Episode 145

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Episode 145

Scene 1:

Kinsey Patricks, moved back to the Glen, old friend of Darcy's.
Hannah Bruce, cheerleader, volleyball player, friend of Emily's, popular.
Scott O'Neil, junior, outcast every girl secretly had a crush on.
Dominique Giroux, junior, famous bitch, popular.
Jason Rose, beautiful.

Macy absently named off these people as they walked by in the hall. Chris Mason, last name says it all, coming this way.

"Hey Macy."

Macy looked around to check if he was actually speaking to her and it wasn't someone else. After all Emily wasn't around, so why was Chris talking to her?

"Hey Chris," she said slowly, "what's up?"

"Not a lot. Trying to find someone with second hour Chemistry. You wouldn't happen to have chemistry this year would you?" Chris asked hopefully. He just needed someone smarter than him to help him through it. Otherwise he would indeed be the miserable failure he had always assumed himself to be.

Macy raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Oh yeah, I have chem for second hour." She felt her heart rate quicken slightly, but she shrugged it off. She briefly glanced at her schedule as if to make sure it was true. Her schedule was loaded down with science and music classes. She offered Chris a rarely seen smile.

"Cool!" Chris grinned happily. "I suck at science. And if I fail this class, my dad will blow a gasket." He looked around the hallway, nodding at a couple of guys passing. They were all mostly Varsity Football players who had been treating him like a part of the team ever since his tryout last night. It was weird. He didn't even know for sure if he would make and they were treating him like one of their own. Weird. "Hey, where you headed?"

Macy felt her face wrinkle in degradation towards the football team guys and Chris's nod made her roll her eyes. "To Choir, its my first period class."

"I'll walk you then," Chris offered. "I'm heading that way to Art anyway." He turned around and fell in step next to her. "So what other classes you got?"

Surprised by his offer, Macy shrugged, pulling her books close to her chest. "Choir, Chem, Geometry, World History, English 1, Orchestra, and PE." She laughed a little, "with Catherine and Darcy."

"Gym with those two? How'd you get so lucky?" He laughed. "Did you get English with Mr. Burke? He's cool. You'd like him. I've got Art, Chemistry, English, World History...hey do you have Denslow for that? I wonder if we're in the same class...I'd hate to have Caruthers. She's a bitch from what I hear...then French, Algebra, Yearbook and Study Hall."

Macy looked at her schedule. "Um, yeah I have her fourth period. Do you have it that same time?"

"Yep. Right before lunch," he replied. "Hey I haven't seen Emily today. What's her schedule like?"

He had to mention Emily just as Macy was falling into an imaginary euphoria. "Um, I think I have World History and English with her."

"Cool...hey Brad...you know I barely know that guy," he said with a small shrug as the guy passed them. "How lame is that? One of the stupid things you have to do in high school, just in case you didn't know Macy, was you have to say hello to all these people in the hallway that you could care less about. It's stupid. That Brad guy? He was in my gym class last year. I maybe said all of two words to him. Now I have to say hi all the time."

"I don't think anyone is holding a gun to your head saying you have to do it Chris," Macy replied coolly. "This is where my class is," Macy said stopping at a corner that turned and hit the music hall.

Chris frowned at her tone but decided not to say anything about it. Why bother? She'd figure it out soon enough. High school was totally different from junior high. "All right...hey, want to meet me here after class and we can walk to Chemistry together?"

Macy's eyebrows raised once again in obvious surprise. That's why Chris and Emily were so perfect for one another, they felt that they absolutely had to walk down the halls and say hi to every person due to some social obligation. Emily might as well walk around school with 'vote for me for everything' tattooed to her forehead. It was ridiculous for Macy to feel even a slight attraction to Chris, they were in no ways similar. Macy silently prided herself on her logic. "Sure, Chris."

