The Night You Took Away a Little More Than Just My Breath

"Dude, what's up with you?" Garrett asked me as we left the boys locker room.

"What do you mean what's up with me?" I asked.

"You never hang with us anymore, none of us even hear from you when we're out of school, what's up?" Garrett said.

"Oh," I said. "Well I have to do shit for the wedding and stuff. Spring break my dads going on his honey moon, where ever the hell that will be. Jamie and I have already decided to party though. So all of you can come over then."

"What about tonight? Tomorrow or even Sunday?" Garrett asked. "Or are you doing 'wedding shit'?"

I laughed and nodded my head. "Actually, yes. I have to get measured for my tux. But I'll ask my dad tonight if you guys can come and get a tux to wear to the wedding. You're coming to it, right?" I asked Garrett.

"Yeah, dude." Garrett said. "Free food? I'm there."

I laughed at him and said, "Good. Because I don't wanna just stand around and be bored."

"Well I'll talk to you more about it later, I have to go make up some damn chemistry test." Garrett told me.

"Okay, I'll text you or something about this weekend." I said.

"Sounds good." Garrett said and he disappeared around the corner.

I stood against the wall by the girls locker room and I waited for Jamie to walk out. I had to take her to her photo shoot, which was actually better than sitting at home and doing all this homework. The bell rang and she walked out, not even noticing me standing against the wall. "Hey!" I shouted. She turned around and saw me. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah!" She smiled. "Does my hair look okay?"

"Yes." I sighed. That's one of the annoying things that come with having a sister. She's always asking me if she or any other part of her body looks okay. I say, yes you look fine, but she still doesn't trust me.

"Are you sure?" She asked. See what I mean?

"Yes, I'm sure. Now lets go before we're late." I said.

We walked around the corner towards the door and saw that it was pouring down rain. "Damn it!" She exclaimed. "My hair and make up are going to get ruined, and I have to go to that damn photo shoot looking like that!"

I laughed. "Don't worry, we'll run to the car. And you can fix your make up on the way there."

"Do you see how hard it's raining?" She said. "We'll be soaked right when we step outside."

Yeah, the big rain drops were really hitting the hot ground that hard and fast. I peered outside and thought of a way we could get to the car as dry as we could. We couldn't go inside the school, because everyone would be in there and it'd take forever to get through those halls. "Listen," I told Jamie. "See that tree right there?"

"Yeah?" She questioned.

"We run over to that, hide under it for a minutes, then run all the way, clear across the parking lot to my car. Okay?" I laughed.

"Come on." Jamie said. "Is that seriously the only way we can get to the car? What about going inside?"

"Too crowded. We'd be twenty minutes late if we went throughout the school, and we'd still get wet anyways."

"Fine." She sighed. "Your plan it is, I guess."

I smiled and opened the door for her. "Ladies first." I smirked. She laughed and slapped my chest playfully but stepped out anyways and stood under the pavilion.

We were the last ones in the gym building and the janitor locked the doors behind us after I stepped out with Jamie. "Can't turn back now." I said. "Ready?"

Jamie sighed but nodded her head and began to run towards the tree. I purposely ran slower because I love the feeling off cold rain drops hitting my face on warm days. We barely get rain around here, so this feeling is rare.

"Johno, what are you doing?!" Jamie laughed as she noticed me running with my face pointed towards the sky. She was already under the tree and resting against the bark of it. Our clothes were already soaked, so there was no point of trying to hide from the rain.

"Come on, come play with me." I said as I danced alone in the rain.

Jamie laughed and said, "No, we have to go!"

"Just for a second." I told her. "We're already soaked, it couldn't get any worse!" I said to her as I grabbed her hand and pulled her out into the rain with me. All around us kids were running to their bus or car. Other kids were hiding under the pavilion or playing in the rain like Jamie and I.

"Johno, come on now." Jamie complained.

