Hero

Chapter 4

Jesy yawned as she entered the classroom on Tuesay morning.  She had been up most of the night again.  She couldn't believe how anxious she felt because Leigh-Anne didn't eat anything at school yesterday.  She was even distracted from her favourite TV shows and her favourite dinner last night.  Her mother and older brother kept asking her what the matter was but she didn't feel like telling them.  At least not yet.

She just wanted Leigh-Anne to be okay.  She did not want the girl to be as sad as she seemed to be.

"Jesy? Earth to Jesy." Jake's voice said as he snapped his fingers in front of her face.  "You don't look too good."

Jesy scowled at him. Her cheeks tinted pink. "That didn't sound like my usual daily compliment. What? Do tired eyes look ugly on me?"

Jake held up his hands in defense. "You always look beautiful to me Jes.  I just meant that you don't look . . . well you don't look yourself I guess."

"She's worried about Leigh-Anne." Jade said already in her seat and going over flash cards. "She can't sleep because of it." She set the cards down and looked at Jesy. "Jes we need to trust the adults around us.  If there was a reason to worry this much we'd know."

Jake nodded. "She's not wrong.  I mean grown ups are dumb sometimes but in cases like this we can't do much.  In fact we don't even know what the problem is.  Her house seems fine.  It's just her and her sweet mum.  No danger.  Maybe she wasn't eating because she was nervous about Mark cornering her again."

Jesy blew out a sigh. She yawned again. "I guess you guys are right.  She's okay right?"

Both Jade and Jake nodded.

Jesy rested her head on her desk in wait for the day of teaching to start.  She was sure she would fall asleep but it was okay. It wasn't like she paid much attention in class anyway.  Plus Jade always took great notes -as in way more notes than the teachers even wrote on the board.  The younger girl would always give her a copy of the notes the next day. (Jade's Mum photocopied her note books for backup in case anything ever happened to them).

Jesy was awakened by Mrs. Thomas touching her arm.  It was apparently recess as the class was almost empty. "Huh?" She asked sitting up straight. Damn, Jade coulda woken me.  I'm missing play time -not that we play these days.

"Jesy you've been having an 'off day' for three days now.  Is everything alright?" Mrs. Thomas asked.

Jesy nodded, rubbing at her eyes. "I'm good. No need to worry Teach'."

The teacher looked concerned.  She looked to Leigh-Anne who was the only other kid still in the class. It's like whenever Leigh looks down Jesy seems ill. "Leigh-Anne would you like to go out to play?" She asked the other girl gently. Leigh-Anne had come to school with a bruise underneath her eye. The girl's mother had seemed so upset on the phone when Mrs. Thomas called to see if everything was okay.  Apparently there was an issue with a teenage sister that came back home yesterday but the mother promised that she was taking care of it and that it would not happen again.

Leigh-Anne shook her head without looking back at the teacher.

Jesy raised an eyebrow realizing that the girl was here.  "Can I keep her company?" She volunteered to Mrs. Thomas.  "I don't feel like playing today anyway."

Mrs. Thomas looked curiously at Jesy.  The girl wasn't usually one to forfeit recess for anything. She frowned.  Jesy really seemed to want to look out for Leigh-Anne.  She supposed it was probably guilt from being mean to her on the first few days. "Okay Jesy you can stay inside too but no funny business."