A/N: another chapter. Disclaimer: I own nothing. Please read and
review!
The sound of the last school bell filled the air. It was the sound that spread feelings of relief through the students.
"Ninth period is over," Caitie stated observantly. Jamie nodded. "You should head over to the station," Caitie suggested as she arose from the ground. "You don't want Alex on your back."
Jamie followed her actions by stepping in stride with the petite brunette figure. "Don't worry about it, I rather stick around you than do pointless paperwork," he replied.
A thought entered Jamie's mind. "Hey, come with me then. Val has been dying to see you."
Caitie ceased her rapid steps momentarily. Dying. "Many people die don't they James?" she asked as her hazel eyes pierced into his deep brown eyes. Jamie kicked himself silently for his poor choice of words.
"Please come with me . . ." he began pleading. He slipped his hand into hers, as she quickly jerked away. Caitie began walking towards the station. Jamie followed.
*
Val stared blankly at her pile of paperwork at the common room table. She couldn't believe what had happened. As she twirled her wood pencil between her slender fingers, Jamie and Caitie entered the room. Val immediately ran over to her best friend.
"Caitie!" she called as she gave her best friend a warm hug. Sadly, the hug was not returned. Caitie stood still as the tall blonde hugged her tightly. "How are you holding up?" she asked.
"I'm fine." As the embrace ended, Caitie waked over to the couch. She took out a pair of headphones and closed her eyes. Sending out clear messages that she wanted to be alone, Val remained at a distance. She returned to the table, joining Jamie.
"Has she been like this all day?" she asked quietly. Jamie opened the bottle of lemon-iced tea. He sullenly nodded.
"I can't believe . . . this happened."
Jamie placed his bottle down on the table and stretched his arms in the air. Jamie's arms fell to his side as he let out a sigh of hopelessness. He looked over at his coworker, saddened further by the concern in her eyes.
"How are you holding up?" he asked as he realized the effects of what had occurred did not only affect Caitie.
Val tapped her pencil against the table. "It's hard. I've known Mrs. Roth for so many years. She was a second mother to me." She looked up at Jamie. "I don't know how Caitie even manages to wake up every morning."
Jamie could relate. He had lost his father several years ago after a long battle with cancer.
"I almost lost my father a year ago . . . I don't know what I would have done . . . if he . . ." tears started to swell in her eyes. "Hey, it's all right." Jamie smiled sympathetically at Val.
Jamie looked over at the couch. He noticed that Caitie had fallen asleep. Val took notice of her friend resting as well.
"She must be tired . . ." she commented.
"The wake and funeral really drained her. She planned the entire thing . . . refusing to let her father take the burden off her hands."
Val recalled attending Mrs. Roth's funeral only days before. Since then, Caitie was an empty vessel, managing to walk from place to place and hold various conversations. The repetition of it all, reassuring she was perfectly fine . . . it broke Val's heart.
Jamie walked over to where Caitie rested. He draped a flannel blanket over her body.
* * * * Six Days Earlier* * * *
"Mom, which videos do you want me to rent?" Caitie asked as searched for her keys in the kitchen.
"Anything but a foreign film," Mrs. Roth teased playfully. "How about we do a sappy romance night?" she asked her daughter.
Caitie rolled her eyes, "Mom . . . I don't want to spend the night crying over fried green tomatoes!"
"Okay, okay. Why don't you chose. Browse though some new releases."
"Sure, I'll be back in an hour," Caitie stated over her shoulder as she shut the door behind her.
Little did she know, this was the last time she would see her mother.
Caitie returned from the video store with several DVDs in hand. When she entered the kitchen, she noticed a note on the refrigerator.
I ran to pick up some popcorn and pizza.
I'll be back very soon.
Love you,
Mom.
Caitie smiled to herself and plopped down on the couch and turned on the television. After waiting patiently for what seemed like an eternity, she checked the clock. Two hours had passed. Caitie grabbed the cordless phone and punched in her mother's cell phone number. It was turned off.
As she returned the phone to the cradle, the doorbell rang.
"Are you the daughter of Mrs. Roth?" asked a tall dark hair man. He was dressed in a police uniform.
"Yes . . . is she okay?" Caitie asked concerned. A sinking feeling overwhelmed her body.
"She's at the hospital right now . . . there has been an accident," the officer stated apologetically. "I can take you now."
