
Tyler thought for a moment, his signs were slow, but he was progressing. *Catie was here earlier, but I thought she saw you.*
Jamie shook his head, no, *I never saw her. Thanks.* Jamie got up and headed back to the store room to finish his work for the day. Alex was working late that evening so he had taken a break so they could leave together (aka so Alex would buy him dinner).
Instead of working, he sat behind some boxes, thinking. Catie had come to the station to visit him, and saw Tyler, but not him. He knew that Catie wasn't cheating on him, at least not with anyone at the station. She and Tyler were friends and not each others 'type', and Catie and Mikah didn't get along because he had taken Jamie's place on the squad. So she wasn't cheating. What else could it have been?
Jamie rejoined Tyler, grabbing the dry-erase board off the kitchen counter. *You saw Catie.* it wasn't a question.
*Yes,* Tyler replied, confused.
*What time today?* Jamie handed him the board in case he didn't know the signs.
/After detention, about 4:00/ Tyler wrote quickly, handing the board back.
"Did anyone else see her?"
Tyler nodded, quickly finger-spelling, *Val.*
*Why did she not see me?* Jamie was hurt. She had seen Tyler and Val but not him!
Tyler sighed, not sure what to do. Tell Jamie about Catie possibly applying to OSU and violate her trust in him, or lie to Jamie and have him possibly think that the woman he's devoted to is possibly cheating on him, when Tyler knew for a fact that she wasn't.
Catie would forgive him, eventually, for telling Jamie about OSU. Niether would forgive him for destroying their relationship, nor would Val or Brooke or Alex or...well, anyone he knew. Destroy all his friendships or tell a secret. That was the question.
/I made her upset,/ Tyler wrote, /and she left./
"What?" Jamie exclaimed, not expecting that answer.
/She received scholarship offers from Ohio State University and she doesn't want to take them because she thinks you would be upset. She says she's going to go to Virginia State that way she can be with you in college too. She didn't want you to know about OSU. I said she should apply because you would be more upset if she didn't./
Jamie nodded slowly, not sure what to make of that. Catie was going to possibly screw up her future to be with him? "Call her up Tyler, I want to talk to her."
Tyler, looked at Jamie, confused. *Relay service?* he asked.
"No, call her home number! Give me the phone when she gets on the line," Jamie instructed. He wasn't going to go through some operator for this. This was important, he needed to tell her.
Tyler dialed the number, and waited for a moment. After a minute, he handed Jamie the phone.
"Catie?" he asked. "This is Jamie. I had Tyler call you. Just listen okay? He told me about you getting scholarships from OSU. He only told me because I was worried, you said you were going to stop by and I never saw you. Anyways, I want you to apply if that's the school you want to go to. Don't go to state just for me, that's stupid! Besides, I've been looking at colleges a little. Thinking about majors. I think I want to go to Gallaudet, if I can get in. Okay? I may end up at state, but I would rather you go to Ohio and be happy than stay just for me. You wouldn't be happy there for very long, even if we were together. I'm going to hang up now, Catie. I love you. Think about it okay, love?" Jamie returned the phone to the cradle.
"Did I say things okay?" Jamie asked, Tyler.
*Yeah,* Tyler told him, clapping him on the arm. *Yeah.*
***
A/N: Jamie and Catie aren't breaking up, but every relationship has its snags and they hit one. It's okay. For those who don't know, I've capped the story at 25 chapters and have them all plotted out. I'm going to try to have this fic finished for New Years, but I make no promises. I'm one a roll writing right now, so anything is possible.
Thanks, MC for being the only member of the Maureen Fan Club. Maybe I'll do like pearl jam and release a special fic for the holiday season to all the members of my fan club. heh, guess that would only be you huh?
By Maureen
***
"God, this is ridiculous!" Tyler exclaimed, throwing the stack of papers in his hand on the table. "I will never, ever, complain about doing paperwork again!"
"I'm going to hold you to that," Brooke informed him, her arms loaded with papers as she headed to the storage room to file them.
"Haven't you learned yet?" Val teased, "You can't say stuff like that around here! The walls have ears!"
The dynamic duo as they were being called now that Hank was in college, were attempting to fill out college applications to submit by November 1. Both had claimed half of the table in the kitchen at the station (and divided it fairly with masking tape) and heaven help anyone who tried to use the table for something else.
"Hey guys," Catie said, flouncing in as she usually did in a blur of black. Today she had her customary pig tails braided through with blue that matched the blue in her peasant blouse and trim on her black skirt.
She glanced at the papers strewn across the table. "Ugh, you over achievers make me sick!"
"Haven't you started filling these out yet? If you start now, you may finish by next millenium." Tyler informed her.
"I'm going to state so why do early admissions? I already have 2 brothers at state, and it's not like I have a choice, unlike two EMTs I could mention." Catie pulled up a chair, careful not to touch or otherwise disturb the papers. She had no desire to watch them go mental when she was wallowing in self pity.
"What about Ohio then? I thought they had sent you some info on minority scholarships?" Val asked, momentarily forgetting that Catie had wanted to keep that quiet.
"Ohio State?" Tyler asked, intrigued. OSU was a good school, one he never would have expected to be interested in Catie.
Catie sighed, knowing that her secret was out, "Yeah, Ohio State is interested in me. They're willing to give me two partial scholarships, one for being half hispanic and the other for academics. My parents would only have to pay the same as state here." Catie explained.
"Catie, that's wonderful!" Tyler exclaimed, congradualating her. "Um...wait, did you say for 'academics'?"
