Once and Again 1. Chapter 1

Thumbing through the pages of her People magazine, Katie Singer sighed out of sheer boredom. She could barely make out the "Where Are They Now" article about the cast of "The Wonder Years" since the theater lights were so dim. Her buddy Tad had dragged her to watch the dress rehearsal for the play he was in. At first, Katie thought it would be fun to see her strapping male friend play dress-up, but she didn't realize how tedious it would all be. She had staked out her spot in the last row of the auditorium, thinking she could just sneak out if she wanted to. And she was getting very close to doing so. But since her friend, Sarah was in the show as well, she may as well show both of her friends some support. But seriously, if Mr. Dimitri called 'cut' one more time, Katie was going to need some support…life support.

Katie found herself slowly nodding off. This is not how she wanted to spend her Wednesday afternoon, that's for damn sure. She'd rather be at home doing nothing than at school doing nothing in a very uncomfortable chair. She shook herself out of her slumber and went back to trying to read about what a genius Winnie Cooper had turned out to be.

In the long run, she figured it was better than being at home. Even in this stupid chair. For some reason, she didn't feel quite as lonely at school as she does at home. At least there's people around. Living people who actually talk and show some sign of respect for others.

Meanwhile, Jessie Sammler waited patiently in the wings for her cue. She really wanted this rehearsal to be over and done with. Tad had been leeching onto her like white on rice and she was really too tired to try to put off his advances. Plus, her costume was really starting to bug her. Her skirt kept falling down and any time she tried to talk to Sarah about it, she'd get nothing but a lecture on how difficult it is to for a 16 year old to live with stomach ulcer and have to deal with annoying sophomores complaining about their costumes. This was definitely not what Jessie signed up for. All she wanted to do was sing. That was it. She wanted to sing. Normally, this was not something Jessie would ever do in public. She was way too shy for that. But something inside told her she should do this show. She thought maybe it would somehow change her life. Maybe she'd be less introverted and make more friends. Maybe she'd find joy in something she could participate in with other students. Maybe she'd find a love of musical theater and her life's calling. Maybe something so amazing would come of this, it would breathe a new life into her.

That wasn't exactly the case at this point. The only things she had discovered were 19 different excuses to get away from Tad and that Sarah Grasso was a real bitch. And that pretty much summed all the students at Upton Sinclair for Jessie. Granted, she didn't know everyone. And not every person she has met was horrible, but there was no one that she could communicate with on her own level. No one who could really understand her. She had come to terms with it by now. She had friends, and they were nice to be around. She just knew she'd never be able to bear her entire soul to them. But she was okay with that.

Jessie spotted Tad walking over toward her. 'Oh Lord. Here we go,' she thought.

"Hey Jessie," whispered Tad.

"Hey." Jessie replied. She didn't make eye contact. She was too busy watching everyone else scurry around her, trying to find their props or costume pieces.

"So, uh…good luck on your song."

"Oh. Thanks. You know, you already wished me good luck yesterday…and the day before."

"Oh. Right. Well, then I'll say break a leg," Tad struggled to get out a coherent sentence.

Jessie laughed to herself. She couldn't help but think Tad was just a complete moron. I mean, he was cute and nice enough, but this guy had no tact whatsoever. Still, it flattered Jessie that he showed interest in her. Her insecurities seemed to fade a tiny bit when he talked to her.

"So," Tad continued, "do you think we'll be ready by next week?"

Jessie started walking away when she realized she was up next. "Oh, I gotta go, Tad. I'm on."

Katie had much better luck reading her magazine now that she had found that flashlight keychain in her back pack.

'Ah…Fred Savage, so THAT'S where you've been hiding…' she thought.

She was engrossed in the article when something came over her. Something unexpected and almost unexplainable. At first she thought she had fallen asleep again and that this was a dream, but she was, in fact, awake. Awake and hearing a hypnotic voice singing a haunting melody.

"Some glad morning when this life is o'er,  
I'll fly away;  
To a home on God's celestial shore,  
I'll fly away

I'll fly away, Oh Glory  
I'll fly away; in the morning  
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by,  
I'll fly away."

Katie looked up and saw who that voice was coming out of. This girl. This tiny blonde girl she had surprisingly never seen before. Katie became enthralled, letting the music resonate in her ears. She could not take her eyes off of this girl. Her eyes started watering. Not from tears or emotion, but from the simple fact that she refused to blink. She didn't want to miss a second of this girl's performance. Katie found herself smiling for what seemed to be no apparent reason. The song just took over her, as did this girl. Who was she? All Katie knew was that she was beautiful and she wanted to hear that voice for the rest of her life. 'Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to stay after all,' Katie thought.

Jessie was nervous. Her stomach was churning and she wasn't sure if she could even make it through the song. She couldn't stop thinking about how she was going to have to do this in front of hundreds of people next week. The more she thought about it, the more nervous she got. The lights were bright, staring back at her. She was almost blinded. But she found herself able to focus. "Always choose a focal point," Mr. Dimitri would say over and over again. Jessie found herself focusing on a silhouette in the very back row of the theater. There was something calming about that shadow. Something serene. She couldn't explain it, but as soon as she focused on it, she felt relaxed. Her stomach was calm and she was able to finish her song with more confidence than she ever had before. As soon as her song was over, she heard a clapping noise coming from the audience. Jessie tried to make out who was clapping for her, but the auditorium was too dark.

Katie, still reeling from Jessie's performance, jumped up out of her chair and started clapping. After about 10 seconds, she realized she was the only one and had 5 or 6 people, including Jessie, turning to see who was making that noise. She stopped immediately and sank back into her chair.

'Real smooth, Singer. That's just great,' she thought.

"Jessie, that was amazing. Simply amazing. Thank you," Mr. Dimitri told her as soon as Katie's clapping had stopped. Jessie nodded in thanks and walked off the stage. She didn't take compliments very well.

"Okay. Can everyone come out on stage, please?" yelled Mr. Dimitri. As everyone made their way to the stage, he continued talking. "So tomorrow's rehearsal is going to be held in the gym. I know it's a rather odd place, but they're painting the set tomorrow and it's going to take all day to dry. And since we really don't want to get paint on these costumes, the gym will have to suffice as our stage. Any questions? Too bad. I'm tired and I want to go home. Good night, all."

As everyone started heading back stage to change, Katie grabbed her stuff and headed down towards the stage. She had one mission: find out who that girl was. She scanned the area for her, but had no luck locating her.

"Hey Katie," Tad came running up to her. "What did you think?"

Katie smiled and shrugged. "You sucked. Hard. I mean, you were awful. But you look so good in those tights, I'm willing to forgive you for making me sit through that."

Tad playfully pushed Katie. "Well, I'll be sure to dedicate every performance to you, then."

Katie pushed him back. "Please, don't do me any favors." She continued looking around.

"Are you looking for Sarah? She went to go change."

"Huh? Oh, no. I was….well, Tad, I was looking for your talent, since you obviously don't have it on you."

"Ouch, that was harsh even for you," exclaimed Sarah as she came up to them. "Hey."

Katie acknowledged her with a little head nod. "Hey." She continued looking around and found her heart skipping a beat as soon as she spotted the blonde. "Hey, Tad, isn't that the girl that just sang?"

'There you go, Singer. Just keep it casual. Be cool. My God, is it hot in here?' Katie's mind was racing.

"Oh, yeah. Let me introduce you. Hey Jessie! Come over here a minute," yelled Tad.

Jessie looked over and saw Tad. 'Great. Just what I need. I just want to get out of here.' She waved and was going to walk away until she saw the girl Tad was standing with. She had no idea why, but curiosity got the best of her, so she went over to them.

"Hey Tad. Oh, hey Sarah."

Sarah didn't bother to respond.

"Jessie, this is Katie," said Tad.

"Hey!" Exclaimed Katie, a little too enthusiastically.

"Oh, hi," replied Jessie, who was smiling.

Katie found herself captivated by Jessie. Just hearing those two words she had spoken: "Oh, hi." It proved that she was real. Jessie was real and not some figment of her imagination. Jessie. Now that is one beautiful name. Katie finally realized it had been about a minute since anyone had spoken. Jessie couldn't help but notice how wide Katie's smile was. She was almost magnetic, a force that no one could control.

"Oh, uh. You were so great. I mean, that song was just…I can't even describe it. It was incredible. It brought out pretty much every emotion I have inside of me. And that's hard to do…." Katie realized she may have gone too far with her compliment. "I'm so sorry. I don't even know why I just said that. I mean, I barely know you. It's just…I think I was born without that part of my brain. You know, the part that's supposed to tell you when to shut up."

Jessie laughed. "That's okay. Really. I appreciate it. I'm glad you liked it."

"Oh, yeah, I loved it. I mean, the second you were done, I started clapping and…."

"That was you?" asked Jessie.

Katie realized what she had just said. "What? No."

"You just said you clapped."

"What? I have no idea what you're talking about. What kind of idiot would give a standing ovation at a dress rehearsal? " Katie looked around as if she was confused. It only took a moment for Jessie to realize Katie was being facetious. By this point, Katie was turning red, but at least she was able to make a joke of it. Jessie couldn't stop herself from smiling at Katie's embarrassment.

"Wait. Were you sitting in the back," asked Jessie.

By this point, Sarah was growing impatient. "Come on, Katie. Let's go."

"Huh?" Katie turned to Sarah. "Oh. Um, okay."

Jessie was visibly disappointed. For once, she was enjoying a conversation with someone in this school and leave it to Sarah to screw it up. Within 5 minutes, Jessie had become awestruck by Katie. 'Who is this boisterous girl? I have to know her. I don't know why, but I have to.' Jessie just continued staring at Katie, refusing to pull her eyes away. She couldn't. There was something about those eyes that brought a certain veracity to Jessie. And then she realized, it MUST HAVE been Katie sitting in the back. She had gotten this same feeling while she was singing. This sense of calmness that had washed over her, like somehow she knew everything would be okay if she just kept focusing on this one thing.

"So Jessie, do you need a ride?" asked Tad.

Jessie finally pulled her focus from Katie and looked at Tad. "No. Grace will take me home, but thanks."

Sarah grabbed Katie by the arm and began pulling her. "Okay, well, see you guys tomorrow."

Katie winced from the pain in her arm. "Ow. God, you don't have to pull that hard."

"Katie, are you coming to rehearsal tomorrow," asked Tad. "If you get bored, you can take a nap on the bleachers."

Katie didn't look at Tad, she didn't look at Sarah. She looked at Jessie, who was looking right back at her.

Without taking her eyes off Jessie, she smiled and responded. "Yeah. I'll definitely be there."

To Be Continued...


	2. Chapter 2

"How was school, Jessie? How was rehearsal?" Karen always bombarded Jessie with questions the moment she walked in. Jessie didn't even have a chance to put her stuff down.

"It was okay. Kind of long."

"Did you get a chance to do your homework?"

"Yeah. I sat around for about 2 hours with nothing to do. I had to resort to homework," replied Jessie.

"Good. Well, dinner's ready if you want to wash up. Oh, I almost forgot, I have to work really late tomorrow night, so you'll to have to stay with your dad. Can you call him and let him know that?"

"Okay. Sure." Jessie went into the bathroom and proceeded to wash her hands and face. As she splashed the cool water on her face, she couldn't help but think of Katie and how she said that she loved her song. Jessie smiled to herself. Katie loved her performance. Whenever someone told her how good she was before, she always shrugged it off thinking they were just saying that, but there was no merit behind it. But when Katie said it, for the first time, Jessie actually believed it. She believed she had actually done an okay job. Jessie began to feel flush. She filled her hands with water and splashed her face one more time. She looked at herself in the mirror. Water was dripping down her forehead and cheeks as she examined her face. She had no idea why she was thinking of Katie. Why was she feeling this way? Why couldn't she get her off her mind? What was it about this girl that made Jessie feel like she had to know her? She shut off the water, dried her face and went out to join her mom for dinner.

Katie walked into her house and immediately threw her backpack down. She looked around to see if anyone was home. So far, no sign of anyone. She was greeted by silence. She ran upstairs and opened the bathroom door. She was startled to see her mom sitting there on the side of the bathtub, just staring straight ahead.

"Oh, hi mom. I'm sorry. I didn't know you were in here."

There was no answer. Katie walked in and knelt down in front of her mother. There was an emptiness in her mother's eyes, almost as though she was vacant. Katie was used to seeing this.

"Mom?"

Still no answer. Katie brought her hand up to her mom's cheek and slowly examined the fresh bruise under her eye, no doubt left by her drunken father. Katie shook her head and grabbed her mom's hand.

"Come on, mom. Let's get you to bed." She tried to her move her mom, but she wouldn't move.

"No. I'm okay here. I was just about to take a bath," her mom finally responded.

Katie looked at her mom skeptically and then nodded. "Okay. Let me know if you need anything."

Her mom didn't bother with a response. She just kept staring straight ahead. Katie backed out of the bathroom and closed the door. She went into her room and crawled into her bed. She lay there on her back trying to push all thoughts of her parents out of her mind. Her thoughts automatically went to that girl she had met at rehearsal. Jessie. Despite what she had just witnessed, Katie smiled thinking of Jessie. For some reason, she found this girl to be a calming influence, which was pretty remarkable seeing as how she had just met her. She found herself looking forward to watching the rehearsal tomorrow. She couldn't believe she was actually willing to sit through hours of crap just to listen to that voice one more time. Katie had no idea why Jessie was consuming her thoughts, but she didn't mind. There are worse things to think about, so she was grateful to be able to think of Jessie.

The next day at school, Jessie had just gotten out of her history class and was heading to her math class when she caught a glimpse of Katie getting out of her class down the hall. It was far away, but Jessie could tell instantly that it was her. She grew more and more excited as she started making her way over to her through the sea of students. She wasn't having much luck. Jessie was, after all, rather small in stature and she would easily get lost in a crowd. Still, she was determined to make her way over to Katie. She had no idea what she would say to her, but it wouldn't hurt to just say 'hi.'

Meanwhile, Katie's heart began to race the moment she saw Jessie coming toward her. She wasn't sure if Jessie had seen her, but she was hoping she had. She tried her best to keep track of that blonde hair slowly disappearing into the crowd. Katie started worrying. All she wanted to do was say 'hi' and all these unkempt miscreants kept bumping into her and preventing her from moving any faster. 'Jesus, this world is severely over-populated,' she thought, while still trying to make her way over to Jessie. Suddenly, the second bell rang and Jessie found herself in the middle of a storm of students running to class. She looked around and saw no sign of Katie. She sighed and decided she really shouldn't be late, so she turned left and headed to class, feeling monumentally stupid for even thinking she should say hi. 'What the hell was I thinking? She probably doesn't even remember who I am.' She skulked into the classroom and sat down. She really needed to stop thinking about this girl.

Katie stood in the hallway disappointed in her failed attempt to talk to Jessie. She couldn't figure out why she was so upset about it. Why was she even allowing herself to become so distraught over some girl she barely even knows? Why is she standing in an empty hallway contemplating all of this? Katie started slowly making her way to class down the empty hallway. Oh hell, she knew EXACTLY why she was feeling this way. She had felt some semblance of these emotions before, but they had never been this strong. Ever. This was off the charts for her. Katie was almost embarrassed to be thinking about this right now. 'What the hell is wrong with me?' she thought, as she walked into her classroom.

After school, the gym was filled with the cast and crew for the show. By the time Katie came in, the rehearsal was under way. She took a seat on the bleachers in the front row and immediately looked around for Jessie. She managed to see Tad first and he waved to her. Instead of waving back, she responded with her signature reply: she gave him the finger. Tad laughed it off. He knew she was messing around. Katie was still sticking up her middle finger as she noticed Jessie looking at her strangely. Katie took notice of her vulgar gesture and realized it looked like she was flipping Jessie off. Immediately, she brought her hand down and shook her head indicating that it wasn't meant for Jessie. Jessie still looked confused and turned to go find her sheet music. Katie felt incredibly stupid. 'Great. That's just great, Singer. Flip her off. That's the way to get her to talk to you.' She hid her head in her hands and really didn't feel like looking up again.

Meanwhile, Jessie was a little agitated by the interaction she just had with Katie. She felt like a complete idiot. She thought Katie was cool and she wanted to know her, but Jessie couldn't understand what she had done to upset Katie. Was she jealous that Tad liked her? Maybe Katie liked Tad. The last thing she wanted to do was upset Katie. 'Why am I so affected by her? I barely even know her!' Jessie couldn't help it. She was hoping that maybe that finger wasn't meant for her. She couldn't resist and found herself looking back over at Katie, who, for some reason, had her head in her hands.

Katie thought it was about time to survey the damage she had caused. She forced herself to look up and found herself once again locking eyes with Jessie. This time, Katie refused to be stupid. She smiled and waved at her, but got no response. Jessie just kept looking at Katie. She was lost. She paid no attention to the cast bustling around her. She paid no attention to the cue calls or the performances. She paid no attention to Mr. Dimitri, who was trying to make this rehearsal go smoothly. All she could see was Katie. It didn't even register to her that Katie was waving to her. The sounds around her seemed to fade into white noise.

"Jessie?" Mr. Dimitri called.

Jessie didn't respond.

"Jessie?" He yelled louder.

Jessie didn't move.

"Hey, Jessie! You're on!" yelled Tad.

Still no response from an immobile Jessie.

Grace decided to take matters into her own hands. She walked over to Jessie. "Earth to

Jessie. You're on.'

Jessie finally snapped out of her daze and managed to pry her eyes away from Katie.

"Huh? Oh, shit. Sorry. Sorry. I'm coming."

Jessie was flustered and Katie could tell. She felt horrible, feeling like it was her fault Jessie missed her cue. She thought seriously about leaving early, but her mind soon changed the moment she heard that voice again. She tried her best to look away, but she couldn't withstand it. It was almost as though Jessie's voice was calling to her. How was this possible? In a world full of strangers, it seemed as though Jessie was the only one Katie knew. In those five minutes of their initial meeting, Katie knew that Jessie should be a part of her life. She couldn't remember a time when she wanted to be someone's friend so badly. When she finally looked up, she was stunned to see Jessie looking right at her as she was singing.

Jessie kept her eyes focused on Katie. She was afraid if she looked away, she would lose complete concentration and mess up her song. She wasn't nervous. She wasn't shaking. She never faltered. She simply felt safe looking at Katie. She didn't know why, but she didn't bother questioning it either. After her song, Jessie realized she should probably stop staring at Katie. Five minutes of unbroken eye contact was enough to make anyone question what she was feeling. Hell, Jessie herself didn't even know what she was feeling. All she knew was this Katie girl held some sort of spell over her. Jessie noticed Katie's smile and shyly looked away from her and walked over to where Grace was standing.

Katie didn't want to distract Jessie again and make her miss her cue, so she stretched out across the bleachers and lay on her back. She knew it would be a while before Jessie came on again.

After what seemed like hours of re-blocking and line-feeding, Katie dozed off. When she woke up, she looked at her watch. It was 9:30pm. Rehearsal should have been over half an hour ago. She didn't mind, though. She got up and looked around. Everyone was gathering their stuff. They had all changed out of their costumes and the costume crew had brought them back to the theater. Katie's eyes were still adjusting to the light when she noticed Jessie walking toward her.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"You weren't too bored were you?" asked Jessie.

"Me? No, I was just closing my eyes to let my other senses soak in everything that was going on. I mean, it was quite a treat for my ears to hear "cut!" being yelled every…okay, yes, I was slightly bored."

Jessie swallowed hard, trying to hide her nervousness. She couldn't believe she was actually having another conversation with Katie. "That's okay. These things can get very boring very quickly. But, I'm glad you stayed. You know, for your friends. Tad kept going on and on about how glad he was that you were showing him support."

Katie shrugged and nodded. Immediately, Jessie felt stupid for saying that. If Katie did like Tad, it wasn't the best idea to be telling her that he keeps talking to Jessie.

"Anyway," continued Jessie, "Did it run any smoother than yesterday? I mean, besides my momentary lapse when I forgot who and where I was."

Katie laughed. "Yeah, sorry about that. I can't help but feel a little responsible for that."

Jessie shook her head as if to say it didn't matter. She started looking around, uncomfortably. She tried desperately to search for something more to say. Something that didn't sound stupid, but she couldn't think at the moment. Katie took this opportunity to explain herself.

"And just so you know, I wasn't flipping you off. I wouldn't do that. Well, I mean I would, obviously. But not to you. That was directed towards Tad. And not in a mean way, just jokingly. I just thought I should explain that in case you were wondering." Katie noticed that Jessie was just nodding and not saying anything. "Not that you spent the whole time wondering if that was geared towards you. I'm sure you have other things to think about. Like the play. And your song, which was beautiful, by the way. And uh…apartheid. That's something to think about. And global warming. That's a real bitch. And…shit. See this is the point in the conversation where I need to be told to shut up. I know, I'm talking too much. Anyway, the point is, I'm sorry."

Jessie couldn't help but giggle at Katie's rant. "It's okay. I'm glad to know it wasn't meant for me."

"Ladies. Rehearsal is finally over. Shall we?" Tad came up from behind Jessie.

"Uh…sure," replied Katie. She looked around and saw that they were the only three left in the gym.

"Wait, where's Grace?" asked Jessie.

"Oh, she asked me to give you a ride. She had to leave a little early to study for some test or something," said Tad. Great. That's just what Jessie needs. A flakey step-sister who seemed to be turning more evil by the minute, making her ride home with Tad.

The three of them headed out the door and towards the parking lot. Sarah came running to catch up to them.

"Thanks a lot for waiting, Katie," she said, dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh, sorry. I thought you had already left," replied Katie.

"Um, you're my ride. Duh. I was stuck in the damn costume pit in the theater putting everything away and locking up."

The four of them kept walking when Jessie all of a sudden stopped.

"Shit."

"What is it?" asked Tad.

"I just realized I left my backpack in the gym," replied Jessie.

"How the hell do you not realize you don't have your backpack? I kind of weighs like 20 pounds," said Sarah.

"I guess I was distracted," replied Jessie, looking at Katie.

"Well that's rather moronic." Sarah would not let up. Katie shot her a dirty look.

"I'll go back with you to get it, Jessie," offered Katie.

"Um, Katie. I kind of have to get home. I was supposed to be home 20 minutes ago," complained Sarah.

"Oh, well…Tad here will drive you home. You don't mind do you, Tad? And I'll just take Jessie home," said Katie. "Come on, Jessie. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"But Katie--" Tad began to protest, but it was too late. Katie had grabbed Jessie by the arm and Jessie gladly accepted Katie's offer. They headed off toward the gym, sprinting as fast as they could. Jessie seemed to want to get away from Tad while Katie was looking for any excuse to rid herself of Sarah for the time being. Tad looked at Sarah with a defeated look.

"So…where do you live, again?"

Jessie and Katie reached their destination. They walked back into the double doors of the gymnasium as they both were panting and out of breath from running.

"Why the hell did we just run all the way here?" asked Jessie.

"Run? Hell, that was a light jog for me. You're pretty out of shape. I guess it's a sophomore thing," replied Katie, as she started to cough, trying to catch her breath.

"Yeah, you sound like you're in real good shape."

"Ha ha. So where's this elusive backpack of yours? Or were you just trying to get away from my good buddy, Tad?"

Jessie wasn't sure how to gage Katie's question. She knew she was good friends with Tad and didn't want to offend her by offending him. "Uh…."

Katie laughed. "It's okay. Really. Tad can be kind of a goober sometimes. And yes, I know I just used the term 'goober.' Deal with it."

"Oh, there it is." Jessie started making her way toward her backpack while Katie began to look around.

"You know, this place is kind of cool when it's completely empty."

"Yeah. At least the lights are still on. Otherwise I'd be kind of creeped out," said Jessie.

Katie found a spot right on the half court line and lay down on her back. Jessie looked at her quizzically.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm laying down."

"I can see that. Why?"

"I don't know. I suppose I'm just stalling. I'm not exactly in the mood to go home yet," answered Katie.

"Oh." Jessie wanted to ask her why, but she felt it wasn't her place.

"You probably have to get home, don't you?" asked Katie.

Jessie thought for a minute. She really should have been home by now, but this was a chance to be able to talk to Katie for more than a few minutes without interruptions. She wasn't about to pass that up.

"No. Actually, I can stay a little longer, I guess." She joined Katie on the floor next to her. They were both lying there on their backs, just looking up. Neither of them spoke for a while. They didn't need to. The silence was perfectly okay with both of them. It was a nice break for Jessie, who constantly had to deal with the daily drama that existed in the Sammler/Manning house. For Katie, it was a chance for serenity. She didn't have to listen to the sounds of her parents arguing. For 10 minutes, they just lay there, enjoying the silence. And they were enjoying each other's company. Jessie leaned over on her side and rested her cheek in her hand. She found herself looking Katie over. Her eyes followed the contours of her face, the skin of her neck, and followed Katie's thin frame down to her stomach and then her legs. She was reveling in this moment. She had no idea why she was feeling this way. But she gave up trying to make sense of it at the moment. Katie joined her in turning to her side and resting her head on her hand. They were both facing each other, each looking for something to say.

"Do you ever feel like you just don't get other people? Or maybe they don't get you?" asked Katie.

"Sometimes…actually, all the time."

"Sometimes I think I need a better grasp of the vernacular of everyone else's mind. Everyone talks and talks, but half the time I don't even know what they're saying.

I've tried so hard to keep up with their thoughtlessness. Just going along with what they do and what they say. It's exhausting," said Katie.

Jessie was gripped by Katie's words. "Wow. You pretty much just articulated everything I've been feeling about this place. So why do you pretend to go along with them?"

Katie thought for a minute. "I don't know. I guess some of us are born with the sense of self-respect. And some of us have to learn it as we go. I'm still learning."

Jessie nodded. "I know what you mean. I guess I try to just go along with everyone too. I mean, the people here are okay, but some of them really get on my nerves," replied Jessie.

"So why don't you go against the grain? Why do you feel you should go along?" asked Katie. She was genuinely interested in what this girl had to say.

"I don't know. I guess I'm a sellout. And selling out is just another way to deal with all the insecurities pushed upon me. I'm not the most confident person in the world," Jessie admitted.

"Why? You have every reason to be confident. I mean, look how talented you are." Katie realized she may have been talking too much, yet again. "I'm sorry. It's been a long day. I tend to wax philosophical when it's late at night. But, you're so easy to talk to."

She looked at the other girl. Jessie felt as though Katie was staring straight into her soul. She felt lifted, as if nothing else mattered at this moment. Jessie thought for a minute. She wanted to know more about Katie. And wanted Katie to know more about her. She wanted to explain why she had a lack of self-assurance, but in all honesty, she didn't know why. Jessie found herself being drawn in to Katie. Her face was inching closer to Katie's face, her breath growing shorter and shorter. Then Jessie realized how close she was getting to Katie and immediately pulled back.

"Maybe we should go. It's getting late." She stood up and reached her hand out to Katie's. Katie took her hand and allowed Jessie to pull her up. Jessie grabbed her backpack and they walked over to the door. Katie pushed the door open and they heard a loud thud. The door didn't move.

"Ouch." Katie had hit her shoulder on the door. When she tried to open the door again, it didn't budge. Katie pushed and pushed, but the door would not open.

"Oh shit."

"What is it?" asked Jessie.

Katie looked over at Jessie. "Um…I think we're locked in."

To be continued.


	3. Chapter 3

-1Jessie stared at Katie in disbelief. "What do you mean we're locked in? How can we be locked in?"

"They padlock the doors at night…from the outside," replied Katie. "But you would think they would check to see if anyone was INSIDE first." Katie kept examining the door to see if there was any chance of getting it open. It was hopeless.

"Well…shit," was all Jessie could say. "Wait. What about the side door?"

"Good call. Run to check if it's still open."

Jessie made a mad dash for the door that was all the way across the gym. She pushed the long metal handle, but the door stayed right where it was and didn't open. Jessie then slowly made her way back towards Katie, shaking her head. "It's locked, too."

Katie nodded. "Okay. Well, this is interesting. I can only assume the janitors will unlock the doors early tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow morning?" Jessie started to look panicked. Katie saw this and put her hands on Jessie's shoulders.

"Hey, are you okay? Don't worry. We'll figure something out," Katie reassured her. Jessie looked at her and right away felt much better. She didn't understand why Katie had such a calming influence on her. All she had to do was look at the girl and she knew that everything would be okay. She'd never felt that way with anyone before. She nodded and took a deep breath.

"Do you have a cell phone," asked Jessie.

"Yeah I do!" exclaimed Katie. Then a look of disappointment came across her face as she realized something. "But I left it in my car. Of course. Of course I would leave it in my car today. What about you?"

"You've got to be kidding me."

"What?"

"I do have one. At this moment, it happens to be charging…in my room…at home," answered Jessie.

Katie laughed. "Well isn't that convenient? Okay. Well, so what do we do? I mean, are your parents gonna freak out if you're not home? Maybe they'll get worried and come here looking for us."

Jessie shook her head. "Doubtful."

