Jessica’s Journey

 Sequel to Andrews Dilemma

 By, Cain129

Part 11

Special Thanks to Wren Phoenix for the editing.

Synopsis:   Jessica finally returns to school, and has to decide whether she should reveal her emotional issues. Kelly and John begin their undercover operation against Rocco.

Chapter 33

 

It was around 7:30 in the morning when my alarm went off. I slowly pulled myself into a sitting position,   reached over and turned off the alarm. “God, I am so tired,” I said to myself, and tried to pull myself together.   The dreams had returned. I had hoped that they were finally over, but I’d spent most of the night tossing and turning. I didn’t feel like I’d slept at all.

It was funny; I slept like a baby all weekend. I knew the missing component was Scotty.   Being in his arms made me feel safe, but he wasn’t here right now.

There had to be something I could do about it, besides seeing a counsellor and attending meetings, I thought to myself as I climbed out of bed.   I went to the bathroom and started running a bath.  

I looked into the mirror, at least the swelling was gone and I looked normal again.   I touched the area where all the swelling had been and it was still tender.   I started thinking about that horrible day and felt the anger that I had been buried inside me. I wanted to make him pay for what he had done, but that was impossible now. He was gone and I was still here. I was the one who would have to deal with the aftermath.

 

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After the bathtub was full, I climbed inside. The water was a little on the hot side, but not enough to stop me. I leaned back, submerged my head under the water and just lay there like that for a while. The water felt good against my skin. I thought about heading back to school. I knew there would be questions, high school was the kind of place where rumors started and were spread around quick.

The only good thing was that it doesn’t take long before someone else does something stupid and a new rumor gets started and what happened to me is forgotten. Thinking about school also started making me think about my assignment for my life skills class. As If I don’t have enough to worry about already.  

Daddy said he would talk to my teacher, I just hoped that he work everything out. If not then I have 2 choices read it aloud or get an incomplete. Neither choice seemed very good I thought to myself and I slowly emerged from under the water.  

 

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After my bath, I finished getting ready for school. I was running a little late by the time I finally finished my makeup and hair.   By the time I made it downstairs it was almost time to go, so I made my way into the kitchen. Mom and Megan had already finished their breakfast and Megan was just about ready to leave. I grabbed a couple of croissants off of the plate, that would have to do for now.

“Are you all right Jessica?” Mom asked looking concerned

“Yeah I’m just stressed, I barely slept last night. I really need an appointment with my shrink, Mommy. Can you call and arrange an appointment?”

  “Why don’t you have something to eat Jessica? I’ll drop you girls off at school afterward’s.” She said, looking concerned.

“It’s alright Mom, to be honest I’m not really that hungry. I’ll just grab a bite at school later.”

“Are you sure Jessica? I really don’t mind.” Mom said, frowning.

“Yeah I’m sure, to be honest I don’t think I can eat that much anyway. I’m kind of nervous about school today but a drive would be nice.”

“What are you nervous about Jessica? One day’s no different than the rest.” Megan said frowning

“It’s not so much School that is bothering me, its Life Skills, our essays are due today.” I said hoping that Megan would understand.

“Damn Jessica, I never really thought, what are you going to do?” She asked.

“Honestly I don’t know Megan; it all depends on Mr. Dempsey, Daddy said he would call and talk to him but I guess that I will find out how it went soon enough.”

  “You know Jessica it might be a good idea if you read it,” Megan suggested. “It might help someone.”

“I don’t know Megan, it is hard enough already, just trying to deal with everything that happened.”

“It’s up to you Sis, whatever you decide.” Megan said frowning

“Well girls, we better get going or you’re going to be late.” Mom said and smiled

 

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We arrived at school 10 minutes late. Megan and I hurried to homeroom. It felt like ages since I was last in school, but it really hadn’t been that long though. I looked around, nothing had really   changed, other than the signs up for homecoming king and queen.

In the past I wouldn’t have even noticed, I really wasn’t that high on the social order a year ago back then I was a social outcast and pretty much invisible to everyone with the exception of a few bullies who took offense to my continued existence.

