Grace slammed her locker shut and sighed. Finally it was Friday, the
weekend filled with rest and relaxation. She threw her backpack over her
shoulder and turned around, only to run straight into Katie. Both girls
struggled to regain their balance, and luckily, they did this successfully.
"Jeez Katie, I'm sorry. I didn't see you there."
Katie shrugged, "No biggie. Still alive and well on this end. It takes more than that to injure me."
Grace gave her a puzzled look and then said, "Are you looking for Jessie?"
She shook her head, "No, I actually wanted to talk to you. You know how Prom is coming up and all?" Grace nodded and Katie continued, "Well, I would talk to one of her parents about this, but you seem to be the only family member that knows about the situation."
"I'm not really a family member."
"No you are. Jessie wouldn't admit this to you, but she really looks up to you. She always has. Why else would she get so upset when you say stuff that she disagrees with?"
Grace smiled and urged Katie to continue. "Well anyway.I was just kind of.asking your permission to ask Jessie to the Prom."
Grace looked stunned; "You are asking my permission?"
Katie nodded and shrugged, "Like I said, I would ask Mr. or Mrs. Sammler.but Jessie wouldn't want them to know. Not like that, from me. I'm not even sure if she wants anyone to know at all.or even if there is anything to know. I just thought I'd ask you before I ask her."
"Trust me Katie, she loves you. I can see it when she looks at you."
"Funny, that's what Tad said too."
"Tad? Tad knows about you and Jessie?" she paused a moment, "Does Jessie know that he's.aware of the situation?"
"Yes Tad knows about me and Jessie.and no, Jessie doesn't know. I told Tad in confidence. He wouldn't tell anyone."
Grace nodded, "Well then, I would say.go for it. Ask Jessie and see what happens. She might surprise you."
Katie smiled and gave a small wave to Grace as she turned and headed back down the hall. Grace watched after her, heart aching for the girl. Grace didn't think that Jessie would agree to go to the dance with Katie. She just wasn't ready for that kind of public display of affection. Grace sighed and turned around.where she came face to face with Eli. "Eli! Hi, you want something?"
"Yeah, sort of." He watched as Katie retreated through the double doors of the school. "You and Katie seemed pretty cozy. You guys becoming friends now?"
Grace nodded, "Yeah, she's a great person."
"Yeah she is. She makes Jessie happy, happier than I've seen her in months. They've become attached at the hip lately. So, what were you two talking about?"
Grace's eyes widened for a moment. "Oh you know, just girl stuff. The Prom mostly. She wanted to uh, know if I was going."
"Oh," Eli paused, "Are you.going, that is?"
"I don't know. It depends on whether or not I can convince my mom to let me borrow the car."
"Oh, so.you don't have a date?"
Grace shrugged, "No, not really. I might go with some friends, but no, I don't have a date."
"Well, do you want one?" A shocked look crossed Grace's face as she looked up at Eli.
"Oh, you have a friend for me or something."
"No, actually I was hoping that you'd go with me." Eli's heart began to beat as Grace moved closer to him and looked up into his eyes.
"You know Eli, that sounds like a great idea."
Eli's face burst out into a grin. "Great. So, I'll give you a call and we can set up some plans."
"Great. I'll talk to you later then. Bye Eli."
Eli moved forward and gave Grace a big hug. As he pulled away he said, "Bye Grace."
*****
Katie walked out of the school with a different kind of confidence than she had when she had first entered that morning. She headed to her brand new blue Beetle with her head held high. She drove to Karen's house and as she stood on the porch, she contemplated what she would say. Katie's thoughts were interrupted when the door opened to reveal Jessie's smiling face. "Katie, hi!" Jessie said as she embraced the older girl. When they parted, Jessie motioned for Katie to go inside.
"Hey Jess. So, what are our oh-so-stimulating plans for tonight?" Katie asked, taking the younger girl's hand in hers. Jess smiled at the touch and Katie felt a shiver down her spine. Jessie led Katie up the stairs and both girls sat on the bed.
