A/N: Wow! It's been a whole month since I last updated this! ^^;; God,
I'm sorry!!! It's just that this was a really long chapter, and with
finals and the end of school approaching I didn't have much time to write.
But now that school is over I should have a lot more time on my hands to
play around with ^_^ There's a little bit of Jamie/Caitie fluff in here
just to wet your appities till later :P Thank you for all your reviews!
They mean a lot ^__^ Anyway, on to the chapter...
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Have to leave! Escape! Quickly! Get out of here! Hurry! Before Jamie returns! Random words of urgency zipped through my mind as I dumbly looked around, not sure what to do first. "Calm down, Caitie," I commanded myself. I needed a coat and shoes. That was all. Easy enough. I could run to Val's house. She didn't live too far away, and she was still my friend...unless she was in on this too...! Oh God, what if she was?! She was the one who told me Jason wanted to ask me out in the first place...! I was truly alone! Oh well, what did it matter? If I could make it out of this house, I could just run away. Eventually I'd find somewhere to go, right? What about Brianne? She was definantly on my side. Thought she lived all the way on the other side of town, it would be worth the long walk. It was somewhere to go. perfect. Now back to the problem at hand.
"Coat, coat, coat..." I muttered to myself as I threw open the closet door. I snagged a heavy black one and hurriedly put it on. Now shoes. I couldn't risk going to my room to get a pair. Jamie might get suspicious. If I was lucky, there'd be one left in the closet...I got down on my hands and knees and groped around blindly underneath the long ends of the many coats and jackets jammed in there. Finally my fingers closed around the cloth surface of what could only be shoes of some sort. I pulled them out and smiled in relief. They were my old "Chuck Jones" styles... a little worn, but perfect for my purpose. I tried untying the laces, but the stupid shoes were tightly double-knotted! Dang it! I tried slipping them on without untying them, but they just wouldn't fit. Shoot! I had to hurry, had to get the knots out quickly! C'mon Caitie! I urged myself to go faster as my fingers fumbled with the tiny knot. Come on! Hurry up! Any second now Jamie would...
"Going somewhere?"
I nearly jumped ten feet in the air as Jamie's voice suddenly cut through the silence and my clouded thoughts. But he didn't sound angry or threatening or anything like that. Instead, he sounded curious, confused.
I spun around to face him and he greeted me with his usual lop-sided smile. The smile I had come to know, need, and indeed depend on...How could he do this to me? Tears blurring my vision, I watched him like a hawk, all tensed up and ready to run as he approached me.
"...what?" he asked, looking over his shoulder, wondering what I was staring at so intently.
I decided it would be best to play it cool, so trying my best to act normal, I stood up and took off the coat, hanging it on the closet door knob. "Erm, nothing, never mind..."
"Oookay..." he shrugged.
"You...you and Jason...aren't friends...are you?" I ventured.
Jamie looked at me as if I'd gone completely insane. "Jason Rendleman? That faggot? You're kidding, right? Why the heck would I want to be friends with him?"
I adverted my gaze for a second, judging the distance between myself and the sliding glass doors that led out from my living room to the back porch. "Oh, nothing, no reason, just wondering..." I began inching towards the door in what I hoped was an unobtrusive manner. I would turn around and walk towards the door four steps, then spin around and walk back three, acting like I was pacing back and forth. "So, ah, you find anything out there?" I asked.
"Nope. Nothing's there. The wind and rain is starting to pick up again. Anybody who so much as thinks about going outside in this weather should be put in a mental hospital," he answered, shrugging.
"Ah..." I continued taking tiny unnoticable backward steps.
Looking at Jamie's dark brown eyes, I watched them focus on me and my awkward movements, then away from me, behind me, over my shoulder. I followed his gaze to the oak coffee table where I had carelessly left his cellphone open. A look of confusion crossed his features and I froze in my tracks. I backed up a step out of nervousness as hestarted forward, walking to it and picking it up.
Stupid me! Why didn't I delete the message or at least close it? He would know now. He would know that I knew, that I was on to him and his little scheme. He might try something. Out of desparation he might try some last desparate attack...I was a good six feet from the door...If worse came to worse, I could easilly make a run for it. Would he be able to catch me before I made it out the door? Probably not, as long as the door wasn't locked...
My eyes fell upon the silver handle and the silver lock above it. The little latch was tilted all the way to the left. Locked. Shoot! I began slowly but surely making my way towards it again as Jamie picked up his phone and looked at the LCD.
