Chapter 4/Dreams
"Landon? Hey let's go." Landon and Emily climbed into his car, and headed towards Le Fonte Café, a popular Italian restaurant in Beaufort. They drove in silence, but Emily could tell by the pained look on Landon's face that he was thinking about Jamie. He parked the car, and they headed inside, still not saying a word. They were led to their table, and Landon started talking as soon as they sat down.
"Her other goals…well she wanted to have a star named after her. She loved astronomy…we loved astronomy. We used to lay out at night and just watch the stars; it was always so romantic…one of our special moments. Then one day I went to The NSRA and got a star named Jamie…just like she always wanted."
"The NSRA," Emily asked him quietly.
"National Star Registration of America," he answered knowingly.
"So how did you tell her?"
"Well I didn't think just telling her would be special, I figured I had to show her to make it special."
Emily nodded. "Right, and…"
"Well that night when we were lying out, when she asked what star I wanted to see I said Pluto, which by the way rises in the early morning…around dawn. She just shook her head and told me that we couldn't because it didn't rise until 4:30 or 5 am. So I pulled up my backpack and pulled out all the essentials for an all-nighter. Coffee, and 2 blankets."
"Why two? Wasn't 1 enough," she asked thoughtfully.
"No, one for Jamie and one for myself," he explained quietly.
"Huh?" Emily looked confused.
"Jamie used to tease me…tell me she wasn't seducible. I figured I had to take things slow with her. Make sure she didn't listen to her dad's 'guys like Landon expect things Jamie' and trust me. So we waited. We kissed some, but we never did more. Cuddling was big…she used to fall asleep on my shoulder…in the later days," he said, tears filling his eyes.
"So what happened after that," she asked.
"Excuse me Ma'am, what can I get you tonight," a young waitress asked politely. She was young and pretty, but Emily couldn't help but notice that Landon didn't even glance her way.
"I'll have a glass of water and Fille Minion," Landon replied briefly.
"Certainly, and you miss?"
"I'll have…a Shirley Temple and a salad with French dressing."
"Ok I'll be right back with your drinks."
They waited for a moment until the waitress returned. Emily sipped her red drink, pausing to playfully swirl her maraschino cherry around on her tongue, gazing at Landon over the table. The flicker of the candle made shadows on his face, and despite the darkness she could tell he was crying.
"What happened next," she asked him again, more softly this time.
"Well we lay awake in each other's arms and watched for the stars to come up. Right after we spotted Pluto I pointed out the star and gave her the document proving it…she was so thrilled."
"Oh I bet. I wish I had a guy like that to do something for me," she said hinting.
"Well after that we were practically inseparable. Always doing things and talking. I hit one of the best friends I had in the world in the face over her. See, my old crowd had a major problem with us being together…especially Dean."
Emily cringed at the name and frowned.
"What's wrong," he asked. "I-I dated him. For a few months. I thought he loved me…turns out he thought I would be 'easy' and he dumped me when I wouldn't…well ya know."
"Yes, I know to well. Dean always used girls. It was his vice. One of the many," he mumbled.
Emily had to smile at that and shrugged. "How did Belinda take it?"
"She didn't. She absolutely couldn't stand the fact that I chose Jamie over her, so she printed all these horrible, rotten, incredibly fake pictures of Jamie. It was terrible. She spread the all over the school and created these nasty rumors. It wasn't like she didn't have help though," he added, throwing a nasty glance Emily's way.
Emily sighed and shrugged again. "I know Lauren was in on those things. It's just I think she had a crush on you and wanted to make you believe those things," she said blushing.
Landon blushed himself and paused for a moment. "How did you know about Belinda?"
"Lauren. She hated her. Oh my god she was so envious of that terrible girl."
"Why?"
"Why? Because Belinda had you silly."
"No. No Belinda never had me. She thought she did, but I never loved that girl, at least not how I loved Jamie. I don't think I'll ever love anyone as much as I love my girl."
Emily frowned sadly. She noticed he had said love instead of loved. The poor guy was still head over heels for the lucky girl. How can you love a ghost, she wondered.
"I'm sure you can but Jamie's not a ghost she's an angel…she was when she was alive to," he said to her frowning.
"Oh my god, I said that out loud," she asked a blush creeping up her neck.
