Court kissed the top of Heidi’s head. You’ll be out in no time.” He paused. “Now, I’ve got to find J.T. We’ve got to get back to rehearsal before they found someone else to do our parts. I’ll see you soon.” Court winked and walked back downstairs to the lobby.
CHAPTER 21
A few days later, J.T. was sitting in the lobby of the dean’s office. He was rehearsing in his head what he was going to say to Dean Harlow when she finally decided to speak with him. He looked at his watch. He had been waiting 30 minutes for her to call him in. He was getting tired of waiting and had a notion that Dean Harlow was making him wait on purpose. He walked up to Burnetta.
“Any idea when the warden—Dean, I mean dean is going to see me?” he asked.
“I’ll let you know when she is available, Mr. Sumtrane.”
“I’m running on a tight schedule, Burnetta. I have to be back at rehearsals in an hour plus I have a class that requires some prepping to do. So, I would appreciate it if you would ask about what time Ms. Harlow can clear her oh so busy schedule so that I can have a word with her.”
“Well, Mr. Sumtrane, I didn’t know that you had such high priorities to deal with. I’ll let her know that you need to speak with her immediately.” Burnetta picked up the phone to call into the dean’s office.
J.T. mouthed “thank you” and waited at the desk for an answer.
“She will be out in a minute.”
“That’s what you said half an hour ago,” J.T. seethed.
“Have a seat, Mr. Sumtrane. She will be out shortly.”
“I don’t think so, Burnetta.” J.T. walked over to the door of Dean Harlow’s office and beat open the door. Dean Harlow was sitting at her desk pecking at keys on her computer.
“Dean Harlow, I have a very important matter to speak with you about and I don’t have much time before I need to be at rehearsals.”
“Mr. Sumtrane, I don’t believe I asked for you to enter my office, yet.”
“Well, I believe that I have been waiting out in the lobby for over half an hour and can’t wait any longer if I am going to get to the places I need to be on time, like you so implied by the first meeting that we had about my attendance here.”
“I am a very busy person, Mr. Sumtrane. I do not have time to be harassed by students who break rules on a daily basis.”
“Dean Harlow,” J.T. said through gritted teeth. “I am here to talk to you about the curfew petition. I took over for Heidi since she is otherwise indisposed.”
“And where is she?” Dean Harlow asked.
“She is in the psychiatric ward at the hospital. She had a mental break down with all the things she has on her plate and tried to kill herself a few days ago. So, being the person that I am, I told her that I would take care of her pet project. So, here it is.” He threw a manila folder on her desk. “Seventy-five percent of the student body has spoken. They believe their new curfew should be 2:00 a.m. The surveys and signatures are in there. Any questions?”
Dean Harlow smiled. “Oh, Mr. Sumtrane, you drive a hard bargain. I do believe that 2 a.m. is a little late, but since the student body has spoken there is nothing I can do about it.”
“Well, Ms. Harlow, I’m glad we worked something out. When do you expect to let the student body know about the changes?” J.T. asked.
“I’ll send out an e-mail and make sure the professors relate the message to their classes about an upcoming meeting on Wednesday. Is that good enough for you, Mr. Sumtrane?”
“Yes, ma’am, I believe it is.” He looked at his watch and put his sunglasses on. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a rehearsal to get to,” J.T. announced. He backed out the door and was on his way to rehearsal.
***
Ashleigh walked into Heidi’s hospital room. She had been spending a lot of time with Kelso there and decided she needed to talk to Heidi about her situation. She walked into the room and saw Heidi curled up on the corner of the hospital bed.
“What’s going on?” Ashleigh asked.
“Wishing I was someplace else,” Heidi answered.
“Me, too. But, you take what you can get.”
There was a long uncomfortable silence. Neither girl knew what to say to each other.
“J.T. hasn’t come to see me since he put me in this cell block,” Heidi whispered as she looked out the window.
“Oh, honey. I’m sure he meant to. He’s just really busy with rehearsals and classes.”
“Yeah, he’s really busy finding things to do so he can avoid me.”
“Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Heidi. I came up here to try to cheer you up. J.T. wants you to get better and he’s blaming himself for what has happened. He’s not avoiding you; he’s trying not to hurt you anymore than he has.”
Heidi looked over at Ashleigh. A trail of tears streaked down her face. “It’s not his fault, Ashleigh. Tell him that.”
“I have. Court has. We all have. He’s just too stubborn to listen to anyone that can change his mind. But, enough about J.T., let’s talk about me.” Ashleigh smiled. She flashed her ring in Heidi’s face. “I’m getting married!”
“Holy crap! What did he have to put in hock to get you that?”
Ashleigh giggled. “He won’t tell me, but I’m pretty sure it was his guitar.”
“He sold his guitar?” Heidi asked puzzled. “He must be in love.”
“That’s what we think. Kelso’s getting released tonight. I was hoping you would, too, so that we could all go out and celebrate.”
“That’s not up to me to decide. I’ve been here for three days and no one has paid any attention to my progress. Why don’t you go talk to the nurses and see what they think?” Heidi asked hopefully.
“I think that’s something you need to talk to the nurses about.” Ashleigh leaned over and gave her friend a hug. “I gotta go. Kelso’s waiting. We’ll be waiting for you.” Ashleigh walked out of Heidi’s room and back to Kelso’s.
Kelso was sitting in a chair wrapped up in a blanket. He jumped when Ashleigh walked in the room.
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” Ashleigh apologized.
“That’s okay. I was just daydreaming about our life together. I’m ready to get out of here so we can get started,” Kelso said.
Ashleigh bit her lip. She wanted to say something, but she didn’t want to hurt Kelso’s feelings. She wasn’t sure on when she wanted to go through with the big event, but she knew that she wanted to do it soon. Her idea of soon might have been different from Kelso’s idea of soon. She just wasn’t sure how to handle their differences.
Kelso looked at Ashleigh and saw fear creeping into her eyes. He slowly got up from the chair and put the blanket over the back of it. Then, he walked over to Ashleigh and put his arms around her.
“I’m not trying to rush you, sweetie. I just want to have as much time as possible with you,” Kelso said.
“Are you saying there isn’t much time for you left?” Ashleigh asked swallowing a sob.
“That’s hard to say. I mean this is the third time I’ve been in the hospital in the past six months. The doctors say that I’m doing okay, but if I’m really doing okay, should I be in this place on average of every two months?”
“Probably not,” Ashleigh whispered.
Kelso kissed the top of Ashleigh’s head. “C’mon, let’s get out of here and see what the rest of the world is up to. I’ve been out of the loop for a few days.”
“Well, let me get you up to date on my world. One of my best friends has been checked into the mental ward upstairs for trying to kill herself, J.T. is still thinking about leaving Julliard, and I have no idea how to handle everything that has been thrown at me since I came to school.” Tears trickled down Ashleigh’s face. “It isn’t fair!” she screamed and pounded on Kelso’s chest. He let out a slight cough. “Oh my God, I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay, Ash. Everything is going to be ok
ay.” Kelso squeezed Ashleigh in a bear hug. “I’m still here and I’m not going anywhere for awhile. Things will work out and everyone and everything will be back to normal soon.”
“Don’t lie to me, Kelso! I hate liars!” Ashleigh exclaimed.
“I’m not lying, Ashleigh.”
“You don’t know if things are going to get back to normal. You’re not the one who decides that. Don’t feed me a bunch of crap just to make me feel better. It doesn’t work when Dashelle does it and it certainly doesn’t work when you start throwing it at me. I am tired of everyone telling me things will be okay and this is what God has planned for me. I wish everyone would just leave me alone and let me make my own decisions about my life!” She wriggled out of Kelso’s grip.
Kelso backed away from her and looked at the floor. “I’m sorry, Ashleigh. I’m so sorry,” he whispered. He took the back of his hand and wiped his tears away.
“Kelso?” she asked timidly. “Are you crying?”
