Grace Manning entered her large house, her head throbbing from a long and boring day at school. She sighed and shouted, "Mom? Rick? Anyone home?" She could hear the loud music playing up in the attic. Ugh, Jessie, Grace thought as she trudged up the stairs. She could hear the giggling through the door and she pushed it open slightly. She peered through the opening and saw a sight that made her eyes go wide. Jessie was lying on the bed staring at the ceiling, which was nothing to gawk at, except for the fact that Jessie's head was resting on the chest of Katie Singer. Both girls looked as though they were in a trance. Grace leaned in closer to hear the conversation that the two girls were having, but as she did this, the door creaked and opened, revealing Grace's guilty face to the girls. Jessie jumped up, nearly knocking Katie off the bed. "Grace!" she shouted at her older stepsister, rage filling her eyes. The rage was soon replaced by a look of guilt as she glanced sideways at Katie. "We were just um...we just got tired, ya know, from school. We were just resting our eyes," Jessie told her.

Katie nodded her head in agreement as she lowered her eyes away from the gaze that Grace was burning into her. "I-I should go. It was great seeing you again Grace, really. See ya, Jess," Katie said as she left the room. Jessie went to follow her, but Grace grabbed her arm preventing her from following Katie.

"What are you doing?" Jessie asked, pulling away from Grace's grip. She backed away from the older girl and glared her famous 'what the hell are you doing' look.

Grace glared right back at her. "What am I doing? What are you doing?" she yelled at Jessie. Jessie just stared at her stepsister with a confused expression across her face. "Just be with her Jess. You obviously want to. It's not like it would matter to anyone if you're gay."

"I am not gay!" shouted Jessie, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

Grace rolled her eyes, "Oh come on Jess, we already had this conversation. You love her; she loves you, go with it."

Jessie's eyes fumed with anger, "I don't love her. I don't love anyone."

"Jessie, wake up. You're not perfect and you never will be. Stop trying to protect an image that you never had to begin with and be with the one you love before you lose Katie forever."

Jessie's strong exterior faltered at the mention of Katie's name, but she soon regained her composure. "What do you know about love? You've never loved anyone except someone who obviously knew that he was too mature for you," Jessie said, as she warmed up for the final blow, "And then you drove him out of the state and away from his home...and away from you."

Grace jumped back as though she had been slapped and her eyes became watery at Jessie's comment.

Katie sat on the step at the bottom of the staircase, listening to the sisters' argue. Katie was still unsure of what she and Jessie were to each other. She knew that they were more than friends, but she wasn't so sure that Jessie knew that. She smiled at the memory of the younger girls' gesture at Jake and Tiffany's wedding. When Jessie had taken her hand as the vows were being said, Katie felt as though she held the whole world in the palm of her hand, and in a way she did. But things weren't like that all of the time. Jessie had made it very clear that although she cared for Katie, she didn't want anyone else to know that she had these feelings...for a girl. A small tear ran down the girl's face as she thought of all the moments where the two girls had sat together in silence, and yet had some of the most meaningful conversations of Katie's life. It was easy for Katie to say that she was head over heels in love with Jessie Sammler, and she wanted everyone to know this. But she loved and respected Jessie, and if Jessie wanted to wait, then she would wait for as long as the younger girl needed. Katie jumped as she heard the door to Jessie's room slam shut. Grace came bounding down the stairs, obviously upset at what had happened upstairs. "Oh, Katie, you're still here?" Grace asked.

"I'm still here," she said simply, lowering her head again.

Grace frowned, "So...I guess you heard that huh?"

Katie nodded, "Hanging on every word."

"She didn't mean it, ya know," Grace said, taking a seat next to Katie on the stair.

Katie looked up, "Of course she did...does. Jess is right Grace...just because I might feel something for her doesn't mean that she'd ever feel anything for me. She isn't... gay. She said so herself, so just please, leave it alone," Katie hated to say these words, even though she wondered herself if they were true.

Grace felt for Katie and she reached to put a hand on her shoulder. Katie jumped at the contact. "Sorry," she mumbled under her breath.

Grace gave Katie a sincere smile, "Just give her time. She'll come around. She loves you and just because she won't admit it, doesn't mean that..."

Katie stood up, "I...I can't talk about this. I'll see ya Grace," and with that said, Katie turned and ran out the door.

Grace sighed as Katie disappeared from her sight, "Jessie," she said aloud; "You're going to hurt that girl, whether you mean to or not." At the top of the stairs, Jessie buried her head in her knees and softly cried.