The Long And Winding Road
Notes: I don't own the show, the characters, etc. Thanks to YellyBelly and cutiepye06655 for the recent reviews of Chapter 18.
Chapter 19 -- Rise & Shine
Sunday morning at the Nelson/Simpson home, Emma was still down in her bedroom sleeping when her phone started to ring. She continued to sleep, but after a few more rings slowly woke up. Grumbling, she picked up the phone after two more rings.
"Hello?" Emma said, still half-asleep.
"Good morning!" JT said with an energetic voice.
"Sorry, not interested."
"Emma, it's me!"
"Me who?" Emma yawned.
"ME me."
"Look, I don't know anyone named Mimi."
"I mean, it's me – JT!"
"Oh," Emma said, now starting to wake up. "Hi JT. Look, you know I love you and everything, but why are you calling? It's the middle of the night."
"It's 7:30 in the morning."
"On Sunday morning, that's the same thing as the middle of the night. How are you NOT tired?"
"I'm just ready to start the day," he replied cheerfully.
"Good, call me back in another 2 hours or so and I'll be ready, too."
"Emma, don't you want to get out there and enjoy life?"
"It'll still be there when I wake up."
"How about we go jogging? That will get you awake and full of energy."
"JT, aren't you going to church this morning? You can pray for your sanity to return."
"Not today. Besides, aren't you the big believer in a healthy lifestyle?"
"I eat right and I walk a lot. I think I've done my part. Besides, it's November. It's too cold."
"Not if you keep moving," he suggested.
"You're not going to let me say no, are you?"
"Okay, Emma, I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but since you're being so stubborn…Come jogging with me, and for lunch I'll fix you a nice big salad. Then I'll let you practice your presentation on me yet again. I'll even keep the heckling to a minimum."
"I guess if you're willing to go to such extremes, I can't very well turn you down. Okay, but you're also buying me breakfast at Ryan's after this evil jogging experience."
"Deal. Now I don't want to wake up anyone else in your house, so I'll meet you out in front of your place in 10 minutes."
"FIFTEEN minutes!"
"Okay," JT laughed, "if you insist. See you then. Love you!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Must be what they call Tough Love."
After hanging up, Emma lay in bed for another five minutes. She considered simply staying in bed but knew that would only lead JT to walk around back and bang on her window until she got up, so she decided to get out of bed. She headed to the bathroom to splash water on her face. This helped her wake up, so she finished getting ready.
Several minutes later, Emma, now dressed in sweats, left a note on the refrigerator so her family would know she'd left. She walked out the front door to find JT standing in the front yard waiting.
"Good morning," JT greeted. "Again."
"Morning? Yes. Good? Not so much. So what's with this sudden exercise kick?"
"It's not sudden. You know I always wanted to play basketball. I could have, too, if it weren't for that whole thing about not being able to shoot a basket to save my life. Not to mention a complete lack of athletic ability. And just because I'm not running around in a mascot suit anymore, that doesn't mean I can't stay active. At least a little."
"So you're getting me mixed up in this because…What? Misery loves company?"
"I figured you might enjoy a little exercise, Emma."
"You'll have to do better than that."
"I thought I'd honor you with my presence even earlier than usual for a Sunday?"
"You'll have to do WAY better than that."
"You make me eat healthy sometimes, so I'm exacting cruel revenge by getting you up and moving around early – well, early for you – being the mean sort that I am?"
"We have a winner!"
"But if you think you can't keep up with me…" he challenged.
"Can't keep up?"
"Yeah. If that's the case, I fully understand and you can feel free to go back inside to bed. Wouldn't want to do anything to damage your pride or anything."
"You'll think damage as you're inhaling my dust," Emma declared. "I'll always stay several steps ahead."
"Is that so?"
"Did I say steps? I meant feet."
"Feet?"
"Yards. And soon, entire blocks. You see, JT, you're skinny and used to sweating buckets in a costume, but that only served to balance out all the burgers and hot dogs and grease and who knows what else you ingest on a regular basis. I've got a lifetime of healthy eating on my side."
"So you're NOT going back to bed?"
"Not a chance. Now quit talking and let's run."
"I thought we were just jogging, Emma."
"If that's all you can handle…"
"It's good to know that the newer developments in our relationship haven't hurt your competitive spirit," he joked.
"Thank you, JT. I knew you'd be pleased. But all your sweet talk won't stop me from outlasting you. Let's go!
Later, JT was jogging and finishing a joke.
"So then the spider says to his wife, 'If the maid doesn't stop vacuuming up all the good cobwebs around here, you're going to have to fire her.' Emma?"
He looked to his right side and didn't see her.
