Jessie sat alone in her dark room, watching the rain splash against her
window. She heard a small knock on the door and she screamed for the person
to go away. Grace, unbeknownst to Jessie, had already opened the door and
stepped inside the room. Jessie continued to stare outside at the spot
where Katie's car had previously been. Grace cleared her throat, which
startled the young girl. Jessie's tear filled eyes fell on Grace and her
cold stare burned into her. "Hey, don't be mad at me," Grace said, "Your
mom sent me up. She called Eli, who suggested that I talk to you. Don't ask
me why but." her voice trailed off when she realized that Jessie had been
crying. Grace moved closer to her and sat on the bed. "Hey," she put a hand
on the blonde's shoulder, "You ok Jess?"
Jessie shook her head. "I think I lost her Grace," she stuttered through her tears. "She said that I had to choose, and I didn't, and she left.She left, Grace. She left me." Jessie broke down as she was finally hit with the guilt that had been brewing down inside of her. She had let Katie walk out the door; she had let her leave.
Grace slid closer to Jessie and put her arm around the younger girl's shoulder. "It'll be ok Jessie. She loves you and if you just tell her how you feel, everything will work out. You'll see that things have a funny way of working out for the better."
"Why are you being so nice to me?" Jessie asked.
Grace smiled, "Because you're letting me." The two girls sat in silence as the storm outside began to grow.
*****
Grace crept downstairs after making sure that Jessie had fallen asleep. Once she had calmed her down, Grace and Jessie had sat and talked. They talked about Katie, mostly, and what Jessie was feeling towards the older girl. This was the first time that Jessie had opened up to her, and Grace was happy that they were finally getting along, as all sisters should. When Grace reached the bottom of the stairs, she was startled by the sound of the phone ringing. Who could be calling this late at night, she thought to herself. "Hello?" she said as she picked up the receiver.
"Is this Jessie?" asked the caller.
"No, sorry. This is Grace," she said, puzzled as to why anyone would be calling for Jessie this late at night.
"Oh, Grace, hi.its Tad. Look, I don't know how to say this." his voice trailed off.
Grace could hear his voice wavering, "Tad? What is it?"
Tad sighed, "Its Katie. Th-There's been an accident."
*****
Upstairs, Jessie opened her eyes with alarm. She'd just had a horrible dream that something bad happened to Katie. She shook the thought out of her head and pushed the bed covers off of her body. Breathing in deeply, she swung her legs over the side of her bed and placed her head between her legs. Her heart raced and she felt as though she were hyperventilating. Her heart seemed to be lodged in her throat as she struggled to breathe. Slowly she rose, steadying herself, insistent on seeing Katie; knowing she was all right was the only thing that would let Jessie's heart relax. Jessie slowly crept down the stairs, but stopped upon hearing two voices quietly talking. She leaned in closer, and identified the voices as that of Grace and Karen.
"Tad didn't go into specifics Ms. Sammler. He just told me that she was in critical condition. Something about broken glass and bruises. They don't know if she's going to make it," Grace explained, burying her face in her hands.
Jessie strained to about hear whom they were talking about. Jessie watched as her mom stood up and started pacing around the couch. "Jessie will be devastated," she said quietly.
Jessie felt a shiver descend down her spine, causing her body to tremble. She had the feeling again, the same feeling that she had in her dream. It can't be, she thought, Katie's fine. Katie is at home, safe and asleep. She's not . Jessie's thought process stopped functioning at this point. She whispered softly, "Katie."
Karen and Grace looked up at the stairway and saw Jessie sitting there, arms wrapped around her body in an attempt to close herself off from the world. Karen walked slowly to the bottom of the stairs and gently started to explain what had happened. "Honey," she began, choosing her words carefully, "Something's happened to Katie." She paused and watched Jessie's reaction. "She's in the hospital right now," she continued, "The doctors are doing everything they can." Karen stopped and turned toward Grace, silently asking for help.
"Tad called, and all he told me was that something bad happened. He couldn't go into details over the phone because he was the only one there to talk to the doctors. He asked." Grace started.
"Asked what?" Jessie cried.
"He asked, well, he told me that Katie would want you there. You are her closest friend," Grace said, enunciating the word friend. Jessie's eyes grazed over the carpet, as if she were studying the fibers. She raised her eyes to meet Grace's, silently telling her that she needed to be there. Grace nodded her head slightly and said, "Ms. Sammler, I'll drive Jessie to the hospital. You can stay here and rest."
Karen nodded, knowing that she was still worn out from all of her physical therapy with Henry. "Henry!" she stated loudly, as though she had not meant to say this aloud. She looked at the puzzled faces of Grace and Jessie, "I'll call Henry and tell him that you are going to be at the hospital," she explained, "He's there tonight, working late. He'll make sure that you guys are all right there."
Grace nodded her head and motioned for Jessie to follow her upstairs. Once they were in the safety of the attic, Jessie lost control of her emotions. She fell to her knees and started to cry; her body trembling with fright that she had lost Katie forever. Grace knelt down beside the younger girl and grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her to her feet. Jessie glared at Grace, with both anger and confusion.
"You need to be strong Jessie. Katie needs you right now. You need to be strong for her, you know she would be strong for you," Grace said, placing her hand on Jessie's shaking shoulder.
