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Chapter 27

Monday had come around again and the Baker and Murtaugh kids had school. Jessica was still really upset about Elliot and Kim had tried to support her and be there for her all through the weekend and the two of them walked to school together.

"Thanks Kim," Jessica smiled as the two of them walked to school, "I really appreciate how nice you've been to me theses last few days especially after everything, because I know you never approved of me and Elliot and I suppose it caused a bit of a strain in our relationship".

"Don't worry about it," Kim replied. Although she felt bad for Jessica she was happy that her and Elliot had never worked out because she knew that it would have caused problems for her family and that it would have caused arguments.

"It will be strange to see him today, I don't know if it's going to be awkward because he says it is best of we aren't friends while we have feelings for each other," Jessica said.

"I'll be by your side all day if you need me to be, so don't worry about it being awkward," Kim smiled. Jessica was really surprised about Kim's support because Jessica knew she hadn't been the greatest sister to Kim lately and that she had been ditching Kim and choosing to spend time with Elliot instead.

When they arrived at school Jessica could see Elliot standing with Sarah and Jake standing by their lockers.

Jake said hello and Elliot stood awkwardly and tried not to make eye contact with Jessica but in the end he ended up looking her directly in the eye and gave a little smile before he turned away.

"Jessica has been acting real strange all weekend, don't you think Jake?" Sarah asked as Jessica and Kim walked away.

"Yeah she hasn't been herself since Friday, I asked her at the party if everything was ok and she said it is but I know there is something up," Jake replied. Elliot tried to act like he didn't know anything about Jessica's strange behaviour but he knew exactly why she would have been acting out of character.

"On the bright side it looks like her and Kim are really close again, which is good after all their arguing. I was worrying that they were growing apart too much and too quickly," Sarah said.

"I think they probably just wanted to be their own person after years of always been seen as we rather than me," Elliot said adding to the conversation.

"Yeah you're probably right," Jake replied.

Naomi came running up towards Sarah looking very excited, "Oh my god Sarah we need to have a catch up! I haven't heard form you all weekend, How did you date go?"

Sarah walked away with Naomi discussing her date.

"So dude have you spoke to Jessica lately?" Jake asked Elliot.

"No I've not seen or spoken to her since Friday," Elliot replied.

"She hasn't said anything to you has she? I know you two are really close," Jake said.

"No she hasn't said anything to me," Elliot felt bad lying to Jake but he hadn't never told him how he felt about Jessica so he couldn't tell him now why Jessica was acting funny

"Oh that is so sweet," Naomi said after she heard all about Sarah and Ethan's date, "So are you two like an item now?"

"Don't say anything to nobody because I haven't told my family yet but yeah we are he asked me out after our date on Friday," Sarah smiled. She hadn't told any of her family yet because she hadn't got round to it and she wasn't quite sure how to tell them. She also didn't want them making a big fuss because that is what they did after she announced that her and Elliot were going on a date last year at the lake.

"I won't say anything you secret is safe with me. You don't look that happy you know I would have thought that you would have been over the moon".

"It's just part of me still has feelings for Elliot. I have never admitted that to anyone but it is hard to get over someone who I loved when I have to see them every day. Especially when he is always flirting with my sister, Sarah said.

"Who?" Naomi asked. Sarah forgot that she had never told Naomi that she had seen Jessica and Elliot kiss or that she thought that there may be something between them.

"Jessica," Sarah replied, "I haven't told you this yet," Sarah said as she began to tell the story. It felt good for her to be honest with Naomi and actually tell the story to someone who wasn't part of her family because the only other person who knew was Lorraine and she had gone back to New York on Saturday so Sarah had no one else who knew about it.

"No way! I can't believe that Elliot would get with your younger sister. I thought that he was a nice guy as well," Naomi replied after hearing the story.

"He is a nice guy that's why I think he has never told me about it but somehow he always seems to find a way to hurt me," Sarah said. She just wished that Elliot and Jessica would have been honest to her, "I mean he does bad stuff which makes him not seem nice but I don't think he intestinally tries to hurt anyone's feelings". Sarah wasn't sure why she was defending Elliot when all this time she had been angry and hurt by him. She was confused and again this left her to question herself if she still had feelings towards Elliot.

"I want to hit him for everything that he has done to you," Naomi said. Sarah loved how protective Naomi was and was thankful for her concern. Naomi was the only person outside of her family that she trusted and she was the first proper close female friend Sarah has. Usually being the tomboy she was Sarah was mainly friends with Boys and even though Naomi and Sarah were very different they just seemed to click and become best friends.

During first period in maths Naomi hadn't spoke to Elliot all lesson. Usually she would be her chatty self and talk to everyone but today she had made a point in ignoring Elliot after hearing about everything he had done to Sarah.