“No. Real men don’t cry,” Kelso remarked.
“That’s a bunch of bull, too. Why are you crying? What did I say to upset you?”
“You just told me what I’ve wanted to say to just about everyone that I’ve come in contact with the past year, but instead I’ve just nodded and carried on with my life. People tell me that everything is going to get better and God has plans for me, too, but I can’t believe a word they say. Do you see, Ash? Do you see that we have the same thoughts and hopes? Do you understand why I don’t think I can live without you?” He reached out for Ashleigh’s hand, but she wouldn’t give it to him. “Don’t do this, Ashleigh. Don’t let me hang on to nothing, when all I want is to be with you until I die.”
Ashleigh looked at his face. His trail of tears dripped down onto his shirt.
“I said the truth, Ashleigh. I haven’t said the “D” word and actually come to terms with it until now. That’s what you have done to me. I didn’t want to believe that I was going to die young, but you made me realize that it is okay to go to the great musical in the sky. I just needed someone to tell me the truth and that was you.”
“I can’t do this, Kelso. I can’t be the one,” Ashleigh said.
“Yes, you can,” Kelso remarked. “You have to be the one.” He tipped her chin, so she could look into his eyes. “You’re the only one I have left.” He leaned forward for a kiss and she gave in to him. They slowly pulled away from each other.
“Why does it have to be me?” Ashleigh asked.
“Why does it have to be me?” Kelso repeated.
***
J.T. walked into Heidi’s empty dorm room. He stood in the doorway and stared at the picture of them together from their senior year in high school. They were still in costume as Sandy and Danny from Grease. He walked over and picked up the picture to take a closer look at it.
“Why did things have to become so complicated so fast? It was so much easier a few months ago,” J.T. told the picture.
“You’re telling me, man,” Court said as he walked in on his best friend. “I thought I’d find you here. How did the meeting go?”
“Fine, curfew is 2. She’s going to call a meeting on Wednesday to let everybody know,” J.T. said in a monotonous voice.
“Cheer up, J.T. You got what you wanted,” Court remarked.
“No, no, I haven’t.” J.T. put down the picture and walked toward the door. “I gotta go see about someone.”
“We’re going to be late for rehearsal,” Court called after him.
“Better things to do, man. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Go without me,” J.T. remarked. He ran out of the dorm door and whistled for a cab. “I have got to get a bike to move faster around this town.”
A cab pulled up and J.T. hopped in. “The hospital and step on it.”
“Uh, this is New York. Which hospital are you talking about?”
“Just keep going straight. I’ll let you know when you get there. Now, move, please.”
“Sheesh, talk about your rude New Yorkers.”
“I’m not a rude New Yorker. I’m from the Village.”
“One and the same.”
“I have half a mind to get out of this cab and find some other cabbie to take me.”
“And I have half a mind to not care what you say. You know how you got in the cab and you know how to get out of it,” the cabbie remarked.
“Lucky for you, I don’t have time to find someone else, so, let’s make this drive as pleasant as possible-which means it will be better for the both of us if we keep our traps shut.”
“Fine by me. Just don’t forget to pay me when you get out.”
Fine.”
The cabbie drove and J.T. sat in the back with his arms crossed. He couldn’t believe how rude some people were in New York. He just wanted to get to Heidi as fast as possible. He looked out the window in hopes that the hospital would be in sight soon. After five minutes, he finally saw what he was looking for.
“Right here, please. Pull over.”
The cabbie swerved over to the curb and put out his hand for payment. J.T. forked over just enough cab fare for the ride and a tip.
“That’s all you’re going to give me?” the cabbie asked.
“Do a better job next time. I’d work on my people skills if I were you.”
J.T. turned around and ran into the hospital. He hit the elevator button until the doors slid open. When he finally made it to the psychiatric ward, he ran down the hall until he got to Heidi’s room. He didn’t even knock, he just swung the door open and walked in. Heidi let out a small scream from being frightened by the door slamming open.
“This isn’t where you need to be, Heidi,” J.T. said.