Little b little the distance between myself and the way out decreased...four feet...three...two more, just two last feet! Would Jamie notice if I took one last big step?
"Oh, God..." he muttered as he read the mysterious text message. He seemed preoccupied with that...I decided to chance it. Never taking my eyes off him, as subtley as I could, I slowly stretched my right leg out and eased myself over until my back was directly in front of the door knob.
I studied Jamie worriedly, but he never looked up. His eyes were glued to his cell phone and his face had a pale tinge to it.
With pain staking slowness I brought my arms up behind me and began feeling around for the lock.
"Oh, God...Caitie...you didn't..."
I stopped when Jamie looked at me, alarmed. Once again, I tried to play it cool and quickly put on an ignorant facade. "Erm...didn't, ah, didn't do what?" I stammered. I nearly cursed aloud as I felt my fingertips brush against the smooth underside of the lock. God, it was *just* out of reach!
"Oh, oh, Caitie, it...it's not what you think! I...I can explain everything...!"
"You don't have to, I'm not stupid." I glared at him a look of hurt and distrust, then quickly about-faced and unlatched the lock. But Jamie was on me in a flash, before I could get the door open.
"Caitie, stop!" he yelled.
"Let go of me!" I screamed back as he wrenched my hands from the door handle and wormed his way between me and the glass.
"Stop it!" He caught both my wrists in his strong grip and held them tightly. "Caitie! Really, it's not what you think! Honestly, if you'd just let me explain!"
"I already told you, I already know!"
"But you don't! Look, I swear it wasn't Jason who sent that message, really, it wasn't!"
"Don't lie to me," I snarled bitterly as I struggled to escape his grasp. "You don't have to 'act' anymore! I'm not stupid!" I finally managed to twist my right arm free. "I said let GO!" I slapped him hard across the face, catching him off guard and stunning him just catching him off guard and stunning him just long enough to yank my other arm from his. I rubbed at the red marks that his fingers had left as I backed away. Tears found their ways out of the corners of my eyes as I glared angrilly and hurtfully at him. "God, I trusted you! Damn it, Jamie, I trusted you! Why are you doing this?! Why is everyone out to get me?!"
"No, Caitie-!"
"Stay away from me!" I snapped at him, backing away further as he took a step forward. "I hate you! I HATE you! Why?! Why me?! GOD!" My head felt like it was going to explode. Everything was happening so quickly, so unexpectedly, my brain just couldn't take it anymore. Sobbing hopelessly, I bitterly turned my back to him, once again wishing fruitlessly that this could all be a dream, a horrible nightmare I could simply wake up from and completely forget about the next day.
"Caitie...Please..." I didn't move as he quietly approached me. "No one's against you, calm down..." I felt his hands gently find resting places on either side of my waist. "Really, Caitie." He spun me around to face him and I quickly covered my embarassingly red, puffy eyes. "Everything's going to be alright." I didn't pull away as his hands left my hips and circled around me, meeting together in the small of my back, and I didn't resist when he pulled me closer to him. Instead I melted. I just melted at his inviting words and warm embrace. I wanted to trust Jamie, I really really did, more than anhthign else in the world...Not sure what else to do, I burried my face in his neck, underneath his chin, and just cried. He gave me a little squeeze and kissed the top of my head ever so softly. "Shh, it's Ok," he whispered.
We stood in silence for a while, which was broken by the occasional sob, until I felt a little better. Sniffling, I spoke, "Just tell me, was val a part of this plan?" Jamie didn't say anything. I smiled ruefully. "I knew it. My two best friends, the two people i thought I would always be able to count on, who would never let me down...just did. Shows you just how many people you can trust these days. The two closest people to me were viciously plotting together against me this whole time. And I'm sitting hjere hugging one of them." I chuckled slightly to myself. "It's kinda funny once you think about it." I had cracked. All the stresses of the situation had finally gotten to me. "Well, you got me. I'm obviously not going anywhere. Go ahead, do anything you want to me. Whatever you like, rape me, kill me, both, whatever floats your boat. I really don't care anymore." He pushed me away from him and forced me to look up at him, but I only smiled apathetically and shrugged. "I'm all yours."
Jamie stared at me disbelievingly for a moment before quickly shaking his head. "Oh no, Caitie, don't say that!" He grasped both my hands in his and shook them once firmly. "I *swear*, Caitie, Jason did *not* send me that message, I promise!"