To be honest though there were times that I missed the seclusion. At least I knew where I stood with people, being popular it’s hard to tell who your real friends are.

 

Chapter 34

 

It was around 9am when Kelly arrived at the safe house that her father had setup for her and John to work out of. Inside was everything that the two of them would need, though the house was really run down and located in one of the worst areas of town. Mason had chosen it for just this reason. John was to play an abusive, out of work alcoholic father, so it made sense that their living conditions were extremely poor.

At the moment Kelly had the place to herself, the first place she checked was the bedroom of the one bedroom apartment. Inside were a single bed and a dresser. Kelly opened one of the dresser drawers and found that a supply of clothing was ready for use; then she checked the closet, there were more clothing inside.

Most of the stuff looked like it had been bought at the Salvation Army, or some other place that dealt in used clothing, Kelly thought to herself. Her father had really been busy.

Kelly decided that she should get into character and closed the door. She changed into something more appropriate and a few minutes later came out dressed in her new clothing. She now looked more like a teenage girl then a grown woman.

 

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She then went over to the computer that Mason had left for their use and logged in. Once she was online, she pulled up the OPP website and started pulling up information about Rocco and his organization. There was a long list of people that had worked for the organization, but beside a good percentage was the words deceased.

The biggest problem was determining which names were actually members of Rocco new regime, and which ones were being targeted.   There were too many names on the list, and the only ones that definitely weren’t part of Rocco’s regime were dead.

Then there was another problem. Since Rocco had taken over, not one of the names on the list had been arrested for anything. Which leaves one question, how does a crime family like Rocco’s not have any of its members being arrested?   Before Rocco took over, there were plenty of arrests, mostly for relatively minor crimes like selling drugs or prostitution.

Kelly thought to herself, “What’s Rocco up to?”

A half hour passed as Kelly settled into what would be her new home, at least for the time being. She was about to put on a pot of coffee, when she heard the door to the apartment opening. She reached into her purse to retrieve her weapon. The area she was living in was known to be a high crime zone, so she was a little on guard. As the door opened, she saw that it was John, but he wasn’t the man that she’d met the other day with her father.

This man looked like he hadn’t shaved in days, which really made her wonder if it was real or fake. His clothes were dirty, and had what looked like cigarettes burns all over. The smell that came off of him made her think that they had been washed in a case of beer. Something told Kelly that he took his job way to seriously.

“Good morning,” he said with a smile and closed the door behind him.

“It wouldn’t have been if I hadn’t recognized you, John.” Kelly said putting her gun away. “Dammit John, you really stink! Aren’t you taking things a little too far?” Kelly asked as she went over and opened a window.

“Not really Kelly the key to uncover work is believability. If I go out looking and smelling like this, people will believe what they see. It will also make them less suspicious of you.” John said grinning.

“So when do we make our move?” Kelly asked John.

“First we need to establish your cover, Kelly.”

“And how are we supposed to do that?”

“First we need to be seen together, and I need to put on a show for Adrian.”

John looked at his watch. “If your father’s information is correct Adrian should be at The Coffee house. If we leave now, there’s a good chance that we can catch him,” John said, and handed Kelly the car keys.

“You want me to drive, John?” Kelly asked, frowning.

“Yeah, if we get pulled over, they’re going to hit me with a sobriety test, though it might be fun, seeing the look on their faces when the breathalyzer shows as normal.” John said laughing.

”I would love to see that, but you’re right, the last thing we need is to be delayed, no matter how funny it would be.” Kelly said, giggling.

 

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The morning seemed to be going by at a snail’s pace, I was hoping that I could’ve seen Scotty before class, but I was running late. My first class was American history, which really didn’t make much sense at all considering I’m Canadian and can’t really see myself needing to know that James Madison was the 4^th President of the United States, but that’s what you get when your school buys their books wholesale from a company in the United States.