"So, my mom said that she's leaving in an hour.so we can have our talk after that?" asked Jessie, looking everywhere but at Katie.
Katie looked confused and said, "Why can't we talk now?"
"Because I don't want anyone to hear us."
Katie scoffed, "Jess, we're up in the attic. I doubt anyone could hear us. And even if they do, what's the big deal?"
"Fine, say what you have to say," grumbled Jessie.
Katie was taken aback. "Jessie?" When Jessie didn't look at her, Katie felt her heart breaking. "Fine, I was just going to ask you if you would like to go to the Prom with me. I thought that we would have fun and we could spend some time together."
"In public?" asked Jessie.
Katie scoffed again and yelled, "Of course in public. Look, I love you Jess and I don't care who knows it. I thought you felt the same, but obviously I was wrong." Katie stood up and headed toward the door. Jessie remained on the bed and looked upset. It hurt Katie to do this to Jessie, but Jessie was hurting Katie by stringing her along.
"Katie wait, I." her voice trailed off as she found herself at a loss for words.
Katie's heart broke as the younger girl began to sob quietly. With her back turned towards Jessie she said, "I love you Jessie. I've known it since the moment I met you. We can be happy if you just let it happen. I'll wait for you.but I can't wait forever. You can't ask me to." With that she turned around and looked at the younger girl. Jessie had been silent this whole time. She just stared at Katie, her eyes filled with fury and pain.
"So this is it. You're just going to walk out of my life?"
Katie sighed and knelt down beside Jessie, "I don't want to leave you. If you can tell me now how you feel, if you can give me a reason to stay, I will."
Jessie's brow furrowed and she closed her eyes. A deep sigh arose from within her throat, and as she opened her eyes, Katie knew what her answer was. She stood up and kissed Jessie on the forehead. "Goodbye Jessie." Katie turned and ran out of the room, scared of what her own tears would do to Jessie. As she fled down the stairs, all the memories that she and Jessie had together flooded her mind. She ran past Karen without so much as a glance in her direction. As she opened the door, she realized that the storm outside was almost as bad as the one inside. She jumped inside of her car and sped away; away from the pain.
Katie shrugged, "No biggie. Still alive and well on this end. It takes more than that to injure me."
Grace gave her a puzzled look and then said, "Are you looking for Jessie?"
She shook her head, "No, I actually wanted to talk to you. You know how Prom is coming up and all?" Grace nodded and Katie continued, "Well, I would talk to one of her parents about this, but you seem to be the only family member that knows about the situation."
"I'm not really a family member."
"No you are. Jessie wouldn't admit this to you, but she really looks up to you. She always has. Why else would she get so upset when you say stuff that she disagrees with?"
Grace smiled and urged Katie to continue. "Well anyway.I was just kind of.asking your permission to ask Jessie to the Prom."
Grace looked stunned; "You are asking my permission?"
Katie nodded and shrugged, "Like I said, I would ask Mr. or Mrs. Sammler.but Jessie wouldn't want them to know. Not like that, from me. I'm not even sure if she wants anyone to know at all.or even if there is anything to know. I just thought I'd ask you before I ask her."
"Trust me Katie, she loves you. I can see it when she looks at you."
"Funny, that's what Tad said too."
"Tad? Tad knows about you and Jessie?" she paused a moment, "Does Jessie know that he's.aware of the situation?"
"Yes Tad knows about me and Jessie.and no, Jessie doesn't know. I told Tad in confidence. He wouldn't tell anyone."
Grace nodded, "Well then, I would say.go for it. Ask Jessie and see what happens. She might surprise you."
Katie smiled and gave a small wave to Grace as she turned and headed back down the hall. Grace watched after her, heart aching for the girl. Grace didn't think that Jessie would agree to go to the dance with Katie. She just wasn't ready for that kind of public display of affection. Grace sighed and turned around.where she came face to face with Eli. "Eli! Hi, you want something?"
