Chapter 32

Jess' mom got home from work around five, looking a little dragged out but carrying a large pizza box from a nearby takeout place. "You hungry at all?" she asked as she passed the couch where Jess was sitting and carried the box into the kitchen.

Jess followed Sandie into the room and took two plates out of the cupboard.

"Aww Mom, this was nice of you." She was a bit hungry, not having eaten anything since breakfast.

"Well, think of it as a peace offering," Sandie replied with a tentative smile as she helped herself to a slice. Jess smiled back as she took her own piece and bit into it carefully, mindful of the hot cheese and the sensitive roof of her mouth. I'm glad Mom wants to smooth things over, but I have no idea how to start, Jess thought privately as she chewed.

"So how are you feeling?" Sandie inquired between mouthfuls, circumspectly examining the visible bruises on Jess' face and upper body and trying not to let her anger and disgust show anew.

When she finished chewing, Jess nodded. "I'm fine. A little sore here and there-" and not all of it was from the attack, not that she was about to mention that little fact to her mom "-but I'm ok."

"And how about mentally?" Sandie couldn't help inquiring, or the concern that leaked into her voice as she spoke.

Jess put her half-eaten slice down and looked off into space for a moment. "I'm…I'm ok there too, I guess. Although I'm starting to get really hacked off about it, to be honest."

Sandie nodded. "I don't blame you for being angry. And that's actually good. Maybe it'll make you prosecute those broads to the fullest." She looked Jess in the eye while speaking, making sure that her daughter got the idea.

Jess compressed her mouth into a thin line, not really wanting to discuss last night's events any further, but there was one lingering thing she needed to bring up while her mom was in a more relaxed mood.

"About Stacy-" she and Sandie had spoken at the exact same time, causing them both to break off and smile at each other. Before either one could proceed, there was a soft knock at the door.

"Call the bear by his name?" Sandie quipped, arching one eyebrow at her daughter, who quickly shook her head.

"I'm sure it's not him; he's not the type to show up where he's not wanted," Jess replied glibly, knowing full well what the truth was. She stood up and went to the door. "It might be Deb, she said she'd try to stop by after work and check on me."

It was indeed her older friend, bearing a shopping bag with the salon's logo on it. "Thought some bath stuff might help you feel better," Deb declared as she walked inside and thrust the bag toward Jess, who accepted with heartfelt thanks.

"Deb, this is my mom Sandie," Jess announced as Deb gave Sandie a little wave.

"We just sat down to some pizza, care to join us?" Sandie asked the new arrival.

Deb ventured closer to the table and took a tentative sniff of the air. "That from Richey's? Sure, just one piece can't hurt, right?" She joined them at the table and helped herself to a slice after Jess set a clean plate in front of her.

After a couple of minutes' silence when everyone was eating, Sandie addressed Deb. "So you were the one who stopped the fight and got Jess to the hospital, is that right?"

Deb gave a modest half-shrug. "I sorta stopped it with the help of a couple of guy friends, and I really just followed Jess to the hospital. Stacy did the actual driving, bless 'im."

At that, Sandie and Jess exchanged a meaningful look, almost causing Deb to cover her mouth with her hand. "Oh yeah, Jess told me that he's not welcome here anymore," she muttered, slightly embarrassed that she'd brought up what was obviously a touchy subject.

Jess looked down at her plate and swallowed. Sandie levelled a look at Deb that was direct but not unfriendly. "It might have been harsh of me, but I did what I felt I had to do in that situation," she told Jess' friend without equivocating. "If you have any children yourself then you'd understand," Sandie added as she picked up another slice.

Deb responded with equal directness. "I don't have kids, but I do understand what it's like to see someone you love get hurt and not be able to do anything about it. All I'm saying is that none of this was Stacy's fault. If he'd had any idea that there was a threat to Jess he wouldn't have brought her within a mile of the Civic." As Deb spoke Sandie slowly put down her pizza and met Deb's gaze full-on. Unfazed, Deb continued: "Look, I've known him since he was eleven and believe me, Jess couldn't have picked a nicer guy to date." Her little speech finished, Deb broke her eye contact with Sandie and took another bite.

