Wow, I think from all the fantastic reviews I got, that the last chapter was by far the best. Maybe because of.... Nah couldn't be. ;-) =) Here's part two.
Part 2 How will I break the news to you?
Later that evening Katie made it home, emotionally drained and ready to collapse into the safe haven of her bed. Opening the front door Katie was greeted with the sound of her mother's voice.
"Katie is that you?"
Out from the living room came her mum, carrying a basket of fresh ironing.
"Hello dear, I've hardly seen you at all this past week."
Katie barely gave a shrug and tried to continue towards her room, but her mum, unwilling to let their conversation end when it had barely started, began pestering her further, much to her own annoyance.
"Katie? Katie?" She put down the clean clothes she was carrying and beckoned Katie towards her. "Here, give me a hug. I was starting to wonder if I ever had a daughter, for all the time I have hardly seen you this week." Without a protest, Katie submerged herself in her mother's arms; all her downbeat thoughts lost in the hug. Temporarily at least.
"You smell different today. That's not another girl's perfume I can smell it is? If one of your brothers came home smelling like that there'd be a few questions to ask eh? So where've you been this afternoon?"
"Jessie and I went to town and we were trying out all sorts of new fragrances." She lied. It scared her how often she was doing that. Lying so that others wouldn't uncover the truth of who she really was, was a habit she was about to set about breaking soon enough.
Satisfied, her mum tried another tactic to prolong the feeble conversation. "Do you fancy folding all these clothes for me? I have dinner to get on with seeing as it's late already."
"Mum, I'm exhausted. I'm going to go to bed and don't worry about making me anything to eat-I'm not hungry." With that Katie skittered off past her mum and towards the door opposite the living room, where her bedroom lay.
She had some serious thinking to do tonight.
- - - - - - - - - -
Saturday afternoon shopping wouldn't usually be such an unlikeable pastime for Jessie. Yet today was different because she had been in town with her mother for the last five hours. Having already purchased what she had originally set out to buy, she was now following Karen into every department store in search of a birthday present for Henry.
Boredom was an understatement to how she felt right then and Jessie couldn't take much more of traipsing around shop after shop.
"We won't be much longer, but I just need to find the right gift." Her mum reassured her.
Unseen by her mother, Jessie rolled her eyes. "You told me that fifty minutes ago. And here we are, still without a present."
"It's nice to spend time with my daughter once in a while. Although I wouldn't have minded if you'd wanted to ask Katie along to keep you company. She loves shopping doesn't she?"
"I could have. Actually, not really because I didn't get a chance to see her much this week."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, she's becoming quite distant with me right now." She stopped walking, as she realised Karen had paused to peak in the window of a handbag store.
"If you two haven't had an argument then maybe there is a boy involved. That's often the case if there seems to be no apparent reason for her being around you less, sweetie."
"No, it's not a boy." Jessie retorted confidently.
"Well whatever it is I know you and her will sort it out. You're too close to let anything get between you." Jessie looked unconvinced.
They stopped outside a lingerie store which, Jessie noted Karen had been eyeing up every time they had walked past it. Her mum gave her a look, as if asking her daughter permission to enter. "No way!" Was the reaction Karen received. However she wouldn't give in and Jessie, her patience wearing thin said a huffy "Fine!" There was not a chance that she was going in there though, so she decided to sit this one out.
"I'll be around browsing, call me when you're done."
"Are you sure honey? Because you could come in and help me cho-"
"I'm sure. Take as much time as you need." Then she stalked off in the opposite direction, heading for the exit to the mall.
It was a late afternoon by now, so the twinkling night lights already illuminated the bustling streets. Outside in the high street, pretty lines of circular benches, each guarded by their own tree decorated with lights, were at the centre of the crowds.
Having spent all afternoon shopping, Jessie's legs were becoming tired. All she need right then was to sit down. She made her way over to one of the empty benches and laid down her shopping bags in front of her and crossed her legs on the bench. Reaching over to grab her headphones from her satchel, she thought better of it when she heard the echoing voice of a street busker. A Beatles busker to be more precise and he was tunefully belting out all the classics.
Usually Jessie wouldn't notice him but she was in the mood to sit, chill and relax, soaking up the evening's atmosphere. She was...chillaxing. She smiled to herself as she remembered Katie's made up word. Then it disappeared as quickly as it had formed when she realised thoughts of Katie had been whirling up a storm in her head all week, and they confused her to hell. Right now, she didn't need to think about her friend. There was time for that when she was lying awake in bed at night.
On the bench, under the tree, watching meandering shoppers and listening to the acoustic chords of the male busker was where she engrossed herself in for many moments. Not enough instances were spent like this, merely taking time out of her day to admire the world around her. Occasionally lyrics from the songs the guitar player was playing would ring around in her head, and she would absorb them.