Katie thought that perhaps Jessie's parents were like hers. Maybe they didn't care that much about her or even notice that she was gone. "Why is that doubtful?"

"Because my mom said I'd be with my dad tonight and I was supposed to call him and tell him…and I kinda forgot to call him. So he thinks I'm with my mom and my mom thinks I'm with my dad," said Jessie.

"So it's not that they don't care. It's just that they don't know?"

"Pretty much. What about your parents?

Katie scoffed at the question. "What about them? I can tell you for a fact that they won't even notice I'm gone. Some nights I stay at a friend's house anyway. If they notice I'm not there, they'll just assume I'm with a friend." Jessie detected a hint of sadness in Katie's response. Right away she understood why Katie wasn't in a hurry to get home. It sounded like her home life wasn't the easiest thing to deal with either. It pained Jessie to see this amazing girl so hurt and she wanted to hug her, but didn't feel right about it since she hardly even knew her. She didn't even know her last name. Jessie didn't hug Katie, but she did take her hand and led her away from the door.

"So…we're locked in, no one knows we're here, we can't get out until tomorrow morning, and we have no way of contacting the outside world?" exclaimed Jessie.

"That pretty much sums it up."

"Wow. Well, normally I would probably start freaking out and hyperventilating in a situation like this."

"Don't worry. I won't let that happen," replied Katie, who stopped walking and brought her hand up to Jessie's cheek. She caressed the other girl's face for a moment and realized that she probably didn't know Jessie well enough to be doing that and pulled her hand away. 

Jessie found herself really liking the fact that Katie was so protective of her. Katie was just as concerned for her as she was for Katie. She also liked the feel of Katie's hand on her cheek and was slightly disappointed when she pulled her hand away. She was just about to say something when she heard a loud growling sound.

"What was that?" asked Jessie.

"Oh…yeah, that was my stomach. Poor thing's been empty since lunch. I'm starved," Katie responded. "I don't' suppose you have anything to eat?"

Jessie shook her head. It didn't occur to them that food might be a necessity for the night. Then Jessie got an idea. She started digging through her backpack and gathering up all the loose change she could find. "Do you have any change? Or dollar bills?"

Katie dug into her pockets, pulled out two dollars and gave it to Jessie. "I expect to be paid back in full with interest."

"Um…how about no?" replied Jessie as she ran off over towards the restrooms and disappeared from Katie's sight. A few minutes later, she saw Jessie running toward her with something in her hands. All of a sudden a package of ding dongs came flying at her and she caught them just before they hit her face.

"What is this? Where did you get this?"

Jessie continued throwing things at Katie. "Ding dongs, twinkies, ho-ho's, snickers, and chips. Obviously you don't spend too much time in here. There's a vending machine between the men and women's bathrooms. I didn't know what you liked, so I bought a variety."

Katie was amazed. This girl had it all. Beauty, talent, brains, a sense of logic, and definitely a sense of humor. She knew. She knew right then and there why she hadn't been able to get Jessie off her mind. She was falling for her. At first, she thought she could fight off the feelings, but this solidified it. She had fallen hard for Jessie and there was no way around it. And it only took 24 hours. She smiled as she ripped open the package of ho ho's and noticed Jessie wasn't eating.

"Not hungry?"

"Not at the moment. But I might be later, so you might want to save a little something for me." said Jessie.

"Oh, you can lick up any crumbs I leave. Don't worry. I'll leave a lot. I'm a messy eater."

After Katie's feast, she tucked away the remaining twinkie and bag of chips for Jessie and lay down on her back. Jessie joined her and they were once again in the middle of the floor. Katie was indulging in her food coma. Jessie was content just laying on her side watching her. She couldn't get over how incredible this girl was. She was so cool and confident, yet incredibly sweet and caring. Jessie had never met anyone like her. She kept waiting for Katie to say something stupid or mean, but that moment never came. With every passing moment spent with Katie, Jessie found herself more and more in awe of her.

"So, why don't you want to go home? Is everything okay?" asked Jessie.

"I don't know. It's kind of a long story. Maybe I'll tell it to you one day. I think you'll like it. It's the stuff of teenagers. Full of angst and everything."

"Yeah, I guess we've all got that," replied Jessie.

"Care to elaborate?"

Jessie shook her head. "Not at the moment." She rolled over onto her back and stared up at the high ceiling of the gym. Unconsciously, she started humming to herself. Much to Katie's enjoyment, the humming grew louder and louder. Katie closed her eyes and let that beautiful sound resound in her entire body. Then she realized she knew the song Jessie was humming. She knew it very well. It was one of her all-time favorites, but very few people even knew this song. She opened her eyes and looked over at Jessie.

"Oh my God."

"What?" Jessie stopped humming and realized she probably sounded stupid and was annoying Katie.

"Don't tell me you actually know that song?"

"What song? The one I was humming? Of course I know it. It's one of my favorites."

"God Bless the Child is one of your favorite songs?" Katie was in complete shock. It took all her energy not reach over and pull Jessie into her.

Jessie looked at her with her mouth agape. "I…yeah. You mean YOU know that song?"

"I'm a huge Billie Holiday fan. I've loved her since I was a little kid."

"Wow. That's so amazing. People our age hardly ever know that song."

"I know," exclaimed Katie, excitedly.

"I remember I heard that song once in a movie. My dad has this thing for classic movies. I can't remember with one it was, but I remembered that song. And I loved it. I didn't realize it was Billie Holiday who sang it. I've heard of her, but I don't think I've heard any of her other songs."

"Oh, well I'll lend you one of my cd's. She so amazing. You'll love all her songs," said Katie.

"Thanks. That sounds great. You know, that song is the song that got me into singing. I would sing it all the time and my parents always told me what a great voice I had. I never believed them, of course. But I love it. I love to sing. It's a great way to release any stress, tension, or just any kind of intense emotions I've been feeling."

Katie looked deeply into Jessie's eyes. "You do have the most beautiful voice. And I know I keep going on and on about it, but you really do. You're a great singer. It affects me. It takes me to a place I've never been before, but it's a place I always want to go back to. Does that make sense? That really sounded cheesy. I'm sorry. It's the food talking. But seriously. You're voice is amazing. And I can't BELIEVE you love that song, too!" She playfully pushed Jessie.

"You know, at first I thought it was coincidence, but it seems you and I have a lot in common. This is kind of crazy, but in a good way, you know? You're such an interesting person." Jessie shyly looked away from Katie. "And I don't even know you're last name."

Katie laughed. "Well, interestingly enough…it's Singer."

Jessie started laughing hysterically. "Really?"

"Yeah. I guess it would be a name more suitable for you, wouldn't it? What's your last name?"

"Sammler."

Katie stared at Jessie in disbelief. "You're kidding."

Jessie shook her head. "No. Why?"

Katie took a deep breath. She couldn't believe she was about to divulge this information to Jessie, but she had to. She just had to. "My little brother. He was my pride and joy. He would follow me everywhere. I mean EVERYWHERE. And I didn't mind it. I loved him. I loved taking care of him. He was a great kid. Four years younger than me, but he had an old soul. I could tell. He always knew when I was upset or crying and he'd always come sit next to me and put his head on my shoulder. He was the best. But he died of leukemia four years ago. It broke my heart. It still hurts, but I know he's always with me." She looked at Jessie intently. "His name was Sam. And I swear I'm not making this up. I used to always call him one of three things: Sammy Boy, Sam Man, and my Little Sammler."

Tears started to form in Katie's eyes as she spoke that last sentence. The memory of her little brother came rushing back to her, stronger than it ever had. She started wiping the tears and turned away, embarrassed. She did not want Jessie to see her cry. Jessie just stared at Katie in amazement. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. Both their names were connected in a big way. They were both completely connected to each other. Jessie was sure of it. She had never believed in fate before, but realized now that it's only because she had never experienced it before. But tonight's events led her to believe. She believed this was fate. She believed she was destined to meet and know this newfound friend. She felt horrible seeing Katie cry. Jessie threw out all of her inhibitions and scooted her way over to Katie and wrapped her arms around her, rocking her gently. They stayed like that for a few minutes until Jessie spoke up.

"It's okay. If you need to cry, just let it out. It'll be okay. I promise. I kind of can't believe that. I mean, what are the odds, right? Singer and Sammler."

Katie laughed. "Yeah. Singer and Sammler. Sounds like a detective agency. We could fight crime." Katie began to wipe away what was left of her tears as Jessie slowly let go of her and got up.

"Where are you going, " asked Katie.

"You'll see."

Jessie disappeared into the equipment room and returned with a basketball. "Do you play?"

Katie grinned. "Occasionally."

"Well, I think it's time we take a break from all this drama and burn off all those calories we ate."

"But you didn't eat anything," Katie retorted. 

"Why, are you stalling, Miss Singer? Afraid a little sophomore is gonna beat you at basketball?"

"No, not at all Miss Sammler. But if we're gonna do this, we should do it right."

"Okay. Then what's the right way."

"Truth basketball," said Katie.

"What the hell is truth basketball?"

"If I make a shot, you have to make the exact same shot from the same place. If you miss, I get to ask you a question and you have to answer truthfully. Then if you make a shot and I miss that same shot, you get to ask ME a question."

Jessie smiled and nodded. "I get it. Okay. Here." She threw the ball to Katie. "You go first."

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

Katie caught the ball and smiled at Jessie. She started dribbling, took her position towards the side of the key and shot the ball. She missed. She turned to face Jessie, slightly embarrassed.

"Um…I guess it's been a while since I've played. I'm a little rusty."

Jessie grabbed the ball. "Well that's a shame. I guess I'm gonna find out more about you then you are about me."

Without hesitation, she shot the ball from the top of the key. It went straight in.

"Nice shot," said Katie.

"Thanks. So when you miss the same shot, I get to ask you a question, right?" asked Jessie.

"Yup. Wait, what do you mean 'when'?" She took the ball and went to the top of the key. The ball went up, but bounced of the rim and came right back to Katie, who looked down in shame. "I can't believe I'm gonna lose to a sophomore."

Jessie started laughing. "There are worse things in the world. So now for your question…"

"Be gentle."

"Okay, I'll start easy. What's with you and Tad? I mean, I know you're friends, but were you ever more than that? Or do you want more than that?" asked Jessie.

Katie was mockingly appalled at the question. "Eww. Eww eww eww. No. God no. Never. He's like a brother to me. That's just sick, sad and wrong. Eww. We've always ONLY been friends and that's how it's going to stay," replied Katie.

Jessie didn't know why, but she was slightly pleased at Katie's answer. She breathed a small sigh of relief, that did not go unnoticed by Katie, who was smiling to herself. Maybe she did have some sort of effect on Jessie. And Katie was elated by that thought.

"Is that a good enough answer?" asked Katie. Jessie nodded and gave the ball to Katie who took another shot…and missed.

"Dammit!"

Jessie took the ball and threw it up with complete ease. It went in again. Katie took the same shot and missed again.

"You've got to be kidding me with this!" She exclaimed. She wasn't mad, or frustrated. She was just embarrassed and disappointed because she really wanted to ask Jessie some questions. "Oh, why the hell did I suggest truth basketball?"

Jessie was enjoying this. Not basking in Katie's misery, but enjoying just spending time with her and getting to know her. Normally when she was around new people, Jessie would get nervous and clam up. But this girl was different. She knew right away Katie was special. She had an effect on Jessie that no one had ever had before. Jessie was dying to know everything about this girl. She felt butterflies in her stomach as she asked the next question. "Okay, so I get another question. Um…so…what exactly did you think of me when we first met? Like…your first impression of me."

Jessie tried not to show it, but she was dying inside. She was so scared to hear Katie's response. Katie simply grinned and started to turn bright red.

"Well, if I must answer truthfully, I'd have to say I thought you were, well, a lot of things. Talented, sweet, unsure, shy, sensitive, smart, intriguing…and beautiful." Katie couldn't exactly bring herself to look at Jessie when she said 'beautiful.' Instead, she put her hands in her pockets and looked down. She had no idea what she was doing and why she was calling this girl beautiful, but it was truth basketball. And this was the truth.

Jessie was taken aback by Katie's comments. All she could do was look at the other girl in wonder. Katie took this opportunity to fill the silence.

"I mean, am I right? I know I've only known you for 24 hours, but I've noticed things about you. You're incredibly shy, but when people go out of their way to talk to you, you're sweet to them and smile. You're obviously smart because, well…you're hanging out with me and that's the sign of a true genius. You're unsure of yourself because whenever people compliment you, you look away and don't believe them. I can tell you're sensitive because you care for others…like when I was crying a while ago, you just held onto me. And that was amazing. You're intriguing because it seems like you're hiding something. Like no one knows the real you. And that's not a bad thing. It's good to keep people guessing. It's good to have secrets. It keeps them coming back for more. I don't know. Maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about. Maybe I haven't known you long enough to make those kinds of judgments." Katie looked up at Jessie and became fixated on her eyes. Jessie found herself doing the same. She couldn't look away. She was completely drawn into Katie's expressive eyes. Jessie couldn't believe what she had just heard Katie say. It was as if she had tapped into Jessie's soul and gathered up all her inner most thoughts. But how was this possible? How could one person have such an insight to her psyche in such a short amount of time? Jessie was in complete awe of Katie's words. She continued to hold Katie's gaze as she spoke.

"Wow. I…um…that's dead on. I mean, that's completely who I am. How did you know all that? How could you tell?"

Katie took a step closer to Jessie without breaking eye contact. She grabbed Jessie's hand and the basketball dropped to the ground and began to roll away. Jessie felt unbelievable vibes shuddering throughout her entire body as Katie touched her hand and interlocked their fingers. Katie simply looked at Jessie and answered her.

"Because. That's who I am, too. It's pretty much everything I feel. I could just tell that you and I are a lot alike."

"But you seem so confident. So together. So…popular. I'm none of those things," protested Jessie.

Katie shook her head. "Are you kidding? I'm the least together person I know. Confidence is a state of mind. I pretend I'm confident just to, you know, go with the flow. When really, I'm absolutely terrified. And as for the popular things, well, I believe that only TRUE friends are the ones you can be yourself around. Right now that leaves me with just two friends: Tad….and you." Katie flashed that unbelievable smile at Jessie.

Jessie was blown away by what she was hearing. Katie Singer called her a friend. A true friend. She was thrilled. Through her undeniable grin, she asked, "What do you have to be terrified about?"

Katie answered earnestly. "That people will find out the real me. Hell, I don't even know the real me. But I'd like to know first before other people do, you know? I guess I'm afraid of being judged."

Jessie stood and pondered that response for a moment. She wish she knew what to tell Katie. If only she knew her as well as Katie knew Jessie. Katie realized she may have been staring at Jessie a little too long and broke away from her to go get the ball.

"Okay, my turn again." Katie stood in front of the basket, turned around and threw up the ball backwards. Her luck had turned around and it went in. Jessie tried the same shot, and for the first time, she missed the basket.

"Well it's about freaking time!" exclaimed Katie. "Okay. Well, I'll make this one easy. So what's with YOU and Tad? Are you into him? Obviously he's into you."

Jessie laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, well. Yeah. I guess he is. I don't know. I mean, I'm supposed to like him, right? He's a jock, and he's popular, and good looking. I just don't know what it is. I guess the answer is no. I'm not into him."

Katie was definitely relieved to hear that. She wanted more information. "Why not?"

"I don't know. I mean, he's really sweet, and really cute, and he likes me so much. But it's like…every time he opens his mouth, I just want to throw a shoe at his head."

Katie started laughing hysterically at Jessie's response. Jessie joined in on the laughter. She knew right then and there that she wanted to always be able to make Katie laugh. Her laugh was infectious.

"Yup. That sounds like Tad, alright. No tact whatsoever," said Katie, still laughing.

Jessie took the ball and threw up another shot. She made it and Katie followed with the same shot, and made it.

"Wow, things are really turning around for me." She shot the ball and made it again. Jessie missed on her turn.

Katie turned to Jessie. "All right…we'll go simple again. Tell me something embarrassing that happened to you today."

Jessie thought for a moment and looked down shyly. "Um, okay. Well, this morning between 3rd and 4th period, I saw you in the halls and wanted to go talk to you, even though I had no idea what I would say, but I tried to make my way over to you and sadly got swept up in the crowd. So I never made it over to talk to you."

Katie gave Jessie a reassuring look. "Well that's not embarrassing."

Jessie looked up. "It's not?"

"No. Truth be told, I saw you, too, between 3rd and 4th period. And I tried making my over to you to say hi, but I couldn't make it to you either." Katie began to blush and looked down. "Okay, you're right. I guess that is kind of embarrassing. But, I'm here now. So, here's your chance. If you did end up getting to me in the hall, what would you have said?"

Jessie thought for a moment. "I…don't know, actually. I guess I would have said hi." She moved a step closer to Katie, feeling the taller girl's magnetism drawing her in. "And maybe how are you?" She took another step closer to Katie, while finally making eye contact. "And maybe ask if you enjoyed rehearsal." Jessie continued to move toward Katie until she was inches away from her face. She began to whisper. "And maybe ask if you were coming to rehearsal again." The two girls stood there, lost in each others' eyes. Lost in the moment. Lost in the intensity. Lost in their breathing, which was becoming quite rapid for both of them.

Katie's voice quivered as she responded. "And I would have said 'hi' back." She inched a little bit closer to Jessie. "And I would have said 'I'm fine. How are you?'" She brought her hand up to Jessie's face. "And I would have said 'Yes, I really enjoyed rehearsal. Especially your song.'" Katie moved her hand down to Jessie's hand and softly touched it. "And obviously I would have said 'of course I'm coming to rehearsal. I wouldn't miss it.'"

Silence completely enveloped the two girls as they stood there watching each other. Katie took this moment to memorize Jessie's eyes. How blue they were. Pale blue. They desperately looked back at her as though they were searching for something, anything. Like they were searching for some kind of meaning in all this. In all Jessie was feeling. Because what Jessie was feeling was unlike anything she'd experienced before. This was intensity personified. She continued to hold Katie's hand, afraid that if she let go, she'd fall. And she didn't want to fall. Not at this moment.

"It's your turn," whispered Katie.

"Huh? Oh. Okay." Jessie couldn't pull herself away from Katie. Then she realized that maybe she was making Katie feel uncomfortable, so she slowly backed away and picked up the ball. She was in a daze and made a half-hearted shot that she barely made. Katie, who didn't want that moment to end, felt it was necessary. Her emotions were taking over her and she didn't want to scare Jessie off. She walked over to take her shot and missed. She was in just as much of a daze as Jessie was.

Jessie took the ball and sat on it, trying to focus on the here and now. It was best to just keep going with the game and change the subject. "Okay. So, I don't want to pry, but why don't you want to go home? Is everything all right?"

"Well, nothing is ever all right. It's okay I guess. Not the best situation, but I guess it could be worse. My parents are both severely depressed. They just don't know it. And they react completely differently to their depression. We used to be a nice, perfect family…until my brother died. Then it kind of just went down hill. They stopped caring about each other. They stopped caring about me. Not like it matters all that much. I can take care of myself. But my mom sits around all day and says very little. My drinks away his pain and takes his anger and frustration out on my mom. And she just takes it. And it sucks because they're both harming themselves by staying in this situation and they refuse to get help." Katie could feel the tears forming, but she did her best to fight them back. "I guess you could say my life is one big, depressing country song."

Jessie stood up, and looked at Katie again with great concern. "Wow. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I'll tell you, it sure does feel good to actually say all that out loud. I've never told anybody that before." Katie felt a stray tear coming down her cheek and wiped it away. "I swear, I'm not usually this emotional."

"It's okay. It shows you're human."

Katie wanted to change the subject, so she took the ball over to half court and threw it as hard as she could. The ball went in. Jessie was in shock.

"I can't believe you made that. There's no way in hell I'm going to make that," she said.

"Oh, so you forfeit?"

"Never." Jessie took the ball to half court and chucked it as hard as she could. It bounced of the rim and came right back at her. She had to put her hands up to block it from hitting her head. The ball landed at her feet and she tripped over it. "Well, THAT was smooth. Did you like that? How can you even handle the sexiness that's oozing out of me right now, while dodging and tripping over stray basketballs? "

Katie laughed. She loved Jessie's dry sense of humor. It was a lot like her own. She walked over to help the younger girl up.

"Okay, I think that's enough of truth basketball," said Katie.

"Well, you still get to ask me a question."

"You're right. I do. But I'm gonna save it for later. I might think of one that will come in handy. Plus, you know, I want to give you a chance to recover from that embarrassing display of you falling on your ass. Fair enough?"

Jessie nudged Katie in the ribs. "Very funny. Yes, I guess that's fair. What time is it, anyway?"

Katie looked at her watch. "Wow. It's one am."

"Really? Wow. We have to be at school in like 6 hours."

"Yup."

"Is it strange that I'm not even tired?" asked Jessie.

"Nope. I'm not really tired either."

"So what do you want to do now?" Jessie asked. Katie slowly walked over to Jessie and grabbed her by the hand. Jessie had no idea where Katie was taking her, and she didn't care. At this point she knew, she'd go anywhere with her.

"I have an idea," replied Katie, playfully.

To be continued….


	5. Chapter 5

Katie pulled Jessie over to one end of the basketball court and let go of her hand.

"Take off your shoes," Katie insisted.

"What!?!? replied Jessie, incredulously.

"Take off your shoes."

Jessie looked at Katie as if she were insane, but decided to comply for the sole reason that she had to know what this girl was planning. Jessie removed her shoes, as did Katie. They both stood there in their socks as Katie grabbed Jessie's hand again.

"You ready?" asked Katie.

"For what?" Jessie was really apprehensive about what Katie had in mind.

"Just trust me. And do what I do."

Before Jessie had a chance to respond, Katie started sprinting, while pulling Jessie along. Jessie was able to catch up with her by the time they were half way across the gym floor just as Katie yelled, "One…two…three…slide!"

Katie let go of Jessie's hand and the two of them went sliding in their socks all the way to the other end of the basketball court. For a moment, Jessie felt free. She should have been afraid. She should have been worried about whether or not she'd get injured, but none of those thoughts crossed her mind. As she went gliding, it was the first time she had ever allowed herself to just relax and let whatever happens happen. It was as if she was freefalling and no one was around her. She didn't have anyone judging her, no one to answer to, no one to make her feel so insecure about herself. She just let herself enjoy the ride. As they began to run out of floor, they both put out their hands so the wall would stop them, but the force was so strong, Katie fell to the floor. Jessie came close to falling, but managed to keep her balance. She looked over to see Katie on the floor, laughing uncontrollably. "Well, now who's oozing sexiness?" She said as she got up. "Ow. I think I bruised my ass a little bit. But man! We went flying! Awesome. It looks like they just waxed the floor. They must have known we were coming."

Jessie looked at her in complete astonishment. "You're insane, you know that? Completely insane."

Katie looked at Jessie undiscouraged and grinned. "You wanna do it again, don't you?"

Jessie smiled back. "Absolutely." She took Katie's hand and they went back to do it one more time. They slid across the gym floor once more, only this time they went faster than before. And this time, they both ended up on the ground at the end. It was the most fun Jessie had had in a long time. She got up and brushed herself off. "Okay, this was a great idea. I could do this all day."

Katie didn't hear what Jessie said. She was on still on the floor, indulging in the moment. Reliving the feeling of flying across the floor with Jessie. At that moment, she simply felt at peace.

Jessie looked down to see Katie still on the floor. Her heart began to sputter wildly as she noticed Katie hadn't moved. She immediately bent down next to her on the floor.

"Katie?" She examined the other girl and brought her face down next to hers. She could hear the girl breathing, which was a relief to Jessie. "Katie? Are you okay?" She gently grabbed the girl's face to see if there was any reaction. Jessie was really starting to panic until she noticed Katie's eyes open widely.

"Sorry, yes. Yes, I'm fine. I'm fine, I promise. Don't worry," said Katie as she started to get up. "I was just meditating for a moment. I didn't mean to freak you out." She looked at Jessie and noticed that the other girl was crying. "Oh God, Jessie, I'm sorry. As soon as I heard the desperation in your voice, I opened my eyes. I'm so sorry. It's just sometimes, my mind gets away with me and I get lost in thought."

Jessie was trying her best to stay calm. "It's just…you hit that wall, and then you weren't moving and…I don't know, I just got really scared. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I feel really bad for making you worry, though."

"I…I don't know why I got so freaked out. I guess I just don't want anything to happen to you." Jessie looked down and instantly felt stupid for saying that. "I mean…who else's ass am I going to kick in basketball?"

"Hey now, I believe I kicked YOUR ass. I still get to ask you a question, remember?"

Jessie nodded. Of course she remembered. How could she forget? "But you're sure you're okay?"

Katie walked over to Jessie and put her hands on the younger girl's shoulders. "I promise. I guess I just like the floor a lot. It's a good place to think, you know? In fact, why don't you join me?"

Katie pulled Jessie down with her as they both lay on the floor, once again. Jessie looked over at Katie, still reeling from her big scare, but relieved that everything was okay. She couldn't figure out why this girl influenced her emotions so much. Maybe it's because they were kindred spirits, or at least that's what Jessie was starting to believe. She found herself studying Katie once more and really couldn't get over how beautiful she was. Her hair was perfect and never seemed to be out of place. And when it was out of place, she still looked stunning. Her eyes were captivating. Every time Katie caught her glance, she couldn't stop staring at those expressive eyes. Jessie felt as though she could melt just by staring at them. Jessie continued examine Katie. Her face, her lips, her neck, her legs, her entire body. Jessie just let the visual of this girl carry her away to another place. Never before had she met someone so alluring. And her charismatic personality kept drawing Jessie back in for more. She found herself hypnotized by the simple movement of Katie's stomach as she breathed in and out, in and out. The more Jessie studied Katie, the more she realized how striking the older girl was. And how she was becoming more attractive by the minute. And Jessie realized the she, herself, was becoming more attracted her Katie. She had never been attracted to another girl before. Never even considered it. But leave it to this enigmatic girl to completely turn Jessie's world around.

Katie felt the other girl's eyes on her. She knew Jessie was staring and she was perfectly okay with it. Actually, she was loving it. And she wanted to look at Jessie, but didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. So she decided to keep looking up as she spoke.

"Thanks for doing that with me."

Jessie broke out of her stupor just enough to answer. "As if I had a choice. You dragged me."

"I know, I know. It's just…it's fun to act like a kid every once in a while. It's good to stay young and keep a sense of humor about things. Sometimes life gets too serious and you have to just release sometimes. Step back and take time to have fun. There's too many things that just…keep me up at night, you know? It's hard to find someone who will take the time to just have fun with you, but then be totally serious when they need to be."

Katie finally brought herself to look over at Jessie, who was indeed, staring right back at her. Katie couldn't believe she had met someone as amazing as this girl. She couldn't see Jessie as anything but a miracle. That's all she could describe her as. Katie had been so lost and unsure and confused and didn't think anyone could possibly understand her…until now. Even if Jessie wasn't having the exact same thoughts, at least she understood Katie as a person. Katie couldn't help but believe they were, in some weird way…soul mates.

Jessie nodded in "I know exactly what you mean. You're right. It is hard to find someone to connect with on every single level…no matter how emotional, or even juvenile it may be." The two kept their eyes locked on each other. Jessie couldn't stop herself from what she was going to say next. The words just came out before she could stop them. "Do you believe in soul mates?"

Katie nodded, as she was taken aback. She couldn't believe Jessie was verbalizing what she was just thinking. "Yeah…I do."

Jessie continued gazing at Katie and began to blush. She had to look away. She was too embarrassed to say this to Katie's face. So she stood up. It was all she could think of doing. Katie continued watching Jessie as she nervously moved her right foot along the floor.

"So," continued Jessie. "Do you think…I know this may sound crazy and feel free to run screaming in the opposite direction, but for some reason I just feel…I…."

Katie began to stand up so she could be level with Jessie once more. "What is it, Jess? I promise I won't run screaming in the opposite direction."

Jessie made eye contact with Katie one more and took a deep breath. "Do you think that maybe you and I are soul mates?" She was answered with silence. All she could see was Katie looking back at her. "I mean, I've known you for what? 29 hours? And, I don't know. It's like you can see inside me. You knew who I was without even really having to know me. You know my thoughts, my fears. The secrets in my soul."

"And you know the secrets in mine," replied Katie. "And no one has ever been able to read me that easily. No one has affected me as much as you have. I can't explain this. I mean, we met yesterday and now…well, I honestly don't think I could go another day without knowing you, without seeing you or talking to you. So…my answer is yes. I do think that you and I are soul mates." What Katie stopped herself from saying was that she had know that from the moment she heard Jessie's voice. She didn't want to come on too strong.

Jessie was delighted to hear that Katie felt the same way. She thought for sure that Katie would freak out.

"So you don't think I'm weird for saying that?" Jessie took a step closer to Katie, who, in turn, took a step closer to Jessie.

