"Friends"

"Friends" Chapter 22

VALERIE'S POV

It had been a few weeks since I last talked to Jimmy and honestly I was feeling okay, a lot better than I thought I'd feel. Sure, I missed him like crazy, but it was time for me to move on and be happy.
My life has completely changed in the last few days, I decided to move back home.
I absolutely love New York City, it has my heart, but my mom really needs me right now. She has been having a really difficult time without my dad and Dan has done his best, but sometimes thats not enough.
As I placed the tape on top of my last box I exhaled loudly. I looked around my empty apartment and heard Tina walk in the room from behind me.
"Val, the U-haul is here!"
I walked over to the window and looked out to the skyline that I'd looked at so many times.
"You okay?" I felt her hand touch my arm gently and I ran my hand through my long bangs.
"Yeah, I'm alright." I turned around and gave her a reassuring smile. I walked back over to the pile of boxes and set my hand on top of them.
"The city will be waiting for you... So will I." I turned around and saw that she had tears in her eyes.
"Aw, Tina." I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her neck. I had never really seen her cry before so this made me so much more emotional.
"Gosh I'm going to miss you, girl." I heard her sniffle and clear her throat.
"I'm going to miss you too..." We held eachother for a while until she pulled away and wiped her nose with her sleeve.
"Who the hell is going to do my makeup now? Who is going to do my eyebrows for me? You know, without you I'm just an ugly Greek man with a high pitched voice." She giggled and I looked into her eyes.
"I'll find someone almost as good as me, for you... And you DO NOT look like a Greek man. You're beautiful, Tina." Smiled at her and she nodded her head.
"Opinions, opinions... Now, go take care of that mom of yours..." She gave me a little shove on my arm and we began to load up all of my boxes into the truck.
It was about an hour into the lonely drive when I decided to pull over and find a station that I could listen to. Everything was either static or sports until I heard Willie Nelson's voice come through the speakers.

"And maybe I didn't hold you
All those lonely, lonely times..
And I guess I never told you
I'm so happy that you're mine,
Little things I should have said and done
I just never took the time,
But you were always on my mind..."

I felt my hand began to shake as I heard cars drive by me. The last time I heard this song, I was with Jimmy on the way home from my parents house...
I tried to change the channel but my fingers couldn't seem to find the buttons. I felt so many emotions come over me as I threw my head into my hands. I felt numb as warm tears streamed down my cheeks. I wanted my dad back. I wanted Jimmy back.
I thought I was fine... I obviously wasn't. I stumbled out of my car and walked over to the grass that was on the side of the road.
I grabbed my cell phone out of my back pocket and called my mom.
"Hello, Honey!"
"Mom..." I cried into my phone and I couldn't catch my breath.
"Valerie, what's wrong?"
"I- I shouldn't be feeling this way... This shouldn't hurt this much..." I continued to cry as I heard her breathing.
"Oh...Honey, where are you?"
"I'm in my car. I pulled over... I heard a song... I can't drive... I just can't believe my life has come to this... I feel so alone..." I felt a knot in my throat as I tried to speak.
"Okay, you need to try and calm down... Take some deep breaths honey, It will all be okay." I leaned over and continued to cry.
"Its not fucking okay!!! None of this is okay!" I threw my hands up and covered my face. "I don't know what I'm doing with my life... I make the worst decisions... I'm so sorry I'm disappointing you...." I cried harder until I heard her stern voice speak.
"Listen to me. Get back into your car right now and come home. We will talk when I see you, OK?"
"Okay..." I cried weakly as I hung up my phone. I wiped the tears away from my face and walked back over to the truck.
I never have ever cried this hard in my life. I just felt so hopeless and useless... I felt like no one wanted me.

I felt so lost.

After what seemed like the longest car ride, I finally found my neighborhood and drove to the end of my street. My mom was standing outside waiting for me to arrive. She was pacing in the driveway as I pulled up.
Enough was enough. I needed to let all of this out.
I quickly opened the car door and stumbled onto my clumsy feet. I ran over to my mom and fell into her loving arms.
"I'm so sorry..." My voice cracked as I cried into her chest.
"Its okay... Its okay... Shhhh," I heard her shush me quietly as she rubbed my back. "You could never disappoint me. I love you."

JIMMY'S POV

I sat in my living room and tried to catch my breath. Last night I had a few people over for dinner and we totally all trashed my place. I woke up this morning with a hangover and with a huge mess to clean up.
I looked down at my cell phone that was sitting on the coffee table and was so tempted to call Nancy.
These last few weeks have been really hectic.
I couldn't believe the news that I received from Lorne. He told me that they're looking for a new person to host Late Night and they are really wanting me to do it...
When I first heard him say it, I thought he was fucking with me.
Me?
The insecure geeky guy on SNL who was known for breaking? Really?
Anyways, in a few days I'm going to his office and we're going to have a meeting about it. I'm so lucky and I can't believe that this opporitunity has come to me.
Anyways, I haven't talked to Nancy since the last time I saw her and she told me to call her! I couldn't get her blonde hair and blue eyes out of my mind... Ah, Fuck it.
I picked up my cell phone and called her.
It rang a few times until I heard her sweet voice in my ear.
"Hello!"

"Hey Nancy! It's Jimmy!" I stood up and began to walk around my apartment, which is something I've been doing a lot lately when I talk on the phone.
"Jimmy, Hey! It's actually funny I was just about to call you!" I smiled and tried not to get too excited.
"Oh really? What for?"
"Well, I'm actually coming to New York next week!" I smiled even bigger.
"Seriously? That's awesome! We have to get together while you're out here! I can show you around."
I heard her giggle.
"Yeah, Jimmy. That would be fun." I could hear her smile in her voice and it made me feel so good.
"So what is bringing you into the city?" I walked through my kitchen.
"Aparently, there is some nerdy convention for producers and they want me there..." She laughed and so did I.
"I had no idea they even had 'nerdy conventions for producers'"
"Neither did I, Until about twenty-four hours ago!"
"Well I can assure you that you'll have a good time in my city. I can promise you that. I can also make sure no one mugs you."
"Wow, Thanks Jimmy..." She giggled and then there was a little bit of silence.
"God, I just have to say... I missed you." I bit my lip and waited for her response.
"I missed you too..." Her voice gave me goose bumps and I immediately knew it then and there. I never felt this way this quickly before...

I was in love.