~A Once and Again Series~
The Way We Are
Hey, thanks for reading, as always! I'm not sure how many chapters are left in this series, but it's going to end sometime soon. Oh, and I will probably write another series eventually, but I'm not sure exactly if I'm
going to jump into right away. :)
Chapter 27//Seeing the Light at the End
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Grace flipped through the actor workshop pamphlet once more. This was hard... but Grace was pretty sure she knew what she was going to do. The question was of whether she was doing the right thing. Grace wasn't sure.
Grace sighed, slipping the crinkled pamphlet back into her backpack.
* * *
"I'll see you tomorrow, then," Katie whispered.
Jessie lay back against her purple blankets and smiled. "Tomorrow," She promised into her end of the phone. There was silence as they both were still, neither one wanting to say goodbye.
"Jessie?"
Jessie jumped up and groaned as her mother knocked on her bedroom door. "Just a minute!" Jessie cried out to her mother. She pulled the phone close to her mouth again, "I guessed I really have to go."
"Tomorrow," Katie reminded her.
Jessie smiled and nodded, although Katie couldn't see it. "Tomorrow," Jessie said again. "Goodbye."
"Bye," Katie's voice said and her line clicked dead. Jessie sighed and turned off the phone. She went to her bedroom door.
"Hey sweetie," Karen said as her daughter opened the door to her. Karen reached forward, pushing a stray lock of Jessie's hair behind her ear.
Jessie pushed past her mother, "I'm just going to go hang up the phone."
When Jessie came back her mother was sitting on the edge of Jessie's bed, waiting.
[[Jessie - *scared, nervous* I don't know how to talk to my mother about Katie. I know she wants to talk, but I don't know how to talk to her about... that.]]
"Come sit," Karen said, patting the bed space next to her, "I'll brush your hair."
Jessie didn't want to, knowing what was coming, but she picked up her brush from her dresser anyways.
"You have such beautiful hair," Karen murmured as she began brushing Jessie's long blond hair.
Jessie made a face, which her mother couldn't see, because Jessie's back was to Karen. "Mom, I have 'your' hair."
Karen smiled, "Yeah, but mine isn't nearly as beautiful as it was when I was your age. It's darker and the texture's not the same... I used to have the blondest hair of all the kids in my class..." Karen's voice faded away her face growing misty with memories.
Jessie looked down at her hands as her mother continued brushing.
"But things change," Karen said, snapping back to reality. And to why she came in here... to talk to Jessie about Katie. "You don't even realize they are changing because it happens so slowly... just a bit at a time. And one day you finally see the differences. You finally see the change for what it is."
Jessie was listening closely, her eyes growing watery.
"But, change happens, whether you realize things are changing or not," Karen sighed. She fell into silence, her hand dropping the brush away from Jessie's hair.
Jessie turned around slowly, unable to look at her mother. Finally she said, "Have my changes been for the good?"
Karen smiled, "Honey, change is necessary. We can't stay the same as when we were kids. We grow up, we discover who we are. Sometimes that scares us... sometimes we don't know how to deal with what changes have occurred. But things will all fall into place, just as they are supposed to."
A spare tear fall down Jessie's cheek. "Mom, you know, right?" She asked, finally looking into her mother's eyes. Into the eyes that were so similar to her own. Framed by the hair that had once been just like hers.
Karen smiled, putting a hand on Jessie's shoulder, "I know... your father told me about you and Katie. About you two being more than just friends."
Jessie wanted to duck her head, and deny it. But she held her face up and asked, "And you're okay with it?"
Karen nodded, "Yes."
Jessie's eyes bore into Karen's accusingly. "You're okay that your daughter isn't the perfect person you thought she was?"
Karen's eyes studied Jessie's, "Honey, of course... I love you. And if this is what makes you happy, then how can I be against it? I want you to be happy. That's all I want for my kids."
Jessie was relieved.
Karen stood up, setting Jessie's brush back on her dresser. "I have to go check on dinner," She said.