"Not at all." Katie smiled and brought Jessie in for a hug. They stayed there in that warm embrace for what seemed like minutes. Neither of them wanted to let go. Jessie gripped Katie's back tightly. The two girls felt electricity pass through them as they slowly pried themselves apart and smiled at each other. Neither girl fully let go of the other. Katie was holding Jessie's hand and Jessie had her other hand on Katie's waist.

"So," said Katie. "I still owe you a question."

"And I owe you an answer."

Katie really couldn't take it anymore. She was dying to know about Jessie's romantic past. She wanted to know everything, even though it would probably drive her crazy. She didn't care. She wanted to know who she dated and for how long, and why they broke up. But she really couldn't fathom the idea of someone breaking up with this girl. Plus, she was only a sophomore, so maybe she didn't have that much experience, which slightly eased Katie's mind. But she didn't want to bombard her with all those questions, so she thought she'd keep it simple.

"Okay. So, I know this is a completely juvenile thing to ask and it's right out of some stupid slumber party truth or dare game, but I thought I'd go easy on you." Katie kept her eyes fixated on Jessie's eyes as she stroked her hand, nervous about what her answer would be. "How old were you when you had your first kiss and who was it with?"

Jessie didn't flinch at the question. She was completely giddy on the inside, but didn't show it. She simply pulled Katie in closer and answered her question.

Jessie whispered, "15 years old. And her name was Katie Singer."

At that, she wrapped her arms around Katie's waist and brushed her lips softly against Katie's lips, slightly hesitating to make sure Katie was okay with it. She was. Katie kissed back tenderly at first and then more fervently. Jessie was absorbed in what she could only describe as the perfect kiss. They're lips collided feverishly as Katie brought her hand up to stroke Jessie's hair. She tried to let herself feel everything that was going on inside her. This kiss was everything to Katie. It was heartfelt, heated, touching, sweet, passionate. She enjoyed every emotion as it passed by her. The feeling of Jessie's lips on hers brought her to a level of excitement she'd never felt before. And she couldn't believe this girl, this perfect girl. This breathtaking, sweet, beautiful girl who understood her innermost thoughts, was making her feel this way. Both girls gently pulled away at the same time, but still held each other in an affectionate embrace.

Katie sense of euphoria made her start to feel dizzy. And she loved it. "Wow," Katie swallowed hard, trying to regain her composure. "That was an excellent answer."

Jessie had to catch her breath before she could respond. "Well, it was a great question."

Katie began to caress Jessie's hand and smiled at her. Jessie smiled back and involuntarily began to yawn.

"Wow, am I boring you that much?"

Jessie giggled and touched her forehead to Katie's forehead. "No, no. I'm sorry. I just think that kiss took a lot out of me."

Katie began to nuzzle Jessie's forehead. "You tired?"

Jessie nodded. "What time is it?"

Katie looked at her watch. "Wow. It's 2:30 am."

"Already? Man, that went by fast," replied Jessie.

"Maybe we should try to get some sleep. The janitors should be getting here around 6 or so. Then maybe we can finally get out of here."

"Are we even gonna have time to run home and change our clothes?" asked Jessie.

"I don't know. With the way I drive, maybe, but it depends on what time they actually unlock the doors." Katie looked around. "Where the hell are we going to sleep? I mean hardwood is not exactly comfortable."

Jessie thought for a moment and looked around. She slowly pulled her hand away from Katie's and walked over to her bag and picked up the jacket that was next it. Then she pulled a sweatshirt out of her bag. "Well, I have these. We can use them as pillows."

Katie walked over to her stuff and picked up her jacket. "We could use this as a blanket, or just sprawl it out and lay on it. I think it's big enough."

They lay their jackets out on the floor to make a makeshift bed. When they were done, Katie stood back and looked at it. "Well…it's not much, but I guess it will do." She lay down on top of her jacket and bunched up Jessie's sweatshirt to use as a pillow and tried to make herself comfortable. Jessie just stood there, tentatively watching her, not really sure what to do next. She didn't want things to be awkward by just laying down next to Katie. She decided not to move until Katie said something. She just shuffled her feet back and forth and looked around. Katie looked up and couldn't figure out what Jessie was doing.

"Um…I thought you were tired."

"Oh, I am. I just…um…"

"Jess, it's been a long night. I know you need some sleep. Come on down here. Get comfortable." Katie reached out her hand to Jessie's hand and pulled her down to her. Jessie lay down on her back next to Katie. She did her very best not to move, even though every part of her being wanted to hold on to Katie. She felt her arm touching the older girl's arm and that was good enough for her at the moment. Just the feeling of any part of Katie's skin on hers was enough to satisfy Jessie. She lay there just breathing in the moment. Any thoughts of confusion she should have were simply pushed out of her mind. She knew. She knew exactly what this was. She just had no idea it would happen so fast. It came at her with full force. Jessie had fallen hard for this girl. This was more than just a mutual attraction. More than just a crush. Jessie was in love. She was in love with Katie and it didn't seem to matter to her that Katie was a girl. Normally, that would be something that would make her question her true feelings. But it didn't matter to her. She loved who Katie was and loved everything about her. If anything, she was more concerned with the fact that Katie was so astoundingly beautiful, and popular, and a junior, which made Jessie question whether or not Katie was feeling the same way about her. She suddenly felt very scared, thinking she had made a stupid move by kissing Katie. She thought maybe Katie kissed back just to be polite and not hurt her feelings. Jessie could feel the tears filling her eyes as she became increasingly more embarrassed about what she had done. She wanted to kiss Katie again. That first one was amazing, but it simply wasn't enough. She could feel the tears starting to trickle down her cheeks as she rolled over on her side, facing away from Katie.

Katie could hear Jessie sniffling and could tell she was crying. This pained her. She felt horrible. Here she was, basking in the memory of that sweet kiss they shared, and she showed no regard for what Jessie may have been feeling. She turned her side and saw the back of the younger girl's head as Jessie silently wiped a tear away. Katie scooted her body over so it was up against Jessie's back. Both girls were enjoying the sensation of being so close to each other. Katie wrapped her arms around Jessie and consoled her, just as Jessie had done for her earlier.

"Hey. Are you okay?" asked a concerned Katie.

"Yeah. I just…." But Jessie didn't know what to say. She couldn't verbalize exactly what she was feeling at that moment. She didn't want to tell Katie about how embarrassed she was and how scared she was and how confounded she was.

Katie simply whispered. "I know. You don't need to say anything. I know. You're scared. You're baffled by all this. But you have no reason to be embarrassed. The truth is, I've been wanting to kiss you all night."

Jessie turned around to face Katie and put her arms around Katie's shoulders, pulling herself closer. "Really?"

Katie, who tightened her grip around Jessie's waist, nodded. Jessie couldn't resist and she found herself edging her way slowly to Katie's lips once more. Here eyes were focused on the task at hand. She took her chance, and as Katie's lips parted, Jessie's heart took a moment to find its beat again. Jessie slightly opened her mouth as Katie touched her tongue to Jessie's. Both tongues were massaging each other as the girls pulled themselves closer together. Jessie got chills as she felt Katie's fingertips on her hips, slowly making their way up to her back. Jessie's lips became an addiction for Katie. She couldn't get enough and didn't want to tear herself away from this kiss, but the need for air became to great and both girls softly pulled away. They both had an absurd grin on their faces, as they lovingly admired each other. They were both holding still holding on to each other as Jessie laid her head on Katie's chest. Katie began to gently stroke Jessie's hair, allowing her fingers to become entangled with the soft blonde locks. Katie had a million thoughts running through her head. She loved the feeling of Jessie's head resting on her chest.

And Jessie felt right at home there, listening to the methodic beating of Katie's heart. Katie could feel Jessie's breath slow down and become ragged. Jessie was getting tired. She was in that moment where she was half asleep and half awake.

Katie took the moment to softly whispered to Jessie, "I don't know what's going to happen. Tomorrow, or next week, or next month. I don't know how you're going to feel about this in the light of day. I'd like to think that you'll always be in my life. I'm unsure of so many things. But I do know that, for at least one night, I got to hold you like a lover. And even though this moment might end the second we wake up. We might go back to the way things were. Just keep a simple stare between each other, keeping is short and innocent before anyone gets wind of what we may be feeling. At least I know that we had this one night. This one amazing night….I know, I'm babbling. Sorry."

Katie continued stroking Jessie's hair. Jessie heard every word Katie said and had just enough strength to respond. "You don't need to worry. I'm not going anywhere. I promise you this won't end when we wake up. How could it? This night was amazing. I've never…."

Jessie stopped talking as she let sleep finally take over her. Katie didn't want to wake her up to hear what she was going to say next. She was just as exhausted. They both fell asleep there, in each other's arms.

To be continued…


	6. Chapter 6

Throughout the night, the girls changed positions quite a few times. It was hard for them to get comfortable on the hardwood floor. Neither girl fully woke up, but they unconsciously moved during the night, never once breaking contact with each other. As it began to grow lighter outside, they had managed to settle on a position. Katie and Jessie were facing each other, holding onto one another. Jessie began to slightly stir and started rubbing her feet against Katie's feet. This tender moment caused Katie to faintly awake from her slumber. Here eyes were barely open, adjusting to the light. Jessie's eyes were half open, trying to focus, as well. Her eyes converged with Katie's eyes at the same time. Each girl was blown away by the beauty of the other girl. Flashes of the night before entered into their minds and Katie was overjoyed by the feeling of waking up next to Jessie. The previous night hadn't been a dream, like she had feared. It was real. And Jessie was laying right next to her as proof. Katie couldn't hold her elation in any longer. She didn't say a word. She just leaned over and gently kissed Jessie's lips. The other girl responded in turn and when they pulled away, she nestled her head into Katie's neck.

"Good morning," said Jessie.

"Is it already morning? I feel like we just fell asleep 20 minutes ago."

"Yup. I'm pretty sure it's morning," she replied as she began to kiss Katie's neck. "How did you sleep?"

Katie was completely focused on Jessie and paid no attention to her surroundings. Nothing else seemed to matter. "I slept horribly. My back is killing me…but having you next to me made it bearable." She began to caress Jessie's cheek, and was slightly embarrassed by what she had just said. In fact, Katie tried not to show it, but she was scared to death of how Jessie would react this morning. After everything they had experience the night before, she thought maybe it was just a fluke. An impulse. Something that only happens in stressful situations….a "one night only" kind of thing. But as Jessie continued moving her lips around Katie's neck, she knew everything was okay. Jessie didn't seem to have any misgivings about what had happened. And as far as Katie was concerned, she didn't care if they ever left that gym. She was perfectly satisfied laying here on this ridiculously hard ground with Jessie.

Jessie couldn't keep her lips away from Katie's neck. Her skin had become some sort of drug that Jessie was addicted to. She had no idea anything could feel this good. Not just the feeling of her lips on Katie's skin, but the feeling of being around Katie in general. It was an overwhelming occurrence and she knew she wanted to feel this way forever. Jessie withdrew her mouth from Katie's neck and took a moment to look at her. They moved in to kiss each other once more. It was short, but very tender and sweet. And almost as good as the ones they had previously shared.

"What time is it?" asked Jessie.

They both heard a deep voice answer. "It's 6:45."

As the girls gasped in fear, they looked up to see a 6 foot tall, 250 pound, bearded man in a janitor's uniform and they simultaneously let out a scream.

"Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

They startled the man and he, in turn, responded with a scream. "Aaaaaahhhhhhh!"

Once the screaming stopped, he grasped his chest and tried to catch his breath. "What the hell are you screaming for?!?

Katie was panting. "You scared the shit out of us!"

"Well you scared the shit out of me with your screaming! What the hell are you ladies doing here, anyway?"

It was then that Jessie realized she was still clinging to Katie. She jumped up and backed up a few feet and responded timidly. "We were locked in."

"What?!? How the hell did that happen?" exclaimed the janitor.

Katie answered forcefully, "Whoever locked up last night didn't bother to check to see if anyone was inside!"

"Oh!" the janitor yelled as a response. He thought for a minute and began to calm down. "Oh…oh shit." He looked away, guiltily.

Katie started putting two and two together. "Wait…you mean YOU'RE the one who locked us in here?"

He looked up at her. "Oh God. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. It's just--it was late, and I wanted to get home and…I'm so sorry. Oh God, please don't tell anyone about this. I really can't get fired. I just can't. I'm so sorry."

It just sank in for Katie that this man had probably witnessed everything that just happened between her and Jessie.

She looked at him. "Um…look…what's your name?"

The janitor answered. "Murray."

"Well Murray, um…exactly how long had you been standing there before we screamed?"

Murray looked slightly uncomfortable. "Uh…a few minutes. I didn't exactly know how to wake you guys up. And then you sort of woke up on your own and…" his voice trailed off.

Jessie's heart began thumping faster. He had seen and heard everything. Every part of their intimate conversation this morning. He had seen them hold each other and kiss each other. Jessie felt as if she were going to faint. She looked over at Katie, praying that this incredible girl could somehow make it all better.

Katie kept her cool. "Well, Murray. I'll tell you what. We won't say a word to the principal about you completely neglecting two young students by locking them in a gym against their will…if you won't say a word to anyone, not your family, friends, your dog, or even yourself, about what you saw take place between me and this beautiful girl here this morning." She motioned to Jessie. "Do we have a deal?"

Katie reached out her hand and Murray, who was now completely relieved that his job would be saved, stepped up to shake it. "Deal."

They both looked over at Jessie, who then stepped up and shook Murray's hand as well.

"I'm Jessie, by the way. This is Katie. And…thank you."

Murray was slightly puzzled by Jessie's 'thank you.' "Oh, don't worry. I won't tell anyone."

Jessie shook her head. "No. I mean thank you. For accidentally locking us in. It really wasn't such a bad thing." She looked over at Katie, smiled, and took her hand.

Murray was an older guy. In his 50's. He had certainly never really witness something like this. But he was an open-minded kind of guy. He may have had a rough exterior, but he was really sentimental at heart. He couldn't help but secretly smile when looking at these two girls. He thought it was sweet. That blonde one kept looking at the taller one just like his wife looked at him when they first met all those years ago. It was love. He could tell. And apparently, he had a hand in that. He smiled at Jessie and nodded. "Well, I feel a little better knowing it wasn't horrible for you. But I promise, I still won't say a word."

Katie looked at Jessie and winked at her. They picked up their jackets, put on their shoes and gathered up their stuff. As they started to walk out, Katie turned around and waved.

"See ya around, Murray."

Murray waved back and watched the two girls as they walked out the door and got their first taste of fresh air and freedom in 9 hours.

Once they were outside, they walked over to Katie's car and got her cell phone. Jessie called her mom to make sure she hadn't spoken to her dad yet. They were standing by the car door and Katie was watching as Jessie spoke to her mom. The parking lot was still fairly empty. Some students were already showing up, but not too many yet.

"Hey mom…I'm good…..yeah….yeah rehearsal went fine….Dad?….I'm actually not with him right now. I'm already at school….I wanted to get here early so I got a ride from a friend…." Jessie looked over at Katie, who was now playfully tickling Jessie. Jessie started giggling as she was trying to block Katie's hands.

"Huh? Oh…just a friend…..Katie….yeah, she drives….I met her from the play…."

Jessie was trying hard to concentrate on the conversation with her mom, but Katie, seeing that no one was around, took this opportunity to start kissing Jessie's shoulders.

"Yeah mom….look, I gotta go….I'll see you soon, okay?….Love you, too. Bye."

Jessie hung up the phone and turned to face Katie and handed her the phone. "Are you trying to get us caught?"

"There's no one around."

"I mean with my mom. She asked me why I was giggling."

"Tell her it's because you were enjoying the sensation of having my hands all over you," replied Katie.

"Oh yeah. That'll go over real well." But in spite of Katie's comment, Jessie smiled. She knew Katie was only kidding. "Are you gonna call your parents?"

"No need. Come on. Let's go get cleaned up before class starts."

They headed towards the restroom. Once they were there, Jessie started washing her face as Katie was digging through her backpack and pulled out some breath mints.

"Not exactly a toothbrush, but it should do for now." She handed a couple to Jessie.

"Two? Wow…is my breath that foul? Is it so disgusting that I require TWO breath mints? You poor thing for having to suffer through the stench," said Jessie, sarcastically.

Before she could even pop the mints into her mouth, Katie pulled Jessie to her. "I guess a little halitosis never hurt anyone." She leaned in and gave Jessie a kiss. She only meant for it to be a short one, but her emotions took over her and she pressed up against Jessie's mouth even harder, eventually forcing Jessie to back up into the sink. Katie moved her hands slowly down to Jessie's legs and lifted her up onto the sink, while pushing her up against the mirror. Katie had no idea what had come over her, but she couldn't stop. She tried to pull away several times, but her body wouldn't let her. She needed to feel Jessie against her. Meanwhile, an intense burning was building up inside Jessie. It had been since last night and now, Katie was adding fuel to that fire. She was taking delight in everything Katie was doing to her. She let her fingers make their way under Katie's shirt and run up Katie's, loving the feeling of her fingertips against the other girl's skin. She was overwhelmed, overjoyed, and at the moment, definitely over-stimulated. She didn't want to stop, but knew that she had to force herself. She had no idea what this was. She barely knows this girl, and yet, she's making out with her in the school bathroom and not wanting to stop. Someone could walk in at any minute. She used every amount of strength she had to pull herself away from that kiss. She knew that this wasn't the time or place to be doing this, even though she definitely liked it. Jessie observed Katie as she tried to catch her breath. She didn't want the older girl to be upset by breaking up their embrace, so she search for something clever to say.

"You're wrong…I think the halitosis might actually harm me," joked Jessie. "I'll take two, YOU might want three or four."

Katie prodded Jessie in the ribs teasingly and then heeded her advice and took four breath mints. The last thing she wanted was to upset the queen of her heart.

"So, since we have no time to go back and change, maybe we should switch jackets or something. Just so it doesn't look like we wore exactly the same thing two days in a row," Katie suggested.

"Not a bad idea." Jessie secretly loved the fact that she may get to have a piece of Katie with her all day. It might help getting through classes a lot easier. They switched their jackets and started fixing their hair. When they were as freshened up as they could get, the girls headed out of the bathroom and walked over to Jessie's locker.

"So, this is your locker, huh?" Katie memorized the number. "Hahaha…foolish girl. Now I know where I can always find you. You'll never be rid of me.

"Good." Jessie realized what she had just said and looked down. After all they had been through the night before, she still found it hard to sometimes look Katie in the eyes. Katie just smiled to herself and leaned up against the lockers as Jessie continued getting her books.

"Hey girls!" Tad came up behind Jessie and put his right arm around her. "Hi Jessie." He was leering at Jessie. He didn't mean to, but his look just somehow came off as being sleazy. At least, that's what Katie noticed. She followed his arm down to his hand and watched as it moved up and down Jessie's shoulder, slowly caressing it. Katie literally wanted to break Tad's arm off right then and there. It didn't matter that they were friends. It didn't matter that Tad didn't know what was going on. Katie didn't care. All she saw was Tad's arm on Jessie's shoulder. 'But it wouldn't be fair to break his arm,' thought Katie. 'I mean, what else would he masterbate with? He's right-handed.' Katie figured that she may have been getting too territorial, so decided to let Tad live another day for the time being.

The moment Tad touched her shoulder, Jessie wanted it off. She wanted to brush it off right away, but instead, she froze. All she could do was look at Katie, who was looking at Tad like she wanted to rip him apart. Before Jessie could say anything, Sarah came up to the trio, smiling at Katie.

"Hey Katie."

Katie moved her eyes from Tad to Jessie and barely acknowledged Sarah. "Oh, hey."

Sarah's smile faded when she noticed Jessie wearing a very familiar jacket. "Hey, sophomore…why the hell are you wearing Katie's jacket?"

Jessie looked down at what she was wearing. "Oh….I….uh…."

Tad noticed Katie what Katie was wearing and pointed it out. "Jessie, isn't that YOUR jacket?"

"Oh…yeah, I guess it is. We must have switched up our stuff last night. I'm sorry," said Jessie.

Katie shook her head. "Oh, don't worry about it. Obviously, I didn't even notice. It took this dumb jock to figure it out." She patted Tad on the shoulder. "But I think it looks good on me, so if you don't mind, I'm just gonna go ahead and borrow it for the rest of the day. You don't mind, do you sophomore?"

Jessie grinned at Katie. "No. I don't mind." She looked over at Sarah with a victorious look on her face. Sarah was incensed and grabbed Katie by the arm.

"Come on Katie, let's go." Sarah started pulling her just like she had the other night.

Tad took this moment to seize his opportunity. "Yeah, we should get to class. Come on Jessie, I'll walk you to your first class." He led Jessie away as Sarah led Katie away. Jessie turned around just in time to see Katie turn around and wink at her. Jessie winked back and they went their separate ways, each counting the minutes until they could see each other again.

To be continued…


	7. Chapter 7

By the end of the day, Jessie had become somewhat distraught. She hadn't been able to find Katie at all. They hadn't seen each other since that morning when Tad and Sarah had pulled them away from each other. Jessie searched everywhere for Katie in between classes, during lunch, and after school. It proved somewhat difficult since she had no idea where Katie's locker was. School had been over now for an hour and Jessie was still scanning the halls hoping for a glimpse of Katie. Grace had finally grown impatient waiting for her step-sister and insisted that they leave now. It was Friday and she really didn't want to stay there any longer than they had to. Jessie sighed and followed Grace out to the car. It was official. Unless some miracle occurred, Jessie wouldn't be able to see Katie until Monday, since she really had no idea how to get a hold of her otherwise.

Katie was just as agitated that she couldn't see Jessie. She was stupid enough to be caught writing a letter to Jessie in her Western Civilization class and was required to serve lunch detention. She tried to find Jessie to tell her before hand, but couldn't find her. She didn't even get to finish that damn letter. She figured Jessie had already left once school was over because she wasn't at her locker. Little did Katie know that instead of waiting by her locker, Jessie walked around to try and find her. They had just missed each other. Katie finally gave up and went home.

The weekend crawled by for the two girls. Usually they loved not having to go to school, but not seeing each other was getting to be torture for both of them. They'd known each other a few days and already they were addicted to each other. By Saturday night, it got to the point where Katie thought she was going to go insane. She tore through her whole house, making a huge mess, looking for the school roster. They hand them out at the beginning of the year and Katie never bothered to keep track of them. All her friend's numbers were in her cell phone. What would she need a roster for? Now she was kicking herself. After a manic two-hour hunt, she decided to call off the search party. She swallowed her pride and decided to call Tad to see if she could casually get him to give her Jessie's number.

"Hello?" Tad answered his cell phone. It was incredibly loud, so he couldn't really hear Katie.

"Tad? Where are you?" asked Katie.

"Huh?"

"Where are you!!!!!" she yelled.

"I'm fine!"

"No, WHERE are you! There's a lot of noise!"

"Oh! I'm at a party at my cousin's Chris's house! You should come join us!"

"Well, why didn't you think to call me and invite me before!?!?" She yelled, not because she was angry, but so he could hear her.

"Because you once told me that my cousin was so disgusting that when he walked into a room, you could feel the Clamidia rising in the air! And then when he bumped into you, you asked if it was possible to catch diseases through jeans! And then when he made an off color joke, you told him to go fuck himself! I really didn't think you'd want to come to his party!"

Katie remembered every event that Tad was talking about. And it was true. She shuddered at the mere thought of Chris. "Oh! Yeah, well you're right! I wouldn't want to come!"

"So what's up?" It was still loud and Tad didn't have enough logic to find a quiet place where he could talk. Which meant there was no way Katie could bring up Jessie casually, but she really wanted to call her.

"Nothing!" she replied.

"Okay, well can I call you tomorrow?!"

"Wait! Um….so you know that Jessie girl?!?"

"You mean the one I talk about all the time who's in the play, who you've now met several times?" replied Tad, jokingly.

"Yeah!" Katie's voice was growing hoarse from yelling so much. Good thing her parents weren't home, or her dad would be pissed for waking them up. "Well, I wanted to return her jacket! And I wanted to get mine back, so….do you have her number?!?!"

There was silence on the phone.

"Tad?!?!"

"Oh, sorry! Chris was doing body shots off of some girl I'd never met before. I think she's a porn star! At least, she looks like one!"

Katie shook her head. Well, now if she sees Chris again, she'll probably feel Gonorhhea in the air, too.

"Okay, so can I have her number?!?!"

"Um…I don't have it with me! Why don't you just get it from her on Monday?"

Katie sighed. "Yeah, okay. Bye."

"Hey, so do you…." Tad began to talk, but then he heard a click. Katie had hung up before he had a chance to respond. He looked at his phone quizzically, shrugged, and went back to the party.

Katie lay back on her bed and tried to fall asleep. It was early still, but she figured she could just sleep through the rest of the weekend and then it would be Monday all the sooner.

Jessie had a rough time of it over the weekend, too. Thoughts of Katie would not leave her mind, no matter what she did. She closed her eyes, and Katie would be right there. When she opened her eyes again, she'd be disappointed to not see Katie standing in front of her. Every time the phone rang, Jessie waited with bated breath to see if it was for her, to see if it was Katie, but it never was. Jessie had the same thought as Katie, she busted out the roster she had received at the beginning of the year and had found Katie's phone number. She sat there for at least an hour, trying to talk herself into dialing the number. She desperately wanted to talk to Katie, but was too nervous to call. Maybe there was a reason they didn't see each other the rest of Friday. Maybe Katie didn't want to see her. Maybe if she called, Katie's parents would get mad for some reason. Jessie went through a list of reasons not to call her. And only found one reason why she should: because she seriously felt sick not being able to talk to her. She was going through withdrawal. She brought herself to dial the number…and then hung up immediately. She had repeated this several times throughout the weekend. She'd dial the number, and then hang up. She must have done it about 20 times before she finally gave up and decided just to wait until school to see Katie again.

Monday morning, Jessie was up and ready at 5:30am. She went downstairs and caught her dad just as he was leaving for work. She knew he had an early meeting.

"Dad? Can you give me a ride to school on your way to work?"

Rick looked at his daughter, surprised. "Jess? What are you doing up already? Why do you need to get to school now?"

"Oh, there's some work I want to catch up on and the book I need is in my locker." replied Jessie, casually.

Rick shrugged. "Okay. Sure, I'll just leave a note for Lily that I took you to school."

Once Rick dropped Jessie off, she looked at her watch. 6 am. Perfect. She walked up to the building and tried to open the door, but it wouldn't open. She looked down and saw that it was locked.

"Dammit!"

She looked around to see if anyone else was around. There was no one. She began to walk around the entire school to see if any other entrances were open. None of them were. She was making her way back to the main entrance when she spotted a familiar face and smiled.

"Hey Murray!"

Murray turned around and recognized the blonde right away.

"Hey. Jessie, right?"

"Yup."

"What are you doing here so early?"

"Well," she looked at the janitor with as much conviction as she could. "Um…I….left a book in my locker. And I really need it because we have this huge test today. Do you think you could let me in to get it?"

Murray looked Jessie up and down and smiled. "Uh huh…well, I might just let you in if you tell me the REAL reason you're here."

Jessie blushed and nodded. She opened her backpack and pulled out a beautiful, perfectly bloomed white rose. She didn't need to say anything. He knew.

"All right, come on. Don't say I never do anything for you." He unlocked the door and let her in. She walked in and looked around. She had totally forgotten that she didn't know Katie's locker number. She turned back around and looked at Murray, unsure.

He nodded. "Number 339. In the junior hallway." Jessie looked at him as if he were psychic.

"How did you…."

"I know things. I'm the proverbial "wise janitor." There's one at every school, don't you know that?"

"Really?"

"No, not really. I saw her at her locker on Friday. She said hi, and I just noticed the number. Jeez. Now go on and leave your girlfriend the flower."

Girlfriend. That word seemed to have crashed upon Jessie like a wave. Girlfriend. She hadn't thought about Katie being her girlfriend. She really didn't even know what to call it. But the more she thought about Katie in that context, the more she liked it. Girlfriend. It definitely had a nice ring to it.

"She's not my girlfriend, she's just…well…I don't know exactly what we are, but…" She trailed off. "Anyway, thanks." She took off to go find Katie's locker.

Murray watched her sprint off and turned around to go back to his work. He made sure not to lock the door, so Jessie could get out. He wasn't going to make THAT mistake again. As he was walking back, he noticed another familiar face coming toward him.

"Hey Murray."

"Miss Katie. How are you this morning? You're up early." Murray couldn't believe it. These girls thought so much alike, it was almost scary.

"Yup. I actually left a book in my locker. Any way you can let me in?"

Murray looked at Katie, knowingly. He just stood there, staring her down, waiting for her to break.

"Okay, okay," Katie gave in. She held up a white gardenia. "Yeah, you know who it's for. So can you let me in?"

Murray couldn't help but feel like he was some undercover secret agent, trying to help these two girls, while keeping their mystery hidden. He almost felt honored that they included him and trusted him. He laughed at Katie's response. "Yeah, I know who it's for…I just want to hear you say it. Come on…who's it for?"

