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Mrs. Hanson walked quietly into Jessica’s room. She switched off the stereo which had been on ‘repeat’ and playing the same song over and over. It was 8:00 am. She had decided, after a long talk with Chris’s mother, to let Jessica skip school. Just one day. It wouldn’t hurt. Knowing Jessie, she would probably do the work anyway. She had talked with Chris’s mother earlier that morning. They had agreed that both had been quite upset upon arriving home the evening before. Mrs. Andrews was keeping Chris home from school also.
Mrs. Hanson
gently lifted a notebook from Jessica’s hand. She looked at it curiously, she
didn’t recognize it. She opened it to the first page, interested.
The Private
Journal of Jessica G. Hanson
Mrs. Hanson held it in her hands, resisting the urge to turn the page. She set the notebook gently on the bed beside Jessica and pulled the covers over her. Just before slipping out of the room, she turned off the alarm due to go off in 2 minutes.
« « «
Six hours later
Jessica woke with a start. She looked around. Then she remembered. She had fallen asleep. She looked at the clock. Her alarm hadn’t gone off. It was 2:00! Her mother must’ve turned it off. She really hated that. She was fine. She wanted to wake up and do work. It made her feel good. She threw on some clothes and brushed her hair and ran downstairs. She found her mother in the living room, helping Avery with her work.
“Hello Jessica,” Mrs. Hanson said pleasantly.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Jessica demanded.
“You were tired. You need a break.”
“No I don’t! I’m fine!” Jessie sighed and walked off.
« « «
Ring! Ring! Avery rushed for the phone.
“Hello?” she asked breathlessly. Her latest obsession was answering the phone.
“Avery?” Chris asked. “Is Jess there?”
“Yeah. But I don’t think she’ll talk to you. She’s really mad.”
“Well…well…ask her anyway.”
“Okay, but I think you’re making a big mistake.” Avery hopped down from the counter she had climbed on to answer the phone and into the living room.
“Jessie?” she asked meekly.
“What?” Jessica sighed, setting the remote down and turning around.
“Um…there’s um…. someone on the phone for you,” Avery said timidly.
“Who is it?”
“Um…Chris.” Jessica scoffed.
“Tell him to f-,”
“Don’t you even say that word,” Mrs. Hanson warned, coming in the room. Jessica made a face and mocked her mother.
“Tell him to go away,” she said.
“Okay.” Avery snickered to herself as she walked away. She had been right.
“She won’t talk to you. She said to go away.” She heard a sigh on the other end. She frowned. She liked Chris. He was always nice to her. She wanted to know why Jessie was being so mean to him. He was kinda cute too…
“I gotta go,” Chris said, bringing Avery out of her reverie.
“Oh okay.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
Click.
About ten minutes later, the phone rang again. Avery picked it up.
“Hello?”
“Is Jessica there?”
“Sure.”
“Jessie!” Avery covered the mouthpiece and yelled. The voice sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it.
“What?”
“Phone!”
“Is it Chris?”
“No!” Jessica appeared in the door within seconds. She knew just who it was. She jerked the phone out of Avery’s hand. Avery didn’t listen to the short phone conversation, she was too busy trying to figure out where she had heard that voice. By the time Jessica hung up, she had an idea.
“Jessica?” she asked timidly. Jessica turned around.
“Oh, Avie. I didn’t know you were still here.”
“Jessie, who was on the phone?”
“Oh, just a friend.” Avery lowered her voice.
“It was Zac, wasn’t it?”