A/N I must be the slowest writer, sorry its been I while since the first chapter, but I assure you this story is never too far away from my mind. And let me not forget to thank you for the reviews =D
"So, Eli isn't eating with us again tonight?" Grace casually enquired across the table, hoping no one would catch on that her curiosity about her step-brother seemed to be a constant enquiry lately.
"Nope, out with Alice, is it?" said Rick, finishing off his last carrot, looking round to Lily for confirmation.
"Nah, Alex, she stopped by earlier to pick him up," Lily filled them all in, giving Rick a stern look and wondering how her husband couldn't know that. But then again, her step-son did seem to go out with a new girl every week, and she was sure this one wouldn't be any different.
"Oh," was all Grace had to say about that. She felt the need for a swift topic change, and she looked over to Jessie who was happily chatting away to Katie, who was joining them for tea. They were both occupied in their own conversation and Grace decided to bring their nattering to public attention.
"What are you two discussing?"
"Hmmm?" Jessie glanced up in Grace's direction.
"I said what conversation are you so engrossed in?"
"Nothing really, just debating whose mother cooks the tastiest broccoli. My mum can never get it right. It's either too soggy or hardly cooked at all. You win out, Mrs Sammler" Katie directed her last statement across the table to Lily. That ought to get rid of Grace's nosy beak, she thought to herself. Next to her Jessie was having the same thoughts, whilst marvelling at her friend's brilliant impromptu skills..
"Ah, Katie, with that charm you're welcome to dine here anytime!" Lily grinned with an added chuckle. "Talking of which, did bring up your overnight things into Jessie's room already? It's just that I couldn't find them in the hallway."
"Overnight things?"
It was then that Grace noticed Jessie blushing slightly.
"Yes, didn't Jessie mention to me earlier that you were staying over tonight?" Lily replied starting to look puzzled.
"Umm, actually I was only asking if you would ever let her sleep round sometime…" Never having had a closer friend as Katie to host a sleepover with, she'd been thinking of asking her over soon, certain that they'd have a laugh and heaps of fun, even though they had known each other little over a month now.
"Hey I never knew about this Jess." Katie was interested now. Grace found this highly amusing but kept it to herself.
"That's because when I asked it was a 'what if' scenario. Not that I don't wa-"Jessie started to correct herself, but Lily cut in mid sentence, predicting an unnecessary babble was about to be heard.
"-Well you're certainly welcome to sleep round especially as I've been assuming all day that you were going to anyway."
"Katie, do you want to sleep over?" Jessie asked shyly, wondering why she suddenly had these second thoughts. She and Katie had spent a whole afternoon in each others company, why would a night be any different?
"Sleep round tonight because there is practically no school tomorrow, it being a half day and all" Zoe chimed, wanting as much as the rest of the family did for Katie to stay. They had all seemed to warm to the girl as soon as Jessie had first introduced them all. Ever since, Katie just completed the family bringing a happy buzz along with her.
"Mmm" Grace cut in in agreement with her sister, swallowing her mash potato fast so she could talk, "Half days at school are never demanding so you can go in tired." She didn't know why she was supporting this, as she was usually disapproving of their friendship. It was probably due to both Jessie and Katie falling silent for the first time this meal; Katie lost in her own excited thoughts and Jessie looking uncertainly nervous. So someone needed to step in and give them back up, she decided.
After realising that she hadn't given an affirmation, Katie nodded eagerly to everyone, beaming at Jessie, all the confirmation she could muster at that moment.
"Great, then I've already sorted you out quilts and a blow up bed in Jessie's room, and I'm sure we can find you some PJ's that'll fit."
"Pudding!" Zoe had grown impatient of this talk seeing it didn't involve her, and was eager to show off what she had made that day.
"I've baked Katie's favourite-Butterscotch Tart!" Zoe smiled mischievously, heading to the fridge and pulling out a rather enormous pie covered in cling film.
"Woah, nice going Zoe, here let me clear the table first." Katie said reaching for hers and Jessie's empty plates, it was nice to be able to function again and as soon as she had come back down from cloud nine, she put this to good use.
Rick harped in, "Zo was going to make Banoffee Pie, but when she heard Katie was coming round she told me she HAD to make Butterscotch instead. Is that a favourite of yours Katie?"
"Cheesecake is her-" Jessie got interrupted for the second time that meal, this time by Zoe.
"Don't you remember Jess? Our conversation earlier" Zoe wondered how she could forget.
The stress on the last word helped Jessie clear up her confusion, and then a faint groan could be heard from Jessie's side of the table. A sudden familiar feeling of embarrassment was being felt as she recalled her previous made comments that morning. "Look all I said was I thought Katie's hair could be classed as Butterscotch colour," she said feeling the need to defend herself.
"Not quite" Zoe turned to the girl with pudding coloured hair "Katie, it was much more than that. I was saying your hair has a cinnamon tint to it but Jess insisted that it's 'a strikingly beautiful butterscotch colour'! She wishes she had hair your hair."