"Your mom."

"Oh really? Well, you can wait outside for her."

"Okay, okay. It's for that striking blonde you saw me with the other day. It's for Jessie. Now will you let me in?"

Murray stepped aside and motioned to the door. "It's unlocked. Go right ahead." Katie looked at him with mock disdain. How dare he make her go through all that when it was unlocked all along. She patted him on the shoulder as she walked by him.

"Thanks Murray. You're the best."

She made her way into the building and headed right for Jessie's locker. She grabbed the tape she was carrying in her backpack and taped up the gardenia to her locker. Once she was done, she decided to take a stroll. It was kind of cool to be able to roam the school when there was absolutely no one else in the building. She wandered through the halls and turned the corner to go down yet another hall when she stopped in her tracks. Her heart began beating faster. There was someone there, at the end of the hall heading her way. From a distance, it looked like Jessie, but Katie knew it had to be wishful thinking. As the body got closer and closer, she could see that it was in fact Jessie.

Jessie spotted Katie immediately and was simply thrilled. "Katie?"

Katie smiled, and started jogging toward her. "Hey!"

Jessie began to walk faster and faster, trying to get to Katie. Both girls were simply beaming. Not another word was spoken. They just collided into each other and began to kiss passionately. Katie had no reservations about making sure Jessie was okay with it. She knew. She just knew that Jessie was fine because she was kissing her back, just as passionately. Jessie's lips eagerly moved against Katie's, falling into a rhythm. This is what she had been waiting for, what she had been deprived of for three days. It finally occurred to Jessie that within four days, she had gone from never being kissed, never being in love, never really having strong feelings for anyone, to this whirlwind of emotion. She had now been kissed several times. And each time, it got better and better. Each kiss became more intense, more meaningful, more wanted and needed. Her body was completely relaxed, just letting Katie's body move against it. Both girls were holding nothing back. It may have only been three days since they'd seen each other, but it felt like a lifetime. Neither of them wanted to go through that again. They had to be with each other. Katie wrapped her arms tightly around Jessie. She moved her hands down, just above Jessie's legs and, with all her strength, picked Jessie up. Jessie wrapped her legs around Katie, as their kiss grew deeper and deeper. Jessie's tongue was memorizing the pattern of Katie's mouth. They were running on pure adrenaline now. Katie started walking, while holding onto Jessie, and pushed her up against the lockers. She heard a small thud as Jessie's head and back hit the locker, but neither girl bothered to pull away from the kiss. Jessie could feel a lock digging into her back. It was painful, but she didn't care. The bliss of kissing Katie like this seemed to take away any pain she may have had. Jessie ran her fingers through Katie's long hair, and began to massage her neck before taking her hands down to the older girl's back. She lifted up Katie's shirt and began caressing her back. The feel of Katie's skin was driving Jessie insane. They were so close together, Katie could feel Jessie's heartbeat accelerating through her chest. Katie began to moan at the sensation of Jessie's hands making her way down her back and the feeling of the Jessie's legs wrapped around her. The moaning drove Jessie wild and she began to grip Katie even tighter. Katie needed air. She didn't want it, but she needed it. She slowly pulled away and caught her breath, while kissing Jessie sporadically. She was still holding onto Jessie, up against the lockers.

In between kisses, Katie began to speak. "And how is Upton Sinclair's most beautiful singer, this morning?"

Jessie flirted back. "I don't know. How ARE you doing?"

Katie smirked at Jessie's response. 'Could this girl be any cuter?' she thought..

"By the way, what are you doing here?" asked Katie.

Jessie, still breathing heavily, replied sweetly. "I forgot a book."

Katie smiled. "Me too." The girls looked at each other, each sharing their own little secret with each other. They both knew the other girl was lying, but it didn't matter. They were there together. They had found each other. They were both there at the same place at the same time. It was fate. Simple fate. They held each other's gaze until Jessie started wincing.

"What's wrong?" asked Katie.

"Oh, it's this lock. It's digging into my back."

"Oh, shit. Sorry." She didn't put Jessie down, but she moved them slightly to the right to relieve the pain in Jessie's back.

"Much better," said Jessie, as she moved in to kiss Katie once more. They stayed there making out with each other in the empty hallway for another 20 minutes. They couldn't pull away from each other and neither girl wanted to stop. Katie was amazed at the amount of strength she had by being able to carry Jessie in her arms for so long. Granted, Jessie was extremely light, but holding anyone for that long would tire someone out. Not Katie, though. She didn't care if her arms fell off, she'd hold Jessie for the rest of her life if she could. Neither girl cared about the time, or where they were at. It didn't seem to matter at the moment. By this point, they were so enamored with each other, they didn't even pull away to catch their breath. They felt they didn't need to. With Katie so close to her, Jessie felt invincible. And Katie felt the same way. With Jessie in her arms, she knew she was safe, protected. She knew the younger girl wouldn't let anything happen to her. They were both equally protective of each other, so they both felt equally safe. They were completely lost in each other. Lost in their kiss. Until they heard a voice coming from about 10 feet away.

"Girls, we're unlocking the doors now. You may want to pry yourselves apart for the time being. People are gonna start coming in," said Murray, his eyes on the floor, so as not to completely invade their privacy.

The girls kept looking at each other, neither missing a beat. They heard the janitor, but couldn't look away from each other.

"Thanks Murray." Said Jessie, still fixated on Katie. Murray nodded and walked off to unlock the doors. Katie slowly lowered Jessie back to the ground and kept her hands around Jessie's waist.

"Well, I guess we should get our stuff. Meet me at my locker…number 339," said Katie.

"Okay." Jessie laughed to herself, excited to see Katie's reaction to the rose. It may have been a trite gesture, but Jessie thought it was sweet.

The girls walked off to go to their lockers.

Five minutes later, as the hallways started filling up with students, Katie found it absolutely impossible to hide the smile on her face as she examined the rose that was left for her at her locker. She couldn't believe that she and Jessie had both had the exact same idea. She stood there in her own world, just breathing in the sweet aroma of the white rose. It wasn't long before felt a presence behind her. She turned around and saw Jessie blushing as she was holding her gardenia. Katie smiled.

"This is so sweet. I don't even know what to say," said Katie.

"Say 'thank you.'" replied Jessie.

"Thank you." Katie looked down and saw the white gardenia Jessie was holding. "Oh, my. That's pretty. Where did you get that?"

"Oh, it was mysteriously taped up to my locker."

"Hmmm….interesting. Who's it from?" asked Katie, teasingly.

"I don't know. Probably from Tad. I should go thank him. Maybe with a big kiss." As Jessie turned to leave, Katie stopped her.

"Wait…now how do you know it was Tad? I mean, something like that requires a lot of thought, and we both know Tad. His thoughts aren't very deep. No, I'm thinking that whoever gave that to you must have put a lot of thought into it. And whoever gave it to you must really, really like you a lot. You know, because of it's meaning and everything."

"Meaning? There's a meaning behind it?" asked Jessie.

"Oh yes. Well, actually there's a couple meanings to it."

"Really…I'm listening." She continued pretending to go along with Katie's little joke, even though they both knew who was behind the gardenia.

"Well, and this is just a guess…but the person who left that for you must have known you loved the song "God Bless The Child." Because as you know by now, Billie Holiday sang it, and it just so happens that she used to always wear a white gardenia in her hair."

Jessie nodded. "Uh huh…you know, I think you're right. There's no way Tad would have known that. I guess actually only one person WOULD know that, wouldn't they?"

"Why, whomever are you speaking of?" Replied Katie, incredulously. She looked at Jessie, who was growing increasingly tired of the joke. "Okay, okay. I know it's getting old. You caught me. It was me."

Jessie smiled. "I know…I just wanted to hear you say it. Thank you." She gave Katie a hug.

"Well, as much as I hate to say it, we should probably get to class," said Katie.

"Okay. But wait…what's the other meaning behind the gardenia?"

"Oh, it's the actual, literal meaning of the flower," replied Katie.

"Which is what?"

Katie softly grabbed Jessie's hand and pulled her in to whisper to her. "A gardenia means 'secret love.'"

At that, she slowly pulled away from Jessie, not letting go of her hand until she was too far away to reach anymore. As she walked away, Katie turned her head and watched Jessie standing there grinning and completely stunned. She took a mental picture of that moment. That look on Jessie's face would be with her until she was able to see her again.

To Be Continued…


	8. Chapter 8

The rest of the week, the girls were inseparable. They would meet in the morning before class, they ate lunch together, and Katie began to drop Jessie off at home after school and after rehearsals, much to the relief of Grace, who was getting tired of hearing Jessie incessantly rave about Katie in the car. Katie had gone to every dress rehearsal for the play, just to make her presence known to Jessie. Jessie had told her that she dreaded rehearsals and really couldn't wait until the play was over, so Katie promised her she'd be there to help her get through it…and maybe be a focal point yet again when Jessie sang her song.

It was now Thursday night, which was the final dress rehearsal. Katie was in her usual seat at the back of the theater; the seat where she had first discovered this striking girl with a voice that could melt her soul. Jessie was waiting in the wings for her cue, when Grace came up to talk to her.

"So, you nervous about tomorrow night?" asked Grace.

"What? With the show opening? No."

"Yeah…me neither." Grace's voice trembled a bit when she responded. This did not go unnoticed by Jessie. She turned to face Grace.

"You're gonna be fine, you know that? I mean, you've been doing really well. Everyone thinks so. Just try not to worry about it," Jessie said, trying to comfort her obviously apprehensive step-sister.

"Yeah…yeah, you're right. But, how are you so calm? I mean, you're usually a nervous wreck."

"Oh, I don't know. I have my ways of keeping myself relaxed," replied Jessie, thinking of Katie.

Grace looked at her step-sister and smiled. "She's out there, isn't she? In the theater."

"Who?"

"Katie."

Jessie looked at Grace, incredulously. "What? What do you mean?"

"Jessie, she's been here every night watching the rehearsals. And then, she takes you home, but you guys always sit out in her car for like half an hour. And when she's not with you, she's calling you, or you're calling her. What could you possibly have to talk about with one person 24 hours a day?"

"I don't know. Stuff. Besides, she's not here for me. She has friends in the play, too."

"Oh, you mean Tad and Sarah? Yeah, I haven't actually seen her acknowledge either one this whole week. Except once, she threw a pencil at Tad when he told her she had a nice rack."

Jessie face became slightly contorted. "He said that to her?"

Grace nodded.

Now, Jessie knew that Tad was Katie's friend, but she really didn't appreciate him making such remarks about her girl….well, her friend…..actually, her girl who's a friend….or actually a girl who's a friend, yet so much more…..well, you get the general idea. Jessie and Katie hadn't had that "talk." The one about where they stand with each other. But it was pretty much common knowledge between the two of them that they belonged to each other and no one else. So it was exclusive, but really no labels. Jessie looked over and saw Sarah glaring at her. She immediately looked away, pretending she didn't notice Sarah's fierce look. But Jessie saw her approaching her out of the corner of her eye. She really wasn't in the mood for this. For someone who usually ignored Jessie, Sarah sure spent a lot of time casting evil looks in her direction these days. Before Sarah could reach Jessie, she walked over towards the stage. Jessie was up next, and not a moment too soon.

Once Jessie was done (and Katie was on air) she walked off the stage and Sarah was right there to greet her.

"You were a little flat. You might want to watch that for tomorrow," she said to Jessie, with disdain.

"Oh, I didn't realize that." Jessie decided to play it sweetly.

"Yeah, well, maybe next time if you focus more on the song and not so much on other things, you won't suck so bad." Sarah rammed her shoulder into Jessie's as she went to take her place on stage. Jessie decided to shake it off. Normally if someone insulted her like that, she'd get really weak in the knees and sick to her stomach and become visibly upset. But this was Sarah. She's learned to just let things roll off her back when it came to her. There was no pleasing this girl. And Jessie really had no intention of pleasing her, anyway.

After the rehearsal, Katie completely waited patiently for Jessie as Sarah came up to her.

"Hey. Great job," said Katie.

"Thanks. And I really appreciate you being here," replied Sarah, waiting to hear Katie's response.

"Oh, well, you know I wouldn't miss this," said Katie, casually.

"Yeah right. I know," replied Sarah, sarcastically.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh come on. You never showed any interest in this play until you met what's-her-face and now you're constantly here," explained Sarah.

Katie didn't know what to say to that. It was true. She was here for Jessie and only Jessie. She had been growing apart from Sarah more and more each day. A few weeks ago, she had started to realize what mean-spirited person Sarah actually is and had been trying to distance herself ever since. But Sarah was relentless and continued to latch on to Katie, often acting like Katie was her territory or her property.

"Look, Sarah. I…." but Katie was at a loss for words. She felt bad for blowing Sarah off, but didn't know how to tell her that she just didn't want to be friends with her anymore.

"You know, Katie. You're being really selfish. I mean, all you really give a shit about is yourself. I don't even know why the hell you're hanging out with this girl. She's a freak. She's weird. I mean, you know she was anorexic, right?"

Katie looked at Sarah in dismay. She hadn't known that, but she didn't care. And she sure as hell didn't appreciate Sarah talking about her like this without Jessie here to even defend herself.

"Sarah, just leave me alone, okay? Just go." Katie looked over and realized that Sarah wasn't going anywhere, so she decided to leave and go find Jessie. She was never able to really stand up for herself when it came to Sarah. It was a somewhat abusive friendship. Sarah was sometimes too painfully blunt and would hurt Katie by what she said. Katie normally wouldn't stand for something like that, but Sarah always had a way with manipulating Katie into feeling bad about something. Sarah knew the right buttons to push to bring Katie down. Katie just couldn't understand why someone who was supposedly her friend would offend her so often. She wasn't used to it, so she didn't know how to react. She usually just ended the conversation by walking away, just as she did now.

The play opened the next night, closed on Saturday night and ran for three performances, including one matinee on Saturday. Katie was at all three shows cheering Jessie on. Jessie had revealed to her that she only felt safe and comfortable singing if she knew Katie was there, so Katie made it a point to be there for her. Of course, Katie's arm didn't exactly have to be twisted. She'd do anything for Jessie.

After the final performance, Jessie rushed out to find Katie. She didn't bother to change out of her costume first, which she was supposed to do. She didn't even think about the fact that her father, mother, Lily, Eli, and Zoe had come to see the show that night. All she thought about was seeing Katie. As soon as she spotted the taller girl, she made a mad dash straight into her arms.

"Hey! So what did you think?" asked Jessie, as she was still hugging Katie. It was all she could do to keep from kissing her right then and there.

"You were great, of course. You were just…so great." Katie was overjoyed at the feeling of Jessie clinging to her.

"Well, that's only because you were here. Thanks for coming yet again."

"I wouldn't have missed it," said Katie.

Jessie pulled herself away from Katie. "Well, I guess I should change out of my costume. But I'll just be like 5 minutes. I'll meet you right back here, okay?"

"Sure. Sounds good," replied Katie as she watched Jessie run off to change.

Karen watched this exchange between the two girls take place and as Jessie ran off, she made her way over to Katie, who still had a smile on her face.

"You must be Katie," said Karen.

Katie turned around and was slightly dumbfounded. This lady obviously knew who she was but she had no idea who this lady was. But she looked a lot like --

"Jessie. I'm Jessie's mom." Karen stuck her hand out to shake hands.

"Oh, gosh. Right. Of course." She took Karen's hand. "It's nice to meet you. But how did you know --"

"I could just tell. I saw Jessie talking to you and I figured you had to be this Katie girl that she just won't shut up about. She gets this distinct, unmistakable smile on her face when she talks about you. And she had that same smile just a few minutes ago when you two were talking, so I knew you had to be the infamous Katie Singer. It's nice to finally meet you."

Katie began to turn red. She loved the fact that Jessie was apparently raving about her to her family. She had no idea she'd affected this girl so much, but evidently she has. And Katie was just thrilled about it.

"Wow. Well, your daughter is simply amazing. I mean, she's such a good friend. I've only known her a week, but she's managed so bump off my friend Tad from his best friend spot."

Karen smiled. There was something about this girl that she instantly liked and she could understand why Jessie was so drawn to her. This girl was incredibly charismatic and yet so genuine. There was not one fake thing about her. Even her smile was authentic.

"Well, I just wanted to say thank you."

Katie looked at Karen puzzled. "Thank you? For what?"

"I've never seen my daughter this happy. I mean, I can only assume you have something to do with it. She has this renewed sense of confidence that I haven't seen in her in a long time. You seem to bring it out of her. No one has ever been able to do that., so thank you. She's really lucky to have a friend like you."

Katie was flattered. "Oh. Well, you're welcome, I guess. But I really don't know if I have a lot to do with it. She's just a great person and a great friend. I'm actually the lucky one." Katie had to look down. Jessie's mother was being so nice to her, yet little did she know that she was secretly dating this woman's daughter. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty. She was hoping that Jessie would come rescue her from this awkward moment.

Rick and Lily made their way over to Karen. "Have you seen Jessie yet?" asked Rick.

"She should be back in a couple minutes," replied Karen. "Oh. Rick, Lily…this is Katie. Katie, this is Jessie's dad and his wife."

'And the awkwardness continues….Jessie, where are you?!?!' thought Katie as she shook hands with Rick and Lily.

"Hi. It's nice to meet you," she said, politely.

"So you're the notorious Katie Singer. My God, Jessie will not shut up about you," said an excited Rick. "It's so nice to finally meet you."

"So Jessie talks about me?" Katie was trying her best to keep up the conversation.

"Oh, all the time," Lily chimed in. "You've definitely been a positive influence on her."

Katie thought she was going to die of embarrassment. She wasn't used to having adults constantly gushing over her. Adults usually felt the opposite about Katie since she would usually speak her mind, speak bluntly, and often speak out of turn. But she liked these people. The more she talked to them, the more they began to grow on her. When Eli and Zoe decided to join them, Katie began to get the third degree.

"Do you know my sister, Grace?" asked Zoe.

"What have you done to my sister? She's actually…self-assured," asked Eli. He was very curious about this girl who brought out the upbeat change in his sister.

"I think Grace is in the same class as you," continued Zoe.

Katie was being bombarded and began to slowly back up. Jessie came back out and was horrified to see Katie being surrounded by her family. No doubt they were doing something to completely humiliate Jessie. Katie tried holding on for dear life and answered the questions as they were asked. She looked over and never thought she'd be so happy to see Grace Manning in all her life.

"Hey Grace! You were fantastic!" said Lily, who forgot about Katie for the time being.

"Oh yeah, you were great!" said Zoe.

Everyone started flocking over to Grace, leaving Katie with a bit of breathing room.

"Please tell me you're still talking to me after that." Jessie said, as she snuck up behind Katie.

Katie laughed. "Of course. I just…wow. I think your family really likes me."

Jessie put her head in her hand. "Oh God. What did they say?"

"That you talk about me all the time. I mean ALL THE TIME." Katie nudged Jessie, jokingly. "So…does that mean you like me, or something?"

"Oh, shut up." Jessie playfully pushed Katie's shoulder.

"What? It's okay if you like me. I kinda like you too," whispered Katie.

"Jessie! There you are." Rick walked over to his daughter and gave her a hug. "You were amazing. That was so good."

"Yeah, you made dad cry," Eli chimed in.

"I was not crying. The air was dry and my eyes started watering," retorted Rick.

Eli walked up to Jessie and patted her on the back. "He was crying. You did great."

"Thanks, Eli."

Eli whispered in Jessie's ear. "And you're friend's kind of hot."

'I know,' thought Jessie.

"Well, we should get going. Jess, are we taking you home?" asked Lily.

"Actually, I was gonna get a ride from Katie, if that's okay."

Rick looked over at Katie and smile. "Sure. That's fine. See you at home, sweetie."

Rick, Lily, Grace and Zoe walked away as Karen came up to hug Jessie.

"I guess I should be going too, but I'll see you tomorrow, okay? You were great."

"Thanks mom. Bye."

Karen and Eli walked off, leaving Jessie alone with Katie.

"I am so sorry," said Jessie.

"It's okay. Really. It's better that they like me instead of hating me, right?"

"Right. But that still doesn't give them the right to assail you like that. I told you family is just too weird."

"They seem perfectly fine to me. And they obviously care about you a great deal. We all have that in common. Come on. I'll take you home."

Katie took Jessie's hand as they walked out of the theater, but not before they ran into Sarah.

"Oh, well isn't this cute? The little sophomore has finally managed to make a friend. You might wanna throw this one back, though. She can be a real bitch," stated Sarah as she motioned to Katie. Katie just looked down.

Jessie was appalled. "What?!?"

"You heard me. Katie's just a tired, scared little girl who will latch on to anything and anyone who will pay her the slightest bit of attention."

"Sarah, please. What are you doing?" Katie pleaded.

"I'm just stating a fact. Way to ditch me, Katie."

"Hold on a minute. Don't talk to her like that!" Jessie yelled. She was starting to get really angry at Sarah. "You don't even know her."

"I've known her longer than you. And I know her well enough by now to know that she's a shitty friend," exclaimed Sarah.

"Sarah, will you stop? I'm sorry, okay?" Katie declared.

Jessie looked over at Katie, still holding her hand. "You don't have to apologize to her. It's not your fault she's a raging bitch."

Katie couldn't believe it. Jessie was right. Sarah was being a bitch and she was thankful Jessie was there to call her on it.

Sarah just rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Katie, I'll see you later."

Once Sarah was out of sight, Jessie turned to Katie. "Why do you let her harass you like that? Isn't she supposed to be your friend?"

"Yeah, she is. I don't know. I'm really not sure why I let her do that. But…thank you. For standing up for me. When she's putting me down, I sometimes just don't know what to do or say. You know that's not true, right? I mean, I don't just latch on to---"

"I know," Jessie reassured her. "She doesn't know you. She could know you for 20 years, and still not really know you the way I do. I know what she said is not true. Don't worry about it."

Jessie went in to hug Katie and then they walked out to Katie's car.

Nearly another week had gone by and it was Friday afternoon. They play had been a mild success, with exception of a few production glitches. Lily and Rick wouldn't stop giving Jessie the third degree about Katie. 'Is she a safe driver? When are you going to invite her over for dinner? How is she doing?' Jessie had been apprehensive about inviting Katie over to the Manning home. She simply didn't want poor Katie to be caught in a crossfire of interrogation yet again. She knew her family was curious about this girl who had single-handedly turned Jessie's life around. And she figured she could only put it off for so long, so she'd probably invite her for dinner this weekend. Besides, the more they got to know Katie, the more they would like her. And then telling them about their relationship wouldn't be all that bad, would it? Maybe they'd welcome Katie as they would welcome one of Grace's boyfriends or Eli's girlfriends.

Jessie was leaning up next to Katie's locker waiting for her to get the rest of her stuff out of it when she spotted Sarah walking up to them.

"Heads up," Jessie whispered to Katie, as Katie turned around.

"Oh, hey Sarah," said Katie.

"Oh, so miss bitch is actually acknowledging me?" remarked Sarah.

"Hey. Watch it," warned Jessie. She sure as hell was not in the mood for Sarah insulting Katie again.

"Was I talking to you, fatso?"

Katie looked at Sarah in horror.

Jessie didn't miss a beat. "You can insult me all you want. I don't care, but when you offend Katie, you're getting personal." She could feel the rage building up inside of her. Normally, she was rather calm and docile, but she had grown to become very protective of Katie in the last couple weeks. And she hated seeing Katie upset, which was usually brought on by some smartass remark Sarah made.

Sarah completely ignored Jessie and turned to Katie.

"I guess I can understand why you hang out with her, Katie. Her life is so fucked up, you want to feel better about your own screwed up life. I mean, so what if you have an abusive father and a basket case for a mother. It all seems normal if you're hanging out with anorexic girl and her blended freak family. I thought we were friends. You are such an ungrateful bitch, you know that? You're lucky your brother died before he could grow up to see what a loser his sister became. I can't even--"

WHACK!

Jessie's fist went flying and met Sarah's face, knocking Sarah to the ground. Jessie then looked over at Katie, who had tears in her eyes by what Sarah was saying. Katie hadn't even been able to register what had just happened.

"Are you okay?" asked Jessie.

All Katie could do was nod.

Jessie stood over Sarah, who was holding her face and wincing in pain.

"If you ever say anything like that again, if you ever insult Katie in any way, if you ever even utter a negative word about her or her family or her brother, I will kill you. I won't even think twice about it. From now on, you stay the hell away from Katie. She doesn't need you. She doesn't need someone in her life with such an ugly heart."

Katie had finally caught up to what was happening and grabbed Jessie by the arm. The tension Jessie felt quickly melted away as soon as Katie touched her. The two girls shared an intimate hug.

Katie whispered to Jessie, "Thank you. No one has ever stood up for me like that before. I just….thank you."

Jessie nodded, still holding on to Katie. "Your welcome. I'm sorry I hit your friend."

"She's not my friend. Not anymore."

The girls pulled away from each other, while Sarah was slowly getting up from the ground.

"Excuse me! What the hell is going on here?"

The girls turned around to see the vice principal, Mr. Dixon, standing right in front of them.

Sarah seize the opportunity and pointed at Jessie. "She hit me."

The vice principal pointed at Jessie and Katie. "You two. In my office. Now." He looked over at Sarah. "Can you make it to the nurse okay?"

Sarah nodded and smiled wickedly at Jessie. Jessie rolled her eyes and she and Katie followed Mr. Dixon to his office, whispering to each other the whole way.

"I'm sorry," said Katie.

"It's not your fault. I shouldn't have done that. And now YOU'RE in trouble, too," whispered Jessie.

"Well for what it's worth," Katie told hold of Jessie's hand and whispered, "I think I've officially fallen for you."

Jessie smiled to herself. She didn't care about her impending doom in Mr. Dixon's office. Katie had fallen for her. And that made everything that had just transpired well worth it.

To Be Continued….


	9. Chapter 9

Jessie was reprimanded for punching Sarah, but she was let off with a warning since she had never really given the school any trouble up until now. She was glad she didn't get suspended, but even if she had, it would have been worth it. Her parents, on the other hand, weren't quite as forgiving as the vice principal and they grounded Jessie for a week. When Jessie explained why she did it, they understood, but they couldn't condone this behavior. Jessie promised she'd never do it again and they agreed that not being allowed to go out for a week was a decent enough punishment. Katie would come in and visit with Jessie every day after taking her home from school. Karen and Rick had allowed this because they both really liked Katie and felt she was a positive influence on Jessie. They didn't blame Katie in any way for what happened with Sarah. Jessie was at the Manning Manor all week, so the girls would hang out in the attic and talk every night. And occasionally they would throw some studying in. When they weren't talking or studying, they were playfully flirting and making out, something that both girls loved to do. Katie was falling more and more in love with Jessie every day, especially after Jessie stood up to Sarah. That pretty much solidified their bond and Katie knew she was forever at Jessie's beck and call. She couldn't resist this girl and would do anything for her. Katie had cut off all contact with Sarah, even though Sarah had tried to apologize. She knew she was better off without her. All she needed now was Jessie. She loved lying on Jessie's bed, just watching her as she studied. Katie never got much studying done when she was at Jessie's. She was always too distracted by the younger girl's radiating beauty. Katie was never able to look away. From time to time, Jessie would feel those green eyes burning into the back of her head and she'd turn around to see Katie smiling at her. Jessie was finding it hard to control herself and her emotions. And, like Katie, she was falling more and more for this girl every day.

On Saturday, Jessie's first day of freedom, Katie came over to take Jessie out to celebrate her newfound liberation.

"Where are we going?" asked Jessie.

"Nowhere special. I just figured you wanted to get out. I was thinking we could go to the mall or something."

"Oh, okay. That sounds good."

"I just need some coffee first," said Katie.

"Oh, well I know of this bookstore that's just up here. There's a coffee bar. It's actually Lily's sister's store."

"Oh yeah, you told me about that. Is it cool if we stop there first?" asked Katie.

"Sure. Whatever you want. I'm just glad to be out of the house." Jessie took Katie's right hand and held it on her lap. Katie tried her best to concentrate on driving with one hand. She didn't dare do anything stupid with Jessie in the car, but she also didn't want to let go of Jessie's hand, so she slowed the car down a bit. The pulled up to the bookstore and continued holding hands until they got inside. Judy was standing on a chair, hanging something up when heard the bell on the door ring. As the two girls entered the store, Judy looked over to see who was coming in. She was in the middle of a conversation with Karen, who had stopped by for a visit. Karen, turned around to see who Judy was looking at. Judy put down the decorations she was putting up and stepped off of the chair she. Karen walked over to the girls.

"Jessie, Katie. What are you two doing here? I thought you'd be off having fun at the movies or something," said Karen, as she gave Jessie a hug. "How did you hold up?"

"Fine. I'm fine. I'm just glad it's over with," said Jessie, who then looked over at Judy. "Oh, hey Judy. This is my friend Katie."

Katie came up and shook Judy's hand. Judy looked the girl over, studying her carefully.