"Mom?" Jessie called out as Karen was almost out the door.
"Yeah, honey?"
Jessie didn't want to hurt her mother, but it needed to be said... for Eli's sake. "If all you want is for your kids to be happy, then why are you so upset with Eli becoming a musician and not going to college? Because, you know music is what makes him happy."
Karen was startled. She nodded at Jessie's words and slipped out the door in silence.
[[Karen - *laughs* I'm a hypocrite, I guess. *long pause, gets more serious* Music does make Eli happy... and I've been against him becoming a musician. I've been against him doing what he loves. *sighs*]]
* * *
"Amy seems nice," Grace said, trying to sound nonchalant. She looked up from where she sat on the floor of Eli's garage apartment watching Eli practice on his guitar.
Eli nodded, positioning his fingers on the chords, "She is."
Grace fell silent as Eli went through one of the band's latest songs. When he stopped she spoke up again, "She's really pretty too... you know, in that exotic way."
Eli looked up, catching something in Grace's tone. "You don't like her?"
Grace shook her head, "No, she seems nice."
"She is," Eli said again as his eyes studied Grace. He broke into a grin, "You're jealous?"
Grace shook her head, "I'm not jealous."
"You're jealous!" Eli smirked. "Wow."
Grace stood up and came over to where Eli was sitting on his bed, "I'm not jealous. I was just wondering if I should be worried... you know with you and her being close together all summer. I just wanted to make sure... nothing would happen between you two."
"Grace," Eli said, laughing. He pulled her closer to him, "You know nothing's going to happen! I'm madly in love with you. And you're going to be there, right with me... why would you even be a bit worried?"
Grace tried to smile, but it wasn't working. She looked into Eli's eyes, "Just promise me that you're not going to fall for Amy or anything. Just promise me that."
Eli looked confused to why Grace even felt she needed a promise. But he said, "I promise."
* * *
"Hey! Is Jessie ready?" Rick asked as Karen opened the door to him.
Karen shook her head, "Is Jessie ever ready?" She and Rick shared a smile and then Karen called up the stairs, "Jess! Your dad's here!"
"I'll be down in a minute," Jessie called back.
Karen drew Rick to the kitchen, where Jessie wouldn't overhear them. "I talked with her," Karen told him.
"You did?"
Karen smiled, "It went well. She didn't tell me anything about her and Katie... but I didn't want to push her."
Rick nodded.
Karen looked into her ex-husband's eyes, "You should talk with her."
Rick turned his head to the side and sighed. He turned back to Karen, rubbing a hand over his forehead, "I don't know what to say to her... about it."
"Rick, she's your daughter!" Karen said sharply, "She needs to know you approve."
"Do I approve?" Rick asked aloud.
Karen frowned, "How could you not? Don't you see how this has changed Jessie's life? Can't you see the happiness in her eyes that Katie has brought her?"
Rick shrugged, "I don't know what's in her eyes... she won't even look at me anymore."
"She's embarrassed!" Karen said, "You saw a very private, intimate moment between two scared girls. She doesn't know what to say to you... just like you don't know what to say to her. You're both embarrassed... and scared."
Rick looked at Karen and then turned away. His eyes ran over the kitchen counter... the one that didn't belong to him anymore. He had changed. Things between him and Karen had changed, and he had moved out, changing things for their kids. One change affects everyone who's connected.
"Rick..." Karen said, gently. "She needs you. You're her father."
Rick looked back at Karen, "You're okay with it? With our daughter being a... lesbian?" Rick whispered the word 'lesbian'.
Karen nodded, "I'm okay with her being happy." Jessie's words about Eli still hung over Karen's head and she asked Rick, "Can you have Eli come over here the next time he gets a chance?"
Rick looked up, surprised by the change in subject. Ever since Eli had told them about his plans to be a musician, he had been spending less and less time at his mother's house. There was just too much tension between them. Something in Karen's eyes now told him this was important, "Sure, I'll tell him."
Jessie's footsteps sounded on the stairs. Rick looked over, his face unreadable.