"Obviously," he answered nodding. The waitress returned again with their food and they didn't talk for a while, engrossed in their food. After a few more minutes of picking at his food Landon pushed it aside and sat back. Emily frowned but didn't comment on his lack of eating. Am I upsetting him that much, she wondered to herself.
"So, what did you do?"
Landon looked bewildered. "What do you mean what did I do, I stuck up for her! I love her!" He looked stunned at the thought of doing anything else.
"I know. I'm saying after the whole friends fight."
"Jamie and me just hung out. We were perfectly intent on just being together. Sometimes we didn't even talk. I even started going to church regularly just to hear her sing," he said, smiling at the memory.
"When did she…you know tell you."
Landon frowned, deep lines increasing on his forehead. His eyes refilled with tears and he sighed, a deep, troubled sigh. God I miss her so much, he thought to himself. He must really miss her, she thought to herself.
"Well one night we were out together. I was still astonished over how much she'd gotten me to do. Like talk to my dad again, go to church, and even go dancing. We were on our way home when she stopped me in the street. He gulped at the memory.
"I'm sick Landon."
"Really? Well I could take you home now."
"No Landon, I'm sick…I have…Leukimia. Cancer. We found out two years ago."
"No. Not you Jamie, your perfectly healthy."
"I-I was. I just got word from the doctor. It's back Landon. It's back to get me."
"Why-why didn't you tell me," he sputtered, still in complete shock.
"Because…because of this!! I didn't want you to treat me like a freak! Like I'm made of glass! Like I'll break at the softest touch! I just wanted to be normal Landon, and I was…for awhile." She had then fled, leaving a shocked, tearful Landon alone in the alley.
"Oh my…" Emily replied, tears streaming down her cheeks. She wiped her eyes, and reached over the table to grab Landon's tear-soaked hands. He gratefully excepted, and stood up, wiping his eyes. They paid the bill and hurried to get Emily home. "Well goodbye Landon. Thanks for the lovely evening."
"Yes, it was fun."
"So I'll see you tomorrow," she asked, refering to the next morning, Saturday.
"No, I promised Eric I'd go up to SC for the weekend. Can we talk Monday?"
"Sure," she replied, slightly hurt. "Night." She kissed him on the cheek, squeezed his shoulder and hurried off.
"Landon? Hey let's go." Landon and Emily climbed into his car, and headed towards Le Fonte Café, a popular Italian restaurant in Beaufort. They drove in silence, but Emily could tell by the pained look on Landon's face that he was thinking about Jamie. He parked the car, and they headed inside, still not saying a word. They were led to their table, and Landon started talking as soon as they sat down.
"Her other goals…well she wanted to have a star named after her. She loved astronomy…we loved astronomy. We used to lay out at night and just watch the stars; it was always so romantic…one of our special moments. Then one day I went to The NSRA and got a star named Jamie…just like she always wanted."
"The NSRA," Emily asked him quietly.
"National Star Registration of America," he answered knowingly.
"So how did you tell her?"
"Well I didn't think just telling her would be special, I figured I had to show her to make it special."
Emily nodded. "Right, and…"
"Well that night when we were lying out, when she asked what star I wanted to see I said Pluto, which by the way rises in the early morning…around dawn. She just shook her head and told me that we couldn't because it didn't rise until 4:30 or 5 am. So I pulled up my backpack and pulled out all the essentials for an all-nighter. Coffee, and 2 blankets."
"Why two? Wasn't 1 enough," she asked thoughtfully.
"No, one for Jamie and one for myself," he explained quietly.
"Huh?" Emily looked confused.
"Jamie used to tease me…tell me she wasn't seducible. I figured I had to take things slow with her. Make sure she didn't listen to her dad's 'guys like Landon expect things Jamie' and trust me. So we waited. We kissed some, but we never did more. Cuddling was big…she used to fall asleep on my shoulder…in the later days," he said, tears filling his eyes.
"So what happened after that," she asked.
"Excuse me Ma'am, what can I get you tonight," a young waitress asked politely. She was young and pretty, but Emily couldn't help but notice that Landon didn't even glance her way.
"I'll have a glass of water and Fille Minion," Landon replied briefly.
"Certainly, and you miss?"
"I'll have…a Shirley Temple and a salad with French dressing."
"Ok I'll be right back with your drinks."
