A/N:Sorry this took so long to update...my creativity went on vacation, but now its back. : ) This chapter is dedicated to my hero Lauren, who won her fight against leukemia and made the world a better place. Love ya girl! hehe

I stuffed my hands in my pockets and fidgeted uneasily as I waited for Jamie to answer the door. After a moment I heard the lock turn and Reverend Sullivan stepped out onto the porch. I had not seen him since church and was unsure of what to say.

"Good morning Sir. Is Jamie ready for school?"

"She'll be right out." There was a brief and awkward silence between us. I scanned the floorboards with me eyes and deliberated offering my condolences. At that moment
Jamie appeared in the doorway.

"Morning Landon." She smiled sweetly releasing the tension in the air.

"Hey baby."

Jamie slung he backpack over her shoulder and kissed her father on the cheek. "Bye daddy. I'm stopping by the orphanage after school, so I won't be home until dinner."

"Bye sweetheart have a good day." He watched us from the porch as we got into the car and turned onto the main road.

Jamie was quiet and I wasn't sure if I was supposed to acknowledge the events in church the previous morning. "So…" I offered, deciding to try a joke instead, "Nice sweater."

"Landon Carter you're terrible!" she replied, her expression softening into a playful grin.

The atmosphere in the car was light, and for the rest of the five minute drive to school it felt as though nothing had changed between us. As we pulled into the school parking lot, Jamie fidgeted in her seat and started out the window uneasily. She tugged at her ponytail, unaware of her nervous habit.

"So..." I said casually, taking my key out of the ignition, "Are you ready to face the masses?" Jamie nodded, her smile not quite reaching her eyes, and tugged at her ponytail again.

As we walked to homeroom hand in hand, silence followed us down the hallway like a wave. Laughter and conversation ceased as we approached and was resumed by quiet whispers after we had passed by. I was relieved to reach the classroom, only to be met once again by silent onlookers. Jamie took a seat by the window and removed a copy of the Catcher in the Rye from her backpack. She opened the book and began reading, seemingly unaware of the twenty pairs of eyes that were scrutinizing her. After a few minutes, clusters of girls gave in to whispered gossip. I focused in on the conversation going on behind me, and I could hear Heather Gable, the captain of the cheerleading squad talking in hushed tones.

"Yeah it's true. Her father told us in church on Sunday. Everyone was making a huge deal about it."

"Dying is a huge deal, Heather" another cheerleader chimed in.

"How long do you think she has? That would be so sad if she died before prom."

"I don't know...she doesn't look to good, I think she seems more pale than usual, don't you?"

Becoming irritated by the discussion of my girlfriend's complexion, I turned around and gave them a threatening look Heather smiled nervously before averting her gaze to the wall. Jamie remained immersed in her book, and by the end of morning announcements the subject of the gossip around me had changed to Friday's senior prom. The bell rang, and as I made my way into the hallway, Jamie was waiting for me outside the door. She handed me a worn copy of Our Town.

"You might be needing this today." She said with a hint or a smirk.

"Thanks...Listen Jamie, if you need anything, or want me to take you home..."
"I know where to find you. See you at lunch." She squeezed my hand and proceeded down the hall, ponytail swinging behind her.

I arrived early to English, not wanting to spend any more time in the hallway than was necessary. I was the first one in the classroom, and took a seat in the back. I was absentmindedly thumbing through the book Jamie had given me when my teacher, Mr. Rothman walked in.

"Landon, you're early." His voice conveyed a confounded tone.

"And I'm reading." I held up the book as evidence while he approached my desk.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day." he joked.

"Jamie lent it to me."

"About Jamie," he paused and his expression softened. "I'm here if you, either one of you, ever need anything."

"You know?" I was surprised by how quickly word traveled.

"I've known all year. Jamie often times had to leave school early for treatments."
I found myself slightly offended that he had known something about my girlfriend that I hadn't.

He returned to the front of the room as a mass of people began to file in. I couldn't concentrate on my classes and the rest of the morning passed by slowly. I tried to ignore the fact that Jamie and I had become front-page gossip and people were paying more attention to me than the lessons. I could empathize with a gold fish, and wondered if this was how it felt to be living in a fishbowl.

When the lunch bell finally rang I found Jamie sitting at our usual table, her nose in her book.

"Hey you." I sat down next to her after quickly kissing the top of her head.

"Hi! How was your morning?" She smiled and closed her book.

"Eh, I've had better," I responded glaring at a girl whose gaze was transfixed on Jamie. "How about you? Are you ok?"

"Mmhmm. At least now what people are saying about me is true."

I laughed to myself. The universe could implode and Jamie, always the optimist, would still find something positive to say about it.

At that moment Eric pulled out a chair and sat down across from us. "Hey man, did you hear the stuff people are saying about you two?"