Jessie raised her eyes to meet Grace's, and Grace saw something in her eyes that she hadn't seen in a long time. Determination filled the young blonde's eyes as she spoke slowly, enunciating each word. "I need to see Katie."
Grace nodded, "Then what are we waiting for?" she asked, grinning.
Jessie shook her head. "I think I lost her Grace," she stuttered through her tears. "She said that I had to choose, and I didn't, and she left.She left, Grace. She left me." Jessie broke down as she was finally hit with the guilt that had been brewing down inside of her. She had let Katie walk out the door; she had let her leave.
Grace slid closer to Jessie and put her arm around the younger girl's shoulder. "It'll be ok Jessie. She loves you and if you just tell her how you feel, everything will work out. You'll see that things have a funny way of working out for the better."
"Why are you being so nice to me?" Jessie asked.
Grace smiled, "Because you're letting me." The two girls sat in silence as the storm outside began to grow.
*****
Grace crept downstairs after making sure that Jessie had fallen asleep. Once she had calmed her down, Grace and Jessie had sat and talked. They talked about Katie, mostly, and what Jessie was feeling towards the older girl. This was the first time that Jessie had opened up to her, and Grace was happy that they were finally getting along, as all sisters should. When Grace reached the bottom of the stairs, she was startled by the sound of the phone ringing. Who could be calling this late at night, she thought to herself. "Hello?" she said as she picked up the receiver.
"Is this Jessie?" asked the caller.
"No, sorry. This is Grace," she said, puzzled as to why anyone would be calling for Jessie this late at night.
"Oh, Grace, hi.its Tad. Look, I don't know how to say this." his voice trailed off.
Grace could hear his voice wavering, "Tad? What is it?"
Tad sighed, "Its Katie. Th-There's been an accident."
*****
Upstairs, Jessie opened her eyes with alarm. She'd just had a horrible dream that something bad happened to Katie. She shook the thought out of her head and pushed the bed covers off of her body. Breathing in deeply, she swung her legs over the side of her bed and placed her head between her legs. Her heart raced and she felt as though she were hyperventilating. Her heart seemed to be lodged in her throat as she struggled to breathe. Slowly she rose, steadying herself, insistent on seeing Katie; knowing she was all right was the only thing that would let Jessie's heart relax. Jessie slowly crept down the stairs, but stopped upon hearing two voices quietly talking. She leaned in closer, and identified the voices as that of Grace and Karen.
"Tad didn't go into specifics Ms. Sammler. He just told me that she was in critical condition. Something about broken glass and bruises. They don't know if she's going to make it," Grace explained, burying her face in her hands.
Jessie strained to about hear whom they were talking about. Jessie watched as her mom stood up and started pacing around the couch. "Jessie will be devastated," she said quietly.
Jessie felt a shiver descend down her spine, causing her body to tremble. She had the feeling again, the same feeling that she had in her dream. It can't be, she thought, Katie's fine. Katie is at home, safe and asleep. She's not . Jessie's thought process stopped functioning at this point. She whispered softly, "Katie."
Karen and Grace looked up at the stairway and saw Jessie sitting there, arms wrapped around her body in an attempt to close herself off from the world. Karen walked slowly to the bottom of the stairs and gently started to explain what had happened. "Honey," she began, choosing her words carefully, "Something's happened to Katie." She paused and watched Jessie's reaction. "She's in the hospital right now," she continued, "The doctors are doing everything they can." Karen stopped and turned toward Grace, silently asking for help.
"Tad called, and all he told me was that something bad happened. He couldn't go into details over the phone because he was the only one there to talk to the doctors. He asked." Grace started.
"Asked what?" Jessie cried.
"He asked, well, he told me that Katie would want you there. You are her closest friend," Grace said, enunciating the word friend. Jessie's eyes grazed over the carpet, as if she were studying the fibers. She raised her eyes to meet Grace's, silently telling her that she needed to be there. Grace nodded her head slightly and said, "Ms. Sammler, I'll drive Jessie to the hospital. You can stay here and rest."
Karen nodded, knowing that she was still worn out from all of her physical therapy with Henry. "Henry!" she stated loudly, as though she had not meant to say this aloud. She looked at the puzzled faces of Grace and Jessie, "I'll call Henry and tell him that you are going to be at the hospital," she explained, "He's there tonight, working late. He'll make sure that you guys are all right there."
Grace nodded her head and motioned for Jessie to follow her upstairs. Once they were in the safety of the attic, Jessie lost control of her emotions. She fell to her knees and started to cry; her body trembling with fright that she had lost Katie forever. Grace knelt down beside the younger girl and grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her to her feet. Jessie glared at Grace, with both anger and confusion.
"You need to be strong Jessie. Katie needs you right now. You need to be strong for her, you know she would be strong for you," Grace said, placing her hand on Jessie's shaking shoulder.
Jessie raised her eyes to meet Grace's, and Grace saw something in her eyes that she hadn't seen in a long time. Determination filled the young blonde's eyes as she spoke slowly, enunciating each word. "I need to see Katie."
Grace nodded, "Then what are we waiting for?" she asked, grinning.