The next morning
Lee stormed through the school on a rampage he stopped outside the science block when he found who he was looking for.
“You touch her again and I will not be responsible for my actions!” Carmen snapped as she held Lindsay against the wall with her throat “Get all your silly little friends to back off her and don’t ever think you and me have a chance you disgust me!” Carmen let her go and then walked off
Lee smiled and then took off towards Bette’s classroom.
“Here’s the deal I’m betraying her trust her so please don’t let on you know, Lindsay did that to her lip and she also broke her Ipod, however Carmen just kind of pinned her against the wall tell her never to touch Jess again so I think we might be okay on that front, what I don’t get it why Jess didn’t lamp her one, jess could handle all three of them with her eyes close, yet she just stood there and took it all”
“Did you see it?” Bette asked
“Yes I did, they only stopped because I showed up” Lee stated “I’m not being funny Mrs Porter but how long do you expect us to keep our mouth shut”
“I don’t expect you to keep your mouth shut anymore, if you want to say something say it” Bette smiled “And I appreciate all you’re doing for her Lee, You, Jace and Mark have been great”
“She’s my friend and she doesn’t deserve all this, she followed her dream” Lee said “Anyway the bell is about to go and I have Calculus so yes”
Jess walked into English with Amy and Lisa she took her seat, Carmen looked at her, Jess chose not to acknowledge her.
Miss Welsh handed back the assessments.
Jess looked at hers A+ she looked over at Lisa’s B+ she smiled at her sister.
The bell for lunch went.
“Oh my god I am so hungry” Lisa said
”Jess can we talk?” Carmen asked
“Is she going to get a shit load more abuse?” Lisa asked taking her sisters hand “Because if that’s the case she’ll pass”
“No she’s not, I promise” Carmen said
Lisa let go of Jess’s hand “Text me when you’re done and I’ll come find you”

Jess and Carmen walked to the dance studio where they could talk without any interruptions or other people’s inputs. Carmen locked the door and then joined Jess who made herself comfy sitting against the wall at the window.
“Ok first off I owe you an apology I shouldn’t have let Lindsay get up in your face” Carmen said looking at Jess “And If I’d have known she was going to lay a finger on you I would have stopped her”
“I’d have stopped her myself if I wanted to” Jess said
“Look I’m not good at telling people how I feel”
“Could have fooled me, that song was pretty clear” Jess stated
“Jess I’m trying to be honest with you here, you leaving did hurt me, I was just getting my head around sleeping together, being in love for the first time and then you hit me with “Carmen we need to break up” Confused was an understatement” Carmen explained
“I didn’t want to break up with you, I didn’t have a choice I was making a decision that effected 5 people. Me, you and my band, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity are you telling me you wouldn’t have done the same thing?”
“Jess no I wouldn’t have, I’d have spoken to you about it” Carmen stated “your exact words were We Need to break up, I’m sorry, I’m going on tour we’ll talk in 5 weeks.That was all I got and then you disappeared”
“I was struggling with the idea of hurting you, I didn’t know what to bloody say to you” Jess said “And to top it off I ended up hurting myself more than I even thought possible”
“Well now were both hurting a lot, and it’s affecting a lot of people”
“I was your biggest mistake apparently” Jess snapped
“Jess I was angry and I wanted to hurt you”
“Well congratulation’s Carmen you did that” Jess said “If your regret us that’s fine, if you regret sleeping with me that’s also fine but for god sake for the both of us stop making me pay for doing something I love because I honestly can’t take anymore”
Jess had tears streaming down her face
Carmen took Jess’s hand.
”Look at me” Carmen said
Jess did
“I don’t regret you not for a second; I also don’t regret sleeping with you infact I get butterfly’s when I think about that, Jess I love you, that’s what sucks about this whole thing I can’t change it, I gave you the one thing I can’t take back and that’s what annoyed me the most you left a week after it, with no explanation no anything that really hurt me”
“Did you sleep with Lindsay?” Jess asked
“No I did not give me some credit please” Carmen said
“The thought of that has been driving me absolutely insane” Jess admitted
“Jess I’ve slept with you end of list, Lindsay is just trying to get you into trouble because she knows you’re a loose cannon”
“Well that failed on her didn’t it” Jess snapped “Carmen I’m done apologising, ok I could have explained things better, but how do you explain to the person you get excited about when you see her or who does un explainable things to your insides when she kisses you, just the thought of knowing she’s yours makes you so happy, the girl I’ve had a major crush on since I was 14 might I add, How do you explain that I need to deny I’m in a relationship with her and that I won’t see her for 5 weeks, 3 weeks after I told her I loved her and 1 week after we slept together?!”
“8 weeks!”
“I extended it because I was that paranoid and stressed about coming home and facing you, I spent 8 weeks on a tour missing you and hoping you would send me just one nice message instead of all the lovely ones you did send. Your all I fucking spoke about, I’ve been home one week and I’ve been pulled and bitched at from every possible angle and now I just can’t take it anymore”
Jess got up lifting her bag and leaving the drama studio. She walked to Bette’s classroom knocking on the door when she seen Bette was speaking to another student.
“Jess I’ll be 2 seconds”
Jess walked up to the back of the classroom sitting down.
The other student left and Bette walked up to her daughter.
“Mama can I go home please?” Jess asked “I have a study afternoon and I really don’t want to study in here”
“I’m off this afternoon too so why don’t we do something”
“I’d like that a lot” Jess said
“Would you like a cuddle Jess?” Bette smiled
Jess stood up smiling “Yes”
Bette wrapped her arms around her daughter. She could read Jess a whole lot better than Lisa as could Tina, Jess’s face told them all they needed to know.