Title: Just Dance With Me
Rating: PG in this chapter. There's not too much to have to be warned of in this chapter.
Disclaimer: Most of the characters are not mine, so I can't claim them, and I won't try to. The only two I can claim as my own are Ash and Gina.
Feedback: I love feedback, and thank you to everyone who sends it.
Summary: This is a Jessie/Katie story. You've been 'warned.' It tells about them meeting college and everything that goes along with it. (Yes, that means they are going to be together in this story.) Tad, Grace, Sarah, etc. also fall into the plot a bit, but this is mostly Jessie/Katie.
Author's Notes: Happy (semi-late) holidays everyone. I'm sorry that this took me a little while to get out to you, but I'm hoping that it will be enjoyed nonetheless. I'm trying to update it as frequently as possible. Thank you again to everyone who reviews. And yes, I just had to have Katie in a white shirt again. But, that part you'll read in a little bit. ;)
Jessie had run several blocks before she had to stop to catch her breath. She was lucky that she had already dropped off her book bag at her dorm before going there so she didn't have to try to run with that on her back. Unfortunately, it also gave her the precise timing that she had to catch Katie and Sarah kissing like that. The blonde stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. She felt like she had to do something, had to flee to somewhere. There were too many thoughts building up in her mind. She considered the local bar, but then realized a few things. One, she was underage. Two, she didn't want to be a person who sat at the bar and cried and yelled and told her whole horrible story to a random bar tender. Instead, she took off to her dorm.
She opened the door slowly, and was relieved to see that Grace was in class still. Jessie wasn't ready to deal with anyone right now. The blonde went and took a shower hoping that the hot steam would relieve some of her horrible thoughts, all of Katie and Sarah. Afterward, she went back to the room and just lay on the bed. She was so tired. Maybe if she slept, the tears would stop.
Katie sat at the table drinking her cappuccino. Sarah had freaked out on her, and kissed her. They would have to deal with that later, and she would have to tell Jessie too. Wait, where was Jessie anyway? She was usually the type of girl to be early to a meeting, to a date, to coffee, to everything. Worried, Katie dialed Jessie's cell phone number, only to be met with voice mail. "Hey Jess, it's me. Where are you? I'm sitting here at the coffee shop, but you don't seem to be anywhere nearby…Unless you're the Invisible Woman now, not that I'd mind if you were a superhero…" Katie realized she was rambling on in her confused state of mind. "Anyway, I just wanted to see where you were, and what's going on…Call me when you get this okay?"
Jessie heard her phone beep. Ugh, it was the type of beep that went off every five minutes if you missed a phone call or a text message. It went off several times before she managed to pull herself from her bed and opened it up. Three missed calls, and one voice mail, all from Katie. The phone began to ring again. The younger girl didn't have to look at her caller id; she knew it was her girlfriend.
"Hi," Jessie decided that she was only going to be able to handle this if sometime she answered the phone.
"Hey Jess!" Katie sound relieved to hear from her girlfriend, and with good reason. The older girl had been waiting for about an hour in the coffee shop. A few of the workers were beginning to give her odd looks. So finally, she pulled out a book and pretended to read it. She rationalized that maybe then they would leave her alone. After all, she had her cappuccino and a book, what more could she want? Well, besides a call back from her girlfriend. "Where are you?"
"My dorm." Jessie began to trace circles on her leg with her finger as she waited for Katie's answer.
"Your dorm? Why? Are you sick? What happened?" Katie felt bad bombarding her with questions, but she wasn't sure what else to say.
"Kinda." Jessie paused, unsure of how to say what needed to be said.
"Do you want me to bring you some soup or something? A soup and a grilled cheese sandwich? Just the sandwich?" Katie was still rambling on, trying to help.
"No. I'm not that kind of sick." There was a pause.
"Jess, what do you mean?"
"I saw you, Katie." Jessie suddenly blurted out as she held back her tears.
Saw her. Saw her when? Oh crap. The pieces began to click into place. Jessie had seen Sarah kiss Katie. "It wasn't what it looked like."