"So this is Katie. I've heard a lot about you from Karen….and Lily…and Rick. Nice to finally put a face to a name."

"It's nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you, too," said Katie.

"Really, like what?"

Katie froze. "Um…well, you own a bookstore. And…you serve coffee. Which I could definitely use."

Judy paused a moment and went behind the bar to make Katie a café mocha. "So Katie, I hear you made Jessie get into a fight with some girl at school."

Jessie chimed in, "That's not what happened, Judy. Katie had nothing to do with it."

Judy turned around and winked at Jessie. "I know. I was just kidding." She handed the coffee to Katie, who immediately started to drink it. "Jess, can I get you anything?"

"Just some water would be great."

Judy handed Jessie a bottled water and looked back over at Katie.

"So, what brings you ladies here on a Saturday afternoon?" asked Judy.

"Katie wanted some coffee. And I thought it would be cool to show her your bookstore."

"Oh, okay. So Katie, what do you think?"

Katie looked around. "It's nice. It's very quaint, which is a nice change from the large bookstore chains. I like your displays. And your decorations." Katie knew she was being judged. Judy was trying to figure her out. Katie looked over at a display of classic literature and picked up a book. "And good job putting this in the display."

"You like 'Jane Eyre'?" asked Judy.

"It's my all-time favorite book."

"Really."

"Yeah. Why?"

"Oh, I just think you can tell a lot about a person by their favorite book."

"Really?" 

"Yup," said Judy. "Why is 'Jane Eyre' your favorite?"

Katie thought for a second and casually looked over at Jessie and smiled, then looked back at Judy. "I just think that that's what love should be like…should feel like. Love that transcends everything. She loved him unconditionally even though she knew it was wrong. She didn't care. Even though Jane could get in trouble for having those feelings, it didn't matter. The feelings were real and strong, and go above and beyond class barriers and what's right and wrong. We should all be so lucky to feel that way about someone."

Katie seemed to have done the impossible. She managed to silence Judy for a moment. She had won this round. Judy stood there in stunned silence realizing this girl was wise beyond her years.

Katie could see that she had surprised Judy with her answer. "So…what's your favorite book?"

"Huh? Oh…uh, 'Franny and Zooey.'"

"Hmmm….you're right. You CAN tell a lot about a person by their favorite book."

"Really, so what does mine say about me?" asked Judy.

"Well, what does MINE say about ME?" replied Katie.

The two of them just stared at each other, trying to read each other as best they could. Jessie and Karen were watching in pure enjoyment. It's seems Katie and Judy had each met their match.

Katie made the first move. "You're incredibly smart, but you're full of insecurities."

Judy was taken aback. "Well, that was blunt. Do you always believe in insulting people you just met?"

"I wasn't insulting you, I was stating an observation. And I don't believe in insulting people. I believe in speaking my mind."

"Well don't you believe in respecting your elders?" Judy shot back.

"Absolutely," Katie smiled. "But I don't see any 'elders' here. You and Karen can't possibly be a day over twenty-nine."

Judy was smiling on the inside, but didn't want to lose sight of what she was doing. She looked at Katie. "You use flattery as a means of deflecting what you're feeling."

"You make snap decisions about people before you take the time to get to know them," replied Katie.

Meanwhile, Karen and Jessie were looking back and forth from Katie to Judy as if they were watching a tennis match. Jessie loved watching Katie play verbal volleyball. Whoever challenged her was never able to win.

"You're very perceptive," said Judy.

"So are you."

"But you also use sarcasm as a way to get out of uncomfortable situations."

Katie responded. "Me? Use sarcasm? Never! You're afraid to allow yourself to be happy, so you keep your mind occupied on other things…like decorating your store."

"Touche," retorted Judy. "You're incredibly passionate and almost too smart for your own good."

"So are you. Which means you're smart enough to call people on their bullshit. And you hate fake people. So I'm just trying to keep it real for you." Katie grinned. 'Check and mate!' she thought.

Judy was silent. She knew she had been beat. "Well, okay. Um…well, have a look around. Let me know if you see anything you'd like."

"Will do. This coffee is delicious, by the way. Thanks." Katie grabbed Jessie's hand as they went to look around the store. Judy watched as they made their way to the literature section and then she turned to Karen.

"You know? I really like that girl. She's got a Mary Tyler Moore thing going on."

Karen looked at her questioningly. "Mary Tyler Moore?"

"Yeah. Spunk. She's got spunk. I like her," replied Judy as she watched the girls disappear to the back of the store.

Karen grabbed her purse off the counter. "Well, I should head out. Did you need more help with these decorations?"

"No, I should be fine. I mean, God forbid I put up more. People might think I'm too afraid to allow myself to be happy," said Judy, mocking Katie's statement. Though, Judy knew there was a hint of truth to it.

"All right, well, I'll talk to you soon. I might stop by Monday. Bye Jessie!" Karen yelled as she walked out the door.

"By Mom!" Jessie yelled from the back of the store.

"Okay, see ya." Judy waved goodbye as Karen left. Judy went back to decorating her store.

Meanwhile, as the girls were thumbing through the books, Katie leaned in and whispered to Jessie. "I like that woman."

"Who, Judy?"

"Yeah, she's pretty cool. Very quick." Katie put back the copy of "Catcher in the Rye" she was looking through.

"Yeah. She's great. Not quite as quick-witted as you, but then again…no one is." Jessie nudged Katie in the arm. Katie leaned in and gently kissed Jessie on the forehead. Jessie buried her head in Katie's shoulder as Katie began to stroke Jessie's arms. Jessie knew there was a distinct possibility that Judy could catch them at any time, but she was willing to take that risk for the chance to touch Katie's lips with her own. She looked up at Katie and pulled her in for a kiss. She heard Judy fiddling with some books in the front of the store, so she took this opportunity to pull Katie in even tighter. Katie submitted, letting Jessie do whatever she wanted. She found herself constantly surrendering to Jessie, unable to keep her wits about her whenever Jessie started kissing her. They continued their passionate lip-lock and Jessie suddenly found herself wanting more. She knew that this was not the time or place to get it, so she tried to behave herself and kept her hands in the appropriate spot. Katie found herself getting completely absorbed in this kiss. She wrapped her arms tightly around Jessie and found herself wanting her just as badly as Jessie wanted Katie. Katie briefly opened her eyes to make sure no one was watching them. Her heart jumped when she spotted Judy quickly backing away from the aisle Jessie and Katie were in. She had seen them. There was no doubt in Katie's mind. Katie gently pulled away from Jessie, leaving Jessie wanting more.

"Sorry. I'm sorry. We just…we might get caught," whispered Katie. "We should get going anyway. I'm kind of hungry."

Jessie nodded. "Okay. But this isn't over," she said playfully.

Katie laughed nervously. She knew she was going to have to face the music and it was better to do it now than later. They were about to walk out the door when Katie stopped and looked back at Judy, who looked away as soon as Katie locked eyes with her.

"Jess, you go ahead," said Katie. "I'll meet you there. We'll just walk since it's a few blocks away. Is that okay with you?"

"Uh, sure. I don't mind walking, but what do you need to do?"

"I just wanted to talk to Judy about something. I need her opinion…about a book."

"Well, I'll just wait for you," said Jessie.

"No. Don't worry about it. I'll just meet you there. You can get a head start on the shopping. I'll just be like five minutes, okay?"

Jessie started to look worried. She thought Katie was blowing her off and Katie could sense what she was thinking. "Jess, don't worry. I'll be five minutes. I promise. I just need to talk to her one-on-one. It's for this…project. For my English class." Katie hated lying to Jessie, but she didn't want to worry her by telling her that Judy had caught them.

Jessie saw the sincerity in Katie's eyes and smiled. "Okay. I'll meet you there, then." Jessie walked out the door and Katie turned around to face Judy…and to receive the verbal lashing she was sure she would get.

Katie decided to start the conversation. "I know you saw us."

Judy nodded. "Yeah."

"Do you hate me?"

Judy shook her head. "No."

"Look, I know this seems really strange. It's kind of strange for me, but it came out of nowhere. This…thing that Jessie and I have. It literally blindsided us. But you have to believe me when I tell you that it's real. Everything I feel for her is real. And I know you may be obligated to tell Lily or Karen, but please understand that I don't think that's the best thing for Jessie right now. She needs to be the one to do it. In her own time."

Judy searched Katie's face. "You think it's best for Jessie? Or for you?"

"Jessie. It's best for Jessie. I'm not thinking about myself right now. I'm thinking about her. She always has my back and proved it last week. Now it's my turn to help her out. I know her. She won't be able to cope very well if the shit hits the fan before she even knows it. She'll feel more comfortable if SHE'S in control of the situation and if SHE chooses when and how to tell them."

Judy thought for a moment. "Okay. I do see your point. I know Jessie can be overly sensitive about things, but…I just…her parents speak so highly of you."

Jessie lowered her head. "Well, why wouldn't they? Am I a horrible person?"

Judy protested, "No! No, of course not. It's just, I think they might feel differently when they find out that you're….you know…dating their daughter."

"I know and I've thought about that. I think about that a lot. It was never my intention to deceive anyone. It's just that Jessie means so much to me. Actually, she means everything to me and if her parents know about this, they may not let me see her. And I just don't think I can handle that."

Judy could see the fear in Katie's eyes as she said that. "Come here, sit down."

Katie walked over and sat on a stool next to Judy. Judy continued. "So maybe you can help me understand this. You two met, what? Three weeks or a month ago?"

Katie nodded. "Yeah."

"So when did this whole 'thing' happen? When did you start--"

"The second night we met."

"Wow." Judy wasn't expecting that response.

"I told you it just hit us. It came out of nowhere."

"You weren't kidding. Well, I don't know what do say. I won't tell Lily. Or Karen. I'll let Jessie decide to do that, but I guess I'm a little unclear as to what your…intentions are."

"I have nothing but the best of intentions for Jessie. I love her. I know it hasn't been that long, but I loved her from the moment I met her. She doesn't exactly know that, but I have. And I know she feels the same way about me. She's changed my life completely and I'd do anything for her. Anything at all. Haven't you ever met someone and right away, you knew? You knew they were the one? They understand you and know you within 5 minutes of meeting you. We think exactly alike, Jessie and I. I never saw this coming, but now that it's here, now that she's in my life, I can't stop it. It's too strong a force."

Judy couldn't believe what she was hearing. The amount of respect she already had for Katie had instantly doubled upon hearing that. "Wow. That was a mouthful."

"Sorry," said Katie.

"No, it's okay. I just never realized that Jessie was…I mean, I guess I didn't see her as being…or you for that matter. I didn't expect either of you to be…gay."

Katie eyes met Judy's as she nervously laughed. "Neither did I. I mean, this is a first for me. And for Jessie. And I don't even really know what it means or what to call it or anything. It just is what it is. I fell in love with Jessie. And yes, she's a girl. And yes, I know we're young. And yes, I know it's strange. And I know it may seem wrong, but it doesn't matter to us how wrong it seems to other people. To us, it's right. And I don't care what anyone thinks. And I don't care about the consequences."

Judy smiled. "Jane Eyre."

Katie nodded. "Jane Eyre."

Judy sighed. "Okay. Well, okay. You should go. Jessie's waiting for you."

Katie jumped off the stool. "So you're not gonna tell anyone?"

"No. But I will say this. Treat her right. She deserves it. Don't break her heart. I care about Jessie a lot and I want her to be happy."

"It would be impossible for me to break her heart. I couldn't even fathom it."

"I've got this sneaking suspicion that you're telling the truth."

"I told you, I'm just keeping it real for you. I know you hate fake people." At that, Katie hugged Judy. "Thank you. For everything."

Judy hugged her back. "You're welcome." Katie walked out the door to go meet Jessie.

To Be Continued….


	10. Chapter 10

Three weeks had gone by since Katie's conversation with Judy. She hadn't seen Judy since that day, but she knew Judy kept her promise and hadn't told anyone about the girls' relationship. Katie had told Jessie about her discussion with Judy and Jessie was somewhat relieved. She knew she they could trust Judy and now she'd have someone to talk to about it when she needed to. Jessie still wasn't ready to tell the rest of her family and Katie was fine with that. It didn't matter to her either way. As long as she was with Jessie, she didn't care if only one person knew or the whole world knew. The only time she was bothered by it was when her parents would bring up the topic of Jessie dating. They'd spout off names of guys from their school and as Jessie if she had any interest in any of them. Jessie would simply shrug and say she hadn't thought about it, while giving Katie a comforting look.

The girls were constantly at each other's side. Whether it was at school, in between classes, lunch time, after school, running errands, doing homework, eating dinner. They were always with each other. Katie often ended up at Jessie's house since she usually had no desire to go home and Jessie's family was fine with that. They loved being in Katie's presence just as much as Jessie did. Jessie found it more and more difficult to hide her feelings for Katie in front of other people. She would find herself slipping, accidentally taking Katie's hand in front of Eli or going in for a kiss goodbye as Katie was leaving in front of Lily. She managed to recover quickly on that one, pretending to whisper something in Katie's ear instead. They'd had some close calls, but always managed to make it look completely innocent. School was becoming just as difficult for them. They'd constantly see all the couples holding hands and making out in public, but they knew that neither of them were ready for that kind of scrutiny. Katie made it a point not to push the subject because she knew how sensitive Jessie was about that kind of thing. For the time being, they just had to steal a kiss in a quiet corner, or hold hands under the lunch table. But knowing they'd get to see each other after class made the school day a lot more bearable for the both of them.

At night, Jessie would find herself smiling. She was smiling all the time now, just thinking about Katie. Thinking about the night they met; how even as a shadow, Katie's presence was felt by Jessie. Thinking about the night they were trapped in the gym together, the moment she dove off the deep end in kissed Katie, how they held each other that night and comforted each other. She thought about how they were so connected in even the smallest instances. Everything from Katie's brother and their last names and that Billie Holiday song. She thought about how she only did the play because she thought it would somehow change her life…and it did. She believed it was fate. And the more these thoughts ran through her head, she was falling deeper and deeper in love with Katie. And she wanted to tell her, but really wasn't sure if Katie was ready to hear it.

It was a warm Saturday evening in April when Katie stopped by the Manning house once again to see Jessie. They had just finished Rick was cleaning up the kitchen while Lily and Judy were talking in the living room. Lily went to answer the door.

"Oh, hi Katie. Come on in."

"Thanks. How are you?" asked Katie as she came into the house.

"I'm good, thanks. Oh, have you met my sister, Judy?"

Katie looked over at Judy. It was the first time she'd seen her since their little talk. She began to blush and looked away.

"Yeah, it's nice to see you again, Judy."

Judy nodded and smirked at Katie knowingly. "Likewise."

"Well, Jessie's upstairs. You can go on up," said Lily.

"Okay, thanks." Katie headed straight for the stairs and made her way up, but not before catching a glimpse of Judy once more. Judy just smiled at her. Katie smiled back and continued heading upstairs.

Judy looked over at Lily. "You know, I really like that girl." She always found herself saying that.

Lily chuckled. "Yeah. We all do."

Judy tried to read Lily's expression to see if maybe she had caught wind of what was going on between the two girls, but something told her that she had no clue. But something was for sure: this Katie girl somehow manages to melt the hearts of everyone she meets…at least everyone in the Sammler/Manning clan.

When Katie got up to the attic, she found Jessie laying on her bed in a daze. Jessie looked over and when she saw Katie, her eyes lit up.

"Hey!"

"Hi."

"Come here." Jessie patted the bed, inviting Katie to come lay next to her. Katie obliged and took her spot next lying next to Jessie. Jessie rested her head on Katie's shoulder, breathing her in. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too. So much. Sorry I couldn't be around earlier. I had to spend some time with my mom. She's….well, I think she just needed it."

"Is she okay?" asked Jessie.

"Yeah, I think she is…now. But it's so good to be here and it's so good to hold you. That's all I've been wanting to do all day."

Jessie heard Katie's voice begin to crack and she saw the tears forming in Katie's eyes.

"Sweetie, what's wrong? Is it your mom?"

"It's just…is life supposed to be this hard when your 16? I thought it's supposed to be hard when you're, like 30, or something." Katie paused a moment. Jessie grabbed Katie's hand to let her know it would be all right. Katie took a deep breath. "My dad…he just…he's out of control. They won't stop fighting and I feel like I have to be the one to make it stop. And I can't. Not anymore. I just can't be in the middle anymore."

Jessie wrapped her arms around Katie and began to run her fingernails softly up and down Katie's arm.

"It's okay. You're not with them right now. You're with me. Just try not to think about it," Jessie was doing her best to comfort Katie.

"I know. And being with you is what helps. It's like when I'm with you, it's the only time I feel…whole. It's the only time I actually believe everything is going to be okay and things aren't really falling apart. You're the only thing that makes it better." Katie looked at Jessie with those expressive eyes. "I'm sorry. That sounds like a ridiculous amount of pressure on you. I'm not saying I expect you to make it better. I'm just saying…with you, it just IS better."

"Wow. I…wow." Jessie was speechless. Her mouth was open, but the words weren't coming out.

Katie smiled at Jessie. "You are so cute when you're speechless." She nestled her head into Jessie's neck as their hands intertwined. "Can I stay here tonight? I really don't want to go home. I really don't want to go anywhere, actually. Unless you're there."

"Of course you can stay. I want you to stay. I don't even want to move from this position." Jessie was indulging in the sensation of Katie's legs touching hers. The older girl's legs were moving slowly against Jessie's, trying to get comfortable, all the while driving Jessie insane. She wanted Katie. She had been wanting her for quite some time, but never really had the nerve to bring up the topic or even try to instigate it without words. But having Katie lying next to her at this moment brought Jessie to life. And she wanted this feeling to last forever. She had to tell Katie. She had to. The love Jessie carried in her heart for Katie was growing stronger and stronger by the minute. Jessie reached out to touch Katie's face.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself," replied Katie.

"I hate seeing you cry. And I want to make everything okay for you."

Katie smiled. "You do. You always make it okay."

"Yeah. But I kind of…I want to make it okay for you…forever." Jessie felt herself getting incredibly nervous. Her heart was palpitating, but there was no way she could stop now. Katie's eyes stared back at her, piercing her soul and in that loving gaze, Jessie found the strength to continue. "See, I can't turn this off. Whatever it is you've ignited inside me. And I know I could never walk away from this -- from you. And I know I never want to. I want this. I want to be with you forever. I love you, Katie. I'm so in love with you and I'm scared to death of that. But I know that whatever happens, you and I --at least I hope-- will always have each other."

Katie stared at Jessie in disbelief. She wanted to freeze that moment. No, she wanted to go back in time and relive that moment over and over and over. She wanted to record Jessie's words. Write them down and so she could memorize them and never forget them. They would stay fresh in her heart and in her mind. When she was on her death bed, she could reach back in time and remember those words uttered to her by the most amazing girl she had ever met. The girl who stole her heart. The girl who felt like home to her. Jessie Sammler. The love of her life. Katie tried to catch one of the many thoughts running through her head at the moment. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out and now Katie was the speechless one. All she could think to do was pull Jessie into her and hold on for dear life. Everything was surging through her at this moment. Everything she had been feeling for Jessie was summed up in that embrace. She refused to let her girl go. Jessie felt it. She knew Katie felt the same way. The charged that passed through them in that embrace was undeniable. Katie pulled away and looked at Jessie, finally able to speak.

"Oh my God. That was….I needed that. I need to hear you say that because I've been dying inside for weeks. I've been wanting to tell you that for so long, but…I didn't want to scare you. I'm so in love with you, Jessie. I love you so much. I can't…I mean…shit, I can't even form a sentence right now. You managed to put things so eloquently and here I am, just blurting it out. But, I love you."

Jessie smiled. "Well, that's all I really needed to know." She leaned over and kissed Katie softly. Katie's hand was still gripping Jessie's tightly.

"Let's run away," said Katie.

Jessie laughed. "Run away? Where to?"

"Anywhere. Anywhere where it's just me and you."

"It's just me and you right now," said Jessie.

"You're right." Katie agreed. "But your family's downstairs. And my family…good lord, I can't even deal with them right now."

"So don't. The door's locked. You're safe. We're safe. Right here." Jessie looked down at the foot of the bed and crawled over to grab the blanket. She pulled the blanket up over their heads. They were completely covered. "There. See? Now it's just me and you."

It was dark underneath the blanket, but the lamp in the room started shining a dim light through. It took a while for Katie's eyes to adjust, but once they did, she saw Jessie's silhouette turn into a clearer image. An image she wanted to keep locked in her memory for the rest of her life. The more her eyes adjusted, the more Katie was taken aback by Jessie's striking features. She knew then that she was not only in love with Jessie as a whole, but she loved every little part of her. Her clear blue eyes that took hold of Katie's heart every time she looked into them, her cute nose that would crinkle up when she knew Katie was joking with her, her lips that Katie felt she had to touch with her own every time she looks at them, her neck, her hair, her hands. Especially her hands. Katie felt the entire world fade away when she held Jessie's hands, just as she was doing now.

"Promise me this will last. I honestly can't see my life without you in it," whispered Katie.

"This will last. I promise." Jessie moved her right hand over and touched Katie's waist, while Katie's hand moved over toward Jessie's arm. They lay there, staring at each other, exploring each other's skin with their hands. Katie's hand slowly made it's way up Jessie's shirt, while Jessie, without hesitating, pulled her shirt up over her head. She then began to unbutton her jeans and pulled them off. When she moved the blanket to dispose of her jeans and shirt, for a split second the light fully came into their sanctuary and Katie caught a glimpse of Jessie's body. Laying there in her bra and underwear, she couldn't help but think how vulnerable Jessie looked and possibly felt at that moment. Jessie's eyes never left Katie's, but Katie found her eyes looking down, studying Jessie's form. She couldn't tear her eyes away, until she felt Jessie's hand pull her face up and she was greeted with a hungry kiss.

"Are you okay?" Katie asked.

Jessie nodded. "Are you?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay," Katie answered nervously. She had been waiting for this for quite some time. She knew that eventually the day would come when the two of them would get more physical then just their heavy make-out sessions, but she didn't expect it to happen so soon. Not that she'd minded. She'd been trying to control herself for the past few weeks, unsure of how Jessie was feeling about the subject. She didn't want to bring any added stress into Jessie's life, but apparently Jessie was ready for whatever it was they were about to do. Katie felt herself getting nervous because she knew what she had to do next. She began to unbutton her pants as well and slid them off, being careful not to move the blanket too much. That would give them solid proof of the outside world, which was something they did not want to deal with at the moment. Jessie helped Katie remove her shirt and she quickly threw them on the floor, allowing just a little light in, this time giving Jessie the opportunity to see her girlfriend nearly undressed. They lay there, facing each other, slowly moving their hands over the other girl's body. Jessie's fingertips making their way up and down Katie's leg, while Katie was tracing lines on Jessie's back, stimulated by the feel of her soft skin.

Katie pulled her body closer to Jessie. "You are breathtaking. How did I get so lucky to have someone like you?"

"It's not luck. It's fate. And I'm the lucky one." replied Jessie, as her hands teased their way up to Katie's hips. She grasped her hips and pulled them even closer together.

"God, I love the feel of your skin against me. Why do you feel so good in my arms?" Katie asked in between the kisses she was planting on Jessie's neck.

"Because I was made for you," replied Jessie.

Katie gripped Jessie's shoulders as their lips came together. The kiss began to intensify as the two girls reveled in the sensation of their bodies touching each other. Katie made her way on top of Jessie and reach behind her to take off her own bra. Jessie took of hers at the same time. Each girl took the time to examine the other as they revealed more of each other. Their eyes met once more as Katie felt Jessie's breath get heavier and heavier as they sank into another passionate kiss. Their tongues ignited sparks between them and they couldn't get enough of each other. They clasped each other tight as Katie pressed her cheek up against Jessie's and whispered to her while trying to catch her breath.

"Do you need me to slow down? Is this okay?"

"No. It's fine. Really. This is what I want," replied Jessie.

Katie looked at Jessie once more. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too."

Katie brought her hands down and slowly removed Jessie's underwear, taking her time in order to give Jessie the chance to change her mind if she wanted to. But Jessie never spoke up. This is what she wanted. Katie began to remove her underwear, too and both girls were fully undressed underneath their dark fortress. Jessie's fingertips moved up and down Katie's stomach, leaving chills along the older girl's abdomen. Then Jessie put her hand behind Katie's neck and pulled her down to her. Their bodies converged as each girl was discovering every new sensation that came such a potent event. Each girl panting, trying desperately to catch their breath. Their lips continued moving together, as though they fit perfectly together. The feeling of Katie's body moving so rhythmically and effortlessly on top of her stirred up something deep inside of Jessie, to the point of knowing there was no turning back. She didn't want to turn back. Katie incited a deep fervor within Jessie. Jessie felt herself being carried away at the feeling of her legs moving with Katie's, almost as if it were perfectly choreographed dance. As they continued kissing, Jessie looked at the older girl and felt like she was home. That she had indeed finally found where she belonged. She loved Katie. She loved her with all her heart and trusted her more than she'd ever trusted anyone. And by the way Katie was looking at her, she knew that trust would never be broken. Jessie was nervous. So was Katie, but she did her best not to show it. Neither girl said a word. They didn't have to. Their eyes and actions conveyed everything and their souls spoke to each other in their own language, only to be understood by them alone. In the silence of that night, in the darkness of their refuge, they made love for the first time. This night, their bodies had connected as deeply and passionately as their souls had connected on that fateful night in the gym. Both girls felt their bond grow stronger as they were driven into a deeper ecstasy. They let go and forgot about everything around them. Jessie didn't think about anything else. Only Katie. She was simply focused on this girl who had captured her heart and as they entered each other, Jessie gladly accepted it and allowed this charming girl to take her away. To take her to the depths of pure pleasure. Take her to a safe haven where it was only them together. No one else. And Katie allowed Jessie to take her pain away. How could she possibly think of any kind of anguish with Jessie in her arms? Jessie managed to eliminate any trace of sorrow in Katie's mind. Everything about this moment was pure rapture to Katie. She surrendered herself and gave all of her to Jessie. The intimacy between these two was stronger than it had ever been before.

After each girl was brought to the heights of pleasure, they lay there, holding onto each other, still kissing from time to time, their legs entwined. They were simply breathing together, each basking in the memory of what they had just done. Katie refused to let go of Jessie's hand. God knows if she did, Jessie might slip away sometime during the night and be lost forever, and Katie just couldn't bear that thought. Jessie knew Katie had a fear of being abandoned, so she held the other girl's hand tighter to let her know she wasn't going anywhere. They fell asleep like that, each taking comfort in the thought that they would wake up in each other's arms.

To be continued…


	11. Chapter 11

-1

The following week at school, Katie could barely contain herself when Jessie was around. Her smile had become very hard to miss when Jessie was in her presence. Every time the younger girl was near Katie, she be overcome with emotion just thinking about that night they had shared together. When Katie would look at Jessie, every memory about that night would come flooding back to her and she wanted to take hold of Jessie in front of everyone and pronounce her undying love for this girl. But she knew she couldn't do that. Not yet. Someday, though. Someday. That night had completely changed everything for them. Whatever they had felt for each other before had now been multiplied by ten.

Both girls were completely, undeniably in love with each other. Just the looks they would give each other, whether they lasted 5 seconds, or five minutes, were enough to know that these two were entirely serious about each other. A simple touch between the two became increasingly difficult for them because neither girl wanted to let go. They'd steal kisses in the dark corners of the school as often as they could, but it was never enough for them. Their school day was usually followed by a hour-long makeout session in Katie's car, which was usually parked far enough away so no one would catch them. Thoughts of what happened between them would constantly swarm around their heads. In the middle of one of their intense makeout sessions, Jessie would start smiling out of nowhere and Katie knew. She knew Jessie was thinking about that night. Katie had gotten that same grin on her face whenever she thought about it. But neither girl was too much of a hurry to repeat that night. It was perfect as it was and a wonderful memory to hold on to for the time being. And it certainly brought them much closer together, but they both figured it was better to take their time. They had the rest of their lives to create more nights like that.

The entire week, Jessie had been carrying around a letter she had written to Katie the morning she woke up in her arms. After Katie left that day, Jessie couldn't stop thinking about everything, so she decided to get at least some of what she was feeling down on paper. But she hadn't had the guts to give Katie the letter yet. By the end of the week, Jessie bit the bullet and decided to slip the letter into Katie's locker. During the 2nd passing period, Jessie walked up to Katie's locker and double checked to make sure it said 339. God knows she didn't want ANYONE else reading this letter. She pulled the folded letter out of her bag and looked at it for a moment. Katie's name was written on the outside of it. She talked herself into it and slipped the letter into the locker. She walked off feeling satisfied that she had the courage to do that. She wasn't one who usually puts her emotions out there, but Katie brought this out of her. As Jessie headed to her next class, she failed to notice that the letter didn't make it into the locker all the way. It was significantly sticking out and someone had taken notice of this, walked up to the locker, pulled the letter out, obviously didn't care that it was meant for Katie, and opened up the letter.