"And what about this whole plan thing?" I asked nonchalently.
"That plan..." He shook his head resentfully. "It's a plan I'm ashamed to have been a part of, but one that didn't involve you, Val, or Jason. Really, it was just me and...and somebody else."
I gazed longlingly in his rich brown eyes, searching desparately for any unfamiliar gling that would give his lies away...but there was none. My spirits rose with the tiny glimmer of hope. Was Jamie really telling the truth or was it all a big lie...? He looked so hopeful, so regretful...Jamie was all I had at the moment and even if his sincerity was fake, I didn't really care. I just needed someone to be with, I just wanted to believe that there was one thing about this night that I could be happy about.
"Caitie, I promise..."
I smiled meekly. "Really?"
A look of relief flooded his features. "Of course! I would never ever want to hurt you in anyway..." His voice tapered off and there was an awkward period of silence between us, which was broken by the sudden and startling roll of thunder.
Involuntary shivers ran up and down my spine as bright lightning flashed outside. Thunder storms have always scared me to death, ever since I was a little girl and a tornado had left a hole in our roof, right above my bedroom. Granted it didn't do any more damage to the house, and the hole was a bit on the small side, but still, if you were as young as I was back then, you could understand how shaken up I was. I had never told Jamie about this fear, only Val, but he didn't seem to notice my restless figiting, he was too busy staring down at the floor, his cheeks flushed.
"Erm...so..." I felt uneasy in the stillness just listening to the unnerving pitter-pattering of the rain.
Jamie flipped open his cell phone which he fished out of his pocket and began dialing a number.
"Who...who are you calling now?" I eyed him warily.
"Val," he anwered shortly.
"Why?"
"To see if she can come over and stay with you."
"You're leaving?"
"Well, it is eleven o'clock..."
"Oh...well, i wouldn't mind...no, no, you're right. You've already done more than enough for me, and it is getting really late. You shouldn't be forced to stay here if you don't want to, although...I wouldn kinda prefer it if...if you did..." I picked at my short nails embarassedly.
"You...you want me to sleep over?"
"I...I..." I realized the awkwardness of what I was asking and blushed to the roots of my dark brown hair. "I wouldn't mind...I mean, not *that* way," I smiled wryly at him.
He laughed and nodded, closing his phone.
My cheeks still pink, I flinched slightly at another roll of thunder and left his side, walking over to the small 24" television set and picking up the black remote from the bottom shelf of its stand. "You wana watch TV?" I offered, desparately needing a distraction to take my mind off the storm.
"Sure," he shrugged. I pressed the on button and he flopped down on the couch, motioning for me to sit down next to him. I did and began flipping though the channels.
"There's nothing on this late at night..." I muttered, scanning through our favourite channels. my finger froze when I reached the local station. Across the bottom of the screen was a small outlining of Kingsport and the surrounding area. Our county was coloured orange. Words scrolling by in the same colour stated "...Counties in orange have been issued a tornado watch untill 1 o'clock AM..." My blood turned to ice. A tornado watch? We had a tornado watch? i couldn't help but scoot a little closer to Jamie. no, no, please not a tornado watch...But Jamie simply removed the remote from my hand and switched the channel to ENCORE where my favourite move of all time was playing; Rat Race. It was near the beginning, too. It wasn't long before I was laughing out loud at the crazy antics of Seth Green and Cuba Gooding Jr. I had probably seen this film over a hundred times but I still wasn't tired of it.
Jamie casually laid his arm around my shoulders and I leaned even closer to him as the movie went on.
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You...should...have...bought...a...squirrel!
Just as Whoopie Goldberg's car flew off the edge of the cliff, the TV changed. Instead of the pile of broken cars where she was supposed to land which was the next scene of the movie, the screen turned a solid green colour and the scratch voice of a woman began to speak: "This just in from the First Warn Weather Alert. A funnel-shaped cloud has been spotted just north of Kingsport. Windspeeds exceede 65 miles per hour and it is traveling in a south easterly fasion. If you are in the path of this tornado, please seek shelter immediately. I repeat, please seek shelter immediately. This is not a test. Thank you." Rat Race flickered back on, but it was completely forgotten. A tornado! Oh God, not a tornado! Not another one! Please, please no...!
"Well..." Jamie removed his arm from around me and stretched, cracking his knuckles. "That'd be us. To the basement we go. C'mon." He rose to his feet and helf out his hand to help me up.