"Jamie." I whined. "You gotta live your life a little. Come on, feel the rain on your face." I said as I closed my eyes and pointed my face towards the sky. I opened my mouth and exhaled in relaxation as my whole body released tension.

"You, look like an idiot." She laughed.

"Hey!" I looked back at her and frowned. Rain drops were falling off my face that my wet hair stuck to. I picked Jamie up and spun her around. I sat her back down under the tree and leaned against the bark because I was super dizzy.

Jamie rested her hand against my chest and her laughter died down. I closed my eyes to seize the dizziness and felt a warm hand on my cheek. I opened my eyes to see Jamie's face coming closer to mine. I pulled away quickly and felt my eyes widen. "I- I'm- I didn't-" She stuttered.

"It's okay." I laughed nervously at the awkward situation. "We should go now."

We ran to my car in an awkward silence and I wondered why she even tried to do that. I unlocked my car doors as we approached it and told Jamie sit on a towel so my seat wouldn't get as soaked. I took another towel from my back seat and hung it over my seat as well. I got in my car and quickly shut my door. I started my car and turned the heat on. "Do you want to stop by the house to get a change of clothes?"

"Yeah." Jamie said quietly as she put on her seat belt.

I turned on my Ivory mixed CD and the first song that came on was Sassy. I heard Jamie start to sing along as I pulled out of the parking spot. "You're a good singer." I told her.

She stopped and shook her head. "I love to sing, but I completely suck." She said.

"Nuh uh." I said, completely ignoring the fact that she had just tried to kiss me. "Let's listen to my band. So you can learn the words and sing along at the shows."

She laughed. "Okay."

I put in our EP and it started to play Count 'em One, Two, Three. I sang along to my own, recorded voice and tapped my fingers on the steering wheel as we waited in the traffic coming out to the school. "It doesn't even sound like you're singing." She said. "Cause your voice blends in with your voice on the Cd. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yeah." I laughed. I kept singing along until Daisy came on and I turned down the music a little. "So, uh." I started. We were now driving down a busy road towards our house. "Why'd you try to kiss me back there?" I looked over at Jamie and she shrugged.

"I honestly have no idea." She said, unable to find the reasons for her actions. "But, I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay." I said, trying to make the awkward situation less awkward.

"No, it's not." She said. "You're going to be my step brother soon, that's just gross."

"What's gross? Me being your step brother or you kissing me?" I laughed.

"Me k-kissing you." She said.

"Well, it's fine if it doesn't happen again." I said a rubbed her shoulder. "But it might be hard for you because I'm just that irresistible." I joked and tried to flip my wet hair.

She nudged me into the door and laughed. "You're such an idiot." She said.

"But was there any reason for you to try and kiss me?" I asked her.

"No." She said after she sat there and thought for a second. "Just, don't tell Kennedy."

- - - - - - -

The rain had died down and now it was only sprinkling as we walked into the huge, glass building. Jamie's hair was still wet, but she had brushed it when we stopped at home to get new clothes. Now, she looks like she had just stepped out of the shower instead of pouring down rain.

We walked into the front door and there was nothing but a red carpet leading us down a long hall. At the end of the hall was a desk where one lonely woman sat. The floors were gray and the walls were black. I looked up and noticed that the whole building was hollow inside. There were little walk ways that wrapped around the inside of the building on every floor. The building was completely silent and the only noise that echoed through it was our footsteps. "Have you been here before?" I asked Jamie as I continued looking around.

"Yes." She said, laughing at the site of me looking all around. "Just follow me."

I followed Jamie to the desk and the lonely looking woman kept looking down at her papers that sat in front of her. "Excuse me, ma'am." Jamie said. "My name is Jamie O'Callaghan and I have-"

"Oh yes, oh yes. Jamie." The woman looked up. "Right this way." The woman stood up and motioned for us to follow her. She walk down another long hallway to the right and escorted us to the third door on the left.

"So, Jamie O'Callaghan." I said. "Will I ever get to know your reallast name?"