Dear Katie,

I've started this letter several times already and must have thrown away

at least 15 first drafts. Yes. You can laugh at me. It's okay. I guess

somehow you've managed to push out all other thoughts inside my head

because all I think about is you. You've completely consumed my mind

and now I'm at a loss for words because instead of articulating what I want

to say, all I can see is your face. And the words just slip away from me.

And all I can hear is your voice and then I forget what I was going to say.

All I can think about is us. And that amazing night we had together. All I

can think of is your body pressed up against mine and how innocence collided

with discovery and I know now nothing will be the same again. And I'm glad.

I've lost all control of myself. I've forgotten what that feels like. I've forgotten

what it feels like to breathe on my own when I'm around you because everything

just seems to stop when we're together. I've forgotten what it was like to

completely trust someone until I met you. I've forgotten what it feels like to

just be happy. And now you remind me every day of what that feels like.

The moment we woke up in each others arms after making love -- that was

when I knew. I'd do anything for you, Katie. And I will always be here for

you no matter what. I never thought I could feel this way. You seem to bring

out the best in me. I love you so much, Katie. And I know I always will.

This summer is going to be so amazing. I want to do everything with you…

that is if you don't mind having some little sophomore following you around.

I wouldn't want to damage your precious reputation.

So I guess this is me -- professing my love to you. So now it's down on paper.

It's out there. Take it for what you will. Now you'll always know and if you

ever doubt me or doubt us, you can just read this letter and be reminded of the

love I have for you.

In love with you always,

Jessie

After reading this, the letter became wrinkled by the hands of the reader as their fingers crumpled the paper. Tad stared at the note in disbelief. It was still sinking in what he had just read. The crumpling so much an act of anger, but more of shock. He knew he shouldn't have read the letter, but now that he had, he decided Katie had some serious explaining to do. He took the letter, put it in his pocket and headed toward his next class.

"Hey Singer!" Tad finally caught up with Katie at lunch time. He wanted to grab her before she met up with Jessie.

Katie turned around. "Oh, hey Tad. What's up?"

"I need to talk to you about something. In private." He began to pull Katie out of the cafeteria and into an empty hallway.

"Umm…I kind of have to eat, Tad."

"Yeah, well WE kind of have to talk, Katie." Tad looked around to see if anyone may be listening. Then he pulled the letter out of his pocket and threw it at Katie.

"I think this belongs to you," said Tad.

Katie opened up the letter and began to read it. She stopped after the first three sentences and looked up at Tad.

"Where did you get this?"

"It doesn't matter," replied Tad.

"Actually, yeah. It does matter. Who gave this to you?"

Tad rolled his eyes. "No one. Okay? No one gave it to me. It was sticking out of your locker, so I grabbed it."

Katie was reeling from Tad's nonchalant approach about the subject. "So you took something that was addressed to ME from MY locker and you read it?"

"I saw Jessie put it in there."

"What difference does that make?" asked Katie, incredulously.

Tad looked down and immediately felt stupid about the words that came out of his mouth. "I….I thought maybe she said something about me in the letter. I was just curious."

"Tad…"

"But I was wrong. Boy was I wrong," said Tad.

"Tad…I don't even know what to say." Katie was at a loss for words. She was furious at Tad for reading the letter, but in a way, she also felt guilty. Tad was one of her best friends and she knew how much he liked Jessie. Still, this sense of guilt didn't calm her anger much. Tad was silent. Katie took this moment to read the rest of the letter so she could understand the full extent of what exactly Tad knew. And after finishing the letter, it appeared Tad knew everything. Katie's anger died down a bit once she read the words Jessie had so sweetly written to her. Katie couldn't understand how that girl could melt her heart just by using ink and a piece of lined paper. She wanted to run away from Tad. She wanted to go find Jessie and tell her that she felt the exact same way. But she knew she had to stay and talk to Tad.

"So," continued Katie. "You know."

Tad nodded.

"Look, before we get into anything, you have to promise me, swear up and down that you will not tell anyone about this, okay? Promise me."

"I promise. I wouldn't do that to you, Katie. You know that. But what I want to know is why? I mean, you're beautiful, your smart and popular. You could get anyone you want in this school. Why Jessie? You knew how much I liked her."

Katie winced a bit at the pain in Tad's voice. "I know. Tad, I know you liked her. But something happened between Jessie and I. Something that just doesn't happen every day. And it doesn't happen to everyone. I would try to explain it, but Jessie's letter pretty much sums it up. I'm…I'm in love with her, Tad. I have been for a while now. And I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I should have, but we wanted to keep this to ourselves for a while. We just…we're not ready to see how everyone else is going to react."

Tad nodded. It was finally starting to sink in for him. He looked at his friend and knew she was feeling bad about this. "Well, I could tell from the letter that she obviously only has eyes for you. This just sucks, you know? I just wish you had told me sooner. I mean, I was gonna ask her to the prom."

Katie looked at Tad. "The prom? Really? Tad, the prom is like two weeks away. Don't you think that would have been cutting it kind of close? For all you knew she could have had a date already."

"Does she?" Tad grinned at Katie

"Uh…well…not exactly."

"Really?"

"Look, Tad I'm really sorry about this. You know I'd never do anything to deliberately hurt you, right?"

"Yeah, I know." He went in to hug Katie and as he reached his arms out, Katie lightly punched him in the gut.

"That's for reading my letter, jerk off." Tad grabbed his stomach and looked at Katie. Katie smiled and hugged Tad. "Come here. I'm sorry. I just had to do it. That'll teach you not to go through my stuff."

Tad held his friend in a long embrace. "Katie?"

"Yeah." Katie's head was leaning on Tad's shoulder.

"You wanna tell me, in great detail, all about the sex you two had?"

Katie pushed Tad off of her and pulled him down into a headlock. "You are such a perv!" She managed to wrestle him to the ground and held both his arms.

"I give! I give!" yelled Tad.

"I can't hear you!"

"I give!"

"I'm sorry, in this situation, you're gonna have to tap out," said Katie, relying on the slight knowledge she had of UFC.

Tad tapped her leg with his hand and she helped him up.

"So…are we okay?" asked Katie.

"Yeah. We're okay. I'm just glad you're happy. You really have seemed a lot happier lately. Now I know why."

"And you swear you won't say a word to anyone."

"I swear."

"All right. See ya, Tad." Katie walked back into the cafeteria looking for Jessie. She decided not to tell Jessie about Tad just yet. She didn't want to stress her out at school. She played it cool and said she hadn't been to her locker yet, so Jessie would think she hadn't read the letter yet. Meanwhile, Katie was just beaming inside knowing how much Jessie cared for her.

When Katie walked through her door that night, she caught a glimpse of something very rare. Her father was home. He was sitting on the couch waiting for Katie to come home. A knot began to form in Katie's stomach. She knew something had to be going on if her dad was actually home before 11pm.

"Hi Katie."

"Dad." Katie put her backpack down and stood there nervously.

"Come in. Sit down, sweetie." Katie cringed when her father called her 'sweetie.' She always felt he never had the right to call her any pet names. He was never around enough to earn that right. And when he was around, he sure as hell didn't show any interest in Katie. At least not anymore. Katie walked in and sat on the couch.

"Sweetie, there's something that we need to talk about."

To be continued….


	12. Chapter 12

-1Jessie made her way through the damp grass, pulling her sweater tighter around her. It was an unusually cool morning, which didn't help ease Jessie's mind. She'd had an unsettling sense of foreboding ever since last night when Katie called her asking her to meet her the next day. She wouldn't say why. All she gave Jessie was this location and Jessie had no idea why Katie would want to meet here. Jessie looked around at the graves surrounding her. She'd never been to this cemetery before, but she found it rather peaceful. She looked up and noticed that the sun was finally beginning to peek out of the dissipating clouds. She continued walking until she finally spotted Katie, sitting at a grave with her head down. At that moment, Jessie saw Katie's vulnerability. It was something that Katie didn't have a lot of. She was usually pretty careful about letting her guard down. No one ever saw this side of Katie except for Jessie. Jessie was the only one Katie would allow to see her like this. For a brief moment, Jessie thought Katie looked completely broken down. As if someone had shattered everything that was so good about her. And Jessie grew angry. She wanted to hurt anyone who would break Katie's spirit like that. She slowly approached Katie.

Katie didn't look up, but she knew Jessie was there. She could always sense Jessie's presence. "Good morning, beautiful."

"Hey," replied Jessie. She continued standing, looking at Katie, wondering what was ailing her.

Katie finally looked up and reached out her hand. "Have a seat."

Jessie took her hand and joined Katie on the grass. "Is everything okay? Your phone call kind of worried me."

Katie looked at Jessie. Jessie could tell she had been crying. Her eyes were red and watery.

Jessie took the other girl's hand. "Hey. Whatever it is, it'll be okay. I promise."

The two sat there in silence. Katie put her head up against Jessie's shoulder. Jessie allowed herself to take in the weight of everything Katie was feeling, hoping to ease the other girl's mind a bit.

Katie finally spoke. "So you're probably wondering why I asked you to meet me here."

"Well, the question HAD crossed my mind."

"I wanted to share this with you. This is where I go…to think. This is where I go when I need to get away from everything. This is my brother's grave." Katie gestured to the gravestone they were sitting at. Jessie read the inscription:

Samuel James Singer

Beloved Son, Brother, and Friend

Gone Too Soon, But Never Forgotten

Jessie was in awe. "Oh…oh, wow. I didn't even realize…I mean, I didn't even think of where he would be buried."

Katie nodded. "I wish you could have met him. You would have loved him. And I know he would have loved you."

"He sounds like he was a great kid," Jessie didn't know what else to say. All she could do was hold onto Katie, trying to comfort her.

"He was. Every time I was upset about something, I would just talk to him. And even though he was young, he seemed to understand. And just knowing that he understood me made me feel better. I haven't felt that safe in a long time. Until I met you."

Jessie put her head on Katie's shoulder. "Well, I'm glad I can make you feel safe. And I'm glad you brought me here and shared this with me. I know how painful it is for you."

Katie nodded silently.

Jessie continued. "So is this why you were so upset on the phone? I mean, is that why you're here? Is today the anniversary of his death, or his birthday or something?"

Katie shook her head. "No."

Jessie could feel Katie starting to shake. She didn't know if it was from crying, nervousness, or the cold, but she did her best to keep Katie warm.

Katie continued. "No, I didn't come here for that. I came here to say goodbye to him."

Jessie stared at Katie, trying to make sense of what she just heard. "What?"

"I don't know when I'll be able to come back to see him, so I came to say goodbye to him." At this point, Katie couldn't bring herself to look at Jessie.

"What do you mean?"

Katie began to wipe a tear away. "I'm leaving, Jessie. For three months. I'm gonna be gone for the summer…maybe longer."

"What?!?! You're leaving? And what do you mean by 'maybe longer'?" Jessie couldn't exactly register right away what was being said to her. She was still in denial, hoping it was a dream, or a hallucination.

"This is the hardest thing I've ever had to say to anyone." Katie held onto Jessie's hand even tighter. "My dad's leaving my mom. He told me last night. He's having my mom admitted to a…hospital. Which, I mean…I don't want that, but I know it's best for her. She needs to get help for her depression. But my dad doesn't want to stick around and see her through it. He never wants to stick around. So he's moving…to California. Los Angeles, actually. And he says I have to go with him. I mean, who am I gonna stay with? We have no other family out here."

All Jessie could do was listen, and hope for Katie to use the words "but" or "however."

"We fought. We fought loud and long all last night. I told him I would never go with him to LA. I mean, I still have another year of school left. He didn't see that as a big deal. He couldn't understand why I was so against moving. I didn't tell him about us. I mean, I wanted to, but he just wouldn't understand anyway." Katie looked at Jessie, trying to convey with her eyes that it would be okay. "Jess, I don't want to leave you. At all. Ever. I don't want this. But my father said there's no other way. But --"

Jessie perked up. She had finally heard the word she was waiting for.

"But we came to an agreement. I'd go out there with him for the summer. Stay with him for three months and if my mom is better by then and I want to come back here, he'll allow me to come back."

"Yeah, but three months???" replied Jessie, incredulously. "Katie, I can barely go three hours without you. How could I possibly be apart from you for three months? And what if your mom doesn't get better? What if you like it out there? What if you never come back?"

Katie could hear the desperation in Jessie's voice. Jessie was starting to freak out, so Katie just grabbed onto her and held her.

"Ssshhhhhhh. It's gonna be okay, Jess. I promise. Just calm down. Please. I need you to be calm." She began to slowly rock Jessie, trying to appease her. Jessie's face was buried in Katie's shirt. She was trying to stifle the sound of her crying, but couldn't. It broke Katie's heart hearing Jessie sobbing like that. The younger girl tried to regain her composure. She tried to stay calm simply because Katie asked her to. She pulled away and looked at Katie, while trying to wipe her tears.

"I'm sorry. I just wasn't expecting this. I…..," Jessie sighed deeply. "I'm so sorry about your parents. About your mom. I'm sure she's gonna be okay. She just needs time, and rest." Jessie began to feel incredibly selfish about her initial reaction. She hadn't thought of what Katie might be going through.

"Yeah…I'm sure she'll be fine," said Katie, half-heartedly. "Jess, I don't want to leave. I know exactly how you feel. I can't be away from you for more than a day. I think it'll kill me."

"The don't go. Please. Don't leave me," pleaded Jessie.

"I'm not leaving you. I would never leave you. This isn't going to end. We're supposed to be together. Even if we're two thousand miles apart. It doesn't matter. I'm still with you."

"But I won't be able to hold you. I won't be able to touch you," said Jessie, her voice cracking.

Katie couldn't fight her tears any longer upon hearing this. She brought her forehead to Jessie's forehead.

"Listen to me. I will come back to you. I promise. I don't plan on being out there any longer than I have to. And I promise you I will find a way to come back to you. Whether it's three months or three years, I will come back to you. Okay?"

Jessie nodded and then kissed Katie, softly. Both girls taking their time to enjoy this kiss, knowing their time together was more precious now than ever. Who knows how many more chances they had to kiss each other? Katie could taste the salt of Jessie's tears on her lips and a feeling of complete desperation washed over her. She pulled Jessie in tighter, holding on for dear life. Holding onto the one thing she knew was real and comforting in her life.

"What am I going to do without you?" asked Jessie.

"You're not going to be without me. We'll call and email and…I don't know, but we'll still be together," reassured Katie.

"But what if something happens? What if you meet someone else? What if you fall out of love with me?" Jessie knew she was asking too many questions, but this was a very confusing time for her. She was losing the love of her life. Granted, it may only be for three months, but the fact that it may be more, and the fact that everything was so up in the air and unsure, did not help the situation. "I'm sorry. I'm asking too many questions."

"It's okay." Katie kissed Jessie's cheek softly. "Jess?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you really mean all this?" Katie pulled the letter out of her pocket.

"You read my letter?" Jessie flashed a quick smile.

"Yeah. Yeah, I did. It was beautiful and it's exactly what I needed to hear. But did you mean it? What you wrote?"

Jessie held Katie's gaze. "Every word."

"Then I need you to start believing in your own words. Because according to this letter, I have no reason to doubt your love for me. And I have no reason to doubt us together. Which means you have no reason to doubt, either. It means you and I will never be apart. We're not meant to be apart."

Katie's words helped ease Jessie's mind a little bit. Jessie nodded.

"I'm keeping this with me. I'll have it on me every day I'm out there," said Katie.

"Okay. Just make sure no one else reads it."

"Oh yeah…about that." Katie put the letter back into her pocket. "Um…Tad kind of knows about us?"

Jessie stared in disbelief. "What?"

"He read the letter."

"He read the letter?!?!?! You showed it to him? Why? Don't you even realize what I put in there? Oh my God--" 

"No, Jess. I didn't give it to him. He actually snatched it from my locker and read it BEFORE me. He saw you put it in there and like the dumbass he is, he thought that maybe you wrote something about him in it."

Jessie chuckled. "Wow. He really just doesn't get it, does he?"

"Apparently not."

"So he read the letter."

Katie nodded.

"And he knows that we--"

Katie nodded again.

"And is he…okay with it? I mean, is he mad or anything?"

"He was surprisingly cool with it. A little disappointed, but then he perked up thinking about…well…stupid guy stuff, I guess."

"Ah," Jessie understood what Katie was getting at. "He's not gonna tell anyone, is he?"

"No. He wouldn't do that. He seems pretty happy for us."

"So that's two people who know…and both of them are on our side," stated Jessie. "Well, at least that's some good news. But now back to the problem at hand."

"I hate my father," blurted Katie. She didn't know where that came from. It just came out of her mouth naturally.

"You do? Why?"

"He doesn't care. He's never cared. Even when Sam was really sick, he was never around. Never at the hospital. Never showed any support to us. He didn't want to deal with it. He just runs away. That's what he does. That's what he's doing now and he's taking me down with him and I hate him for it because he's taking me away from you. I don't want to go with him."

"So maybe I can talk to my parents. Maybe you can stay with us for a while," said a hopeful Jessie.

That thought had crossed Katie's mind, too, but she knew it wasn't possible. "My dad would never go for it. And I'm pretty sure your parents wouldn't either. Especially if they knew about us."

"They don't have to know."

Katie didn't know what to say. She was still holding on to Jessie, never wanting pry herself away from her. "This is gonna suck."

Jessie thought for a moment and leaned in to whisper into Katie's ear. "Then I'll come for you. I'll come get you. If you're unhappy out there, I'll take you away. Or I'll come out there and stay with you."

Katie smiled at Jessie's kind offer, but they both knew that wasn't exactly a possibility. Still, it was nice to dream. It was nice to have options…even far-fetched ones.

"Thanks, but I don't see that happening. Not with the way your parents are. I mean they're great, but I know how protective they are of you. Just like me, they don't want anything to happen to you."

The girls kissed once more as they began to feel the warmth of the emerging sun beating down on their necks. Jessie took off her sweater, placed it behind her and lay back on the grass, using it as a pillow. Katie followed suit. They lay there in the grass, their hands interlocked, just soaking up the moment. Soaking up each other.

"Katie?"

"Yeah?"

"When do you leave?"

"In three weeks. Right after school gets out."

"Three weeks." repeated Jessie. "Okay. So are you totally against the idea of me spending every waking moment with you up until then?"

"I'd be heartbroken if you didn't," replied Katie.

"Okay then. Three weeks."

To be continued…..


	13. Chapter 13

Author's note: Giving credit where credit is due. This chapter contains lyrics by Patty Griffin and Rachel Yamagata.

Those three weeks were going by way too fast for Jessie and Katie. They constantly tried to make time stop, or at least slow down, but it never worked. The time they spent together always went by too fast. The only time it would go slowly was when they'd have to say goodbye for the night and then they were alone…waiting for the sun to rise so they could see each other again. School became a refuge for the girls. Katie would sneak out of her classes to go meet Jessie in whatever class she was in at the time. She only got caught a few times, but it was so close to the end of the school year, that Katie was always let off with a warning.

It was now the Saturday night of the prom. Jessie sat on the couch, just pondering every thought that came through her head. She was dressed in jeans an a long sleeve shirt, obviously not formal enough for a prom. Jessie hadn't been asked to the prom. Not that she cared. She wasn't exactly in the mood to go dancing at the downtown Marriott right now, anyway. She and Katie had briefly discussed the prom, but they both decided to skip it. Besides, they wouldn't have been able to go together, anyway. It would have raised too many questions, but at this point, Jessie was starting to not care if people knew about them. Katie suggested just hanging out and watching movies and eating pizza, instead. Jessie was fine with that. But she began to grow more and more uneasy as the minutes passed by. It was 7 o'clock. Katie was supposed to be here at 6:30. That's 30 wasted minutes. Thirty minutes without Katie. Katie was leaving in four days. Her last final is on a Wednesday and as soon as it's over, she's catching her flight to LA. Jessie hated thinking about it, but at this moment, it completely consumed her thoughts. She could feel the tears starting to well up in her eyes.

"So…how do I look?"

Jessie turned to see Grace looking incredibly beautiful in her dress.

Jessie smiled at her step-sister. "You look okay, I guess."

"Gee, thanks."

"I'm kidding. You look amazing. Wow. You're definitely gonna turn some heads tonight," said Jessie.

"Thank you. And to think, it only took me three hours to look this good," joked Grace, as she sat next to Jessie.

"So…what are your plans tonight?" asked Grace.

"I don't know."

"Yes you do."

"What are talking about?" asked Jessie, half-heartedly.

"Well, word on the street is, Katie's skipping the prom. Lord knows she's had people lining up to take her, but apparently, she could not be persuaded. I wonder why."

Jessie grinned at Grace. She knew exactly what she Grace getting at. "Maybe she just thinks proms are stupid."

"Could be. Or maybe she'd rather spend the night hanging out with some blonde sophomore who stole her heart."

"Shut up." Jessie nudged Grace.

"It's okay, Jess. I think it's cute. Besides, she's leaving soon, right?"

"Four days," replied Jessie, solemnly.

Grace was silent. She could see the pain on Jessie's face and hear it in her voice. She put her hand on her step-sister's knee. "It'll be okay, Jess. Besides, you're just 'friends,' right? I mean, it's not like you're together, or anything."

"Would you mind keeping your voice down? My dad is upstairs," whispered Jessie.

"Sorry. Look, Jessie, just tell me. Is she your girlfriend? You can trust me."

Jessie looked down. She believed Grace and for a moment, actually felt like she had an actual sister she could confide in. As thoughts of Katie entered her mind again, Jessie started quietly weeping. She couldn't hold it in any longer. She had to tell someone about this. Someone had to understand the pain she was feeling, and it seemed Grace already had an idea of what was going on, anyway. Jessie sighed deeply. "Do you remember that night we had rehearsal in the gym?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I never told anyone this, but there's a reason why I didn't come home that night."

"Yeah, you were at your moms, right?" replied Grace.

Jessie shook her head. "Not exactly."

"What…were you with Katie, or something?" Grace asked, jokingly. But she got serious when Jessie nodded.

"We sort of got locked in the gym for the entire night," said Jessie, shyly.

"What?!?! You spent the entire night trapped in the gym with Katie? How did I not know this??"

"Shhhhhh….Grace, please. Not so loud. Anyway, yes. We were locked in there together and just…I don't know, really hit it off. And from then on, we were just…together. It just seemed to fit."

Grace took a moment to let this news sink in. "Wait, so you've been together since that night? Oh my God. I mean I knew SOMETHING was going on, but I didn't know it had been going on that long. Wow."

"Please don't tell anyone." Jessie tried to wipe the tears from her eyes, but they kept pouring down.

"No, no. I won't. I swear. Come here," Grace stood up and pulled Jessie up into a hug. Jessie continued crying, trying not to get any tears on Grace's shoulder. She didn't know why she was crying like this. Maybe it was the relief of finally saying it out loud to someone. Maybe it was the thought that she may never see Katie again. Either way, Jessie just blurted out to Grace exactly what she was feeling.

"I love her."

Grace was taken aback by Jessie's words. She thought it was an innocent, mutual crush that she could tease them about. She knew they really liked and cared for each other, but love? This she did not expect. Jessie was in love…with Katie. Grace didn't know how to react to this statement, but at that moment, she finally realized the pain Jessie must have been feeling. The person she was in love with was leaving her. And that can't be an easy thing to deal with, especially at fifteen.

Grace was about to say something to Jessie when Lily walked in.

"Oh, wow Grace. You look gorgeous. I have to get a picture of this."

Jessie pulled away from Grace, trying to hide what was left of her tears.

"Mom, please. My date's gonna be here any minute."

"Just one picture. Jessie, get in the picture with her."

As Lily took the picture, the doorbell rang. Jessie's stomach churned excitedly in anticipation, hoping it was Katie. She ran to the door, but was disappointed.

"Grace, your date's here."

As Jessie watched Grace walk out the door, she looked at her watch: 7:15. Forty-five wasted minutes. Where the hell was Katie?

The door hadn't even closed yet when Jessie saw a familiar face walk through. Her face lit up as she saw Katie standing there.

"Hey!"

"Hey, Jess. Sorry I'm so late. I tried to get here as fast as I could."

Jessie nearly knocked Katie over with a hug. She saw Katie was holding a brown paper bag.

"Are these the movies?" asked Jessie, but Katie quickly pulled the bag away.

"Nope. Actually, there's been a slight change in plans."

Lily came back in the room. "Oh, hi Katie."

"Hi Lily."

"So, you decided to skip the prom?"

"Yeah, it's not really my scene. Besides, with all the packing and stuff I've been doing, I think it would have just been too stressful. But I was wondering if it's okay if Jessie and I go out. I don't really feel like spending one of my last nights cooped up indoors."

"I'm sure that'll be fine. Jessie, I'll just let your dad know. Go ahead."

"Okay, thanks Lily." Jessie grabbed her jacket and they were out the door.

As they were walking down the driveway, Jessie looked at Katie, trying to figure out what she had in store. Katie looked back at Jessie and grinned. "You're just DYING to know, aren't you?"

"Yes I am. But you're not gonna tell me, are you?"

"Of course not."

"Yeah, and that's why I hate you."

"Oh, you love me and you know it," responded a smug Katie.

"Ummm….yeah, not so much right now. You're leaving me on Wednesday, you showed up 45 minutes late, and you just expect me to get in the car with you without knowing where I'm going? What if you're kidnapping me?"

Katie rolled her eyes. She realized that Jessie had definitely been hanging around her too much. "Would you shut up and get in the car?"

Jessie accommodated Katie's request and got into her car. Katie climbed into the driver's side and started the engine. She looked over at Jessie. "And you're right…I am kidnapping you."

Jessie smiled. "Sweet!"

As Katie put the car in park, she looked over at the younger girl and watched her face as the corners of her mouth twitched, beginning to form a smile. It was a smile that turned into giggling which soon turned into genuine laughter. It was a sound that would keep Katie company during those lonely moments when Jessie can't be with her.

Jessie looked over at the other girl. "Are you KIDDING me? This is where you brought me? You kidnap me, and this is where you take me?"

"Surprised?" asked Katie.

"I'd have to say, yes. I'm surprised. I can't even handle this."

"Handle what?"

"How cute you are. This is so sweet," said Jessie, as she got out of the car.

Katie joined her and took her hand as they walked up to the Upton Sinclair High School Gymnasium. When they reached the door, Jessie saw that it was padlocked.

"Um…well, it was a nice gesture."

"Jess, there was a reason I was late," said Katie as she dug through her paper bag and pulled out a key. "Murray was kind enough to let me borrow this. But he made me swear if we got caught, I never mention his name."

Jessie was amazed. Katie obviously went through a lot of trouble for all this. Katie took Jessie's hand. "Look, Jessie. For the record, I would have LOVED to have taken you to the prom. I just wasn't exactly in the mood for---"

"I know," Jessie interrupted. "It's okay. As long as I can be with you, it doesn't matter where we are."

Katie blushed as she fumbled with the lock and key. She finally got the door open and allowed Jessie to go in first. Jessie was awestruck by what she saw. The lights were off, but a circle of candles surrounded the spot where they had fallen asleep on that fateful night. In the middle of the circle were tons of blankets and pillows, along with a bottle of pinot noir. There was also a tray of chocolate covered strawberries, something which Jessie loved to indulge on. Next to the strawberries was a plate of donuts…which was always Katie's food of choice. Billie Holiday was playing on cd player strategically placed on the bleachers, so it was able to fill the entire gym with music. Jessie's mouth was wide open. She was simply astounded. She turned to look at Katie, who coyly placed her hands in her pocket, eagerly anticipating Jessie's response.

"So…do you like it?" asked Katie.

Jessie couldn't find any words. She managed to choke out a few sounds, but none of them made any sense. All Jessie could do for a response at that moment was jump into Katie's arms and kiss her. Katie caught her and gladly accepted the kiss, enthusiastically.

When Jessie's mouth finally came around to forming coherent words again, she finally spoke.

"I love it. I love you. I love everything. This is perfect."

Katie closed her eyes and let those words take over her. All she ever wanted was to make Jessie happy and she knew that, even though she'd be leaving in a few days, maybe this night will stay fresh in Jessie's memory and she won't resent Katie as much, and with any luck, she won't forget about her. This was Katie's biggest fear.

"So I know we're underage and everything, but I figured since this is a special occasion, wine might be appropriate. But we don't have to drink it if you don't want to," explained Katie.

"Oh, who are you trying to fool? You just wanna get me good and drunk so you can have your way with me. You're such a bad influence," retorted Jessie.

"You caught me. It's frightening how well you know me." They both knew Katie would never try to force Jessie into doing something she didn't want to do. And vise versa. They actually hadn't made love again. Not since that first time. Both of them had thought about it, what with Katie's impending departure, but neither of them had brought it up. Things were complicated enough as it was and they didn't want to add to that.

The Billie Holiday song faded out and a new song came on. The words began to speak to both of them, which was Katie's intention when she made the cd. They stood there, entranced in each other's eyes, neither girl knowing exactly what to do or say next. They stood there, taking each other in as Patty Griffin's voice filled their ears.