"Funny how you immediately know what I'm talking about though, as soon as I mention it. Then, you go and sound like you're an actress in a movie. You need a new script writer, Katie. Your lines are getting old." Jessie sounded bitter, but she was simply sad, and the grief felt overwhelming right then. If she was going to do that to her, then Jessie could at least make Katie hear her thoughts on the subject.
"Jess, I wasn't kissing her back. She kissed me because she was confused or angry or sad or something. Maybe she was all of the above. There isn't anything between us." The older girl was in a panic as she tried to explain her feelings. The other customers were glancing at her oddly now. Maybe it was her smeared make-up as the tears ran down her cheek, or the way her hand was shaking as she held the phone.
"Between us, you mean. It sure looked like there was a hell of a lot going on between you and Sarah then." Jessie continued to draw patterns on her leg. She really liked Katie, but she wasn't sure she had the strength right now to listen to this. They could talk more later, after Jessie got some sleep.
"I promise. It's you that I want, not her. We're only friends, Sarah and I." Katie closed her eyes as she waited for what Jessie had to say. There was a pause before Jessie spoke again.
"Katie, I'm just…I'm tired right now. I can't listen to this." Jessie then hung up the phone and dropped it on the floor. A nap sounded so good right now.
Katie willed herself to open her eyes and glance at her phone. Call ended. She snapped her phone shut and placed it back into her purse. Jessie wasn't going to believe her easily. Okay, it was time to pull out the Singer charm. She really liked Jessie, and she wasn't going to let her go without a fight. She just needed a plan.
After her class, Katie went to the nearest music store, and picked through a bunch of Cds until she found the one she was looking for. She was simply happy that they had it in stock. After that, she drove to the nearest grocery store. She had to find some something that she could actually make. She was trying to think of Jessie's favorite foods, and smiled when she thought of one. Quickly, she went and found the needed products, and added that bag to the pile in the back of her car.
Several stores later, she was packed with everything that she thought she would be needing. Okay, so she was secretly thrilled that Sarah wasn't going to be home that night because she was going back to visit her parents that weekend. It was their version of Thanksgiving because Sarah's parents always seemed to have to work on the actual Thanksgiving. This way, they could still have dinner and celebrate, a week early.
Plus, she suspected that Sarah had some serious thinking to do. She was very confused after finding out that Ash had dumped her for Gina. Meanwhile, Gina had dumped Ash for her ex-boyfriend. It was just a series of twists and turns. Now, if just Gina's not-so-ex-boyfriend dumped Gina for Sarah…Wow, that'd be a big mess. No one seemed to be able to trust anyone in that love triangle, and Katie didn't want it to be that way with Jessie. That's why she had been planning the greatest dinner all night. Jessie would love it.
After decorating her room just so, Katie decided she had to make her first phone call. It was to Tad. She had explained the whole situation to him. "Holy shit. That's one hell of a mess you've gotten yourself into, Singer." Leave it to Tad to be helpful. After Katie explained her plan to him, he whistled. "I gotta give it to you on that, though. You seem to be able to think of ways to win the girls back over every time."
"This time is special though." Katie mentioned as she bit nervously at her nails. She just hoped that he'd be willing to help. "Will you help me then?"
"Oh, like I could say no to the famous Katie Singer!" Tad laughed. "You know I'd help you if I could. I'll call Grace and see what I can do, okay?"
"Thanks, Tad. I'll talk to you later." Katie left her phone nearby because she was pretty sure that Grace would be calling her in a few minutes.
Jessie had stayed in bed most of the day, sleeping. Once Grace had gotten home, Jessie had to go through the whole scenario of what had happened. Needless to say, Grace was confused. She could have sworn that Katie had really liked her sister. The way that she looked at her…It just didn't make any sense. Grace had tried to calm her step-sister down, and it was starting to work when Grace's phone rang. It was Tad. Maybe he'd have some answers. "It's Tad." Grace whispered as she answered the phone. "Hey."
"Hey, I know you're in the dorm with Jessie right now, but just listen to what I have to say, okay?" Tad wanted to help Katie out if he could.
"Mmhm," Grace agreed to listen.