"Okay. I'll meet you back here after class." He turned down the sloping hall towards the art rooms, glancing over his shoulder at Macy. She was different than Emily, Different in a good way. He'd always liked Emily, what wasn't to like. But Macy had always seemed so indifferent to him and everyone around them that he hadn't really given her a chance. He'd have to fix that. Besides, the more time he spent away from home with friends the better he would feel about himself in general. He really didn't need Dad telling what to do or when to do and with who. Friends were good this year.

Scene 2:

Jamie landed in New Orleans and made it to his hotel without incident. He hadn't been to New Orleans since he was in college but the city still felt electric as he walked through the streets of the French Quarter. It was alive with activity and vibrancy. For a moment, he allowed himself to think about his situation with Michaela and the state of his marriage.

"Face it," he muttered to himself, "it's over." Michaela had moved on and left him behind without a goodbye, an apology or an explanation, all of which he desperately needed. Even his son knew it was over but Jamie was stuck waiting for a reason that it had to end because he certainly couldn't think of one. From his point of view, their life had been pretty damned good. He loved her and he thought Michaela had loved him. Apparently not.

He shook the morose thoughts free and stepped into a darkened bar. He waited a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room before scanning the room quickly in search of the person he had flown across the country to find. He spotted him sitting in a back booth, nursing a bottle of what looked like whiskey. Jamie edged closer studying the man for a bit before he glanced up at Jamie with an inquisitive gaze. The eyes were darker, filled with something Jamie couldn't name, but he was still Joshua Manning.

"I got the message but I wasn't sure I should believe it was real or not," Josh said nodding at him.

"Why wouldn't you believe it?" Jamie queried shaking himself and closing the gap between them. "We're friends aren't we?"

"Used to be," Josh replied. Jamie frowned slightly at the dark tone in Josh's voice. He and Josh went way back. They were roommates in college and had attended each other's weddings. Next to Jude, Josh Manning was his closest friend. He'd even given him a job in Florida at his hospital there. But what happened when Jamie returned to Virginia was something that not even Jamie had counted on.

"Used to be," Jamie echoed. "And we're not anymore? How could you think that?"

"You left me hanging, Jamie. What the hell am I supposed to think?"

"You could think I had nothing to do with it, Josh," Jamie pointed out. "Can I sit down?" Josh's shoulders hitched in a small shrug that Jamie took for assent. He slid into the booth across from him and waved a waitress down. "Can you bring me what he's having?"

The waitress eyed Josh and the bottle in front of him. "You want a glass or the whole bottle like him?"

"Just a glass." She moved off leaving them in silence. "You always drink this much?" Jamie asked picking up the bottle and swirling the remainder of the liquid around in the bottom of the bottle.

"I'm just getting started. What do you want Jamie?"

"Right to the heart of the matter, as usual. Okay...well, fine. I can do that. I'm running a hospital in Virginia..." Josh's brittle laugh cut his words off and silenced him. He stared hard at the man he had always considered a friend and wondered just how bad his experience in Florida had been after all. "You don't even want to hear it, do you?"

"Not especially," Josh countered, reigning in the laugh. "You left me hanging when you ran home to take care of your family business. Do you have any idea what those people did to me after you left? Sold the hospital to a consortium of greedy bastards and left me, and a few others that thought you cared, to get eaten alive by them."

The waitress returned with a tumbler of whiskey, flashing a curious glance between the two before retreating to a safe distance. Jamie stared at the drink, thoroughly chastised. "Josh," he began, "I didn't know any of that would happen."

"Of course not. You were far too wrapped up in that perfect little life of yours. 2.5 kids, a beautiful wife, and all the money in the world to care what happened to the ones you left behind. They crucified me, Jamie. Fired me for a made up reason...some story about me hitting another doctor. You know as well as I do there was only that one time. And I paid for that one." Josh's eyes burned angrily at Jamie, accusing him with his stare.

"I'm sorry about that. I wanted to toss the incident out, but the board wouldn't let me."