Math class turned out to be a little more exciting. Scotty was there, and it brought back wonderful memories of our weekend away. Unfortunately, I didn’t hear a word that the teacher said for most of the class. I guess things could have been worse, the teacher could have called me up to do a math equation.

I did have a chance to catch up with a few of my friends in-between classes. Most had heard what had happened at my dad’s funeral. They were concerned with how I was doing, but didn’t really push very hard for answers. I was grateful; I really didn’t want to go there, at least not at the moment anyway.

My next class at least was something that I enjoyed. Even as a boy it was one of my favorite subjects. Our Science teacher, Mr. Adams, always seemed to find a way to make it fun, and he seemed to take an interest in every one of his students. This was the first time that I had seen him since my return. It had been a couple of weeks since my last class with him, and as I entered the class room he came over.

“Hey kiddo, how are you doing?” He asked with a smile.

“I’m doing better, it’s just nice to be back.”

“It nice to have you back Jessica. See me after class, and I’ll give you a few assignments so you can make up the time you missed.”

“Alright Mr. Adams,” I said, then took my seat.

 

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A few minutes later Britney and Natasha came into the class room and before I knew what was happening, the two of them came running over to me. “Jessica you’re back!” Both of them squealed and started hugging me.

I had to admit that I had missed both of them equally, as I found myself returning their hugs. “God, it’s nice to see both of you,” I said with a big smile.

“How are you doing, you look great.” Natasha said, excitedly.

“Yeah, you do, I thought you would still be all beat up,” Britney said with a smile.

“I’m doing well and I guess I’m a fast healer. So how have you guys been?”

“We’re doing good! Have you noticed that both of us have been nominated for homecoming queen?” Natasha said with a smile

“Sorry, I haven’t really had a chance to catch up on all the news yet. This does present a problem, which one of my friends do I vote for?” I said, frowning. “Mmm…I guess I won’t be voting for either of you.”

“It’s alright, we’re both big girls, we can handle it.” Natasha said then winked.

I started giggling, “Nice try Natasha.”

Our conversation was cut short, as Mr. Adam started handing out assignments.

 

Chapter 35

 

After Kelly and John arrived at The Coffee House, they made their way inside, well at least Kelly did, John on the other hand was busy staggering around and tripping over his own feet. We barely made it inside the door before he fell over and hit the floor.

“Daddy, are you alright?” I said, starting to feel embarrassed from the looks that people were giving us.

“Yes, now stop standing there looking stupid, and help me up.” He said sounding really bitter.

Kelly reached down and tried to help him up, but he barely moved. It was like dead weight.

“Dammit girl, can’t you do anything right?” He said, angrily.

“Sorry Daddy, I’m trying.” Kelly sadly said.

“You’re fucking useless Tessa, I shouldn’t have to put up with your shit! Now get me a fucking coffee.” He said, loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Yes daddy,” I said and started to walking towards the counter, just as the manager arrived.

“I am afraid I have to ask you to leave.” The manager said to my father.

“I’ll leave once I’ve got my coffee.” John said, sounding angry.

“No, you’ll leave now, before I call the police.” The manager said firmly.

“By the time the police get here, you’ll need an ambulance.” John said in anger.

“Daddy please, it’s not worth spending another day in jail. I’ll get your coffee, just wait outside.”

‘God damn, freaking-” John mumbled as he turn around and staggered out the door.

The manager turned to me. “Is your father always like that?”

“No, this is one of his good days. Most of the time I have to bail him out.” I admitted sadly.

“I feel for you,” the manager said. He turned to the lady behind the counter. “It’s on the house,” he told her, than went back to his office.

After the lady handed me the coffee, I made my way out of the coffee shop. I noticed that in the corner of the shop,   Adrian was sitting with a woman that looked to be in her 40’s. As I left, our eyes locked on one another for just a few seconds and I am sure that he could see the sadness that I was portraying within my teary eyes.

  As the two of us walked off John was cursing and swearing, until the two of us drove off and I thought to myself, what have I gotten myself into?

