Rating: T
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Once and Again characters as I've stated in previous chapters, but I decided to restate that again anyway. However, I did create Dana Johnson and Dean Harris, so they do belong to me.
Summary: Basically some teen loving going on between Jessie and Katie with some angst and humor mixed in. Some regulars also make an appearance in here.
Feedback: I always appreciate feedback.
Author's Note: Thanks again to everyone that's been reading this, and reviewing it. I hope you all like this new section that I've written.
Peanut butter, jelly, ham, turkey, random vegetables, chicken, roast beef, and condiments were all set up along a table for the sandwiches. Katie hadn't realized how hungry she was until she got to the table, however neither had Jessie. Jessie assembled a decent-sized healthy sandwich and then grabbed a milk to drink. However, Katie made herself a strictly peanut butter sandwich, and then grabbed a milk and a really big cookie. They both glanced around the lunch room trying to find the perfect place to sit. Jessie wasn't too enthused to sit by Sarah, even if she was supposedly over the bickering at Jessie because she liked Katie thing. After a moment, and several waves at various people later, they settled on a fairly empty table in the corner. This allowed them to have their own private conversation without either one feeling too self conscious of the other people that may be listening in. Jessie looked at Katie oddly for a moment. "Just peanut butter?" Katie nodded and took a bite of her sandwich. "No jelly?" Katie shook her head still chewing on her sandwich. "May I ask why?" Again, Katie shook her head no. "Why can't I ask?" Katie rolled her eyes and took a drink of her milk, swallowing her sandwich bite.
"I was eating. I didn't think you wanted a show of my food there."
"Hm," Jessie thought for a moment, "you're right, I don't want a show of your food. I'd take a show of you though." Katie almost choked on her sandwich that she had just taken another bite of.
"Why, Billie! Did you just make a flirtatious comment aimed towards little 'ole me?" Katie feigned innocence and batted her eyes at Jessie who immediately blushed and took a bite of her sandwich.
She shook her head 'no.' "What's the matter, Jessie?" Katie asked laughing, "Cat got your tongue?"
Jessie, who had stopped blushing, stopped chewing. "No, but I am eating like you were," she answered through a mouthful of food. Katie looked at her incredulously.
"You just talked with your mouth full! I was not talking with my mouth full. I was nice to you and waited, unlike some people I know..." Jessie just rolled her eyes, still eating. Katie continued jokingly, "Why you apparently don't know what's attractive to a girl do you?"
Jessie swallowed her food just as she thought of a brilliant come-back to that. "Sure I know what's attractive. I'm looking at her." Two flirty comments in the same conversation! Jessie sure was getting better at this. Of course, Katie wouldn't let Jessie 'win' even though Katie was smiling goofily at her now.
"Yeah? Well, guess what, I'm looking something pretty amazing myself. Her name's Jessie." Jessie smiled at Katie for a moment.
Their gaze seemed to get a little too intense for where they were for the moment so Katie decided to break it. "Yeah, have you met her? I named my milk carton, Jessie. It's beautiful huh?"
Jessie laughed, "I get a milk carton named after me huh?"
Katie shook her head, "Nah. I think you were named after the milk carton. You know the whole, 'What came first, the Jessie or the milk carton?'."
"Definitely the Jessie. How old can a milk carton be?"
"Oh...knowing this school, and it's lack of regard for expiration dates...quite possible that this baby is older than you." By this point Katie was wiggling her empty milk carton in the air for extra emphasis. Both girls broke into a fit of giggles at this, just as Tad walked up.
"Hello ladies," he announced plopping himself right next to Jessie, on the opposite side of the table of Katie.
"Hi Tad," they both announced simultaneously which caused them to share another smile.
"Come now, no keeping secrets from me. What are you two up to this weekend?" With that, he smiled at Katie and slipped his arm around Jessie. "You know, gotta make sure my two favorite girls are ready to go see a movie this weekend."
Immediately Katie's eyes flashed jealousy for a mere moment before she got it under control, luckily no one noticed. Jessie, of course, noticed the arm that was suddenly around her. It didn't feel the same as having Katie close to her at all. It felt almost big and bulky and unnatural to have around her shoulders. She poked at it for a second with one of her fingers to see if it would move. It wouldn't, so instead she pretended to have to tie her shoes and turned so that she could place her foot up next to her. Tad wasn't looking so she just untied and retied her shoelaces once before turning back towards the conversation, scooting a little farther from Tad subtly. Of course, that took place in a few seconds. Meanwhile, Katie's right eyebrow seemed to raise almost if by habit, "You mean just to hang out?"
