Sparkle
by Kat




Rating: nothing horrible I promise
Disclaimer: I own nothing, blah, blah, blah.
Preview/Author's Note: Jessie's a junior at Sinclair. She's out of the closet, but still searching for that special someone. Then came a more punky, outgoing Katie. Just think Katie from O&A with the attitude of Mischa's "Simone" from Fastlane. You can also assume that everything that happened in the last season of O&A really did happen, for example, the gay/straight alliance is in full effect, Grace & Dimitri had their "thing" or whatever, etc. Just take Katie out of the picture. This is simply a responding to a fan fic request. I hope it works…Oh yeah, if it sucks, I'll just leave it at one chapter.
Author's Note II: The title is based a song of the same name by Rubyhorse, which will be used throughout the chapter(s).



: :I searched my head/For some old spark/Fell around the place, fumbling in the dark: :

The past year had been an emotional roller coaster for fifteen-year-old Jessie. [She's supposed to be a year younger than normal, since she skipped a grade, right? Oh well, just go with it.] After years of personal turmoil, Jessie had finally mustered up the courage to tell her parents & close friends that she was gay. Even though she had never truly enjoyed the passion & heat of a kiss with another girl, she knew what her heart wanted. As hard as it was for her parents to come to terms with their daughter's acclamation, they had accepted her as the same old Jessie they've always loved. All of the fear & anticipation that Jess had felt about coming out seemed almost silly now that she looked back on the years.

Already she could feel the animosity from some of her schoolmates, but she didn't really care. Those with whom she cared about the most, Tad, Russell, & Sarah [since they never had to deal with the issues of Sarah & Katie's past relationship, the two were best friends. I know it's been done before, them being friends, but I just thought it'd be a nice touch.] accepted her with open arms, her world managed to stay stable. Next week would be the school's spring formal. She had planned to go with Russell as friends, since he too was gay [if he wasn't just pretend.] but he had ended up finding a guy that went to another high school to go, since they had became boyfriends, so Jess decided to just stay home. Both Lily & Karen were saddened to see Jess not go, but they couldn't force anything upon her. No one thought Jessie would ever find a girl to be girlfriends with, since every time someone tried to set her up, it had turned out to be a disaster, or no sparks. Then came the new girl…

Katie Singer was the token "new girl" of Sinclair High School. She was transferred against her own free will after her parents had divorced. Mr. Singer decided to settle in the suburbs of Chicago to start over. Katie had been getting into trouble lately & he thought Sinclair High School would be a second chance for his young daughter. Of course, Katie resented him for it. She liked where she was back in L.A. Still, she tried to give a conscious effort to at least find a way to have some fun.

Shy, warm, & considerate of others were three adjectives that didn't describe Katie Singer at all. A little ruthless, wild, & eclectic were more like it. She pulled into the parking lot on a Tuesday morning in a 2002 black mustang GT. Dressed in a less than school appropriate short gray skirt that totally complimented her long legs, a plain white fitted muscle tee that of course complimented her sculpted arms & well, you know what else, & a pair of doc marten black army boots. Black leather wristbands on both arms, followed by multiple multi-colored plastic bracelets, tousled & completely sexy dark, long hair, black painted fingernails & an army green messenger bag completed her look of the day. As she stepped out of her car, she slowly pulled her glasses slightly down & looked up at the school in front of her & mumbled under her breath, "Well, this ought to be fun."

To Katie, Sinclair was just like every picture perfect school you see on T.V. She was going to have fun turning this school upside down with her antics & laid back attitude. As she approached the attendance office to receive her schedule & "welcoming" from the principal, she took note of the stares she got. With complete & total confidence, she strolled into the office, looking for Mr. Maguire. [Ok, that's probably not the actual principal's name, but just go with it.]

"Oh, you must be Katie Singer. Welcome to Sinclair High School, I'll be with you in a moment," Mr. Maguire said without even glancing at Katie, devoured in a pile of papers. Katie waited a moment or two & finally, Maguire emerged his head up from his desk. "From your transcripts I can tell that you're a very intelligent student, all you need is a little guiding along the way." Right away, he had started off on a sour note with Katie. So, she retorted.

"I just prefer doing things my own way. It makes things more interesting that way," Katie remarked not even batting an eye. What did she care what this guy thought of her? She was eighteen & a senior. Three months of this place & she would be back on a plane to Los Angeles, never looking back. Or so she thought.

"Well, I'm sure you'll fit right in here. Here's your schedule Ms. Singer." Mr. Maguire handed over her schedule that consisted of World Literature Advanced Placement, Physics, Painting, Jazz Band, French IV, and Calculus. "From your transcripts & through the grapevine, I've heard very good things about you Ms. Singer." His demeanor was pleasant, but then, came to a screeching halt. "Now," Mr. Maguire began, with a strictness in his voice, "You will behave here, or at least abide by my rules, is that understood?"

"Perfectly," Katie replied with an, oh so pleasant rolling of her eyes.

Then, like that, Mr. Maguire's stance changed back. "Well, that's good to know. Now, until you get the hang of things, you'll be lead around by one of our juniors: Jessie Sammler. She's an exceptionally bright young girl. I believe she'll be the lead in this year's school musical. She's a hard worker & important part of not only this school, but this community as well. Perhaps you could learn a few things from her while you're finishing out the remainder of your high school career." He then looked away from Katie & motioned for someone outside his office to enter. As Katie turned around to see what geek they had found for her to escort her around, Katie's eyes & heart were in for a big shock.

There came in Jessie, perhaps one of the most stunning girls Katie had seen in a long time. With straight blonde hair coming down just above her chest & piercing blue eyes, wearing a simple pair of khakis, a light blue collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up to just below her elbows & an off white pair of high top chucks, Katie was in love. Of course when Jessie first saw Katie, she didn't know what quite to think. Was the look really who this girl was or was it just for attention, leading to something deeper to it all? Jessie wasn't sure. Jessie couldn't help but notice Katie's staring eyes as she entered Principal Maguire's office. She couldn't help the natural reaction of blushing. Inside she secretly hoped that Katie would be the one. The spark was definitely there.

::How you sparkle, how you shine/How you rise above the sky/And you rise, and you rise/Through the crowd/I catch your eye: :

Jessie gained eye contact with the rebel & though their eyes said much more, all that left Jess's mouth was a simple "hi" & Katie answered back, "hi." With wide smiles & new anticipations, they left the office in silence. Katie's heart was racing & she came to the decision that maybe she'd give this place a try & attempt to be a good girl this time around, because something or rather, someone, just might make staying worthwhile…


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