Landon Carter sat in Principal Kelly's office, jangling his car keys in his
hand and rolling his eyes at him. "Drinking on school property. This is
serious Landon. As punishment for drinking on school property, you will
help the janitorial staff after school for a month, then you will tutor
disadvantaged students at our sister school, and you will participate in
the spring play." Landon looked at the principal with disgust. "It's time
that you spent time with different types of people. Don't blow it Landon."
Landon sighed as he got up and walked out of the office.
Eric's car pulled up outside of the auditorium. Eric handed Landon his crutches and Landon hobbled out. "Be back in an hour, don't forget," said Landon. "Yeah, yeah," said Eric, driving away. Landon slowly made his way into the auditorium where students were reading monologues and dialogues from the script. "Landon will read Tommy Thornton," said the stage director. "Umm.no," said Landon. He sighed as he took the script and began to read from it. "When did you know Tommy?" How can she care so much about this shit? "Know what?" "That we were in love." She's actually trying. This is hopeless. "Baby, you don't want to go falling in love with a guy like me." "Too late, I'm crazy about you. I'm breathing it, drinking it all in. Aren't you?" "I don't know what I'm drinking doll face, but if this is love, pour me another glass," This is crap. I can't do this.
Landon waited outside of the auditorium for Eric to come get him. Landon looked at his watch. Eric was twenty minutes late. Landon went over to Jamie, who was getting in her car. "Can you give me a ride?" he asked, though he didn't really want to ask her. He got in and Jamie drove him home. They drove past the hangout where Landon and Dean and Eric and some of them hung out after school and on the weekends. As Jamie drove by, Landon saw Belinda standing by Dean's car, and Landon ducked until they drove past.
Once they were past them, Landon sat up. Jamie switched on the radio. Landon immediately turned the station. Jamie turned it back, but Landon wouldn't stand for it and turned it again. "I give up," said Jamie. "Thank you." "42," said Jamie to herself. "What's 42?" asked Landon, though he didn't really care. "It's a to-do list that I made for myself, for my life." "Like what, get a new personality?" "Spend a year in the peace core, be in two places at once, get a tattoo," said Jamie. "What's your number one?" asked Landon. "I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you," said Jamie. Is she trying to be funny?
Landon sighed. He was having trouble with his lines, but the last thing that he wanted to do was ask for help. He tried and he tried to work on them, and he even had Eric help him out. There's got to be some way out of this, someone else can help me besides Jamie. But in the end it was hopeless. He knew that he was going to have to ask Jamie for help.
The next day he walked down the hall and saw Jamie getting some books out of her locker. She looked at him. Why is he here? He never talks to me about anything. "What do you want? You've never been the first one to come up and start a conversation," said Jamie. "I.I..." Landon stopped. He couldn't believe that he was going to ask Jamie for help. Why can't I do this? It's Jamie, she'll help me. Just be nice. Say please. But he didn't want to make a fool of himself in the play. "I need some help with my lines. Please," he said. "There's just one thing that you have to promise me," said Jamie. Landon looked at her blankly. "You have to promise that you won't fall in love with me." Landon chuckled a little. Does she know who she is? "That is not a problem," he said. "Okay," said Jamie. "I'll see you after school."
Landon pulled his car up to Jamie's house and got out. Oh God, here we go. I can't believe that I'm going to do this. He took a deep breath and walked up to the door. Standing back on the porch, he rang the doorbell and shifted his weight from foot to foot as he waited, playing with his script in his hand. Jamie answered the door. "Come on in, I just have to get my script, I'll be right back," said Jamie, going upstairs. "Just make yourself at home." "Not likely," mumbled Landon under his breath.
For the next two weeks, Landon and Jamie rehearsed every day after school. Landon came over after school, and then he and Jamie would rehearse in the backyard. Jamie would practice singing her song in the living room, since they had a piano. As she played, Landon listened to her voice and watched her. What is wrong with you Landon? This is Jamie. Jamie Sullivan. Don't fall for her.
Landon was hanging out with Dean and Belinda between classes, when Jamie walked by. "Here comes your leading lady," said Eric. Shit, what is she doing? "So I'll see you this afternoon Carter?" she asked him. Why did she have to go and do that? Come and talk to me in front of them? What is she trying to do to me? "In your dreams," said Landon. Jamie looked a little sullen and walked away.
That afternoon when he went to Jamie's house, she wouldn't open the door for him. He hoped that she would understand why he did it. She had to. But she wouldn't open the door. "Come on Jamie, please open the door." "What do you want?" asked Jamie. Uh-oh, she looks kinda pissed. "You're not in a good mood," he said. "You don't miss a thing," she said, brushing him off. "Listen, Jamie, I want to run lines together," he said. "Please." "Okay, but just not so anybody knows, right?" asked Jamie. "Well, I just thought we could surprise everybody with how good I get," said Landon. "You mean be secret friends?" asked Jamie. I don't want my friends to know that I've been spending time with you, my reputation would be ruined forever! "Maybe you could read mine." She walked back into the house and started to close the door. "Jamie I can't just be your friend," said Landon "I thought I saw something good in you, but I was very wrong," said Jamie.
"Damnit!!" Landon yelled as he walked back to his car. The Reverend came out and gave him a bad look. "Sorry," he said as he got in his car and drove off.