"She was here just a minute ago."
JT turned around and saw Emma leaning against a stop sign half a block back. He then jogged back to her.
"You know, Emma, you could have just said you'd already heard my jokes about the suburban spider family."
"Very funny," Emma said between heavy breaths. "I can't believe we've gone so far. How long have we been out here? A half-hour?"
"Try a few minutes," JT smirked. "I think we made it nearly three blocks."
"Don't you dare laugh at me, JT."
"I wouldn't dream of it."
Just then, a woman in her 60s wearing a tight, bright pink jogging suit was running by but stopped when she saw the couple standing at the stop sign.
"Move it or lose it, little girl," the woman said.
"Excuse me?" Emma asked, annoyed.
"These younger women today can't keep up," the woman told JT. "Say, you don't look half bad. Ever fancy an older woman?"
"Um, not in forever," JT answered, looking uncomfortable at being hit on by this senior citizen. "But thanks for the offer."
"That's too bad. You might have come close to keeping up with me. In ALL areas. But, your loss. You two have fun in the slow lane of life."
She then departed, resuming her run down the block.
"Emma, do you ever think that maybe this neighborhood isn't really in Toronto, but more like the Twilight Zone?"
"You're actually willing to talk to me?" Emma questioned, now more rested and breathing normally. "An obviously out of shape lump?"
"Hey! You're MY obviously out of shape lump."
"Thanks."
"Kidding. You're a walker, and you can march up and down the street for hours carrying a picket sign better than anyone, but you're not used to jogging long distances."
"Three blocks is not a long distance," she countered.
"Don't worry about it."
"Don't worry? JT, I've just been outrun by Grandma Moses."
"But look on the bright side."
"What's that?"
"Unlike her, at least you don't have to take your teeth out and put them in a jar every night."
Emma laughed.
"Well, I HOPE you don't," he added.
"Let's get back to it," Emma smiled, "but maybe a little slower for now."
Emma started jogging, with JT still standing at the stop sign.
"You DON'T take them out at night, right?" he asked as the distance between them increased.
JT started to run after her.
"Hey Emma, wait up!"
Liberty, meanwhile, entered Ryan's Grille and sat down at the counter.
"Morning, Liberty," Patrick, who was working behind the counter, greeted.
"Hello, Patrick. Can I get some toast and coffee?"
"No problem. Let's see if I remember how you like it. That's whole wheat for the coffee and no cream and sugar in the toast, right?"
Liberty laughed.
"Something like that."
"You doing okay?" Patrick asked. "You're normally a morning person, but today you seem a little out of it."
"I'm fine. Roger was supposed to join me for breakfast, but when I called him this morning, he decided he would rather sleep in. So I'm alone this morning."
"Alone? Nonsense. You can watch me toil behind this counter."
"There aren't exactly that many customers in here right now," she reminded him.
"I never said it would be an exciting viewing experience, just that you wouldn't have to be on your own. The Sunday morning shift is about as exciting as watching paint dry, but at least I get free food – a benefit of being the owners' son. I'll be back with your food in just a moment. If anyone comes in while I'm gone, feel free to yell out at me to come back."
"Will do."
After Patrick went into the kitchen, Liberty looked around at the handful of customers located at various tables and booths. Most of the occupants were couples. She sighed and turned to once again face front. Soon, Patrick returned with her breakfast.
"Here you go," he said, placing the food and drink in front of her.
"Thanks. So, it's been a few weeks. I think it's safe to say our little game of interference in JT and Emma's lives worked out for the best."
"I'm just glad all that happiness hasn't effected their ability to act like normal people. They're not so obsessed with one another that they can't focus on other things. JT's still cracking jokes and talking about every old comedy ever made. And Emma's still here, there and everywhere handing out flyers and pamphlets about all sorts of causes."
"True, Patrick. They're still the same basic people they've always been. At least I think so. Except the other night I was driving through the neighborhood and I thought for sure I saw JT running down the sidewalk carrying her in the air."
"Couldn't have been them, Liberty. They may be crazy in love, but that sounds too bizarre even for them."
"You're probably right," she responded. "However, from what I can see, as much fun as they had together as friends, they're having an even better time now."
"Just as we predicted would happen."
"Perhaps the best romances are those that start off as friendships. That could also explain why things between Roger and me aren't…"
"Aren't what?" he asked after Liberty didn't complete her sentence.
"Nothing," she replied. "I don't think I told you, but Roger wasn't exactly happy when he heard about the double date. I couldn't believe it."
"Didn't you tell him that it was all a charade designed for JT and Emma's benefit?"
