Amy fastened the new bandage to Kim's shaky arm, "There you go." She patted the girl on the head, "See that did not hurt much now did it?" She confirmed with a warm smile. Kim held her newly bandaged arm close to her chest and slowly nodded in agreement with the nurse. Amy continued to smile, she had been forcing herself to smile the entire time in hopes none of the girl's had noticed her own distress of the situation at hand. That feeling within had grown increasingly more intense and she was becoming even more anxious with every passing minute. She was almost certain that Penny was not the cause of her stress, the girl may be in a coma like state, but that was not usual for the girls of Whispering Hills. It had to be something far worse to set off her nerves on such an edge. She watched carefully as Kima sat beside Penny, a troubled look etched across her face. Amy found it interesting that this reflection was suddenly felt responsible for her actions; maybe her chance encounter with Penny was meant to be. "Amy," Kima suddenly spoke up, everyone could sense the amount of concern was in the redhead's voice, "Is it really... my fault that... that Penny is like this?" She asked softly. Amy approached Kima and set a hand on her head, "No." She replied, glancing down at Penny's motionless figure. She muddled over her thoughts as she tried to figure out a way to comfort the youth when the main entrance way flung open and Head Mistresses burst into the room. Amy noticed immediately Jenn's shaking form in Sophia's arms, "What happened?" She exclaimed uneasily. "Drake happened!" Melissa explained simply as she entered with Natalie at her side, Melissa's face long with distress. "I am glad you are here, Amy." Sophia remarked as she quickly crossed the lobby, taking note of Penny's presence, and laid Jenn down on a couch across from the other girl, setting the shopping bags to the side of the couch. Tanya and Kai sprung from her spots next to the pool table, "Jenn!!" Tanya exclaimed as they both running over to the sofa and looked upon the shaking form of her friend. "Auntie!!" Kai wrapped her arms around Sophia's waists and the woman returned the hug. Tanya dropped to the ground next to Jenn. "Is she alright?" Tanya asked even more apprehensively. Jenn was curled up into a ball and was mumbling incoherently. Her eyes darting around as if she was unaware of her surroundings, Sophia hesitated, a look of uncertainty upon her face that gave Tanya a disquieting feeling. Then The Head Mistress smiled at Tanya, "She should be fine." She finally replied, an answer that did not set well on Tanya's mind. Melissa quickly glanced around the lobby, "Where are Kris and Alyson?" She inquired fearfully. "Alyson ran off to her room." Tanya replied, "Kris and Jessica went back to their room." She explained disapprovingly, nodding towards the stairs. "Could you tell Kris she is needed down here?" Sophia asked Tanya politely, then turned to Natalie, "and Natalie, could you take Melissa and Amy to Alyson's room." Quickly the girls rushed off on their appointed tasks. A heavy air filled the lobby that was broken by Kima voice, "Is everything going to be alright?" She asked the Head Mistress. Sophia let out a worried sigh, "I hope so." She glanced from Jenn to Penny, "I truly hope so." ****** Earlier Kris had led Jessica to their room and locked the door. She stood with her back leaning against the door, her arms crossed and her eyes partially closed as if she was in deep thought. "What did you want to talk about" Jessica finally asked, anxiously shifting from one foot to another. Kris had been giving her odd looks ever since their experience in the lobby and it was worrying Jessica, Kris's current pose was not helping matters. Jessica swallowed hard and took a tentative step closer to her friend, "K... Kris... Are... are you alright?" She nervously inquired. Kris's eyes suddenly fluttered opened and she glared at Jessica. Her eyes held such an intensity to them that is caused Jessica to stumble backwards against Kris's bed and sit down. The two watched each other in silence for a moment when Kris finally stepped away from the door and brushed a hand through her short curls, "Tell me the truth." She softly demanded ruffling her own hair, "What happened down there? Is this all one of your games?" She asked as she slightly nibbled on her lips, her eyes pleaded to Jessica to explain, to free her from the pain in her heart. "I..." Jessica suddenly found it hard to look the girl