When Jessie Met Katie
Disclaimers: These character don't belong to
me, they never will and if they did I would most certainly treat them better than ABC.
Rating: PG-13 I guess because there is a little swearing.
Author's Note: Okay this is my first ever attempt at any sort of
fanfic. And my first ever post. I'm usually pretty shy but I just had to do this.
It's set before Katie is introduced in "The Sex Show" I had a feeling that Katie
must have seen Jessie throughout the play and also when Jessie went out on her first date
with Tad, where Katie and Tad were friends and all. Please don't be too hard on me. There
will more than likely be more to this but I do have a job and very little free time so
bear with me. Oh yeah I just
want to say that I've really enjoyed everybody else's fiction.
You guys rock!
**********
Katie Singer is a fairly popular girl at her high school. She knows a lot of people. 'Know' in the sense that she could remember their names and carry on pleasant, albeit rather meaningless and superficial, conversation with someone. But as many people as she knew, she didn't really know anybody. Who they really were. And it seemed like the closer she got to someone (which wasn't often, as she rarely ever met anyone who peaked her interest that much) the less she wants to know.
For example, her latest project is turning out to be a bitter disappointment. Sarah Grasser was her name, Katie has known her for years. Lately they were spending a lot more time together and Katie was getting to know her. But not really. Sarah appeared to be a whole lot more interested in the status that being "best friends" with one of the most well liked girls grade 11 brought. She agreed with everything Katie had to say even if she had no idea what the other girl was talking about. And she was crazy. Which was sometimes fascinating. But is really starting to piss Katie off.
So here she is anyways, waiting for Sarah and another friend, Tad, to finish auditioning for the school play. Sarah is certain she'll would get the lead but Katie has her doubts. Not that Sarah is particularly bad, there has been better performances. And although Katie is only half paying attention, she bets Grace Manning gets the part.
Katie is sitting pretty far away from the stage mostly because she doesn't want to appear to be in the way and asked by Mr. Dimitri to leave. The next girl is called up- Jessie something or other. The other half of Katie's brain is desperately trying to focus on "Wuthering Heights", a book she was supposed to read like a month ago. She tried but the first chapter is so mind-numbingly boring that Katie is convinced she has ADD and she will be 24 and still only half way through it. She makes a note to rent the movie. Concentrate, Katherine, concentrate. She gets exactly one paragraph read before being distracted by a commotion up in front. The Manning girl and a few others (Sarah included) were arguing with Mr. D. The arguing ceases and Mr. D says something to the blond onstage, who nods in response. Katie loses interest and decides to try for another paragraph.
Her heart nearly stops and her head snaps up when the girl begins to sing. Katie has no idea what the kid is singing but her voice is so beautiful and full of emotion that she is completely captivated. With her full attention on the voice, Katie looks the girl who is belting it out up and down. From where she is sitting she can only make out that the girl is blond, small, and thin. She appears to be shy and a little, if for lack of a better word, fragile which leads Katie to wonder what the hell this girl is doing trying out for the lead in a play in the first place. But she is amazing and Katie is speechless.
Katie's eyes are still focused entirely on what-was-her name Jessie as she ends her song. A tremendous "oh wow" resonates throughout Katie's brain. Until it transforms into an "oh shit" as Katie realized she has fallen madly in love with a GIRL she has never even formally met, on a completely physical (more like vocal) basis. She immediately wants to know everything about her but she is going to have to go about it carefully because there was still like a 95% chance that Jessie would turn out to be like your average teenage bimbo- boys clothes more boys self absorption boys again bla blah blah. And she has gone through enough teenage bimbos she really doesn't want to get a reputation for being a ditcher. It wasn't her fault Candace liked Nsync and Ashley loved to talk all day long about her favorite subject- herself. They had gotten upset when Katie stopped calling them as much. For like a week and then they got over it. She does not want to get too close to anybody anymore, not unless she is certain she won't be disappointed.
Katie is so engrossed in Jessie, who is now off the stage and talking to Mr. Dimitri, that she barely notices Sarah walking up the aisle towards her.
"So how did I do?" Katie is forced back into reality.
"Wonderful. Absolutely brilliant." She stands up, slightly regretting the little lie. "So what was the racket about?" See- meaningless conversation. So easy it sometimes hurts.
"Oh that? Well Mr. D got this bright idea to turn the play into a musical or something so he got Grace Manning's little stepsister-"
"I didn't know Grace had a stepsister."
"Who would care? She was that little blond thing. So she sings and you can totally tell she was in voice lessons since birth because nobody can just sing like that on command. So we made Mr. Dimitri give us some more time to prepare."
"So did you get picked?" Katie's eyes are still on the blond down by the stage.