"Hmm." Jamie thought. "I don't think I'll ever tell you. I'll keep you in suspense for the rest of your life." She laughed.

"I'll find out, sooner or later." I said.

The woman opened the door for us and Jamie and I stepped in. It was a huge, cold, dim, empty room and it was painted all black with really nice floors. In the middle of the room was a white back drop with lighting all around. I figured that's where she would stand for her pictures.

"Jamie!" A young guy came into view and hugged Jamie. "How've you been?"

"Good." She said, smiling. "Daniel, this is Johno." Jamie introduced me.

"Hello, Johno." Daniel shook my hand. "I'm Daniel, Jamie's hair and wardrobe stylist."

"Hey, Daniel." I smiled.

"Are you in the business too, Johno?" He asked as he rubbed the side of my face with the back of his hand. "You'd be perfect for it."

I laughed nervously and said "No, I'm-"

"He's my step brother," Jamie cut in. "And he's in a band."

"Oh, nice. Maybe you could get professional shots of you and your band." Daniel said. "But, let's get to business." Daniel began to walk towards a door that was opened slightly, revealing a room painted red.

He sat Jamie down in a black chair in front on a huge mirror that covered the whole wall. On the counter top were all sorts of makeup products organized by every color, function, and brand. "Did you just step out of the shower, Jamie?" Daniel asked her. I took a seat behind both of them and watched.

Jamie laughed. "No, we were just in the pouring rain. But my hair is clean."

"Okay, good." He said as he brushed her long brown hair. "All we have to do is dry your hair and maybe curl it. But only slightly. I think we're going for the distraught but strong look today."

"Sounds good." Jamie agreed. "Are we doing a flip at the ends or spiral curl with my hair?" I smiled at all this model language that I barely understood.

"Both. It's going to be all big but then we'll brush through it once to get the worn out look."

"Ohh, gotcha." Jamie said.

Daniel picked up a bright green bottle and squirted a white cream into his hands. Then he ran it through Jamie's hair. He then took out the blow dryer and dried her hair until it was completely dry. "Your curls will perform better, and last longer with the aid of these good quality hair products." He said as he began to put some more gel into her hair.

He took the curling iron and started to curl a few sections of her hair. "Now, we don't have to put all your hair up into little sections because we want the messy look. We're going to brush your hair afterward so it'll be fine." He kept on making huge curls in her hair and then brushed them all out so the tips of her hair flipped out.

"Now, make up." He said. "Brown eye shadow to match your big, brown eyes." He picked a few shades of brown and white. "We're going to work with contrast. From dark to light." He began with the darkest brown and applied it to her eye lids. Then he went to a much lighter brown a little below her eye brows. Then he applied a little bit of shimmering white eyeshadow right below her eyebrow. "Open your eyes now?" He told Jamie.

Jamie opened her eyes and smiled. "That looks nice." She said.

"Since you already have eyeliner on, we're just going to leave it at that but put a light shade of brown below your eye lashes." Daniel continued on with the eyes shadow then searched a drawer full of unorganized lip glosses. "How bout a nice shade of pink for your lips?" He asked as he handed her a stick of lip gloss. "Put this on while I go get Bryce. He'll be taking pictures of you today." Daniel left the room quickly and Jamie began to put on the lip gloss.

"He is full of words, isn't he?" I chuckled.

"You got that right." She laughed. "But I love him."

"Yeah." I said, looking around and not knowing what to say. Just then, Daniel came back quickly and told Jamie he was ready for her.

I followed Jamie out of the room and back to where her photo shoot would take place. "Hello Jamie." Bryce stood up from his chair that sat behind a huge camera. Bryce took Jamie's hand and shook it.

"Hello." She smiled.

"You know you are going to have to take your shirt off for this shoot, correct?"

"Yes, I was informed when you guys called me."

