Goodbye Jake

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Written by Tressa

Claudia walked down her school hallway with her new friend Kasey. Claudia had started hanging out with the bad crowd at school now. Claudia came to her locker and took out the books she needed to take home with her.

"So Claudia, do you wanna go to the mall this weekend and see a movie with Chris and Dana?" Kasey asked.

"Yea, I wish I could but, I am grounded." Claudia said.

"What? You didn't tell me. Why are your grounded?" Kasey asked.

"It's called don't skip school when your sister is home." Claudia said.

"You mean when we skipped school yesterday she found out?" Kasey asked.

"Yep, the principal left a message and Julia had to come home from Stanford that day." Claudia said.

"How long?" Kasey asked.

"Two weeks, she said if she caught me on the phone or going to the mall or even watch TV she would make it another four days. I mean can you believe her?"

"She can't do that, Charlie is your guardian." Kasey said.

"Yes, but she kinda is too cause if something ever happens to Charlie then she would be in charge of me and Owen. When I got home she started yelling at me and was like, I can't believe you Claudia, remember what happened last year. Then she just said I was grounded." Claudia said.

"Is that all." Kasey asked.

"I said, she couldn't do that. She said she could. Then she told Charlie. Then I got the third degree with him. And, now Julia has two weeks off for the semester. Which means she will be at home all the time." Claudia said.

"God, that must suck." Kasey said.

"I guess, but it's kinda nice to have her home. I mean Charlie isn't home that much with the baby coming and all."

"Oh, okay. Well see you on Monday Claude." Kasey said and left. Claudia went home and was happy not to see Julia there. She started on her homework and only had a reading assignment to do. Once she got done with that she figured she would turn on the TV she knew Julia most likely wouldn't be home anytime soon anyway. She was into a show when suddenly she heard the doorbell. She turned off the TV and went to the door. She opened the door and was in shock. The figure that appeared at the door. was Grandpa Jake.

"Claudia. It's me." Jake said. Claudia just stood there stunned.

"Om, wow." She said.

" I know your a little shocked." Jake said.

"Wow, shocked yes, but I am happy to see you!" She gave him a hug..

"How have you been?"

"Well, that is why I stopped by Claudia. Can I come in?"

"Of course." Claudia let him in the door. They went into the living room and sat down.

"My, Claudia, you have grown up so much the last time I have seen you." He smiled at her. She smiled back. "Where is everyone?" He asked.

"I am not sure. But, Charlie's girlfriend is having a baby." She said.

"Really, that is great!" Jake said.

"Well, Jake, I mean Grandpa Jake. How have you been?"

"Well, that is why I am here..Claudia why aren't you upset with me..I left you and now I have just come back." He said.

"I, I don't know." She answered. "But, that was in the past." She said.

"Well Claudia I have some bad news to break to you. I am very ill. I don't have much longer." He said.

"What? No, Jake, you can't die." She said. She was stunned. Just then Julia came in.

"Claudia. Where are you?" She yelled from the kitchen.

"In the living room Jule." She came in to see Grandpa Jake.

"Oh my god." She yelled.

"Hello, Julia."

"What the hell are you doing here." She yelled.

"I just thought I would see how you guys were doing."

"We are doing fine. Now get out of here. Your not welcome. Claudia shouldn't have even let you in! You left us and came back once and your not going to do it again. I don't want to see you. Get out of here!" Julia yelled.

"Julia." Claudia interrupted.

"Claudia, that's enough."

"It's okay Claudia, I will go. I am staying at the Roosevelt if you want to call." Jake said.

"No, she won't be calling you." Julia yelled. With that Jake left. When he shut the door Julia was angry. "Claudia, I can't believe you! I can't believe you just let him in like that. You have no right." Julia said.

"God, Julia why do you care? You come home from Stanford and act like you are in charge of everything that I do. Grandpa Jake is dying!" She said. "What?" She said. Julia just stared at her not believing what her sister just said.

"Claudia, what do you mean he is dying?" Julia asked.

" Jules, he just told me that he was not going to be around much longer, then you had to just come in and storm in like nothing happened." Claudia said.

"Claudia, regardless of the fact that he might die you still shouldn't have left him in here. I mean you just suddenly forgive him for leaving you. What is the matter with you?" Julia asked.

"Julia, why do you have to be so selfish." Claudia pointed out. She started walking up to her room before her sister stopped her.

"Not so fast, your helping me make dinner. We can talk about this whole grandpa Jake thing later." Julia said.

"Whatever." Claudia went into the kitchen. Thirty minutes later Bailey and Charlie came in with Owen.

"Where's Daphne?" Julia asked. They were always together, practically inseparable.

"Oh, she had this job thing to do." Charlie told Julia.

"Well dinners ready." Julia sat down the last pot on the table. They were all enjoying their meal when Claudia suddenly mentioned Grandpa Jake.

"Guess what? Grandpa Jake stopped by today." Claudia told Bailey and Charlie. Bailey dropped his fork into the spagetti..

"You mean he had the nerve to stop here. Claudia did you let him in?" Bailey asked sounding mad.

"Well yes, but-" Claudia was interrupted by Charlie.