Catie snorted shaking her head, "Yeah. I'm not brainiac smart like you two, but I'm not failing by a long shot. I do homework in detention, or did you think I just stared at Carlson all the time?"
"Does anyone truly know their friends?" Tyler asked rhetorically. Val just laughed, knowing that Catie was ranked 90 out of 400 students. This put her in the top 25% of the class, a very respectable place to be.
Catie stuck her tongue out at the both of them, before turning somewhat serious. "I'm turning them down, my parents don't even know about OSU, okay? I'm not going."
"Catie!" Val complained, "You can't do that! OSU is so much better than state!"
"Well, I am." Catie was nothing if not stubborn.
"Why don't you like OSU then?" Tyler asked. He wanted to go to up to Boston and was applying to all the universities in that area.
"Well, Jamie will be here and he's probably going to state too," Catie explained, without realizing how sappy she sounded.
"Um, Catie, does Jamie know about OSU?" Tyler questioned.
"No."
"Don't you think he should know? He may not go to state...and I'm sure he'd want you to have the best education you could get."
"He's a ward of the state. He'll go to state on scholarship, he doesn't have any other options," Catie told him, getting annoyed at his questions.
"Fill out the applications for OSU, Catie," Tyler instructed her, "Don't worry about Jamie. If he loves you as much as I think he does, he will be thrilled you're applying. He'd be more upset if you didn't."
"Damn you!" Catie hissed, grabbing her bag and leaving them. Instead of heading farther back into the station to see Jamie, she left, her eyes stinging. How dare he make sense! How dare he say that!!
***
Two hours later, Jamie was watching the Simpsons on tv with Brooke. The squad was out on a call.
*Hey,* Tyler signed, joining Jamie on the couch. *We got back a minute ago. Val is going to sleep.*
"Hey,." Jamie looked at his watch, "Have you seen Catie today? She said she was going to come by, but I thought she'd be here by now."
Tyler thought for a moment, his signs were slow, but he was progressing. *Catie was here earlier, but I thought she saw you.*
Jamie shook his head, no, *I never saw her. Thanks.* Jamie got up and headed back to the store room to finish his work for the day. Alex was working late that evening so he had taken a break so they could leave together (aka so Alex would buy him dinner).
Instead of working, he sat behind some boxes, thinking. Catie had come to the station to visit him, and saw Tyler, but not him. He knew that Catie wasn't cheating on him, at least not with anyone at the station. She and Tyler were friends and not each others 'type', and Catie and Mikah didn't get along because he had taken Jamie's place on the squad. So she wasn't cheating. What else could it have been?
Jamie rejoined Tyler, grabbing the dry-erase board off the kitchen counter. *You saw Catie.* it wasn't a question.
*Yes,* Tyler replied, confused.
*What time today?* Jamie handed him the board in case he didn't know the signs.
/After detention, about 4:00/ Tyler wrote quickly, handing the board back.
"Did anyone else see her?"
Tyler nodded, quickly finger-spelling, *Val.*
*Why did she not see me?* Jamie was hurt. She had seen Tyler and Val but not him!
Tyler sighed, not sure what to do. Tell Jamie about Catie possibly applying to OSU and violate her trust in him, or lie to Jamie and have him possibly think that the woman he's devoted to is possibly cheating on him, when Tyler knew for a fact that she wasn't.
Catie would forgive him, eventually, for telling Jamie about OSU. Niether would forgive him for destroying their relationship, nor would Val or Brooke or Alex or...well, anyone he knew. Destroy all his friendships or tell a secret. That was the question.
/I made her upset,/ Tyler wrote, /and she left./
"What?" Jamie exclaimed, not expecting that answer.
/She received scholarship offers from Ohio State University and she doesn't want to take them because she thinks you would be upset. She says she's going to go to Virginia State that way she can be with you in college too. She didn't want you to know about OSU. I said she should apply because you would be more upset if she didn't./
Jamie nodded slowly, not sure what to make of that. Catie was going to possibly screw up her future to be with him? "Call her up Tyler, I want to talk to her."
Tyler, looked at Jamie, confused. *Relay service?* he asked.
"No, call her home number! Give me the phone when she gets on the line," Jamie instructed. He wasn't going to go through some operator for this. This was important, he needed to tell her.
Tyler dialed the number, and waited for a moment. After a minute, he handed Jamie the phone.
"Catie?" he asked. "This is Jamie. I had Tyler call you. Just listen okay? He told me about you getting scholarships from OSU. He only told me because I was worried, you said you were going to stop by and I never saw you. Anyways, I want you to apply if that's the school you want to go to. Don't go to state just for me, that's stupid! Besides, I've been looking at colleges a little. Thinking about majors. I think I want to go to Gallaudet, if I can get in. Okay? I may end up at state, but I would rather you go to Ohio and be happy than stay just for me. You wouldn't be happy there for very long, even if we were together. I'm going to hang up now, Catie. I love you. Think about it okay, love?" Jamie returned the phone to the cradle.
"Did I say things okay?" Jamie asked, Tyler.
*Yeah,* Tyler told him, clapping him on the arm. *Yeah.*
***
A/N: Jamie and Catie aren't breaking up, but every relationship has its snags and they hit one. It's okay. For those who don't know, I've capped the story at 25 chapters and have them all plotted out. I'm going to try to have this fic finished for New Years, but I make no promises. I'm one a roll writing right now, so anything is possible.
Thanks, MC for being the only member of the Maureen Fan Club. Maybe I'll do like pearl jam and release a special fic for the holiday season to all the members of my fan club. heh, guess that would only be you huh?