in the eye and turned her head to stare out the window, "I know what you are thinking and I can't blame you." She admitted ashamed of herself. She knew how the other girls viewed her; to them she was nothing more then a slut. Always preying on the other girls in the dorm, but that was not how it was. She didn't like how she was and could not help herself. She tried to think of how to explain things but every time she opened her mouth not a single word came out. "So... what is it?" Kris insisted with growing agitation, "I need to know. Are you planning to play with my heart and throw it away like all the others you've toyed with?" There was a hint of anger in her voice. Jessica flinched at Kris's words, "I've never meant to hurt anyone. I just...." She tried to explain shaking her head defensively. She faced Kris with sadness in her eyes, "I can't explain it easily, but I never toyed with anyone's hearts and I'm truly not trying to hurt you. I..." Her lips quivered as she hesitated, her mind racing, Kris's anger filled eyes not letting go of her. She needed to say something. She opened her mouth and yet still no words came forth. It was as if a misery Jessica had long forgotten escaped its cage and attacked the girl's heart, taking another breath she tried again, "I..." Her voice closed up and she could feel tears welling up in the corner of her right eye, "I'm sorry." She wiped at the tear. The sight of the distress in Jessica's eyes caused Kris's anger faded and she reached out to gently take Jessica's cheek in her hand, "Jessie..." Kris sat down next to her roommate, her own heart pounding wildly in her chest. Kris was always thinking of Jenn and never noticed the way Jessica looked at her before, a look of longing and caring. She had only became aware it just recently. She was so blinded by the past to even realize that there was someone else who cared for her so dearly. Jessica anxiously looked down at her hands; "I've been watching you for years." Jessica remarked guiltily, "Since the first time I saw you outside of the Head Mistress's house all those years ago." Everything she had ever wanted to tell the girl started to spill forth from her mind and she found herself unable to stop herself from telling Kris everything. She looked into Kris's eyes with newfound determination. "You were watching the other girls in the field. There was such loneliness in your eyes, but I was afraid of talking to you, just like everyone else." If Kris was going to reject her she was going to first let Kris know exactly how she felt. "I would watch you from my dorm window as you sat in the trees watching the other girls, almost as if you didn't want to get to close. Something about that mysterious girl always drew me in. I've always wanted to talk to you, but never got up the nerve." She explained in one breath and she rang her hands together nervously. Kris felt herself sink into the bed. She was stunned to hear what she was being told. She could not think of how to respond to what she was hearing. Seeing that Kris was not going to reply Jessica continued her story, "When I heard you were moving into the Western Dorms my heart danced. It was like a dream come true." Her eyes nervously darted from Kris's eyes to her hands and back, "When Head Mistress Sophia asked me to watch over you it was greater then anything I'd ever dreamed would happen. I could be your friend and at least help you be happy again. At the most I wanted to be just your friend, someone who is there for you no matter what. I wanted to take that sad look from your eyes." She explained sadly, "I admit that I've slept with a lot of girls, but I don't let them touch me." She clenched at her chest as her darkest secrets started to come forth, "I can't explain why. I just feel this need to be in their arms. I can't help myself, but I always felt uncomfortable about their touch. That is until today." Jessica swallowed hard and looked into Kris's eyes, "Until you. I've always felt strongly for you and when I was in your arms I felt safe for the first time. I always wanted to hold you tight in my arms I just never felt right telling you because..." Kris lowered her head, "Because I had Jenn, right?" She inquired solemnly. She could not look at Jessica any longer, she felt ashamed of herself for not noticing Jessica's feelings before. She felt so stupid. She was always talking about Jenn this or Jenn that. Not even considering Jessica's feelings. "I've always known about Jenn." Jessica replied, "Everyone