Katie couldn't help but be flattered and overwhelmed at all this new information she was receiving this dinner. First being asked to sleep round, and then a pudding being made in her honour, and now she had found out that Jessie admired her, or at least her hair.
"Well bring on the pudding!" She joked to try and rid this fuzzy warm feeling inside of her.
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Later that evening, Jessie and Katie found themselves in a dilemma over what movie to watch. It was a toss up between Bridget Jones II, the chick flick of the choice, or a rather scary thriller. Katie had watched Bridget Jones before, and was well aware of a scene in which a girl kisses Bridget. She felt this would be quite uncomfortable to watch with Jessie, not knowing her take on girls with girls. However she was also reluctant to watch the thriller as she had already openly admitted to Jessie-she's a big wimp when it comes to creepy movies.
"Katie, seriously make up your mind quick else we will be popcorn-less, and that will be a disaster" Jessie said nibbling on her handful of corn, from the already half-empty bowl they were sharing.
"Hey, we are only going to be 'popcorn-less' if you keep eating it!" Katie said whilst throwing a couple of bits at her friend and watching them bounce off her nose. Quickly, she grabbed the bowl off Jessie so that she was unable to retaliate.
The door flew open at that moment and Lily's face appeared smiling.
"I bring gifts!" Mock shock and disgust appeared on her face as she saw the remains of the popcorn kernels scattered on the carpet.
"Uh, I'll just pick those up," noticing Lily, Jessie set about collecting the remains of the snack together, throwing Katie a stern but amused look.
"Good. Now Grace went down to the movie rental store and got a couple of movies, she thought you'd both be into this one," Lily told the girls indicating to the movie in her hand, "Actually it was the one left over after we had our pick downstairs but I was told it's a 'decent' movie by your brother Jessie. Fancy watching it?" Lily bent over to hand the DVD to Katie's outstretched hand.
A grinning Katie replied "Thanks Mrs Sammler, we were both having a hard time deciding what to watch, you've rescued us from some very hard decision making!"
"Well enjoy, I'll leave you girls in peace and you know we're downstairs if you need anything. Goodnight." Upon that the door swung closed and the two girls were alone.
"The Last Kiss it is then" Katie read out the title of the movie.
"Wha?" Speedily Jessie swivelled her gaze from where it had been seconds before saying goodnight to Lily, unable to digest what Katie had said. It had sounded like something about a kiss…
"Oh, yeah," She had caught sight of the name of the movie and all her confusion was cleared up. What else could she have been thinking Katie had said? Silently cursing her newly found odd behaviour tonight, she went on "Eli is always telling me that's worth a watch."
"Sounds good anyway," Katie tore her eyes away from the blurb to focus on Jessie "Rachel Bilson is in it, I've always wanted to meet her."
Snatching the case from Katie and placing the DVD in the player, Jessie gave her friend a weird undecipherable look, and added "Zach Braff's a legend and a bit of a hottie too."
"Haha" Katie let out a nervous unexpected laugh, but calmed down once she saw Jess was serious. "Yeah let's watch the movie." She settled down back into her cushion and watched as the 20th century fox logo came up.
A while later, the film already underway with the two young girls watching, relaxed and content. Katie could have been more comfortable, and to make matters worse a rather awkward scene appeared on screen: two women erotically kissing. She hadn't been anticipated this being in the movie, for sure. Nervous, she chanced a glance at Jessie to see her reaction to the tv. Funny, Jess didn't seem fazed at all, in fact she seemed rather intent on watching the scene play out.
The girl under question became less and less fixated on the screen in front of her when she could feel Katie's eyes on her. Not that she was hardly staring, it was just she knew Katie would be looking at her. Some strange instinct told her that Katie wanted guidance on Jessie's take on this situation. Giving in to her thoughts, Jessie lent backwards, putting on what she hoped was a blasé face, breaking the rigid position she had up taken from uncertainty and fear.
Katie noticed this sudden change in Jessie's behaviour, and chose not to openly acknowledge it, hoping she wouldn't embarrass her crush. The last thing she wanted to do was make the air any tighter at this moment.
But however much the girls thought there may be tension, they carried on as normal as the movie progressed, with Katie sneaking the occasional look in Jessie's direction. All odd behaviour was forgotten about as they talked the night away, not falling quiet until 2am.
That was definitely a deep movie and left her thinking long after she should have fallen asleep. It also kept her mind off Jessie, sleeping soundlessly, her hands inches away from Katie's neck. Maybe she should have listened to a few wise lines of the movie echoing in her head. 'What you feel only matters to you. It's what you do to the people you say you love, that's what matters. It's the only thing that counts.' Or maybe it was just that time, in the early hours of the morning when you begin to get all sentimental. Whatever it was it couldn't be good. She felt more confused than ever.