"Hey!" Caitie greeted as she walked into the station. Hank and Tyler waved
and smirked slightly for she was the main topic of discussion only moments
before. Jamie remained seated on the couch. He did not look up to look at
his best friend. It seemed as if her presence has gone unnoticed,
intentionally.
Caitie walked over to Jamie and sat down besides him. "Jamie?"
Jamie looked up. He made the mistake of looking into her intense hazel eyes. She looked concerned. Jamie willed himself to speak. "Hey."
"What's wrong? Listen, can we talk?" Caitie tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ears.
Before Jamie could answer, the siren rang.
"Later, okay?" he quickly replied, silently relieved. Caitie nodded her head and left the station. The EMTs rushed to the ambulance.
*
Caitie snuggled against her down comforter. The morning sun shone brightly through her dark curtains. No matter how hard she tried to block out the ray of sun on her face, it always awoke her from her slumber.
"What time is it?" she asked herself. She focused her blurry vision on a translucent purple alarm clock that rested on her nightstand. The numbers indicated that it was 6:50 a.m. Caitie dragged herself out of bed, well aware that she had ample time before her first class started. She hopped into the shower and prepared for class.
Half an hour later, Caitie sat in her VW beetle. After a quick routine stop at the bagel shop, she drove down the block to Val's house and parked in her driveway. She entered the familiar apartment with coffee and bagels in hand.
"Val?" she called out as she struggled to open the back door.
Val immediately appeared at the door. "Bagels!" Val exclaimed noticing the brown paper bag in her hands. Caitie took the bag over to the counter while Val grabbed a couple of plates from the cupboard.
"Where's Brookie?" Caitie asked noticing the silence in the apartment. Usually Brooke ran around crazed first thing in the morning, lecturing everyone about their tasks for the day.
"She's helping Alex with the inventory," Val replied as she cut open her sesame bagel.
"It's not even 7:30!" Caitie exclaimed glancing at her wristwatch. "That's one dedicated soldier there," she added sarcastically.
Caitie open the lid of her coffee cup and took a sip of the hot liquid. She unwrapped her cinnamon raisin bagel. She applied a coating of cream cheese carefully with a butter knife.
"So Caitie, tell me what's going on between you and Jason! I heard he asked you out again." Val smiled brightly. It wasn't often Val was able to discuss Caitie's social life with her. She usually stayed to herself, claiming the socializing that took place in high school was purely asinine.
"How'd you hear? I was going to tell you, but you weren't at the station yesterday."
"Tyler told me actually. I came in late because mom couldn't take Brooke to piano." Val gently nudged Caitie. "So?"
"And Tyler knew how? Forget it, news travels way to fast around there. I don't know, after detention I ran into Jason. He seems interested." Caitie took a bite of her bagel and wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin.
"It's obvious to everyone he's interested!!!" Val practically shouted. "The question remains, are you interested?"
Caitie shrugged her shoulders while chewing her bagel.
"Oh come on! Don't tell me this is another guy you're going to blow off. Remember what happened to Rick?"
"What?" Caitie replied defensively with her mouth full.
"The poor guy chased you for like a year! I think he was institutionalized for depression," Val teased playfully. She knew her best friend wasn't really game for the dating scene.
"He graduated last year. He's probably having a lot of fun chasing other girls in college right about now."
Val chuckled. "You know it wasn't only Rick. Shall I name the rest?"
"Hey, I seem to attract the wrong people I guess."
"You think Jason is 'wrong'?"
Caitie rephrased her statement. "He isn't usually my type."
"I didn't know you even had a type."
"That's the thing, I don't. I believe that whoever catches my eye . . . is my type. I don't buy into that whole stereotyping thing . . . it's really closed minded."
"Sure, that's why you label my friends as 'overachieving'?" Val placed her plate carefully in the sink. She sat back down at the table.
"Hey, if the proof is in the pudding . . ." Caitie began.
"I think you like him!" Val declared.
"I think I do too," Caitie admitted quietly.
"What's holding you back?" Val asked tactfully.
"I don't know. This is going to sound really stupid, but . . ."
Val smiled warmly. "Nothing you say is ever stupid! It's usually insightful. What is it?"
"I'm getting a weird vibe from Jamie. He seems, annoyed? Disturbed? He doesn't seem to approve." Caitie felt stupid for even saying her persistent thought out loud.
"Since when do you need approval from anyone?" Val replied.
"I don't need his approval, it's just that his opinion really matters . . . you and I know very few opinions matter to me." Caitie only really consulted her two best friends on issues pertaining to her life. She didn't bother caring about what everyone else thought, so the fact that Jamie seems distant really bothered her.
Val remained silent. She knew what was bothering him, yet it seemed as if Caitie was clueless. She debated for a few minutes on whether or not she should shed light on this matter.
"What? Do you know what's going on?" Caitie asked noticing the long silence.
"I do. Well, no, I think I do. I'm pretty sure I do . . ." Val began to ramble. Caitie nodded awaiting a response from her friend.