My eyes darted back and fourth between him and the lightning that kept flashing outside the window. How could he be so calm?!
He smiled at my hesitiation. "Don't be woried. It probably won't even hit us. Think about it, when was the last time we had tornado damage here? Sixty, seventy years ago? We probably don't have much to be concerned about."
"Then why are we going downstairs?"
"Well...just to be safe. You know, better safe than sorry and all that. C'mon."
I accepted his hand and just as he pulled me up, the electricity went out, plunging us both in total darkness aside from the eerie sparks of lighting. I yelped and wrapped my arms tightly around his middle, trembling violently.
"God, Jamie..." I wimpered, my face burried in the folds of his shirt.
"Come on, the power just went out, that's all. Nothing too big. You got a flashlight anywhere?"
"Yeah." I nodded, even though I was nearly invisible in the pitch- blackness. "In the top right drawer of the kitchen counter." My voice had a shakey waver to it that i couldn't control. I was ashamed at the way I was handling this whole ordeal, but I couldn't help it, I was terrified.
Jamie tried to take a step forward, but I refused to release him. "Caitie, please, I'm just going to get the flashlight."
I knew this, but I couldn't let him go, I just couldn't. As silly as it sounded, I was really afraid I'd lose him in teh blinding darkness; I was afraid of being alone.
"Caitie..." I still clutched child-like to his shirt. "It's ok, I'll be right back." He gave me a little one-armed hug before gently prying my hands off him and melting away into the shadows. Still reluctat to give him up, I reached out after him, but my fingers only closed around air. Finally relenting, I eased down to the floor and sat on the step of the sunken livingroom, crossing my arms over my chest nervously.
There was silence for a while, then the creaking of the swinging kitchen door and a muffled "ow" as Jamie nearly tripped over something. Then more stillness. Thunder rumbled gain and I hugged my knees to my chest. The placidness was killing me. I could feel my heart beginning to beat faster, filling my ears until it was all I could hear. "J...Jamie?" I stammered. No answer. My eyes wide open, I looked around wildly, desparately trying to make out one tiny familiar shape that would remind me of my surroundings. "Ja-mie?" I called again. Still nothing. The sound of the clock ticking above the mantle seemed to grow louder and slower, echoing around in my head, nearly driving me insane. My heart racing, I tried again. "Jamie!"
Finally his voice came faint but comforting. "What?"
I strained vainly to see in the pitch blackness. SOmething was behind me, something was there, I knew it! "Jamie! Jamie, where are you?!"
There was a pause, then, "I'm in the kitchen lookin' for the flashlight."
My pulse was racing so fast there was barely a distinguishable pause in between each beat. "Jamie! Jamie, hurry up! Please hurry up!" I wailed. Something thumped against the window and I curled myself up into the smallest position I could and still breathe. Hurry Jamie! Come on! I mentally urged him. Something clanked again outside and a choked squeal escaped my throat. "JAMIE!" I nearly screamed. Someone was there! It was Jason, it had to be! Jason was here, he was going to kill me! Oh God! "JAMIE! JAM-"
I stopped as a narrow beam of light fell on me. Relief flooded my body as I looked up at Jamie's smiling face, heavily shadowed from the flashlight. I scrambled to my feet, nearly tripping over the step, and fell into his arms. "Jason's here! Jason's here!" I sobbed into his shirt.
But he only sighed. "Come on." He ushered me towards the basement door. With the flashlight's rays to guide us, we made it down the creaky wooden stairs. My parent's bedroom was down there in the half finished downstairs. I found a book of matches on the dresser and lit the four chocolate-smelling candles before flopping down on the rose coloured bedspread as Jamie made his way towards my mom's battery powered CD player/radio clock. He began flipping though the small wallet of CD's left on the nightstand. Grinning, he selected one, which he wouldn't let me see, and put it in the player, pressing play.
I couldn't help but grin too at the familiar tune. Jamie knew just what to do to cheer me up in a situation like this. The CD was Green Day's Nimrod and the song was "King For A Day." That song always made me laugh. It wasn't long before we were both singing along to the funny lyrics.
"Just wait till all the guys...Just wait till all the guys! Just wait till all the guys get a load of me!"
Just then from upstairs came the bone chilling sound of breaking glass.