"Spare me the details." I replied sourly.

"Hey Jamie, you're not on drugs are you?"

"No. Of course not."

"Then I have a few rumors to straighten out with the softball team." Later guys." He rubbed his palms together as he walked over to the table where the members of the girls from the softball team were sitting.

Jamie and I ate the rest of our lunches in the library, away from the prying eye of gossiping onlookers. When the bell rang signaling the end of the lunch period, we agreed to meet at my car after school and retreated down opposite hallways. While navigating through the hallways I picked up on a familiar voice behind me and recognized it as belonging to my former friend, Dean. I focused my hearing on the conversation he was having with girl in an intensely short mini-shirt.

"Yeah he was actually pretty cool before he got involved with that Sullivan chick." I realized he was talking about me.

"Honestly I can't see why he just doesn't break up with her. Doesn't seem like a very promising future." She snorted at her comment and anger began to burn inside me.
"He might as well wait it out a few more months. From what I hear she's got one foot in the grave anyway."

My body reacted faster than my brain and before I knew what I was doing I had shoved Dean against a wall of lockers and pinned him there. I glared into his eyes fiercely. "You could live a hundred years and you would not be half the person Jamie Sullivan is." I tightened my grip on his t-shirt and raised my fist.

"Mr. Carter!" Out of the edge of my peripheral vision I could see Mrs. Albert, the librarian, scurrying towards me. "What is going on here?"

I backed away from Dean. "It's nothing ma'am."

"Mr. Carter, go to the office. And you," she motioned to Dean, "back to class"

"But he- " I protested, enraged at the thought of Dean getting away free.

"Office, Mr. Carter." Mrs. Albert interrupted.

The hall was empty by the time I opened the door to the main office. The secretary was not in view and I knocked on Principal Kelly's office.

"Landon." He ushered me in, his face clouded with disappointment. "Take a seat. I was just informed of your stunt in the hallway." He paused and I slumped down further in the chair.

"So, let me guess, I'm suspended."

"Landon this isn't the first time this has happened. This fighting has got to stop."

I bolted out of my seat, pounding my fist on the arm of the chair. "But you should've heard what he said about Jamie!"

At that moment there was a hesitant knock on the door. It opened slowly and Jamie cautiously poked her head through the opening between the door and the wall. As she stepped inside the office, a worried expression hung on her face.

"I heard what happened...I wanted to make sure you were ok, I'm so sorry." She said softly.

"Jamie, don't apologize. You didn't do anything." I could hear a hint of anger in my voice, and I immediately felt guilty for directing it towards Jamie.

"Principal Kelly, please don't punish Landon, it's not his fault."

"Jamie, Landon," he began sympathetically. "From what I've heard you two have had a long day. Why don't you go home and we can pretend this never happened. Consider this your warning Mr. Carter."

"Thank you sir." I mumbled.

"It won't happen again." Jamie offered somberly. I laughed to myself at her promise as she led me out of the office.

"What exactly did Dean say?" Jamie asked as we descended the front steps.

I searched my mind for a way to avoid the truth. "Oh, well...just that he had a crush on you." Jamie's auburn hair reflected the sunlight as she tossed her head back and laughed.

Later that evening Jamie and I sat on her porch swing while I finished my homework. Jamie had done hers after school and she was intently reading her bible. I looked up from my World History book and noticed the dark circles framing her eyes. She had one arm clutched across her stomach.

"Are you ok James? Maybe you should lie down." I panicked. I had never seen her sick before and I wasn't sure of what to do.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired." She fidgeted on the cushion next to me and I could tell she was lying. Jamie was the worst liar in the world. I assumed that growing up as a preacher's daughter, she hadn't had much practice. She leaned her head against my shoulder, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Jamie what's wrong? Are you getting sick already?" It had been a mere four days since she had told me here secret and I wasn't prepared to deal with the ramifications yet.

"Landon, I've been sick for a long time."

"But it doesn't mean anything...you have more time, right?"

She took my hand and intertwined her fingers with mine. "I've already had more time than most." She sighed and my heart sank.

We didn't move for several minutes, the only sound was that of the swing creaking as I rocked it with my foot.

"Jamie?" I got up the courage to speak what had been on my mind all day. "I've been meaning to ask you something. But don't say yes just to make me happy. Its fine if you don't want to, I just thought-"

"Landon, what are you trying to ask me?" she giggled.

I turned to face her, taking both of her hands. "Jamie Elizabeth Sullivan," I said in all seriousness, "Would you do me the honor of going to the prom with me?"

She looked stunned for a moment, but then her smile spread from ear to ear.

"I thought you'd never ask." She was beaming.

"You wanted to go? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't think you'd want to. I didn't think I'd ever get to..." She looked up at me, her smile glowing in the dim light. "It's my number 28."