“And I suppose you know where I need to be,” Heidi said.
“No, I don’t. I don’t know a lot of things. I do know that you need to be with your friends to help you work out this problem. Being stuck in this hospital where nobody knows who you are, what problems you have, and your dark secrets is not the answer to what’s going on with you,” J.T. remarked.
He pulled Heidi up by the arms off her bed. “C’mon, let’s go.”
“I can’t just walk out of here, J.T. The nurses have to release me. I have to sign papers. It’s all a bunch of red tape before I leave.”
“Fine.” J.T. looked around. “We’ll just go out the window.”
J.T.! We can’t do that. We’ll get in trouble.”
“By who? The hospital police?”
“Yes.”
“Heidi, listen to me. You have got to get out of here. I did the wrong thing by admitting you in here. In fact, I’ve done a lot of wrong things since we decided that we were going to be a couple. I know I’ve screwed up and I want to make it up to you. So, get your stuff and let’s go out the window.”
“I can’t, J.T. The nurses will catch us.”
“Heidi, for once in your life, take a risk. You don’t belong here.”
Heidi looked down at the floor. “I don’t belong anywhere.”
J.T. took his hand and tilted her chin up so Heidi was looking at him. “You don’t really believe that, do you?”
“Why do you think I tried to do what I did?”
“Heidi, you belong with us-with me. I mean I didn’t realize how much we belong together until I looked at the big picture. Everyone is going off in separate directions since we got here. Ashleigh found Kelso. Court is—well, Court is Court. And the two people we thought would never get together, finally have. You and I are the only ones that glue this dysfunctional friendship together.”
“That’s just it, J.T. I’m tired of being glue.” She walked away from him. I want to be able to find someplace where I belong and sometimes I want somebody else to be the glue.”
“Fine, I’ll be the glue. Now, let’s go. I have to get to rehearsal soon.”
“I’m not going, J.T. You can’t make me.”
“
What are you? Five?” J.T. reached out for her hand and grabbed it. “You are coming with me.”
“No,” Heidi refused. She pulled her hand out of his. “I’m not going with you.”
“Yes, you are.” J.T. picked Heidi up and threw her over his shoulder. He walked out of the room past the nurse’s station with Heidi beating on him and yelling to put her down.
Every time they passed someone, J.T. would just smile and wave. Occasionally, he’d ask how they were doing.
They made it outside and J.T. got a cab again.
“Madrid Theater, please.”
“Well, look who finally knows where they’re goin’,’” the cabbie remarked.
“Oh, great, you again.”
Heidi leaned over. “J.T., what’s going on.”
“Nothing. Just a little failure to communicate in the taxi world.” He looked back up at the cabbie. “Just take us to the Madrid Theater. Same deal as before.”
“No problem. I got better things to do than to waste my voice talking to you.”
“Amen.”
The cabbie put the car in drive and sped off toward the theater.
CHAPTER 22
“Well, look who finally decided to show up,” Greg remarked as J.T. took the stage.
“Sorry, Greg. I had something I needed to do.”
“Okay, yeah, whatever. Just get the show on the road, man.”
J.T. started in singing the first notes of “Rent.”
Heidi was watching from the back biting her nails. She sat next to Ashleigh and Dashelle.
“What’s the matter with you, Heidi? You’re acting like you’re not supposed to be here,” Ashleigh asked.
“I’m not. J.T. broke me out of the hospital. I didn’t sign any release forms or anything,” Heidi answered.
“Oh. Didn’t you want to be out of there anyway?”
Heidi scratched her head. “Yeah, I guess. I’m just—I don’t—what the heck is going on with J.T.? I mean he comes into the hospital says all this stuff to me then practically carries me out of the hospital kicking and screaming after he put me in there. What is he trying to prove?”
Ashleigh shrugged her shoulders. “Hey, new subject. Want to go shopping with me later? I’ve got to look for a dress.”
Heidi gave Ashleigh a puzzled look. “You’re really going to go through with it, aren’t you? Do you know what kind of risk you’re taking?’