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A/N: Ho hum, my pathetic attempt at a cliff hanger, eh? Well, please R/R :) Oh, and one question, Montana Magic offered to be my Beta reader...erm...what exactly is a beta reader? ^^;;; Yeah, I'm pretty dumb lol ^^;; Thanks a bunch to anyone who can tell me :P
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Have to leave! Escape! Quickly! Get out of here! Hurry! Before Jamie returns! Random words of urgency zipped through my mind as I dumbly looked around, not sure what to do first. "Calm down, Caitie," I commanded myself. I needed a coat and shoes. That was all. Easy enough. I could run to Val's house. She didn't live too far away, and she was still my friend...unless she was in on this too...! Oh God, what if she was?! She was the one who told me Jason wanted to ask me out in the first place...! I was truly alone! Oh well, what did it matter? If I could make it out of this house, I could just run away. Eventually I'd find somewhere to go, right? What about Brianne? She was definantly on my side. Thought she lived all the way on the other side of town, it would be worth the long walk. It was somewhere to go. perfect. Now back to the problem at hand.
"Coat, coat, coat..." I muttered to myself as I threw open the closet door. I snagged a heavy black one and hurriedly put it on. Now shoes. I couldn't risk going to my room to get a pair. Jamie might get suspicious. If I was lucky, there'd be one left in the closet...I got down on my hands and knees and groped around blindly underneath the long ends of the many coats and jackets jammed in there. Finally my fingers closed around the cloth surface of what could only be shoes of some sort. I pulled them out and smiled in relief. They were my old "Chuck Jones" styles... a little worn, but perfect for my purpose. I tried untying the laces, but the stupid shoes were tightly double-knotted! Dang it! I tried slipping them on without untying them, but they just wouldn't fit. Shoot! I had to hurry, had to get the knots out quickly! C'mon Caitie! I urged myself to go faster as my fingers fumbled with the tiny knot. Come on! Hurry up! Any second now Jamie would...
"Going somewhere?"
I nearly jumped ten feet in the air as Jamie's voice suddenly cut through the silence and my clouded thoughts. But he didn't sound angry or threatening or anything like that. Instead, he sounded curious, confused.
I spun around to face him and he greeted me with his usual lop-sided smile. The smile I had come to know, need, and indeed depend on...How could he do this to me? Tears blurring my vision, I watched him like a hawk, all tensed up and ready to run as he approached me.
"...what?" he asked, looking over his shoulder, wondering what I was staring at so intently.
I decided it would be best to play it cool, so trying my best to act normal, I stood up and took off the coat, hanging it on the closet door knob. "Erm, nothing, never mind..."
"Oookay..." he shrugged.
"You...you and Jason...aren't friends...are you?" I ventured.
Jamie looked at me as if I'd gone completely insane. "Jason Rendleman? That faggot? You're kidding, right? Why the heck would I want to be friends with him?"
I adverted my gaze for a second, judging the distance between myself and the sliding glass doors that led out from my living room to the back porch. "Oh, nothing, no reason, just wondering..." I began inching towards the door in what I hoped was an unobtrusive manner. I would turn around and walk towards the door four steps, then spin around and walk back three, acting like I was pacing back and forth. "So, ah, you find anything out there?" I asked.
"Nope. Nothing's there. The wind and rain is starting to pick up again. Anybody who so much as thinks about going outside in this weather should be put in a mental hospital," he answered, shrugging.
"Ah..." I continued taking tiny unnoticable backward steps.
Looking at Jamie's dark brown eyes, I watched them focus on me and my awkward movements, then away from me, behind me, over my shoulder. I followed his gaze to the oak coffee table where I had carelessly left his cellphone open. A look of confusion crossed his features and I froze in my tracks. I backed up a step out of nervousness as hestarted forward, walking to it and picking it up.
Stupid me! Why didn't I delete the message or at least close it? He would know now. He would know that I knew, that I was on to him and his little scheme. He might try something. Out of desparation he might try some last desparate attack...I was a good six feet from the door...If worse came to worse, I could easilly make a run for it. Would he be able to catch me before I made it out the door? Probably not, as long as the door wasn't locked...
My eyes fell upon the silver handle and the silver lock above it. The little latch was tilted all the way to the left. Locked. Shoot! I began slowly but surely making my way towards it again as Jamie picked up his phone and looked at the LCD.
Little b little the distance between myself and the way out decreased...four feet...three...two more, just two last feet! Would Jamie notice if I took one last big step?