"Yes, but he still thought it was wrong. But what does he know, right?"
"Right."
"Besides," she continued, "not only was the evening a success but it was fun as well."
"Sorry he was such a pain about the whole thing."
"Don't worry about it, Patrick. Say, how are things progressing for YOU in the romance department?"
This caused him laughed.
"Romance? What's that? There hasn't exactly been a whole lot of extra time for such things."
"Once you find the right person, I'm sure you'll find the time," Liberty assured.
"That's the other problem – finding the right girl. It seems like most of the people in school that I might like to go out with are already paired up."
"Maybe you should demand that Emma and JT fix you up with someone," Liberty joked. "Tell them it's compensation for your part in helping them open their eyes."
Both laughed.
"By the way, Liberty, good job on that presentation in Simpson's class."
"What, you mean you didn't fall asleep?"
"Not at all. Where did you find the information for that part where…"
Later, JT and Emma returned to her house and sat down on the front steps.
"Mark my words, JT. I'm going to get better at this, then we'll see who has trouble keeping up with whom."
When JT didn't respond, Emma looked over at him. It looked to her as though his mind was elsewhere.
"JT, are you listening to me?"
"Huh? Oh, of course. I was just thinking."
"Okay, but be careful. You know your brain is only equipped for thinking a few hours per week. Don't want to use up all this week's time right away."
"It's been a fun morning so far," JT remarked. "What if we had more time to do things like this?"
"Then I imagine my feet would probably fall off."
"No, Emma. For real."
"How do you mean?"
"Well, suppose I quit that theater job."
"Quit?" she asked, startled. "Why on Earth would you do that?"
"I'm not saying I will," he replied. "I'm just speaking hypocritically."
"I think you mean hypothetically."
"Oh. Okay, that too. Anyway, let's suppose that I quit. Then we'd have a lot more time to spend together. I wouldn't have to leave right after school to go to work several afternoons a week. We could have more Friday dates like the one the other night. You wouldn't have to feel like a neglected girlfriend."
"I don't feel neglected. Far from it. We spend plenty of time together, so don't make this about us. Besides, you like your work. You're good at what you do. So where's this all coming from?"
"Maybe I'm just kidding myself about working there."
"You're the assistant manager. Don't you know how good that is?"
"Some might say that being anything less than manager isn't worth much."
"Who said that?" Emma demanded, displeased that someone might say such a thing to JT.
"But hey," he continued, "it's not like I'm exactly the brightest guy on the block. Maybe I should just shut up and be happy that someone bothered to hire me at all."
"I'm all for the shutting up part, at least until you stop talking like that. JT, You used to make C's and D's. In the last few years, you've gotten to where you make B's and the occasional C. Doesn't sound like a guy who isn't bright to me. And on top of that, you have a good job that you've kept for a couple of years, this year becoming assistant manager. I can't imagine anyone with any sense thinking that's a bad thing. I've also heard the owner Sal say that you know the ins and outs of that place and how to keep it running as well as he does. You're not quitting."
"I never said I was. Just considering the possibility."
"Well, don't do that either."
"Bossy one, aren't you?" JT said, smiling.
"Someone has to protect you from the more warped thoughts that creep into your head. But I do wish you'd tell me how you ever got the idea that this job wasn't right for you or that you weren't right for the job."
"It's not important, Emma."
"I think it is, but I won't press you on it. Just don't believe it. And also know that I am extremely proud of you – or at least as proud as I can be of a cruel person who gets me outside running down the street like a crazy lady at the crack of dawn, all in the name of exercise."
JT laughed.
'This has got to be coming from JT's dad,' Emma thought. 'That phone conversation yesterday is really getting to him. Mr. Big Shot Lawyer keeps right on proving that he hasn't got a clue about his son. I'd call him a jackass, but the animals don't deserve such a comparison.'
JT noticed that Emma was staring at him.
"What?" he asked, interrupting her thoughts.
"Oh…nothing," she responded, not wanting to have to share those thoughts about his father with him. "Just trying to picture what you'll look like when you're old. After all, we saw the senior citizen equivalent of Manny earlier."
"Huh?"
"Come on. Old lady. Tight, pink clothing. Inappropriately hitting on you. Definite Manny vibe."
JT rolled his eyes.
"Come on, Emma, we need to get cleaned up. Then we can go have breakfast."
They stood up.
"Okay, JT. Pick me up in 20 minutes."
"You know," JT offered with a smile, "we could always save time and shower together."
"Go home," Emma laughed. "Now."
"I'm just saying…it's a good method of conserving water."
Emma started walking into her house.
"See you in a few, JT."
"And you call yourself an environmentalist."