A/N: This is a relatively short chapter – but I thought it was better than sticking two different scenes into one… so yah. ENJOY

Part 18: Talk

Friday Night (11:30pm)

Knock Knock

Jessie was lying there half awake as she hears the soft knocks on her door, and few seconds later her door opening.

"Jess… You awake" came the voice drawing closer and closer.

"Mmhmm…" Jessie replied dreamily.

"Can I talk to you?"

"Yeah" Jessie replied without even bothering to move from her current position.

"Jessie… what happened today after school?" Grace questioned directly, not bothering to go around in circles.

'Eli.' Jessie thought, as she finally willed herself to sit up on her bed. "Well…" was all Jessie could get out before Grace already butted in.

"Was it Sarah?"

Sigh "Yes."

"What'd she try to do to you?" Grace demanded in an overly-protective sisterly way.

Sighing, Jessie contemplated whether she wanted to tell Grace about what had happened. She knew Grace cared for her, but she didn't want all of this to become a huge fuss and bring unnecessary attention towards herself.

Noticing that Jessie was holding back, Grace went over and sat next to Jessie on her bed. "Jessie, you know you can trust me…"

"I know, I know… It's not the trust thing okay…"

"Then what is it?"

"I just… I don't want to make this whole situation a great big commotion." Jessie stated truthfully.

"Jess, you know it is already a great big commotion," Grace stated, then she decided to joke a little to lighten up the mood, "I mean everything involving Sarah is a big commotion," Grace finished rolling her eyes exaggeratingly.

Jessie laughed at Grace's last comment, and finally gave in. "Well I was sitting there reading my book, listening to my i-pod – basically minding my own business."

"Uh-huh"

"For about ten minutes it was all calm and peaceful. Then Sarah came from behind and said some stuff."

"What stuff?"

"The usual, 'Look who it is' and so on." Jessie said waving her hand when saying 'so on'. "Well, before I knew it, some of her friends grabbed me from behind, all this stuff happened and I was tied down around the ankles, and they stuffed something in my mouth so I couldn't speak." Jessie explained in one long breath.

Grace's expression was one of stunned, her mouth agape, eyes wide with shock. She hadn't thought that, that was what had happened, but she definitely didn't realize that Jessie wasn't finished with her explanation.

"She and her group carried me into a back alley, and they… and they… tried to… um - rip my clothes off me." Jessie finished off her last bit softly shifting her gaze from Grace down to her hand.

The last bit was said so inaudibly that Grace only barely heard it. Making sure she had heard right she repeated dubiously, "rip your clothes off you?"

Jessie only nodded, her gaze still focused on her hands, which were fidgeting with one of her many rings. She tried hard to hold back her tears… She knew the tears… just simple tears would cause Grace to go berserk about the current situation, or anyone for that matter. This is because in other people's eyes, Jessica Sammler was a fragile girl, and needed to be treated with care. However, Jessie couldn't hold on any longer, and let out a small whimper.

Grace noticed the girl was crying next to her, she took Jessie into a sisterly embrace. "It's okay."

"Yeah…" Jessie said through tears, "Luckily Eli was there."

"Yeah…"

After a while of hugging, they pulled apart, and Grace asked, "You gonna tell Katie?"

Looking at her hands once again, she tried to come up with an answer. "I dunno. Should I?"

Surprised that Jessie would ask for her opinion, Grace replied, "Well yah… I mean she kind of deserves to know…" Grace trailed off, "But then knowing Katie, she would probably go nuts if she found out what Sarah had tried to do."

"Yeah."

"But then again, I still think you should tell her."

"I know. Maybe I'll tell her tomorrow, when she comes over…"

"Want me to be there?" Grace asked supportively.

"Can you?" Jessie asked hopefully. She would've never thought that she was so relying on Grace nowadays, considering they never really got along until Grace found out.

"Yeah. I'll try fitting you guys into my busy schedule." Grace stated playfully.

Laughing, Jessie said "thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything – for being accepting and helpful."

"Well no problem. Just be sure if I have such problems, you're gonna have to help me."

"Deal" Jessie said, smiling. 'Who would've thought… Me and Grace this close? No way.'

Getting up off Jessie's bed and beginning to walk towards the attic door, "well I shall be off to bed now. Night Jess"

"Night."