"Oh, God..." he muttered as he read the mysterious text message. He seemed preoccupied with that...I decided to chance it. Never taking my eyes off him, as subtley as I could, I slowly stretched my right leg out and eased myself over until my back was directly in front of the door knob.
I studied Jamie worriedly, but he never looked up. His eyes were glued to his cell phone and his face had a pale tinge to it.
With pain staking slowness I brought my arms up behind me and began feeling around for the lock.
"Oh, God...Caitie...you didn't..."
I stopped when Jamie looked at me, alarmed. Once again, I tried to play it cool and quickly put on an ignorant facade. "Erm...didn't, ah, didn't do what?" I stammered. I nearly cursed aloud as I felt my fingertips brush against the smooth underside of the lock. God, it was *just* out of reach!
"Oh, oh, Caitie, it...it's not what you think! I...I can explain everything...!"
"You don't have to, I'm not stupid." I glared at him a look of hurt and distrust, then quickly about-faced and unlatched the lock. But Jamie was on me in a flash, before I could get the door open.
"Caitie, stop!" he yelled.
"Let go of me!" I screamed back as he wrenched my hands from the door handle and wormed his way between me and the glass.
"Stop it!" He caught both my wrists in his strong grip and held them tightly. "Caitie! Really, it's not what you think! Honestly, if you'd just let me explain!"
"I already told you, I already know!"
"But you don't! Look, I swear it wasn't Jason who sent that message, really, it wasn't!"
"Don't lie to me," I snarled bitterly as I struggled to escape his grasp. "You don't have to 'act' anymore! I'm not stupid!" I finally managed to twist my right arm free. "I said let GO!" I slapped him hard across the face, catching him off guard and stunning him just catching him off guard and stunning him just long enough to yank my other arm from his. I rubbed at the red marks that his fingers had left as I backed away. Tears found their ways out of the corners of my eyes as I glared angrilly and hurtfully at him. "God, I trusted you! Damn it, Jamie, I trusted you! Why are you doing this?! Why is everyone out to get me?!"
"No, Caitie-!"
"Stay away from me!" I snapped at him, backing away further as he took a step forward. "I hate you! I HATE you! Why?! Why me?! GOD!" My head felt like it was going to explode. Everything was happening so quickly, so unexpectedly, my brain just couldn't take it anymore. Sobbing hopelessly, I bitterly turned my back to him, once again wishing fruitlessly that this could all be a dream, a horrible nightmare I could simply wake up from and completely forget about the next day.
"Caitie...Please..." I didn't move as he quietly approached me. "No one's against you, calm down..." I felt his hands gently find resting places on either side of my waist. "Really, Caitie." He spun me around to face him and I quickly covered my embarassingly red, puffy eyes. "Everything's going to be alright." I didn't pull away as his hands left my hips and circled around me, meeting together in the small of my back, and I didn't resist when he pulled me closer to him. Instead I melted. I just melted at his inviting words and warm embrace. I wanted to trust Jamie, I really really did, more than anhthign else in the world...Not sure what else to do, I burried my face in his neck, underneath his chin, and just cried. He gave me a little squeeze and kissed the top of my head ever so softly. "Shh, it's Ok," he whispered.
We stood in silence for a while, which was broken by the occasional sob, until I felt a little better. Sniffling, I spoke, "Just tell me, was val a part of this plan?" Jamie didn't say anything. I smiled ruefully. "I knew it. My two best friends, the two people i thought I would always be able to count on, who would never let me down...just did. Shows you just how many people you can trust these days. The two closest people to me were viciously plotting together against me this whole time. And I'm sitting hjere hugging one of them." I chuckled slightly to myself. "It's kinda funny once you think about it." I had cracked. All the stresses of the situation had finally gotten to me. "Well, you got me. I'm obviously not going anywhere. Go ahead, do anything you want to me. Whatever you like, rape me, kill me, both, whatever floats your boat. I really don't care anymore." He pushed me away from him and forced me to look up at him, but I only smiled apathetically and shrugged. "I'm all yours."
Jamie stared at me disbelievingly for a moment before quickly shaking his head. "Oh no, Caitie, don't say that!" He grasped both my hands in his and shook them once firmly. "I *swear*, Caitie, Jason did *not* send me that message, I promise!"
"And what about this whole plan thing?" I asked nonchalently.
"That plan..." He shook his head resentfully. "It's a plan I'm ashamed to have been a part of, but one that didn't involve you, Val, or Jason. Really, it was just me and...and somebody else."
