Chapter 6- Torn in Two

She was sitting on a stranger's sofa with a beer in her hand. After being asked in, Katie had taken two steps before she remembered that she had tied Kitty's lead to the fence, so embarrassingly she had to run back out and fetch her. Now she was giddily watching her pooch and Alex's dog playfully running around the living room.

"Okay, you're staring. Is it that hard to believe I was once that sweet looking?"

Alex's voice had pulled her from her thoughts as she adjusted her eye line that had been on a photo frame on the mantelpiece. Pictured were two smiling school girls, both dressed smartly in identical leaf green blazers. A fresh faced Alex, sporting slightly darker plaited hair, sat in front of a girl of similar looks, only she was slightly taller.

"No, that's not it. You still are sweet" Realising what she had just admitted, Katie cleared things up by saying. "It's just you look so young there, and I didn't know you had a sister."

"If you saw her now, you'd never be able to tell we are related. She's like my opposite; she's a nurse for a big hospital in New Jersey. She's incredibly sensible and down to earth, like I said, she's the reverse of me."

"Do the uniforms mean you went to private school?"

"Rightly assumed. You wouldn't have thought that given the slum of a house we live in now. Things were a lot different all those years ago. We're less fortunate financially ever since my dad..left."

Before Katie could enquire any further, not that she would have because Alex was starting to look upset, the blonde suddenly exclaimed "Shoot, I forgot I have band practice...ten minutes ago. I wouldn't have invited you in if I knew I had to go out so soon."

"Oh, well I-"

Alex interrupted before her words of disappointment could escape "Unless you'd like to come with? Could be kind of fun. You like music right?"

Katie half nodded. "Cool, then we'll be off."

Alex placed her beer bottle on the nearest coaster on the coffee table and got up, all of which Katie followed suit.

"I didn't know you were in a band. What do you play?"

Casually plucking her coat off the peg, Alex replied "My voice." Not quite understanding, perhaps due to the simple way Alex had put it, she went on "I sing. A guy- Eli- cool dude, you'd like him, asked me to join his band before the summer. I only went along at first because I felt sorry for him." Katie gave her an inquisitive look and she continued "He sold me this sob story about his failing band and how I am just the person they needed to get going again. Turns out he was right, and we're getting bigger offers every week." She let out a small laugh and looked at Katie staring at her, unblinking. After not saying a word, Alex thought she knew what was going on.

"And know you think I'm a total douche bag for talking about myself a lot right?"

"Yeah you're a total douche" Katie playfully shoved Alex. "I know Eli, he's Jessie's brother."

"Right, of course you do. That's why we first met. So have you ever seen him play?" Alex enquired.

"No, but whenever I'm round at their house I can always hear him and his guitar from the garage."

At this, Alex let out a small chuckle. "That's Eli, always has his guitar in his hand! C'mon lets get going already." Hoisting another leather coat off the hanger and carefully tossing it in Katie's direction, they both soon disappeared out the front door and into the road.

"Wait-Kitty!"

"Katie, her and Riley will be fine together at home. You are okay with that right?"

"Yeah sure. If it means I get to come back to collect her, that's not such a bad thing" A smile crept along her face.

"Definitely, now get moving!" Alex grabbed Katie's waist and pushed her along for a bit until she overtook her and sprinted off down the road.

By the time the pair had made their way to the old barn, the band had already started their jam session. The wooden door that marked the entrance to the barn crashed open, revealing two girls chasing each other, one struggling to breathe , the taller, blonder one not so much.

From Jessie's point of view, standing in the corner of the room she had watched the girls come in, and was now watching them have a laugh about something obviously very funny that was making them crack up. The clashing of the drums was getting to her and so Jessie made her way over to the newcomers, wondering why they were here.

The smaller girl tossed her mouse brown hair out of her face as she straightened her back upright from her previous bent over position that she used to catch her breathe. As soon as she did that, Jessie and her locked eyes and the smile on her face remained plastered there, if not got a little bigger.

"I'm not up for that again if you are going to be so slow at jogging here" Alex, next to her, said.

" Hardly. That was hardly........ a light..... jog." She managed to puff out whilst her eyes were still fixed on her friend quickly approaching them. Alex's head snapped over to Jessie trying to place where she'd seen her before.

"Jess! Hi," Katie greeted her best friend.

"I came along with Eli." Katie noticed the puzzling look she was giving Alex and decided to enlighten her

"And I came with the singer. This is Alex, my um friend." She wasn't sure whether to use that word. "Alex this is Jessie who you might remember from our encounter with the dogs." The tall blonde smiled friendly over at Jessie.