Tad nodded, so Katie glanced at Jessie to see her reaction. Jessie, in return, was looking at Katie for her reaction. They didn't have any better plans, hanging out as a group with Tad couldn't be too bad. They were all friends, and afterward, maybe she and Jessie could finally go get those smoothies. They both shrugged then turned towards Tad. "Sure, why not, right Jessie?" Katie decided to answer then, and Jessie nodded her agreement to the plans. Tad told them that the movie was at 7, and that he would pick them up. It was a fairly normal conversation then until Tad had to leave for class. Luckily, the two girls had a class nearby next hour whereas Tad had to go across most of the school to get to it.
"Alright, we'll pick you up at 6:45. See you later!" Tad tried to make his exit quickly, but Katie caught on quickly.
"What do you mean 'we'll'? Who else is going to be going?" Tad looked uncomfortable for a moment before replacing look of distain that had appeared on his face with a look of good natured fun as if he was innocent.
"Dean Harris. Katie, you've met him. I went to camp with the guy. He's about my height with shaggy brown hair. I thought you liked him?"
Katie's mouth was hanging open, despite her best efforts to shut it. Jessie's eyes had grown wide as if Tad had just grown a second pair of eyes and lit his hair on fire in one swift movement. "What!" Jessie exclaimed, "It's a date? A double date? Why didn't you say that before! You said we were just hanging out!" Jessie was starting to freak out now, she didn't want to date Tad! She didn't want his arm around her…No, she didn't.
"Well, okay, so it's a date. It'll be fun though. Katie, remember Dean?" Oh, Katie remembered him all right. He was a funny and nice guy, but he kept clinging to her all evening. She wasn't sure what else to do with him except send him to get her some punch which he did eagerly. Which, in turn, made her have to go to the bathroom more often, which led to his following her and waiting for her at the door. You know, someone might have stolen her lip gloss or something on the way, or she could have been kidnapped. Of course she'd need an escort to the freaking bathroom! Needless to say, it wasn't one of Katie's favorite nights to remember. Especially when she had to start eating the onion dip on her chips instead of the regular dip just to prevent him from trying to kiss her.
"Yes, I remember Dean, Tad." Katie answered this wearily, and Tad wondered if he was catching the right vibe. He had heard the rumors about Katie and Sarah, of course. He was also one of her best friends and she hadn't told him of any kind of relationship with Sarah, so either it didn't happen or else it was not very serious and was just people assuming things of them.
"Unless…you'd rather go with someone else…" Tad was trying here, he really was. He wanted a date with Jessie, who he thought might be into him. Jessie was Katie's best friend and vice versa. So, what better way to get Jessie on a date with the uncomfortable-ness then having Katie have a date too.
"Unless what?" Katie was looking at Tad curiously at this point, and Jessie just sat there listening to their conversation wondering who this Dean person was.
"Unless you'd rather bring someone like…" He assumed that perhaps Sarah wasn't the best person to suggest at the moment if the rumors had any truth to them. "someone like Dana. You know, I heard that she was single." Katie's eyes widened, and Jessie gasped and tried not to laugh. She knew she should be more jealous perhaps, and probably would be had she not observed Sarah and Dana looking pretty together a few minutes ago at the most.
Katie, on the other hand, was caught off-guard. "Dana? Dana! I don't like Dana like that!" Tad smiled, okay, so she was okay with going with Dean. He just thought he should be a good friend and offer someone a bit, er, different.
"Okay, Dean it is. I'll see you guys, er, girls later then. Remember the time we discussed! Be ready!" He smiled and waved before walking off, leaving both girls in shock.
"Did what I think just happened happen?" Jessie was looking incredulously at the back of Tad as he walked away.
Katie nodded solemnly. "I think we have a double date on Friday night."
"With other people," Jessie finished as both girls finally turned to look at each other. On cue, Dana walked by hand in hand with Sarah. Both girls looked happy and were smiling at each other readily involved in conversation. They seemed to be getting along very well. Katie was happy for Sarah and Dana. Actually, Jessie was happy for them too, but also a little bit jealous. Why couldn't she be that open about things like that? Well, that could wait, right now all that she needed was Katie, and luckily she was sitting right across from her. "You know, we're going to be late for class now."