I gazed longlingly in his rich brown eyes, searching desparately for any unfamiliar gling that would give his lies away...but there was none. My spirits rose with the tiny glimmer of hope. Was Jamie really telling the truth or was it all a big lie...? He looked so hopeful, so regretful...Jamie was all I had at the moment and even if his sincerity was fake, I didn't really care. I just needed someone to be with, I just wanted to believe that there was one thing about this night that I could be happy about.
"Caitie, I promise..."
I smiled meekly. "Really?"
A look of relief flooded his features. "Of course! I would never ever want to hurt you in anyway..." His voice tapered off and there was an awkward period of silence between us, which was broken by the sudden and startling roll of thunder.
Involuntary shivers ran up and down my spine as bright lightning flashed outside. Thunder storms have always scared me to death, ever since I was a little girl and a tornado had left a hole in our roof, right above my bedroom. Granted it didn't do any more damage to the house, and the hole was a bit on the small side, but still, if you were as young as I was back then, you could understand how shaken up I was. I had never told Jamie about this fear, only Val, but he didn't seem to notice my restless figiting, he was too busy staring down at the floor, his cheeks flushed.
"Erm...so..." I felt uneasy in the stillness just listening to the unnerving pitter-pattering of the rain.
Jamie flipped open his cell phone which he fished out of his pocket and began dialing a number.
"Who...who are you calling now?" I eyed him warily.
"Val," he anwered shortly.
"Why?"
"To see if she can come over and stay with you."
"You're leaving?"
"Well, it is eleven o'clock..."
"Oh...well, i wouldn't mind...no, no, you're right. You've already done more than enough for me, and it is getting really late. You shouldn't be forced to stay here if you don't want to, although...I wouldn kinda prefer it if...if you did..." I picked at my short nails embarassedly.
"You...you want me to sleep over?"
"I...I..." I realized the awkwardness of what I was asking and blushed to the roots of my dark brown hair. "I wouldn't mind...I mean, not *that* way," I smiled wryly at him.
He laughed and nodded, closing his phone.
My cheeks still pink, I flinched slightly at another roll of thunder and left his side, walking over to the small 24" television set and picking up the black remote from the bottom shelf of its stand. "You wana watch TV?" I offered, desparately needing a distraction to take my mind off the storm.
"Sure," he shrugged. I pressed the on button and he flopped down on the couch, motioning for me to sit down next to him. I did and began flipping though the channels.
"There's nothing on this late at night..." I muttered, scanning through our favourite channels. my finger froze when I reached the local station. Across the bottom of the screen was a small outlining of Kingsport and the surrounding area. Our county was coloured orange. Words scrolling by in the same colour stated "...Counties in orange have been issued a tornado watch untill 1 o'clock AM..." My blood turned to ice. A tornado watch? We had a tornado watch? i couldn't help but scoot a little closer to Jamie. no, no, please not a tornado watch...But Jamie simply removed the remote from my hand and switched the channel to ENCORE where my favourite move of all time was playing; Rat Race. It was near the beginning, too. It wasn't long before I was laughing out loud at the crazy antics of Seth Green and Cuba Gooding Jr. I had probably seen this film over a hundred times but I still wasn't tired of it.
Jamie casually laid his arm around my shoulders and I leaned even closer to him as the movie went on.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
You...should...have...bought...a...squirrel!
Just as Whoopie Goldberg's car flew off the edge of the cliff, the TV changed. Instead of the pile of broken cars where she was supposed to land which was the next scene of the movie, the screen turned a solid green colour and the scratch voice of a woman began to speak: "This just in from the First Warn Weather Alert. A funnel-shaped cloud has been spotted just north of Kingsport. Windspeeds exceede 65 miles per hour and it is traveling in a south easterly fasion. If you are in the path of this tornado, please seek shelter immediately. I repeat, please seek shelter immediately. This is not a test. Thank you." Rat Race flickered back on, but it was completely forgotten. A tornado! Oh God, not a tornado! Not another one! Please, please no...!
"Well..." Jamie removed his arm from around me and stretched, cracking his knuckles. "That'd be us. To the basement we go. C'mon." He rose to his feet and helf out his hand to help me up.
My eyes darted back and fourth between him and the lightning that kept flashing outside the window. How could he be so calm?!