"Talk to her," Karen said one last time before Jessie entered the kitchen.
Rick gave what Karen hoped to be a nod.
* * *
"The Turner Future Actor's workshop?" Cynthia asked.
Grace nodded, "Yeah, I think that's the name."
"That's a big deal!" Cynthia said. She smiled, "I did it last summer. It was great."
"You did?" Grace said, surprised. She hadn't thought that it might be the kind of workshop that happened every summer.
Cynthia nodded, and opened her mouth to make another comment, but closed it quickly.
"Hey."
Grace turned around and saw Travis standing there. Travis looked at Cynthia with a hint of sadness. He and Grace hadn't talked since the incident at the club. And Travis hadn't really talked to Cynthia since they had broken up and decided to be 'just friends'... which meant they had ignored each other for the past few weeks.
"Hi," Grace said, unsurely.
"Mr. Morris told me you're one of the other chosen ones," Travis said, directing his comment at Grace, while his eyes still lay on Cynthia. "You know, for the actor's workshop?"
Grace hadn't expected this, "You're in it too?"
Travis nodded, "Kelly Witherson is in it also. She's a junior. She was in the spring play."
Grace nodded. She snuck a glance at Cynthia, who was sneaking peaks up at Travis.
"I just wanted to come over and say something," Travis said, "Seeing as we're going to be spending the summer together and all..."
Grace shook her head, "I haven't agreed to it, yet."
"Oh," Travis was surprised. "You mean, you don't want to do it?"
"No, I do..." Grace smiled, "But... there's other things to consider."
Travis nodded slowly, "Well, I guess I might see you... or I might not."
Grace nodded.
Travis turned his eyes on Cynthia, "I hope I see you around... I mean it."
Cynthia smiled a bit and said, "Me too."
Grace smiled, happy for the both of them. She was glad it seemed like she was out of this triangle. She didn't know if Travis and Cynthia would get back together, but... It was good to see them talking again. The look in their eyes for each other were... hopeful.
* * *
The Way We Are
Hey, thanks for reading, as always! I'm not sure how many chapters are left in this series, but it's going to end sometime soon. Oh, and I will probably write another series eventually, but I'm not sure exactly if I'm
going to jump into right away. :)
Chapter 27//Seeing the Light at the End
*
*
*
Grace flipped through the actor workshop pamphlet once more. This was hard... but Grace was pretty sure she knew what she was going to do. The question was of whether she was doing the right thing. Grace wasn't sure.
Grace sighed, slipping the crinkled pamphlet back into her backpack.
* * *
"I'll see you tomorrow, then," Katie whispered.
Jessie lay back against her purple blankets and smiled. "Tomorrow," She promised into her end of the phone. There was silence as they both were still, neither one wanting to say goodbye.
"Jessie?"
Jessie jumped up and groaned as her mother knocked on her bedroom door. "Just a minute!" Jessie cried out to her mother. She pulled the phone close to her mouth again, "I guessed I really have to go."
"Tomorrow," Katie reminded her.
Jessie smiled and nodded, although Katie couldn't see it. "Tomorrow," Jessie said again. "Goodbye."
"Bye," Katie's voice said and her line clicked dead. Jessie sighed and turned off the phone. She went to her bedroom door.
"Hey sweetie," Karen said as her daughter opened the door to her. Karen reached forward, pushing a stray lock of Jessie's hair behind her ear.
Jessie pushed past her mother, "I'm just going to go hang up the phone."
When Jessie came back her mother was sitting on the edge of Jessie's bed, waiting.
[[Jessie - *scared, nervous* I don't know how to talk to my mother about Katie. I know she wants to talk, but I don't know how to talk to her about... that.]]
"Come sit," Karen said, patting the bed space next to her, "I'll brush your hair."
Jessie didn't want to, knowing what was coming, but she picked up her brush from her dresser anyways.
"You have such beautiful hair," Karen murmured as she began brushing Jessie's long blond hair.