knew. It was rather obvious. The way the two of you would talk together while all the others feared you. I was happy knowing that you were happy, but seeing you lately was tearing me apart. I've been trying to keep myself under control, however I keep longing for a kiss..." Her voice trailed off with the last few words and she dropped her eyes to the ground, "I think I love you..." She muttered softly. Part of her wished that she could take those words back. That she could lock her heart away again and forget about these feelings. She awaited Kris to place her verdict, awaiting the punishment that she deserved for her actions over these years, was even prepared for Kris to demand to be moved to another room, she didn't feel she deserved someone's love and understood if Kris hated her. Kris thought over what Jessica had said very carefully, then placed her hands under the girl's chin and forced Jessica to look her in the eye, inspecting the girl's eyes in search of some hint of a lie, yet all she was greeted by was sadness. Kris pulled the girl into her arms and hugged her tightly, "I'm sorry." She whispered quietly. Jessica began to quiver, "I... I know... you can never love me..." She stammered, "No one could ever love someone as dirty as me." Her heart prepared for this outcome. Kris's eyes became hard, "You are not dirty!" She exclaimed sternly. "You don't have to pretend." She sucked in a trembled breath and let it out, "You have Jenn after all." She sorrowfully admitted. Kris shook her head slowly, then pulled back so she could look Jessica in the eyes once again, "I..." She tried to consider how to word things. She knew deep in her heart that Jenn would not be returning to her. That agony in Jessica's eyes made Kris realize that maybe she didn't need to be alone, "Maybe..." She muttered taking in a deep breath. She nervously ran her hand through her hair and scratched the back of her head, "Maybe... maybe this was the way things were meant too be." She stated with a small smile. Jessica gave the girl a puzzled look, "What are you talking about?" She asked slightly afraid of the answer. "I mean this." Kris leaned forwards and placed a soft kiss upon Jessica's lips. Jessica was surprised as first, then wrapped her arms around the girl and deepened the kiss, letting the warmth wash over her. Nothing felt so right in her life, tears brimmed in her eyes as she felt Kris make no attempt to pull away. The two girls' slowly fell sideways upon the bed and Jessica rolled over, partly atop of Kris. When their lips finally parted Jessica felt herself shiver all over. The two looked into each other eyes and Kris eventually spoke, "I'm sorry I hurt you so mu-" Jessica stopped the girl's words with another kiss; her body filled with heat and her heart was overwhelmed with warmth. She broke free of the kiss and smiled down at the girl, her eyes darting over Kris's body and she reached down to unfasten Kris's pants only to have Kris stop her. "Wait..." Kris commanded causing Jessica to startle. She stared at Kris like a child who had been caught writing on the walls. "But..." Jessica stammered, "I..." There was confusion in her eyes and Jessica seemed to be lost, "I'm sorry... I'm horrible..." She tried to crawl out of the bed only to have Kris grab her by the shoulder. "You are not!" Kris explained, "You are not horrible. You are not dirty. You are none of that." Kris wrapped her arms around Jessica and hugged her tight. For the first time Kris thought she saw why it was that Jessica was at the Academy. All the rumours about the girl seemed to make some kind of sense and Kris felt a desire to learn more about the girl. The two lay holding each other for a moment when there was a knock upon their door, "I'll get it." Jessica stated sniffling as she rolled out of the bed and got to her feet. She dragged her feet as she crossing the room to open the door. Her despair only deepened as she was faced with a rather upset looking Tanya. Tanya glared at Jessica then over the girl's shoulder at Kris and back to the dorm head. There was almost hatred in her eyes. "Uhhh...Hi Tanya..." Jessica nervously stepped back from the girl, "Is there something wrong?" She asked warily, still forcing herself to smile as if nothing was worrying her. Tanya pushed passed Jessica and headed directly towards Kris, "Jenn needs you." She explained coldly. Kris quickly got to her feet, "What happened?" ***** To be Continued . . .
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