"She's telling the truth, Mom," Jess ventured, bolstered by Deb's vote of confidence. "Stacy was devastated when he saw what had happened. He was so comforting to me afterward and I was so glad he was there. You too, Deb," Jess added with a grateful nod in her friend's direction. Then she addressed Sandie again in pleading tones. "Mom, he really is a good guy and he didn't deserve to get thrown out last night. Please let me at least talk to him again. Please? Just one call to let him know how I'm doing?"

Sandie gave a resigned sigh. "I guess you can call him, but I'm not quite decided on whether you can keep seeing him or not," she said slowly.

"Thanks, Mom," Jess breathed, relieved about her victory, partial though it was. And if we just keep a really low profile for a little while, she'll probably let him back in the house again.

"Ahh, that's great," Deb chimed in. "Honestly, I really can't think of a better person for Jess than Stacy. Even if you guys can't go out anymore, I know he'll be a good friend," she reassured Jess with a conspiratorial wink since Sandie was looking down at her plate at that moment. Jess repressed the urge to giggle. As promised she'd called Deb at work shortly after Stacy had left the house and given her an abbreviated version of everything that had happened after Stacy climbed in through her bedroom window. Deb said that Mom would cave eventually. So far, so good, Jess thought happily.

After a moment of silence Deb cleared her throat a bit awkwardly. "I ah…don't know if Jess told you that my sister was one of the girls involved in the incident?" she ventured.

Sandie nodded. "Yes, she told me, but you said that she didn't actually take part in the attack, didn't you Jess?"

"Nnooo," Jess started to reply, but Deb took over.

"She may not have laid a hand on Jess, but she was still an accessory. She could have stopped it, gone for help, done something besides stand there. And even though she and I aren't that close and I'm not my sister's keeper, I still want to apologize on her behalf."

Sandie gave Deb an understanding smile. "Thank you for that. And for helping Jess afterward."

"I sort of feel like it was my fault in a way too, though," Deb confessed as she finished a second slice. "Like, way more than Stacy." Before Sandie could protest Deb quickly continued. "I know that Stacy was her date and therefore her protector for the night, but he had no clue about what was going to go down. I did," she admitted glumly. "And I acted on my hunch too late."

"Oh Deb, don't blame yourself," Jess tried to reassure her, but Deb just shook her head.

"Just before you got up to go to the restroom, Allie came over to me and started asking me a bunch of questions about what you were doing with Stacy, if it was serious and all that jazz. Then right after you walked out of the theatre, Angel and Karen came in the door, Allie jumped up to meet them and then they all went right back out. I didn't really think anything of it because they hang together all the time, but when a couple of girls came in a few minutes later and told someone sitting across the aisle that there was a fight going on in the ladies' room, I put two and two together and ran there stat. Tony and some other guy were on their way back in to the auditorium and they heard the commotion too, so they got there hot on my heels to hold the girls at bay while we got Jess out of there. And…that's it," Deb concluded with a little frown and a shrug.

Sandie and Jess exchanged another look. "What's the situation with your sister now?" Jess' mom inquired.

"Well, Allie was charged as an accessory at the same time the other two were arrested. But she didn't go to jail since she's underaged; the cops released her to our parents and as far as I know she hasn't left the house since." Deb turned her head to address Jess directly. "And I just want you to know that even though she's family, I'm on your side one hundred percent and will give testimony in your favor at the trial, if you want me to."

At this display of friendly loyalty both Jess and her mom expressed their thanks. Deb demurred with a sad shake of her head. "I hate that it's come to this, that I have to testify against my own sister, but I really hope she learns a serious lesson after all this about the company she keeps."

"Amen," Sandie said, and that ended the subject for the time being.

Shortly after the pizza had been reduced to a few crusts in the box, Deb announced she had to go to her parents' house and talk to her errant sister next. She hugged Jess again on her way out the door. "Hang in there, girl. Gimme a call during the week and maybe we can meet up for lunch, ok? Now go call Stacy!" That last bit was added sotto voice with a wink to accompany it.

As soon as Deb was gone Jess excused herself to her room to do exactly as her friend suggested. With slightly shaking hands she dialed Stacy's number. I hope he hasn't changed his mind about seeing me for some reason, she thought anxiously as the rings began. On the third one he picked up, sounding slightly breathless. "Man, your timing is awesome. I literally just walked in the door," he told her after they exchanged the usual greetings.

"Oh? Where have you been?" she asked lightly, not trying to sound like she was prying.

"Oh, just skating banks with a few guys," he told her, still panting a bit, which was making Jess rather turned on. "So how ya feeling now?"