They waited for a moment until the waitress returned. Emily sipped her red drink, pausing to playfully swirl her maraschino cherry around on her tongue, gazing at Landon over the table. The flicker of the candle made shadows on his face, and despite the darkness she could tell he was crying.
"What happened next," she asked him again, more softly this time.
"Well we lay awake in each other's arms and watched for the stars to come up. Right after we spotted Pluto I pointed out the star and gave her the document proving it…she was so thrilled."
"Oh I bet. I wish I had a guy like that to do something for me," she said hinting.
"Well after that we were practically inseparable. Always doing things and talking. I hit one of the best friends I had in the world in the face over her. See, my old crowd had a major problem with us being together…especially Dean."
Emily cringed at the name and frowned.
"What's wrong," he asked. "I-I dated him. For a few months. I thought he loved me…turns out he thought I would be 'easy' and he dumped me when I wouldn't…well ya know."
"Yes, I know to well. Dean always used girls. It was his vice. One of the many," he mumbled.
Emily had to smile at that and shrugged. "How did Belinda take it?"
"She didn't. She absolutely couldn't stand the fact that I chose Jamie over her, so she printed all these horrible, rotten, incredibly fake pictures of Jamie. It was terrible. She spread the all over the school and created these nasty rumors. It wasn't like she didn't have help though," he added, throwing a nasty glance Emily's way.
Emily sighed and shrugged again. "I know Lauren was in on those things. It's just I think she had a crush on you and wanted to make you believe those things," she said blushing.
Landon blushed himself and paused for a moment. "How did you know about Belinda?"
"Lauren. She hated her. Oh my god she was so envious of that terrible girl."
"Why?"
"Why? Because Belinda had you silly."
"No. No Belinda never had me. She thought she did, but I never loved that girl, at least not how I loved Jamie. I don't think I'll ever love anyone as much as I love my girl."
Emily frowned sadly. She noticed he had said love instead of loved. The poor guy was still head over heels for the lucky girl. How can you love a ghost, she wondered.
"I'm sure you can but Jamie's not a ghost she's an angel…she was when she was alive to," he said to her frowning.
"Oh my god, I said that out loud," she asked a blush creeping up her neck.
"Obviously," he answered nodding. The waitress returned again with their food and they didn't talk for a while, engrossed in their food. After a few more minutes of picking at his food Landon pushed it aside and sat back. Emily frowned but didn't comment on his lack of eating. Am I upsetting him that much, she wondered to herself.
"So, what did you do?"
Landon looked bewildered. "What do you mean what did I do, I stuck up for her! I love her!" He looked stunned at the thought of doing anything else.
"I know. I'm saying after the whole friends fight."
"Jamie and me just hung out. We were perfectly intent on just being together. Sometimes we didn't even talk. I even started going to church regularly just to hear her sing," he said, smiling at the memory.
"When did she…you know tell you."
Landon frowned, deep lines increasing on his forehead. His eyes refilled with tears and he sighed, a deep, troubled sigh. God I miss her so much, he thought to himself. He must really miss her, she thought to herself.
"Well one night we were out together. I was still astonished over how much she'd gotten me to do. Like talk to my dad again, go to church, and even go dancing. We were on our way home when she stopped me in the street. He gulped at the memory.
"I'm sick Landon."
"Really? Well I could take you home now."
"No Landon, I'm sick…I have…Leukimia. Cancer. We found out two years ago."
"No. Not you Jamie, your perfectly healthy."
"I-I was. I just got word from the doctor. It's back Landon. It's back to get me."
"Why-why didn't you tell me," he sputtered, still in complete shock.
"Because…because of this!! I didn't want you to treat me like a freak! Like I'm made of glass! Like I'll break at the softest touch! I just wanted to be normal Landon, and I was…for awhile." She had then fled, leaving a shocked, tearful Landon alone in the alley.
"Oh my…" Emily replied, tears streaming down her cheeks. She wiped her eyes, and reached over the table to grab Landon's tear-soaked hands. He gratefully excepted, and stood up, wiping his eyes. They paid the bill and hurried to get Emily home. "Well goodbye Landon. Thanks for the lovely evening."
"Yes, it was fun."
"So I'll see you tomorrow," she asked, refering to the next morning, Saturday.
"No, I promised Eric I'd go up to SC for the weekend. Can we talk Monday?"
"Sure," she replied, slightly hurt. "Night." She kissed him on the cheek, squeezed his shoulder and hurried off.