Unsound Devotion

IX

"I look like a clown." Jess whispered while wearing a black tuxedo with a fitted shirt. Kate had sent it to her as a gift before the Prom. And now on Friday night, after an afternoon in the workshop, an evening she was supposed to spend with a book and hot tea next to the heater, she hurriedly dressed to pick up Kate.

"Have fun, kid." James shouted at her without getting up from the couch.

"Thanks...? I suppose."

Kate lived in a nice house in the suburbs, much smaller than Tara and much more modest than Mrs. Trenton. From what Kate knew from stories, her mother ran a flower shop and her father was a lecturer at a public university somewhere nearby.

She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. It was opened by a short brunette whose face looked very much like Kate's. She gave Jess a grim look and the girl thought something was off.

"So it's you, right? Jess Hunter?"

"That's my name, yes." The girl mumbled dumbly. "Is Kate home?"

"Oh yeah, she's been getting ready for five hours. Come on in." She said through clenched teeth and Jess raised her eyebrows as she followed into the small kitchen at the end of the hall. Kate's mother closed the door behind them.

"Look, I don't know what this is about, and I honestly don't care what you're doing with Eva - yes, I know something's up," she explained seeing Jess raise her eyebrows. "They're both talking about you, I mean Kate and Eva... Strangely enough, you're not talking." She sighed as she gave Jess a long look. "Now I know why, I have eyes, you are... amazingly good looking." She finally choked out, and Jess felt herself turn red. "I don't want to get involved, but don't bring my daughter into this."

"But.. Mrs. Backswill.. what exactly am I not to drag her into. I'm sorry, but I don't understand much of this." Jess began rubbing her hands together, feeling her anxiety rising, her breathing quickening.

"Well, what's going on with you and Eva. Kate is still so young, so naive...she likes you so much, so for her sake - let her know you're not interested, okay? I'd rather her be heartbroken right now than when he finds out about you and Eva."

"But... we're just friends, me and Kate..." Jess mumbled as she unbuttoned her shirt, suddenly the kitchen was even smaller than when she entered it.

"Okay, then I have nothing to worry about." The woman finally smiled a little.

But Jess wasn't feeling well.

"Excuse me, I need to get some air." She grunted and hurried out of the house, stopping in the driveway next to her truck. She leaned against it with her hands, feeling the frost on her fingers, felt her lungs sucking in cold air, gasping for breath frantically... how was it going? Breathe, one, two, three...

"Jess, are you okay?" Kate placed a hand on her shoulder, scaring the brunette.

"Yes...give me a moment..." The girl closed her eyes, took a deep breath and turned to Kate.

"Wow." She said looking at the girl. "You look insane." Kate smiled brightly, doing a slight pirouette so that her green dress billowed.

"Can we get in the car? I'm freezing..."

Jess opened the door for her and climbed into the driver's seat herself. It took them ten minutes to get to school. As Jess parked the car, she grabbed Kate's hand gently.

"We're friends, right?" she asked, trying to make sure she wasn't doing anything wrong.

"Of course, nerds stick together." Kate smiled and got off without waiting for Jess.