 

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Meanwhile downtown at city hall, Robert Zemeckis is holding a press conference announcing that he will be running for the Mayor.

“Hello everyone, my name is Robert Zemeckis, and I am announcing my intent to run for Mayor. My record speaks for itself I have been working for the last 15 years on behalf of the people who elected me and feel that I can better serve them as the new mayor.”

“My name is Steve Palmer with the Ottawa Sun,” a reporter called out. “We recieved a package from an unknown source that states that you were receiving bribes from Vincent Campanelli. Within the package was a video tape that will be released later today. On the tape is evidence that show shows you having sex with minors. Do you have any comment Mr. Zemeckis?”

Robert Zemeckis turned white. He started sweating so badly that it was running down his face and starting to soak his collar. He realized that his life was over, and he would serve multiple sentences.   It was at that moment that there were loud gunshots that seemed to come from multiple locations, and a bullet hit Robert Zemeckis in the head, killing him instantly.

The gunshots caused everyone to run for cover but there was only one target, and the shooter was already making a run for it.

A few minutes later, as Rocco is sitting in his office, his phone went off. He looked at the number, then answered it. “Tell me you have good news.” Rocco said.

 “It’s taken care of, nothing will lead them back to us.” Adrian said.

“Are we ready to go after Josh Richards?” Rocco asked.

“Everything is in place, all I have to do is give the signal.”

“Good, don’t make a move until you have Richards in your sights. I want that bastard dead and buried.” Rocco said loudly, and then ended the call.

 

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It was finally lunch time at school, so Natasha, Britney and I made our way to the cafeteria. It had been awhile since I had been there, but found my seat right next to Scotty, who met me with a kiss.

Megan and Jennifer were the next to show, followed by Brian and Glen who were happy to see that I’d finally returned. I was met with lots of hugs. Steve showed up a little later and joined us, as did a few others.

I was happy, now that I had a chance to see all my friends. It’s funny, Andrew had no real friends to speak of, and almost 4 months later here I am as a girl surrounded by friends. Deep down I couldn’t have changed that much.

Why was Andrew such a loner and Jessica a social butterfly? All I know is I am happy that things had changed but sometimes I wonder why I had such a hard time connecting to other people when I was living as a boy.

“How was your morning, honey?” Scotty asked as he slipped his arm around me.

“It’s going alright; it’s nice to be back, though I have a lot of homework to catch up on.”

“You’re welcome to borrow my notes, if that will help.” Natasha said.

“You can use mine too, we’re in a few of the same classes. I will get them for you after cheerleading practice.” Britney said with a smile.

“Same here, Jessica.” Natasha said then took a bite of her sandwich

”Thanks guys, that will help a lot.” I said smiling. I turned to Scotty, “Scotty, can you give me a drive home after cheerleading practice?”

“Sure honey, I have football practice anyway. Just meet me out front. I have to work later, so I am going to hit the showers and get changed first.” Scotty said as he patted my behind.

 

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After lunch everyone headed off to whatever classes they were assigned. Jennifer, Britney and I had the next class together. Unfortunately it was our Life Skills class, and the closer that I got to the classroom, the more anxious I became.

“What’s wrong, Jessica?” Jennifer asked. She was able to read me like a book.

“I am just nervous, I don’t really want to do this report.” I said, frowning.

“It’s not going to be that bad,” Britney said, trying to be supportive.

“Jessica has been through a lot lately Britney, and most of it is painful. She shouldn’t have to do this essay, it would be like reliving a nightmare all over again.” Jennifer said sadly.

“Sorry Jessica, I wasn’t thinking. Sometimes you don’t really think other people have had it harder then you have.” Britney said, then reached over and gave me a hug.

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After arriving in our classroom, my teacher came over and pulled me aside. “I had a call from your father this morning concerning the essay that was assigned. Did you bring it with you?”

“Yeah, I have it here Mr. Dempsey.” I said, and then handed it to him.

“Jessica, your father told me about everything that had happened and I am sorry that you went through all that. From everything your father told me, I think that it would be good for the other students to hear your story. I’m not going to force you to read it Jessica, but is holding everything inside really doing you any good?” Mr. Dempsey asked.