"We won't find out until tomorrow after school. But I know I got picked. I like totally kicked everybody's ass. I mean you saw how good I looked. I own the stage..." Katie stopped listening as the "little blond thing" walks up the aisle towards them, completely absorbed in the wonders of floor design.
"Hey", Katie kind of yells to her. Jessie looks up as if she's expecting a snide remark (she must have met Sarah, Katie thought). "You have a really beautiful voice."
Jessie looked surprised and smiles. Katie's heart melts. "Thank you." And she travels on her way.
Sarah is not impressed at Katie's interest in Grace's stepsister. "You like totally interrupted me."
Katie sighs." We 'like totally' have to go find Tad now. He said he'd give us a ride home." Katie gives the retreating blond one last look and heads to the stage.
**********
I like boys. I like boys. I like boys. A whole page in Katie's English notebook is currently being dedicated to her affection for the opposite sex. Christ, she thinks, I'm not even buying it. She didn't rent the movie "Gia" like 10 times over the last two months because of a fascination with the dark underbelly of the modeling industry. The only underbelly she had been fascinated with has a name: Angelina Jolie.
Katie sighs. She does like boys. In fact most of the time she preferred hanging out with them as opposed to other girls. Tragically, the 17 year old's interest in them rarely ever strayed past the type of brotherly love she felt for her three older male siblings.
She had only dated one boyfriend throughout her high school career-Tad. They had known each other since kindergarten and he was the only guy she thought could come close to boyfriend material. They went out for three months, and during that whole time she kept trying to convince herself that kissing him would eventually stop feeling so icky. Finally she admitted that the only way they could happily stay together was if she had been born in some backwater town way down in the deep, deep south where she could guiltlessly enjoy the oh-my-god-I-bet-this-is-what-kissing-my--brother-would-be-like feeling. Alas, she was not. The two amicably split up and are now good friends. After that she just kept turning the offers down and guys got used to looking at, but not touching Katie Singer.
Besides, she reasons, just because she isn't even remotely attracted to any grossly immature high school boys doesn't mean a thing. Nor does it mean anything that she had actually really enjoyed making out with Sarah a few months back at a party when Russell, one of Tad's friends, dared them to. They had both been really drunk. It didn't mean a thing (although she is sure that incident has sparked many false rumors regarding the exact nature of Katie and Sarah's relationship).
And it means nothing that Katie has come to Sarah's practices every chance she gets. She even has valid excuses like she "needs Tad to give her a ride home". Or she "wants to see Sarah onstage". But there is only one reason she comes. A beautiful and blond reason. Whom, much to Katie's amusement, had landed an even larger part than Sarah. Not the lead but the next best thing. Of course none of that bothered Sarah in the slightest. Nothing ever seemed to bother Sarah. Because Sarah will always be better than everyone else and Sarah will always be right. And if some people just can't see that then it's their loss. Katie knows for certain one thing Sarah is particularly good at bitching. That girl can bitch and bitch and bitch.
Katie's attention is drawn to the stage immediately as Jessie Sammler makes her entrance and is so engrossed in the younger girl's performance that she doesn't hear Tad approaching her from behind.
"Hey" He exclaims while jumping into the seat next to her, "Whatcha writin'?" He makes a grab for her notebook but Katie punches him in the arm.
"Nothing. Waiting for you to finish. Aren't you supposed to be onstage or did the powers that be come to their senses and tell you to leave?"
Tad feigns looking hurt. It's too bad it didn't work out for them. Tad is quite the looker: tall, dark, and handsome. But kind of clueless.
"Nah. I'm not needed for at least another five minutes. And at the rate everybody is screwing up, I could probably add on another ten. Um, so you know how we're going to that bowling party on Friday.."
"I don't even know if I want to go. I mean bowling? I really suck at bowling." She purposely leaves out that not just her but EVERYBODY sucks at bowling because they usually discontinue the sport when they're eight.
"So I'll bring along something to amuse you. Anyways I was wondering if you think I should bring someone with me."
"No Tad. I forbid it" She rolls her eyes." Tad you don't have to ask my permission. Really. I'm so not your mother it's not funny."
He jabs her in the ribs. "I just want to make sure she feels comfortable. And you have a way of making people feel comfortable. She seems like a shy girl. I don't want her to feel out of place."
Katie gasps sarcastically," Tad, that is so sweet that if I wasn't aware of your overall intentions towards the mystery chick, I'd have thought you'd grown a heart."
"C'mon Katie. This is important." He looks at her with all the seriousness he can muster.
"Okay, okay. I usually am a fairly pleasant individual, if not downright open armed with welcoming love. I promise to preoccupy her if she gets bored while you're out with your goon friends smoking pot. Or what is bound to happen: she'll get bored of you and, feeling the need for some half way intelligent conversation, come running into my arms." She smiles at him mischievously. "Now who is the mystery woman?"