As the busker, dressed in a worn overcoat, switched songs to 'Imagine', Jessie decided to pay tribute to him. Digging out all the change she had acquired that day from her purse, she got up and walked over towards where he was playing. He smiled up at her as she dropped the coins into his guitar case. All the while, he continued to play and his song became background noise once more as she turned to walk back to her bench, humming to herself 'Imagine all the people, living life in peace.'
By engrossing herself in the music, her mind was kept occupied and away from Katie. Because thinking about her hurt, and she was too confused to understand why.
- - - - -
Thinking about Jessie hurt, and she knew fully well why and what she had to do. Was she ready though? That was the question.
Katie had wandered into town to get away from the sight of her bedroom ceiling and her mothers nagging. Conveniently there was nobody sitting on her favourite spot under the high street trees. The same old street singer that made a weekly appearance was bleating his heart out in time to his guitar. Katie admired him for that and he definitely seemed to be earning his keep-at least from the amount of people she had seen throw a coins his way over the many evenings she had spent sat in this exact spot.
Turning up the music on her mp3, Katie put her hood up, and began to watch the people around her go about their lives. Only, not two seconds later, she was interrupted by a tap on her shoulder. She turned to her side to see none other than Jessie sitting next to her, mouthing something. Instantly Katie plugged out her headphones so she could hear what her friend was saying.
"Katie is that you?"
Jessie had returned back to her bench seat, and was shocked to find a hooded someone in her place where she was moments ago.
"Yeah it's me. What are you doing here, in the middle of town?" She took down her hood so she didn't completely give off the look that she was depressed and feeling secluded.
"Oh you know, just soaking up the atmosphere of town night life. I got tired of shopping with mum so I decided to come out here whilst she visits the last few stops. I guess you had the same idea. "
"Yup these fairy lights really do make the high street look prettiful." She beamed at her friend, truly glad to see her, though inside she was scared about the prospects of the next few moments.
They both stared at the dream-like glow of the lights draped over the trees above them, like they were spellbound over the soothing influence it radiated.
"I miss this, you and me hanging out." Jessie had broken the silence that had gradually fallen upon them. Then she thought she'd bite the bullet and come out with what had been gnawing at her all week.
"What's been up with you lately?" Still silence from Katie's side of the conversation.
Jessie continued further "Normally I'd be able to tell. I know you, I knew you." She spoke the last part dejectedly. "I hardly know you anymore." They both new she was referring to the rendezvous' with Alex.
Next to her, Katie remained in her calm subdued state. Jessie wasn't met with a reply until she thought the silence between them was about to consume their friendship forever.
"Jess," Katie finally turned to her, a heartfelt plea plastered her face, and a gentleness to her voice was clearly audible. Now or never. "What would you do if I told you I was gay?"
Taking hardly a moment to consider this revelation, she replied "I'd tell you what took you so long." Jessie laughed half-heartedly, before averting her eyes downwards. Katie didn't know what to feel until Jessie's head turned back to hers and looked her straight in the eyes, capturing her gaze.
"I'd also tell you you're still my Katie and nothing can change that."
My Katie? Did she hear that right? She couldn't believe it, after all this angst of the last week, it turned out Jessie still thought she was her friend. That was the best news she could have hoped for.
Before Jessie could pull her into a hug, Katie pulled away hastily and rather reluctantly. Because there was still more to tell and she felt like it was the opportune time to confess everything.
"Well then there'd also be something else I had to tell you..."
"Alex is you're girlfriend? I already worked that one out." Katie didn't know if she was imagining it, but somewhere in that sentence Jessie had sounded miffed.
"No, we're not together. Never were, she helped me figure out some stuff though." A last fleeting moment of doubt flickered before she overcame it and let the truth out. "I'm in love with you, Jess. I always have been."
Jessie couldn't catch her breathe soon enough to respond to that remark.
All of a sudden, Karen's voice rang out in her ears, deeply disturbing the crucial aftermath of what Jessie had just witnessed. "Jessie honey, time to go!" Jessie sat there stunned whilst Katie bit her lip. In an instant, Katie was no longer sitting by her as she leapt to her feet. Unable to take the anticipation of the situation anymore she poorly excused herself with an "I have to go". Leaving Jessie dumbfounded, Katie's delicate declaration repeatedly resounding in her head.
Oh, God.
Hahaha my first cliff-hanger! I think, I really should leave fewer gaps between producing chapters as I begin to get forgetful. Aargh I felt I could have done better with this, alas I have just spent a whole day on my 'I love to sleep' pyjamas, something I seldom do, which meant I was feeling incredibly lethargic and unimaginative today so my apologies. I tried though.