Jessie made a face, which her mother couldn't see, because Jessie's back was to Karen. "Mom, I have 'your' hair."
Karen smiled, "Yeah, but mine isn't nearly as beautiful as it was when I was your age. It's darker and the texture's not the same... I used to have the blondest hair of all the kids in my class..." Karen's voice faded away her face growing misty with memories.
Jessie looked down at her hands as her mother continued brushing.
"But things change," Karen said, snapping back to reality. And to why she came in here... to talk to Jessie about Katie. "You don't even realize they are changing because it happens so slowly... just a bit at a time. And one day you finally see the differences. You finally see the change for what it is."
Jessie was listening closely, her eyes growing watery.
"But, change happens, whether you realize things are changing or not," Karen sighed. She fell into silence, her hand dropping the brush away from Jessie's hair.
Jessie turned around slowly, unable to look at her mother. Finally she said, "Have my changes been for the good?"
Karen smiled, "Honey, change is necessary. We can't stay the same as when we were kids. We grow up, we discover who we are. Sometimes that scares us... sometimes we don't know how to deal with what changes have occurred. But things will all fall into place, just as they are supposed to."
A spare tear fall down Jessie's cheek. "Mom, you know, right?" She asked, finally looking into her mother's eyes. Into the eyes that were so similar to her own. Framed by the hair that had once been just like hers.
Karen smiled, putting a hand on Jessie's shoulder, "I know... your father told me about you and Katie. About you two being more than just friends."
Jessie wanted to duck her head, and deny it. But she held her face up and asked, "And you're okay with it?"
Karen nodded, "Yes."
Jessie's eyes bore into Karen's accusingly. "You're okay that your daughter isn't the perfect person you thought she was?"
Karen's eyes studied Jessie's, "Honey, of course... I love you. And if this is what makes you happy, then how can I be against it? I want you to be happy. That's all I want for my kids."
Jessie was relieved.
Karen stood up, setting Jessie's brush back on her dresser. "I have to go check on dinner," She said.
"Mom?" Jessie called out as Karen was almost out the door.
"Yeah, honey?"
Jessie didn't want to hurt her mother, but it needed to be said... for Eli's sake. "If all you want is for your kids to be happy, then why are you so upset with Eli becoming a musician and not going to college? Because, you know music is what makes him happy."
Karen was startled. She nodded at Jessie's words and slipped out the door in silence.
[[Karen - *laughs* I'm a hypocrite, I guess. *long pause, gets more serious* Music does make Eli happy... and I've been against him becoming a musician. I've been against him doing what he loves. *sighs*]]
* * *
"Amy seems nice," Grace said, trying to sound nonchalant. She looked up from where she sat on the floor of Eli's garage apartment watching Eli practice on his guitar.
Eli nodded, positioning his fingers on the chords, "She is."
Grace fell silent as Eli went through one of the band's latest songs. When he stopped she spoke up again, "She's really pretty too... you know, in that exotic way."
Eli looked up, catching something in Grace's tone. "You don't like her?"
Grace shook her head, "No, she seems nice."
"She is," Eli said again as his eyes studied Grace. He broke into a grin, "You're jealous?"
Grace shook her head, "I'm not jealous."
"You're jealous!" Eli smirked. "Wow."
Grace stood up and came over to where Eli was sitting on his bed, "I'm not jealous. I was just wondering if I should be worried... you know with you and her being close together all summer. I just wanted to make sure... nothing would happen between you two."
"Grace," Eli said, laughing. He pulled her closer to him, "You know nothing's going to happen! I'm madly in love with you. And you're going to be there, right with me... why would you even be a bit worried?"
Grace tried to smile, but it wasn't working. She looked into Eli's eyes, "Just promise me that you're not going to fall for Amy or anything. Just promise me that."
Eli looked confused to why Grace even felt she needed a promise. But he said, "I promise."
* * *
"Hey! Is Jessie ready?" Rick asked as Karen opened the door to him.