"Okay, good. Now if you could carefully take off your shirt so you don't mess up your hair and let us get a few shots then you're free to go." Bryce said, then turned to me. "And as for you, you can just sit back and relax. Boyfriend, right?" I opened my mouth to say something but he continued. "Then you can sit up here in this chair and watch."

"Oh, no." I laughed slightly. "I'm her step-brother."

"Oh, well that's fine. You can still sit in that chair. This will only be twenty to thirty minutes. Jamie's a professional." Bryce told me with a smile.

I looked over and Jamie was standing beside the camera, covering herself up because she had already taken off her shirt and bra. I sat down in the chair that was to the right of the camera and waited for the photo shoot to begin. Bryce was now standing in front of the camera with his back to it, as if showing Jamie how to stand.

Jamie stood in the same position Bryce had been standing in, but with her arms still covering herself up. In the back, Daniel was changing the white backdrop to a black one. "Ready?" Bryce asked Jamie.

Jamie nodded her head as she let her arms fall to her sides. Her back was turned slightly towards me but I could still see the front half of her body. But I wasn't looking at that, I was looking at the facial expressions she knew exactly how to do. Bryce was right, Jamie is a professional.

The shoot ended sooner than I had expected and Jamie got dressed. Bryce let Jamie and I look through all the pictures and pick which one would be featured on their website. Jamie and I picked the same one and Jamie thanked Bryce for the shoot. Bryce thanked her instead and handed her an envelope full of cash.

Jamie and I were soon walking back down the long, red carpet towards the door. "How much money did you get?" I asked her.

"$370, $380, $390." Jamie counted. "$400."

"Holy shit." I exclaimed. "Just for that?!"

"Yep." Jamie smiled.

Jamie and I got in my car and we drove home. When we got home, Jamie got the bright idea of having Alexis come over again. I said, "Sure. But only for you. I don't think I'm interested in her."

"Oh, come on." Jamie said. "Give her a chance."

"How can I give her a chance if I don't want to be in a relationship right now?" I said. I was sitting on the couch with a bag of grapes and a water. Jamie was in the kitchen making a sandwich. Our parents were at the wedding planner again. It was only five o'clock and they weren't getting back until eight again. "Let's just have all the guys over for band practice tonight. They feel like I'm hiding from them or something."

Jamie laughed. "Okay.." She said as she came over and sat on the couch next to me.

I took out my phone and called all the guys and asked if they could come over with all their instruments, and surprisingly, they could. Jamie and I sat on the couch and ate our food as we waited for the guys to come over. "So, did you like my photo shoot or was it boring?"

"It was... interesting." I said. "I could never live a life like that."

"Haha, why not?" She asked.

I shrugged and said, "I don't know if I could keep up with all of it."

"Yeah." She said. "Sometimes I lay low, like right now. Last year, all I did was a photo shoot after photo shoot. It was horrible."

"See, yeah. Never in my life could I do that." I said.

"Well, you keep up with music. It's pretty much the same." She said.

"You keep up with music too, though." I told her.

"Yeah, but not as much as you do." She said.

"Oh yeah, well that's true." I said as I put a grape in my mouth. Jamie's phone rang and she answered it. Judging by her tone of voice, it was probably her mom.

"He's right here." Jamie said. "Yeah." Jamie handed me her phone.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Hey, Johno." My dad said. "I just got measured for my tux so it looks like it's just going to be you and the girls tomorrow. Is that fine?" He asked.

"Well, I wanted to see if the guys could come too. Since they all want to come to the wedding and don't have tuxedos."

"Sure, that's fine." My dad said. "But you'll have to take two cars then."

"Yeah, yeah. I can drive." I said. "I guess I'll see you at eight, then?"

"Yeah, see you." He said. "Bye!"

I hung up Jamie's phone and gave it back to her. "Looks like the guys are coming with us tomorrow to get measured." I told Jamie.

"Really? Why?" She said as she took one of my grapes.

"They all want to come to the wedding. Just make sure I ask them if they're free tomorrow when they get here." I said. "I'll most likely forget."