"Hey," Grace said as she saw Jessie walking through the door. Jessie just looked at her and smiled slightly. "What's up with you and Sarah Grasser?" She asked, skipping ahead to the point.
"What are you talking about?" Jessie asked, utterly confused. "What about me and Sarah?" She titled her head slightly into a puzzled expression.
"I thought you didn't like her," Grace said. "Especially after she started to spread those rumors about you," she continued.
"No Grace. That was you that didn't like her after those rumors went around," Jessie said condescendingly. "I never hated her. I just thought she hated me. As it turns out, she's not the one who started those rumors in the first place, Tad was," she stated matter-of-factly.
"And you know this how exactly?" Grace asked, still not convinced of Sarah's innocence.
"She told me so," Jessie shrugged.
"So you just believed her?" Grace asked incredulously as Jessie nodded. "I can't believe you would just take her word for it. Are you stupid or something?"
"No Grace, I am not stupid. Unlike you, I actually trust people. She has no reason to lie to me," Jessie fumed as she took off to her room.
"Hey," Sarah said as she approached Jessie and Katie in the hallway at school. "What are you guys up to?" She asked with a smile.
"Nothing," Katie said, trying to hold back a scowl. She hated that Sarah barged in on her and Jessie's conversation. She smiled at her instead.
Jessie, on the other hand, didn't seem phased at all by Sarah's appearance. "Hey," she smiled. "Katie and I are going to go to my house after school. Do you want to come hang out with us?" Jessie asked, not noticing her gaping girlfriend.
Sarah didn't notice it either. She was too busy looking at Jessie. "Sure," she smiled. Katie was about to protest, but the bell rang. "Bye," Sarah said, walking off.
"Bye," Jessie replied. She looked over to Katie. "What?" She asked, noticing the pissy expression on Katie's face.
"Nothing. I'll see you after school," Katie said. She almost leaned over to give Jessie a peck on the cheek before she left. However, she realized that Jessie would have an aneurysm, so, she didn't. Damn Jessie being paranoid! She inwardly scowled. Jessie smiled and Katie smiled back before they headed off to their respective classes.
The three girls were up in Jessie's attic giggling about something. Katie was faking it extremely well. It's not that she didn't like Sarah or anything, but it was like she was moving in on her territory so to speak. Plus, she was cutting into quality make-out time for her and Jessie. "I'll be right back," Katie said, standing up.
"Okay," the other two girls replied. Katie took off downstairs to Grace's room. "Hey Grace," Katie says, lightly tapping on Grace's door. "Can I come in? I need to talk to you," she says as Grace opens the door.
"Oh god. What did Jessie do this time?" Grace smirks, noticing the dejected expression on Katie's face.
"It's not so much something she did as it is something she didn't do," Katie says, moping into Grace's room. Grace checks the hall before closing the door. "Jessie still wont' go to the dance with me," Katie sighs.
"She told you that?" Grace asked, incredulously. "She told you that she won't go to the dance?" She narrowed her eyes. What is Jessie's problem anyway?
"She didn't tell me. She didn't have to. Jessie just keeps avoiding the issue. It's in nine days and she still hasn't given me an answer. I asked her the day I found out about it," Katie said sadly.
Grace came over and sat next to Katie on her bed. "She is still all skittish about coming out, huh? I wish she would just tell everyone so she can stop being so damn paranoid all the time," Grace said, frustrated.
"Yeah. I don't know why she won't just come out. It probably won't even be that big a deal," Katie sighed again.
"Yeah," Grace sat there a moment to think. "You could pigeonhole her into going," she looked at Katie, who seemed interested. "Tell her that if she doesn't come out, then it's over between you two."
"What?" Katie asked, not able to believe what she just heard. "You want me to give Jessie an ultimatum? I can't do that to her. What if she says 'no'?" She asked, beginning to panic.
"She cares a lot about you. So much that I get physically ill whenever I'm around you guys. You make her happy. No one has ever been able to do that. She won't be able to say 'no'," Grace replied with a comforting smile.
"Thanks Grace," Katie said as she hugged her. "I'll talk to her on Friday," she said, getting up.
"Friday? Why can't you do it tomorrow, or tonight even?" Grace asked, puzzled.
"Sarah's here too," Katie ground out. Grace shared the same feeling and scowled. "Tomorrow Jessie and I won't be able to because she has therapy," Katie said. So, it wasn't exactly like she was avoiding it, she just was putting it off for as long as possible.
"Oh," Grace said simply.
The Attic:
"Sarah, can I ask you something?" Jessie asked nervously.
"Always," she replied, not sounding to desperate at all. Yeah, right. "What is it Jess?" Sarah asked back with a small smile.
"It's about Katie," Jessie said. Sarah just looked at her, waiting for Jessie to continue. "She and Grace keep trying to push me to come out, but I don't think I'm ready to. What should I do? Should I just tell everyone?" Jessie asked.