Karen shook her head, "Is Jessie ever ready?" She and Rick shared a smile and then Karen called up the stairs, "Jess! Your dad's here!"
"I'll be down in a minute," Jessie called back.
Karen drew Rick to the kitchen, where Jessie wouldn't overhear them. "I talked with her," Karen told him.
"You did?"
Karen smiled, "It went well. She didn't tell me anything about her and Katie... but I didn't want to push her."
Rick nodded.
Karen looked into her ex-husband's eyes, "You should talk with her."
Rick turned his head to the side and sighed. He turned back to Karen, rubbing a hand over his forehead, "I don't know what to say to her... about it."
"Rick, she's your daughter!" Karen said sharply, "She needs to know you approve."
"Do I approve?" Rick asked aloud.
Karen frowned, "How could you not? Don't you see how this has changed Jessie's life? Can't you see the happiness in her eyes that Katie has brought her?"
Rick shrugged, "I don't know what's in her eyes... she won't even look at me anymore."
"She's embarrassed!" Karen said, "You saw a very private, intimate moment between two scared girls. She doesn't know what to say to you... just like you don't know what to say to her. You're both embarrassed... and scared."
Rick looked at Karen and then turned away. His eyes ran over the kitchen counter... the one that didn't belong to him anymore. He had changed. Things between him and Karen had changed, and he had moved out, changing things for their kids. One change affects everyone who's connected.
"Rick..." Karen said, gently. "She needs you. You're her father."
Rick looked back at Karen, "You're okay with it? With our daughter being a... lesbian?" Rick whispered the word 'lesbian'.
Karen nodded, "I'm okay with her being happy." Jessie's words about Eli still hung over Karen's head and she asked Rick, "Can you have Eli come over here the next time he gets a chance?"
Rick looked up, surprised by the change in subject. Ever since Eli had told them about his plans to be a musician, he had been spending less and less time at his mother's house. There was just too much tension between them. Something in Karen's eyes now told him this was important, "Sure, I'll tell him."
Jessie's footsteps sounded on the stairs. Rick looked over, his face unreadable.
"Talk to her," Karen said one last time before Jessie entered the kitchen.
Rick gave what Karen hoped to be a nod.
* * *
"The Turner Future Actor's workshop?" Cynthia asked.
Grace nodded, "Yeah, I think that's the name."
"That's a big deal!" Cynthia said. She smiled, "I did it last summer. It was great."
"You did?" Grace said, surprised. She hadn't thought that it might be the kind of workshop that happened every summer.
Cynthia nodded, and opened her mouth to make another comment, but closed it quickly.
"Hey."
Grace turned around and saw Travis standing there. Travis looked at Cynthia with a hint of sadness. He and Grace hadn't talked since the incident at the club. And Travis hadn't really talked to Cynthia since they had broken up and decided to be 'just friends'... which meant they had ignored each other for the past few weeks.
"Hi," Grace said, unsurely.
"Mr. Morris told me you're one of the other chosen ones," Travis said, directing his comment at Grace, while his eyes still lay on Cynthia. "You know, for the actor's workshop?"
Grace hadn't expected this, "You're in it too?"
Travis nodded, "Kelly Witherson is in it also. She's a junior. She was in the spring play."
Grace nodded. She snuck a glance at Cynthia, who was sneaking peaks up at Travis.
"I just wanted to come over and say something," Travis said, "Seeing as we're going to be spending the summer together and all..."
Grace shook her head, "I haven't agreed to it, yet."
"Oh," Travis was surprised. "You mean, you don't want to do it?"
"No, I do..." Grace smiled, "But... there's other things to consider."
Travis nodded slowly, "Well, I guess I might see you... or I might not."
Grace nodded.
Travis turned his eyes on Cynthia, "I hope I see you around... I mean it."
Cynthia smiled a bit and said, "Me too."
Grace smiled, happy for the both of them. She was glad it seemed like she was out of this triangle. She didn't know if Travis and Cynthia would get back together, but... It was good to see them talking again. The look in their eyes for each other were... hopeful.
* * *