Katie nodded, "I know. Back to being the voice of reason I see." She teased Jessie lightly, and Jessie laughed in return.
"Well, someone has to, and it probably won't be the girl with peanut butter stuck on her cheek."
Katie mocked having shock at Jessie's words trying to keep a straight face. "I'll have you know I'm starting a new trend of peanut butter wearing people." Jessie laughed immediately at this, and Katie's face also broke into a smile unable to hold it in any longer. "You're the first member to be inducted too!" Jessie looked at Katie confused for a moment as Katie leaned in towards Jessie and slowly and deliberately smeared some peanut butter that had been left on her plate on Jessie's cheek.
Jessie gasped at this. "Oooh, you did not just do that."
"Oh, I think I did. If you're unsure, feel free to look in a mirror." Both girls were teasing again at this point, not really realizing that the other students had left and the cooks had given up on giving them dirty looks to get them to leave. Instead, they had retired into the kitchen again to clean up in there, leaving the rest of the cafeteria to clean once the crazy girls had left.
"I'm so going to get you back for this," Jessie replied as she tried to wipe the peanut butter off her cheek. Katie wiped hers off also.
"I can't believe you already took off the peanut butter, and you wiped it off!" Katie was looking suspiciously angelic for a moment.
"How else was I suppose to get it off?" Jessie had taken the bait that Katie had offered her, by asking this question.
Katie grinned deviously, "I could have licked it off for you, you know how much I love peanut butter." To add to the statement Katie licked her lips knowing that no one else was around so that flirting was okay. Not that she really was noticing anyone else at the moment.
Jessie's mouth dropped open for a moment and she let herself imagine that for a moment. Her eyes glazed over momentarily, and she could not think of a good comeback. "You're imagining it! You're totally imagining me licking peanut butter off your cheek!" Katie whispered, trying not to shriek it out. She was laughing at this point as Jessie turned a bright red. There was no point in arguing it now. She had been imagining it. Trying to shrug it off, Jessie looked around for a moment.
"Should I be worried about Dean?" She turned teasingly to Katie who rolled her eyes.
"No one should be worried about Dean, ever. Especially you." Jessie grinned and looked at her beautiful friend. Were they just friends…with benefits? Girlfriends? Man, undefined relationships can suck sometimes.
Katie smiled again. Jessie sighed before stating, "I need to get to class soon." Katie rolled her eyes. "So do you."
"Nope, I have girl troubles remember? For all they know, I'm very confused and have to stay in the bathroom a while yet."
"Okay, no teacher. Not even a guy teacher is that gullible." Jessie tried to scold Katie for her silly answer, but ended up laughing anyway. She loved it when Katie made her laugh. Which worked out well since Katie loved making Jessie laugh.
Katie replied, "We should go though, I suppose. We don't want to get detention tomorrow night and miss the movie."
"Right, have to make it to the date," answered Jessie just as unenthused as Katie was.
"With the guys." Katie added still unenthused. She just hoped that Tad didn't try something with Jessie when they were out. He wouldn't, would he? He knew she liked Jessie, so he would definitely back off. Oh, wait, no he didn't know. This could be bad…Katie started to get worried, but refused to dwell on it too much until then. Who knows, maybe Tad wasn't too interested in Jessie really. It was just a friendly date, really. Just then a cook came out glaring at them asking if they were done. Trying not to laugh at the furious look on the cook's face Jessie told her 'yes', while Katie tried to answer 'no'.
"Come on, Billie. We have to get to class." Jessie got up, and took Katie with her letting the angry and muttering cook go to work.
"Class together?" Katie asked hopefully. Jessie laughed at the hopeful look on her face. Katie pouted knowing that they had different classes this hour. "Well, see you after this class anyway right? In…" She looked at the clock, noticing that there was only thirty minutes left of class anyway. "thirty minutes?"
Jessie smiled once more. They both seemed to be doing that a lot today. "Of course. Wild horses couldn't keep me away." After considering it for a moment she added, "Well, they wouldn't keep me away unless they started to….No, they still wouldn't keep me away." She decided that just as Katie laughed at Jessie's silliness and both headed off towards their own classes.