"Some people are right jerks in this world," Naomi said really loudly so Elliot could hear but he had no idea that it was aimed at him, "At least you found a nice boy, and you and Ethan are a great couple," Naomi smiled.

"You and Ethan are a couple now?" Jake said as he turned round on his seat to face Sarah.

"Nice one Naomi," Sarah said, "Well yeah we sort of are now,"

"Why didn't you say anything?" Jake asked surprised that Sarah hadn't told him.

"I was waiting for the right time," Sarah replied.

"So are you like boyfriend and girlfriend now?" Jake asked.

"I suppose," Sarah replied.

"Good to see her moving on isn't Elliot?" Naomi said trying to rub it in that Sarah had moved on. Sarah glared at Naomi because she knew why she was saying that to Elliot.

"Yeah it is. We've both moved on so that's good," Elliot replied.

"Well you haven't really have you? Because there hasn't really been any other girls or any dates," Naomi said.

Elliot didn't know what Naomi was trying to prove but it seemed like she was trying to start an argument with her, "There doesn't have to be someone else to mean that someone's moved on. It's a case of emotionally moving on and not feeling the same way about the person as you use to".

Sarah was intrigued that Elliot had said that because maybe she hadn't emotionally moved on because she was heartbroken to watch Elliot kiss Jessica and it was tearing her apart to hear that him and Jessica were spending time together. Maybe she hadn't emotionally moved on yet, maybe she still felt the exact same way about him as she did last year at the lake.

Maths had finished and it was soon break. Elliot was walking by himself in along the corridor towards the school office as he had a letter he had to hand in. On his way there he bumped into Jessica who was also alone and on her way to meet Kim in the Canteen.

"Jess can I speak to you for a second?" Elliot asked just as Jessica was about to walk past him and ignore him.

"What about?" Jessica asked. Elliot had suggested they went somewhere not so busy so they went and sat on the steps at the side door of the school where nobody was hanging around.

"Look I know I said on Friday it would be best if we weren't friends because of our feelings but I didn't mean for it to be awkward like this, when we don't even speak at all," Eliot said.

"I hate the awkwardness!" Jessica replied, "But of course it's going to be awkward when we feel this way about each other and we've got to try and pretend to everyone else that there is nothing happening when really we both feel something more for each other and we have to try and get over each other so that we can move on".

"I know that and I understand that but I don't want it to be like this morning when we don't even talk to each other. I'm sure saying hello how are you isn't going to do any harm," Elliot replied.

"I Know but you've got to understand this is hard for me," Jessica said as she tried to hide her heartbreak from everyone and all her family know that there is something up and keep asking if she's ok.

"And me," Elliot said.

"Well I better go," Jessica said as she went to go meet Kim. As she was walking towards the canteen she could hear someone shout her name. She turned round to see that it was Ryan.

"Jessica is everything ok? You haven't replied to any of my texts all weekend?" Ryan asked looking concerned.

Jessica had completely forgotten to reply as she was so tied up with everything with Elliot, "Oh I'm sorry I've had a lot on my mind and I forgot to reply".

"You sure you're alright?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah I'll be fine," Jessica smiled back.

"You know I'm here if you want to talk?" Ryan offered, "because I can tell that whatever it is, it's bothering you."

"Well you know the whole Elliot thing, it's just gotten complicated because he told me on Friday that me and him will never be together because he can't hurt Sarah. A part of me thinks that he still likes Sarah and all this time he's just been using me to get over her," Jessica replied.

"You know I said before he is a jerk well he is an even bigger jerk than I thought he was. The way he has just leaded you on and used you is appalling, he can't treat girls that way. He's a cheat, a liar and he turned all your family against each other and now he's done this to you. I hope you don't mind me asking but what do you see in him?" Ryan asked.

"There is another side to him who is really sweet and nice. We just clicked," Jessica replied.

"Jess you're an amazing girl you don't deserve to be treated this way. You could do so much better!" Ryan said trying to make Jessica see that she could do better.

"Really?" Jessica replied.

"Yeah you could. Any guy would be lucky to have you, I don't think you realise just how great you are," Ryan smiled. Jessica was surprised by how highly Ryan thought of her, she knew he was right and that she hadn't done anything to deserve to be mucked about by Elliot the way she had.

"Thanks Ryan," she smiled, "Are you free tonight for finishing off this project I think we can have it finished in an hour".

"Yeah sure meet me after school and you can come to mine again," Ryan replied.

"Yeah that's great," Jessica replied. The bell rang and break had finished. Jessica realised that after speaking to Ryan and Elliot she had lost track of time and never met up with Kim like arranged, she knew Kim would be annoyed.

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