Meant to be

"Please I need to make a few phone calls." Jakob pleads to his dorm roommate. "Here's five bucks buy yourself a coffee, just stay out of here for a while."

"Fine." Andrew mumbles as he gets shoved out of the dorm room. Jakob locks the door and picks up the phone and a business card.

"LAC Television Studios, Mr. Skooner's office."

"Yes, would it be possible to talk to Mr. Skooner."

"Who may I ask is calling?" some perky young voice asks.

"Jakob Armstrong." He hears the faint sound of a keyboard.

"Ahh yes, Mr. Armstrong, you have the editor's position as of July."

"Yes."

"Oh, Mr. Skooner just got out of a meeting, if you hold on a few moments I'll put you through."

"Thank you." he says as he gets put on hold.

"Skooner speaking."

"Yes, this is Jakob Armstrong."

"Yeah I know, what can I do for you boy?"

"I was wondering if I could possibly start working for LAC immediately?"

"Sorry, but the editor job only opens up in July, you can't just-"

"I know, but could I get maybe a gofer job till then, just so I can get used to the atmosphere?" he states clearly.

"Okay, but just letting you know gofer's earn sufficiently less than editors."

"It's fine, two months of gofering, mainly using this to get a feel of the work environment at LAC."

"Alright kid, I'll see you Monday." He says in a gruff voice, "I'll put you through to my secretary and she'll give you the details."

"Thanks."

Moments after the phone call with Mr. Skooner, Jakob cannot contain himself and dials his brother's cell number.

"Hello."

"Joey!"

"Hey Jake, how are you and Stella doing?" his brother asks casually.

"I'm freaking out."

"I figure as much." Joey states trying not to laugh, "You wanna talk about it or what?"

"Yeah, I mean I had this whole plan thing, I would start working at the TV station this summer and you know what I just did?"

"Knocked up Stella?"

"I mean just now," Jakob mumbles as he rolls his eyes, "I called asking to start work right away."

"Yeah so?"

"Yeah so! One night changed my whole fucking life." He lets out an exasperated sigh, "I will be the only guy in college with a kid next year."

"Yeah well at least its your final year and since when does Jakob care about what other people think."

"Whatever."

"Well I don't know what to tell you Jake." Joey says running a hand through his hair, "Call Dad, he'd have more advice on the subject."

"I can't call dad and just-"

"Call Tre then, he was exactly your age when-"

"Maybe."

*

"What? So you're pregnant!" Stella's roommate Kendra exclaims.

"Yeah."

"Does Jakob know?"

"Yeah, of course he does." Stella says rolling her eyes, "He's coming with me to my doctor's appointment this week."

"So he's okay with it?" Kendra says with a glare, "Is he older than you?"

"Younger."

"Holy shit."

"He's twenty-one."

"And he's okay with all this?"

"Kendra, you've dated too many ass holes." Stella laughs, "Jakob has got to be the sweetest guy I've ever known."

"Mama's boy?"

"Hell no."

*

Ramona steps out of The Bay Area News head office, one of the few days she decided to actually go into the office. As she walks down the busy city street she hears her cell phone ring. She plucks the small piece of technology out of her purse and puts it to her ear.

"Hey baby." She says realizing it was her husband calling.

"Hey Mona guess what?"

"Your boss turned into a chimp?"

"How'd you know?" he laughs, "I got the Italian deal, well me and Denny."

"That's great!" she squeals, "So when do you leave for Italy?"

"Next week a whole three months." He says happily, "I'm booking your ticket as we speak and then I'm moving on to buy you a new lap top."

"I don't need a new one." She protests, "And don't you have work to do?"

"Nope, after I finish up booking your flight I'm leaving the office."

"Well I'm in the area now, I'll meet you there."

"Okay." He says smirking as he turns off his computer, "We'll go get you a new lap top together."

"Fine, but I'm getting that pink one."

"But you hate pink." He laughs as he leaves his office and heads toward the elevator.

"Yeah I know, but ten percent of the profits goes to breast cancer research." She turns the corner and arrives at the office building where Joey works. "Hey I'm outside your building now."

"I'm on the elevator." He states as he presses the button for the ground floor. Ramona shuts off her cell phone and waits patiently.

"Aren't you Ramona Wright?" a woman in her early thirties asks as she looks her over.

"Yeah."

"I read your advice column." She exclaims, "Well I heard you just got married."

"Yeah, three weeks ago." She smiles, "So now I'm Ramona Wright Armstrong."

"Well I work for SFP Television, Carlie's Corner?"

"Oh yeah, the talk show." Ramona nods.

"Yeah, and I'd love to come on the show for an interview." She says eagerly, "And your husband too, Joseph Armstrong, am I right?"

"The thing is we won't be in California for the next few months."

"When do you leave?"

"Next week."

"No problem, I'll find an opening before then." This woman states, "Here, I'll give
you my business card."

"Hey Babe." Joey coos as he walks over to his wife. "What's going on?"

"Hi, I'm Abigail Clark of SFP Television."

"She wants us to come in for an interview."

"An interview?" Joey asks looking over the business card.

"Well just call me this evening and I'll give you the details." She says as she walks away and into an office building.

"But we're leaving in a week." Joey says as the couple walks down the street.

"Apparently she can get us an interview before then."

"I don't like these things, they make me where make up." Joey pouts as they head to the Best Buy a few blocks down.

"But you where mascara from time to time." Ramona teases, "And I've seen you with the all out eyeliner."

"Yeah that was once." He says as they both laugh, "at my dad's birthday, in mockery of him."

"That was hilarious." She says linking arms with his. "Especially when you started air guitaring to American Idiot."

"My dad nearly peed himself laughing."

"Seriously, your imitation was dead on."

"Why thank you." he laughs as they cross the finally street before arriving at Best Buy.

"I feel sorry for my old lap top, he's going to be so hurt that I'm replacing him."

"He'll cope." Joey says in slight mockery as they make their way through the store to where the computers and lap tops are.

"Hello, can I help you?" A sales clerk asks stopping them in their tracks.

"Yes we're in the market for a lap top." Joey says clearly.

"Well what kind of lap top."

"The pink ribbon lap top."

"Oh yes, right this way." The sales clerk says leading them down an isle. He unlocks a glass cabinet and retrieves a box. "Here it is."

"Thank you." Joey says taking the box and the couple head to the front cash.