Landon began to work on his lines on his own. He got tired of working for a while, so for some reason he got out his yearbook from last year and flipped through it. He didn't really know why he was looking through it, but he stopped when he came across Jamie's picture.
Eric's car pulled up outside of the auditorium. Eric handed Landon his crutches and Landon hobbled out. "Be back in an hour, don't forget," said Landon. "Yeah, yeah," said Eric, driving away. Landon slowly made his way into the auditorium where students were reading monologues and dialogues from the script. "Landon will read Tommy Thornton," said the stage director. "Umm.no," said Landon. He sighed as he took the script and began to read from it. "When did you know Tommy?" How can she care so much about this shit? "Know what?" "That we were in love." She's actually trying. This is hopeless. "Baby, you don't want to go falling in love with a guy like me." "Too late, I'm crazy about you. I'm breathing it, drinking it all in. Aren't you?" "I don't know what I'm drinking doll face, but if this is love, pour me another glass," This is crap. I can't do this.
Landon waited outside of the auditorium for Eric to come get him. Landon looked at his watch. Eric was twenty minutes late. Landon went over to Jamie, who was getting in her car. "Can you give me a ride?" he asked, though he didn't really want to ask her. He got in and Jamie drove him home. They drove past the hangout where Landon and Dean and Eric and some of them hung out after school and on the weekends. As Jamie drove by, Landon saw Belinda standing by Dean's car, and Landon ducked until they drove past.
Once they were past them, Landon sat up. Jamie switched on the radio. Landon immediately turned the station. Jamie turned it back, but Landon wouldn't stand for it and turned it again. "I give up," said Jamie. "Thank you." "42," said Jamie to herself. "What's 42?" asked Landon, though he didn't really care. "It's a to-do list that I made for myself, for my life." "Like what, get a new personality?" "Spend a year in the peace core, be in two places at once, get a tattoo," said Jamie. "What's your number one?" asked Landon. "I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you," said Jamie. Is she trying to be funny?
Landon sighed. He was having trouble with his lines, but the last thing that he wanted to do was ask for help. He tried and he tried to work on them, and he even had Eric help him out. There's got to be some way out of this, someone else can help me besides Jamie. But in the end it was hopeless. He knew that he was going to have to ask Jamie for help.
The next day he walked down the hall and saw Jamie getting some books out of her locker. She looked at him. Why is he here? He never talks to me about anything. "What do you want? You've never been the first one to come up and start a conversation," said Jamie. "I.I..." Landon stopped. He couldn't believe that he was going to ask Jamie for help. Why can't I do this? It's Jamie, she'll help me. Just be nice. Say please. But he didn't want to make a fool of himself in the play. "I need some help with my lines. Please," he said. "There's just one thing that you have to promise me," said Jamie. Landon looked at her blankly. "You have to promise that you won't fall in love with me." Landon chuckled a little. Does she know who she is? "That is not a problem," he said. "Okay," said Jamie. "I'll see you after school."
Landon pulled his car up to Jamie's house and got out. Oh God, here we go. I can't believe that I'm going to do this. He took a deep breath and walked up to the door. Standing back on the porch, he rang the doorbell and shifted his weight from foot to foot as he waited, playing with his script in his hand. Jamie answered the door. "Come on in, I just have to get my script, I'll be right back," said Jamie, going upstairs. "Just make yourself at home." "Not likely," mumbled Landon under his breath.
For the next two weeks, Landon and Jamie rehearsed every day after school. Landon came over after school, and then he and Jamie would rehearse in the backyard. Jamie would practice singing her song in the living room, since they had a piano. As she played, Landon listened to her voice and watched her. What is wrong with you Landon? This is Jamie. Jamie Sullivan. Don't fall for her.
Landon was hanging out with Dean and Belinda between classes, when Jamie walked by. "Here comes your leading lady," said Eric. Shit, what is she doing? "So I'll see you this afternoon Carter?" she asked him. Why did she have to go and do that? Come and talk to me in front of them? What is she trying to do to me? "In your dreams," said Landon. Jamie looked a little sullen and walked away.
That afternoon when he went to Jamie's house, she wouldn't open the door for him. He hoped that she would understand why he did it. She had to. But she wouldn't open the door. "Come on Jamie, please open the door." "What do you want?" asked Jamie. Uh-oh, she looks kinda pissed. "You're not in a good mood," he said. "You don't miss a thing," she said, brushing him off. "Listen, Jamie, I want to run lines together," he said. "Please." "Okay, but just not so anybody knows, right?" asked Jamie. "Well, I just thought we could surprise everybody with how good I get," said Landon. "You mean be secret friends?" asked Jamie. I don't want my friends to know that I've been spending time with you, my reputation would be ruined forever! "Maybe you could read mine." She walked back into the house and started to close the door. "Jamie I can't just be your friend," said Landon "I thought I saw something good in you, but I was very wrong," said Jamie.
"Damnit!!" Landon yelled as he walked back to his car. The Reverend came out and gave him a bad look. "Sorry," he said as he got in his car and drove off.
Landon began to work on his lines on his own. He got tired of working for a while, so for some reason he got out his yearbook from last year and flipped through it. He didn't really know why he was looking through it, but he stopped when he came across Jamie's picture.