Two By Two

Chapter 5

Jamie sat with his back against the door, his hands spread out on the floor, feeling the vibrations that were coming from kitchen as his parents screamed and raged at each other.

He had taught himself to do this in the early stages of his disability training. His instructor at the hospital had told him to distinguish the emotion of the actions around him based on the vibrations in the floor. He doubted that she had intended for him to use it to spy on his parents' arguments, but that was what it had come to. They didn't know that he was aware of their arguments late at night, and he preferred it this way. Knowledge was the only thing he was capable to storing the way any normal person was, even if the methods he obtained it were different, and he was determined to let nothing stop him.

Across the room, his phone lit up.

For the first time, he was grateful that he had installed the Facebook messenger app on his phone instead of embarrassed. Climbing silently to his feet, Jamie abandoned his place at the door and the argument between his mother and father, and made his way over to where the phone was. He already knew it would be Kassidy, but the smile was still bright on his face when he read her name.

The message read:

Hey. Can you help me with something really quick? It's important.

Jaimie frowned. Kassidy needing help with something was odd, not because she was perfect, but because she was largely self-sufficient in any way she could be, as an attempt to take some control of her livelihood.

He opened the app and began typing.

J: Sure. What's up?

K: I accepted a trial vaccination for my epilepsy that involves me moving into a secluded apartment complex nearby. My mother hates the idea and refuses to let me go. I need you to log into her email and sign the papers for her.

Jamie stared at the screen for several seconds, taking in the implications of this. His first thought was immediately to help Kassidy. His second thought was, how the hell was she going to pull this off when her mother found out?

Either way, it didn't matter. Kassidy's health was on the line. And Jaimie was going to help her, no matter the cost. She was the only one who saw him as more than some small, broken thing. The least he could do was help her here.

J: Give me one second. I need to start up my computer.

K: Thank you thank you thank you! I'll send you her email password and a picture of her signature. Your computer does touch screen, right?

J: Yep.

K: You'll need to copy the signature so that even mom can't say that she didn't do it. I know I'm putting a lot of pressure on you, but you're the only one I can trust to do this.

Jaimie smiled.

J: Don't worry about it. I'm glad I can help.

Quickly, he fired up his desktop and brought up the search engine. A few seconds later, his phone beeped, with an email address, password, and the most loopy signature he had ever seen. Before he went to type things in, he rose quickly and went to his door, locking it securely. It wasn't uncommon for him to lock his door at night, so his parents wouldn't bother him anyway, but it didn't hurt to play it safe.

He entered the email and password, and scrolled through the PTA emails and online coupons until he came to the email from Kassidy's doctor. There was a chunk of text, a small box to click on, and a line for a signature. Jaimie clicked the box, stating that he agreed to the terms, and then very, very carefully, tried to copy exactly the signature he had been sent.

It took him three tries, with a stylus that had come with the computer, but at last he had copied out a signature that matched the picture he had been sent. I finalized his decisions and sent the email back, then picked up his phone.

J: I signed the agreement and sent it back.

K: Perfect. Delete the email now so she doesn't see it. She does that with all of her emails.

Jaimie hit the delete button, and then logged out of the email and wiped his history. No one would be able to trace Kassidy's mother's email to his computer, and no one would be able to tell he had set he free.

J: It's done. We need to delete and remake this convo so that she doesn't go through her phone and see it.

K: Ok.

Jaimie deleted the conversation quickly. A few seconds later he got an invite to a new one. 

K: I deleted it. We should be  good here.

J: Nice. I sent it out, the doc should have it in his emails by now.

K: You have no idea how much this means to me, Jaimie. Thanks you. So, so much.

Jaimie smiled.

J: Don't worry about it. I'm glad you're going to get this opportunity.

K: I think I get to move out in a few days. We need to meet up again before that, so I can give you the address. Sound good?

J: Absolutely.

K: I'll send you the details. Ttyl. :)

Jaimie watched the phone screen shut off with a massive grin. He had missed having friends, more than he would ever be able to put into words. Kassidy was a blessing. And he was going to make sure he held on to her.