I thought about what he had to say. Yes, I was scared, what would the others think of me? Would they treat me differently then they do now? I looked at Mr. Dempsey, unsure if I was doing the right thing or not. Finally I made my decision. “I’ll do it, Mr. Dempsey.”

“I’m proud of you, Jessica. I know this is not going to be easy for you, but people need to hear what you have to say. I will be choosing you to read first, take as long as you need. Anyone we don’t get to today, we’ll get to tomorrow.”

 

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After class started and everyone was seated, Mr. Dempsey stood up and stood in front of his desk facing the class. “First of all, I would thank everyone for taking the time to do your assignment. For most of you it was pretty easy to write, but not for one of our students. Because of her past and recent events that have been taking place in her life, I gave her the choice and she chose to share her story with all of us. Jessica, would you mind coming up?” Mr. Dempsey asked.

“Thanks, Mr. Dempsey.” I said, then stood up and made my way to the front of the class room.

“This is not going to be easy for me, so please be patient with me.” I said, nervously.

“What makes this essay hard was that I never really had a normal childhood. I came from an abusive home, and experienced mental and physical abuse from both of my parents.”

 

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“I can’t really explain all the reasons behind the abuse, but let’s just say I wasn’t the child that my father wanted. He wanted a boy that could be everything that he wasn’t, and instead he ended up with a daughter that he didn’t understand, nor want.

At first things were not bad, the three of us were a family. My father at least tried to make an effort, and there were some good times. Like every little girl, I loved my Daddy, but over time he stared to change. At the time I was too young to understand exactly what was happening.

My father was in the early stages of alcoholism, and at first the abuse was only mental.   When he would drink, you never knew back then what kind of mood he was going to be in. One minute he was happy and really loving towards me, and then few minutes later his mood would change, and he became very hateful and verbally abusive toward me or my mother.

As his drinking became worse, his mood changed more, and he became more abusive towards me.   He used to call me useless and good for nothing, and on more than one occasion said that that he wished that I was never born.

During this time felt completely alone and had nobody to turn to. I tried talking to my mother, but she had her own problems and wouldn’t stand up to my father. I used to hate both of them for the way that they treated me, and as the days went on I felt more and more alone.

Before long my father took the abuse to the next level, and the beatings started. He used to say that it was for my own good, and I deserved it.   Part of me started to believe that he was right. I tried my best to make him happy, all I wanted was for him to love me again, but the more I tried the worse things became. At that time I had no friends, and to be honest even if I did, it wouldn’t have been safe to take them home, Dad’s moods could turn violent within a matter of minutes.

 

I remember thinking about ending my life more than once. I was just so tired and wanted to be at peace. Those thoughts followed me for years, until one day I tried to take my own life. I just couldn’t handle the pain anymore. Needless to say I was found, and I ended up in the hospital. Because of all the bruises the doctor found, the police were brought in and charges were laid against both of my parents.

After being released from the hospital, I went to live with Megan and her parents, who later adopted me. During this time my father disappeared. He eventually reappeared and that was when I was kidnapped. He thought that he could scare me into telling the police that the abuse never happened. In the end he chose to fight it out with the police and he was shot. He died in my arms.

My family still blames me for his death, except for my birth mother. As a result of everything that happened, she is in treatment and seems to be doing better. I eventually came to forgive her but I will never be able to forget what happened, and I don’t see a mother and daughter relationship anytime in the future between the two of us.

Anyway, that’s my story. I have no idea if telling my story helped anyone, but I was scared to death to open up and share it. I think it did me some good to finally get it out in the open.”

 

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After I finished, everyone start clapping. Many of my classmates came over and hugged me and also thanked me. The rest of the class went by quickly and a few asked me questions but nothing that I couldn’t answer, even though reading the essay had left me emotionally drained. The rest of the day kind of went by in a haze of activity.

 

 

 

The End of Part 11

To be continued in part 12