The Long And Winding Road
Notes: I don't own the show, the characters, etc. Special thanks to those who have left comments and encouraging words regarding the story so far.
Chapter 3 -- Arrangements
Finished working for the evening, JT left the theater and drove home. He entered the house knowing he would be the only one home. Still he called out, trying to create his own echo-like effect, getting quieter with each repetition.
"Anybody home! Anybody home? . . . -body home . . . home."
Then he answered his own question in the same way.
"Of course not! Of course not . . . course not . . . not."
He turned on a table lamp near the door, finally giving the living room some light. Then he went to check the answering machine kept on the bar.
"(BEEP) Are you tired of your long-distance service?"
JT quickly hit the delete button.
"(BEEP) James, this is your father. How are you son? I trust everything is fine. Rather then returning to town next week, it looks like I'll need to stay here at least several more weeks. You know how it goes when it comes to business, especially now that you've got your own managerial position with that local movie house. It's good to know I can go away on these extended trips and you're just fine on your own. Remember that if you need anything, simply call my office and speak with one of my assistants. They will take care of everything. Goodbye."
JT decided not to hit delete, and the machine soon progressed to the third message.
"(BEEP) Are you shy? Lonely? Just stuck in a rut? Try TeleDate, the newest telephone dating service to hit…"
JT again hit delete. There were no further messages. He briefly considered picking up the phone to call Emma, but he decided against it.
Instead, he went into the kitchen and put a frozen dinner in the microwave. While waiting for his food to cook, he left the room and walked toward his bedroom.
Once in his room, JT put his bookbag on the bed, then looked at the framed photos on the desk. One was a picture of his mother. Studying the photo, he thought back to a morning in late April, recalling things he remembered firsthand as well as things others later told him about the events of the day.
On that particular Spring morning, JT and his mother Jillian had been sitting in the kitchen.
"Mother, are you sure you can be away from your business for so long?"
"That's why it pays to hire good assistants," she told her son. "Sometimes I think that design house could run itself."
"You know that's not true," JT assured.
"True," Jillian said, laughing. "But a little excess modesty is good for company morale. You'll understand when you start running your own business one day."
"Your secrets are safe with me," JT kidded.
"JT, if you've changed your mind and want to come along, I'm sure it's not too late to book an extra seat on the plane."
"No, you go," he said. "Give Dad a break from business for a change and have a great vacation. I've got school, then my part-time work at the theater…"
"All of which could easily be postponed or canceled for a few days," she countered. "But that's all right. Never let it be said that I stood in the way of true love."
"What?" JT asked, confused.
"Your weekly rendezvous with Young Miss Nelson, of course," Jillian explained.
"That's just a weekly movie date between friends, Mother, and you know it."
"Potato, po-taht-o," she replied, unconvinced by his explanation.
"And in case you've forgotten," JT continued, "I'm already seeing Melanie."
"Merely a placeholder until yours and Emma's timing is finally right."
"I think your crystal ball is fogged up," he joked.
"You'll see," she said confidently. "Now, while you're in school deciding the nicest way to send Melanie packing, I've got to finish some packing of my own. Oh, and I still have to stop by the bank."
"Have a good time, Mother. Say hello to Dad for me."
"I will," she said as she stood up to leave both the kitchen table and the room. "Don't worry about a thing. Who knows, maybe I'll see something that inspires me to create the next great fashion line."
"Leading to more money and more vacations," JT commented.
Mrs. Yorke then left the kitchen, but continued talking.
"Exactly! Now, there's plenty of food, and there's enough money in the desk to cover any expenses or emergencies. I'll see you in a couple of weeks. Love you!"
"Love you too, Mother," he called out to her.
Later that same day, during his MI class, JT was busy distracting some of his fellow students while Archie Simpson and Principal Dan Raditch were talking out in the hallway.
"Then the drunk says to the bartender, 'I've been thrown out of better bars than this. And I used to be in prison!' Get it? Prison bars!"
JT's girlfriend Melanie, sitting to JT's left, laughed loudly at his joke. She was obviously overdoing it to try to please JT. Emma, sitting to his right, simply smiled and rolled her eyes.
"Your telling jokes should count as a criminal act, JT," Patrick, sitting across from them, said. "You do know that, right?"
Out in the hallway, Raditch left to return to his office. Soon after, Snake re-entered his classroom.
"JT," he called out to the young man.
JT quickly tried to look busy at his computer.
"I was just…assisting some classmates with a difficult study question, Mr. Simpson."
"I need to talk to you out in the hall," Snake said in a serious tone.
JT started to follow Snake out of the room.
"It's been nice knowing you, buddy," Patrick joked.
"No," Emma said, having noticed the look on her stepfather's face. "Something's wrong."