Tad points to the stage, "Jessie Sammler, you know the one playing Phoebe." Katie nearly has a heart attack.
"I didn't know you liked her." Katie decides that she is definitely going bowling on Friday.
"Well I haven't asked her yet."
"Well aren't you Mr. Confident."
"Nobody can resist my charms." He gives her a big charming smile to emphasize his case.
"Well I definitely can. So when you gonna you ask her?"
"Tonight. I'll give her a call." They are both interrupted by Alexa The stage manager, who is frantically calling out for Tad. " Gotta go" Tad trots off towards the stage leaving Katie to her own thoughts.
**********
FRIDAY NIGHT
BERT'S BOWLERAMA
Katie is in the process of purchasing a bag of chips when out of the corner of her eye she spies Grace's stepsister walk nervously into the bowling alley. Tad had to "step outside" for a second with a few of his friends and everybody else is occupying the two farthest lanes. She almost forgets to pay the man at the counter in her mad dash to rescue Jessie from the intimidation she might feel under the scrutiny of the rest of her friends. She stops in her tracks as an almost unrecognizable wave of self consciousness overcomes her. It has been a really long time since Katie gave a fuck about what anybody thought of her and now, here she stands, paralyzed , trying to think of how she should introduce herself to the younger girl.
Unfortunately, that is enough time for Tad to come bouncing in, goons right behind him, laughing stupidly. Tad notices his date and greets her warmly, ushering her towards the rest of their group. Katie decides the best place for her, at least for the moment is right here, next to the coke machine. This is, after all, Tad's date, not hers. Plus, she really can't think of anything to say. She sees Sarah walking towards her. Great. Get a grip, Katie, get a huge freakin grip.
"Hey, what are you doing all the way over here?"
"Um, I'm kinda feeling sick. I think I might just go home." She bullshits.
"Katie, you look-dare I say it? Katie Singer looks scared" And Sarah looks a lot more amused at the fact then concerned. Sadistic bitch, Katie thinks." Katoushca wha.."
Katie cuts her off, "Look Katie this is not a good time to be showing off, yet again, the only word you know in Russian. Hell, it's not even a word. It's just my freakin name!" Sarah's face falls, "Look, I'm really not feeling well. I'm just going to go home."
Sarah is not
impressed. "Okay but you're still going to
come over
to help me with my lines right?"
Katie sighs. "Give me a call tomorrow. Okay?" Sarah nods "Say good bye to Tad for me." She turns and can't get out the door fast enough.
1.5 HOURS LATER
BERT'S BOWLERAMA
After a much needed thinking walk Katie heads back to her car in the bowling alley parking lot. Walking is one of Katie's favorite things to do in the world. She had gotten many things sorted out. The main problem being her attraction towards Jessie. There is nothing that can be done about it. She is going to do everything in her power to befriend this girl.
She scans the parking lot, making sure none of her friends are around. All clear...except for Jessie Sammler herself sitting on the steps to the building, playing with something in her hands. Oh great, Katie thinks, what has Tad done? She gathers up all her courage and goes over to the girl. Jessie looks up questioningly.
" Aren't you here with Tad? What are you doing out here?"
"Who are you?" Good question, no hostility, only mild curiosity.
"If I tell you I'm one of Tad's closest friends will you think any less of me?" Jessie cracks a smile at that. Her face lights up so much that Katie is certain her goal in life from now on is to create that specific reaction as much as possible.
"I, um, just needed to take a break..." She looks behind her towards the bowling alley,"...from that."
Katie smiles, "Yeah, that can be exhausting. Trust me, I know."
Jessie looks back down at the object she is fiddling with in her hands.
"What's that" Katie ventures.
Jessie looks at it and smiles. She shows Katie one of those horrid glittery necklaces that everybody has got. Katie is not hiding her disgust very well. Jessie laughs.
"Sorry" Katie explains," It's just not-"
"You don't have to apologize," Jessie interrupts." It's not the sort of thing I'd wear either. My dad gave it to me on the drive here. It was really , I don't know, touching I guess. He tries so hard sometimes..." She stops herself when she realizes she is rambling on to some strange girl. "Anyways," She stands up.
"Anyways," Katie says softly, unable to take her eyes off the other girl.
"I gotta go back in. Tad might think there's something wrong." It seems like Jessie is having trouble taking her eyes off of Katie as well.
"Get a strike for me." Katie watches as Jessie heads back in the door. Then she remembers something. "Hey Jessie," Jessie turns around, "I was never here, okay?" Jessie nods, smiling some more before going back inside.
And it's not until Katie gets in her car and pulls out of the parking lot that she is able to breath properly again.