"Ri-ght. Do you know how they got Karina?" Jamie blinked in surprise. Karina Foster was one of the best neurosurgeons in the country and as clean as they came. They couldn't have possibly have trumped something against her. "I didn't think so," Josh continued. "Malpractice. Got the AMA involved and revoked her license for five years. By the time her five years is over, she'll have to go back to school to catch up on what's happened in her field. Maybe I deserved what I got, but did Karina?"

Jamie dropped his eyes to the drink in front of him and picked it up, swirling the contents in the glass before taking a drink. Karina had been another friend at the hospital in Florida and she hadn't deserved that treatment at all. He glanced at Josh's furious gaze, noting the dark circles that, even in the dark of the bar, rimmed the edges of his eyes. It gave him a weary look despite the anger that flared there.

"All right," Jamie conceded. "Maybe I was an inconsiderate shit. Maybe I deserve to have your wrath right now. But the least you could do is let me make it up to you."

"How? By giving me another job at your hospital so you can leave when you feel like it and leave me hanging again? No thanks, Jamie. I'll pass."

"You won't even hear me out?"

"Will you leave me alone if I let you?" Josh returned sharply. Jamie shrugged his shoulders noncommittally. "Fine, get on with it then."

"I'm running the hospital in Conlan's Glen," Jamie said, hurrying to get it out before Josh could stop him. "I just lost my chief of staff and I need a new one. I want you."

"Me? I don't think so." He pushed himself out of the booth and got to his feet, wavering a bit before regaining his composure. "Find some other asshole to jerk around because I'm not interested."

"Josh..." Jamie began but Josh was already moving away towards the entrance. He sighed heavily and drew out his wallet, dropping a bill on the table. Sliding out of the booth, he was about to head towards the door as well when the waitress stopped him.

"Wait. Don't give up on Josh just yet."

Scene 3:

The last bell rang at 2:40. Thank God, Chris thought, picking up his book bag off the floor and jamming his brand new French book in to it. French last hour with Madame Murphy was not what he had wanted. He had hoped for something a little easier, like Study Hall but that was not to be. It could have been worse, he decided pressing through the throng of students emptying the classrooms. He could have had a hard class last, like Geometry. He hated that class.

"Move any slower, Mason, and you won't make that football team," he heard someone say behind him. He glanced over his shoulder as a tall redhead pushed forward. Chris grinned and rolled his eyes at his friend, pausing long enough for him to take the two strides to reach him.

"What would you know about football anyway, Jason?" Chris asked falling into stride next to his friend. "Aren't you into soccer and all that?"

"No, I'm into football. Well real football," he laughed, making his English accent more pronounced. "But I've watched your version of football, you know," Jason added. "Isn't the team list supposed to go up today?" Chris nodded and rounded the corner towards the athletic director's office. "What? Don't care if you make the team or not?"

"Not really," Chris shrugged half-heartedly. He did though. He needed the sport to keep him out of his father's way for the next couple of months. Not that he hated Jamie. But he didn't like him a whole lot just now. And until he could deal with his parents' divorce a little better, staying away was a good thing.

"You're a liar," Jason laughed.

Chris laughed with him and pointed at the crowd of sophomores gathered around the bulletin board. "Must be up. Coach Foster said all the sophomores would make JV but only a few would make the Varsity." He waited at the fringe waiting as disappointed boys stalked away from the board. One of them, a kid Chris barely knew by the name of Dylan Guthrie, shot him a hateful look and paused in front of Chris and Jason.

"So, what did your dad do? Buy the team new uniforms?" He asked, a nasty grin emerging. Chris and Jason exchanged glances but remained silent. "Or what? Maybe he bought the whole school."

"What are you getting at?" Jason interrupted impatiently.

"Well, I just wondered why it is that of all the sophomores who went out for Varsity, Chris Mason is the only one who ended up on the team. That's all."

"What?" Chris asked, surprised by the announcement. "I made Varsity?"