Once out in the hallway, Snake relayed the news he had received from Raditch. While JT's mother was in the bank, there had been a hold-up. Despite security's efforts to take care of the situation with ease, the robbers started firing their weapons. The baby of the woman in line behind Jillian Yorke started crying, startling one of the gunmen, who then opened fire in the direction of the distraction. Jillian shielded the mother and child and pushed them out of the way. In doing so, however, she took the bullets. The gunmen were ultimately apprehended and an ambulance called, but it was too late to save JT's mother.
After listening to Snake's description of the situation, JT stood in silence.
"I should call my father and let him know," the young man finally said. His voice and demeanor were both extremely calm.
"As I understand," Snake then explained, "his office has been notified. I'm guessing he either knows by now or soon will. It was his office that suggested to the police to call the school so you could be notified."
"And my father didn't want to tell me about this himself?" JT asked.
"I couldn't say. I do know that Mr. Raditch took the phone call here. And he thought it would be better if I told you, rather than himself or the police. I wish I had the words to…"
"I guess there are a lot of details to go over," JT interrupted. "Arrangements to be made."
"You don't have to think of that right now, JT. Would you like to talk? To me, or if you'd like maybe you could go see the counselor, or…"
"No. Thank you, Mr. Simpson. I need to go now, if that's okay."
"Of course," Snake said, growing quite concerned about JT's emotional state. "Oh, and I'm sure Patrick can contact your boss at the theater, so they'll know not to expect you this afternoon."
"Thanks. I'd better go back in and get my things."
"I'm very sorry for your loss, JT. If there's anything I can do here, or anything the family can do, let me know."
Simpson then put his hand on JT's shoulder, but JT backed away.
"I just need to get organized," JT said calmly.
Teacher and student then re-entered the room. Emma's eyes were focused on JT as she tried to determine what was going on.
"Is everything okay?" Melanie asked as JT returned to his computer station.
"I have to go," JT replied, with no hint of emotion. "My mother is dead."
"Not funny, JT," Melanie said, smiling.
"Shut up, Melanie," Emma spoke sharply to the dark-haired girl, though trying to remain calm. "JT…I'm sorry."
JT, having packed his bag, looked at Emma for a moment.
"I have to go," he then said quietly. After this, he walked out of the room.
"I can't believe it," Melanie said once JT had left.
"Neither can I," Patrick added. "I just talked to Mrs. Yorke the other day."
"No, I can't believe I thought JT was joking. What will he think of me?"
Ignoring this discussion, Emma grabbed her bookbag and purse and approached Snake at the front of the room.
"Archie," Emma whispered, "would it be okay if I…"
"I think that would be a good idea, Emma," the man said, knowing what she was going to ask. "I think JT's in shock right now, which is understandable. Call me if you need to."
"Thanks."
Melanie watched as Emma left to go after JT, and she grew angry.
"Why can't she leave him alone?" Melanie demanded, speaking to no one in particular. "She's always…"
"Mel," Patrick interrupted, "just let it go. Okay?"
In the student parking lot, JT got in and started his car. Before he could pull out of his space, though, Emma suddenly opened the passenger door and got in, taking JT by surprise.
"Emma…"
Emma reached around and started to hug JT, but he pulled away.
"What's going on, Emma?"
"Contrary to what your girlfriend might think," she explained, "you don't need to be by yourself right now."
"There's a lot to do," JT told her.
"Good, then I'll have plenty to keep me busy."
"Okay," JT replied, now trying to sound light-hearted. "But remember when you're yelling at me later about losing out on the Perfect Attendance Award that this was your idea."
"Don't do that, JT," Emma said.
"What?"
"Act like you're okay. Certainly not for my benefit. I am so sorry about your mom."
"There's a lot to do," JT said, remaining calm. "Let's go."
Back in the present, JT held up the other picture sitting on his desk. It was one that his mother had taken the previous year of him and Emma standing together.
"I know I should tell you," JT said, looking at Emma's face in the photograph. "I think it's been there for both of us for a long time and building. At least it has for me. Especially this year. I know you'll tell me it's wrong. That we're only supposed to be friends. But you should still know how much I'm in love with…"
JT's verbalized thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the "Ding" of the microwave. He slowly put the picture back down on the desk and then left the bedroom.
Meanwhile, at the Nelson/Simpson house, Emma had just announced her need to speak with JT.
"Wait, Emma," Courtney said in response to Emma's decision. "Talk to him about what?"
"It's time we stopped tiptoeing around the issue," Emma answered. "I'm direct about everything else in my life, so being direct with my best friend about what I feel shouldn't be as difficult as I make it out to be. Right?"