He smiled at my hesitiation. "Don't be woried. It probably won't even hit us. Think about it, when was the last time we had tornado damage here? Sixty, seventy years ago? We probably don't have much to be concerned about."
"Then why are we going downstairs?"
"Well...just to be safe. You know, better safe than sorry and all that. C'mon."
I accepted his hand and just as he pulled me up, the electricity went out, plunging us both in total darkness aside from the eerie sparks of lighting. I yelped and wrapped my arms tightly around his middle, trembling violently.
"God, Jamie..." I wimpered, my face burried in the folds of his shirt.
"Come on, the power just went out, that's all. Nothing too big. You got a flashlight anywhere?"
"Yeah." I nodded, even though I was nearly invisible in the pitch- blackness. "In the top right drawer of the kitchen counter." My voice had a shakey waver to it that i couldn't control. I was ashamed at the way I was handling this whole ordeal, but I couldn't help it, I was terrified.
Jamie tried to take a step forward, but I refused to release him. "Caitie, please, I'm just going to get the flashlight."
I knew this, but I couldn't let him go, I just couldn't. As silly as it sounded, I was really afraid I'd lose him in teh blinding darkness; I was afraid of being alone.
"Caitie..." I still clutched child-like to his shirt. "It's ok, I'll be right back." He gave me a little one-armed hug before gently prying my hands off him and melting away into the shadows. Still reluctat to give him up, I reached out after him, but my fingers only closed around air. Finally relenting, I eased down to the floor and sat on the step of the sunken livingroom, crossing my arms over my chest nervously.
There was silence for a while, then the creaking of the swinging kitchen door and a muffled "ow" as Jamie nearly tripped over something. Then more stillness. Thunder rumbled gain and I hugged my knees to my chest. The placidness was killing me. I could feel my heart beginning to beat faster, filling my ears until it was all I could hear. "J...Jamie?" I stammered. No answer. My eyes wide open, I looked around wildly, desparately trying to make out one tiny familiar shape that would remind me of my surroundings. "Ja-mie?" I called again. Still nothing. The sound of the clock ticking above the mantle seemed to grow louder and slower, echoing around in my head, nearly driving me insane. My heart racing, I tried again. "Jamie!"
Finally his voice came faint but comforting. "What?"
I strained vainly to see in the pitch blackness. SOmething was behind me, something was there, I knew it! "Jamie! Jamie, where are you?!"
There was a pause, then, "I'm in the kitchen lookin' for the flashlight."
My pulse was racing so fast there was barely a distinguishable pause in between each beat. "Jamie! Jamie, hurry up! Please hurry up!" I wailed. Something thumped against the window and I curled myself up into the smallest position I could and still breathe. Hurry Jamie! Come on! I mentally urged him. Something clanked again outside and a choked squeal escaped my throat. "JAMIE!" I nearly screamed. Someone was there! It was Jason, it had to be! Jason was here, he was going to kill me! Oh God! "JAMIE! JAM-"
I stopped as a narrow beam of light fell on me. Relief flooded my body as I looked up at Jamie's smiling face, heavily shadowed from the flashlight. I scrambled to my feet, nearly tripping over the step, and fell into his arms. "Jason's here! Jason's here!" I sobbed into his shirt.
But he only sighed. "Come on." He ushered me towards the basement door. With the flashlight's rays to guide us, we made it down the creaky wooden stairs. My parent's bedroom was down there in the half finished downstairs. I found a book of matches on the dresser and lit the four chocolate-smelling candles before flopping down on the rose coloured bedspread as Jamie made his way towards my mom's battery powered CD player/radio clock. He began flipping though the small wallet of CD's left on the nightstand. Grinning, he selected one, which he wouldn't let me see, and put it in the player, pressing play.
I couldn't help but grin too at the familiar tune. Jamie knew just what to do to cheer me up in a situation like this. The CD was Green Day's Nimrod and the song was "King For A Day." That song always made me laugh. It wasn't long before we were both singing along to the funny lyrics.
"Just wait till all the guys...Just wait till all the guys! Just wait till all the guys get a load of me!"
Just then from upstairs came the bone chilling sound of breaking glass.
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A/N: Ho hum, my pathetic attempt at a cliff hanger, eh? Well, please R/R :) Oh, and one question, Montana Magic offered to be my Beta reader...erm...what exactly is a beta reader? ^^;;; Yeah, I'm pretty dumb lol ^^;; Thanks a bunch to anyone who can tell me :P