Asleep Or Dead

~Kaitlyn's POV~

Eileen was chatting on her cell phone, eccentrically, again.

"Oh-mi-gosh! You like that too?! Oh-mi-gosh!" She carried on.

"Dammit! E, you're sooo going to go broke with that thing! Give it a break!" I yelled.

I heard a distant bell ring and headed off to my Meteorology and Climate class-erm-classes. My professor, Mr. Howard Bluestien, PhD, was already pointing to today's storm season outlooks.

"Ah and as we see a convergence-" He stopped mid-sentance. "Ahh. Miss Wagner, joining us late again, hmm?"

"Sorry sir." I mumbled. Professor Bluestien smiled.
"Just, erm, take a seat then." He ordered.

The lesson was an important one, on how we'd be taking a small trip to the Storm Prediction Center, again, and the internships being given out. He read off the names on the list.
(random names)
"Dewey Bradshaw, Cheyenne Wesco, Hayley Mirachino, Eileen Thachard,"

I drew a sharp breath, I wanted this internship so badly.

"Earnest Asbury, Anson Veal, and finally, last but not least, the top of the class,"

I gasped.

"Kaitlyn Wagner, on full internship. Congratulations."

The class cheered. I put my hands over my mouth in astonishment. Mr. Bluestien smiled fondly. I realized I recognized two names.

Eileen, of course, and Earnest, the new kid.

"Kaitlyn?"
"Yes, Mr. Bluestien?"
"Dammit, you kids! How many times must I ask you not to be so formal with me! Howard, or Howie, or even Bluecheese, would do fine, no more of this Mr. Bluestien crap."

"Yes, Blue cheese." I giggled.
"Okay, scratch that one." He laughed.
"So, what was it you wanted to say in the first place?" I asked.
"Why so tense? Geez, you just got the biggest honor in the school of Meteorology! And you sit here moping. What happened?"
"Oh, it's nothing really."
"Yeah, it is." He replied stubbornly.
"Well, it's just that I miss someone, my boyfriend, and I haven't seen him in the longest time. I worry, ya know?"
"What is his name?"
"Gerard."
"Strange, Italian?"
"I think."

"Well, If this Gerard fellow really cares about you then he'll come back to you. It's a sure bet."

"Thanks Howard." I smiled.
"You're welcome, Miss Wagner."

The intercom buzzed.

"What, Dorsey?" Howard whined towards the celing, intercome.

"Send Kaitlyn Wagner up. She has a visitor." The lady said in her nasally voice.

"Bye, Howard, and thank you."

I ran up to the office to see who it was.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Once I got to the office, my eyes seemed to decieve themselves.

"Kate!" A familiar voice cried. The man with the afro ran in and held me in a bear hug.
"Ray!!!" I grinned intently. It was Ray Toro, Himself.
"I bet you're wondering where Gee is." He said, reading my mind.
"Yeah."
"Well, he doesn't know I'm here, and I don't plan on telling him until you want me to. He's still in Charlotte. I came to visit, because he was a wreck and I needed to bring him news. I am his spy without him knowing. Also, I came to visit some family."

I was dissapointed at Gerard's abscence but that only slightly detereorated my joy. Ray looked at me and smiled.

"Damn, Kate, you look so, well, Different."
"Good different, or bad different?"
"Good different, older different. Wait 'till Gerard gets an eyefold of you, he won't be able to contain himself."
"Heh, thanks." I blushed.

Howard quickly blazed into the office.

"Dammit! Dorsey! Where are those survey files! And my daily Convective Outlooks!-"

He stopped his disorganized rage when he saw me.

"So, Kaitlyn, is this Gerard?"

Ray burst into laughter.

"No, Howard, this is my friend Ray, Ray, My professor and bestest friend, Howard."
"Nice to meet you, sir." Ray said politely.
"Er, sorry, I'd love to stay and chat, but I have weather shit to attend to."

I laughed.

"Kate, could we go to your room instead of the crowded office where people might see me?"
"Sure RayRay."

We hiked up the stairs to my dorm and Ray sat down on the bed that was Eileens.

"Kate, I have something urgent I just remembered and needed to tell you."
"What?"
"I met you before."
"Well obviously, don't you remember that whole escapade three years ago? I mean-"
"No." He cut me off.
"Well then, what do you mean?" I asked.
"I met you, In Charlotte, when you were thirteen."

I gasped. I hadn't known he had remembered that. And I never told anyone.

"You remembered that?"
"Yep, I knew I saw a strange familiarity in you when I met you the second time. It was strange, like a sense of deja vu."

"Deja vu indeed. Yeah, I was so excited, I hadn't stopped talking about it for days!"
"I told Gerard, and he seemed curiously interested and then I just dropped it."
"Wow. I can't believe you remembered that! That's amazing."

"That is like so cool! OMFG! heh!" Eileen just burst in and when she saw Ray her expression was utterly priceless.

"I'll call you back." She stood in awe. Shock wiped across her face like a paint streak.

"HOLY SHIT YOU'RE FUCKING RAY TORO!!"
"Eileen, shut the fuck up! Just chill!"
"RAY TORO!"
"E-"
"OH MY FUCKING GOD!"
"Eileen." I said warningly.

"Who's she?" Ray whispered in my ear.
"My roomie, sadly."
"She's pretty."
"Ha." I harked.
"Note sarcasm."
"Sarcasm noted, Ray."

"Why is Ray Toro in our dormitory?!!"
"Well..."
"You better tell me, Kaitlyn! And details, I mean details.!"
"Well, MCR are actually good friends of mine.."
"OMFG! Do you know Gerard?!"

Cue wincing from me and Ray.

"Well Do you?!"
"Yeah."
"Just leave her alone, whoever you are, she's having a bit of a hard time!"
"My name is Eileen, thank you."
"Eileen." Ray sighed in frustration. "Just go, okay."
"Fine. But I want my details Goddammit!"

And with that she stormed out.

"Your roomate's a crackhead."
"More than you know." I said.
"Look, I brought you all things from our years apart."

He handed me a box. I opened it.

Inside was a copy of the new album, which hadn't been released yet, a video diary, and pictures taken of all the boys.

I gasped when I saw it for the first time.

Gerard's planned hairstyle.

"Oh and this is from me." Ray said, handing me a box. I opened it.

It was a webcam. I could see Gerard again.

"Ray! Thank you so much!"
"No prob."

I thought of Gerard. Again.