Tad went on to explain Katie's side of the story, and that Grace simply had to get out of the apartment tonight so that the healing between the two girls could begin.
"Wow," Grace realized that Katie really hadn't meant to hurt Jessie after all. The young blonde simply needed to realize this for herself though. "So, I'll see you tonight?" Tad was going to take her out to dinner to keep Grace out of the dorm. That way, Jessie couldn't simply have her room-mate tell whoever knocked at the door that she wasn't home.
"You bet. I'll pick you up in a little bit." Tad smiled as he talked to his girlfriend. At least someone's relationship was going well. Now, if all worked as planned. Jessie and Katie would be happy together again too.
"See you then." Grace shut her phone and looked at her sister. She was scowling. "Tad wanted to make sure that our relationship was okay…so he asked me out to dinner and a movie tonight. Is that okay?" It was partly true anyway. Jessie nodded.
"Yeah, I'll probably just sleep anyway. You two owe it to yourselves to have some fun. This isn't your fault." Jessie tried to smile at her sister, and Grace smiled back realizing that Jessie wasn't going to be there all night either.
"You should brush your hair though." She had to do something to get ready.
"Mm," was Jessie's reply as she rolled over in bed. Grace rolled her eyes at her sister and finished getting ready. After she was finished, she called Katie. Jessie was sound asleep.
"Okay, you better fix this."
"I will," Katie promised when she heard Grace's voice. "I'm going to try my best to."
"Well…Good luck then. She can be awfully stubborn sometimes." They both laughed, and said good-bye because Tad was there right on cue.
Tad took his cell phone out once they were outside the dorm. "Keerrch…I have The Apple. Fly free Golden Eagle and collect your Silver Hawk."
"Tad, what the heck are you talking about?" Katie was trying not to laugh at her friend. "We're on cell phones, not walkie talkies. Also, I hate to break it to you, but we don't have a code."
Tad sighed. "I meant that I'm with Grace, so you can come get Jessie."
"Why didn't you just say so?"
"I tried to!" Tad was trying to defend himself. "Whatever, you just don't appreciate my codes…" He muttered jokingly.
"You're right. Over and out." Katie hung up her phone and finished getting herself and her room ready.
Tad clicked off his phone and shoved it back into his pocket before turning his attention back to Grace, who immediately swatted him. "Did you just call me an apple"
A few minutes later, Jessie's cell phone was ringing. Ugh, she really didn't want to talk to anyone right now. A few minutes even later, the phone was still ringing. Maybe she could get rid of them quick so they'd stop calling. "Hello," she answered groggily.
"I'm going to be there in a few minutes." Katie said before hanging up the phone. Hey, she'd given Jessie warning. Jessie blinked confusedly at the phone for a few seconds. Katie had just called her and told her that she'd be there soon?
She considered simply rolling over and going back to sleep, but somehow she knew that she needed to get ready. If Jessie wasn't ready soon, she was pretty sure that she would be having to go out in her pajama bottoms somewhere. So, the blonde went and washed up.
Ever punctual, Katie knocked on Jessie's door. "Hey Jess, it's me. I need to talk to you." Jessie, to be honest, still was wary of talking to Katie, but she didn't seem to have much of a choice. She knew how stubborn Katie was. She opened the door to reveal a stunning Katie.
Katie was wearing a pair of light blue jeans and a fitted white long-sleeved shirt. She had on her favorite classic pair of also light blue tennis shoes and her dirty blonde hair was curled ever so slightly. Her green eyes seemed to be flickering in the light, and Jessie caught herself staring. Jessie, on the other hand, also looked beautiful. Her blonde hair was brushed straight and was almost shining, then she had on her favorite pair of khaki-colored dress-pants and a black sweater. The dark shirt made her eyes seem ever bluer and her hair even lighter.
After a moment, Katie smiled and pulled out a gardenia and handed it to her girlfriend. "This is for you, and if you would please…I'd like you to come with me, to dinner." Katie bit at her lip as she held the gardenia out in front of her. She really wasn't sure what Jessie would say at this point. She was hoping that Jessie was willing to forgive her enough to give her a chance to explain, and to show her how much she really meant to her.