"Claudia, I don't want you to talk to him. He's just gonna hurt you again." Charlie said sternly.

" When could you tell me who I couldn't talk to." Claudia yelled.

" Now." Charlie said.

" I don't care what you say Char, you can't keep me from talking to my grandfather. Before he dies I want to get to know him a little better." Claudia screamed.

"What?" Bailey yelled.."Now, he's dying." Bailey asked.

"Yep." Claudia said and stormed out of the kitchen.

"Claudia, where are you going?" Charlie yelled. He didn't get an answer though. Claudia slammed her door shut and called the Roosevelt..She didn't care what her brothers said or Julia.

"Hello, Roosevelt" The attendant said.

"Hi, can I please be connected to the room of Jake Salinger." Claudia asked the attendant.

"Hold please." The phone rang and Jake answered the phone.

"Jake. It's Claudia."

"Claudia, hello sweetheart. I thought you weren't aloud to call me." He told her.

"Well, no one knows that I am." Claudia said. "Well, Jake..What is it that you have that is making you well..ill." Claudia said softly.

"Claudia is there anyway that I could meet you at a restaurant or something. I don't want to tell you over the phone." Claudia was thinking about what Julia and Charlie had said, but she didn't care. It was her life. Regardless of what happened when she got home.

"Sure." Claudia told Jake. They were going to meet for lunch tomorrow at 12. The next day Claudia was ready to go. It was already 11:30 and now she just had to find a way out of the house. Since she was grounded she hoped her siblings would figure that she would be in her room the whole day. With out anyone knowing she slipped out the front door to go meet Jake. She meet at the restaurant he told her to meet him at. She saw him saving a table. She ran to him and gave him a hug. She was so happy to see him again.

" Hello, Claudia." Jake said.

"Hey, Jake, how are you..feeling?" She asked.

"Good, thank you." He smiled. "How about you?" Jake asked his granddaughter.

"Good, I had to sneak out of the house to get here though so I can't stay to long." Claudia told him.

"Oh I won't keep you long, you know..It's really thoughtful that you still want to see me even after all that I have done to you."

"Well, Jake. I mean, you are still family and I love you." Claudia told him. Jake smiled.

"Claudia, you know I want to spend as much time as possible with you. But, with your siblings it's going to be hard." Jake told her.

"Forget them. I can do what I want. It's my life and my choice." Claudia said paranoid.

"Claudia I have a rare sarcoma. It's all over my body and well I just don't have much time left." Jake said.

"Sarcoma, Jake. That's cancer. Isn't it?" She asked anxiously. He nodded his head.

"Jake, what did the doctors say?"

"Well, Claudia. They said that I had a few months maybe days. I don't know, but I just wanna make the best of it."

"Okay." Claudia started to cry. She couldn't believe someone else in her family had cancer. She was so close to Jake. She could tell that he had lost a lot of weight and he didn't look so well either. They continued to talk and Claudia realized they had been there a long time and Claudia said that she had to go home. Jake gave her a ride home.

"Thanks Jake. It was fun this afternoon." Claudia said.

"Well, I am glad that I could see you before I get worst." Jake said.

"Say, how about if you meet me tomorrow and we can go somewhere. You and me right after school. What do you say?"

"That would be great." Claudia said and got out of his car. When he pulled away she quietly went up the stairs to her house and opened the door hoping no one would notice. Wrong.

"Claudia, where the hell have you been?" Julia yelled.

"Om, Jules..I." Claudia didn't know what to say. Bailey and Charlie just came in. " She just came home." Julia narrowed her eyes toward Claudia.

"God, Claudia me and Bailey were worried sick about you. Where were you?" Charlie asked.

"I, om..Was visiting someone." She said quietly.

"You mean, after Julia and Charlie told you not to see Jake you still did, and aren't you grounded? You shouldn't be sneaking out like this." Bailey yelled.

"I'm sorry." Claudia told everyone. "But, Jake is really sick, he has cancer."

"Claudia, we're sorry about Jake, okay but, you still had no right to sneak out and go see him. And, then worry everyone else." Julia yelled and put her hands on her hips. She always did that when she was mad.

"So ground me for another four days. I don't care, you still can't keep me from seeing Jake." Claudia told everyone.

"Claude, that's not the point the point is you sneaked out of the house not telling anyone. You scared us. We thought something bad happened to you." Charlie said. Claudia just sighed. "Claude you know what. Just go to your room." Charlie said. "If your gonna act like this, then I don't wanna see you." Charlie said and left the room, Bailey following. Julia was the only one left she was just standing there looking at Claudia.

"I am sorry Jules." Claudia told her. "But, please let me see Jake tomorrow. I told him I would."

"I have to think about it. I don't know if I trust you," she said in a nasty voice.

"Jules." She moaned.

"Claudia, can't you understand why the three of us don't want you to see Jake?" Julia asked her sister.

"Yea, you don't want to see me get hurt, but Jules he is going to die anyway just let me see him." Claudia pleaded. She sighed.

"Okay, but on one condition don't ever sneak out of the house again."