"Don't act so surprised," Dylan snapped with a roll of his eyes. "Just because you attend public school doesn't mean your dad isn't capable of making your life easier."

"You're delusional, Guthrie," Jason pointed out with a laugh. "Chris' dad doesn't even want him playing football."

"Oh? Afraid his heir will get damaged?"

"Knock it off," Chris muttered dangerously, glaring at Dylan. "My dad doesn't do anything like that for me at all."

"Yeah sure, he doesn't," Dylan muttered turning away from them. Chris edged towards the bulletin board and scanned the Varsity players list. Sure enough, his name was there, listed just under Cory Lunt.

"Your dad didn't help you get on that team, did he?" Jason asked quietly so no one but Chris could hear. "I mean, I know you two aren't getting along too well right now but maybe he might have helped a little."

"God, I hope not. The worst thing he could do is help me in any way. But he's out of town...nah, I just don't think he would do it. As much as he wants to get along with me right now, I don't think he'd buy me a spot on the team. He was an athlete when he was a kid too. He's always talking about sportsmanship and how the game isn't as important as how you play. You know, crap like that."

"Well, I'm glad you're sure. Because I'll bet you fifty dollars Dylan Guthrie will tell the rest of the school otherwise," Jason commented sourly. "But hey, congratulations anyway! Feel like celebrating a little?" Chris shrugged his shoulders slightly. "Good, because I just heard of a party this weekend and I think it'll be the perfect way to ring in the new school year. Come on. Give me a ride home and I'll tell you all about it."

Scene 4:

"Wait. Don't give up on Josh just yet." The man turned toward her and gave her an appraising stare wondering, she was sure, just who the hell she was. "Look, Josh has really been miserable lately. He's not always so rude."

"Who are you?" The man asked, continuing to scrutinize her. "Some kind of friend of his?"

"You could say that. My name is Honey Baldwin. I live with Josh. I didn't mean to eavesdrop but when Josh told me he was meeting an old friend, I couldn't help it. He never talks about his past," she explained.

"So you live with Josh? You're like his roommate then? Or what?"

"Well, roommate would be about right," Honey replied. She didn't know the guy even if he was some old friend of Josh's. Still, there was no reason to tell the world about their relationship. If Josh wanted the guy to know, he would have told him already.

"So you heard all of that?"

"I heard enough. Look, Josh is just in a bad place right now. Let me talk to him," she asked.

He stared at her for a minute before shrugging his shoulders. "Sure, go ahead. I guess it wouldn't hurt. Here's my card," he said reaching into his pocket for his wallet. "Have him call me when he's ready."

She took the card and pocketed it immediately, watching as he walked away. Whoever this man was, she decided, he was the only one who brought out any kind of reaction out of Josh Manning in the last year and she intended to make sure that the reaction lasted. After all, it was about time, Josh returned to the land of the living.

She had met him six months ago when he had walked into her bar, looking more like a bum than a doctor. He was interesting though and well mannered, which was the main reason she had let him stay. There was more to him than just his manners, she learned after several visits from him. He was also intelligent and good looking, when he was cleaned up, not to mention incredibly kind. They talked a lot and even had the occasional meal together. She liked him and she thought maybe he liked her a little too, though with Josh Manning, she never really knew where he was coming from. After a month, Honey asked him to move in with her. Josh was still living in one of the seedier motels in town and she had an extra room and bills to pay. Even if he contributed just a little each month, it would make life a lot easier. Plus, she liked him more than she would admit to him and wanted him around.

It had started as a platonic friendship but after a month of close company and intense loneliness from him that she felt whenever they were in the same room together, Josh made a most welcome move and they had been lovers ever since. Still, Honey couldn't quite shake the feeling that despite the intimacy between them, there was something missing, some part of himself that he held back from her. She had seen a rare flash of something, passion...life...she didn't know what she would call it...during the conversation. It wasn't much but it was enough for her to know that there was something missing from Josh. Something very important. Something she wanted to see more of than just an occasional flash.