"I think he . . . has feelings for you."
A/N: Please review! Thanks MM for being such a cool beta reader!
Caitie walked over to Jamie and sat down besides him. "Jamie?"
Jamie looked up. He made the mistake of looking into her intense hazel eyes. She looked concerned. Jamie willed himself to speak. "Hey."
"What's wrong? Listen, can we talk?" Caitie tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ears.
Before Jamie could answer, the siren rang.
"Later, okay?" he quickly replied, silently relieved. Caitie nodded her head and left the station. The EMTs rushed to the ambulance.
*
Caitie snuggled against her down comforter. The morning sun shone brightly through her dark curtains. No matter how hard she tried to block out the ray of sun on her face, it always awoke her from her slumber.
"What time is it?" she asked herself. She focused her blurry vision on a translucent purple alarm clock that rested on her nightstand. The numbers indicated that it was 6:50 a.m. Caitie dragged herself out of bed, well aware that she had ample time before her first class started. She hopped into the shower and prepared for class.
Half an hour later, Caitie sat in her VW beetle. After a quick routine stop at the bagel shop, she drove down the block to Val's house and parked in her driveway. She entered the familiar apartment with coffee and bagels in hand.
"Val?" she called out as she struggled to open the back door.
Val immediately appeared at the door. "Bagels!" Val exclaimed noticing the brown paper bag in her hands. Caitie took the bag over to the counter while Val grabbed a couple of plates from the cupboard.
"Where's Brookie?" Caitie asked noticing the silence in the apartment. Usually Brooke ran around crazed first thing in the morning, lecturing everyone about their tasks for the day.
"She's helping Alex with the inventory," Val replied as she cut open her sesame bagel.
"It's not even 7:30!" Caitie exclaimed glancing at her wristwatch. "That's one dedicated soldier there," she added sarcastically.
Caitie open the lid of her coffee cup and took a sip of the hot liquid. She unwrapped her cinnamon raisin bagel. She applied a coating of cream cheese carefully with a butter knife.
"So Caitie, tell me what's going on between you and Jason! I heard he asked you out again." Val smiled brightly. It wasn't often Val was able to discuss Caitie's social life with her. She usually stayed to herself, claiming the socializing that took place in high school was purely asinine.
"How'd you hear? I was going to tell you, but you weren't at the station yesterday."
"Tyler told me actually. I came in late because mom couldn't take Brooke to piano." Val gently nudged Caitie. "So?"
"And Tyler knew how? Forget it, news travels way to fast around there. I don't know, after detention I ran into Jason. He seems interested." Caitie took a bite of her bagel and wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin.
"It's obvious to everyone he's interested!!!" Val practically shouted. "The question remains, are you interested?"
Caitie shrugged her shoulders while chewing her bagel.
"Oh come on! Don't tell me this is another guy you're going to blow off. Remember what happened to Rick?"
"What?" Caitie replied defensively with her mouth full.
"The poor guy chased you for like a year! I think he was institutionalized for depression," Val teased playfully. She knew her best friend wasn't really game for the dating scene.
"He graduated last year. He's probably having a lot of fun chasing other girls in college right about now."
Val chuckled. "You know it wasn't only Rick. Shall I name the rest?"
"Hey, I seem to attract the wrong people I guess."
"You think Jason is 'wrong'?"
Caitie rephrased her statement. "He isn't usually my type."
"I didn't know you even had a type."
"That's the thing, I don't. I believe that whoever catches my eye . . . is my type. I don't buy into that whole stereotyping thing . . . it's really closed minded."
"Sure, that's why you label my friends as 'overachieving'?" Val placed her plate carefully in the sink. She sat back down at the table.
"Hey, if the proof is in the pudding . . ." Caitie began.
"I think you like him!" Val declared.
"I think I do too," Caitie admitted quietly.
"What's holding you back?" Val asked tactfully.
"I don't know. This is going to sound really stupid, but . . ."
Val smiled warmly. "Nothing you say is ever stupid! It's usually insightful. What is it?"
"I'm getting a weird vibe from Jamie. He seems, annoyed? Disturbed? He doesn't seem to approve." Caitie felt stupid for even saying her persistent thought out loud.
"Since when do you need approval from anyone?" Val replied.
"I don't need his approval, it's just that his opinion really matters . . . you and I know very few opinions matter to me." Caitie only really consulted her two best friends on issues pertaining to her life. She didn't bother caring about what everyone else thought, so the fact that Jamie seems distant really bothered her.
Val remained silent. She knew what was bothering him, yet it seemed as if Caitie was clueless. She debated for a few minutes on whether or not she should shed light on this matter.
"What? Do you know what's going on?" Caitie asked noticing the long silence.
"I do. Well, no, I think I do. I'm pretty sure I do . . ." Val began to ramble. Caitie nodded awaiting a response from her friend.
"I think he . . . has feelings for you."
A/N: Please review! Thanks MM for being such a cool beta reader!