"I promise." Claudia smiled and hugged her sister. "Thanks." She said and ran upstairs to her room. She was happy that Julia could understand why she wanted to see Jake. She woke up the next morning and got ready for school. On the way to first period she met up with her friend Kasey.

"Hey Claudia." Kasey said.

"Oh Kase, have a good weekend?" Claudia was glad that she didn't go to the mall.

"It was boring. How was your weekend grounded." Kasey asked in a sarcastic voice.

"My grandpa Jake came back." Claudia told her friend..

"Are you serious?" She looked shocked. Claudia had told her about Jake. "Whoa." She was stunned.

"Yep, but he is dying. So, it's really sad..I am trying to see him as much as possible."

"Claude I'm sorry." Kasey tried to console her friend.

"Don't worry about it." Claudia shut her locker and went to class. After school Claudia caught a bus to the Roosevelt. She couldn't wait to see him. Once she arrived she looked around for him. He was no where to be seen. She waited for two hours and finally went to the front desk.

"Excuse me." Claudia said in a snotty voice.

"Can I help you?" The attendant looked up from her paperwork.

"Yes, I was supposed to me someone, Jake Salinger, is he still here?" Claudia asked, hoping he didn't leave her.

"Om, Mam. Mr.Salinger was admitted the General Hospital." She said.

"Oh my god, thank you." She ran out of the hotel and got a bus to the hospital. She got there as fast as she could. She asked the nurse and was directed to his room. She went into his room and saw him lying there hooked up to all of the machines it made her cry and she had to leave the room.

"Excuse me." A person said.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Do you know my father?" The lady asked.

"You mean your Jake's other daughter?" Claudia asked confusingly.

"Yes, and you are."

"I guess Jake didn't tell you about me. I am Claudia Salinger. Diana is his other daughter. I am the granddaughter." She told him.

"Oh, now I remember. Yes, he said that he was visiting you. It was so nice of you to come." She said very sweet.

"Om, thanks. What is going on?" She asked.

"Well. I talked to the doctor and..he didn't give him much hope. He doesn’t think he'll make it Claudia." The lady said.

"What? But, he was just fine yesterday. I was supposed to meet him today. He can't just go away like that." Claudia told her.

"I know, honey." She touched Claudia on the shoulder. "Don't you have other siblings..What was it..Julia, Bailey and Charlie?" She asked.

"Yea."

"Would you like to call them?" She asked her.

"Well, I guess I should." Claudia excused herself and went to call. "Salingers." Julia answered.

"Jules, it's Claudia."

"Claudia! Where are you. You didn't say you would be gone this long." She sounded angry.

"You have to come to the hospital right now. It's Jake." She told her.

"He's in the hospital? Oh my god. Okay, I will be there as soon as possible. I have no idea where Char and Bay are. I will just have to come by myself." Julia sounded annoyed.

"Okay, just get here." She hung up the phone. The doctor came just when Julia arrived. Claudia was in the waiting room with Jane, Jake's daughter.

"Julia." Claudia was happy to see her.
" Hey Claude." She sat down next to her.

"Hi, I am Jane. Jake's daughter." Jane said.

"Hi, nice to meet you." Just then the doctor came in. "

Hi, are you the family?" Doctor Johnson asked. They looked at each other.

"Yes, yes we are." Jane told the doctor.

"I am sorry to say, but Jake won't survive the night. He is not doing well. I just thought we would tell you, so that you could be prepared." Jane started to cry as well as Claudia. Julia was just sitting there.

"I am going to go see him." Julia said and got up. Julia went into the room. It gave Julia chills to go in the room. This is the same way her mother and father were before they died. She let it pass her however. She sat down next to Jake and held his hand.

"Jake, this is Julia." She had tears coming down her eyes. "Om, well I know you can hear me, but om..I just wanted to say that I was sorry for what I said to you the other day. I was just upset I really didn't mean it." She told him. "But, why? Jake. Why, did you just leave us again. That's why I was angry. But, now to see you here, laying here. I just it's gonna be hard to realize that you are not going to be here. You know Claudia really is fond of you. She just lights up when she sees you. But, I know that you are really sick and that you probably won't make it...much longer. But, Jake it's okay to go.. You know that. You'll see mom and dad. And don't worry about Claudia, I will watch after her. She will be okay. I will too. It just hurts to see you like this. I wish I could've gotten to know you better. But, Jake I have wanted to say this for a long time. I love you. And, Jake I mean that, Jake I really do. Mom will be happy to see you." She said sobbing. Just then his heart went off. Doctors and nurses ran in. Doctor Johnson looked at his heart machine.

"He's gone." The doctor told her. She shook her head in understanding. Jane came running into the room.

"Oh my god." She started crying. Julia went out of the room to tell Claudia.

"Claudia." She took her sisters hand.

"Julia, did Jake wake up. Jane just went hysterical and ran inside his room. Is everything okay?" Claudia asked hoping Julia would tell her that he had woken up.

"Claude, he's gone." She said softly to her sister.

"No." Claudia burst out with tears. Julia held on to her sister. She hated seeing her sister look so sad. She hugged her sister and said.

"Claudia, it's going to be okay."