PART 1

As she woke she could hear birds chirping outside her window. She loved the springtime - blue skies, sunny days, and summer was just around the corner. She reached across her bed, resting her hand on the cool, empty space on the mattress and felt the same pang of loneliness that she had so many times during the past year.

She rolled over and reached for the phone on her bed-side table and dialled the number by heart - it'd be lunch-time in London, so she knew Katie would still be in bed.

"Yeah?" was the groggy response on the other end of the line. Jessie smiled to herself. They'd spent so long apart, but there were things that she knew would never change.

"You're still in bed?" Jessie chastised playfully, "It's a beautiful day outside!"

Katie rolled over and glanced towards her window, "No it's not. It's raining," she grumbled, "and besides, of course I'm still in bed - there's a time difference, Jessie," Katie tried to sound convincing, "It's really early over here!"

"It's almost 1pm," Jessie smiled knowingly.

"Yeah!" Katie did her best to sound indignant, "That's really, really early!"

"Yeah," Jessie rolled her eyes, "How will you ever face the day after being woken so prematurely?"

"You're right," Katie grinned into the receiver, "I'll have to stay in bed."

Jessie just rolled her eyes once more and changed the subject, "So, have you set the date yet?"

Katie was confused, "What date?"

"So I can start counting down."

"Counting down to what?"

"To you being home," Jessie answered sweetly.

"Ah," Katie nodded, "I don't think you've got enough fingers and toes," she replied wryly.

"What?"

"To count on," Katie explained, "When you run out of fingers you have to start counting on your toes, and you still won't have enough."

Jessie smirked, "So you can only count to twenty, huh?"

"Twenty-two," Katie corrected earnestly.

Jessie laughed, "You have twenty-two fingers and toes?"

"Why do you think I always wear shoes?" Katie replied seriously, "The sixth toe makes people uncomfortable."

Jessie just chucked, "So when are you going to get home?"

"Ah," Katie began nervously, "About that..." she trailed off.

"What?" Jessie asked suspiciously, sensing Katie's tone.

"Well, see, the thing is..." Katie stuttered, before being cut off by Jessie.

"You haven't booked your flight yet, have you?" Jessie asked her, unable to not feel slightly annoyed by the fact that Katie's absentmindedness would mean a longer time apart.

Katie shook her head, "Well, no, I haven't," she admitted, and tried to continue, "...but..."

"Katie!"

"...but..." Katie tried again, but was again cut off.

"...you have to do it soon, or you won't get back before semester starts," Jessie said in her best motherly tone.

"Well, see...the thing is..." Katie began nervously once more, and again Jessie noticed her tone.

"What?" she asked lowly.

"They've offered me another semester of full tuition," Katie blurted, and then took a breath, "and I said yes," she added much more quietly.

"What?" Jessie asked again.

"Um, I'm going to stay for a little while longer," Katie answered weakly.

"A little while?" Jessie asked incredulously.

"It's just another semester."

Jessie felt as though she had been struck, "But...but..." it was her time to stutter, "But you were the one that wanted to stow away in my suitcase when I came home after new year," she said, cursing herself for the accusatory tone she used.

"I know," Katie hung her head, "I'm sorry."

Jessie felt bad for her. She knew that if things were different, if she had been offered the same opportunity, that she would have accepted it in a heartbeat just like Katie had. But it was cold comfort. She knew that on one hand, Katie had decided to leave because their relationship was strong enough to survive the distance, but on the other hand she couldn't help that nagging feeling she got once in a while telling her that Katie didn't actually need her.

"Jess?" Katie asked after the extended silence, "Are you still there?"

"Yeah," Jessie answered quietly.

"Are you okay?" Katie asked just as quietly.

Jessie didn't respond, she just took a deep breath to steel herself to ask her own question, "Katie, are *we* okay?"

"what do you mean?" Katie asked, furrowing her brow.

Jessie let out a heavy sigh, "I mean, I hate that it's getting easier for us to be apart."

"It's not," Katie countered defensively.

Jessie was incredulous, "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Katie affirmed but quickly lost her conviction, "You just get used to it I suppose," she offered.

"I don't want to get used to it," Jessie replied, not feeling encouraged by Katie's response, "I hate that you're not here, but it's obviously getting easier for you since you want to stay," her voice cracked and she could feel her emotions getting the better of her.

"That's not fair," Katie responded icily.

Jessie took a deep breath to collect herself, "I'm sorry," she said softly.

The two sat silently for a moment, listening to the other breathe on the other end of the line. Jessie didn't know what to say, so it was Katie who broke the silence, "Jess, it won't be that bad," she offered comfortingly, "We've made it this far."

Jessie nodded to herself, "I guess," she answered weakly.

"I'll be home before you know it," Katie continued.

Jessie chuckled wryly and without humour, "We said that last time."

Katie hung her head, "I know," she said, unable to come up with anything further that could provide any comfort.

Jessie sighed again, but tried to cheer them both up, "Oh well, at least we have the holidays."

Katie perked up, "Really? You can come back here at Christmas?"

Jessie's face fell, "No," she said slowly, "I assumed you'd be coming home."

Katie grimaced, "I don't think I can."

"What?" Jessie, again winced at her own tone, "Why not?" she asked a little more softly.

Katie was at a loss for words, "I just..." she stumbled over her explanation, "I can't afford it," she admitted, "You know my parents aren't helping me out much, so I only have enough money for rent and food and stuff," she explained.

"I know," Jessie conceded softly, again hating herself for her selfishness.

"The only extra I have is for my airfare home at the end of semester...so..." Katie's voice faded.

Jessie finished her sentence for her, "So you're staying there for Christmas."

"Yeah."

Jessie just nodded into the receiver, "Okay," she said quietly.

"Okay?" Katie asked hopefully.

"Yeah," Jessie answered with yet another loud sigh. After a moment's silence she continued, "Anyway, I've got to go."

"Jess, wait," Katie's voice contained a hint of desperation, "Are we okay?"

"Yeah," Jessie answered, but it sounded hollow to the both of them.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Jessie's voice was dismissive, "I just really have to go," she tried to explain convincingly, "I've got heaps of studying to do for finals..."

"Okay," Katie cut her off quietly.

"Okay," Jessie echoed her.

"We'll talk tomorrow?" Katie stated more than asked.

"Yeah, of course," Jessie answered, "I've just really got to go now."

Katie remained silent, so Jessie just continued, "Okay, I love you, bye."

"Yeah, I love you too," Katie replied, but as the words fell from her mouth she realised she was saying them to the dial tone. She sighed and placed the receiver down.

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