Jamie was nowhere to be found the next day at school. Landon waited for her at her locker before first period as had become their habit over the last few weeks. When the warning bell rang and Jamie was still not there he began to panic.
He ran to the pay phone in the cafeteria and dialed Jamie's number the whole time trying to reassure himself she was fine. It had been less the 12 hours since he had dropped her off at her door, and she had been all right then. As well as could be expected considering the circumstances anyway.
When there was no answer at the Sullivan's he did not even give first period chemistry a second thought. He flew through the halls and out into the parking lot to his car and straight over to Jamie's house.
After ringing the doorbell several times, Landon was just about to try the front door to see if it was locked when he felt as if he were being watched. Turning around he found Mrs. Baker, the Sullivan's elderly next door neighbour watching him from the sidewalk.
"Landon Carter, is that you?" She asked shading her eyes with her hands to get a better look. "Why aren't you in school at this time of day?"
Biting back a groan at his luck of running into the chattiest old lady in all of town he pasted a smile onto his face and greeted her politely. "Hello, Mrs. Baker. I should be in school, you're absolutely right."
Crossing her arms over her chest and shaking her head she said, "Then shouldn't you be there rather then beating down the Sullivan's front door?"
It occurred to him then that she might know something and so he stepped down onto the sidewalk next to her. "Actually, Mrs. Baker, I'm looking for Jamie. She wasn't at school this morning and that isn't like her at all. I'm a bit worried."
Still looking a bit skeptical she nodded her head. "You have been spending a lot of time with Jamie, lately, haven't you Landon? Seems I see you coming and going here quite often these days."
"Yes, Ma'am" he agreed "Jamie and I are seeing each other." It embarrassed him to say it as much as it made him proud. It was so much more then that but how could he explain that to someone like Mrs. Baker?
Satisfied to see the blush colouring his cheeks she laughed. "She's a good girl, Landon Carter. Probably too good for a boy like you. But if Jamie is willing to give you a chance that must mean there is some good in you, so I'll tell you that Jamie went with her father to the city this morning."
"Did they say why?" He didn't want to seem too nosey but he needed to know.
"Didn't ask, they didn't tell." She said rather pointedly as if he were accusing her of something. "If they wanted me, or you for that matter, to know I'm sure they would have told us. Now the Reverend did say they would be back this evening. I'll be sure to tell Jamie you were looking for her if they don't get back to late."
Recognizing a dismissal he thanked her again and went back to his car. He knew he should go back to school but his heart just wasn't in it today. So instead he drove home.
Surprised to find his mother's car in the driveway. He hurried inside to see what was up.
She came rushing into the kitchen from the living room when she heard the door. "Landon, where have you been?" She asked him. "The school called and said that you hadn't shown up for attendance. I came home to make sure you hadn't knocked yourself out in the shower or something"
He could tell by her tone that she was both relieved and upset. He had not even considered the school calling his mother at work.
"I'm sorry, mom" he said leaning back against the counter. "I didn't mean to ditch class. I was supposed to meet Jamie at her locker this morning and she didn't show so I got worried and went over to her house but she wasn't there. I was just coming back here to see if she had left a message or anything."
Sighing, Julia Carter sat down at the table. Running her hands over her face and through her hair she finally looked up at her son. "Landon, I don't know what to do with you anymore. Just a couple of months ago I had to go and pick you up from the police station in the middle of the night. I had really thought Jamie was a good influence on you, she's a wonderful girl."
She paused to make sure he was really listening to her and not staring off into space, with that bored expression on his face like he had in the past. Satisfied that he was really listening she went on. "But now you're skipping school to be with her, Landon? What is going on?"
When he did not answer her she went on. "You are both so young and I know what it is like to want to spend every single second with someone but don't give up on everything else too. You're going to college in the fall, you need to keep your grades up. I'm sure Jamie realizes that."
"You don't understand, mom" He told her. "It's not like that with Jamie. This was just a one time thing, she wasn't at school and she has some stuff going on right now," his voice broke then but he went on anyway. "I just needed to see that she was okay, that nothing was wrong..."
He didn't realize that he was actually crying until his mother stood up and put her arms around him. "What's wrong, baby?" She asked quietly cradling his head in her hands. "Tell me what's wrong."
And before he could stop himself he was pouring the whole story out to her. "I'm so scared Mama." He cried after. He buried his head in her shoulder just as he had when he was young and let it all out.
Finally when he felt he had better control over his emotions he pulled back. "Do you understand now?" He asked with a sad smile.
Wiping the tears from her own eyes she nodded. She would have done anything to protect him from this kind of heart ache but she realized also, for the first time that her son was now a man and was able to deal with it because he was in love.
"Anything you need me to do, Landon, you let me know," She said. "Anything Jamie needs you just tell me."
"Thanks" he said. "I'll do that. And if you really do mean it, there is something you can do for me, right now."
He waited for her to nod before he went on. "I called Dad last night." He knew she would be shocked so he waited for a minute to let it sink in. "It was really late and I kinda of raved at him a bit. I just thought since he was a cardiologist and since it is Jamie's heart he might be able to help or know someone who can." He shrugged. "I just want him to know that I was serious about it and that I'm sorry I wasn't very reasonable. I thought you might be able to clear the air a bit."
She didn't say a word, just picked up the phone and dialed. She spoke to a receptionist briefly before she was put directly through to her ex husband.
"David, it's Julia" there was a pause "Yes, Landon told me he called you last night, he wanted me to make sure everything was alright between you two." She listened for a moment "okay, I'll tell him then. Yes, I'll have him phone you this evening. It was nice talking to you too. Take care. Bye now."
She smiled looking at his disappointed face; she had been on the phone a total of 50 seconds. "Jamie and her father are in your fathers office as we speak, he had her records faxed to him this morning and called the Sullivan's to come in as soon as they could. He has cleared his entire morning to spend it with Jamie."
The smile on Landon's face seemed to light up the room. "He can do something for her." He said to himself more then his mother. "I just know he can do something for her."