"Yeah, sort of." He watched as Katie retreated through the double doors of the school. "You and Katie seemed pretty cozy. You guys becoming friends now?"
Grace nodded, "Yeah, she's a great person."
"Yeah she is. She makes Jessie happy, happier than I've seen her in months. They've become attached at the hip lately. So, what were you two talking about?"
Grace's eyes widened for a moment. "Oh you know, just girl stuff. The Prom mostly. She wanted to uh, know if I was going."
"Oh," Eli paused, "Are you.going, that is?"
"I don't know. It depends on whether or not I can convince my mom to let me borrow the car."
"Oh, so.you don't have a date?"
Grace shrugged, "No, not really. I might go with some friends, but no, I don't have a date."
"Well, do you want one?" A shocked look crossed Grace's face as she looked up at Eli.
"Oh, you have a friend for me or something."
"No, actually I was hoping that you'd go with me." Eli's heart began to beat as Grace moved closer to him and looked up into his eyes.
"You know Eli, that sounds like a great idea."
Eli's face burst out into a grin. "Great. So, I'll give you a call and we can set up some plans."
"Great. I'll talk to you later then. Bye Eli."
Eli moved forward and gave Grace a big hug. As he pulled away he said, "Bye Grace."
*****
Katie walked out of the school with a different kind of confidence than she had when she had first entered that morning. She headed to her brand new blue Beetle with her head held high. She drove to Karen's house and as she stood on the porch, she contemplated what she would say. Katie's thoughts were interrupted when the door opened to reveal Jessie's smiling face. "Katie, hi!" Jessie said as she embraced the older girl. When they parted, Jessie motioned for Katie to go inside.
"Hey Jess. So, what are our oh-so-stimulating plans for tonight?" Katie asked, taking the younger girl's hand in hers. Jess smiled at the touch and Katie felt a shiver down her spine. Jessie led Katie up the stairs and both girls sat on the bed.
"So, my mom said that she's leaving in an hour.so we can have our talk after that?" asked Jessie, looking everywhere but at Katie.
Katie looked confused and said, "Why can't we talk now?"
"Because I don't want anyone to hear us."
Katie scoffed, "Jess, we're up in the attic. I doubt anyone could hear us. And even if they do, what's the big deal?"
"Fine, say what you have to say," grumbled Jessie.
Katie was taken aback. "Jessie?" When Jessie didn't look at her, Katie felt her heart breaking. "Fine, I was just going to ask you if you would like to go to the Prom with me. I thought that we would have fun and we could spend some time together."
"In public?" asked Jessie.
Katie scoffed again and yelled, "Of course in public. Look, I love you Jess and I don't care who knows it. I thought you felt the same, but obviously I was wrong." Katie stood up and headed toward the door. Jessie remained on the bed and looked upset. It hurt Katie to do this to Jessie, but Jessie was hurting Katie by stringing her along.
"Katie wait, I." her voice trailed off as she found herself at a loss for words.
Katie's heart broke as the younger girl began to sob quietly. With her back turned towards Jessie she said, "I love you Jessie. I've known it since the moment I met you. We can be happy if you just let it happen. I'll wait for you.but I can't wait forever. You can't ask me to." With that she turned around and looked at the younger girl. Jessie had been silent this whole time. She just stared at Katie, her eyes filled with fury and pain.
"So this is it. You're just going to walk out of my life?"
Katie sighed and knelt down beside Jessie, "I don't want to leave you. If you can tell me now how you feel, if you can give me a reason to stay, I will."
Jessie's brow furrowed and she closed her eyes. A deep sigh arose from within her throat, and as she opened her eyes, Katie knew what her answer was. She stood up and kissed Jessie on the forehead. "Goodbye Jessie." Katie turned and ran out of the room, scared of what her own tears would do to Jessie. As she fled down the stairs, all the memories that she and Jessie had together flooded her mind. She ran past Karen without so much as a glance in her direction. As she opened the door, she realized that the storm outside was almost as bad as the one inside. She jumped inside of her car and sped away; away from the pain.