"Oh, fine. Hey, I have some good news – Mom said it's ok to call you again."

"Awesome!"

"Yeah, but she's still undecided on whether we can date again."

"Oh."

"But I think she'll come around. She's feeling kinda bad about last night, y'know…"

"It's cool, I understand why she was like that."

"Yeah." Pause. Then in a half-whispered voice: "I really wish I could see you."

Meaning: I really wish you'd sneak back into my room again.

"I really want to see you too, Jessica. Hopefully soon."

Meaning: Sure, how 'bout tonight?

"Yeah, definitely. Well I'm sure things will work out ok."

Meaning: I'll leave the window unlocked for you.

"Right on. Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed for more good news."

Meaning: I really hope you'll be wearing something sexy.

"Everything's gonna be fine, Stacy. Ok, I won't keep you, just wanted to call and let you know what was going on."

"Ok, that's great. Um, talk to you later then?"

"You know it. Later, Stacy." Jess hung up the phone with a triumphant smile even though it hurt her face a bit to do so. Hopefully he won't keep me waiting up too late or I might fall asleep first, she mused as she went back into the living room to watch TV with her mom for the rest of the evening. By mutual and unspoken assent they didn't bring up anything regarding the night before, just chatting about school and work as though nothing had happened at all 24 hours before.

At 10:30 her mom announced that she was retiring to her bedroom to read for a little while before going to sleep. Jess stated that she would do the same thing. After detouring for a quick bath and a change of bandages for her leg, she ensconced herself in her room with the door firmly locked and changed into a silky camisole top and the same bikini bottoms from the night before, having washed them by hand like she did with all her delicate undergarments. Then she put on 'It'll Shine When It Shines' by Ozark Mountain Daredevils at a low volume and waited for the tap on her window.

Stacy didn't let her down. During the second verse of "Jackie Blue" she heard his fingertips drumming on the pane slightly out of time with the song and jumped out of bed to let him in. As he hoisted himself up the wall and into the window she noted that he was wearing the Mr. Zog's Sex Wax shirt she'd seen him in the first time she'd ever laid eyes on him that day she went to the Venice Noodle Co. to seek work. I didn't find a job there, but I did stumble over something way better, Jess mused as Stacy swung both legs over the sill and landed the soles of his Vans on her carpet with a theatrical flourish of his hands and a smug smile. She golf-clapped, then stepped forward into his embrace and tilted her head up to his for a kiss. When it ended Stacy gently took her head in his hands and examined her in the light, but she didn't look any worse than she had that morning.

"Hello again," she whispered. He mouthed a silent "hi" and then brought his lips to hers again. They stood there kissing until "Jackie Blue" ended.

"How y'doin' now, are you ok?" Stacy inquired, causing Jess to snort in exasperation.

"Will you quit asking that? I'm fine, really," she assured him.

He looked slightly crestfallen. "Sorry, just checkin'. I've been thinking about you all day, Jessica, and hoping you'd call tonight."

Her eyes widened a bit. "Did you think maybe I wouldn't or something?"

"Well…yeah, maybe. Like, you could have decided your mom was right or someth-"

Jess stopped his awkward speech by standing on her tiptoes and grabbing the back of his head to pull his mouth downward to meet hers. "Well, I'm just as bad," she told him when the kiss ended. "I was afraid maybe you wouldn't want to talk to me when I did call you."

Stacy refrained from rolling his eyes and settled for a little shake of his blonde mane and a discomfited laugh. "Jessica, why…nah, never mind. Everything's copasetic now and that's all that matters."

Jess nodded, relieved that they were still on the same page. "C'mon," she urged as she sat on her bed and tugged the hem of his shirt downward, compelling him to join her. They wrapped their arms around each other and resumed making out while lying on their sides. After a minute Jess pushed against Stacy's chest so he fell over on his back.

"I'm so glad you came here again," she whispered as she angled herself on top of him and delved her tongue into his mouth while pushing down on his shoulders, her hair making a fragrant curtain around their faces. "So, are you staying tonight too, or…?"

Her question hung in the air unfinished. Stacy reached up and wound a long dark strand of hair around his index finger, rubbing his thumb across it to savor the wavy texture. "I think you know the answer to that one already," he told her as he slipped an arm around her neck and pulled her down for another kiss.