"I don't know nothing except change will come

Year after year what we do is undone,

Time gets moving from a crawl to a run…

…When you break down, I'll drive out and find you

When you forget my love, I'll try to remind you,

I'll stay by you, when it don't come easy…"

Katie brought Jessie into the circle and they both knelt down. Katie reached into her bag and pulled out a little box.

"Here. I got this for you." She opened the box and handed it to Jessie. "It's a claddagh ring. It's an Irish symbol. The hands stand for friendship, the crown stands for loyalty, and the heart…the heart is for love. I love you, Jessie. I wish there were a thousand different ways to say it because I feel like it might start to sound mundane to you, but I can't stop saying it. I love you." Katie's voice began to tremble and tears began to fall from her eyes. "You don't have to wear it if you don't want to. But I just thought that whenever you miss me or think about me or wonder if I'm thinking about you, just pull this ring out and know that the answer is yes. I am thinking about you. Always."

Jessie took the ring and placed it on her finger. Her lips began to move, as if she was going to say something, but no sound came out. She just continued to look at Katie, wondering how it was possible to hold this much love inside her heart for one person. She reached her hand out to Katie's face, which was wet with tears. She pulled Katie in to her and kissed softly, trying her best not to cry herself. She quietly whispered to Katie, "It's beautiful. I'll never take it off. I promise."

Katie smiled and felt a sense of relief wash over her, as their lips crashed together once more, this time more insatiable than the last. The feeling of Katie's lips against hers drove Jessie to new heights of insanity, simply because she knew that this would be one of their last kisses and she didn't want it to end. Every time Katie pulled away to try to get some air, Jessie wouldn't let her and pulled her in even tighter. This went on for a few minutes. Katie would try to pull away ever so slightly just to catch her breath, and Jessie simply would not allow it. Katie was growing dizzy. It was a mix between lack of oxygen and the euphoria she felt knowing that Jessie needed her so badly. Jessie finally gave Katie what she needed and pulled away, only to move down to Katie's neck and begin kissing it.

"Please don't leave, Katie," Jessie pleaded.

This broke Katie's heart. "I have to. You know I don't want to, but I have to."

"Do you love me?"

"You know I do, Jess. I don't know what I'm going to do without you."

"Then don't go," said Jessie.

"Jessie, please. Let's not do this right now. This is supposed to be a good night. A happy night. Let's just have fun and think about all the bad stuff tomorrow." The music faded out once more and switched to another song. Katie stood up and reached out her hand to Jessie. "Come on. It's prom night. We should have at least one dance."

Jessie took the older girl's hand and Katie led them to the center of the gym. She wrapped her arms around Jessie's waist as Jessie put her hands on Katie's back and pulled her into her. They both swayed to the music as Jessie buried her head in Katie's shoulder once more. It was the safest place in the world for her. The only place she felt like she belonged. They let the music and the words carry them away as Katie memorized the feeling of Jessie's body against hers.

"If I could take you away  
Pretend I was queen  
What would you say  
Would you think I'm unreal  
'Cause everybody's got their way I should feel

Everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love  
But I want, want, want to be your love  
Want to be your love, for real  
Everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love  
But I want, want, want to be your love  
Want to be your love for real  
Want to be your everything

Everything...

Everything's falling, and I am included in that  
Oh, how I try to be just okay  
Yeah, but all I ever really wanted  
Was every little piece of you

And everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love  
But I want, want, want to be your love  
Want to be your love, for real  
Everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love  
But I want, want, want to be your love  
Want to be your love for real

Everything will be alright  
If you just stay the night…"

As they danced, their lips found their way to each other from time to time. Katie refused to let go of Jessie. She was sure, at that very moment, that if Jessie hadn't been right there holding onto her, her legs would have given out and she would fall. As the song ended, the girls went back to the circle and got comfortable on their pillows and blankets. They spent the next hour eating, talking, and joking with each other. It was as if they had completely forgotten about their imminent separation. They loved to make each other laugh and tonight was no different.

Jessie began to caress Katie's hand. "Thank you for this. This night has been incredible."

Katie nodded, looked down and swallowed hard. She knew this was gonna be hard to say to Jessie. "It's been incredible for me, too. Almost perfect, to be honest. Which is why…" Katie grabbed Jessie's hand and held it tight. "I think that maybe we should say our goodbyes tonight."

Jessie was bewildered. "What??? Why? You don't leave until Wednesday."

"I know, but…it's just that this night is so perfect. The next few days are going to be hectic, with finals and packing and basically uprooting my life and that's not how I want to remember you. This is how I want to remember. Like this. Right here in the gym, with you in my arms and…it might just make everything easier. I'm not gonna have a lot of time in the next few days and I don't want you to think I'm pushing you aside or that I don't have time for you."

"But, you mean you don't even want me to come to the airport to see you off?" asked Jessie.

"Honestly, Jess, I think if you did that, I would lose it. I would be a wreck and just lose it completely."

"So this is it? I thought we'd have another four days together."

Katie held on to Jessie tighter. "I really need you to be okay with this, Jessie. If you're not, then okay. We'll see each other, but I need this. For my own sanity. I need to remember you like this."

Jessie knew Katie was serious. And even though she so badly wanted to say 'No, it's not okay. I need to see you,' she nodded her head and gave Katie what she wanted. She understood. She knew how hard this was going to be for both of them. Katie pulled Jessie on top of her and moved her lips slowly up from her neck to her chin and they finally rested on Jessie's mouth. Katie's hands began to move all over Jessie's body and Jessie doesn't seem to mind at all. Every moment now seemed more crucial than the last, therefore every touch, every breath, every kiss grew more and more urgent and needed and passionate. Katie knew where she wanted this to go. Jessie felt the same way. They wanted each other. It wasn't planned, but they both knew at this point, there was no other option. They had to have each other. It was just a natural necessity. Like water or air. It came so naturally to them, yet they knew they would not survive without it. So it happened. They made love for a second time, the candlelight enveloping them. They made love in this gym, at this spot. The spot where they had fallen in love. The spot where fate brought them together. The spot where they knew that in just days, fate would be ripping them apart. But they refused to part from each other this night. They held on for as long as they could. As long as they had each other, nothing could touch them. Nothing could part them. Nothing could distance their hearts, not even 1,500 miles.

To be continued……


	14. Chapter 14

It was Wednesday late afternoon. Jessie was officially out of school for the summer, but definitely not in the mood to celebrate. She was sitting alone at the kitchen table. She didn't know how she ended up there, or why she was still there just staring at the wall an hour later, but at that moment, she just didn't have the strength to get up. It was somewhat light outside, but the curtains were drawn and the lights were off. Jessie was sitting in the dark. It almost hurt to look at anything. Even sitting at the table hurt, remember all the times Katie would stay for dinner. Katie would be leaving in a couple hours. And here Jessie was, alone with her thoughts. Alone with the memory of Katie. This had been the hardest four days of her life. It felt like it had been four months. She wanted desperately to go see Katie. She wanted to call her to wish her luck on her exams. She wanted to just see her face one more time; words didn't even have to be exchanged between them. She just wanted to look at her. She wanted to see those deep eyes staring back at her one last time. But she made a promise to Katie that the night in the gym would be the last time they saw each other. It was a promise she regretted making the moment after it happened. Jessie couldn't fathom what it would be like to be without Katie for so long when she can barely last a few days without her. Jessie continued starting straight ahead, trying her best to push all thoughts of Katie out of her mind; trying her best to not feel anything. She was tired of hurting.

She heard someone walk through the back door and turned to see Judy walk in. Jessie gave her a half smile.

"Hi."

"Hey," said Judy. "Uh…I just came by to borrow a sweater from Lily."

"Oh. Well, she's not here. No one is. They all went out to eat."

Judy came up and sat down at the table with Jessie. "Oh. Well…I can wait."

"Judy, I know why you're here. My dad sent you to check on me, didn't he?" asked Jessie.

"Actually, it was Lily. They didn't want to leave you alone, but you insisted you didn't want to go with them."

"I'm fine," stated Jessie.

"Oh yeah, I know. Apparently you are. Why wouldn't you be? I mean, you're sitting at the table…alone…in the dark, just staring."

Jessie looked over at her. "My thoughts got away from me."

"Thoughts of Katie?" asked Judy.

Jessie looked down, embarrassed. "I don't know."

"You'll see her again. It's only for a few months."

"Yeah, but what if her mom doesn't get better? Then she may never come back."

Judy sighed. She had no idea how to respond to that. She didn't want to lie to Jessie because she honestly didn't know what the outcome would be with Katie's situation. "Your parents are really worried about you, Jessie. They tell me you seem really depressed. You're not eating as much—"

"I'm eating!" insisted Jessie.

"I know. But not as much as you should be. They have no idea what's got you so upset. They know you're losing your best friend, but I don't think they understand why you're so devastated."

Jessie was silent. Judy reached her hand over to touch Jessie's hand. "Jessie, I think you need to tell them. I think it's time."

This was followed by more silence on Jessie's part. But Jessie was considering what Judy had just said. Maybe if she told her parents, they could help her. Maybe they would be okay with Katie staying with them for the rest of the summer. Even though, they weren't keen on the idea when Jessie brought it up earlier. And if they know the truth about them, they might be horrified and end up being happy that Katie is far away from Jessie.

Judy could see the thoughts passing over Jessie's face. "She leaves today, doesn't she?"

Jessie nodded. "Her flight is in two hours."

"Then what are you doing here? Why don't you go see her off?" asked Judy.

"She doesn't want me to."

"Yes she does."

Jessie looked at Judy. "What?"

"Yes she does. If you were leaving someone you deeply care about, wouldn't you want them to come see you off?"

"Of course, but—"

"So go say goodbye to her."

"But I promised her I wouldn't. She said it would be too hard for her," replied Jessie.

"Trust me, Jessie. I'm thinking she's regretting that decision right about now." Judy got up, grabbed her keys, and reached out her hand to Jessie. "Come on. I'll take you to the airport."

Jessie hesitated for a moment, remembering what she had promised Katie, but the thought of seeing Katie one last time made it impossible for her to resist Judy's idea.

After they parked, Jessie ran into the airport terminal with Judy close behind her, trying to catch up. Jessie stopped at the directory to find the gate Katie's flight was taking off from. Gate 27. Jessie looked back at Judy and smiled and they immediately made a beeline for the gate. All Jessie could do was run. She couldn't think of anything else at that moment. She had exactly 45 minutes before Katie's flight took off, which means she had about 20 minutes to find Katie before the plane boarded. Jessie heart was pounding and her stomach was turning with every breath she took. She knew there was a chance Katie would be angry with her, but she didn't care. It would be worth it just to see Katie's face one more time.

Meanwhile, Katie was sitting patiently, waiting for them to announce that her plane was boarding. She was flipping through a People magazine, just as she had done the night she first met Jessie. Only this time, she wasn't so focused on reading it. She was using it as a means to distract herself from thinking of Jessie and how much she was going to miss her. She must have gone through the magazine at least four times and hadn't actually absorbed any of the words on the pages. She simply stared at them until they became one big blur. She wasn't ready for this. She wasn't ready to go to Los Angeles. She wasn't ready to leave Jessie. But there was nothing she could do about it. Her dad was waiting. He would be there at LAX Airport to pick her up after the four-hour flight.

An employee came over the loud speaker. "United Airlines flight 580 will now begin boarding at gate 27. All passengers with business class tickets may begin boarding."

Katie gathered her stuff and stood up. She wasn't flying business class, but she figured she may as well try to beat everyone else to the economy class line.

Jessie's sprint had come to a complete stop as she stood there and watched Katie get up from her seat, pick up her bag and begin to walk over to the line. Jessie could feel her heart racing as she took a deep breath and yelled out, "Katie!!!"

Katie stopped and turned around to see Jessie 20 feet away, smiling, rather unsure and timidly waving at her. Jessie tried to read Katie's face. She thought for sure Katie was upset. That is until Jessie saw a broad smile across Katie's face. Katie immediately got out of the line and ran up to Jessie, dropping her stuff just in time to take the younger girl in her arms as they fell into a deep embrace, which lasted for several minutes. Katie allowed Jessie to cling to her as she nuzzled Jessie's hair, inhaling and indulging her scent. Her hair smelled like apples. Apples and a touch of cinnamon. It was a smell Katie had become addicted to and she was thankful Jessie was willing to share that with her one last time, even though she had asked her not to come.

Katie gently pulled away from their embrace. "How did you get here?"

"Judy."

Katie looked over and saw Judy leaning up against a pillar, trying to give the girls enough privacy, without losing sight of Jessie. Judy waved and Katie waved back as she turned back to Jessie. "I've got about 15 minute before the final boarding call." Then she leaned into whisper, "I need to kiss you."

Jessie picked up the taller girl's bag and pulled her by the hand. "Come on." Katie followed her as Jessie led them into a nearby bathroom. The found an empty stall, went in and locked it. Jessie turned around and before she could even say anything, she was pushed up against the door and greeted by a hungry kiss from Katie's lips. Both girls continued kissing each other as much as they could, pausing only to catch each other's gaze every so often.

Between kisses, Jessie remarked, "You know, this not exactly the most romantic place to do this. But I guess it'll do. I'm sorry. I guess you were right about the gym being the best place to say goodbye, but---"

"Oh no. No, no, no. Jess, I'm so glad you came. You have no idea how hard these past few days have been for me. I was hoping you'd show up here. You know that thing I said about not seeing me off? Yeah, that was a bad idea. It was stupid. So stupid. And I'm glad you called me on my stupidity. It's the only time I'll ever admit I was wrong, so enjoy it."

"So does that mean I can say 'I told you so?'" asked Jessie, playfully.

"Um…if you do, I might have to deprive you of my kisses."

"You're already doing that."

"Oh yeah. There I go being stupid again," replied Katie as she leaned in for another kiss. Jessie's soft lips graciously accepted the kiss as the girls gripped each other tighter.

"I love you, Katie."

"I love you, too."

"So what would you have done if I didn't show up?" asked Jessie.

"I think I would have had them turn the whole damn plane around if I couldn't see you just one more time. I would have faked a seizure or something. But you're here. Thank God. I think you being here just makes this whole thing a little bit easier. I love you so much, Jessie. And I'm gonna miss you more than you'll ever know. I swear I'll write to you every day. I'll call you. I'll text you. I'll email you. I'll send you pigeon couriers if I have to."

"I think you left out sky writing."

"Ooooh, yeah, um….I can't exactly afford sky writing. You're not exactly worth spending my entire savings on. Sorry," said Katie, jokingly.

"Wow. You are such a brat. It's a damn good thing you're so beautiful, otherwise I might have to walk away right now."

Katie brought Jessie in for another hug. "No. I'm not ready for you to leave just yet."

At that moment, another announcement came over the loudspeaker. "Final boarding call for flight 580 nonstop to Los Angeles boarding at gate 27. Final boarding call."

Katie sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. "Shit."

Jessie looked at her girlfriend, her eyes captivating the older girl. "Don't forget me, Katie."

"I won't. I swear. I could never forget you. We're together. Always."

They kissed each other one last time.

Judy watched as they came out of the restroom. Katie gave Jessie one last, lingering hug and then made her way over to the gate. Judy came up to Jessie and put a comforting arm around her as they watched Katie look back one last time and smile. And then, she was gone.

To be continued…..


	15. Chapter 15

"Jessie! Phone!" yelled Zoe as Jessie came flying down the stairs and grabbed the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey there!" replied an excited Katie.

"Katie! Hey!"

"It's so good to hear your voice again. I can't even tell you the comfort it brings me."

Jessie looked over at Zoe, who was reading at the kitchen table. "Yeah…yeah. Me too," whispered Jessie. "So how is everything? How's LA?"

"Same as it was a few days ago. Sunny, hot, and yet completely cold and empty without you."

Jessie smiled to herself at Katie's compliment. "How's everything with your dad?"

"Worse. You know how I told you he forgot to pick me up at the airport and I had to end up taking a cab to his place?" asked Katie.

"Yeah."

"He didn't forget. I found out he was out with some woman. I met her two days ago and she was talking all about their date…which was the same night I flew in. Can you believe that? And of course I didn't have a key, so I had to wait outside his apartment for three hours until he got back."

Jessie was stunned. She couldn't believe Katie could keep such a cheerful disposition after a story like that. "Katie, I….that's horrible. I'm so sorry. What an ass."

"Yeah. Yeah he is. But…it's okay. I've learned to deal with it. I miss you, Jess. I miss you so much. I have to keep myself from just getting up in the middle of the night and hitchhiking all the way to Chicago to see you."

"Katie, if you do that, I may have to kill you for being that stupid. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Hey, I didn't say I'm actually going to do it." There was a long silence. Jessie could hear Katie sighing. She knew Katie wanted to say something else, but Katie kept it to herself. "I guess I should let you go. It's getting late over there, isn't it?"

"Kinda." Jessie began to whisper again. "I want to talk to you more, but Zoe's right here. Call my cell next time, okay?"

Katie laughed. "Okay. Sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"Hey, don't apologize," whispered Jessie. "Love means never having to say you're sorry."

"Okay, Ali McGraw. I knew I never should have introduced you to that damn movie. You quote it more than I do."

"Shut up, preppie."

"Enough now, before I spout off about what a stuck-up Radcliffe bitch you are," protested Katie.

"Okay, okay. I'm done. So, I'll talk to you soon, right?" asked Jessie.

"Of course. I'll text message you tomorrow. And who knows. Maybe I'll find time to actually hand write a letter. Sounds like a lot of work, but hey. It's not like I've got all these plans out here."

"Good night, Katie. I miss you." Jessie figured it wouldn't seem odd to speak at a normal volume now. 'I miss you' seemed like an innocent enough phrase.

"I miss you, too. Good night."

As Jessie hung up the phone, Zoe turned around. "So…that was Katie, right?"

Jessie nodded, only half paying attention to Zoe. Her mind was elsewhere….in LA…with Katie.

"I miss her. She was cool," said Zoe as she turned around and went back to her book.

Jessie smiled. Even over a thousand miles away, Katie Singer managed to capture the hearts of everyone she came into contact with.

After another couple weeks of texting, emailing and phone calls, Jessie began to grow worried. The last few days, Katie had only been sending short text messages and short emails and had not called Jessie once. Whenever Jessie called Katie, it went straight to her voice mail. Jessie was growing more and more apprehensive thinking that maybe Katie had already forgotten about her or worse…had met someone else. The more Jessie thought about it, the more she would make herself sick. If Rick, Lily, or Karen , tried to comfort her, she would try to keep her patience but just ended up yelling at them. They didn't understand. How could they? The love of her life was slipping away from her and there was nothing she could do about it. Jessie felt completely helpless.

It was 2am. Jessie was lying in her bed in the attic wide awake when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in!"

Rick and Lily appeared as Jessie rolled her eyes. "What?"

"It's late, Jess," stated Rick. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I'm trying."

Lily sat on the edge of the bed as Jessie sat up. "Jess, we know you're upset about Katie leaving. But this needs to stop."

"What does?"

Rick chimed in. "This staying up late, not eating, mouthing off to us…it needs to stop."

"But dad---"

"Now. It needs to stop now," continued Rick. "Jessie, we just want you to be happy. We're trying to help you and you're not making it easy when you're biting our heads off just because we're trying to talk to you. Now I don't know where this is coming from. I don't know if it's just because Katie left or if maybe it's just a teenager thing, but you need to cut us some slack."

Lily gave Rick a reassuring look. "Jessie, is there something you're not telling us?"

Jessie lowered her head.

Lily continued. "Because if there is, you can tell us. It's okay."

Jessie continued to look down. "I just…miss Katie. That's all there is to it. She was around. All the time. And now she's not and it's just really hard for me to adjust to that." She hoped that answer would suffice. She just wasn't ready to reveal anything yet.

Rick nodded. "Okay. Well, I know it's hard to lose such a close friend, but that's no reason to give up on everything else in your life."

"I know," replied Jessie. "Look, I think I'm actually getting tired now, so I'm gonna go to bed."

"Okay, well good night, sweetie. And please, come to us if you need to talk about anything at all," said Rick as he helped Lily get up.

"Okay dad. Good night. Good night, Lily. Thanks."

Jessie lay back down. They didn't understand. There was no way they could.

"Jess, come ON. Let's go." Grace was pulling a lagging Jessie by the arm as they walked into Angelo's restaurant. They made their way up to the hostess. "Manning for two."

"Right this way." The hostess guided them to their table as the girls took their seats across from each other.

"You know, you COULD act just a little bit more excited. This is the first time I've been able to drag your ass out of the house in a month!"

"Yeah, I know," responded Jessie as she thumbed through the menu. "But why did you?"

"Because I can't stand seeing you like this anymore. You needed to get out. Be among the living people. It's really not so bad. I promise, as soon as you get back home, your mind can wander back to Katie-land, but for the next couple hours, I request your undivided attention. After all, I AM paying for this. I do expect a little something in return."

Jessie looked up. "Okay. Ew. Could you please never say that to me again, dear step-sister?" She threw her straw wrapper at Grace.

"Ha ha. Okay, sorry. But it's nice to see you got some semblance of your sense of humor back."

"Yeah, well…it comes and goes."

The waitress finally came up to them. She was fairly young, maybe 18 or so, with long, dark brown hair, which was tied up. "Hi. I'm Kristy and I'll be your server. Can I start you off with something to drink?"

"Yeah, I'll have a diet coke," said Grace.

"And for you?" Kristy looked over at Jessie.

"I'll have an iced tea," replied Jessie.

But instead of writing down the drink order, Kristy found herself staring at Jessie, almost a little too long before she realized what she was doing and snapped out of it. "Okay. Sorry. Um…I'll get those out to you right away." The waitress flashed a smile at Jessie as she walked away.

Jessie looked at Grace. "Ooookay."

Grace shrugged. "Maybe she's new. So…how are you holding up? Has Katie called you, yet?"

"Nope. I got a text from her this morning saying she's officially done drinking coffee. She didn't say why. But she did say that she misses my voice."

"Well, that's something," said Grace, reassuringly.

"Then why doesn't she call me?"

"Maybe she can't. I don't know. But I wouldn't worry about it. I mean, you are known to be a little over-sensitive about things at times."

They were interrupted by the waitress once more, who was carrying their drinks on a tray. As she gave the girls their drinks she asked, "So, are you ladies ready to order?"

As Jessie began to order her food, Grace noticed the waitress focusing intently on Jessie, not looking away once, even to write the order down. Even as Grace ordered, she noticed Kristy casually glancing over at Jessie, who was completely oblivious.

"Okay," said Kristy. "I'll get that order in right away." This time, as she walked away, she winked at Jessie. This wink did not go unnoticed by either of the girls.

As soon as the waitress was out of earshot, Grace turned to Jessie. "Oh my God."

"What?"

"Um…she was totally checking you out."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Uh…she was HITTING on you. I know you noticed that," said Grace.

"She was just being friendly. Probably wants a big tip or something."

"Yeah…or maybe she wants to make sweet, sweet love to you," teased Grace.

Jessie was beginning to turn red. "Grace, shut up. Could you be any louder? She probably just recognizes us. Maybe she goes to Upton Sinclair. She seems young enough."

"Jess, she's gotta be at least 18. Come on now. Wow. What is it with you and older women? They just seem to be pulled into you."

By this point, Jessie was beet red. "Grace, would you stop, please?"

"What? It's okay. She's actually kinda cute. Like REALLY cute."

"Well, then YOU go out with her," said Jessie.

"She's not my type. I prefer older, knowledgeable…men. And evidently, I'm not HER type either."

"Okay, she's coming back, so can you please just drop it?"

"Here you are ladies. I told you I'd get the order in fast." She began to put Graces food down as Grace began with the line of questioning.

"So…Kristy. What school do you go to?"

"Oh. I just graduated from Adams High School."

"Oh, so you're…18?"

"Yeah. Just trying to make some money during the summer," replied Kristy as she looked at Jessie. She put Jessie's food down, but was in such a daze, she accidentally knocked over the ice tea. It fell off the table and right onto Jessie's lap. Jessie, who was shocked by how cold it was, jumped up.

"Oh my God. Oh God, I am so sorry," said Kristy. "I'm so sorry. Here, let me help you." She handed Jessie a bunch of napkins and tried to wipe off the table as much as she could.

"It's okay. I'm fine," said Jessie.

"Oh shit. I knew something like this would happen eventually. I'm new here. I was bound to screw up eventually."

"No really it's okay."

Grace tried her best to hide her laughter. She wasn't doing a very good job of it because she got several glares from Jessie.

The rest of the meal was without incident. By the time they paid the check, Jessie's pants were nearly dry. As they were leaving, Kristy ran outside to catch up to Jessie.

"Hey. I just wanted to say once again that I'm so sorry about that. I just…I guess I was flustered. What's your name?"

Jessie had a slightly delayed reaction. "Huh? Oh…uh…Jessie. I'm Jessie." The two girls shook hands.

"Well Jessie, um…I'd like to make it up to you. You know…for spilling your drink on you. Would you be interested in getting some coffee sometime? Like…maybe tonight? Like right now? I just got off work, so---"

"Oh. Um…you know--I can't. I'm sorry. I…I just…I have to get back. We have to get back. But…I don't know, maybe some other time." Jessie mentally kicked herself. Why would she say that? She didn't mean it. She did not want to get coffee with this girl. Definitely not.

Kristy nodded. "Okay. Sure. Yeah, maybe some other time."

The next day, Jessie was overjoyed. The mail had come and she had receive a letter from Katie. Granted, it wasn't a phone call, but it would have to do for now. She ran up to her room and ripped the envelope open.

Dear Jessie,

I'm sorry our phone calls have been so short and infrequent lately. Hopefully the daily emails I send you are sufficing. My dad freaked out about the phone bill and has decided to limit my time, so I want to use it wisely. Don't worry. We'll be able to talk more again soon. I promise. I hate it out here. It's like one long, never-ending nightmare. And holy crap, it's hot out here! My dad told me I had to get a job. Did I tell you that? It's not that I'm complaining about having to work, but the fact is, my dad is never around. Ever. He basically told me I'm on my own and have to earn money if I want to continue staying under his roof. He won't give me money for anything, not even food. But he doesn't mind taking his flavor of the moment out for a fancy dinner every night. It's not like I want his money anyway. I knew it was a mistake to come out here with him. All he cares about is himself.

So I went out job hunting. And as of today, I'm now an employee of Starbucks. Yes. I know. I've sold out. I'm working for 'the man.' A big corporation. You may hang your head in shame now. I already have. But it's money. And if I save up enough, maybe I can afford to come back to visit you soon. (I know, I know: wishful thinking). So I had my first shift today at the Starbucks on Ventura Blvd. and Coldwater Canyon. It's in "the valley." And it sucks. My first shift, and people just expected that I knew what I was doing. The other employees were of no help and the customers were even worse. The people out here are so different. I mean, some of them are nice, but some are just mean and bitter. But I guess it's like that everywhere, huh? But let me tell you, when these people don't get the coffee they want, or if they have to wait a while for it, they get insanely grouchy. I actually had a man throw a cup in my face because there was no cinnamon in his coffee. Okay, okay. Now I'm just venting. I'm sorry. It's been a long day.

Is it me, or do the days seem to just linger? It's been a month since I left Illinois and it literally feels like it's been two years. I miss you so much, Jessie. I know I tell you that all the time, but it's true. I keep thinking I see you everywhere. Some girl will be walking by who's your height with blonde hair and my heart starts to race. Then she'll turn around and it's not you. It's never you. Is that weird that I keep seeing you? It probably is. I suppose I'll end the letter now so I can stop boring you. I know it's not the safest thing in the world to be writing this in case one of your family members intercepts this letter for some reason, but right now, I don't care. I love you. And with each passing day, I love you more and more and I can't wait until the day I can see you again. It can't come soon enough. Please be patient and wait for me. And know that you're always on my mind. I love you, Jessie.

Love,

Katie

Jessie read the letter three more times, just to take in every word that was written. She then folded it up and put it back in the envelope. Katie's words seemed to bring an endless amount of comfort to Jessie. She lay down on her bed and did something she hadn't done in a long, long time. She slept.

To Be Continued…..


	16. Chapter 16

Another month had passed by. Jessie and Katie had been in constant contact with each other as often as they could. Katie tried to use work as a way of keeping herself occupied and trying not to think of Jessie. It never worked, though. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get that girl off her mind. She'd been reprimanded a few times already for having spaced out at work and served the wrong coffee. Jessie tried to occupy her time as well, but nothing seemed to work for her either. She must have seen every movie, read every book, listened to every song. And it all reminded her of how much she missed Katie. She would take a jog every morning and for some reason, her legs always ended up taking her to the last place she'd ever thought she'd go during the summer: her high school. She'd find herself standing, just staring at the gym, trying to remember everything she and Katie had been through there. It almost seemed like a lifetime ago.

After one of her morning jogs, Jessie came into the house and grabbed a bottled water out of the fridge as Grace came in from the living room.