Before anymore introductions could be said, the music came to a sudden stop and a cry of "Oi Alex, you made it! Took you long enough. Get your late butt over here."

With a regretful glance at Katie, she left the two alone and skilfully jumped up onto the stage to join her band mates. One of them tossed a microphone in her direction, and Jessie and Katie stood together in silence as the band started up again. It had to be said the sound of the music became so much more enjoyable once Alex began to sing, her melodic voice drowning out the ruckus of the instruments behind her. Katie was so engrossed in listening she forgot that she had the company of Jessie bedside her, and so was rather shocked when she felt the younger girl tugging at her hands.

Jessie had hoped that Katie would put her mind at ease by telling her why she was here, and arrived with the blonde singer for that matter. Given the silence though, Katie obviously didn't feel like telling her. So, fed up of not knowing, she took her friend's hand and pulled her to the back of the room, where the closed bar was situated. It was quieter over here, and at least they could attempt conversation without Katie having her attention focused on the band all the time. Jessie found it unnerving watching her constantly watching the singer.

"Why are we over here? The band is over there."

"They are only rehearsing Katie" Jessie perched herself on the high bar stool. Katie did the same, sitting opposite Jessie, but not before giving another glance over to the stage where the band had paused again to have a group discussion.

"Did you bring me over here to tell me something important?" Her focus was fully on her friend now for the first time since her arrival.

Jessie noticed the apprehension in Katie's voice "No, aren't I allowed to just speak to you normally?"

"Oh yeah sure, so nothing important was on your mind?"

God, Katie seemed like she was on another planet again.

"Well there was this one thing I wanted to ask you." Jessie paused to see if Katie was going to express an interest but she only gave her a blank stare and so she continued. "Eli and his band have been asked to perform at the concert in the park next month. They are headlining and he's never been so stoked about something in his life. Feel like coming with me?" Although why she had to be so nervous about her friend's answer she didn't know. She wouldn't have usually felt like this if it hadn't been for Katie's strange awkward mood she was in.

To Jessie's surprise, her eyes lit up as if some one had sparked a firework up her bum. Nodding and grinning vigorously she replied "Yeah that sounds totally great."

"Really? Fab!" Hearing those words from Katie cheered her up. Jessie jumped up and embraced Katie in a bear hug, causing Katie to fall back a few steps.

"Jess, do you want to crush me?" Jessie's face reappeared in front of Katie's again, they were still wrapped in a loose hug and Katie had to catch her breath at their closeness; at Jessie's angelic features; at her sweet scent. She smells like chocolate pancakes was the most coherent thought she could muster at that moment and she rightly kept her mouth closed.

There they stood, the music from the band could have been rocket noise and they still wouldn't have heard it.

And as quickly as the moment had begun, Jessie drew her head further back and replied in a soft whisper "No, I don't want to crush you."

Katie was in a daze, thinking the only thing she could right then. 'She holds my hand, hugs me, and gives me these looks. Should I just tell her already?'

By the bar, at the back of the barn was where the two friends sat for the rest of the band practice. Their animated chatter and the excitement of spending time together again was enough to make Katie even forget about listening to Alex.

They were interrupted a full hour later when a perfectly tanned hand belonging to Alex, appeared on Katie's right shoulder.

"Hey, I hate to break you two out of you're conversation, but the band's packed up and we're headed home." Alex waited for Katie to leap out of her stool.

Jessie jumped at the chance to invite Katie back with her. "Katie, you could come round to my house if you want unless...." She trailed off after noticing the predatory glare the tall blond singer was giving her. Well, she definitely knew who her favourite 'Singer' was.

"Actually Jess, I have to pick up a few things from Alex's house. I'll see you at school." Without a moment's hesitation, Alex had linked arms with her and headed out towards the door, and one farewell wave was all Katie could manage before they were fully out of sight.

Disappointment welled up inside of her as Jessie watched the two girls exit. The door hadn't even closed before it was wrenched from its hinges and swept open yet again. It was Grace and as she entered and she strolled straight towards Eli who was packing his guitar away. Greeting him with a long hug, Grace then noticed Jessie alone in the corner.

"Who was that with Katie? I've never seen her looking so excited in all the time I've known her."

Jessie heard this and sighed inwardly. She muttered a half-hearted "Alex" before she too made her way over to the door. The last thing she heard Grace say was "They must be headed somewhere fun" before the door slammed shut behind her.