"It's about time," Spike said. "Where did this sudden burst of confidence come from?"
"Obviously it was my inspirational pep talk just now," Snake replied.
"Sorry Archie," Emma corrected him. "I was thinking and missed what you were trying to say."
Spike started laughing.
"If you'd like to repeat it though…" Emma offered.
"No, Emma," Snake said, with mock self-pity. "That's okay. I'll just wallow in the corner for awhile over the lack of appreciation from my family."
"Aw, honey, we appreciate you," Spike told him, playing along. "You're very important. Did you happen to take out the garbage yet?"
"I'll call the theater," Emma said, grabbing hold of the phone at the end of the kitchen counter.
"Emma, you shouldn't do this over the phone, especially when he's working," Courtney cautioned.
"It's okay, Courtney. I just want to see if we can meet after he gets off work."
The phone started to ring in the theater office. Patrick soon entered and answered it.
"Hello?"
"Can I speak with JT please?" Emma requested.
"Emma? Is that you?"
"Patrick? Hi. Is he around?"
"He left not too long ago," Patrick replied. "Is there anything I can do?"
"No, I just really need to talk to him. There's something he needs to know."
"Well, I think he was going home. Unless he stopped off somewhere to eat first."
"Okay."
Patrick then grew concerned.
"There's nothing wrong is there, Emma?" he asked.
"No," she replied. "Don't worry. In fact, I'm hoping things will soon be better than ever. I just need to reach him."
"Okay. Say, Emma, if this urgent conversation is about the topic I think it is, good luck. I know it will all work out."
"Thanks, I think."
Emma then hung up, curious about Patrick's last comment.
"Strange," she remarked. "Patrick sounded like he had an idea why I was calling, and that I wasn't making an error in judgment. I'm going to try JT at home."
At the Yorke house, JT was eating in front of the TV when the phone started ringing.
"Hello?" JT soon answered. "Hey. I wasn't expecting to hear from you. How's it going? Is it important? Okay, I guess I'll see you here in a few minutes."
At the Nelson/Simpson house, Emma hung up the phone.
"Busy signal," she explained to the others. "But that means that at least he's home. I'm going to walk over there."
"Emma, you've waited this long…why not wait until tomorrow?" Courtney asked.
"I want to talk about this with him while I still have the confidence. I might lose my nerve if I put it off any longer."
"Well, let me give you a ride."
"It's just a couple of blocks, Courtney. I'll be fine. Besides, the walk will give me time to think of exactly how I want to word everything."
"You're doing the right thing, Emma," Spike assured. "Whatever happens, your friendship will be more solid than ever with this secret desire you've been carrying now out in the open."
"Thanks, Mom. And you're right. But please, enough talk about secret desires. Oh, and just think, if all goes well, tomorrow's movie date will also be our first 'date' date."
Within a few minutes, Emma was walking down the block, sorting through conflicting thoughts.
'This is the right decision. I hope. No, it is. I'm crazy about him. I know he cares about me in the same way. At least I think he does. He wouldn't think of me as just a friend or a sister. Not really. That's just our excuse for being afraid to make a change in a good friendship. A close friendship. But how close can we continue to be if we're not being completely honest with each other? Why am I doing this again? Ow! I think I'm getting a headache.
'He broke up with Melanie back in the Spring. That has to mean something. Okay, so she was an annoying self-involved airhead. Not that I'm judging. But she wasn't right for him and he realized that. That means he's also smart enough to know I'm the one who's best for him. I think. And I haven't had another boyfriend in ages. Sure, there was that one guy I dated a few times in Grade 11, but he was beyond dull and never did seem to understand me. Nothing like what I want in a boyfriend.
'Then again, I don't know that my track record was ever all that great. There was Sean, my first boyfriend. But there's only so many times you can take back someone who always lets you down. And Chris? Yeah, he was easy to get along with, but I should have known better. Once a cheater…I still can't believe I pretended to like hip-hop just to impress him.
'Anyway, I want someone who cares about me, is kind and considerate, helpful but not controlling. Someone who's concerned about the world around us. Someone who can always make me laugh, or just stay silent and stand by my side if that's what I need. Someone who can put up with me as much as I can put up with him, even when we're driving each other crazy. Someone responsible and reliable, but with a spontaneous and fun side. And of course, being extremely attractive would be a nice bonus on top of everything else.
'Yes, JT is the one. The only one. I know this. I just have to hope that HE knows.'
Emma turned the corner. JT's was only 3 houses down. From the distance, she could see someone at his front door. Emma started walking faster to see who was there. From one house away, she saw JT open the front door and let this visitor in. Emma finally caught sight of who it was before the door shut, and a frown came over her face.
"What is Manny Santos doing here?"