"Still running?"

"Yup," said Jessie, as she drank the water.

"Does it help?"

"Not really. Maybe a little."

Grace took a seat at the counter. "Jess, you need to go out with friends. You need to just do something other than pine for Katie."

"It's not that easy, Grace. Every time I go somewhere, I just think of how much I want her there with me. Whether there's no one around, or a bunch of people around."

"Why don't you hang out with Tad? He's been calling to check up on you," suggested Grace.

"I would. He just reminds me of her too much."

"Well…and don't bite my head off for saying this, but…what about that Kristy girl? She wanted to get coffee with you--"

"Grace!"

"What? It's not like you'd be cheating on Katie. Maybe she just wants to be friends."

"You're the one that told me she was hitting on me," protested Jessie.

"Well, maybe just make it clear that you're only going as friends. You know, I went to that restaurant the other day. I wasn't gonna tell you, but now I think I should. She was there. And she asked about you."

Jessie began to blush. "Really?"

"Yeah. And she gave me her number to give to you." Grace took a piece of paper out of her wallet and gave it to Jessie.

"Are you pimping me out, again, Grace?"

"Haha. Very funny. Look, you know I think you and Katie are perfect together. I'm not saying you should go on a date with this girl. I'm just saying it's someone to hang out with. Someone you can get to know and become friends with. That's it. And if she turns out to be some psycho, you can blame me."

Jessie studied the seven digits written on the piece of paper and immediately felt guilty for even considering calling this girl.

She looked up at Grace. "I'll think about it."

Jessie sat nervously at the table of the coffee shop. She had been there for fifteen minutes and had seriously contemplated leaving at least 5 times. She was going through her sixth contemplation when she saw Kristy walk through the door. Immediately Jessie began to tense up. Even her face wouldn't move, making it impossible to greet Kristy with a smile. The brunette came up to Jessie and tentatively sat down.

"Hey."

Jessie nodded. "Hey."

"So thanks for agreeing to meet with me. I still feel really bad about spilling your drink all over you."

"Oh. No, it's fine." That was all Jessie could think to say. Nothing else seemed to enter her brain at the moment. The two sat there, quietly and uncomfortably. It was a few moments before someone spoke again.

"So," began Kristy. "Um…what kind of drink did you want?"

"Oh, I'm not that thirsty. Actually, I don't know how long I can stay."

"Oh."

They sat there in another unpleasant silence. Jessie couldn't figure out why this was so difficult. It was never like this with Katie. She always had something to say and they would just easily banter with each other. And even when they were silent, it was always completely relaxed. Nothing was ever expected.

"So, you're gonna be a senior next year?" Kristy tried to start up the conversation again.

"Junior."

"Oh…well good luck. Junior year was really tough for me. I almost failed like three of my classes. But thankfully I got through it. Cuz…you know…it's like…important."

'Good lord,' thought Jessie. 'This girl has the personality of a hub cap.'

"Yeah." said Jessie. "So where are you going to college?"

"No clue. Right now I think I'm just gonna go to the community college and see where that takes me."

'Oh great. And she has no ambition,' thought Jessie.

"Do you like to read?" asked Jessie. She was trying to fill the silence.

"Um…not really. I'm not much of a reader. I like magazines and stuff."

Jessie was beginning to realize this was a huge mistake. "Well, what kind of music do you like? Are you into Billie Holiday at all?"

"Who?" asked Kristy as she pulled out her compact to check her makeup.

Jessie just kept trying to fill the void. "So what do you do for fun?" asked Jessie.

"I don't know. Just hang out. Hopefully I'll be able to hang out with you more." Kristy smiled at Jessie.

'Well that was abrupt,' thought Jessie. She looked at Kristy for a moment and suddenly realized she wanted to not be around her at that moment. "So I think I'll have a café mocha."

Kristy smiled. "Okay. I'll be right back."

As soon as Kristy got in the semi-long line, Jessie pulled out her phone to text Katie, but she never got the chance because Katie was already calling her. Jessie was startled and then slightly relieved as she answered the phone.

"Well hello there!" exclaimed Jessie.

"Hey."

Jessie knew something was off. Just from the one syllable Katie spoke, Jessie knew she was about to hear something awful. "Katie, what's wrong."

"Um…God, I miss you so much, Jessie. I know I keep saying that, but it's only because it's true. And I don't know of any other way to say it."

"I know. I miss you too. It sucks. I mean, I try to force myself to stay awake because you're constantly in my dreams. And when I wake up, you're not there and it's torture."

"I've been having dreams about you, too…sometimes nightmares."

"Nightmares?" asked Jessie. She looked up to find Kristy still waiting in line.

"Yeah. Like you've met someone else or something. I had a dream like that last night. It was horrible."

Jessie suddenly felt her face go flush. She knew she had no reason to feel guilty, but somehow she did feel guilty. Maybe it was just from hurting Katie in her dream, but she knew that she should definitely not see Kristy again, even if they were just friends. Hell, she really had no desire to see her again, anyway. "I'm so sorry, Katie. I wish I could have been there. Just so you'd know I'm still with you. But don't worry. You'll be home in a month or so. It'll be fine."

"Actually, that's why I called." Katie tried to steady her voice to keep it from cracking. "My mom's not doing too well. It looks like she won't be out for a while."

"How long is a while?" asked Jessie, not really wanting to know the answer.

"I don't know…a year?" Katie waited patiently on the other end to see what Jessie's reaction would be. She didn't want to tell her. She didn't want to bring her this news, but Jessie had to know.

Jessie couldn't believe what she had just heard. "A year? Are you kidding me?"

"No. I don't know what to do, Jessie. I can't do this. I can't live with my father anymore. He hates me. He resents me. He barely even acknowledges me. I hate my job. I hate it all. I need you, Jess. I need you so badly. I'm in love with you completely. I'm afraid that's all I can do. It's all I know how to do. I can't be out here anymore."

Jessie heard Katie begin to get hysterical. Just the thought of not seeing Jessie again for another year was driving Katie crazy. She didn't want to cry to Jessie over the phone, but she couldn't help it.

"Katie, it'll be all right."

"No. I don't think it will. My dad just threatened to kick me out. We're fighting constantly. It's like I just get in the way of the life he wants to lead. He doesn't want me here. He's made that very clear."

"Katie, I'm so sorry. We'll fix this, okay? I'll find a way to fix it. Just please don't cry. Cuz then I'll start to cry and it'll just be a big mess."

Katie took a deep breath. "Okay. You're right. Shit. I have to get back to work. I'm on my break. I'll talk to you later, okay? I love you."

Before Jessie could respond, Katie hung up. Jessie knew that Katie was definitely not okay. She always waited for Jessie to respond before hanging up. As Kristy came back with the drinks, Jessie looked up at her.

"I have to go," said Jessie, as she started to gather her things.

"But I just got the coffee."

"Yeah, I know. But I have to go. I'm sorry. Thanks for the coffee, but I can't be here. Ever. My girlfriend…she…"

"You have a girlfriend?" asked Kristy.

"Yeah, I do. I have a girlfriend. I have a girlfriend," Jessie repeated those words more for herself than for Kristy. With that, Jessie ran out of the coffee shop and didn't even bother to turn around.

To Be Continued….


	17. Chapter 17

"I ordered a hot decaf caramel macchiato with no whipped cream. This is an iced caramel mocha WITH whipped cream. What are you, an idiot?" screamed a middle aged woman wearing Chanel sunglasses, a cashmere sweater and a diamond on her hand the size of Rhode Island. Katie was the at the brunt of this woman's anger. The woman was screaming at the top of her lungs even though Katie was just facing her from the other side of the counter.

"Ma'am I'm so sorry. I'll fix it right away," said Katie, holding a secret contempt for this woman who was using every opportunity to cut Katie down.

"You damn well better. How hard is it to get an order of coffee right? This must be where all the morons go to work."

Katie took a deep breath. She wanted lunge at the woman but decided to keep her cool. There was a line forming out the door and Katie's manager was eyeing her carefully.

"Katie, take care of it," insisted her manager.

Katie turned to the Chanel lady who was yelling at her. "Ma'am, we're making you another coffee. In the meantime, can I help the next guest in line?"

The woman looked simply appalled. "No you can't help the next guest. I'M not leaving this line until I get the coffee I ordered."

"Ma'am you pick up the coffee over there," informed Katie, as she pointed to the pick-up counter.

"I don't care. I'm not leaving this spot until I get my coffee."

Katie could tell the people in line were getting aggravated. She was too. She dug her hand in her pocket and pulled out her phone in hopes of finding a message from Jessie. She hadn't heard from her since yesterday when they talked on Katie's break. She felt bad for hanging up so abruptly and now she felt as though Jessie had taken it personally. Not hearing from her was the worst feeling in the world. Jessie was so far away and Katie had no idea what she was doing. She felt completely helpless, but couldn't think of anything else. Even while her line was growing longer and longer, she couldn't push Jessie out of her mind. Finally, out of frustration, Katie turned her phone off. She couldn't stand the sound of it NOT ringing. She put her phone back in her pocket and looked up at the lady, who was still preventing others from placing their order.

"So you're on your phone now? Is that how it works? You must be a raging alcoholic. You know, you really should quit drinking," remarked the lady, snidely.

Katie looked at her, stunned. "What?"

"Well, I can only assume you're a drunk since you obviously have no brain cells left. Brain cells are required for thinking," said the Chanel lady.

Katie just stared in disbelief. She didn't know what to do or say. She was on the verge of tears and had to look away from the lady. She glanced over past the line and saw someone standing just outside the door. A young girl, about 15 or 16, with blonde hair and sunglasses, leaning up against a light post. Katie's heart sank. This girl reminded her of Jessie. She knew better than to get her hopes up thinking it was. She'd been disappointed too many times before. But this girl was staring straight at her and Katie found it hard to look away. Her heart began to beat faster and her entire body went frozen as she noticed the girl remove her sunglasses and flash that unbelievable smile at Katie. It was Jessie. There was no doubt in Katie's mind. The California sun was shining down on Jessie's face and Katie had never seen anything more beautiful. The light in Jessie's hair, her smooth skin, her slender frame, her blue eyes. Even though she was far away, Katie was still able to catch a glimpse of Jessie clear blue eyes and everything around her faded away. And Katie did something she hadn't done in a long time. She smiled. A smile that was meant for only Jessie.

"Katie, here's that coffee."

"Well it's about fucking time," yelled the lady.

Katie snapped out of her daze, grabbed the coffee and put it on the counter. She looked up to see Jessie still outside waiting for her. 'Oh to hell with it,' thought Katie. She took off her hat, tore her apron off and threw it on the ground. Then, without wasting a moment, she jumped over the counter, knocking the hot coffee all over the lady. As she landed, she managed to stomp the lady's foot, as well. It was an accident, but Katie thought of it as an added bonus.

"What do you think you're doing!!!!!!!!" screamed the lady, as she was grabbing her foot and trying to wipe the coffee off of her.

Katie didn't stop, didn't answer, didn't even turn around. She made her way through the line of people, ran out the door and straight into Jessie's arms.

"Jessie!!!"

They embraced for what seemed like days, though it was only minutes. Then, without a word, Jessie pulled Katie in for a long, passionate kiss. Katie couldn't remember anything feeling as good as Jessie's lips against hers. There was nothing better than this. This moment. This kiss. This girl. Jessie. Jessie had come for her. Even if she was only here for a day, an hour, 5 minutes. Jessie was here, and this time it wasn't a dream. The two continued kissing as Katie's manager came outside.

"Singer! What the hell are you doing? That lady in there is threatening to sue and you're out here making out with---" He stopped when he realized Katie was kissing another girl. He stared, slightly stunned at the scene. He managed to compose himself. "You need to get back in there."

Katie harbored a serious hatred for her manager simply because he had interrupted such a perfect, tender moment. She gently pulled away from Jessie's lips and turned to her manager.

"No," said Katie.

"No?"

"I quit."

That's all she said. She turned right back and brought her lips to Jessie's once more. She didn't care who saw them. She didn't care about anything but Jessie. When they finally pulled away, Katie looked at Jessie, still holding onto her waist.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to get you," replied Jessie.

"What?"

"I came to bring you home. You're coming home with me. Today."

Katie was shocked. And completely overwhelmed. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"What do you mean? How?" asked Katie.

"Yesterday, when we were talking on the phone, I heard the desperation and sadness in your voice. I knew you weren't happy. I wasn't happy, either. So I'm fixing the situation. You're coming home with me and that's that. I spent pretty much all the money I've ever earned for airfare, but I've got two tickets back to Illinois. One of them is yours." Jessie managed to get that entire speech out and waited with bated breath for Katie's response. Deep down she was scared to death of what Katie would say. She didn't want hear 'But I have a new life here. And I need to stay here for my dad.' Jessie knew she was taking a big chance doing this, but she didn't care. It was worth it just to be in Katie's arms for this short moment. She looked at Katie, shyly.

"So…what do you say?"

Katie smiled. "What are we waiting for? I'll pack my bag and we'll go." She took Jessie by the hand and they headed toward her dad's apartment.

"So how did you know where I worked?" asked Katie as she continued packing her bag.

"You told me the location in your letter." Jessie pulled the letter out of her pocket. "I keep it with me everywhere I go."

Katie smiled and reached into her back pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "Great minds think alike. This is the letter you wrote me after we….well…you know. The one that Tad found. I read it every night before I go to sleep."

The two girls stood there, staring at each other from across the bed. Jessie was leaning against the dresser and Katie was hunched over her bag. Neither of them could tear their eyes off of each other. Jessie stood there, memorizing Katie's face. She didn't think it was possible, but somehow Katie had become even more beautiful than she remembered. She took notice of Katie's hair. A few strands were in her face partially blocking her left eye. But she saw Katie watching her from behind those strands. Her eyes were so magnetic. It was as if those eyes were pulling Jessie in toward her. She could no longer stay propped up against the dresser. She was being pulled by a force she could not control. Jessie didn't remember how she got from point A to point B, but before she knew it, she was up against Katie, pushing her back on the bed, wildly kissing her. Katie was helpless. She had no control over the situation and no control over Jessie. Something had taken over the younger girl and Katie was perfectly fine with that. She just lay there, enjoying sensation of Jessie on top of her, having her way with Katie. Their lips collided excitedly, making up for lost time. The full force of Jessie's kisses were thrilling Katie to no end, stirring up several different feelings inside of her. She tried her best to keep up, but Jessie was way ahead of her. Jessie finally stopped and buried her head in Katie's shoulder, and began weeping. Not loudly, but enough to make Katie know something was wrong.

"Hey," Katie brought Jessie's face up to look her in the eyes. "What's the matter?"

"I don't know. I just missed you. I was beginning to think I'd never be in your arms again."

"Well, you're here."

Jessie nodded.

"You came for me, Jess. I can't believe you did that."

"I love you."

"I know," said Katie. "I know you do. I love you, too. So much."

They lay there, holding onto each other. Katie was stroking Jessie's hair, something she had missed doing in the last few months.

"Jess?"

"Yeah?"

"So what's gonna happen? I mean, my mom's not any better, but I'm not staying out here with my dad. I can't. So….what I'm I gonna do?"

Jessie was silent for a moment. She was afraid of this question because she hadn't thought that far ahead. All she wanted to do was be with Katie, no matter what the consequences were.

"I don't know. But we'll figure it out. I promise," said Jessie.

"Okay. So, do your parents know you're here?"

"Oh. Well, I guess I should warn you that once we get back, you may not be seeing a lot of me for a while."

"Why?"

"Cuz I'm probably gonna be grounded. They have no idea I came California. They have no idea I'm even gone…..well, I'm sure now they know."

"Jess!"

"I had to do this, Katie. It'll be okay."

Katie nodded and leaned her head back on the pillow. They stayed like that for an hour, just talking. Passing the time until their flight. Each girl shared the stories of their summer vacations, both of which were fairly uneventful. Jessie checked her watch.

"We should probably get going. You ready?"

Katie nodded. "Yeah. Absolutely."

She left a note for her father explaining everything, and as they walked out the door, Katie never looked back.

Jessie leaned her head back and looked over at Katie. The two girls gazed at each other adorningly as the plane started moving down the runway. Katie took Jessie's hand in hers and gripped it tight as the plane left the ground and took off into the air. Katie looked down and began to play with the claddaugh ring on Jessie's finger. The one she gave her just before she left.

"You're wearing it," remarked Katie.

"I never take it off."

Katie was still holding Jessie's hand as she got lost in her thoughts for a moment. Then she turned to Jessie. "You better be careful, Jessie."

"Why?"

Katie smiled at her. "I might just ask you to marry me one day."

They just shared a secret smile and a knowing look. The two sat there, indulging in each other's presence, anxiously waiting to get back home.

To Be Continued….


	18. Chapter 18

Jessie traipsed up to the porch of the Manning house holding Katie's hand. They stopped at the front door and looked at each other. Katie gave a reassuring look to the younger girl and let go of her hand. Jessie took a deep breath and opened the door. She was greeted by five pairs of worried eyes. As she walked in, simultaneously Rick, Karen, Lilly, Eli and Grace all stood up.

"Jessie! Thank God you're okay!" exclaimed Karen, as she rushed over to hug her daughter.

"Where the hell were you?" asked Rick, sternly, as he also charged over to hug Jessie.

"Jess, we were all really worried about you. Where did you go?" asked Lilly.

"I'm sorry. I really am, but I'm okay. I promise," said Jessie. She looked over at Eli, who looked thoroughly relieved. His eyes were bloodshot. It looked as though he had been crying, which is something Jessie rarely witnessed. "Eli," she exclaimed as she went to give him a hug. He wrapped his arms tightly around his sister, as she seemed to disappear in his arms. "I'm sorry Eli."

"You scared the hell out of me," he mumbled, trying to control his tears.

As Jessie pulled away, she looked over at Grace, who smiled and nodded. She knew. Jessie didn't tell her where she was going, but she knew, anyway.

"Where's Zoe?" asked Jessie.

"She's at a friend's house. She was really worried about you, but couldn't stand just waiting around," said Grace. "We were all worried."

"Jessie, I'm glad you're okay. I'm so relieved, but you better start talking. Now," insisted Karen.

Jessie looked around at everyone. The eyes of her family staring back at her. This was it. There was no going back. She heard a noise from the kitchen and looked over to see Judy come in through the back door. No one else had noticed. They were more focused on what Jessie had to say. Judy saw what was happening and had a feeling about the confrontation that was about to take place, so she hung back in kitchen, leaning against the counter, still within earshot of everyone. Even still, no one but Jessie had noticed her presence.

"Jessie!" called out Rick, sternly. "Where were you?"

Jessie looked over at her father. She began to shake nervously, but refused to let her nerves get the best of her. There was only one way to do this. No beating around the bush. Just say it.

"I went to LA."

"What?!?" Karen, Rick and Lilly all had the same reaction.

Jessie didn't waver. "I went to LA to go get Katie. To bring her home." Jessie walked back to the door, opened it, took Katie by the hand and brought her in.

"Katie," was all Karen could choke out.

"Hi, Mrs. Sammler."

"Hi. Um…welcome back."

Katie smiled shyly. "Thanks."

Rick looked from Katie to Jessie. "You went all the way to LA to get Katie? Why?"

"Because I missed her."

"Jessie, I understand you missed your friend, but flying to California? Taking her away from her father? ---"

"Her father's an asshole."

"Jessie!" exclaimed Karen.

"It's true. He treats her horribly and she was unhappy. So I went to get her. She belongs here. With me." Jessie gripped Katie's hand even tighter, and pulled her closer.

Karen was beginning to get the big picture, putting two and two together. She inadvertently took a step back, trying to let this revelation sink in. Rick was a little slow on the uptake, as was Lilly.

Rick continued. "Jess, I know she's you're best friend, but---"

"Dad, she's more than that. She's so much more," protested Jessie. Katie could feel Jessie's hand shake uncontrollably. She put her other hand over it to try to calm her down.

"Jess, it's okay. Relax," whispered Katie.

Lilly looked over at Karen and saw the expression on her face. She finally began to realize what was happening. Lilly stepped forward, "Jessie, maybe Katie should wait outside while we---"

"No," said Jessie.

Rick was starting to get frustrated. "Jessie, do you have any idea what we've been through in the last two days? I really think---"

"I love her," said Jessie, firmly and matter-of-factly. She looked over at Katie, who was looking back at her.

Rick stood there with his mouth open, looking back and forth from Katie to Jessie. Silence filled the room. Katie couldn't stand it. "I love her, too."

Everyone's eyes darted from Jessie straight over to Katie and at that moment, Katie had never felt more vulnerable and naked in her life.

Karen finally spoke. "You love her?"

Katie nodded.

"And Jessie?"

Jessie nodded too.

Jessie could see the confused looks on everyone's faces and felt compelled to explain. "I'm in love with Katie. I have been since I met her. The moment I met her, I fell. Hard. And I'm sorry if this comes as a shock to you and I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys sooner, but I didn't know how. But we're together. We have been for a while. And when she left, it broke my heart. And that's why I was acting the way I was. And I'm sorry. But I couldn't take it anymore. And Katie was unhappy and no one deserves to be living in that kind of situation with their father, especially Katie."

Jessie continued to hold Katie's hand and brought her in even closer. They were both nervous, but they didn't care. They were together again and that's all that mattered. If they were scorned, ridiculed, scoffed, neither of them cared. Katie's hand in hers was all Jessie needed.

Judy continued to watch this whole scene play out from the kitchen.

Rick struggled to find something to say. "Jessie, I think we should talk about this."

"That's what we're doing, dad."

"I mean…without…" Rick looked over at Katie.

"No. She's staying," insisted Jessie.

Karen took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. "Jessie, we need to---"

"I'm sorry," Katie interjected.

"What?"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry that we kept this from you and I'm sorry that you had to worry so much about Jessie when she was gone. And I'm sorry that we weren't honest with you about our relationship. But you have to know that your daughter is the most amazing person I've ever met. She completely changed my life. She saved me. She literally takes my breath away every time I see her face or hear her voice. I never thought I could be this happy. I didn't know what it was to be happy. I just thought being a teenager was supposed to suck, so I went along with it. But apparently, with the right person, life can be pretty damn good. And Jessie is that person for me. And I hope you can see past the fact the we're both girls. And I hope that you can see past the fact the Jessie's in love with me and see her for who she is. Someone who is so sweet, sensitive, beautiful, loyal, caring, talented. Someone who cares so deeply for another human being, that she risks everything to be with them. I can only hope that one day I'll be half the person she is. But in the meantime, I'm content just being in love with the person she is. And whether or not you can accept me, or accept us together, I hope you can see what astounding daughter you raised."

Katie had no idea where those words came from. She knew they were all true, but she had no idea she would be able to articulate them so easily. Usually she just blurts out whatever comes to mind and it comes out a huge mess.

Katie couldn't stand the still lingering silence. "I swear, I'll never break her heart."

"You'll never break her heart…" Rick repeated, dumbfounded.

"I would never dream of hurting her," assured Katie. She looked over at Jessie, who had the most genuine smile on her face that she had ever seen. Katie smiled back and then looked over at Karen.

Karen's face was completely unreadable. She slowly made her way toward Katie. As she grew closer, Katie retreated a little, expecting the worst. But she got something completely unexpected. Karen had pulled her in for a hug.

She whispered to Katie, "You're a remarkable girl. You don't need to be sorry." She pulled away from Katie and looked at her. "I didn't see this coming and we're going to have a lot to talk about. It's gonna take some getting used to. But you make Jessie happy and that's all that matters to me, seeing that smile on her face."

Katie smiled back at Karen nervously as Karen looked back at Rick. "Rick?"

No response. He was too busy still looking back and forth between Katie and Jessie.

"Rick," said Lilly.

Still no response from Rick.

Eli nudged his father in the ribs. "Dad!"

"Huh? Oh," Rick finally snapped out of his daze. "Ummm…."

"Dad, do you have something to say to Jess and Katie?" encouraged Eli.

"I…uh…I don't know. Um…." Rick nervously ran his hand through his hair. His focus finally landed on his daughter and the look on her face made him completely melt. "Jess, come here."

Jessie walked over to her father and he wrapped her in a hug and kissed her on the forehead. He couldn't say another word. He didn't need to. Jessie knew he was okay. She knew everything would be okay. Rick looked up at Katie and smiled at her. She smiled back and shyly turned her focus to the floor.

Grace shared a look with Eli. Eli just shrugged. He definitely was not expecting this from Jessie, but he was proud of her. And more than anything, he was relieved that she was okay.

Jessie walked back over to Katie. "So, I know this is a lot to take in, but…Katie can't go back to LA. She just can't. But her mom's still recovering and…she needs a place to stay…"

"Jess--" Katie protested.

"Katie, it's okay," said Jessie.

"We don't have to talk about this now," said Katie.

"Well when should we? When you're sleeping on a park bench tonight?" asked Jessie.

"Park bench? Please, Jess. I'm a classy girl. I prefer the freeway underpass, thanks. It's more roomy," joked Katie.

Lilly chimed in. "Jessie. I'm sorry, but we can't take Katie in. We discussed this before she left."

Jessie turned to Karen. "Mom?"

Rick chimed in, "Jess, your mom is still recovering from the accident. She has enough to worry about. She can't take on another teenager." Rick looked over at Katie and smiled. "No matter how endearing she may be. Plus there's no extra room for her there."

Karen nodded. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but he's right."

Things were looking bleak. Jessie had a feeling her parents would be more accommodating if they hadn't known she and Katie were a couple.

"So…what do we do?" asked Jessie.

"I'll take her."

Everyone turned around to see who's voice that was. They saw Judy walk in from the kitchen. "She can stay with me. That is, until her mom gets better." She looked over at Katie. "Okay with you?"

Katie's mouth was wide open. She was speechless. And completely grateful. "I…uh… yeah. Yeah, if it's okay with you."

Judy smiled. "Sure, I don't mind. You're an okay girl. You'd be fun to have around. I think you'll keep me young."

"Oh…so you're just using me to improve your image?" asked Katie, jokingly.

"Yup. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Nope."

"Okay then."

"Good. It's settled.

"Yeah, so…okay," said Judy.

"Okay. But remember…I'm a teenager and will probably be a pain in your ass at times," warned Katie.

"A pain in my ass? Well, then you're no different from Lilly," retorted Judy.

Lilly rolled her eyes. "Judy, are you sure you want to do this? I mean, it's a big responsibility."

"Yeah. But she still has a year of high school left and it wouldn't be right for her to miss her senior year. Besides, look at that ridiculous smile on Jessie's face. How could I deny her that happiness?"

Jessie instantly blushed. Judy winked at her and Jessie mouthed the words 'thank you.'

"Well," said Lilly. "Okay. Katie, welcome back."

"Thanks, Lilly."

"Judy, why don't you and Lilly take Katie over to your place so she can get settled in. We have to talk to Jessie," suggested Rick.

"Okay. Sure thing. Come on, Katie. Lilly, you're driving," said Judy.

Katie went to leave, but not before Jessie stopped her to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you soon."

Katie smiled and walked out the door with Judy and Lilly. Jessie turned around to face her parents.

"Well, look at the time. I should be…not here," said Eli as he headed out the door. "See ya, Jess. I'm glad you're back."

"Wait up, Eli. I have to…go wherever you're going, too," said Grace.

Once they were gone, Rick and Karen sat Jessie down. Jessie knew it was gonna be a long night, but she didn't care. It was worth it.

Later that night, after Jessie straightened everything out with her parents, Katie had come over to visit Jessie. They were laying side by side on their backs, just looking up at the ceiling. Katie's hand gripped Jessie's.

"Thanks for coming to get me, Jess."

"I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"I know you would. I'd do the same for you."

"You know…school starts Monday," said Jessie.

"Yeah, I know."

"So are we…I mean…should we…." Jessie didn't quite know how to put it.

"Whatever you want, Jessie. I'm happy with whatever you decide to do."

"So if I wanted to kiss you at your locker?"

Katie smiled. "I'd be perfectly okay with that."

"What if I wanted to tell you I love you from across the hall?" asked Jessie.

"The louder the better."

"But what if people hear it?"

"Then they'll be completely jealous that I managed to get the hottest girl in school," said Katie.

"Well that's for damn sure," joked Jessie. "So, it won't exactly be a secret anymore, will it.?"

"I guess not. But I'm not one for keeping secrets…at least not when it comes to you. I want the whole world to know that we're together."

Jessie looked over at Katie. "You know I love you, right?"

"Yes, I know. But I never get tired of hearing it….Oh, and I love you, too."

"So…what if I wanted to kiss you right now?"

"I'd ask you what you're waiting fo--"

Before Katie could finish her sentence, Jessie silenced her with a kiss. Sweet, simple, soft. Very similar to the one they first shared in the gym, with a charge behind it that sent both of them soaring. Jessie gently pulled back and looked up at the ceiling.

"Katie?"

"Yeah?"

"I think it's gonna be a good year."

THE END


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Once and Again