Caitie mindlessly closed the door and entered the police vehicle.
The sound of the last school bell filled the air. It was the sound that spread feelings of relief through the students.
"Ninth period is over," Caitie stated observantly. Jamie nodded. "You should head over to the station," Caitie suggested as she arose from the ground. "You don't want Alex on your back."
Jamie followed her actions by stepping in stride with the petite brunette figure. "Don't worry about it, I rather stick around you than do pointless paperwork," he replied.
A thought entered Jamie's mind. "Hey, come with me then. Val has been dying to see you."
Caitie ceased her rapid steps momentarily. Dying. "Many people die don't they James?" she asked as her hazel eyes pierced into his deep brown eyes. Jamie kicked himself silently for his poor choice of words.
"Please come with me . . ." he began pleading. He slipped his hand into hers, as she quickly jerked away. Caitie began walking towards the station. Jamie followed.
*
Val stared blankly at her pile of paperwork at the common room table. She couldn't believe what had happened. As she twirled her wood pencil between her slender fingers, Jamie and Caitie entered the room. Val immediately ran over to her best friend.
"Caitie!" she called as she gave her best friend a warm hug. Sadly, the hug was not returned. Caitie stood still as the tall blonde hugged her tightly. "How are you holding up?" she asked.
"I'm fine." As the embrace ended, Caitie waked over to the couch. She took out a pair of headphones and closed her eyes. Sending out clear messages that she wanted to be alone, Val remained at a distance. She returned to the table, joining Jamie.
"Has she been like this all day?" she asked quietly. Jamie opened the bottle of lemon-iced tea. He sullenly nodded.
"I can't believe . . . this happened."
Jamie placed his bottle down on the table and stretched his arms in the air. Jamie's arms fell to his side as he let out a sigh of hopelessness. He looked over at his coworker, saddened further by the concern in her eyes.
"How are you holding up?" he asked as he realized the effects of what had occurred did not only affect Caitie.
Val tapped her pencil against the table. "It's hard. I've known Mrs. Roth for so many years. She was a second mother to me." She looked up at Jamie. "I don't know how Caitie even manages to wake up every morning."
Jamie could relate. He had lost his father several years ago after a long battle with cancer.
"I almost lost my father a year ago . . . I don't know what I would have done . . . if he . . ." tears started to swell in her eyes. "Hey, it's all right." Jamie smiled sympathetically at Val.
Jamie looked over at the couch. He noticed that Caitie had fallen asleep. Val took notice of her friend resting as well.
"She must be tired . . ." she commented.
"The wake and funeral really drained her. She planned the entire thing . . . refusing to let her father take the burden off her hands."
Val recalled attending Mrs. Roth's funeral only days before. Since then, Caitie was an empty vessel, managing to walk from place to place and hold various conversations. The repetition of it all, reassuring she was perfectly fine . . . it broke Val's heart.
Jamie walked over to where Caitie rested. He draped a flannel blanket over her body.
* * * * Six Days Earlier* * * *
"Mom, which videos do you want me to rent?" Caitie asked as searched for her keys in the kitchen.
"Anything but a foreign film," Mrs. Roth teased playfully. "How about we do a sappy romance night?" she asked her daughter.
Caitie rolled her eyes, "Mom . . . I don't want to spend the night crying over fried green tomatoes!"
"Okay, okay. Why don't you chose. Browse though some new releases."
"Sure, I'll be back in an hour," Caitie stated over her shoulder as she shut the door behind her.
Little did she know, this was the last time she would see her mother.
Caitie returned from the video store with several DVDs in hand. When she entered the kitchen, she noticed a note on the refrigerator.
I ran to pick up some popcorn and pizza.
I'll be back very soon.
Love you,
Mom.
Caitie smiled to herself and plopped down on the couch and turned on the television. After waiting patiently for what seemed like an eternity, she checked the clock. Two hours had passed. Caitie grabbed the cordless phone and punched in her mother's cell phone number. It was turned off.
As she returned the phone to the cradle, the doorbell rang.
"Are you the daughter of Mrs. Roth?" asked a tall dark hair man. He was dressed in a police uniform.
"Yes . . . is she okay?" Caitie asked concerned. A sinking feeling overwhelmed her body.
"She's at the hospital right now . . . there has been an accident," the officer stated apologetically. "I can take you now."
Caitie mindlessly closed the door and entered the police vehicle.