"No. I think that you should stand your ground. You shouldn't have to do anything that you're not ready for," Sarah replied.
That was the answer that Jessie was fishing for. A second opinion that matched her own. "Thank you Sarah," Jessie said as she hugged her.
They then heard Katie coming up the stairs and pulled apart. "Hey Sarah, it's getting late. We better get going," Katie said with a big smile. Jessie and Sarah got up and Sarah started downstairs.
"Bye Sarah," Jessie called down as Sarah went downstairs.
"What? No 'bye' for me?" Katie pouted. "Why am I so neglected?" She continued to pout.
Jessie leaned in and kissed Katie...hard. They probably could have stayed like that for a good long while, but Zoe decided to interrupt.
"Hey Katie, Sarah's still waiting down here for you. What's taking so long?" She asked, as if it was her business.
"Nothing. Just making sure I got everything," Katie replied, smiling at Jessie before she went downstairs.
"Bye Katie," Jessie said with a grin as Katie descended the stairs.
"Bye Jess," she replied with the same grin.
"You guys are so weird," Zoe said as she saw the expressions on her face. She walked off and Jessie and Katie just chuckled.
It was taking all of Katie's willpower to make herself leave the house. She wanted to stay in the vicinity of Jessie at all times. But, eventually, her legs started working again and she left. It was hard for her to leave, but she always compensated for it when they got back together. Katie and Sarah got into the car and Katie pumped up the radio.
Games, changes and fears/ When will they go from here/ When will they stop/ I believe that fate has brought us here/ And we should be together/ But we're not/ I play it off, but I'm dreaming of you/ I'll keep my cool, but I'm fiendin'/ I try to say goodbye and I choke/ I try to walk away and I stumble/ Though I try to hide it, it's clear/ My world crumbles when you are not near/ I may appear to be free/ But I'm just a prisoner of your love/ I may seem alright and smile when you leave/ But my smiles are just a front/.../Here is my confession/ May I be your possession/ Boy I need your touch/ Love, kisses and such/ With all my might I try/ But this I can't deny/ I play it off, but I'm dreaming of you/ I'll keep my cool, but I'm fiendin'/ I try to say goodbye and I choke/ I try to wakl away and I stumble/ Though I try to hide it, it's clear/ My world crumbles when you are not near
"So, Jess. How are things? You seem a little tense," Dr. Rosenfeld said as he watched Jessie fidget in her chair. "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah. Everything is fine. It's just a little complicated, that's all," Jessie said, trying to avoid a serious talk.
"Oh? What's complicated? How is it complicated?" He asked. Jessie certainly was never lacking for drama, that's for sure.
"I am involved with...someone. It made things kind of strange around everyone," Jessie said, not about to tell him who it was.
"I see. People are uncomfortable when the two of you are together? Why?" He asked, not knowing what her problem was exactly.
"Well, that's the thing. Nobody knows about us, they can't," she said, biting her tongue for letting that last sentence get in there. "I am the only person uncomfortable about it," she said. She was looking for someone to trump Katie's opinion.
"What about this other person? Aren't they uncomfortable?" He asked.
"No. They want me to tell everyone about us, but I don't, not yet," Jessie said. "Do you think I should?" She asked, looking up.
"If you don't think you're ready, then you shouldn't tell everyone," Rosenfeld said, looking into her eyes for some clue as to what was going on in her head. "Oh, look at the time. Time sure flies when you're having fun," he smiled.
"Bye," she said, getting up. "I'll see you next week," she says as she walks out his door.
That was certainly interesting. Rosenfeld sits, thinking about who Jessie could possibly have been talking about. I'm sure I'll find out soon enough.
Jessie and Grace get into her car and start to leave. Grace turns to Jessie. "I think that you need to tell everyone about you and Katie," she says.
Without hesitation, Jessie responds. "I think you need to tell everyone about your crush on you're English teacher," Jessie retorts with a smirk.
"That's not the same thing Jess and you know it," Grace said, in a calm tone. "These are two totally different things Jess."
"Oh yeah? Well, you're not supposed to have a crush on your English teacher anymore than I'm supposed to be going out with my best friend," Jessie bites back.
"That's just the thing Jess. You never go out. You're too afraid someone will see you. Why won't you just come out?" Grace snaps back.
"Why won't you mind your own goddamn business?" Jessie growls. The conversation is now officially over as they pull up to the house.
"Jess. Phone," Lily say right as the two angry girls walk in.
"Hello?" Jessie said into the receiver.
"Hey Jess. I can't talk long. I just wanted to tell you that we really need to talk," Katie said, sounding a little anxious.
"Okay," Jessie replied, somewhat confused.
"Tomorrow after school okay?" Katie asked, glad that they were finally going to talk it out.
"Yeah. That's fine," Jessie said, a little nervous. "Bye," she said, hanging up.
"What did Katie want?" Grace asked, prying.
"Piss off, Grace," Jessie said, exasperated with her meddling stepsister as she went up to her room.
